MARTIN LUTHER 16th c.

  They are the real
liars and bloodhounds, who have not only perverted and falsified the entire
Scriptures from beginning to end and without ceasing with their interpreta
tions. And all of the anxious sighing, longing and hoping of their hearts is
directed to the time when some day they would like to deal with us
heathen as they dealt with the heathen in Persia at the time of Esther... On
how they love that book Esther, which so nicely agrees with their bloodthirsty,
revengeful and murderous desire and hope!
The sun never did shine on a more bloodthirsty
and revengeful people as they, who imagine to
be the people of God, and who desire to and
think they must murder and crush the heathen.
And the foremost undertaking which they
expect of their Messiah is that he should slay
and murder the whole world with the sword. As
they at first demonstrated against us Christians
and would like to do now, if they only could;
have also tried it often and have been repeatedly struck on their snouts...
Their breath stinks for the gold and silver of the heathen; since no people
under the sun always have been, still are, and always will remain more
avaricious than they, as can be noticed in their cursed usury. They also
find comfort with this: 'When Messiah comes, He shall take all the gold
and silver in the world and distribute it among the Jews.'(2) Thus,
wherever they can direct Scripture to their insatiable avarice, they
wickedly do so.
Therefore know, my dear Christians, that next to the Devil, you have no
more bitter, more poisonous, more vehement an enemy than a real Jew
who earnestly desires to be a Jew. There may be some among them who
believe what the cow or the goose believes. But all of them are surrounded
with their blood and circumcision. In history, therefore, they are often
accused of poisoning wells, stealing children and mutilating them; as in
Trent, Weiszensee and the like. Of course they deny this. Be it so or not,
however, I know full well that the ready will is not lacking with them if
they could only transform it into deeds, in secret or openly. A person who
does not know the Devil, might wonder why they are so at enmity with the
Christians above all others; for which they have no reason, since we only
do good to them. They live among us in our homes, under our protection,
use land and highways, market and streets. Princes and govern ment sit by,
snore and have their maws open, let the Jews take from their purse and
chest, steal and rob whatever they will. That is, they permit themselves
and their subjects to be abused and sucked dry and reduced to beggars
with their own money, through the usury of the Jews. For the Jews, as
foreigners, certainly should have nothing from us; and what they have
certainly must be ours. They do not work, do not earn anything from us,
neither do we donate or give it to them. Yet they have our money and
goods and are lords in our land where they are supposed to be in exile!
If a thief steals ten gulden he must hang; if he robs people on the highway,
his head is gone. But a Jew, when he steals ten tons of gold through his
usury is dearer than God himself!
Do not their Talmud and rabbis write that it is no sin to kill if a Jew kills a
heathen, but it is a sin if he kills a brother in Israel? It is no sin if he does
not keep his oath to a heathen. Therefore, to steal and rob (as they do with
their moneylend ing) from a heathen, is a divine service. And they are the
masters of the world and we are their servants-yea, their cattle!
I maintain that in three fables of Aesop there is more wisdom to be found
than in all the books of the Talmudists and rabbis and more than ever
could come into the hearts of the Jews...
Should someone think I am saying too much-I am saying much too little!
For I see in writings how they curse us Goyim and wish us all evil in their
schools and prayers. They rob us of our money through usury, and
wherever they are able, they play us all manner of mean tricks... No
heathen has done such things and none would do so except the Devil
himself and those whom he possesses-as he possesses the Jews.
Burgensis, who was a very learned rabbi among them and by the grace of
God became a Christian (which seldom occurs), is much moved that in
their schools they so horribly curse us Christians (as Lyra also writes) and
from that draws the conclusion that they must not be the people of God.
Now behold what a nice, thick, fat lie it is when they complain about
being captives among us! Jerusalem was destroyed more than 1400 years
ago and during that time we Christians have been tortured and persecuted
by the Jews in all the world. On top of that, we do not know to this day
what Devil brought them into our country. We did not fetch them from
Jersualem! ... Yes, we have and, hold them captive, as I would like to keep
my rheumatism, and all other diseases and misfortunes, who must wait as
a poor servant, with money and property and everything I have! I wish
they were in Jersualem with the other Jews and whomsoever they would
like to have with them.
Now what are we going to do with these rejected, condemned Jewish
people? ... Let us apply the ordinary wisdom of other nations like France,
Spain, Bohemia, et al., who made them give an account of what they had
stolen through usury, and divided it evenly; but expelled them from their
country. For as heard before, God's wrath is so great over them that
through soft mercy they only become more wicked, through hard
treatment, however, only a little better. Therefore, away with them!
How much more unbearable it is that we should permit the entire
Christendom and all of us to be bought with our own money, be slandered
and cursed by the Jews, who on top of all that be made rich and our lords,
who laugh us to scorn and are tickled by their audacity!
What a joyful affair that would be for the Devil and his angels, and cause
them to laugh through their snouts like a sow grinning at her little pigs, but
deserving real wrath before God. (Von die Juden und ihren Lugen)
Maybe mild-hearted and gentle Christians will believe that I am too
rigorous and drastic against the poor, afflicted Jews, believing that I
ridicule them and treat them with such sarcasm. By my word, I am far too
weak to be able to ridicule such a satanic brood. I would fain do so, but
they are far greater adepts at mockery than I and possess a god who is
master in this art. It is the Evil One himself.
Even with no further evidence than the Old Testament, I would maintain,
and no person on earth could alter my opinion, that the Jews as they are
today are veritably a mixture of all the depraved and malevolent knaves of
the whole world over, who have then been dispersed in all countries,
similarly to the Tartars, Gypsies and such folk.
From Table Talk of Martin Luther, translated by William Hazlet, page 43:
But the Jews are so hardened that they listen to nothing; though overcome
by testimonies they yield not an inch. It is a pernicious race, oppressing all
men by their usury and rapine, If they give a prince or magistrate a
thousand florins, they exhort twenty thousand from the subjects in
payment. We must ever keep on guard against them.
(In a sermon at Eisleben, a few days before his death, February.