read the same words which we use at the Consecration of the holy Communion viz. In the same night when he was betrayed he took Bread and when he had given thanks he brake it c. Then follows this Prayer with some Soliloquies Lord who in the third hour didst send thy holy Spirit graciously take it not away from us but grant it unto us praying Lord make clean our hearts within us Which Prayer is repeated three times with the head bowed down and then the Priest raising himself again with an humble voice saith Lord hear my Prayer and lifting up his hand by way of blessing adds make this Bread the holy Body of Christ. Amen And here all the order of Consecration being finished he thus proceeds Thou art my God thou art my King I adore thee piously and faithfully And so covering again the Chalice which contains both species he elevates it and the People worship The Priest then Communicates eating that part of the Bread which in the time of preparation was divided into four pieces and the other three he puts into the Chalice of which with great devotion he sups three times and having himself received he administers the rest in a Spoon in both Kinds to the Communicants which being done the Chalice is carried to the side-Table of Preparation called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therein are also put the remaining Particles which were laid aside and designed for commemoration of the living and dead of which when the Priest hath received some himself the remainder is divided amongst the Communicants Thus the Mass being finished the Priest cleanses the Cup with great care lest any thing should remain of the Sacrament to be carelesly and prophanely treated It is the Custom in this Church to conserve the Sacrament for the use of the sick but it is never exposed to the view of the People unless at the time of Celebration and thence also covered in the Chalice with a Vail But a most laudable Custom it is in this Church That those who intend to Communicate before they dare to approach the Altar and receive the Divine Mystery they first retire to the bottom of the Church and there ask forgiveness of the whole Congregation desiring their pardon in case they have offended any particular person whatsoever If any one at that time acknowledges himself agrieved or injured the party abstains and withdraws from the Sacrament until such time as he is reconciled and his Adversary satisfied The words they use are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pardon us Brethren for we have sinned in word and deed The people answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God pardon you Brethren Immunis ar am si tetigit manus Non sumptuosa blandior hostia Mollibit aversos Deos Farre pio Saliente Mica CHAP. X. Of the fourth Mystery called Priesthood wherewith is treated of their Monasteries Orders of Fryars and Nuns and the austerity of their Lives P Riesthood amongst the Greeks is accounted one of the seven Mysteries of the Church in respect of that Power and Authority the Clergy is endued with for dispensation of the Mysteries of mans salvation as the power of the Keys for loosing and binding sins the power and energy of Preaching and interpreting the holy Scriptures as Oracles of God of receiving into the Church baptizing cleansing and regenerating with water in a mysterious manner from the foulness of Original sin power of administring the Sacrament of the holy Eucharist the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Chrism of healing the body by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or holy Oyl matters of such deep and profound concernment beyond the most sublime and elevated understanding as cannot proceed from the vertue and efficacy of any natural calling but only from that unintelligible and mysterious Character of the Priesthood acoording to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. v. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Besides the different Orders of Religious and Secular Priests there are others distinctly appointed to administer in the Church and at the Altar namely Anagnostes who is ordained only to read the Hymns which are sung and the Prophets of the Old Testament the Psaltes which is appointed to sing the Psalms of David the Lampadarios who hath the care to trim the Lamps the Deacons and Sub-deacons who read the Epistles and Gospels all which are initiated and first blessed by the Bishop with imposition of hands who gives to the Anagnostes a Bible or Book of the holy Scripture which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to the Psaltes the Psalms of David signing and blessing them with the sign of the Cross All which after Ordination have the Crowns of their heads shaven Of Priests there are two sorts who have the power of Preaching and Administring the Sacraments viz. Secular and Religious The first though married have license to enter into holy Orders but their Wives dying they cannot be admitted to a second Marriage of which hard Injunction of their Church some early Widowers have complained unto me with sad remembrances of their past estate and inabilities for a continent life These wear Caps turned up with white from which hangs a fall of the same Cloth on their backs which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Dove being a Badge of their innocent life but this is oftentimes nay most commonly forfeited being cut off by the Bishop for some omission of duty or commission of sin so that few are observed to have continued this evidence of purity so frail are even Priests in those appetites which they profess to subdue The Religious Priests are called Kaloires from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good Priest or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good old Fathers which are Monks inclosed or encloistered in Monasteries professing chastity and obedience Their Order is of S. Basil besides which there is no other amongst the Greeks their Habit is a long Cassock of coarse Cloth girt to them of Camel colour with a Cap of Felt or Wool made to cover their ears and covered with a black Cool called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their Government and way of living is very austere and strict for they wholly abstain from flesh for all their life In the Lents and times of Fasting they are nourished with Bread and Fruits Oyl and Fish with blood not being allowed which with Lacticinia and Eggs are the Dishes and Delicacies indulged at their Feasts and times of less austerity Most of their time is taken up in their Quires being obliged every day in Lent to read over the whole Psalter once and at the end of every four Psalms is said the Gloria Patri c. with three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Metagnai or in better Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they call them which is a bowing or kissing the ground three times At the end of every ten Psalms
passage through their Country and this Tax is as well common to Turks as Greeks But this is a matter inconsiderable in respect of that Custom of Decimation which was a taking away of the Tythe or every Tenth of Male-children from the Greeks according to the number of them in the respective Parishes out of which proceeded the best and stoutest of the Turkish Janisaries but this Custom is now wholy out of use not having been practised for many years either because the Turks are willing to lay an easie Yoke on the Greeks or because so many of them turn Mahometans and of other parts and Nations such numbers flock daily to the Profession of Turcism that there is no need of this unnatural addition to increase the Power and Kingdoms of the Turk But with what freedom soever Christianity is licensed amongst the Turks in Europe it lies under a Cloud and a greater abhorrency in Asia unless in the Maritime Towns and Places where Traffick and Commerce have taught them Civility For Mahometanisme having had its first Original in Asia is most precisely observed in those Eastern parts where Christian Priests are forced to live with caution and officiate in obscurity and privacy fearing the superstitious temper of the Asian Zealots who are of a Pharisaical humour high esteemers of their own sanctity in comparison of which they account the European Turks loose and negligent Professors defiled by the use of Wine and unhallowed by their conversation with the Christians to whom they commonly bear so horrible a detestation that some of them judge it unlawful to be in their company or receive presents from them or to give them the salutation of peace and esteem their Cloaths if touched by Christians to be polluted Garments profaning their prayers It is generally observed that Pharisaical Professors in all Religions are the worst people in the world and the greatest disturbers of Humane Conversation and the peace and quiet of a Commonwealth I knew once at Smyrna a Reverend Preacher amongst the Turks or as you may call him a Doctor or Schoolmaster who had many Pupils under him whom he instructed in the Mahometan Law who was so great a lover of his own Sect that he hated the rest of Mankind his Sermons were always stuffed with Invectives against Christians charging Smyrna with unpardonable sins for indulging priviledges unto them and for admitting them into their Country on consideration of that lucre and benefit which their Trade brings in which discourse he oftentimes suffered himself to be so extravagantly transported with intemperance of language that at length the Officers of the City were forced to put him in mind of the common scandal he gave to the interest and subsistence of the Inhabitants that those discourses reflected on the Grand Signor and his Government and were Declamations against the clemency of their Emperour towards his Subjects and opposed those Capitulations and Articles which the wisdom of their Government had concluded with Christian Princes which were matters of that concernment as were neither safe for him to handle nor for them to hear with which Admonition though this Pharisee grew more moderate in his language yet his pride and insolence was not in the least abated for when he mounted his Mule accompanied with his Followers on foot of the same rank and head and accidentally met with Franks riding abroad on Horses such they call all the Western Christians they would force them to alight and with great reverence attend until the sanctity of so holy a man were past For their Books as they report say and teach them not to suffer Christians to sit on their Horses whilst men of their profession pass by them But our people little concerning themselves with what is written in their Books and less supporting an insolence and affront from them there often hapned rencounters and scuffles between both parties which had proceeded to higher quarrels had not the Magistrates seasonably suppressed the insolence of that people which was afterwards confirmed by Commands from the Grand Signor But not only hath the Greek Church the Turk for an Enemy and an Oppressor but also the Latines who not being able by their Missionaries to gain them to their party and perswade them to renounce the Jurisdiction of their Patriarchs and own the Authority and Supremacy of the Roman Bishop do never omit those occasions which may bring them under the lash of the Turk and engage them in a constant and continual expence hoping that the people being oppressed and tyred and in no condition of having relief under the protection of their own Governours may at length be induced to embrace a Foreign Head who hath riches and power to defend them Moreover besides these wiles the Roman Priests frequent all places where the Greeks inhabit endeavouring to draw them unto their side both by Preaching and Writings of which one being written in the Vulgar Greek by Francis Richard a Jesuite and printed at Paris called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was dispersed in all parts where that Language was current of which the Patriarch and Presbyters of that Church taking special notice and being very jealous and sensible of the ill effects it might produce in the minds of the Ignorant caused about 18 Years past that Book to be burnt prohibiting the use and reading thereof unto all people of their Church under penalty of the most severe Excommunication But so far indeed have the Latines the advantage over the Greeks as Riches hath over Poverty or Learning over Ignorance And whereas now the ancient Structures and Colleges of Athens are become ruinous and only a fit habitation for its own Owle and all Greece poor and illiterate such Spirits and Wits amongst them who aspire unto Sciences and Knowledge are forced to seek it in Italy where sucking from the same Fountain and eating Bread made with the same Leaven of the Latines it is natural that they should conform to the same Principles and Doctrine So that it will not be strange if in Exposition of those points wherein the Church of God for some Ages hath been silent and but now controverted in these latter days the Greek Priests should with little variety follow the sense of the Latine which they take up at adventure not being of themselves capable either to prove or try the meaning of the Scriptures or examine the ancient Tenents of their own Church And thus much shall suffice to have spoken of the Greek Church in general CHAP. II. Of the seven Churches of Asia to which St. John wrote Viz. Smyrna Ephesus Laodicea Philadelphia Sardis Pergamus and Thyatira wherein also is treated of Hierapolis BEING to treat of the Present State of the Greek Church the condition in which the seven Churches of Asia now stand of which Christ himself and the Holy Spirit was pleased to take so much notice Rev. I. must not only come pertinent to our discourse but in
not to be conferred as a spiritual happiness But if one desires a Faculty in singing dancing or agility of body if he desires beauty and modesty in a Wife wisdom sincerity of Friends or any thing else that is vertuous or commendable he shall be endued with a voice like a Seraphim be active as an Olympick Gamester have a Wife as chaste as Penelope be wife as Solomon and in fine obtain any one thing which he can desire being of good report But in case any one miss of these blessings as many do who go on these Errands as one may well believe and return as little improved as some of those do whom we send to Paris there is something in the way which interrupted this blessing and no doubt but the man was either not fitly prepared or had not Faith enough to receive the blessing They say farther that some of those Pythonick Spirits which formerly inhabited under the cavities of these three Rocks were permitted by Christ to keep their Stations with intention to make them slaves and drudges to the Monastery where now invisibly they wash the Dishes sweep the House and do all the Offices of good Servants so that the good Fathers take no care of those homely services for what is in the day fouled and disordered is by next morning found cleansed and well disposed by the ministry and diligence of those careful and officious Spirits All these things and much more is believed by the Armenians of Etchmeasin so easie it is to obtrude vain and superstitious fancies on ignorant and illiterate people In their Monasteries the whole Psalter of David is read over every 24 hours but in the Cities and Parochial Churches it is otherwise observed For the Psalter is divided into eight divisions and every division into eight parts at the end of every one of which is said the Gloria Patri Filio c. Their manner of Worship is performed after the Eastern fashion by prostrating their bodies and kissing the ground three times which the Turks likewise practise in their Prayers At their first entrance into the Church they uncover their heads and corss themselves three times but afterwards cover their heads and sit cross-leg'd on Carpets after the manner of the Turks The most part of their publick Divine Service they perform in the morning before day which is very commendable and I have been greatly pleased to meet hundreds of Armenians in a Summer morning about Sun-rising returning from their Devotions at the Church wherein perhaps they had spent two hours before not only on Festival but on ordinary days of work in like manner they are very devout on Vigils to Feasts and Saturday Evenings when they all go to Church and returning home perfume their Houses with Incense and adorn their little Pictures with Lamps CHAP. IV. The Confession of Faith in the Armenian Church THEY allow and accept the Articles of Faith according to the Council of Nice and are also acquainted with that which we call the Apostles Creed which likewise they have in use As to the Doctrine concerning the Trinity they accord with the Greeks acknowledging three Persons in one Divine Nature and that the Holy Ghost proceeds only from the Father I have read in many Books which treat of this Church an accusation against it that it admits but of one Person and one Nature in Christ according to the Doctrine of Eutyches of which I my self was once of opinion until I read and well considered of the Articles of their Faith They believe that Christ descended into Hell and that he freed the Souls of all the damned from thence by the grace and favour of his glorious presence but not for ever or by a plenary pardon or remission but only as reprieved until the end of the World at which time they shall again be returned unto Eternal Flames But that we may take a more clear view of their Faith I have thought fit to represent that which they call their Tavananck or Symbolum different from the Apostles and Nicene Creed which for those words follwing viz. where the Deity was mixed with the Humanity without spot seems to be calculated for maintenance of the Herisie of Eutyches and in opposition to the Catholick Doctrine as that of Athanasius is to the Heresie of Arrius But these words though they look ill at first yet if well considered and compared with the same expression which the Greeks use on the same subject it will amount unto no more than what the Greeks declare in the Anatolian Confession That the Body of Christ was a true not a fantastick Body that it was formed in the Womb of the blessed Virgin and was made a perfect man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. his rational Soul mixed with the Divinity Now the words of their Creed are Verbatim as followeth I Consess that I believe with all my heart in God the Father uncreated and not begotten and that God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost were from all Eternity the Son begotten of the Father and the Holy Ghost proceeds only from the Father I believe in God the Son increated and begotten from Eternity The Father is Eternal the Son is Eternal and equal to the Father whatsoever the Father contains the Son contains I believe in the Holy Ghost which was from Eternity not begotten of the Father but proceeding three Persons but one God Such as the Son as to the Deity such is the Holy Ghost I believe in the Holy Trinity not three Gods but one God one in Will in Government and in Judgment Creator both of visible and invisible I believe in the Holy Church in the remission of sins and the Communion of Saints I believe that of those three persons one was begotten of the Father before all eternity but descended in time from Heaven unto Mary of whom he took blood and was formed in her Womb where the Deity was mixed with the Humanity without spot or blemish He patiently remained in the Womb of Mary nine Months and was afterwards born as man with soul intellect judgment and body Having but one body and one countenance And of this mixture or union resulted one composition of Person God was made man without any change in himself born without Humane Generation his Mother remaining still a Virgin And as none knows his eternity so none can conceive his being or essence for as he was Jesus Christ from all eternity so he is to day and shall be for ever I believe in Jesus Christ who conversed in this world and after thirty years was baptized according to his own good will and pleasure his Father bearing witness of him and said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and the Holy Ghost in form of a Dove descended upon him he was tempted of the Devil and overcame was preached to the Gentiles was troubled in his body being wearied enduring hunger and thirst was crucified with
than those who are Drones or unskilful in any Art or Trade Whether such men as these can read or not it matters not much for there is not one of a hundred of them so well learned it is sufficient if he can make his Cross and his Metagnia before the blessed Virgin which is a bowing on their Knees touching the ground with their Forehead which some will do 300 times together as I have already declared in the foregoing Chapter But the Fathers or Priests are of a Classis or Form above these for they can all read and write from the Prior to the lowest Deacon though very few of them understand the learned or School Greek in any perfection for it would puzzle the wisest heads amongst them to interpret every word in their Liturgy and yet they are so expert and ready therein that they can run from the beginning to the ending without stop or hesitation and gallop it over at that rate that one must have a good ear and some skill in the Greek Language to distinguish the different sound of the words which they utter besides which their chief study is of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hymns of John Damascen and to find out and know the proper Lessons for the day and the Offices of the Church with all the Responses and Suffrages which is a Learning so intricate as requires some practice and application of the mind But such as have any Learning more than the rest it consists for the most in the knowledge they have of the Fathers and Councils of their own Church and in the Ecclesiastical Authors of the first Century after Constantine the Great The Latine and Hebrew Tongues and any besides the Greek they contemn and esteem as prophane Philosophy and Mathematicks being matters of Humane Learning they account as unnecessary for men who lead a mortified and spiritual life to whom also all Books are unlawful but such as treat of Divinity and a holy and devout way of living Every Monastery hath its Library of Books which are kept in a lofty Tower under the custody of one whom they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who also is their Steward receives their money and renders an account of all their Expences but we must not imagine that these Libraries are conserved in that order as ours are in the parts of Christendom that they are ranked and compiled in method on Shelves with Labels of the Contents or that they are brushed and kept clean like the Libraries of our Colleges but they are piled one on the other without order or method covered with dust and exposed to the Worm They have few Books amongst them but what treat of Divinity and as I have heard they have scarce any of much worth in regard that the Emissaries of France and other parts have by force of money deprived them of all the choicest Books in their Libraries Nor have they as I have been well inform'd one Book that varies in the least from the Doctrine of the Seventh Council for there is not one Book to be found of those which were wrote by those whom they call Hereticks esteeming that the easiest way to confute a Heretick and stop his Doctrine in its progress is to condemn the same and burn his Book In every Monastery they have Bells such as they daily use are small but those of greatest bigness are of about 4 or 500 weight which they ring at Festivals when they would make the greatest noise and rejoicing on these their Clocks strike which are fixed like those on our Churches in England which are not to be found as I remember in any other place in Turkey unless at Buda where I saw one of this sort For conclusion In this manner this Mountain of Athos is inhabited and this is the Government amongst these Religious men of the Greek Church who are for the most part good simple men of godly lives given greatly to devotion and acts of mortification for as out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks so these men discoursing with a lively sense of God and of his Service we may without over-much credulity or easiness of belief conclude them not only to be real and moral good men but such also as are something touched with the Spirit of God whose devotion and affection to his Commands and Precepts shall carry them farther in their way to Heaven than the Wisdom of the most profound Philosophers or the wisest Clerks And that such people are found in the world endowed with such Priviledges in the Countries of the Grand Oppressour of Christendom to God's Name be Glory and Honour now and for ever Amen CHAP. XII Of Confession Contrition and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the sanctified Oyl practised in this Church BEfore we treat of this last Mystery which is the Oyl of Prayer let us premise something touching the Confession of sins which is to be performed four times in the year to a Priest lawfully Constituted and Ordained that is for such who have leisure and convenience of living Priests and others entred into holy Orders or into a life of Regular Devotion are obliged to a Confession once a Month. The labouring and common people are enjoined to a Confession but once a year and that before their entrance into the great Lent which is before Easter To sick and infirm people it is recommended as a Remedy against the Diseases of the Soul and ease of a burdened Conscience Repentance the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is by them defined to be A sorrow of heart for sin of which a man accuses himself before a Priest with a firm resolution to correct the errours of his past life by that which is to come and with intention to perform whatsoever shall be enjoined him by his Spiritual Pastor for his Penance By which definition it appears how necessary the Greeks esteem Confession to a Priest having these words in the Orthodox Doctrine of the Oriental Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Priest cannot release unless he enquire first what he is to release and likewise it is apparent by the foregoing Definition That the Priest hath power to enjoin Penance which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as Prayers extraordinary Alms Fastings visiting of holy Places and the like When the Penitent comes to Confession the Priest utters these words to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold the Angel of the Lord is at hand to take thy Confession see therefore that thou conceal no sin for fear of shame for I also am a man and a sinner as thou art To such Penitents who are sick and languishing and find their Consciences guilty of any mortal sin as Fornication Adultery or Pride which tends to the contempt of God is administred the Sacrament of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or The Oyl of Prayer which is performed by the Bishop or Arch-Bishop assisted by seven Priests and begins
call them or Governours to whom they refer all their Causes in Civil Differences and who are the Representatives of the Island and gather in the Poll-money getting it ready against the time that the Turkish Gallies and Captain Pasha come to demand it which they yearly do But in case any person be guilty of a Capital Fault which deserves death he is reserved till the arrival of the Commander in chief of the Gallies who executes justice upon him These Governors are chosen yearly by the people or they confirm the old ones which is most commonly done for amongst them are few who are ambitious of Rule and Soveraignty In some of these Islands are found the most expert Divers under Water in the World the best of which are of Samos and of Simo. One of which I saw employed in very cold Weather on occasion of an English Boat which was sunk by a Ships side laden with Tin and Lead in the Port of Smyrna in about eight fathom of Water who for want of heat rather than breath the Weather being very cold in the month of January was forced to dive four times to fix four Ropes to the Boat two of which he hooked within the Rings of the Head and Stern and two at each side in the mid-ships which he acted very dexterously not missing at any time of that which he went about Upon discourse with him afterwards he told me That he was born at Simo where at the Age of three or four years his Father brought him to the Sea and taught him to swim and then to dive which by degrees he so well learned with other young Companions that their common practise was to try who could stay longest under the Water in which they are very emulous to exceed because it is the sole trade of their poor Island to cut Spunges and he that is the most expert therein gets the handsomest Wife and the best Portion This man farther informed me That he never could stay under Water when his Belly was full but that in a Morning or at any time of the day fasting in warm Weather and in a calm Sea he could stay three quarters of an hour under Water He never heard of Spunges dipped in Oyl to hold in their mouths as we vulgarly report nor used they any other help than before they dived into the Water to fill their Lungs with as much Air as they could draw in If they staid long under Water they felt a pain in their Ears and many times blood issued thence and from their Noses their Eyes were always open so that they could almost see as well under as above the Water and indeed I observed that his Eyes were glazed and burnt with the Sea that they looked like Glass or the Eyes of Fish And this shall serve at present for what we have to relate of the Grecian Islands CHAP. XX. Of other Matters and Tenents held by the Greek Church not comprised in the premises and of particular Customes amongst them THEY earnestly deny the procession of the Holy Ghost from God the Son but only from the Father through the Son which they argue with more subtlety than usually they do any other Controverted Point in Religion They seem to retain something which savours of ancient Gentilism particularly their Belief of a certain holiness in some Fountains attributing miraculous operations to Waters and by reason of the favour of some Saint to whom the same is dedicated in the same manner as the Pagans did who believed their Fountains to be guarded by some Nymph or Deity to whom they were consecrated When they lay the Foundation of a new Building the Priest comes and blesses the Work and Workmen with Prayer for which they have an Office in their Liturgy which is very laudable and becoming Christians But when the Priest is departed the Workmen have another piece of their own Devotion to perform which they do by killing a Cock or a Sheep the Blood of which they bury under the first stone they lay It is not always but very frequently practised in which they imagine that there is some lucky Magick or some spell to attract good fortune to the Threshold they call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sacrifice and therefore I believe that this is a piece of ancient Heathenism They think it not lawful to eat Blood or things strangled though they are not very nice or scrupulous in the examination of what Provisions are set before them The Apochryphal Books they esteem for Apocryphe and of no greater Authority than they are reputed for in England but yet they hold that some Traditions are of equal Authority with the written word The Doctrine of Justification by faith or good works is not a Problem controverted amongst them they are not as yet it seems so far proceeded in Polemick Learning but believe that both are very necessary to salvation and that he whose faith produces good works out-does him whose life is buried in notions and arrests it self in a bare disputation They believe Faith to be an active and prolifick Grace and that which cannot remain in idleness but must operate and employ that heavenly heat it receives from above but whether our Justification be beholding to our Faith or to our Works or to both together they leave the Query to the discussion of such who have more leisure and money and perhaps more curiosity than the ordinary Monks of Greece Those who have a Malice or Quarrel to any particular person do oftentimes bring the breadth and length in Thread or Wood of him against whom they entertain Malice to a Carpenter or Mason who is ready to lay the Foundation of a house the which for a little money is buried under one of the first stones after which they say the person dyes or at least macerates away as the Thread or Wood decays which is a most certain piece of Magick of the ancient Gentilism They really believe that on or about the 15th day of August which is the day that they celebrate the Assumption of our Blessed Lady that all Streams in the World retire into Egypt to do homage and obeysance to that Grand River of Nylus which is the cause as they say of the innundation of that Country And of this perswasion they are because they perceive that in August the Springs and Rivers are every where low and the Nilus full and over-flowing its Banks which they attribute as a blessing to that River and its Country where the Saviour of the World and his Blessed Mother were secured from the Malice and Treachery of impious Herod And this fond fancy the Vulgar have taken up not considering that the Nilus overflows in June and July and that the Waters decrease in August I have now done with the History of the Greek Church to which I shall only add this remarkable passage in the Conclusion which though it be a matter not more relating to the Greeks than other Christians