The Visigothic code

by Unknown

XII. Christian Slaves shall not Serve, or Associate with, Jews.

It truly seems a crime of no small importance to the society of Christians, that the impious Jewish race, always rebellious against the rule of God, should have Christian slaves in their service, and, on the other hand, that an honorable adherent of the Christian religion should be humiliated in the presence of the children of infidels; that thus the body of Christ should appear to do homage to the ministers of Antichrist; and that, through a monstrous regulation, those very persons who are contending, by means of their customs, against our religion, should have the services of slaves attached to our Holy Faith subject to their impiety and errors. For which reason, we decree that henceforth the law promulgated by our glorious predecessor, Sisebutus, of holy memory, shall, in cases of this kind, remain in full force, and we hereby confirm the same except the clause by which the penalty of death is imposed; the said law being the one whereby our predecessors have placed all transgressors of the same under a perpetual curse.

No Jew shall presume to have in his possession a Christian slave; nor shall he dare to commit any breach of the provisions of this law, with this sole exception, which is sanctioned by the same, to wit: that a Jew shall have the power to liberate a Christian slave; because it is highly unworthy that those who are the adherents of a perfidious sect should be able to confer freedom upon Christians. For it is not consistent that the darkness should obscure the light, or that he who is himself a slave, should bestow the blessing of liberty; especially as this law was promulgated at the time the Jews were first summoned to conversion, and this privilege was then conceded to them. Now, however, we declare that no Jew shall set a Christian slave at liberty, because it is contrary to this edict, and all such as are proved to have in their possession Christian slaves, are transgressors of the law; and sufficient indulgence is shown them if they are not condemned for their transgression. Therefore this privilege is entirely denied them, for the reason that they presume to act against the rules and canons of the Church. We, however, for the sake of mercy, concede to them that from the first year of our reign, that is to say, for the space of sixty days from the Kalends of February, every Jew shall have the right to sell his Christian slaves, but not without the approval of the priests or judges having jurisdiction over the diocese, or the district to which said slaves belong, in order that the slaves who are sold may not undergo the penalty of death, and that the vendors may not, in some way, seek an opportunity for the commission of fraud, or the infliction of revenge. Therefore, when the sixtieth day from the aforesaid Kalends shall have elapsed, it shall not be lawful for a Jew to have a Christian slave, or any other Christian, in his service. After that time, that is to say, the period of sixty days, if any Christian slaves should be found in the possession of a Jew, they shall be free, and shall have a right to all property which has been bestowed upon them by their master, as provided by this law; and said slaves shall be entitled to their freedom, even if it should be proved that they have been forcibly concealed by their master. All Jews who, after the expiration of the aforesaid time, presume to keep in their possession, or conceal, any Christian slaves, or, in any way whatever, attempt to evade the provisions of this law, shall forfeit half of their property to the royal treasury; or, if they are persons of inferior rank, and have not the means wherewith to make reparation, they shall each receive a hundred lashes, and have their heads shaved.

ERVIGIUS, KING.

XIII. Where a Jew Declares that he is a Christian, and, for this Reason, does not Wish to Dispose of a Christian Slave.

Where a Jew, fearing that he will lose his property, fraudulently asserts that he has been converted to Christianity, and protests that he ought not to lose his Christian slaves, for the reason that he has been leading a Christian life, it devolves upon us to provide, by these laws, that the astuteness of fraud does not prevail, on the one hand, or sincere conversion suffer injury on the other. We, therefore, decree that all Jews throughout our kingdom shall have the right conceded by a former edict, to sell their Christian slaves, from the Kalends of February, in the first year of our reign, until the approaching Kalends of April; and, should they wish to retain said slaves, they must prove themselves to be Christians, as prescribed by law. We grant to all Jews, against whom there exists no evident suspicion of perjury, the space of sixty days from the Kalends of April during the present year, during which time such as desire to be saved, and wish to unite with the Christian communion, may do so; and we direct such persons to visit the bishop of the diocese, and publish their confession of faith, to which their signatures or seals shall be attached, in which confession each Jew shall declare that he abjures all the errors of his sect, and that he will in no way again observe or embrace any of its false doctrines. Every Jew who renounces his former errors, and is converted to the holy faith of Christ, shall inscribe in his confession the Christian symbol; shall promise that he will under no circumstances return to his errors, as he would to his vomit; and shall profess that henceforth he will, in compliance with the terms of his written confession, in no way change anything which we have included in this law. And the aforesaid confession he shall make, not merely with bare words and promises, declaring one thing openly, while he secretly retains another in his heart, while his artifice, cloaked by his promises, has more control over him than the truth. Bishops and judges shall use every effort to ascertain whether said confession is genuine or not, and that those who swear to it, according to the law, do so with sincere, and not with deceitful, hearts. All who act honestly, and whose profession, together with their works, prove them to be worthy of the Holy Faith, and whose promise under oath establishes that they are devout Christians, can have the use of Christian slaves. Christian slaves shall not be subjected to the control of Jews unless the latter are openly proved to be Christians, use Christian food, and contract marriage according to Christian customs. Any of said persons, however, who, after having made confession and been sworn, thereby dedicating themselves to Christianity, as aforesaid, are found to have broken their promises by the practice of any rite of the Jewish sect; for the reason that they dared to profane the name of God, and pollute themselves with the filth of Jewish error, shall forfeit all their property to the king, shall each receive a hundred lashes, and, having had their heads shaved, shall be subjected to the miseries of exile which they have so justly deserved. All those who, obdurate of heart, and blinded by malice, neglect to make public confession of faith within the period aforesaid, or presume to have in their possession a Christian slave after the time prescribed by law has elapsed, shall be liable to the condemnation of the former law, relating to Christian slaves remaining in the service of Jews, to wit: half of their property shall be confiscated for the benefit of the royal treasury, or, should they be persons of inferior station, and not have the means to make reparation, as aforesaid, they shall each receive a hundred lashes, and have their heads shaved. All Jews who retain possession of Christian slaves, and do not deliver up said slaves within the prescribed time, shall be reduced to perpetual slavery, and belong to those upon whom the king shall see fit to bestow them.

XIV. The Confession of Jews; and In What Way Each One of Them, who is Converted, must Write Down the Proof of his Conversion.

I hereby renounce all the rites and observances of the Jewish sect, and, without reserve, express my utter abhorrence of all their ceremonies and solemnities which I have practised and kept in former times, until now; and I pledge myself that I will, hereafter, observe none of said rites or ceremonies, nor will adhere to any of my former errors; that is to say, I will not retain them in my mind, or, in any way, carry them into effect. Henceforth, renouncing all things which are condemned and prohibited by the doctrines of Christianity:—

I believe in one God, the Omnipotent Father, Maker of Heaven and earth, the Creator of all things visible and invisible, and in our Lord Jesus Christ, the only son of God, begotten by the Father before all the centuries; God of God, light of light, the true God of the true God, born not made, equal to the Father, that is to say, of the same substance as the Father, by whom all things were created both in Heaven and earth. And I believe in Him who for the sake of man, and for our salvation, descended from heaven, and, born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, became a man in the flesh; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; who arose on the third day, ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father; who shall come again in his glory to judge the living and the dead, and to whose reign there shall be no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the regenerator, proceeding from the Father and the Son, who spoke by the mouth of the prophets. I believe in the Holy Catholic Apostolic Church, I confess that there is but one baptism for the remission of sins, and I believe in the resurrection of the dead, and in life through all coming ages. Amen.

I sincerely believe in all the things hereinbefore written, and I promise that I will keep them faithfully, and that I will embrace them with all the affection of my soul, and, subscribing my name thereto, I promise that I will never again return to the vomit of the Jewish superstition; and that I will never practise, or retain in my heart, any of the rites or ceremonies which the Jews are accustomed to observe; wholly renouncing the Jewish sect, rejecting in its entirety the perfidy of the Jews, and abjuring whatever is contrary to the Christian faith. And, hereafter, I will always profess belief in the Holy Trinity, so that I may live as I ought, according to Christian customs, and that, avoiding in every way the company of Jews, I may always associate with honest Christians. Likewise, I promise that I will always partake of food with Christians, or accept it from them; and that I will, as a faithful and devoted Christian, frequently go to the house of God; and I also promise that I will devoutly take part in the services of Sunday, and in the festivals of martyrs, as enjoined by the Christian religion; and that I will be present with true Christians on all festival days which the Church has ordered shall be observed with love and devotion, and will participate in all the ceremonies prescribed by the Christian faith. This, the profession of my faith and belief, is made upon such and such a day.