Constantinople under Theodosius the Great Macedonius himself being deprived by the Arrian Bishops died private at Pylas XL. 14. The Aerians so called from Aerius the Presbyter who lived under Valentinian the first three hundred and forty Years after Christ he held that there was no difference between a Bishop and a Presbyter that Bishops could not ordain that there should be no set or anniversary Feasts and they admitted none to their Communion but such as were continent and had renounced the World they were also called Sillabici as standing captiously upon Words and Syllables The occasion of his maintaining his Heresie was his Resentment that Eustathius was preferred before him to a Bishoprick XLI 15. Florinus or Florianus a Roman Presbyter lived under Commodus the Roman Emperour one hundred fifty three Years after Christ hence came the Floriani They held that God made Evil and was the Author of Sin whereas Moses tells us that all things which he made were very good They retained also the Jewish manner of keeping Easter and their other Ceremonies XLII 16. Lucifer Bishop of Caralitanum in Sardinia gave Name to the Luciferians He lived under Julian the Apostate three hundred thirty three Years after Christ. He taught that this World was made by the Devil that Mens Souls are corporal and have their Being by Propagation or Tradition they denied to the Clergy that fell any place for Repentance neither did they restore Bishops or inferiour Clerks to their Dignities if they fell into Heresie tho they afterwards repented XLIII 17. Tertullian that famous Lawyer and Divine was the Leader of the Tertullianists He lived under Severus the Emperour about one hundred and seventy Years after Christ Being excommunicated by the Roman Clergy as a Montanist he fell into these Heretical Tenets That God was corporal but without declination of Members that Mens Souls were not only corporal but also distinguished into Members and have corporal Dimensions and increase and decrease with the Body that the original of Souls is by Traduction that Souls of wicked Men after Death are converted into Devils That the Virgin Mary after Christ's Birth did marry once They bragged much of the Paraclete or Spirit which they said was poured on them in greater measure than on the Apostles they condemned War amongst Christians and rejected second Marriages as no better than Adultery XLIV 18. Nestorius born in Germany and by fraud made Patriarch of Constantinople was the Head of the Nestorians He broached his Heresie under Theodosius the Younger four hundred Years after Christ He taught that in Christ were two distinct Persons the Son of God and the Son of Mary that is the Son of God in Christ's Baptism descended into the Son of Mary and dwelt there as a Lodger in a House he made the Humanity of Christ equal with his Divinity and so confounded their Properties and Operations A great part of the Eastern Bishops were of his Perswasion His Heresie was condemned in the Council of Ephesus under Theodosius the Younger in which Cyril Bishop of Alexandria was President and the Author Nestorius deposed and banished into the Thebean Desarts where his blasphemous Tongue was eaten out with Worms Zeno the Emperour razed to the Ground the School in Edessa called Persica where the Nestorian Heresie was taught XLV 19. Eutyches Abbot of Constantinople from whence came the Eutychians in the Year after Christ 413. set forth his Heresie holding Opinions quite contrary to Nestorius to wit That Christ before the Union had two distinct Natures but after the Union only one to wit the Divinity which swallowed up the Humanity so confounding the Properties of the two Natures affirming that the Divine Nature suffered and died and that God the Word did not take from the Virgin Humane Nature This Heresie condemned first in a Provincial Synod at Constantinople was set up again by Dioscarus Bishop of Alexandria at last condemned in the General Council of Chalcedon under Marcian the Emperour XLVI 20. Eunonius Bishop of Cyzicum embraced the Heresie of Arrius he said blasphemously God of his Essence understandeth no more than we do whatsoever we know of it the same knoweth he and look what his Capacity reacheth to the same thou shalt find in us his Followers re-baptized Orthodox Professors and baptized in the Name of the Father uncreated the Son created and the Holy Ghost created by the Son They affirmed the Trinity to be three different Substances as Gold Silver and Brass He was a Cappadocian by Birth and lived under Valens the Emperour XLVII 21. Novatus Father of the Novatians was an African born he lived under Decius the Emperour after Christ two hundred and twenty Years his Heresie lasted one hundred forty eight Years They denied Repentance to those who fell after Baptism they bragged much of their Sanctity and good Works they condemned second Marriages as adulterous and used Rebaptization as the Donatists He was a Priest of Carthage and Father of the Cathari or Puritans XLVIII 22. Donatus whence arose the Donatists was a Numidian who because Cicilianus was preferred before him to the Bishoprick of Carthage accused him and all the Bishops that ordained him to be Traditores that is such as had delivered their Bibles to be burnt by Idolaters under the Persecution of Maximinus Though this Accusation was found faulty yet Donatus continued obstinate and separated himself and Congregation from all others accounting that no Church where any spot of Infirmity was to be found that such a pure Church was only amongst them yet they would have no man forced to a godly Life they slighted the Magistracy and would not suffer them to punish Hereticks they held the Efficacy of the Sacraments too upon the dignity of the Minister they rebaptized all that were admitted to their Communion they held it no Sin to kill themselves rather than to fall into the hands of the Magistrate and scrupled not to kill such as were not of their Faith they used certain magical Purifications and bragged of Enthusiasms and Revelations With the Arrians they made the Son less than the Father and the Holy Ghost than the Son The Circumcâ—lliones were part of these who lived in Cells and Caves and murdered all they met that were not of their Religion XLIX 23. Pelagius a Britain by Birth and a Monk at Rome was the Ring-leader of the Pelagians he was afterwards a Presbyter under Theodosius the Younger three hundred eighty two Years after Christ thence he went into England and poysoned the whole Island with his Opinions which were such as these That Death was not the Wages of Sin but that Adam should have dyed though he had not sinned that Adam's Sin was hurtful only to himself and not to his Posterity that Concupiscence was no sin that Infants did not draw original Sins from their Parents that Infants might be saved without Baptism that they should have eternal Life but out of the Kingdom of God that Man after the Fall had free
God yearly upon a set day and at other times also even with multiplyed Victims especially in case of any great Calamity that should befall the City Accordingly upon the Slaughter they received by Agathocles they made a Decree I tremble to speak it to offer up two hundred of their noblest Youths in this manner to Saturn and who would believe it there were as many more who freely offered themselves to the same Death II. So great a Reverence to Religion had the Aethiopian Kings to the time of Ptolomy King of Egypt that whensoever the Priests of Jupiter who was worshipped in Meroc declar'd to any of them that his Life was hateful to the Gods he immediately put an end to his days nor was there any of them found to have had a more tender Regard to the Safety of his own Life than he had Reverence to Religion till King Arganes who lest the Priests should tell him he should dye began with themselves put them all to Death first and thereby abolished the Custom At Hierapolis in Syria was a magnificent Temple where men used to geld themselves and put on Womens Apparel such Priests were called Galli Here stood two Priapi or Phalli and within the Quire into which the Chief Priest only might enter stood Jupiter's Statue supported with Bulls Juno's with Lyons having in one hand a Scepter and a Distaff in the other In the Temple stood Apollo whose Oracles were much consulted if the Petition was liked the Image would move forward if otherwise backward They had divers Feasts the greatest was that of the Fire where they set divers Trees hung with divers sorts of Beast for Sacrifice on Fire after they had carryed about these Fires in Procession to their Idols Here the gelded Priests wound each other and divers young men at this Feast geld themselves Here was much confused Musick Disorder Fury and Prophecyings Into the Temple none might enter in thirty days in whose Family any died and then his Head must be shaved He that but look'd upon a dead Corps was excluded the Temple a whole day To touch a Dove was Abomination because Semiramis was transformed into a Dove and so it was to touch Fishes because of Dercito the Mermaid and Mother of Semiramis half a Fish and half a Woman To Hierapolis were divers Pilgrimages each Pilgrim was bound to cut his Hair on his Head and Brows to sacrifice a Sheep to lay the Head and Feet of the Sheep upon his own Head to crown himself to drink cold Water only and to sleep on the Ground till his Return the young men were bound to consecrate their Hair then to cut it in the Temple and to offer it in a Box of Gold and Silver with their Names inscribed thereon The Phaenicians were bound to offer yearly Sacrifices of young Children to Saturn and in the Temple of Venus to practice not only Whoredom but Sodomy also The Phaenicians were bound to prostitute their Daughters to Venus before they marryed ' em In the Temple of Venus were celebrated the annual Rites of Adonis with Beatings and Howlings to whom they performed solemn Obsequies The Arabians worshipped the Sun and Moon Serpents Trees and other such like Deities The Nabathaeans burned Frankincense to the Sun or his Altar they do not bury their Dead but lay 'em even their Kings on Dunghils Adultery is Death among 'em but Incest is no Sin In Panchaea is a rich stately Temple adorned with Statues and the Priests ruled all there both in politick and ecclesiastick Affairs III. The ancient Persians had neither Temples Altars nor Images holding these improper for their Gods but on the tops of Hills offered Sacrifices to Heaven and to the Sun Moon Fire Earth Water and Winds The Priests used neither Musick Vestments nor Libaments but only his Tiara or Head-attire crowned with Mirtle To Lye and be in Debt are heinous Crimes with them so it is to spit wash or piss in a River which with them are hallowed The old Scythians had neither Temples Images nor Altars for any of their Gods except for Mars whose Temples they erected of bundles of Twigs heaped up together Instead of his Image they set up an old Iron Sword to which they offered yearly Sacrifices of Cattel and Horses and of Men every hundredth Captive with whose Blood they besprinkled Mars's Sword then they cut off the right Shoulders of the slain men and fling them into the Air they used to wound first and then to strangle the Beast which they sacrificed praying to that God to whom they offered the Beast they kindled no Fire of Wood for the Country yielded none but they burned the Bones of the Beast to boyl the Flesh withal if they want a Vessel they boyl the Flesh in the Beast's Paunch they use no Vows nor any other Ceremonies IV. The Tartars worshipped the Sun Stars Fire Earth and Water to whom they offered the first Fruits of their Meat and Drink each morning before they eat and drink themselves They believe there is one God Maker of all things yet they worship not nor pray unto him They place Idols at the Tent doors these Idols being made of Silk and Felt are offered the first Fruits of Milk Meat and Drink the Hearts also of Beasts which they leave before them all night and then eat them in the morning they offer Horses to the Emperour's Idol which none afterward must ride they do not break but burn the Bones of their Sacrifices by their Discipline they must not touch the Fire with a Knife nor meddle with young Birds nor pour Milk Drink or Meat on the ground nor break one Bone with another nor make Water within their Tents with divers other such Traditions which if violated are punished with Death or else redeemed with much Money They believe another World but such as this When one dyeth he hath Meat set before him and Mare 's Milk his Friends eat a Horse and burn the Bones thereof for his Soul they bury also with him a Mare a Colt and a Horse bridled and sadled his Gold and Silver also and they set upon Poles the Horse Hide that was eat that he may not be without a Tent in the other World They use to feed the Ghosts or Spirits with Mares Milk cast in the Air or poured on the Ground They have their religious Votaries or Monasteries amongst which there is an Order called Senschin which eat nothing but Bran steeped in hot Water They do not worship Idols nor do they marry but they hold Transanimation and divers other ridiculous Opinions They have a strange Custom among them that their Priests on high Trees preach to them and after Sermon besprinkle their Auditors with Blood Milk Earth and Cow-dung mixed together and no less strange it is that they do not bury their Dead but hang them upon Trees But the Tartars were not all of one Religion for as they compose several Nations so they had several Sects in
a sacred Fish with them and not to be touched so are the Mountains whose Tops they daily feed or the Priests rather with Meat and Drink When one dieth the Priest makes Gods of Straw to accompany the Dead into the other World Wine and good Chear are sent with him and Servants with his Wives if he be the King these are slain to wait upon the King and their Heads advanced upon Poles round about the Grave They hold it a Sin to spit on the Ground The Tuesday is their Sabbath They use Circumcision and some other Turkish Ceremonies XXIII The Goths believed That the Dead went into a pleasant place where their God Tamolxines ruled to him they used still to send a Messenger chosen out among themselves by Lot who in a Boat of five Oars went to supplicate for such things as they wanted Their manner of sending him was thus They took him Hand and Foot and flung him upon the points of sharp Pikes if he fell down they concluded that the God was well pleased with that Messenger if otherwise they rejected him as an unworthy Envoy therefore they chose another to whom they gave Instructions before he died what he should say to their God and so having slain him upon their Pikes committed the dead Body in the Boat to the mercy of the Sea The Lithuanians used to burn their chief Captives to their Gods The Lusitanians ripped open the Bowels of their Captives in their Divinations and presented their right hands being cut off to their Gods The Sclavonians worshipped an Idol called Suantovitus whose Priest the day before he sacrificeth makes clean the Chappel which none must enter but he alone and whilst he is in it he must not draw his Breath but hold his Head out of the Window lest with his mortal Breath he should pollute the Idol The next day the People watching without the Chappel door view the Idol's Cup if they find any of the Liquor which was put there wasted they conclude the next years Scarcity but otherwise they hope for Plenty and so they fill the Cup again and pray to the Idol for Victory and Plenty then pouring out old Wine at the Idol's Feet and offering to him a great Cake they spend the rest of the day in gormondizing it is held a sin and dishonour to the Idol not to be drunk then Every one payeth a piece of Money to the Idol's maintenance to which also is paid the third part of all Booties taken in the War To this purpose the Idol maintaineth three hundred Horse whom the Priest paid being the Idol's Treasurer In Lithuania Russia and the adjacent places the Rusticks offer a yearly Sacrifice of Calves Hogs Sows Cocks and Hens about the end of October when their Fruits are all gathered in to their Idol Ziemiennick they beat all these Creatures to death then offer them with Prayers and Thanksgivings which done they fall to eating and drinking flinging first pieces of Flesh into every Corner of the House XXIV The ancient Brittains worshipped Mercury in the first place as being the God of High-ways Journeys Gain and Merchandizing After him they worshipped Apollo Jupiter Mars and Minerva They and the Germans were wont to sacrifice Men sometimes so did the ancient Britains which with the Gauls had the same Religion and Priests called Druides from the Oaks under which they used to teach and sacrifice for they expounded all Religious Mysteries taught the Youth decided Controversies and Suits in Law ordained Rewards and Punishments and such as obeyed not their Decrees they excommunicated debarring them from all Divine Exercises and all Commerce with Men. These Druides had one chief over them whose Successor was always elected they were free from paying Taxes from serving in the Wars and had many other Priviledges They committed not the mysteries of their Religion to Writing but to the Memory of their Disciples who spent many years in learning by heart their Precepts in Verse They believed the Immortality of Souls they read Philosophy to their Scholars It is thought by some that Diana's Temple stood where St. Paul's Church in London stands now and Minerva had her Temple at Bath and Apollo in Scotland near Dalkeith The Saxons worshipped the seven Planets among which Thor the same with Jupiter was chief from him Thursday was denominated Next was Woden or Mars Wednesday is so called from him Frea or Frico was Venus to whom Friday was dedicated as Tuesday to Tuisco the Founder of the German Nation but the Germans at first had neither Images nor Temples but abroad worshipped the Sun Moon and Stars Mother Earth was in chief Esteem among them to her they dedicated a Chariot in a Grove which was lawful only for the Priest to touch He was never to leave the Chariot which was always covered with Cloth and was drawn by two Oxen in Procession then Holy-Days were appointed at the end of her Journey she with the Chariot and Cloth were washed in a certain Lake but the Ministers who performed this Work were never seen any more but were swallowed by the Lake and the Goddess restored again by her Priest to her Grove XXV The old Saracens worshipped the Sun under the shape of a half naked Man set upon a Pillar whose Head and Face was all beset with fiery Rayes holding on his Breast a flaming Wheel by which they signified the Sun's Heat Light and Motion They worshipped the Moon under the form of a Woman with a short Coat and a Hood with long Ears with the Picture of the Moon before her Breast they gave her also piked Shoos the reason whereof might possibly be this if I may have leave to conjecture They gave her a short Coat to shew the swiftness of her Motion for a long Coat signifieth a slow Motion therefore they painted Saturn whose motion is the slowest of all the Planets with a long Coat The Hood or Chapron with long Ears was to represent her Horns or else to shew that Sounds are heard afar off in the Night which is the time of her Dominion Her piked Shoos may also resemble her Horns But now having gone through all the Idolatries of all Nations of the World both Ancient and Modern it is now high time to give some account of Christianity and it's Division into several Schisms Sects and Superstitions XXVI Christianity which is the Doctrine of Salvation delivered to Man by Christ Jesus the Son of God who assuming our Nature of a pure Virgin taught the Jews the true way to Happiness confirming his Doctrine by Signs and Miracles at length sealed it with his Blood and so having suffered Death for our Sins and rose again for our Justification he ascended to his Father leaving twelve Apostles behind him to propagate this Doctrine through the World which they did accordingly confirming their Words with Miracles and their own Blood and so this Light of the Gospel scattered all the Fogs and Mists of Gentile Superstition at the