[De communione et conversatione Iudaeorum et Christianorum]

not, however, proceeding in them even to the shedding of blood; also for a crime, he is made subject to the ecclesiastical forum (c. "Novit", extra de iud). Thus, Jews who have received usury from Christians are compelled to restore those things (c. "Per miserabile" and c. "Quanto" cited above). Vincentius narrates a burden in the kingdom of France beyond measure from Jews because of usury: so that they held certain nobles and ignobles captive in their own homes, treated sacred vessels so vilely that children used their chalices to urinate and drink from; and they cast the Cross and books of the Gospels, adorned with gold and gems, with other sacred vessels, into places where they most vilely purged their bowels. Which when it became known to the King, he ordered many to be incinerated, moved neither by threats nor by prayers, and he expelled them from his kingdom and caused their synagogues to be destroyed, so that where Christ was blasphemed, there he might be praised by his own people.

The Seventh: Regarding the Exactions of the Jews, of Blessed Thomas to the Duchess of Lorraine.

Although, as the laws say, Jews by merit of their guilt are addicted to perpetual servitude, and thus the Lord of the land can take their property as his own; this, however, [should be done] with such tempered moderation that the necessary subsidies of life are not withdrawn from them in any way. Because, however, it is necessary for us to walk honestly, even toward those who are without, lest the name of the Lord be blasphemed, and the Apostle admonishes the faithful by his example that they be without offense to Jews and Gentiles and the Church of God, then it seems it should be persuaded that they also temper their exactions, so that in the exactions which they are accustomed to make, they burden no more; however, they can be compelled to the accustomed amounts, because things that are unusual are more accustomed to perturb minds. Thus, he admits the custom of ancestors can be observed in that, even if Jews have nothing except what is extorted through the depravity of usury. But regarding unduly exacted or extorted things, since they are usury which Jews cannot lawfully use, so neither can other non-true possessors. If, however, the persons from whom they extorted through usury are hidden, then those things ought, according to the counsel of the diocesan and other priests, to be converted to pious uses or to the suitable utility of the faith, if necessity is imminent or common utility demands it to be bestowed. Thus, notwithstanding that Jews do not...