Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
doctrine_n	apostle_n	deliver_v	tradition_n	2,968	5	9.1889	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39792	The history of Russia, or, The government of the Emperour of Muscovia with the manners & fashions of the people of that countrey / by G. Fletcher, sometime fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge and employed in the embassie thither.	Fletcher, Giles, 1549?-1611.	1643 (1643)	Wing F1330; ESTC R28633	98,943	288

had entred himself this last year into the Russe profession and so was rebaptized living now as much an idolatour as before he was a riotour and unthriftie person Such as thus receive the Russe baptisme are first carried into some Monasterie to be instructed there in the doctrine and ceremonies of the Church Where they use these ceremonies First they put him into a new and fresh suit of apparell made after the Russe fashion and set a coronet or in Summer a garland upon his head Then they anoint his head with oyl and put a wax candle light into his hand and so pray over him foure times a day the space of seven dayes All this while he is to abstain from flesh and white meats The seven dayes being ended he is purified and washed in a bathstove and so the eighth day he is brought into the Church where he is taught by the Friers how to behave himself in presence of their idols by ducking down knocking of the head crossing himself and such like gestures which are the greatest part of the Russe religion The Sacrament of the Lords supper they receive but once a year in their great Lent time a little before Easter Three at the most are admitted at one time and never above The manner of their communicating is thus First they confesse themselves of all their sinnes to the Priest whom they call their ghostly father Then they come to the Church and are called up to the Communion table that standeth like an altar a little removed from the upper end of the Church after the Dutch manner Here first they are asked of the Priest whether they be clean or no that is whether they have never a sinne behind that they left unconfessed If they answer No they are taken to the table Where the Priest beginneth with certain usuall prayers the communicants standing in the meanwhile with their arms folded one within another like penitentiaries or mourners When these prayers are ended the Priest taketh a spoon and filleth it full of claret wine then he putteth into it a small piece of bread and tempereth them both together and so delivereth them in the spoon to the Communicants that stand in order speaking the usuall words of the Sacrament Eat this c. Drink this c. both at one time without any pause After that he delivereth them again bread by it self and then wine carded together with a little warm water to represent bloud more rightly as they they think and the water withall that flowed out of the side of Christ. Whiles this is in doing the communicants unfold their arms and then folding them again follow the Priest thrice round about the communion toble and so return to their places again Where having said certain other prayers he dismisseth the communicants with charge to be merry and chear up themselves for the seven dayes next following which being ended he enjoyneth them to fast for it as long time after which they use to observe with very great devotion eating nothing else but bread and salt except a little cabbage and some other herb or root with water or quasse mead for their drink This is their manner of administring the Sacraments Wherein what they differ from the institution of Christ and what ceremonies they have added of their own or rather borrowed of the Greeks may easily be noted CHAP. XVIII Of the doctrine of the Russe Church and what errours it holdeth THeir chiefest errours in matter of faith I find to be these First concerning the word of God it self they will not read publickly certain books of the Canonicall Scripture as the books of Moses specially the foure last Exodus Leviticus Numeri and Deuteronomie which they say are all made disauthentick and put out of use by the coming of Christ as not able to discern the difference betwixt the morall and the ceremoniall law The books of the prophets they allow of but reade them not publickly in their churches for the same reason because they were but directours unto Christ and proper as they say to the nation of the Jews Onely the book of Psalmes they have in great estimation and sing and say them dayly in their Churches Of the new Testament they allow and read all except the Revelation which therefore they read not though they allow it because they understand it not neither have the like occasion to know the fulfilling of the prophesies contained within it concerning especially the apostasie of the Antichristian church as have the Western Churches Notwithstanding they have had their Antichrists of the Greek Church and may find their own falling off and the punishments for it by the Turkish invasion in the prophecies of that book Secondly which is the fountain of the rest of all their corruptions both in doctrine and ceremonies they hold with the Papists that their Church Traditions are of equall authoritie with the written word of God Wherein they preferre themselves before other Churches affirming that they have the true and right traditions delivered by the Apostles to the Greek Church and so unto them 3. That the Church meaning the Greek and specially the Patriarch and his Synod as the head of the rest have a sovereigne authoritie to interpret the Scripture and that all are bound to hold that interpretation as sound and authentick 4. Concerning the divine nature and the three persons in the one substance of God that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father onely and not from the Sonne 5. About the office of Christ they hold many foul errours and the same almost as doth the Popish church namely that he is the sole mediatour of redemption but not of intercession Their chief reason if they be talked withall for defence of this errour is that unapt and foolish comparison betwixt God and a Monarch or Prince of this world that must be sued unto by Mediatours about him wherein they give speciall preferment to some above others as to the blessed Virgin whom they call Precheste or undefiled and S. Nicolas whom they call Scora pomosnick or the Speedy helper and say that he hath 300. angels of the chiefest appointed by God to attend upon him This hath brought them to an horrible excesse of idolatry after the grossest and prophanest manner giving unto their images all religious worship of prayer thanksgiving offerings and adoration with prostrating and knocking their heads to the ground before them as to God himself Which because they do to the picture not to the portraiture of the Saint they say they worship not an idol but the Saint in his image and so offend not God forgetting the commandment of God that forbiddeth to make the image or likenesse of any thing for any religious worship or use whatsoever Their church-walls are very full of them richly hanged and set forth with pearl and stone upon the smooth table Though some also they have embossed that stick from the board almost an inch outwards They call them

to their Church once every year what time all their neighbours of their countrey and parishes about come in to have prayers said to that Saint for themselves and their friends and so make an offering to the Priest for his pains This offering may yield them some ten pounds a year more or lesse as the patrone or Saint of that Church is of credit and estimation among them The manner is on this day which they keep anniversarie for the priest to hire divers of his neighbour-priests to help him as having more dishes to dresse for the Saint then he can well turn his hand unto They use besides to visit their parishioners houses with holy water and perfume commonly once a quarter and so having sprinkled and becensed the good man and his wife with the rest of their houshold and houshold-stuff they receive some devotion more or lesse as the man is of abilitie This and the rest laid altogether may make up for the priest towards his maintenance about thirty or fourty rubbles a year whereof he payeth the tenth part to the Bishop of the Diocesse The Papa or Priest is known by his long tufts of hair hanging down by his ears his gown with a broad cape and a walking staff in his hand For the rest of his habit he is apparelled like the common sort When he saith the Liturgie or service within the Church he hath on him his surplesse and sometimes his cope if the day be more solemn They have besides their Papaes or Priests their Churnapapaes as they call them that is Black Priests that may keep their Be●●fices though they be admitted Friers withall within some Monasterie They seem to be the very same that were called Regular Priests in the Popish Church Under the Priest is a Deacon in every Church that doth nothing but the office of a pa-rish-clerk As for their Protopapaes or Archpriests and their Archdeacons that are next in election to be their Protopapas they serve onely in the cathedrall Churches Of Friers they have an infinite rabble farre greater then in any other countrey where Popery is professed Every citie and good part of the countrey swarmeth full of them For they have wrought as the Popish Friers did by their superstition and hypocrisie that if any part of the Realm be better and sweeter then other there standeth a Friery or Monastery dedicated to some Saint The number of them is so much the greater not onely for that it 〈◊〉 augmented by the superstition of the countrey but because the Friers lif● is the safest from the oppressions and exactions that fall upon the Commons Which causeth many to put on the Friers weed as the best armour to bear off such blows Besides such as are voluntarie there are divers that are forced to shier themselves Friers upon some displeasure These are for the most part of the chief Nobilitie Divers take the Monasteri●s as a place of Sanctuary and there become Friers to avoid some punishment that they had deserved by the laws of the Realm For if he get a Monastery over his head and there put on a cowl before he be attached it is a protection to him for ever against any law for what crime soever except it be for treason But this Proviso goeth withall that no man cometh there except such as are commanded by the Emperour to be received but he giveth them lands or bringeth his stock with him and putteth it into the common Treasurie Some bring a 1000. rubbles and some more None is admitted under 3. or 4. hundred The manner of their admission is after this sort First the Abbot strippeth him of all his secular or ordinary apparel Then he puteth upon him next to his skinne a white flannell shirt with a long garment over it down to the ground girded unto him with a broad leather belt His uppermost garment is a weed of Garrus or Say for colour and fashion much like to the upper weed of a Chimney-sweeper Then is his crown shorn a hand-breadth or more close to the very skinne and these or like words pronounced by the Abbot whiles he clippeth his hair As these hairs are clipped off and taken from thy head so now we take thee and separate thee clean from the world and worldly things c. This done he anointeth his crown with oyl and putteth on his cowl and so taketh him in among the Fraternitie They vow perpetual chastity abstinence from flesh Besides their lands that are very great they are the greatest merchants in the whole countrey and deal for all manner of commodities Some of their Monasteries dispend in lands 1000. or 2000 rubbles a year There is one Abbey called Troils that hath in lands and fees the summe of 100000. rubbles or marks a year It is built in manner of a Castle walled round about with great ordinance planted on the wall and containeth within it a large breadth of ground great varietie of building There are of Friers within it besides their officers and other servants about 700. The Empresse that now is hath many vows to Saint Sergius that is patrone there to intreat him to make her fruitfull as having no children by the Emperour her husband Lightly every year she goeth on pilgrimage to him from the Mosko on foot about 80. English miles with 5. or 6000. women attending on her all in blue liveries 4000. souldiers for her guard But S. Sergius hath not yet heard her prayers though they say he hath a speciall gift and faculty that way What learning there is among their Friers may be known by their Bishops that are the choice men out of all their monasteries I talked with one of them at the Citie of Vologda where to trie his skill I offered him a Russe Testament and turned him to the first Chapter of S. Matthews Gospel where he began to reade in very good order I asked him first what part of Scripture it was that he had read he answered that he could not vvell tell How many Evangelists there were in the new Testament He said he knew not How many Apostles there were He thought there were twelve How he should be saved Whereunto he answered me with a piece of Russe doctrine that he knew not whether he should be saved or no but if God would Poshallovate him or gratifie him so much as to save him so it was he would be glad of it if not what remedie I asked him why he shore himself a Frier He answered because he would eat his bread with peace This is the learning of the Friers of Russia which though it be not to be measured by one yet partly it may be ghessed by the ignorance of this man what is in the ●est They have also many Nunneries whereof some may admit none but Noblemens widows and daughters when the Emperour meaneth to keep them unmarried from continuing the bloud or stock which he would have extinguished To speak of the life of their