Fourth Toledo Council
Canon 50: Many Jews took on the Christian faith for a certain time and now give themselves, by slandering Christ, not only up to the Jewish rites, but even go so far as to carry out the repellent act of circumcision. In reference to these Jews and upon proposal of the highly devout and highly religious Lord, our King Sisenand, this Holy Council decrees that the said converts, after they have been purified through the Papal authority, are again conducted into the care of the Christian dogma; but those, who do not better themselves from their own decision, should be restrained by clerical punishment. And relating to the circumcised, it is ordered that, if it is a matter of their own sons, then they shall be separated from their parents; but if it is a matter of slaves, then they shall be granted freedom on account of the injury done to their body.
Canon 58: Concerning those who show support and favour to the Jews against the faith of Christ. The avarice of some is so great that they therefore separate themselves from the faith, just as the Apostle expressed it; just as even many among the clergy and laity accept presents from the Jews and aid their perfidy, in that they allow them to enjoy their protection; to those, of whom one knows not without reasons, that they belong to the body of the Antichrist, since they work against Christ. Every bishop, priest or layman, who in the future grants support to them (the Jews) against the Christian faith, be it through briberies or favours, shall be regarded as profane and blaspheming God. He shall be excluded from the Communion of the Catholic Church and be regarded as not belonging to the kingdom of Cod; for it is no more than right that those who reveal themselves as protectors of the enemies of the Lord be separated from the body of Christ.
Canon 60: It is ordered that the sons and daughters of Jews, so that in the future they may not fall into the error of their fathers, be separated from their parents and entrusted to a monastery or to Christian men and women, who fear God, so that in their education they learn the cult of the faith and, better instructed, make progress in customs and beliefs.
Canon 62: Concerning the baptised Jews, who have dealings with the false believing Jews. If association with the bad often in fact destroys the good, with how much more probability will the former be destroyed by the latter, who incline to blasphemy. Therefore, from now on, the Jews converted to Christianity must carry on no association with those who still adhere to the old Rite, so that they do not become perverted by them. Whoever in consequence does not avoid this association, will be punished as follows: if he is a baptised Jew, he shall be handed over to the Christians, and if he is not baptised, he shall be publicly whipped.
Canon 64: Whoever has been untrue to God, cannot be faithful to men. Therefore the Jews, who became Christians and again fell away from the faith of Christ, shall not be permitted as witnesses; and not even then if they declare to be Christians. Just as one mistrusts them relating to the belief in Christ, so shall one suspect them else in earthly evidence. . .
Canon 65: Upon command of our illustrious Lord and King Sisenand, this Holy Council lays down that the Jews, or those who are of their race, may occupy no public offices, because through this they would insult the Christians. Therefore the judges in the provinces in common with the priests should make an end to these cunning deceptions and forbid them to occupy public offices. But if, in spite of this, a judge grants his approval to anything of the like, then he shall be excommunicated as a blasphemer and be accused of ‘fraud’ and be publicly whipped.
Source. Heritage History – Part 4: Maurice Pinay, The Plot Against the Church. 1962.
Etymologies
Book VIII
The Church and sects
i. The Church and the Synagogue (De ecclesia et synagoga)
1. ‘Church’ (ecclesia) is a Greek word that is translated into Latin as “convocation” (convocatio), because it calls (vocare) everyone to itself. ‘Catholic’ (catholicus) is translated as “universal” (universalis), after the term S, that is, ‘with respect to the whole,’ for it is not restricted to some part of a territory, like a small association of heretics, but is spread widely throughout the entire world. 2. And the apostle Paul assents to this when he says to the Romans (1:8): “I give thanks to my God for all of you, because your faith is spoken of in the whole world.” Hence the Church is given the name ‘the universal entity’ (universitas) from ‘one’ (unus), because it is gathered into a unity (unitas). Whence the Lord says, in the Gospel according to Luke (11:23): “He that gathereth not with me, scatters.” 3. But why is the Church described by John (Apoc. 1:4) as seven, when it is one, unless a single and universal church, filled with a sevenfold Spirit, is meant? We know Solomon spoke of the Lord like this (Proverbs 9:1): “Wisdom hath built herself a house, she hath hewn her out seven pillars.” There is no doubt that wisdom, although it is seven, is also one, as the Apostle says (I Timothy 3:15): “The church of the living God, which is the pillar and ground of truth.” 4. And the Church began from the place where the Holy Spirit came from heaven, and filled those who were sitting in one (unus) place (Acts 2:1–4).
In accordance with its present-day wandering the Church is called Zion, because from the imposed distance of this wandering one may ‘watch for’ (speculari) the promise of celestial things, and for that reason it takes the name ‘Zion’ (Sion), that is, watching (speculatio). 6. And in accordance with the future peace of the homeland it is called Jerusalem, for ‘Jerusalem’ (Hierusalem) is translated as “vision of peace.” There, when all hostility has been overwhelmed, one will possess peace, which is Christ, by gazing upon him face to face. 7. The Greek word ‘Synagogue’ (synagoga cf. , “gather together”), which the Jewish people have taken as their own term, means “congregation” (congregatio). Their gathering is properly called a Synagogue, although it may also be called a church. 8. The apostles, on the other hand, never said “our Synagogue,” but always “our church,” either so as to make a distinction between the two, or because there is some difference between ‘congregation,’ from which Synagogue takes its name, and ‘convocation,’ from which church takes its name: no doubt because cattle, which we properly speak of in ‘herds’ (grex, gen. gregis), are accustomed to ‘congregate’ (congregare); and it is more fitting for those who use reason, such as humans, to be ‘convoked.’
iv. Heresies of the Jews (De haeresibus Iudaeorum)
- The name ‘Jew’ (Iudaeus) can be translated as “confessor” (confessor), for confession (confessio) catches up with many of those whom wrong belief possessed earlier.
- Hebrews (Hebraeus) are called journeyers (transitor). With this name they are reminded that they are to journey (transire) from worse to better, and abandon their original errors.
- The Pharisees (Pharisaeus) [deny that the Christ came, nor do they have any share in prophesied events]. [Pharisees and Sadducees (Saducaeus) are opposites, for ‘Pharisee’ is translated from Hebrew into Latin as “divided” (divisus), because they give precedence to the righteousness of traditions and observances, which they call “ (i.e. the “secondary obligations”). Hence they are called ‘divided’ from the people, as if by their righteousness.]
- Sadducees [deny the resurrection, noting that it is said in Genesis (cf. 3:19) “But now earth thou art, into earth thou shalt return”]. [‘Sadducee’ means “righteous,” and they claim to be righteous, which they are not – they deny the resurrection of the body, and they preach that the soul perishes with the body. They accept only the five books of the Law (i.e. Torah), and reject the predictions of the Prophets.]
- The Essenes (Esseus) say that it is Christ himself who taught them complete abstinence. [The Galileans (Galilaeus) say that Christ came and taught them that they should not call Caesar ‘Lord,’ or heed his commands.]
- The Masbothei say that it was Christ himself who taught them to keep the Sabbath in every aspect.
- The Genistae [presume that they are of the family (genus) of Abraham]; [and they are so called because they are proud to be of the family of Abraham. When the people of God came into Babylon, many of them abandoned their wives and took up with Babylonian women; but some were content with Israelite wives only, or they were born (genitus) from these, and when they returned from Babylon, they separated themselves from the population as a whole and claimed for themselves this boastful name.]
- The Meristae are so called because they separate (separare; cf. pars, “part”) the Scriptures, not having faith in all the Prophets and saying that they prophesied by means of one sort of spirit or another [For meris is from the Greek (cf. Bo, “part”).]
- Samaritans (Samarita) [who were transported to that place, when Israel was captive and led off to Babylon, coming to the land of the region of Samaria, kept the customs of the Israelites in part, which they had learned from a priest who had been brought back, and in part they kept the pagan custom that they had possessed in the land of their birth. They differ entirely from the Jews in their observances, and their superstition is doubtless known toall]. [They are called Samaritan because they ‘preserve’ (custodire; see IX.ii.54) only the Law (i.e Torah), for they do not accept the Prophets.]
- [The Herodians (Herodianus). This heresy arose in the time of the Savior. They glorified Herod, saying that he was the Christ.]
- The Hemerobaptistae [who wash their bodies and home and domestic utensils daily,] [so called because they wash their clothes and body daily (cf. Z B, “day,” and !7 ;, “to wash”)].
xi. Gods of the heathens (De diis gentium) Satan (Satanas) means “adversary,” or “transgressor” in Latin. He is indeed the adversary who is the enemy of truth, and he always strives to go against the virtues of the holy. He is also the transgressor, because as a complete prevaricator, he did not continue in the truth in which he was created. Also he is the tempter, because he claims that the innocence of the righteous must be tempted, as it is written in Job. 20. He is called the Antichrist (Antichristus), because he is to come against Christ. He is not, as certain simpletons suppose, called the Antichrist because he is to come before (ante) Christ, that is, that Christ would come after him. This is not the case, but rather he is called Antichrist in Greek, which is ‘against Christ’ (contrarius Christo) in Latin, for in Greek means ‘against’ in Latin. 21. When he comes he will pretend that he is Christ, and there will be a struggle against him, and he will oppose the sacraments of Christ in order to destroy the gospel of his truth. 22. For he will attempt to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem and restore all the rites of the old Law. But Antichrist is also one who denies that Christ is God, for he is the opposite of Christ. So all those who depart from the Church and are cut off from the unity of faith are themselves Antichrists.
Source. Sfponline – Translated by Stephen A. Barney, W. J. Lewis, J. A. Beach and Oliver Berghof. The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville. Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York. 2006.