Isidore of Seville (c. 560 – 4 April 636) was Archbishop of Seville for more than three decades and is considered “the last scholar of the ancient world”. Amidst the disintegration of classical culture, and the increase of violence and illiteracy, he worked to convert the Arian Visigoths to Catholicism.

Isidore’s De fide catholica contra Iudaeos furthers Augustine of Hippo’s ideas on the Jewish presence in Christian society. Like Augustine, Isidore accepted the necessity of the Jewish presence because of their expected role in the anticipated Second Coming of Christ. Isidore exceeds the anti-rabbinic polemics of earlier theologians by criticizing Jewish practice as deliberately disingenuous.

His fame after his death was based on his Etymologiae, an etymological encyclopedia which assembled extracts of many books from classical antiquity that would have otherwise been lost.

Isidore convened the Fourth of Eighteen Councils held in Toledo between 400 and 702. At an old man of more than 70, he presided over its deliberations and originated most enactments of the council.

He contributed two of the many decisions to the Fourth Council of Toledo:

• Canon 60 calling for the forced removal of children from parents practicing Crypto-Judaism and their education by Christians
• Canon 65 forbidding Jews and Christians of Jewish origin from holding public office.

In addition

• In future no Jew should be baptized by force, but those who were once baptized were not permitted to return to Judaism.
• Whoever protected the Jews was threatened with excommunication.
• Jews married to Christians must accept baptism or else divorce.

Prayer: Father, forgive the oppression carried out in your name by those such as Isidore. Cleanse the memories of the past by filling us with repentance, confession love, mercy and forgiveness. How could those who affirmed you as Lord and Saviour in the beauty of their theological formulations at the same time desecrate your name amongst your people Israel through such atrocious abuses of power? Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy upon us all! In Yeshua’ name we pray – may his reconciling love restore and heal. Amen.

Sources: Wolfram Drews, The Unknown Neighbour: the Jew in the Thought of Isidore of Seville (Leiden: Brill, 2006): 31.

Bat-Sheva Albert – Isidore of Seville : his attitude towards Judaism and his impact on early medieval canon law.

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1454969?uid=2134&uid=3738032&uid=2473449213&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3&uid=2473449203&uid=60&sid=21104753476911

https://www.christianhistoryinstitute.org/it-happened-today/12/5/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isidore_of_Seville

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1454969?uid=3738032&uid=2&uid=4&sid=21104758198091

LXVI

Ex decreto gloriosissimi principis hoc sanctum elegit concilium, ut Iudeis non liceat christianos servos nec christiana mancipia emere, nec cuiusquam consequi largitatem, nefas est enim, ut membra Christi, serviant Antichristi ministris. Quod si deinceps servos christianos vel ancillas Iudęi habere praesumpserint, sublati ab eorum dominatu, libertatem a principe consequantur.

LVII

De Iudeis autem praecepit sancta synodus, nemini deinceps ad credendum vim inferre. Cui enim vult deus miseretur, et quem vult indurat. Non enim tales inviti salvandi sunt, sed volentes ut integra sit forma iustitiae. Sicut enim homo propria arbitrii voluntate serpenti oboediens periit, sic vocante se gratia dei propriae mentis conversione homo quisque credendo salvatur. Ergo non vi sed libera arbitrii facultate ut convertantur suadendi sunt non potius impellendi. Qui autem iam pridem ad christianitatem coacti sunt, sicut factum est temporibus religiosissimi principis [f]Sisebuti quia iam constat eos sacramentis divinis adsociatos, et baptismi gratiam suscepisse, et chrismate unctos esse, et corporis domini et sanguinis extitisse [g] participes, oportet ut fidem etiam quam vi vel necessitate susceperunt tenere cogantur, ne nomen domini blasphemetur, et fides quam susceperunt, vilis ac contemptibilis habeatur.

LVIII

Tanta est quorundam cupiditas, ut quidam eam appetentes iuxta quod ait apostolus etiam a fide erraverint. Multi quippe hucusque ex sacerdotibus atque laicis ||fol. 76va|| accipientes a Iudeis munera perfidiam eorum patrocinio suo fovent [i]. Qui non inmerito ex corpore Antichristi esse noscuntur, quia contra Christum faciunt. Quicumque igitur deinceps episcopus sive clericus sive saecularis illis contra fidem christianam suffragium vel munere vel favore prestiterit, aut propter aetatem, vere ut profanus et sacrilegus anathema effectus, ab ecclesia catholica, et regno dei efficiatur extraneus. Quia dignum est ut a corpore Christi separetur, qui inimicis Christi patronus efficitur.

LVIIII

Plerique qui ex Iudeis dudum ad christianam fidem promoti sunt, nunc blasphemantes Christo, non solum Iudaicos ritus perpetrasse noscuntur, sed etiam abominandas circumcisiones exercere presumpserunt. De quibus consultu piissimi ac religiosissimi domini nostri Sisenandi regis, hoc sanctum decrevit concilium, ut huiusmodi transgressores pontificali auctoritate correcti ad cultum christiani dogmatis revocentur. Ut quos voluntas propria non emendat, animadversio sacerdotalis coerceat. Eos autem quos circumciderunt, si filii eorum sunt a parentum consortio separentur, si servi pro iniuria corporis sui libertati tradantur.

LX

Iudeorum filios vel filias ne parentum ultra involvantur erroribus ab eorum consortio separari decernimus. Deputatos aut monasteriis aut christianis viris ac mulieribus deum timentibus ut sub eorum conversatione, cultum fidei discant, atque in melius instituti, tam in moribus quam in fide proficiant.

LXI

Iudei baptizati, si postea prevaricantes [n] in Christum qualibet poena damnati extiterint, a rebus eorum fideles filios excludi non oportebit. Quia scriptum est: Filius non portabit patris iniquitatem.

LXII

Saepe malorum consortia, etiam bonos corrumpunt, quanto magis eos qui ad vitia proni sunt. Nulla igitur ultra communio sit Hebreis ad fidem christianam translatis cum his qui adhuc in veteri ritu consistunt, ne forte eorum participio subvertantur. Quicumque igitur amodo ex his qui baptizati sunt infidelium consortia non vitaverint, et hi christianis donentur, et illi publicis cedibus||fol. 76vb|| deputentur.

LXIII

Iudei qui christianas mulieres in coniugio habent, ammoneantur ab episcopo civitatis ipsius, ut si cum eis permanere cupiunt christiani efficiantur. Quod si ammoniti noluerint, separentur. Quia non potest infidelis in eius permanere coniunctione, quae iam in christianam translata est fidem. Filii autem qui ex talibus nati existunt, fidem atque conditionem matris sequantur. Similiter et hi qui procreati sunt de infidelibus mulieribus et fidelibus viris, christianam sequantur religionem non Iudaicam superstitionem.

LXIIII

Non potest erga homines esse fidelis, qui deo extiterit infidelis. Iudei ergo qui dudum christiani effecti sunt et nunc Christi [r] fidem praevaricati sunt, ad testimonium dicendum admitti non debent, quamvis esse se christianos adnuntient. Quia sicut in fide Christi suspecti [s] sunt, ita in testimonio humano dubii habentur. Infirmari ergo oportet eorum testimonium qui in fide falsi docentur, nec eis esse credendum qui veritatis a se fidem abiecerunt.

LXV

Precipiente domino atque excellentissimo Sisenando [u] rege, id constituit sanctum concilium, ut Iudęi aut hi qui ex Iudęis sunt officia publica nullatenus appetant, quia sub hac occasione christianis iniuriam faciunt. Ideoque iudices provintiarum cum sacerdotibus eorum subreptiones fraudulenter relictas suspendant, et officia publica eos agere non permittant. Si quis autem hoc permiserit, velut in sacrilegum excommunicatio proferatur, et is qui subpresserit publicis caedibus deputetur [v].

LXVI

Ex decreto gloriosissimi principis hoc sanctum elegit concilium, ut Iudeis non liceat christianos servos nec christiana mancipia emere, nec cuiusquam consequi largitatem, nefas est enim, ut membra Christi, serviant Antichristi ministris. Quod si deinceps servos christianos vel ancillas Iudęi habere praesumpserint, sublati ab eorum dominatu, libertatem a principe consequantur.

http://www.benedictus.mgh.de/quellen/chga/chga_046t.htm

Quick Google translation – needs checking

57 [E].

Concerning the Jews the holy synod commands, however, were never in the future be forced to believe. For he that hath the God wants to have mercy, and whom he will he hardens. For such are not saved against their will, but wishing to be a form of justice may be whole. In obedience to the will of the serpent just as a man’s own is lost, so is a man who calls, each one his own soul in the grace of God by believing that he is saved. Therefore, they are not to be converted, not by force, but rather must be impelled is the faculty of free will. But those who were compelled to in Christendom as has already been this long time, as it was in the times of the most religious of the prince of [f] because it is already clear that the sacraments of the divine associated Sisebuti, and received the grace of baptism, and was anointed with chrism, and of the body and blood of the Lord, was proved [G] share, it is necessary in order to are compelled to keep the faith they received even greater than the force or necessity, lest the name of the Lord be blasphemed, and the faith of which we received, is to be considered vile and contemptible.

58 [H].

So great is the desire of some people, according to some, according to her coveted after, they have erred from the faith, too, what the apostle says. For many priests and lay people from the hitherto || sol. 76va || Jews taking bribes to have described his patronage to foster [i]. Those who do not are known to have good reason to be out of the body of Antichrist, because it is against Christ, they do. As many of the Christian faith, therefore, the future bishop of the vote or a clerk or an office, either for favor, whether secular verbal incitement against them, or because of their age, in order to profane, and of a truth, the wicked to be an anathema of the effect, from the Catholic Church, and in the kingdom of God, he becomes a stranger. In order to be separated from the body of Christ, because it is better, who is the patron of the enemies of Christ is brought about.

59 [K].

Most people who have been promoted from the Jews to the Christian faith a little while ago, they are now, speaking evil of Christ, not only to the Jewish ritual, are known to have committed, but also abominable acts presumed to exercise circumcisions. With the advice of the most religious and sacred place of our lord the king, concerning the things whereof Sisenand, decreed that it is a holy gathering, so this kind of correction, to the exercise of the Christian dogma of the transgressors of his pontifical authority, to be restored. In order that those whom one’s own will benefit us, no awareness of the priestly does. Those, whom he had circumcised, they are from the children, and their parents if separated from the communion, because of the injury of his body, if the freedom of the slaves may be presented.

60 [L].

No longer involved in their errors of the Jews from their company of their parents, lest the daughters of the children of separated or decree. For those who fear God, or monasteries, or Christians, men and women assigned to the work that they are under their way of life, the service of the faith, they may learn, and for the better of the institute, as well as in the faith, in the manners, they make progress.

61 [m].

The Jews, they were baptized, if at a later prevaricantes [n] in Christ, have been condemned to the punishment of any kind, be excluded from the things of the children of the faithful of them will not be right. Because it is written, the Son is not the Father, he shall bear his iniquity.

62 [O]

Often, the company of the wicked, corrupt, even good, how much more will those who are prone to vice. There is, therefore it is no more a communion of the Hebrews to the Christian faith, along with those who are still in the old rite, they are transferred, they should not, perhaps, their participle overthrown. Therefore, when any of them that henceforth they were baptized unbelievers vitaverint company, and these are granted to Christians, and those of the public slaughter || sol. || 76vb outstanding.

63 [P].

The Jews who are in the marriage of Christian women have, by the bishop of the city of the same into ourselves, to remain with them so that if they wish to become Christians. But if you do not want to, admonished, may be separated. Because they did not remain faithful to his can be an unbeliever in the union, which have already been transferred to the Christian faith. But the children of those who were born out of such things come into existence, and the condition of the mother’s faith may follow. In like manner these men, who were begotten of the faithful who are not of the women, and the unbelievers, the Christian religion did not follow the Jewish superstition.

64 [q].

It is impossible for men to be faithful, who by God’s will exist to be an unbeliever. Now, therefore, that a while ago the Jews of Christ, Christians have been made, and [R] have transgressed against the faith, ought not to be admitted to the testimony: it must be said, even though that they were Christians and let them tell. For like as we are in the faith of Christ, are suspected of [s], and thus, in the testimony of the human has a doubt. Becomes ill, who are in faith of what is false, therefore, their testimony must be taught to do this, they must be thought of truth from themselves, the faith of those who rejected them.

65 [T].

Enjoining, as to the Lord, and a most excellent Sisenando [U] the king, that he made the holy council, in order that the Jews, the Jews, who is one of the duties of the State or the latter in no way desired is that the Christians of this occasion, under the wrong they do. Therefore judges province with priests abandoned their violent fraudulently suspend public services do not allow them. If any man have this permission, I will be excommunicated as being guilty of sacrilege, and the slaughter of the public is to be appointed that is called a subpresserit [V]

66 [W].

From the decree of the most glorious of the prince of this holy council has chosen, so that the servants of the Jews, nor the Christians are not allowed to buy the Christian slaves, nor the bestowal of any one, it is illegal, as stated by the members of Christ, serve the servants of Antichrist. But if for granted in the future to have the servants of the Jews, Christians, or his maid, that was removed from their dominion, obtain the freedom of the one from the ruler.