Stillanotherdevelopmentofthetheologicalspirit，mixedwithprofessionalexclusivenessandmobprejudice，wroughtuntoldinjury。Eventothosewhohadbecomesofaremancipatedfromallegiancetofetichcuresastoconsultphysicians，itwasforbiddentoconsultthosewho，asarule，werethebest。FromaveryearlyperiodofEuropeanhistorytheJewshadtakentheleadinmedicine；theirshareinfoundingthegreatschoolsofSalernoandMontpellierwehavealreadynoted，andinallpartsofEuropewefindthemacknowledgedleadersinthehealingart。
TheChurchauthorities，enforcingthespiritofthetime，wereespeciallysevereagainstthesebenefactors：thatmenwhoopenlyrejectedthemeansofsalvation，andwhosesoulswereundeniablylost，shouldhealtheelectseemedaninsulttoProvidence；
preachingfriarsdenouncedthemfromthepulpit，andtherulersinstateandchurch，whilefrequentlysecretlyconsultingthem，openlyproscribedthem。
GregoryofTourstellsusofanarchdeaconwho，havingbeenpartiallycuredofdiseaseoftheeyesbySt。Martin，soughtfurtheraidfromaJewishphysician，withtheresultthatneitherthesaintnortheJewcouldhelphimafterward。PopesEugeneIV，NicholasV，andCalixtusIIIespeciallyforbadeChristianstoemploythem。TheTrullaneanCouncilintheeighthcentury，theCouncilsofBeziersandAlbyinthethirteenth，theCouncilsofAvignonandSalamancainthefourteenth，theSynodofBambergandtheBishopofPassauinthefifteenth，theCouncilofAvignoninthesixteenth，withmanyothers，expresslyforbadethefaithfultocallJewishphysiciansorsurgeons；suchgreatpreachersasJohnGeilerandJohnHeroltthunderedfromthepulpitagainstthemandallwhoconsultedthem。Aslateasthemiddleoftheseventeenthcentury，whentheCityCouncilofHall，inWurtemberg，gavesomeprivilegestoaJewishphysician“onaccountofhisadmirableexperienceandskill。”theclergyofthecityjoinedinaprotest，declaringthat“itwerebettertodiewithChristthantobecuredbyaJewdoctoraidedbythedevil。”
Still，intheirextremity，bishops，cardinals，kings，andevenpopes，insistedoncallinginphysiciansofthehatedrace。[316]