Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/76

 4 A C O S T A; they dire^ed. A few days after, he was accufed by a nephew* who lived in his houfe, that he did not, as to his eating and many other points, conform to the laws of the fynagogue. This accufation was attended with very bad confequences ; for a relation of Acofta, who had got him reconciled to the fyna- gogue, thought he was in honour bound to perfecute him with the utmoft violence [D], The Rabbis and the reft of the Jews were animated with the fame fpirit; efpecially, when they found that Acofta had difluaded two Chridians, who had come from London to Amfterdam, from turning Jews. He was fummoned before the grand council of the fynau;ogue ; when it was declared to him, that he muft be again excommunicated, if he did not give fuch fatisfa&ion as fhould be required. He found the terms fo hard, that he could not comply. The Jews thereupon again expelled him from their communion ; and he afterwards fuffered various hardfbJps and great perfecutions, even from his own relations. After remaining feven years in a moft wretched fituation, he at length declared he was willing to fubrnit to the fentence of the fynagogue, having been told that he might eafily accommodate matters j for, that the judges, being fatisfied with his lubmiffion, would fofien the feverity of the dicipiine. Acofta, however, was caught in a fnare ; for they made him undergo the penance in its" utmoft rigour [EJ. Thefe particulars, relating to the life of Accfta, 3re taken from his piece, imituled, " Exemplar humanae Vitze," published and refuted by Lirnborch [FJ. It is fuppofed that he fr>] Acofta was juft going to marry a thefe crime?, he was ready to fufier what, lecond wife : he had great part of his ef- ever they fhould command, and promifcd feb in the hand* of one of his brothers j never to be guilty of the Jike offences, and it was his intereft, that the trade Being come down from the pu'pit, he carried on b?twi*! them fliould continue, was ordered to retiie to a corner of the The relati n above-mentioned hurt him f)nagog<,e ; where he (tripped himftlf greatly in thefe particulars ; for he got to the waift, and pulled off hi? (hoes ana the match to be broken off; and he per- ftockings. The door-keeper then fafien- fuaded Atofta's brother to keep all the his hands to the piilar, and the mafter- goods in his poffeffion, and to trade no chanter gave h:m exactly 39 Ja/hes with longer with him, a whip; for in thefe caf.s they are al- [E] The p:nance he underwent, as ways careful not to exceed the number he himfeif cefcribes it, was as follows: prefcribed by law, Then the preacher (Exemplar Vitae Humanze, p. 3^9, 350.) came, who, making him fit upon the A vaft crowd of men and women being ground, declared him abfolved from the afltmbled at the fynagogue, Acofta en- excommunication; fo that the gates of tered ; and, at a time appointed, afcended Paradife were no longer fhut againft the pulpit. Here he read aloud a writ- him. Acofta after this put on his ing, werein he confsfTed hehad deferved cioaths, and laid himfelfo.i the ground a thoufand deaths for not keeping the at the door of the fynagogue, where all fabbth-djy, pr the promife he had who came out walked over him. made; an.1 for having difluaded fome [rj Mr. Limborch has placed it at thr p-rlons from embracing the Jewi/h reli- end of his ' Arnica collatiocum Judscj jjipf ; and that, as an atonement for <| Veritate Religitnis ChriftiaTia;." compofed