day of Pentecost where he moved to me first this Question Where God had his being before the Heavens and Earth and therein all things else were created Which Question though it seemed to me not much pertinent to our purpose yet lest he should imagine us ignorant of our great God's universal presence I said He then was in his own being But when that seemed to him somewhat obscure and that he did not sufficiently understand it I then told him He was where he now is Which he understanding denied in the general and said Not so but that he then was in a bright cloud Which when he earnestly affirmed I quoted Genesis for they also read the books of Moses and the Prophets and said If God were in a Cloud before the Foundation of Heaven and Earth then that Cloud must be created before them both and upon further argument on this point being at last convicted he would dispute no further in it but gave me leave to propound some Question to him and for solemnity of that dayes sake I thought fit to say something thereof and finding these words In the name of God his mercies and the Spirit of them in their Alcoran in the Arabian Tongue and Character I desired him to read them The mystery of the holy Trinity Which when he had considered and wondred at he said Christian from whence had you this for in the beginning of all our actions we Musselmen use these three words and prefix them to every Chapter of our Alcoran when we sit down to eat when we go to prayers when we wash our hands or other parts of our bodies these words we first pronounce and these actions finished we sprinkle our heads with water and repeat these words In the Name of God his Mercies and the Spirit of them When thus he had confessed the Truth I desired to understand from him what he meant by the word Mercies who replied He understood it literally without other signification Then I applied my self to the mystical Interpretation and divided it according to Truth into three Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and shewed them written in the Arabick tongue And when he saw I had mentioned the Son of God he question'd How God could have a Son since according to their Law and Doctrine of Mahomet God had neither Wife nor Childe To whom I answered according to my weak understanding and capacity We Christians call God the Father for his Creatures sake being the first creating Cause and sole Preserver of all created who was for ever in the same Essence he now is in and will be for Eternity and is the first Person in the Trinity We believe the Son who by Mahemet in the Arabick phrase is called Rahman and signifieth Mercies so changed by him to be likewise God not according to flesh for God is a Spirit born of a Woman but of the Essence and substance of God Omnipotent begotten by God the Father to put away the sins of the World and so took humane flesh by the Holy Virgin Mary suffered for us died and was buried and according to the sayings of the Prophets arose again the third day and ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father there to judge the quick and the dead to render immortal happiness to those that have faith in him and to the unfaithful everlasting punishment I then presented him a Crucifix and said Behold this now and see if Mahomet did unworthily call the Son of the eternal God by Name of Mercies when with Arms thus stretched forth he calls poor sinners to his embraces saying Come unto me all ye that labour and art burthened with sins and I will refresh you And to render him more capable of the Trinity I pointed to the Sun saying You have a fair similitude here as there is but one Sun that hath form heat and light so there is but one God the Father who hath Son and the Holy Spirit which you call Ruâ—ahim consisting of three Persons equally of one substance and from Eternity coexisting This comparison wrought in him a belief in God the Father his onely begotten Son and the Holy Ghost a Trinity in Unity And when he had heard my weak discourses of God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost he much admired with saying O God O God I nor any of our Sect could ever imagine you had such good thoughts of God for we conceive you live in darkness of understanding but by your relation it seems you have great apprehensions of him and believe well if you did not neglect our great Prophet of God Mahomet I said What shall we do with the toyes and dreams of Mahomet for besides Baptism and the mystery of the Trinity which were had from Christians we know the Alcoran contains nought that tends to Truth Then I alledged to him the fancies and silly trifles of Mahomet's two Angels called Arot and Marot whom Mahomet sayes That God did send from Heaven to minister justice unto mortal men commanding them to forbid drinking of wine and unlawful mixtures with women to shew the ways to heaven to no man These Angels transgressing Divine Commandment were defiled deceived and made drunk by a Woman and shewed to Mahomet the way to heaven whom when God saw there he asked the Angels standing by who it was that came in that shape thither And the Angels telling him it was by the error of Arot Marot he turn'd the Woman into a Star and sent those Angels chained into a well to be punished everlastingly Divers like ridiculous stories I related as that of the Beast Baraile who could speak as man who carryed Mahomet to heaven where himself confesseth to have seen great Angels with many heads and those speaking many Languages in divers Tongues which is sufficiently foolish unworthy the name of a Prophet but said I knew not whether oppressed with Wine in sleep he dreamed to have seen such miracles or monstrosities in his imaginations And therefore when he inserts such follies in his Alcoran he deserves nor the Title of a Prophet from any reasonable man Having heard this somewhat abashed he arose and would argue no further but led me into the Temple and shewed me certain Images carved in wood and asked me If we did worship those silmilitudes of men or adore them I answered No think not we worship the stones or timber wherein these figures are engraved they are used and respected onely as records and remembrances to mens mindes of the passions and sufferings of our Saviour Jesus Christ for the redemption of our transgressions and we worship our true God in minde and Spirit remembred by that Crucifix neither are you denied the like remembrances of your great Princes and famous men nor we of holy Saints but 't is to give God thanks for their examples of holiness and our prayers to imitate their charity and pieties In these
onely to set them at liberty and see them flye away others throw Bread into Rivers for Fishes and that for the love of God saying That such charity towards the needy doth obtain a great reward from Heaven Concerning War THe Turks have all one Emperor or King of the Race of Ottoman who hath next to himself in Authority two Sangiachs or Viceroys chief Governours th' one of Europe th' other of Asia and these have under them Lieutenants of lesser quality who command the ordinary Souldiery and if they fail being call'd to any expedition are presently punished with death He hath others always following him as Councellors Guardians of his body ever neer him chamberlains chancellors exactors of tribute for monies and young people with certain numbers of light-horse messengers divers others that continually follow the court His greatest strength is in his Slaves Children for the most part torn from Christian Parents with Tribute-Children bred and educated in several Seraglio's Captives taken in War and Renegado's Of these some are trained up and serve on horse who have a double stipend to the Foot and alwayes ready at command in stables keeping four hundred horse together The great body of Foot-Souldiery are the Janizaries all commanded by a Chief called their Aga a person of mighty trust and like importance who hath under him divers inferiour Commanders and have Seraglio's apart Of these and Auxiliary Forces the Turk can draw three hundred thousand to the Field A great part of these Janizaries attend the Court Ambassadors houses and protect all Christian Inhabitants and Travellers for rewards and are faithful in those imployments Their Standard in the Field is an Horse-Tail tied upon a pole an Emblem of their first barbarity and rudeness His strength at Sea is not considerable consisting most in Gallies and those not equal to some Italian Princes nor hath he many for want of Slaves whom he imployes more for Land-services The best of Shipping is under the Bassa's of Algier and Tunis whom he manageth with much policy sometime as Rebels and sometime as good Subjects to his best advantage against Christians for if they complain of loss the Turk then sayes He cannot rule them If th' other do the like he 'll take treble damages The Condition of Neblemen THere is not any of those great Personages that possess by right of inheritance any Province City or real Estate to derive unto his Children or Successors without consent of the King If any of their Dukes or Princes desire possessions it must be with this condition the value of the Place or Territory is first considered and the Revenues thereof whereby the Turk apportioneth what number of Souldiers that can annually maintain then the Lord is enjoyned alwayes to keep in readiness that number for any his commands and in default his head is lost nothing can excuse his presence in any commanded place but known want of health and sickness And whensoever it please the Turk to ease him of this benefit it 's at his liberty but if not deprived he enjoyes it during life after death if his Successors will observe the fame conditions they are often admitted if not 't is then disposed to others And if it happen any one of these great ones have occasion to speak unto their King with eyes fixed on the ground they dare not look him in the face Of Bassa's who may be called Counsellors Chancellors or Secretaries THese for the most part are all Eunuchs castrated when Youths and bred in Seraglio's for attendants on the Turkish Concubines and of later yeers some of them as I was informed being a Slave to a great Man in Constantinople are cut so close the body that they often die by th' incision and if live they ever after use small pipes for discharging their water such is their cruel jealousie introduced as 't was said by an Emperour that perceived a Gelding leap a Mare These Bassa's are of greatest esteem with the Turk next to the Sangiachs and they are almost all that are preferred to that dignity Children of Christian Parents violently taken from them and none of them although he hath to Wife a Daughter of a Turk as Hurstan Bassa had can enjoy a Parish Castle or Village by inheritance but if he be promoted to any dignity or possessions he enjoyes it till his death or so long as the Turk pleaseth Each Bassa hath a Court of Justice in the Province he commandeth from whence appeals are to the King or great Mufty whose sentence is concluding and immoveable The obedience of Turks to the King NOne of their Janizaries or great Captains have license to wear Swords or other Arms within the Cities unless the King go forth his Palace for Devotion sake or Hunting And where there are Magistrates or Governours of Towns Porters carry with them staves or clubs and finding any quarrellings or offerings at injuries they presently punish them with those instruments and no man speaking to them dares look them in the face but falling on the earth kiss their feet with eyes to the ground and speak as to themselves And whensoever they send forth Messengers with Letters to Governours Cities or Provinces whose horse grows faint by journeying this Messenger hath full authority to dis-horse whom ere he meets and meeting none he turns into the next Town or Village and repairs to the chief Officer and if he presently provides him not an horse he 's hang'd before his door and for this cause many make use of asses rather then keep horse And when this Messenger shall come to whom he was sent he is most honourably received his Letters kissed with great humility and their Contents answered with incredible celerity and quick dispatch No Princes dare contradict one sillable therein None dare as here rebel all men live in such awful fear and trembling Tortures and present death depending on his will The Turkish strength how diminished THe Emperour distributes in some equality all Provinces to his Noblemen but with condition that such a Souldiery shall be continually maintained by him with the Revenues of that Province both in time of Peace and War A Souldier killed is not loss to him unless the Province likewise be lost as for example The Turk hath now four hundred Souldiers whereof one hundred is maintained by Hungary now if he lose Hungary those Souldiers are lost if he lose no Province he loseth nothing for he can raise more in their rooms as Church-Officers or benefits easily finde in vancancies Successors The condition of Chazilars THese are stout Souldiers and excellently versed in military affairs who in their first encounters break their Lances without other Armour then a Sword Lance and Target using it as we do with Coat of Fence and Helmet the Lance being broke they use the Sword and fight valiantly alwayes aiming at the head or hands and think it ignominious to thurst at their adversary or an horse with point of Sword
like experience from Christians charity when as they travel for conscience sake to Rome or Compostella The Incantation of Turks against Fugitives THey have certain kinde of Charms which they think can draw them off from flying The name of the Slave is written in a Schedule of Paper which is hung up in his Tent or House then with vengeable and horrible Curses his head is charged and threatned conceiving this by the Devil's help the Fugitive will be affrighted with meeting of Lyons and Dragons in his Journey or that the Seas or Rivers will swallow him the heavens will grow dark and these astonishments will bring him back again The memory of Christ by degrees lost in former Christian Provinces THere is some memory yet left of the expugnation of Constantinople the Kingdoms of Greece Albania Valachia and Servia now reduced to Provinces These for a long time constantly retained the Christian Faith but their Children have forgot it and there will come to pass a full oblivion of Christ And likely it is to fall out so in Croatia Hungary and Sclavonia which are now additaments and adjuncts to the Turkish Empire The condition of the conquered VVHen a Province is subdued and taken all sorts of Goods moveable and immoveable are given away for spoyle They totally extirpate the whole Nobility but especially the Princely Issue And when they took John the King's Son of Hungary and favoured him with life it was on good advice that if Hungary were lost again they might imploy and involve him into any new incumbrances and when the Province should be in a quiet and calme condition then to dispatch him for in such respects the Turk regards neither Kindred Father or Brother he spares none And if they do kill and murder not all Church and Clergy-men they take yet they expose them to all scorn nakedness and beggery despoyling them of all their Fortunes Goods and Dignities Their Bells their Organs and other Instruments and Ornaments of Churches Chappels and Devotions they raven and tear from the Temples profaning them with consecration to their Mahomet leaving onely the most miserable and wretched Chappels to the Christians wherein they are forbid publick Prayers and may pray seemingly in silence which Chappels when either Earth-quake Fire Tempest or Age destroy they must in no sort re-edifie Preaching or reading parts of the Scripture is utterly forbidden It is a sin to admit a Christian to any publick Office to wear have Arms or habit like a Turk or else to use the recreations of cheerfulness as Pageants Playes or Dancings If they injure Christ or you with bitter or contumacious words you must be silent and endure it If you speak ought against their professed Religion you are forced to circumcision and but to whisper again Mahomet Fire and Brimstone followeth If a Christian on horseback pass by a Musselman that is one initiated in the Turkish Faith he must on necessity light from his horse and bowing downe his head worship him which if omitted he straight is knocked down with clubs The condition of Priests and Fryers under Tribute THey are held the worst of Men and are esteemed by Turks the very Sacriledge and Scandal of God and Mankinde They have no benefit from Churches Upon some festival dayes a little bread is given them by poor Women and not on other dayes They get their livelihood by carrying Wood their custome being to cut down sticks in Woods lade them on Asses and with this Merchandize they cry about the Streets Wood to be sold The Tribute of Christians THey pay a part of all encrease not onely of Corn and Cattle but even Mechanicks pay it out of all their profits And then they pay another subsidie for every single man through a Family each head a Crown If Parents refuse this Tribute their Children are taken from them and made Slaves Others are bound in Chains and beg from door to door to pay this Crown which if they cannot this way procure they are cast into perpetual Prison and when all Duties are performed it is yet lawful for the Turk to chuse the best amongst his Children whom he circumciseth and removes from all approach or sight of Parents and breeds him for his Wars ne'er to return to Friends and so a childe easily forgets both Christ his Parents and his Kindred that after if he chance in company with them he shall not know them No Man can express by Words the Lamentations Cries Tears and grievous sighs at this distraction of Children The Father to see his Son educated in the fear of Christ torn from him and made an Instrument of Satan to oppose Christ hurried from his Mother to live perpetually with strangers leaving whatsoever is dear in blood pleasing in society or loving in familiarity with an everlasting dereliction after listed in the ranks of those the Greeks call Fatherless and Motherless yet many of these although they have denied Christ carry about them the Gospel of St. John In the beginning was the word c. in Greek or the Arabick tongue as an amulet or preservative in their Armpits and with great desire they expect the Christian Sword according to some Turkish prophesies should revenge and free them from those great afflictions and persecutions and that if Christians do it not whatever is the cause or with what mindes soever hindred all very ill deserve of Christian Religion CHAP. III. A Narration of a dispute with a TURK AFter I had travelled with much labour and many dangers the better parts of the world and seen many pleasant Towns Countrys as Socrates Plato other Philosophers had diligently done at length I arrived at the famous City of Hungary Varadinum where by chance I met one Dervis Gsielebi a skilful man in the Laws of Mahomet who having dispatched his business with the Governour he very much desired conference with some Christian about Religion on either side This motion of his being published by an Interpreter and none for divers dayes appearing to encounter him in defence of the Christian cause though many religious persons were in that Town struck mute and speechless at the courage of one Ethnick Infidel who seemed to me like Israelites that durst not adventure on one uncircumcised Goliah provoking them This I perceiving and grieving in my spirit that in such plenty of Clerks and learned men none was so well armed with Truth as durst though by Interpreters reprove the insolence of such an Heathen And fearing that so wicked and detestable a silence in so good a Cause with so bad a Man would betray the Truth and render our Saviour Jesus Christ's Opinion with him more ignominious I my self though never called to Ecclesiastical Function undertook the charge of arguing this point of Piety with him and so a prefixed day was agreed on between us when multitudes of people of each Religion came Spectators of the event The place was in a Monastery of Franciscans the day Whitson-Sunday
Spanish Souldiery the warlike fierceness of the Belgicke Provinces the quick prudence of the Italian wits the robustiousness and stoutness of the Germans will be easily perswaded by the King of Romans against this universal Enemy remembring you withal No Crown sits so gloriously on an Emperour or Princes head as that which beareth a true Title of the Peoples safety and lawful Liberties Imploring and beseeching the most Christian King of France to employ his helping and heroick Arms in safeguard according to his Title of his Christian Brethrens liberties and his own from Turkish Tyranny Imploring and beseeching the most mighty and potent Kings of England Poland Denmark Swedeland with all Republicks Cities and Corporations Christian to unite and joyne in one their strengths and powers in war against this cankered common Enemy of their Religion Crowns and Dignities Imploring and beseeching all sorts of Powers and Authorities spiritual and temporal to imploy their diligence and shew the worthiness of their callings by correction and amendment of wicked and dissolute loose livers by whom God's wrath is kindled against us and to reduce them to holy Rules of Christian Exercises in living justly soberly and religiously and so render God a true account of Stewardship and prevent the miseries have befallen others drowsie and sleeping inadvertencies Imploring and beseeching both young and old of all sects and conditions godly Christians religious and secular beloved Fathers dear Brethren respected Friends Neighbours and Companions That you all with humble face and countenance pure and sincere hearts and hands devout mindes mournfull voyces and weeping eyes condole grieve and lament the miseries the calamities of Turkish captives and call unto the Lord of Hosts with violence in pity to his people to avert his anger and not to give them up to the perpetual rebuke of this wicked Infidel most cruel Enemy of Christian Religion and Liberty but to inspire the mindes of Christian Kings and Governours with light of his holy Spirit to reduce them all to unity and concord against this ravenous and insatiable Dragon and grant others such success that these wretched captives their Christian Brethren may be restored to liberty in the worship and adoration of their God our Christ and onely serve him who is for ever blessed that at length the Christian World may be refreshed and eas'd from such perpetual slavery CHAP. V. An Exhortation against the TURK I Have often marvelled with my self most mighty Monarchs when I considered the advaÌ„tages which promise Christians victories against the Turk and yet inso many yeers they attempted none or failed We have Jesus Christ our God who in one onely night destroyed the host of Sennacherib who drowned Pharaoh who with a maiden hand of Judith struck off thâ— head of Hâ—lâ—phernes and to be 〈…〉 a God whose will is victory Conâ—â—ary to which they have a Mahomet a wicked man of life conversation in death yet hanging in his Sepulchre without Resurrection so as there is as much difference between them as is between an ever living Son of an ever living God and a putrid carkass of a son of a mortal man that if we diligently examine the nature of each Power and Authority it would apear like dead men superiors in strength to living Now in abilities of bodies capacities and gifts of understanding we exceed them which are good strengths and fortifications against an enemy and yet we are still defeated Who is more hardy then the Hungarian more stout and robustious then the German more quick and nimble then the Frenchmen more grave and solid then the Spaniard more cautelous and prudent then the Italian more valiant and daring then the English forbearing other Nations the endowments of whose mindes are better or at least equal All these abilities seem able singly to get a victory or at least well to forward it Courage often without much force generosity of minde wisdom forecast ambition of honour and policy oft subdues an Enemy yet notwithstanding wretches as we are amongst so many victorious attributes we get no victories Then if we consider the easie preparation great furnitures of all sorts of arms we shall appear far to exceed the Turk Guns of all sorts have bin our own inventions and the divers kindes of compleat harnesses for horse and foot The Turks Persians Subjects naked or half so march forth to war they have bows we guns that is fire and thunder they have arrows which hardly pierce an Armour we Cannons which Rocks cannot withstand and yet now some Mussel-men have Guns and Gunners but few and unskilful Now I pray what other kinde of people use they most in Expeditions Scythians and Thracians who have no Italian or Spanish Spirits onely a kinde of inhumane fierceness ignorance and stolidity to these are added Grecians lost men with ease and laziness Asians corrupt with luxury Aegyptians no less in minde then bodies feebled Arabians bloodless thin and parboyl'd with the Sun Who could imagine such-kinde of Souldiery should subdue the great advantages and abilities of those fore named Nations yet be it spoken with grief our Christians by these are overcome and mastered into servitude and our great Captains are forced to bear arms against us who were born and bred by Ancestors to liberty and in the mean season the Turk laughs at us and the Jew rejoyceth Now if I shall consider the Laws and Institutions of Nations we shall be found abundantly superiour in that respect for what is more righteous and divine then the Decalogue and holy Gospel written by God's own Finger and his Spirit what more regular then the Canon-Law more just and equal then the civil Law Whereas the Turks live by Direction Dictates of the Alcoran a book of stuff as foolish as full of vanity a book of sport and mirth if pity for the seduced did not allay it though now spread abroad too much and handled amongst Christians so as it may be truely feared we shall learn other Laws or shortly lose our own and turn Turks in our mindes and approbations sooner then in our bodies to their Dominion What is then the cause having so many prerogatives of hopeful war we are alwayes beaten why are our Ensigns adorn'd with Crucifixes fearful formerly to infidels and devils now trampled on frighted I shall tell you in few words and truth We have a God most great most good but alienated from us so far that according to the Prophets saying We scarce are to be named his people for why should Christ remain with us whom we have rent and torn in far more pieces then the Souldiers did his Garment by our hideous Sects Schismes and Heresies Besides his Name what of him is dear unto us The very Plow man these times is impudent and factious the Citizen fraudulent and avaritious the Magistrate seeks retributions and rewards the Nobility is riotous and lazy the Gentry contentious and proud the Souldier beyond his pay and spoil craves nothing from