Chudovodites or their miracle-workers and when they provide them to set up in their Churches in no case they may say that they have bought the image but exchanged money for it 6. For the means of justification they agree with the Papists that it is not by faith onely apprehending Christ but by their works also and that Opus operatum or the work for the work sake must needs please God And therefore they are all in their numbers of prayers fasts vows and offerings to saints alms-deeds crossings and such like and carrie their numbring beads about with them continualy as well the Emperour and his Nobilitie as the common people not onely in the Church but in all other publick places specially at any set or solemn meeting as in their fasts law courts common consultations entertainment of Ambassadours and such like 7. They say with the Papists that no man can be assured of his salvation till the last sentence be passed at the day of judgement 8. They use auricular confession and think that they are purged by the very action from so many sinnes as they confesse by name and in particular to the Priest 9. They hold three Sacraments of Baptisme the Lords supper and the last an oyling or unction Yet concerning their Sacrament of extreme unction they hold it not so necessary to salvation as they do baptisme but think it a great curse and punishment of God if any die without it 10. They think there is a necessitie of baptisme and that all are condemned that die without it 11. They rebaptize as many Christians not being of the Greek church as they convert to their Russe profession because they are divided from the true church which is the Greek as they say 12. They make a difference of meats and drinâ—â— accounting the use of one to be more holy then of another And therefore in their set fasts they forbear to eat flesh and white meats as we call them after the manner of the Popish superstition which they observe so strictly and with such blind devotion as that they will rather die then eat one bit of flesh egges or such like for the health of their bodies in their extreme sicknesse 13. They hold marriage to be unlawfull for all the Clergie men except the priests onely and for them also after the first wife as was said before Neither do they well allow of it in Lay-men after the second marriage Which is a pretence now used against the Emperours onely brother a child of six years old who therefore is not prayed for in their Churches as their manner is otherwise for the Princes bloud because he was born of the sixth marriage and so not legitimate This charge was given to the priests by the Emperour himself by procurement of the Godonoes who make him believe that it is a good pollicie to turn away the liking of the people from the next successour Many other false opinions they have in matter of religion But these are the chief which they hold partly by means of their traditions which they have received from the Greek Church but specially by ignorance of the holy Scriptures Which notwithstanding they have in the Polonian tongue that is all one with theirs some few words excepted yet few of them read them with that godly care which they ought to do neither have they if they would books sufficient of the old and new Testament for the common people but of their Liturgie onely or book of common service whereof there are great numbers All this mischief cometh from the Clergie who being ignorant and godlesse themselves are very wary to keep the people likewise in their ignorance and blindnesse for their living and bellies sake partly also from the manner of government settled among which the Emperours whom it specially behoveth list not to have changed by any innovation but to retain that religion that best agreeth with it Which notwithstanding it is not to be doubted but that having the word of God in some sort though without the ordinary means to attain to a true sense and understanding of it God hath also his number among them As may partly appear by that which a Russe at Mosko said in secret to one of my servants speaking against their images and other superstitions That God had given unto England light to day and might give it to morrow if he pleased to them As for any inquisition or proceeding against men for matter of religion I could hear of none save a few years since against one man and his wife who were kept in a close prison the space of 28. years till they were overgrown into a deformed fashion for their hair nails colour of countenance and such like and in the end were burned at Mosko in a small house set on fire The cause was kept secret but like it was for some part of truth in matter of religion though the people were made to believe by the Priests and Friers that they held some great and damnable heresie CHAP. XXIV Of the manner of solemnizing their Marriages THe manner of making and solemnizing their marriages is different from the manner of other countries The man though he never saw the woman before is not permitted to have any sight of her all the time of his woing which he doth not by himself but by his mother or some other ancient woman of his kinne aswell by the parents as by the parties themselves for without the knowledge and consent of the parents the contract is not lawfull the fathers on both sides or such as are to them in stead of fathers with other chief friends having a meeting and conference about the dowrie which is commonly very large after the abilitie of the parents so that you shall have a market man as they call them give a 1000. rubbels or more with his daughter As for the man it is never required of him nor standeth with their custome to make any joynter in recompence of the dowrie But in case he have a child by his wife she enjoyeth a third deal after his decease If he have two children by her or more she is to have a courtesie more at the discretion of the husband If the husband depart without issue by his wife she is returned home to her friends without any thing at all save onely her dowrie if the husband leave so much behind him in goods When the agreement is made concerning the dowrie they signe bonds one to the other as well for the paiment of the dowrie as the performing of the marriage by a certain day If the woman were never married before her father and friends are bound besides to assure her a maiden Which breedeth many brabbles and quarrels at Law if the man take any conceit concerning the behaviour and honestie of his wife Thus the contract being made the parties begin to send tokens the one to the other the woman first then afterwards the man but yet seâ—
beginning from the nation of the Chrim Tartars Of which opinion is Laonicus Chalcocondylas the Greek Historiographer in his first book of his Turkish storie Wherein he followeth divers very probable conjectures The first taken from the very name it self for that the word Turk signifieth a shepherd or one that followeth a vagrant and wild kind of life By which name these Scythian Tartars have ever been noted being called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Scythian shepherds His second reason because the Turks in his time that dwelt in Asia the lesse to wit in Lydia Coria Phrygia and Cappadocia spake the very same language that these Tartars did that dwelt betwixt the river Tanais or Don and the countrey of Sarmatia which as is well known are these Tartars called Chrims At this time also the whole nation of the Turks differ not much in their common speech from the Tartar language Thirdly because the Turk and the Chrim Tartar agree so well together as well in religion as in matter of traffick never invading or injuring one another save that the Turk since Laonicus his time hath encroched upon some towns upon the Euxin sea that before pertained to the Chrim Tartar Fourthly because Ortogules sonne to Oguzalpes and father to Otoman the first of name of the Turkish nation made his first rodes out of those parts of Asia upon the next borderers till he came towards the countreys about the hill Taurus where he overcame the Greeks that inhabited there and so enlarged the name and territorie of the Turkish nation till he came to Eubea and Attica and other parts of Greece This is the opinion of Laonicus who lived among the Turks in the time of Amurat the sixth Turkish Emperour about the year 1400. when the memorie of their originall was more fresh and therefore the likelier he was to hit the truth There are divers other Tartars that border upon Russia as the Nagaies the Cheremissens the Mordwites the Chircasses and the Sbalcans which all differ in name more then in regiment or other condition from the Chrim Tartar except the Chircasses that border Southwest towards Lituania and are farre more civil then the rest of the Tartars of a comely person and of a stately behaviour as applying themselves to the fashion of the Polonian Some of them have subjected themselves to the kings of Poland and professe Christianitie The Nagay lieth Eastward and is reckoned for the best man of warre among all the Tartars but very savage and cruel above all the rest The Cheremissen Tartar that lieth betwixt the Russe and the Nagay are of two sorts the Lugavoy that is of the valley and the Nagornay or of the hillie countrey These have much troubled the Emperours of Russia And therefore they are content now to buy peace of them under pretence of giving a yearly pension of Russe commodities to their Morseis or Divoymorseis that are chief of their tribes For which also they are bound to serve them in their warres under certain conditions They are said to be just and true in their dealings and for that cause they hate the Russe people whom they account to be double and false in all their dealing And therefore the common sort are very unwilling to keep agreement with them but that they are kept in by their Morseis or Dukes for their pensions sake The most rude and barbarous is counted the Mordwite Tartar that hath many self-fashions and strange kinds of behaviour differing from the rest For his religion though he acknowledge one god yet his manner is to worship for god that living thing that he first meeteth in the morning and to swear by it all that whole day whether it be horse dog cat or whatsoever else it be When his friend dieth he killeth his best horse and having flayed off the skin he carrieth it on high upon a long pole before the corps to the place of buriall This he doth as the Russe saith that his friend may have a good horse to carrie him to heaven but it is likelier to declare his love towards his dead friend in that he will have to die with him the best thing that he hath Next to the kingdome of Astracan that is the furthest part South-eastward of the Russe dominion lieth the Shalcan and the countrey of Media whither the Russe merchants trade for raw silks syndon saphion skins and other commodities The chief towns of Media where the Russe tradeth are Derbent built by Alexander the great as the inhabitants say and Zamachie where the staple is kept for raw silks Their manner is in the Spring-time to revive the silk-worms that lie dead all the Winter by laying them in the warm sunne and to hasten their quickning that they may sooner go to work to put them into bags and so to hang them under their childrens arms As for the worm called Chrinisin as we call it chrymson that maketh coloured silk it is bred not in Media but in Assyria This trade to Derbent Samachie for raw silks and other commodities of that countrey as also into Persiae and Bougharia down the riuer Volgha and through the Caspian sea is permitted as well to the English as to the Russe merchants by the Emperours last grant at my being there Which he accounteth for a very speciall favour and might prove indeed very beneficiall to our English merchants if the trade were well and orderly used The whole nation of the Tartars are utterly void of all learning and without written Law Yet certain rules they have which they hold by tradition common to all the Hoords for the practice of their life Which are of this sort 1. To obey their Emperour and other Magistrates whatsoever they command about the publick service 2. Except for the publick behoof every man to be free and out of controllment 3. No private man to possesse any lands but the whole countrey to be as a common 4. To neglect all daintinesse and varietie of meats and to content themselves with that which cometh next to hand for more hardnesse and readinesse in the executing of their affairs 5. To wear any base attire and to patch their clothes whether there be any need or not that when there 〈◊〉 need it be no shame to wear a patcht coat 6. To take or steal from any stranger whatsoever they can get as being enemies to all men save to such as will subject themselves to them 7. Towards their own hoord and nation to be true in word and in deed 8. To suffer no stranger to come within the Realm If any do the same to be bondslave to him that first taketh him except such merchants and other as have the Tartar Bull or pasport about them CHAP. XX. Of the Permians Samoites and Lappes THe Permians and Samoites that lie from Russia North and Northeast are thought likewise to have taken their beginning from the Tartar kind And it may partly be ghessed by the fashion of
had entred himself this last year into the Russe profession and so was rebaptized living now as much an idolatour as before he was a riotour and unthriftie person Such as thus receive the Russe baptisme are first carried into some Monasterie to be instructed there in the doctrine and ceremonies of the Church Where they use these ceremonies First they put him into a new and fresh suit of apparell made after the Russe fashion and set a coronet or in Summer a garland upon his head Then they anoint his head with oyl and put a wax candle light into his hand and so pray over him foure times a day the space of seven dayes All this while he is to abstain from flesh and white meats The seven dayes being ended he is purified and washed in a bathstove and so the eighth day he is brought into the Church where he is taught by the Friers how to behave himself in presence of their idols by ducking down knocking of the head crossing himself and such like gestures which are the greatest part of the Russe religion The Sacrament of the Lords supper they receive but once a year in their great Lent time a little before Easter Three at the most are admitted at one time and never above The manner of their communicating is thus First they confesse themselves of all their sinnes to the Priest whom they call their ghostly father Then they come to the Church and are called up to the Communion table that standeth like an altar a little removed from the upper end of the Church after the Dutch manner Here first they are asked of the Priest whether they be clean or no that is whether they have never a sinne behind that they left unconfessed If they answer No they are taken to the table Where the Priest beginneth with certain usuall prayers the communicants standing in the meanwhile with their arms folded one within another like penitentiaries or mourners When these prayers are ended the Priest taketh a spoon and filleth it full of claret wine then he putteth into it a small piece of bread and tempereth them both together and so delivereth them in the spoon to the Communicants that stand in order speaking the usuall words of the Sacrament Eat this c. Drink this c. both at one time without any pause After that he delivereth them again bread by it self and then wine carded together with a little warm water to represent bloud more rightly as they they think and the water withall that flowed out of the side of Christ. Whiles this is in doing the communicants unfold their arms and then folding them again follow the Priest thrice round about the communion toble and so return to their places again Where having said certain other prayers he dismisseth the communicants with charge to be merry and chear up themselves for the seven dayes next following which being ended he enjoyneth them to fast for it as long time after which they use to observe with very great devotion eating nothing else but bread and salt except a little cabbage and some other herb or root with water or quasse mead for their drink This is their manner of administring the Sacraments Wherein what they differ from the institution of Christ and what ceremonies they have added of their own or rather borrowed of the Greeks may easily be noted CHAP. XVIII Of the doctrine of the Russe Church and what errours it holdeth THeir chiefest errours in matter of faith I find to be these First concerning the word of God it self they will not read publickly certain books of the Canonicall Scripture as the books of Moses specially the foure last Exodus Leviticus Numeri and Deuteronomie which they say are all made disauthentick and put out of use by the coming of Christ as not able to discern the difference betwixt the morall and the ceremoniall law The books of the prophets they allow of but reade them not publickly in their churches for the same reason because they were but directours unto Christ and proper as they say to the nation of the Jews Onely the book of Psalmes they have in great estimation and sing and say them dayly in their Churches Of the new Testament they allow and read all except the Revelation which therefore they read not though they allow it because they understand it not neither have the like occasion to know the fulfilling of the prophesies contained within it concerning especially the apostasie of the Antichristian church as have the Western Churches Notwithstanding they have had their Antichrists of the Greek Church and may find their own falling off and the punishments for it by the Turkish invasion in the prophecies of that book Secondly which is the fountain of the rest of all their corruptions both in doctrine and ceremonies they hold with the Papists that their Church Traditions are of equall authoritie with the written word of God Wherein they preferre themselves before other Churches affirming that they have the true and right traditions delivered by the Apostles to the Greek Church and so unto them 3. That the Church meaning the Greek and specially the Patriarch and his Synod as the head of the rest have a sovereigne authoritie to interpret the Scripture and that all are bound to hold that interpretation as sound and authentick 4. Concerning the divine nature and the three persons in the one substance of God that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father onely and not from the Sonne 5. About the office of Christ they hold many foul errours and the same almost as doth the Popish church namely that he is the sole mediatour of redemption but not of intercession Their chief reason if they be talked withall for defence of this errour is that unapt and foolish comparison betwixt God and a Monarch or Prince of this world that must be sued unto by Mediatours about him wherein they give speciall preferment to some above others as to the blessed Virgin whom they call Precheste or undefiled and S. Nicolas whom they call Scora pomosnick or the Speedy helper and say that he hath 300. angels of the chiefest appointed by God to attend upon him This hath brought them to an horrible excesse of idolatry after the grossest and prophanest manner giving unto their images all religious worship of prayer thanksgiving offerings and adoration with prostrating and knocking their heads to the ground before them as to God himself Which because they do to the picture not to the portraiture of the Saint they say they worship not an idol but the Saint in his image and so offend not God forgetting the commandment of God that forbiddeth to make the image or likenesse of any thing for any religious worship or use whatsoever Their church-walls are very full of them richly hanged and set forth with pearl and stone upon the smooth table Though some also they have embossed that stick from the board almost an inch outwards They call them