which is at this day prescribed and obserued out of their Alcoran was for the most part reformed and perfected by his next successours at what time they had made themselues Lords of the most part of Asia Howsoeuer it was after MAHOMET had Raigned about nine or as some say ten yeares he departed this life being fortie yeares of age and as is reported dyed of poyson For hauing oftentimes boasted before his ende that the third day after his death he would rise againe and hauing therefore giuen streight commaundement that his body shoulde not bee buried nor enterred in the earth One of his Disciples called ALBVNOR being desirous to proue and make tryall of the truth of his doctrine and prophecies did secretly cause poyson to be conueied into his drinke The which MAHOMET hauing taken his body presently in all parts began to swell extreamely and so he gaue vp the ghost most miserably For twelue daies did his body lye vnburied during all which time their appeared no likely-hoode of any resurrection but his Carcasse yeelded an intollerable and most filthie stench In the end ALBVNOR comming to see him found his body torne in peeces and deuoured by Dogges whereupon gathering together the bones that remained and putting them into a coffin he caused him to be buried This was the ende of this monster of mankind who hauing filled the worlde with Idolatrie and infidelitie by his blasphemous traditions and damnable forgeries seemed to haue beene borne for the vtter ouerthrow and desolation of many kingdomes estates and prouinces and for the ruine confusion of many millions of soules Of the originall of the Turkes and how they came both to embrace the Religion and to encroch vpon the Empire of the Sarracens Cap. 2. AFter the death of MAHOMET EBVBEZER otherwise EBENBEHOR or as some call him ABVBACHER his son in law succeeded him in his kingdom And was the first whome the Sarracens called AMIRAS which in their language signifieth Prince or successour This man reigning but three yeares in that short space tooke Damascus the chiefe Cittie of Siria and made it the seate of his kingdome Likewise after two yeares siege hee tooke and spoyled Gaza Ierusalem His successour and the thirde King or AMIRA of the Sarracens was HAVMAR or OMAR who beginning his reigne in the yeare of Christ. 634. continued the same for twelue yeares with great prosperitie and good fortune In which time he subdued to his obeissaunce all Siria and Egypt Afterwards inuading Persia hee conquered that kingdome and then hauing added also Cilicia Cappadocia Mesopotamia and the Isle of Cyprus vnto his conquests he chose Babilon for the seate of his Empire And from thence forward the Sarracens called him their Amiras and Calipha of Babilon which in their language signifieth a chiefe Prince hauing souereigntie both of Empire and Religion Ouer his other prouinces wherein himselfe could not bee resident he appointed seuerall gouernours or Deputies whome the Sarracens called Suldans which worde since that time hath beene vsed in another sence as a title of greater and higher dignitie by reason of the excessiue power and soueraigne authoritie whereunto some of those Suldans afterwards attained in many of those prouinces Which being by them conuerted and augmented into great and mighty kingdomes the name of Sultan grew to be taken for an absolute Lorde and Prince and so is vsed at this day by the Turkes who haue subdued and annexed most of those kingdomes and prouinces to the Dominions and Empire of the Ottomans But to our purpose HAVMAR thus ruling ouer the Sarracens at such time as they vnder-tooke the conquest of Persia ORIMASDA or HORMISDA raigned ouer that kingdome Who being sore pressed in those warres and not able of himselfe to withstand the furie and violence of so great an enemie Hee sent for the Turkes then inhabiting within the Caspian mountaines requesting them to come vnto him into Persia and that he might haue their aide and succours against the Sarracens This was the first occasion that brought the Turkes into Asia who before that time were a people vnknowne and not heard of In so much as euen to this day it is doubtfull and vncertaine whence they had their beginning And the opinions of their originall are very diuers and different Some thinke them to be discended of the auncient Troyans but without any probabilitie or good reason of their opinion others deriue them out of Turca a Cittie of Persia And some from that part and prouince of Asia which is called Turquestan But it is thought that both those places had their denomination rather from the nation of the Turkes then that this people should be so named of those places HAITON a King of Armenia in an Historie which he hath written and some other also doe affirme them to be of the cursed seede of those auncient Israelites who being carried into captiuity by SALMANAZER King of Assiria and placed by him in diuers parts of Media and Armenia afterwards by ALEXANDER the great were shut vp within the straights of the Caspian mountaines where they continued till this time that they first came to bee knowne in Asia And the reason which they yeelde for this opinion is because the place where they liued so long hidden and concealed was neere the Tartarians In whose language the word Turke being a Tartarian word signifieth one that is accursed and a vagabond But the most probable opinion and that which commeth neerest the truth is That they are naturally descended from the bloud and brood of the auncient Scythians called Nomades who vsing to wander vp and downe in Tents as do at this day many of the Tartarians in their Hordes not hauing any townes Cities or villages and without any certaine habitations did inhabit that part of Scythia which bordereth vppon the North parte of mount Caucasus not far from the riuer Tanais where according to Plinie Pomponius Mela and other auncient writers their dwelt a people then but obscurely knowne by the name of Turkes The which Countrie being now also inhabited by the Tartars It is to be presumed that both these peoples are of one and the same discent their language not much differing or disagreeing ech from other And either of them hauing at first vsed and imitated the manners life and customes of those auncient Scithians And therefore it may well be that the name of Turke was giuen them in regarde of the wandring course of life vsed by them And whereas both the Scythians in times past and the Tartars after thē haue euer ben distinguished into many sundry peoples It seemeth that the Turkes were one speciall people of the Tartarians whose seate and dwelling seemed to bee either verye neere or within the straights and deserts of the mount Caucasus which being also called the Caspian streights are adioyning to that part of the Countrie which is neere Tanais But how so euer it be
practises did also minister vnto him fit opportunity occasion afterwards both to make himselfe great in credite and reputation and to lay a most sure foundation for the establishment of his new doctrine as shall appeare by the discourse following Not long before that MAHOMET did enter into his detestable and pernicious practises in setting abroche his superstitious and diuelish traditions It happened that the Empire of Rome was vsurped by one PHOCAS who being a chiefe fauorite and in principall authoritie vnder the Emperour MAVRITIVS yet aspiring to the imperiall crowne and scepter most traiterously murthered his Lorde and master together with his children and so tooke vpon him the name title of Emperor Now as it is commonly seene that one mischiefe draweth another and that mischaunces doe seldome come vnaccompanied So the hatefull and odious act of this vsurper was the occasion of many commotions and tumultes and of many chaunges and alterations in diuerse partes of the Empire For the head and chiefe commaunder hauing encroched vpon the estate by so notorious an example of disloyaltie treason and murther It seemed a small matter vnto the members to participate in the like vices For thereupon began all care of Religion quite and cleane to bee abandoned and ambition and auarice in all estates and persons so abounded that the Prelats of the Church contemning Christian humilitie aspired to temporall gouernment and challenging the double sword thirsted after regall authoritie In so much that the desire of superioritie swallowed vp all regard of pietie and the couetousnesse of the Cleargie made them neglect their particular dutie Then grew the vsurpation of supremacie in the Church of Rome after which ignoraunce and superstition increased in the West no lesse then Mahometisme preuailed in the East In like manner the Laytie forgetting their allegeaunce and following particular profit enclyned to mutinies sedition and rebellion in so much that sundry nations both in Europe and Asia began to decline reuolt from the imperiall gouernment By meanes whereof the Romaine Empire was mightily encombred with many great and grieuous wars sore pressed on all sides with the armies both of rebels and forraigne enemies Thus that Empire which PHOCAS had purchased with bloud and treason hee held all his life time with continuall trouble and vexation and at his death hee left the same to his successors full of tumult and confusion HERACLIVS the Emperour who succeeded after him being driuen to great extreamities by the multitude of his enemies found himselfe most encombred by the armies of the Persians who hauing before reuolted from the Romaine obeisaunce had raised a strong mightie kingdome in Persia. Against the furie and violence of this so puissant an enemie hee determined to serue himselfe with the forces and succours of the Sarracens who inhabiting in Arabia Petrea had their name of a towne in the same Countrie called Sarraca seated not farre from Petra which being the chiefe and Metropolitan City of that part of Arabia gaue the whole prouince the name of Petrea These Sarracens being growne famous partly by reason of their great and populous numbers and partly by the course and manner of their life for that they were accustomed to liue by robberie spoyle and pillage a vsage familiar to most of the Arabians they had the name in that age to bee a most stout and warlike kinde of people In regarde whereof HERACLIVS resolued to vse their ayde against the Persians And the rather for that their nation hauing beene lately seduced and peruerted by the damnable doctrine of MAHOMET whose power authoritie was then growne great amongst them they seemed at that time to bee seditiously addicted and were suspected to be inclining to a rebellion To the intent therefore he might auoid the danger threatned to the Empire on the one side by the warres and fury of the Persians and on the other side by the seditious disposition of these misbeleeuing Sarracens the Emperour thought it good policy to serue his turne of the one against the other and so to make ech of them the meane of the others ruine and destruction According to this determination he hyred diuers great and huge numbers of them to serue him in these warres supposing that the countrey being thus purged from so pernicious and pestilent a people and they exposed to the sword and fury of a stout and warlike enemie the imminent daungers woulde soone cease and bee auoyded But that counsell which seemed to the Emperour to bee most sagely and politikely deuised turned afterwardes by the couetousnes and folly of his officers to bee the vtter ruine and confusion both of the Empire and of Christian Religion For after that the Sarracens had for certayne yeares serued very valiantly against the Persians had so harryed and spoiled that kingdom that it was reduced vnder the subiection of the Romane Empire they comming to demaund their pay of the Emperour his Treasurer aunswere was made them that the Emperour had scarce money sufficient to pay the Greekes and Romanes and the Christians his other souldiers much lesse had hee any for such a company of dogges as they were The indignity of this iniury and disgrace was taken so haynously of the Sarracens and did so exasperate their courages who of themselues were alway prone and ready enough to rebellion that presently they reuolted from the Emperour and shaking off the yoke and obeysance of the Romane Empire in their returne homeward they spoyled and harried all the countrie townes villages about Damascus in Siria Which done knowing that MAHOMET was then grown to be of great power and estimation by reason of his wealth and the opinion of his Religion which made him highly adored both of the Arabians and the Egyptians They were easily drawne to elect and choose him for their head and gouernour And being thereunto sollicited both by secrete perswasions and by large and bountifull rewards whereby hee had wrought and wonne them they both gaue vnto him the name and honour of a Prophet and proclaymed him for their Duke and Prince not only the Sarracens but the rest also of the Arabians and a great parte of the Egyptians acknowledging him for their Lord and gouernour In this manner did MAHOMET erect a new Religion and kingdome amongest the Sarracens in the yeare of grace 623. And making Siria the seate of his new Empire he liued the rest of his daies in the confines of Damascus During which time it is said that he made the Alcoran A booke wherin are written all the lawes ceremonies and traditions of his Religion with an infinite multitude of fantasticall tales and faigned myracles Howbeit sundry times before his death hee altered and chaunged added and detracted many of his precepts and institutions according as the varietie vanitie of his passions and lewd conceites did induce and leade him Notwithstanding it is thought that that forme of Religion
saye that they who professe and are to obserue the lawe giuen by MAHOMET are bounde to see it most seuerely punished Besides they doe thinke by vertue of this commaundement in regard of their loue deuotion and dutie to MAHOMET that they are bound by all meanes as much as in them lyeth to amplifie and encrease their Religion in all partes of the worlde both by armes and otherwise And that it is lawfull for them to enforce and compell to allure to seduce and to perswade all men to the embracing of their sect and superstitions and to prosecute all such with fire and sworde as shall either oppose themselues against their Religion or shall refuse to conforme and submit themselues to their Ceremonies and traditions And this they doe to the intente the name and doctrine of their Prophet MAHOMET maye bee euerie where and of all nations reuerenced and embraced Hence it is that the Turkes doe desire nothing more then to drawe both Christians and other to embrace their Religion and to turne Turke And they do hold that in so doing they doe God good seruice bee it by any meanes good or badde right or wrong For this cause they do plot and deuise sundry wayes how to gaine them to their faith And many times when they see that no other means wil preuaile then they will frame false accusations against them saying that eyther they did blaspheme the name of MAHOMET or some of their Prophets or that they did argue and dispute of their law and religion or some such like matter which being strictly forbidden by their lawes is punishable by death And to proue them guiltie they will find many sometimes fortie or fiftie false witnesses to testifie averre the accusation For there bee certaine of their Priests of whom we shall speake hereafter who for a Ducat or some such small reward wil swear a thousand vntruths especially if it be to condemne a Christian against whom they thinke it a great honour to forsweare themselues because it may bee an occasion to make him forsake Christianity and to turne Turke For being thus conuicted by the testimony of those false wretches they haue iudgement presently giuen eyther to suffer death by being burnt or els to abiure their religion to imbrace the law and profession of Mahometism wherof it ensueth that ther scant passeth any one yeare but there is some one or other which doeth suffer martirdome for the faith of Christ but many more for feare of death do change their religion and deny their faith Of whome they doe afterwardes make so great reckoning and account that they are not onely rewarded with store of money liuings and other necessaries for their maintenaunce but commonly they are preferred and aduaunced to great offices dignities and honours All which sheweth most apparantly howe reuerently and deuoutly they doe esteeme of their Prophet and how vehemently they are addicted to the maintenance of his superstitions seeing they make no conscience of such wicked and detestable practises to gaine men to their sect and religion and to procure them to be circumcised which is the proper marke and as it were the badge cognizance of a profest Turke or Musulman For that they thinke not any man to bee rightly religious as a true Mahometist vnlesse he take vpon him this marke of Circumcision as shall bee discouered in the Chapter next following Of the Ceremonie of Turkish Circumcision Cap. 6. YOu haue hearde wherein the Turkish faith and beliefe consisteth and what opinion they haue touching the essence of the Godhead You see also how superstitiously they are addicted to to the reuerence and honour of their Prophete MAHOMET whome hauing ioyntly placed with God himselfe in theyr first Commaundement they doe also in a sorte make him partaker of his diuine worshippe And because they holde it requisite and necessarie that all the world should acknowledge him as a most holy and heauenly Prophet purposely and expresly sent from God to teach and instruct mankinde in the lawe and will of God according to such ceremonies and traditions as are commaunded and deliuered in their lawe therefore they do suppose that al men are bounden both to do him diuine honors and acknowledging him for Gods Prophet to embrace his Sect and superstitions as being to be preferred before all other lawes and professions whatsoeuer In regarde whereof they doe also esteeme and professours thereof to be a people peculiarly beloued and highly fauoured of God Thus as they haue made and coyned a seuerall and particular lawe vnto themselues making MAHOMET the sole Patrone of their Sect and the onely Obiect of their Deuotion so haue they taken vp the ceremonie of Circumcision as a speciall badge and token of their sect religion By the which they do seeme to consecrate and dedicate themselues to the profession of Mahometisme and do as it were vow all honour loue and reuerence vnto MAHOMET Imagining that no man can please nor beleeue in God aright except he honour and worship him as his best beloued Prophet Hence it is that they doe holde all other nations peoples for prophane irreligious who are not incorporated by this ceremonie into the societie of their faith and religion and they repute none for true and perfect Turkes who haue not taken vpon them this marke and seale of Turkish Circumcision which in their language they call Tsuneth The nature whereof that it may the better be discerned wee will briefly shew both what it is and howe it first began and yet is continued amongest the Iewes next how and in what maner it is vsed by the Turks and lastly shall be touched wherein these two people do differ each from other in the vse and obseruation of this ceremony Touching the thing or act it selfe of circumcision it nothing else but a cutting away of the foreskinne of the flesh of a man in his secret parts And it was ordained to be done only vpon those of the male-kind The first institution thereof was by Gods commaund and appoyntment to Abraham the father of the faithfull to whome it was enioyned as a peculiar signe or sacrament of the couenant betweene God and him vpon that promise which god had made him that he would multiply and make his seede as the dust of the earth as the sand of the sea and as the starres in heauen also that many Nations should proceede out of his loynes and that in him all the nations of the earth should bee blessed For the assurance of this promise and couenant vnto Abraham God instituted the sacrament of Circumcision and commaunded that all the male-kind of his seede should bee circumcised throughout all their generations For God hauing determined to select and choose vnto himselfe a peculiar people out of the seed of Abraham by whome he would be serued and worshipped according to the sinceritie of his owne lawe and commaundements and from whom also should proceede a blessing vppon
such as are deformed and diseased or of an vnsound constitution of their bodies Moreouer all kinde of women vnmaried and those that are of a lewd and vnchast life as bawdes whores curtizans and such like they are debarred from entring into their Temples for they holde them to bee filthyly polluted and vncleane Howbeit married wiues maidens and such as haue beene widdowes but of fiue weekes continuaunce maye haue lawefull accesse and bee presente at their praiers Notwithstanding all the women doe stand apart by themselues and seuered from the men in a peculiar place purposely appointed for them so as they may not bee seene nor perceiued by them And this they doe least that the men by the sight of the women in the time of praier bee drawne away with vnchast and vncleane thoughts wherby both themselues and their Temples should be defiled with the sinne of vncleanesse All this are they bound to obserue by the law of MAHOMET And all in generall are enioyned diligently to repaire to the Temple to be present at their ceremonies Howbeit the women vse not to goe euerie day to the Church to praiers but onely on the Fridaies and at their feast of Easter Yet if any man either for slouth or for the care of worldly matters do neglect to frequent the Church at times of praier especially on such daies as are appointed for their solemne Fast They doe holde that man farre worse then any Christian And after his death they will not vouchsafe him any honest buriall but casting forth his body among the carcases of such as haue bene quartered and dismembred by the executioners they doe leaue him to the praye to bee deuoured and eaten of dogges and of the foules of the ayre The Exposition of the fift Commandement touching the manner of fasting amongst the Turkes Cap. 10. IT is a duty necessarily required of the Turks by the fift Commaundement of their lawe That in euerie yeare they doe consecrate one whole moneth to solemne fasting allowing thirtie daies to the moneth Yet they doe not alwaies obserue one and the same moneth for their fast But if their fast be this yeare in Ianuarie the next yeare it is in Februarie And so they goe on in that order altering euerie yeare from one moneth to another This time of their fast being not vnlike to the time of Lent obserued by the Christians they call Remezan And they doe obserue and celebrate it with exceeding ioyfulnesse and in their kinde with a wonderfull shew of Religion the manner whereof is thus During all that day which is dedicated to fasting they doe abstaine not onely from eating and drinking but they are verie carefull also to keepe themselues from any sinne And they tast not of any meate or drinke till such time as they see the starres shining in the firmament Then doe they fall to banqueting and making of good cheare almost all the night following gorging themselues with the most delicate and daintie meates that can be gotten Not vnlike those sauage beastes which lurking all daies in their Dens doe raunge abroade in the night season to seeke their food If any Turke what so euer after hee is past ten yeares of age be found during the time of their fast to tast of anymeate or drinke he is sure to be punished most extremely For heewhich will not chastise his body by fasting shall bee grieuouslychastised either with the Bastonado or with whipping And theorder is that he shall haue two thirtie stripes at the least If any be absent from the Temple vpon their day offasting vpon him shall that punishment bee doubled Who soeuer tasteth of any wine on that day hee is put to open shameand infamie and being made a scorne laughing stocke to all men hee is carried about with a certaine Hat on his headlike a Myter vpon the which is written in paper the fault that he hath committed And then doe they giue him double thepunishment afore specified And besides for euery stripe orstroke which he endureth hee is enforced to lay downe an Asper which is a peece of monie vsed amongst theTurkes of which foure and fifty make an Italian Duckat Andthis punishment is inflicted vpon him by one of theirMagistrates whome they call Cadi They say thatMAHOMET did first institute and ordaine these daies of fasting And that he himselfe did so religiously and deuoutly obseruethem that as they pretend by meanes thereof he obtained a lawe from God by which hee should rule and gouerne his people When the thirtie daies of their fast are expired Then in token oftheir ioye for that God did heare the praiers of their ProphetMAHOMET and did reueale vnto him the lawes according as hedesired They doe with great triumph solemnitie for threewhole daies together celebrate a feast which is as their Easter and they call it in their language Vlubairam At whichtime they doe vse to annoynt the nailes of their fingers with a kinde of oyntment which they call Chena or Chua which maketh their nailes very red And with the same doe they die the feete and tailes of their horses And the women besides their nailes doe annoint both their hands feete therewith Two months and ten daies after this feast they haue another Easter which they do vse to celebrate in the cittie of Mecha in Arabia where they doe goe on pilgrimage and by the way doe reuerence visit the Sepulcher of MAHOMET This their latter Easter they cal chucci or Chazi Bairam But it is with lesse solemnitie then the former and without the obseruation of any fasting daies going before it Howbeit it is very religiously solemnized by all those that goe on that pilgrimage and do vse to visit the Sepulcher of their MAHOMET From whence grew the first institutiō of the Mechits whom the Turkes call Chazi or Chare which is an order very reuerent and greatly esteemed amongst them Touching the manner of those pilgrimages with the ceremonies therein vsed and other matters appertaining thervnto we shall haue occasion hereafter to expresse The Ezposition of the sixth Commandement concerning the sacrifices and Almes of the Turkes Cap. 4. BY the sixt precept of their law The Turkes are bound once a yere during the solemnity of their feast of Easter to offer vp some sacrifice euery one acccording to the proportion of his welth the meanes of his abilitie This their ceremonie of sacrificing is in the nature of an Almes And as they say MAHOMET was the first author inuentor thereof vpon this occasion Whereas ther was an olde auncient prescribed by MAHOMET That euerie one of his Disciples the professours of his Religion shold be bound to pay an yerely pension or summe of mony out of all their goods and substaunce after two of the hundreth to bee distributed and bestowed for the reliefe of the poore His subiects thinking this tax or payment to be very grieuous and burthensome vnto them did request him to
to feede mee By this aunswere Moses perceiuing that this Hermite had more confidence in the couetousnesse of his owne wretched humour than in the grace and goodnesse of God of whose largesse and liberalitie he had had so good experience He did soone iudge that there was not any vice more detestable than the sin of worldly couetousnesse In regarde whereof he reputed this Hermit to be a man most detested and abhorred of God aboue all others For this cause do all Mahometists firmely beleeue that all couetous men are vtterly destitute of the grace and fauor of God For that they doe aswel want euen that which they haue as that which they haue not And true it is say they that the philosophers and all such as are held to be wise do not knowe how to wish any greater plague vnto couetous men than that God woulde graunt them to liue long For the longer they liue the greater is their want and misery if not in regarde of their outward wealth and substance yet by reason of their cares and griefe of mind wherewith they are vncessantly perplexed and tormented Of the opinion of the Turkes touching the sinne of Lust. Cap. 16. IT appeereth by the Turkish Alcoran and other Bookes of their lawe That the Mahometan religion doth esteeme the sin of lustor vncleannes to be no lesse hateful and abominable than any other of the deadly sinnes whatsoeuer In regard whereof euery man is precisely commaunded by their lawe to take a lawfull wife and to be married to the intent they may eschew and auoyd all occasions of fornication and vncleannesse Notwithstanding at this day the seueritie and strictnesse of that lawe is vtterly neglected and the memorie thereof seemeth to be altogether abolished or layed asleepe insomuch as that Nation is not more inclined to any one sinne than to this sin of lechery For they are so polluted with the filth of vncleane lustes that they are not contented with the abuse of women for the satiating of their beastly humours but they are so outragiously giuen ouer to the abominable sin of Sodomie that it is impossible without horror to be vttered And albeit the law of MAHOMET doth command that Sodomites shuld be stoned to death yet the contagion of this detestable sin enormity hath so ouerspread all degrees of men and the practise therof is growen so common and vsuall amongest them that this lawe of theirs seemeth eyther to bee abrogated or forgotten or cleane neglected and contemned For they are altogether carelesse to put the same in execution either for the punishing or for the restraining of this abomination neither doe they any whit regarde that which is written in their Alcoran to wit How that those which are polluted with this corrupt filthy vice are sure to be tormented most extremely not onely in this worlde but in the worlde to come both in soule and bodie Besides in one of the Bookes of their Prophet MAHOMET they haue an example propunded and layde downe vnto them by which they are learned and taught as it were by experience how seuere a iudgement is reserued for such offendours and how terribly the diuine iustice doeth plague such vncleane and prophane persons For there it is written That in the dayes of MAHOMET there was one which was very importunate vppon a young youth to haue abused him whom finding vnwilling to yeelde vnto his desire and seeing that by faire meanes and intreaty he could not obtaine his purpose he beganne to presse him by force and violence But the young man still refusing to condescend vnto him at length fledde from him and sought by flight to auoyde the abuse offered him But being hardly followed and pursued by the other and finding little hope or meanes to be rid of him he drew his dagger and sodainely turning about vpon him hee stabbed him into the belly and so hauing giuen him a mortall and deadly wound he saued himselfe from the iniurie intended against him Herevpon the brethren of him that was slain accused the yong man of murther causing him to be apprehended and imprisoned sought to haue had him executed by publique order of Iustice for the death of their Brother Insomuch as being brought to hys triall hee there shewed vppon what occasion hee was drawen to doo that deed Mahomet hauing heard the whole discourse and the manner of the fact presentlye gaue sentence for the yong man and pronounced him to bee guiltlesse and that the other was iustly slaine And he affirmed openly That such men were for euer damned both in soule bodie that were defiled with such damnable lustes and vncleane desires Notwithstanding the Accusers denying that to be the cause of the Homicide did therefore still importune him that the Prisoner might haue the Law Whereupon Mahomet commaunded them presently to see the body of their Brother buryed and that they should set good watch and ward about the graue or sepulture where he should be laid saying that the next day he would giue a finall iudgement vpon the Man-slayer according as the Law required This done the daye following the Accusers came again before Mahomet and pursued the cause against the Prisoner Then Mahomet demaunding of them by what death they would haue the Party executed They answered euen with the same with which he made away their Brother Whereupon Mahomet commaunded them to repaire presently to theyr Brothers sepulture to see how manie wounds their Brother had receiued saying that hee would take order that the Murtherer should bee put to death in the same manner and with the like number They hauing opened the sepulcher found not anie bodie within it but sawe the emptie place all filled with a darke fog or myst and with a most filthie stench Whereat beeing greatly abashed and astonished they returned backe againe to Mahomet and not without horror reported vnto him what they had seene But he demaunding of them if they had thoroughly searched all the corners of the sepulcher And they affirming that they had Then may you plainly see quoth hee you haue iust cause to coniecture that Sathan hath taken away your Brother both bodie and soule as being a most impure and lewd man and that this yong man is guiltlesse of your Brothers blood and is therefore to be dismissed without anie punishment By this example did MAHOMET say they make it euident That without all doubt there is a Plague ordained of God for all those who do defile themselues with anie vncleane filthie lust Notwithstanding because that MAHOMET in this case did commit the punishment of this sinne vnto the diuine iustice and vengeance Therefore do not these Miscreants the Turkes at this day appoint or set down anie paines for that vice but do referre the same to the Iudgement and Tribunall Seate of God not sparing in the meane time to pollute themselues with all kinde of viciousnes and vncleane lusts wherevntoo they doo abandon themselues with all loosenes
lightsome and that there shal be no need of sleep for the sustentation of their bodies And they say That after the end of those fortie dayes God wil commaund the Angell Israphyll to sound his Trumphet againe the second time and that at the sound thereof the dead shall sodainly arise bereuiued from death to life For whē Israphyll hath thus blowen his Trumpet the sound thereof say they shalbe with such an exceeding noise that it shalbe heard ouer the whole World and that thereupon all the Dead euen from Abel vnto the ende of the World shall immediately be raised and rise againe in the same manner and habit as they were buried At which time there shall appeare great varietie diuersitie of countenaunces for some shall shine clere and beautifull as the Sunne others as the Moone and manie like the Starres some againe shall haue vgly visages blacke and darksome others shall haue the heads of swine with great and swollen tungs and such lyke deformities And at that time all in generall shall crie and exclaime with a lowd voyce Nessi Nessi that is Woe is mee most miserable and wretched man who haue suffered my selfe to be ouercome with my filthie lusts and lewd desires Whereupon the Angells shall shewe and point at each man with their fingers reuealing manifesting either their good works or wicked deeds Then all those whose faces shalbe found to shine lyke the lights in heauen shal stand appear most glorious in the sight of God by reason of their vertuous and good deeds whereat the wicked shall haue enuie despight As for those who shall then be seene with deformed faces of hogges and swine they are such as haue been greedily addicted in this life to the getting of riches by vsurie and other vniust and vnlawfull meanes and they who shall haue their tungs swolne great loathsome are such as haue bin liers deceiuers blasphemers periurers such like and they that haue been puffed vp with pride arrogancie in this world shall then be troden vnder foote and trampled vppon by others They say moreouer that GOD will then question with the mightie Potentates of this world both Emperours Kings Princes Tyrants and other Signiors great Personages who haue reigned with force and violence and haue tirannized ouer their subiects and inferiours with oppression and iniustice Besides they doo imagine and affirme That GOD will then seperate and deuide all the wicked vngodly into seuentie seuerall Companies and will examine euerie man of all their deedes in perticular both good bad which shall at that time be laid open before thē so as there shal not need any testimonies to be brought against them for that there is no part or member of their bodies but will then openly voluntarily confesse the truth what euill it hath committed and each man will accuse himselfe of all his owne misdeeds yea euen of their wicked thoughts cogitations though they neuer came to be executed put in action They say also that Michael the Archangell will be there present hauing in his hand the Ballance of the Diuine Iustice with which he will weigh the Soules and so wil discerne the iust from the vniust Moreouer they haue a conceipt that Moses shall stand thereby with a Standard vnder the which all those shalbe assembled who haue obserued and fulfilled his Law and that next to him there shalbe Iesus Christ the Sonne of the Virgin Mary with another great Standard vnder which shall be assembled all those Christians that haue kept obserued his Gospell and that he shall then bee Iudge of the deeds of al men of al things done in this world On the other side at the right hand of Christ they say that MAHOMET shalbee with another Standard hauing all his Followers about him whom he shall there shew vnto Christ. Thus all those that haue done good in this life shall appeare vnder their seuerall and proper Standards where they shall finde a most sweet and pleasant shadow to comfort refresh them But as for all those who are not vnder the shadow of some one of those Banners they shall be most extreamely scortched with the burning beames of the Sunne according to the quantitie and proportion of their misdeeds that both the one the other shal remain in this estate till their Doome final Iudgement be giuen vpon them As soone as the Soules haue heard their Iudgement pronounced by the diuine Sentence they say That thē the Angels shall appeare on all sides in a most glorious and beautifull habit distributed and deuided into seueral troops companies each of them hauing his place assigned vnto him the Cherubins on the one side and the Seraphins on the other some of them playing vpon instruments of musicke some singing of psalmes and hymnes that many of them shal attend singing and reioycing at the Gates of Paradice to welcome the blessed Soules of such as haue obserued the diuine Cōmandements And they affirme That there shalbe no difference betweene Turkes and Christians Iewes and Moores neither shal one be known from another but all such as haue liued well and haue done good deedes in the sight of god shalbe of equal beauty blessednes howbeit that amongst the wicked and reprobate there will be euident and apparant difference and that each shalbe discerned from other Moreouer they dreame that God wil appoint a large and spacious place in heauen for those souls that shal be admitted into Paradice where according to their merites and deserts euerie one shall haue a perpetuall Habitation and a goodly mansion place of a most glorious and beautiful brightnes and that they shall haue manie Sunne beames appointed for them vpon which they may at their pleasure ride vp and downe about Heauen to take a view of those delights precious things which God hath there made and created Besides all this they do dreame of other pleasures in Paradice both of venerie and also for the belly For they imagine that they shall haue there certaine apples and fruites of a most heauenlye taste and that as soone as they haue eaten one of those Apples God will immediately cause others to growe in stead thereof Likewise for the quenching of their thirst that they shall haue certaine Riuers in Paradice cleere as the Christall sweet as suger Of the which after that they shal haue tasted both their sight their vnderstanding shalbee so quickened and enlarged that they shalbe able to see from the one Pole to the other and that both the meate and drinke which they take shall consume within their Bodies onely by a fine and subtill kinde of sweate distilling from them Moreoouer they doo imagine that they shall haue there delicate and choyce wiues which they call Vri that is Women shining bright and beautifull as the Sunne For you must note that the Turkes doo hold that none of the women liuing in