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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A08829 A relation of the Christians in the world Pagitt, Ephraim, 1574 or 5-1647. 1639 (1639) STC 19113; ESTC S5143 28,211 97

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of Portugall who remained in Europe many yeares whose Confession of faith is set downe by Damianus a Goes As also the Aethiopian Rites are set forth in Print by Alvares a Portugall Priest who was some yeares Leidger in Aethiopia sent thither by the King of Portugall Thomas a Iesuite writeth of a long succession of the Abassin Abunas There is also a succession of the Christian Abassin Emperours from Abraham called the Saint who reigned about the yeare 427 to Abbas and Claudius their late Emperours It is reported that the Turke hath subdued much of the Prets Country yet the Abassine Religion may continue which the Turke taketh not from any 3 The Christians also inhabit the Kingdome of Cephala Thevet writeth that they received the faith by the preaching of the Abassines 4. Moreover the Matacasian Kingdome received Christianity by the means of the King of Cephala The Matacasian King placed over his Churches eight Bishops and over them a Primate or Patriarch whom they call Elchadie or Ismael In time past Christianity flourished in the North-west part of Africa Wee read of Synods there of above 200 Bishops and in one Province called Zingitana where Carthage stood of 164 Bishops to bee under one Metropolitane When these Churches flourished they opposed the iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome over them as appeareth by writings of St. Cyprian St. Augustine the sixt Councell of Carthage and by a Synod at Melevis in both which the African Fathers forbad appeales to Rome In the North-west parts of Africa doe remaine onely now two Bishopriks viz Septa and Tanger And whereas in Barbary Algier and other places there are many thousands of Christians in Captivity they are allowed by their Patrons the Moores the liberty of their Religion and the learnedest or eldest is to the rest in stead of a Priest 6 Beside the subiects of Prester Iohn very many people of the neighbour Kingdomes mixed with Mahumetans and Heathen people doe professe the Religion and Rites of the Abassin Christians as Miraeus affirmeth 7 In Congo called by some Manicongo there are or have beene some Christians Miraeus reokoneth up a succession of nine Christian Kings in that Kingdome 8 In Monomopata there have bin some Christians and they have had a King baptized 9. In the Isle of Zocotora there are some Christians who have also a Protomist or Bishop over them 10 The Portugals and Spaniards inhabit certaine Townes and Forts in Africa as also the English and Hollanders reside in some places of Africa Miraeus setteth downe Alphabetically the Bishopricks of Africa and reckoneth about 430 but howsoever many of the Bishopricks are not but ruinated and dissolved yet the Fame of the Sanctity and learning of their Holy Bishops heretofore shall continue for ever As of St. Cyprian Bishop of Carthage St. Austin Bishop of Hippo Aurelius Bishop of Carthage Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria Origen Tertullian Arnobius and others who governed the Church of God after a most singular manner and having finished their course rest with God in Heaven But by the way to adde a word or two for the better understanding of this my Relation VVhereas you have heard of many Bishops in Europe Asia and Africa it will not be impertinent to set downe what manner of men these Bishops in the Primative Church were for some suppose Bishops and Elders to be all one which was the Herefie of Aerius and that they lived meanly upon Almes and Stipends For the first the Office of a Bishop is set downe by St. Paul Titus the 1. and 5. For this cause I left thee in Crete that thou shouldst set in order things that are wanting and ordaine Elders in every City Here we see Elders or Pastors to be in every City But Titus the Bishop had the charge to order and ordaine Elders for the whole Island in which wee reade 100 Cities to have been besides Townes Titus was their first Bishop and there is now an Archbishop residing there who hath Bishops under him For the second whereas some suppose that Bishops then lived upon almes or stipends heare what Saint Augustine hath left written of his little Bishopricke of Hippo in Africa Saint Augustine was a Patricians sonne and had a faire estate from his Father I saith hee went not from Riches but to Riches my fathers estate left mee was not the twentieth part in comparison of the Farms other Estates which I was Lord of by being Bishop of Hippo. In the 60 Epistle of Saint Cyprian you may perceive the estate of the Church of Carthage of which place hee was Bishop Also Eusebius setteth downe the condition of the Church of Rome under Cornelius the Bishop and Martyr who had under him 155 Clergie men besides a multitude of Widdows and Poor who were abundantly relieved and lest any man should thinke this to be done penuriously The said Cornelius writeth to Fabian Bishop of Antioch that so great a multitude were by the Providence of God made rich and abounding in all plenteousnesse In ancient time the Church Goods were divided into foure parts one to the Bishop for the mayntenance of his Dignity and State the second to the inferiour Clergy the third to the poore and the fourth for building repayring and adorning of the Church and other uses But whereas some think the chiefe points of Reformation to be put downe Bishops and to ceaze upon Church-livings and to put their Ministers to stipends I suppose it to be a great plague laid upon a Church to make their Ministers Stipendaries and so to depend upon the benevolences of their people it being the curse of God denounced upon the Priests of the Posteritie of Elie to bow for a piece of silver and to crowch for a morsell of bread For the miserable condition of Stipendarie Ministers reade Doctour Saravia who setteth downe the poornesse of their Stipends as also the difficulty of attaining those little Pittances allotted to them viz. that oft the Ministers are compelled to travell no small iourneyes to their Pay Masters in most humble manner as if it were begging their Stipends and yet many times sent away with empty Purses and laden with reproachfull words and this not only by the Treasurers but all by men of base condition as Shoomakers Taylors Curriers c. who are ready to reproach their poore Ministers saying You are our servants wee pay you your wages he reporteth also that he heard some of their Burgomasters say Wee must take heed to these our Ministers especially that their Stipends be not so great they that too much pamper their servants shall finde them stubborn and contumacious The greatest of the Primative Persecutours is affirmed to be Iulian the Emperour Who although hee set forth no Mandate to put Christians to death yet hee endeavoured by subtile meanes to undoe Christian Religion forbidding Christian Schools and the use of Learning debarring them from