leane on Though then the Nouelty of this Relation may make it gratefull to any who like an Athenian desireth to heare some thing strange or new I know not wherein it may be more profitable then to settle vs in the solidnesse of our owne faith which is purged of all such leuities for the vainnesse of Errour makes truthes greatest opinion which duely considered may well moue vs to say Micat inter omnes Iulium Sydus velut inter ignes Luna minores That our great light outshines all these as farre As Siluer Moone outshines each lesser Starre FINIS THE RELIGION OF THE PERSEES As it was Compiled from a Booke of theirs contayning the Forme of their Worshippe written in the Persian Character and by them called their Zundavastaw Wherein is shewed the Superstitious Ceremonies vsed amongst them More especially their Idolatrous worshippe of Fire LEVIT 10.1.2 And Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord which he commanded them not and there went out a fire from the Lord and deuoured them TERTVL d. Praescript c. 22. Scripturae ignem alienum imponentes hoc est Intelligentiam alienam à Deo introducentes Incensum Domino non suaue sed execrabile offerunt Printed for FRA. CONSTABLE 1630. To the most Reuerend Father in God GEORGE by the Prouidence of God Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Primate of all ENGLAND and Metropolitane May it please your Grace HAuing in the former Booke presented the Banian with his Errours and Superstitions to your Censure I haue in this second Booke brought the Persee also to the same Barre to be arraigned vpon like Guilt This Superstition of the Persee as your Grace well knoweth by the Relation of Socrates in the seauenth Booke of his Ecclesiasticke History Cap. 8. was much weakned in opinion by one Marutha Bishop of Mesopotamia wherein Yesdegerd the last King of these Persees became so wauering that the Magies to reclaime him from Reuolt and vacillancy in the opinion of his holy fire did conuey one vnder ground where their liuing fire was kept that might tell Yesdegerd that if hee did reuolt from this worshippe hee should bee deposed from his Rule and come to a miserable ending at the hearing of which voyce conceiued to bee some diuine message Yesdegerd grew much troubled till Marutha brought the Imposture to discouery by aduising Yesdegerd to digge vnder ground where the feigned Cryer was heard and deprehended in a vault to the shamefull detection of this close deuise To your Grace then I referre the said Persee with his soyled and tainted worshippe hopefull your Grace will be pleased to sentence him to a publique Procession habilimented in the ridiculous vesture of his owne Superstitions that all good minded people vpon view of him may giue him his demerited shame and defamation Thus with the humble tender of my seruice to your Grace in these forraigne Collections and my prayers that you may liue long to doe worthy Acts in Jsrael I rest Bound to your Grace in all dutifull obseruance HENRY LORD To the Honourable and Worthy Knight Sr. Maurice Abbot Gouernor of the Companie of Merchants trading to the East Indies Christopher Cletherow Alderman of the City of London and Deputie of the said Company and to all the worthy Aduenturers Members of the same Society Right Honourable SJnce the purposed tender of my first Noueltie time that is sometimes propitious to gratefull Intentions hath made me fruitfull in a second producement As therefore I resigned to you my display of the Banian Sect so also may you be pleased to accept this of the Persees since by the strength of your fauours and the oportunities of your imployment I haue beene inabled to bring it forth also As for the strength of the Superstition why the Persees should make the Fire their God seemes to weake purpose as one Canopus an Aegyptian Priest once euinced For vpon a time when there was a publique Tryall and Contention amongst the Nations whose God was most powerfull and the Chaldeans and Persees as Ruffinus testifies in the second Booke of his Ecclesiasticke Historie ostentated their god of Fire affirming that it was able to destroy all the Aegyptian gods and Idols of gold siluer brasse wood stone or whatsoeuer and consume them to nothing Canopus to elude this Assertion brings in a stone vessell orbicular and full of holes like a Cullender filled with water and the ventages thereof so cunningly plastered with waxe that the fraud went vndetected which being set to mannage his contention with the Fire the heate melting the waxe gaue the liquid humour within liberty to extinguish the Fire which was the Persians god which proiect if it seeme but circumuentiue and deceiptfull to iustifie the power of the Aegyptian god of Stone aboue the Persians god of Fire yet who sees not that if so be any be pleased to make the Water his god it would quickly extinguish the Fiery god which these Persees worshippe and so by consequence wee may hold this a poore Superstition Howsoeuer then both these and the former seeme to bee issues illegitimate and branded in the Conception with the name of base begotten because they are Superstitious Yet since our Physitians in England haue learned to make the poysons in forraigne Countries medecinable and soueraigne in our owne J hope tâ—e good Christians in England haue learned also to conuert the Heresies of the Heathen though in themselues banefull and obnoxious to vses cauearie against relapse and defectious Apostasie Accept it then Right Honourable and take it according to his bâ—st Vse as men at some times of the yeere make of weedes things both healthfull and vsefull from him who would haue affoorded you some thing more worthy if there might haue come any thing good out of Gallile Jn defect whereof accept my dutie in this which shall be euer forward to witnesse it selfe in all good prayers and wishes for the flourishing and prosperous estate of your Affaires forraigne and Domesticke as becommeth Your thankfull Seruant and Minister Henry Lord. THE PROEME shewing the cause that moued the Author to produce the following Tract HAuing declared the Religion Rites Customes Ceremonies of a people liuing in the East Indies called the Banians a Sect not throughly publisht by any heretofore whilst my obseruation was bestowed in such Inquiry I obserued in the towne of Surratt the place where I resided another Sect called the Persees who because I did discerne them to differ both froÌ„ the Moore Banian in the course of their liuing in the forme of their Religion as also that the Scripture Dan. 6.15 speaketh of the law of the Medes Persians that might not alter finding these to bee that same people that are linked with the Medes I thought it would not be vnworthy of my labour to bring to the eyes of my Countrymen this Religion also especially since I neuer read of any that had fully published the same but that it hath remained oâ—scure and hidd from
of his Order conspiring against God to gaine the Soueraignety and command ouer all God threw him from the Orbe of his happinesse together with his confederates and accomplices dambd him to hel the place that was made for offenders and turned them from their glorious shapes into shapes blacke vgly and deformed till the times of the world should be consummate when al offenders in generall should receiue their sentence of punishment and condemnation So God hauing accomplished this second labour desisted from the worke of the creation fiue dayes more After this the Almighty begunne the third labour of the creation which was to make the Earth which together with the Waters called Seas make this lower world like a Globe or Ball so agreeing together that the Seas humidity maketh the Earth fruitfull and the Earths soliditie boundeth the waters in their due confine which worke thus finished God suspended the worke of the Creation for fiue dayes more and rested The fourth labour was to make the Trees Plants and Hearbes that so the earth might bring forth fruites pleasant to the eye and taste and for the comfort of the Creatures liuing in the earth this also done God rested and gaue the former respite to his labours The fift worke was to make Creatures fit to abide in the places forementioned as Beasts of all sorts to forrage in the greene pastures Fowles to cleane the Ayre with their nimble Pencions Fishes to swimme in the vnknowne depths of the watery Ocean The world thus replenished with creatures God resumed his wonted rest and intermission from this labour And lastly vndertooke his sixt labour which was the forming of Man and Woman to whom the rest of the Creatures were made ministratory and seruile whose name their Records deliuer to be Adamah and Euah who being the first two by whom the multitudes of mankinde should be propagated God as they affirme did cause Euah to bring forth two twinnes every day for a thousand yeeres together death did diminish none of the numbers of mankinde by mortality But Lucifer thus deposed with the rest of his Order grew malignant both to God and man and as God did good so he laboured to doe euill and to perturbe his actions and tempt men to sinne and wickednesse labouring to make man odious to his Maker as also making himselfe an enemy to all goodnesse which God yet did not fully reuenge as knowing nothing but euill to bee in him and his confederates But the better to preuent his mischiefe set certaine superuisors ouer his creatures to preserue them in that state wherein they were at first created Thus to one Hamull was committed the charge of the heauens to Acrob the ouersight of the Angels that they relapsed not as Lucifer had done to Ioder the ouersight of the Sunne Moone and Starres to Soreh the care of the Earth to Iosah the command of the Waters Sumbolah had the charge of the beasts of the field Daloo of the Fish of the Sea Rocan of the trees Cooz of Man and Woman and Sertan and Asud to whom God had giuen strength and power were made the guardians of Lucifer and the euill spirits to master and conjure them from mischiefe to Gods creatures who yet notwithstanding the watch of Sertan and Asud did much mischiefe in the world by suggestion and temptation to wickednâ—sse which made God offended with mankinde for their wickednesse The sinnes of men growing great they say it appeareth in their Records that there came a Flood or Inundation which ouerflowed the Earth and the Inhabitants thereof some few onely God preserued to propagate the generations of the times following that so there might not bee an vtter ruine of mankinde These generations were dispersed to people the earth againe from which all Nations haue had their descent And as their Historiographer Mircond reporteth in times not long distant from the Flood these Persees had a Race of Kings that were their proper Gouernours continued for aboue a thousand yeeres by the succession of fiue and forty Kings The first whereof was Guiomaras who as Mircond reports was the son of Aram the sonne of Sem the sonne of Noah by the Persees called Adam Asseny that is the second Adam the last in whom the Monarchie of this people concluded as is before shewed was Yesdegerd The Abridgement of which Chronicle I would haue gathered from them but that I found it to agree punctually both iâ— matter and order with that translation of Mr. Grimstones called Estates and Empires c in the Chronicle of the Kings of Persia to whom I referre those that desire information therein What Religion this people had in the Reignes of Guiomaras Syameck Ouchang Thamull Iimshed Zoack Traydhun and Manoucher vnto Lorasph which was their fifteenth King is not the scope of this present worke though then they had a peculiar kinde of worshippe But the Religion that is the Subiect of this booke is a Religion that was receiued in the Reigne of Gustasph the sonne of Lorasph their sixteenth King in succession concerning the worshippe of Fire in the defence of which Religion Gustasph was so zealous that hee made warre against Ariaseph King of Turron for that he reprehended him in a letter about this worshippe Hauing then limited this Booke to his proper Subiect three things in generall are to be treated of in this worke First to declare who was their Law-giuer how their Law was deliuered and came to bee receiued of Gustasph King of Persia. Next to shew the substance of their Law Lastly to proceede to other Ceremonies obserued by them not improper to this present Tract CHAP. III. Concerning Zertoost the Law-giuer of the Persees his Parents the Omens that did forerunne his Natiuity their interpretation his perils in his Birthplace his escape into Persia and the Accidents happening in his Trauailes thither COncerning the Law-giuer of this people it is left recorded in their old writings that there liued in Chyna two poore people of honest fame and reputation married together as man and wife the man was called Espintaman the woman Dodoo these two hauing long liued in the state of marriage without issue the woman earnestly prayed that God would giue her a sonne her request was heard and much time passed not ere shee conceiued and grew pregnant About the time of this womans Conception shee saw a vision presented to her in a dreame that filled her with great feare and terrour for she conceiued that the heauens were of a light fire ouer her head and that a flaming rednesse had ouerspread the firmament which droue her into a great Agony when on a sodaine there rushed into her sight foure Griffins of grimme and horrid appearance who seazing on her body did from her wombe seeme cruelly to teare out the child she had conceiued to her great feare and despaire of life when on a sodaine stept in a man of person goodly and of warlike Aspect with a truncheon on in his hand in
to bring them to Gods better worshippe did desire of God that hee might liue so long as the world should indure a publisher of that Religion which the Lord had promised to divulgâ— by him till he should make all Nations beleeue the Contents of that Booke But the Lord answered that if hee should liue neuer so long Lucifer would do more harme then euer he should doe good but if vpon better consideration he would desire to liue so long his request should be granted So the Lord presented to Zertoost in a Vision the state of all things past present and to come where he saw the troubles sicknesses and afflictions of Man more particularly the state of the Persian Monarchy how Ouchang was slaine by a stone how Thamull dyed of a pestilence how Iimshed was slaine by one of his owne Captaines how men followed diuers Religions and most their owne wayes ouerlabouring themselues in the workes of vanity ouer and aboue God presented to his eyes the seauen Ages or times of the Persian Monarchy the first was the golden Age that was in the dayes of Guiomaras the second the siluer Age that was in the dayes of Fraydhun the third the brazen Age in the time of Kaykobad the fourth the tynne Age in the time of Lorasph the fift the leaden Age in the time of Bahaman the sixt the steele Age in the dayes of Darab Segner the seauenth the iron Age in the reigne of Yesdegerd So Zertoost perceiuing time to render euery thing worse and worse desired to liue no longer then till hee should discharge the message about which the Lord should send him and that then he might be translated to that same place of glory againe So God reduced him to his owne proper sense from which hee was rauished to godlike speculations Being thus as he was before of humane capacity after he had remained in heauen many dayes the Lord deliuered to him the Booke before mentioned containing in it the forme of good gouernment and the Lawes of Religion that the Persians should follow conferring likewise on Zertoost the heauenly fire and other gifts that were neuer bestowed vpon any man before or since So Zertoost taking the heauenly fire into his right hand and the booke that God gaue him in his left he was deliuered to the conduct of the Angell that brought him thither who was called Bahaman Vmshauspan who taking vp Zertoost did cleaue the Ayre with his golden wings till he had surrendered him to the place where he found him and so left him CHAP. V. Shewing what happened to Zertoost after the Angell left him the deuill meeteth him and reuileth him he commeth to Gustasphs Court the ioy of his Parents for his returne the infamy Gustasphs Churchman seeketh to put vpon him the Miracles whereby Zertoost doth vindicate his fame Gustasphs foure demands and his foure grants ZErtoost was no sooner left by his heauenly Guardian but Lucifer an enemy to all goodnes met him called him a seeker after nouelties deluâ—â—ons and told him that God did not loue him in such manner as he beleeued otherwise he would haue kept him in heauen still not haue sent him away or else hee would haue granted him to liue to the end of the world when he desired it that that booke which hee had was stuft with falsehoods that he should come to trouble danger and shame about the publishing of it as also that he should bee laught at for his Fire as being a creature of destruction and a consumer of the workes of man and that there was no neede thereof in hot climates but that if he would depend on him he could giue him a Booke of better instructions and present to him Obiects of better delight could giue him long life and honour and power to worke great miracles that if he did not beleeue him he was a senselesse man and depriued of his wits by his late Visions But Zertoost hauing plac't his confidence better told Lucifer that hauing lost that glory that his eyes beheld he could not speake well of his Maker nor be pleased with that great fauour God had showne him but enuying at it sought not onely to disanull his but euery mans happinesse charged Lucifer by the great name of his Creator that put him into the darke dungeon of hell vnder the custody of Sertan and Asud by the truth of that booke by which he should in the end of the world be arraigned and condemned and by that fire in his right hand by which he should bee burned and tortured to auoyd his presence as a blacke mouthed defamer of God and goodnesse at which Lucifer vanished with great horror and feare from him Lucifer thus coniured from Zertoosts presence he proceeded on his way to the City where Gustasph had his residence and so to the place where his Parents had their aboad who with no small sorrow had bewayled the absence of their sonne and with vaine inquest had sought him but could not finde him in whom their hopes were reposited who now to their strange ioy and admiration told them of his Enthousiasmes and raptures wherein he had receiued that booke and heauenly fire that was so long before prognosticated by his mothers Vision and so truely interpreted by the Augur and Southsayer His parents blessed him and became instructed in this new Religion how to worshippe as God had reuealed to Zertoost These things could not be long hid for the ioyes of mothers are not silent but in euery eare did Dodoâ— powre forth her Visions in her sonnes conception and the Southsayers interpretation of them how true the particulars had fallen out the late raptures her sonne Zertoost had in heauen his Reuelations there whereof a booke written by Gods owne hand and the strange fire hee brought from thence were liuely euidences These rumours being strange to all eares and not testified by hearesay but confirmed by one whose eyes had beheld the things auerred got passage and were carried to the eares of Gustasph then King of Persia who therefore sent for Zertoost of whom he inquired the further truth of this matter who affirmed the same to bee such as it was reported that God had deliuered him a booke concerning his worshippe and other secret knowledge inducing the worshippe of fire whereof hee gaue some touches in particular to the King the King admiring these things and yet so certainely informed in the Circumstances grew wauering in his former worshippe and Religion and somewhat enclined to Zertoost so that hee diuers times sent for him and had much conference with him Gustasphs Churchman then perceiuing his Soueraigne to harken to this new Religion wherein hee had no knowledge and that by degrees he lost that grace he had wontedly froÌ„ him did seeke to put some infamy on Zertoost by which the King might become alienated from him and that new sprung Religion wherein he had no knowledge and that by degrees began as he thought to sincke
too fast into the brest of the King for this cause hee suborned the Porter that kept the doore of Zertoosts house which was a Persian to conuey vnder the bed of Zertoost the bones of dead men and the dead carkeyses of dogs a creature loathsome to the Persians of which whilst Zertoost was vtterly ignorant the Kings Churchman put himselfe into the presence of Gustasph with some other of his Nobles that did not fauour Zertoosts innouation saying Oh King what new Religion is this to which thou standest so much inclined or what is this new strange Lawgiuer Zertoost whom thou so fauourest who the other day came in poore maÌ„ner into this land as a fugitiue from his natiue Countrey who as I heare also was hatefull to his Prince and the King of his People that he should finde such grace in bringing vp a new Religion false and fictious and not of that Authority it is pretended to be being as I am also informed a man of vncleane and beastly liuing in whose house at this time and vnder whose bed whereon hee hourely lyeth thou shalt finde the bones of humane bodies the carkeyses and limmes of dead doges and filthy Caryon an abhomination to the eyes of any cleane person continue thou then Oh King in the Law of thy Fathers and listen not to this Nouelist this speech being seconded with some of the great ones and the act reported being so odious and abhominable Gustasph commanded Zertoosts habitation to be searched and it being as the Churchman of Gustasph had reported effected by the wicked confederacy of Gustasphs Churchman and Zertoosts seruants Zertoost was cast into prison despised and hated of all people It happened in this time of Zertoosts imprisonment that Gustasph had a horse which hee much prized that fell very sicke and there was not any found that knew his disease or how to cure him this being told to the Iaylor that had Zertoost in custody and the King publishing great rewards to him that could restore him Zertoost came to the knowledge of it who told the Keeper that if the King pleased he would cure the horse or else be liable to the Kings displeasure the Keeper so fauored Zertoost that hee made knowne his words to the King so Gustasph sent for Zertoost who according to his promise did restore the beast which seruice was so acceptable to Gustasph that hee was had into new estimation againe and maintaining his innocency touching that same blot that was laid vpon him the King gaue him liberty and great rewards and by often conferences became neerely in respect with the King so that a way was again affoorded to publish this Religion of Zertoosts who working strange miracles amongst them gained credence to bee a man come from God This booke of Zertoosts gaining euery day a better opinion then other and his great workes really demonstrated shewing him to be a man of more diuine endowments then was found in ordinary men vpon a time the King sent for him and told him that if hee would grant him foure demands which hee would propound to him he would beleeue his Law and be euer a Professor of that Religion contained in the booke hee brought with him Zertoost then bade him propose his demands and if they were such as were reasonable they should be granted The King then proposed them The first whereof was that he might ascend to heauen and descend from thence when he list The second was that he might know what God would doe at present and in time to come The third was that he might neuer dye The fourth was that no instrument whatsoeuer might haue the power to wound him or hurt him Zertoost thus replyed that these were difficult and high demands neither did so great power rest in him as to grant them neither was it meete that any one man should haue them all for that therein hee should rather seeme to bee a God then man yet difficult though they were that the booke of Laws he had brought might bee knowne to proceed from God he would procure that these requests might bee granted to seueralâ— persons but not all to one So the first which was to ascend to heauen and descend thence at pleasure was obtained for Gustasph who they say had this power granted him The second which was to know what would fall out at present or hereafter was granted to the Kings Churchman that so hee might direct the King in his designes what should bee vndertaken what should be left vndone The third which was to liue for euer was granted to Gustasphs eldest sonne called Pischiton who yet liueth as they say if wee will beleeue them at a place in Persia called Demawando Cohoo in a high mountaine with a Guard consisting of thirty men to which place all liuing creatures else are forbidden to approach least they should liue for euer as they do that abide there who neuer suffer mortality The last which was neuer to be wounded with Instrument or weapon was granted to the youngest sonne of Gustasph called Espandiar who they say by Zertoosts prayers was made invulnerable that he might put himselfe into the danger of Battell without feare or hazard So Gustasph and the other three mentioned prouing the power of these seuerall gifts they all determined to liue according to the Precepts in Zertoosts booke wherein that they might bee informed Zertoost vnfolded to them the Contents thereof The matter or Subiect of which booke of what nature it was shall be declared in the Chapter following CHAP. VI. Wherein is shewed the maine Contents of the Booke deliuered to Zertoost and by him published to the Persians or Persees HAuing shewed who Zertoost was that was the Lawgiuer of these Persees in what manner according to their Assertion hee receiued the booke by strange Reuelation with what wonders as they affirme hee wrought Assent thereunto and beleefe thereon by Gustasph and his Nobles After this it will perhaps bee desired to know what this booke contained that this Sect deliuer to bee receiued after so wondrous a manner which will bee the drift of that which followeth They affirme then that this booke contained in it three seuerall Tracts The first whereof treated of that which wee call Iudiciall Astrologie foretelling the euents of things to come by iudgement of the Starres which by them is called Astoodeger The second did treate concerning Physicke or the naturall knowledge of things with their causes and the cuâ—es of the diseases incident to man The third was called Zertoost because Zertoost was the bringer thereof and this contained their Law and matters that concerned Religion which bookes according as their matter was diuers so they were deliuered to men of seuerall studies and learning The first of these bookes called Astoodeger which treated of Iudiciall Astrologie was committed to their Iesopps or wise men which are knowne by the name of Magies The second which treated of Physicke was giuen to their Physitians to instruct