Glanvil tells us from the Confession of some Witches that at their Night-Meetings when the Cloth is laid and the Devil set down at the upper end of the Table he useth some words before Meat Jews The Jews spreading their Hands over the Bread say Blessed art thou O Lord God King of the World who bringest Bread out of the Earth then over a Cup of Wine Blessed c. who hast made the Fruit of the Vine over Water no Blessing the 23d Psalm is set before them at Meal time and they have Multitudes of new Graces if any better Dainties be set before them Purchas Forms of Excommunication Jews The Degrees or Kinds of Excommunication are 1. THE Niddui the lowest sort as some think a separation or casting out of the Synagogue for about thirty Days during which time the Party was not to come within four Cubits either of Man or Woman nor to dress or trim himself as at other times yet admitted to instruction and divine Service Might be more severely punished his Son might be denied Circumcision his Dead not buried according to the Contumacy of the Person Excommunicated The Form was this N. Let him be excommunicated 2. The Shammatha the same with Maranatha as some think Mr. Selden thinks 't is the same with Niddui This was a total Exclusion from the Church a blotting them out of the Book of Life and not permitting them the least Communion in things of publick Religion and the word Shammatha they interpret the Coming of the Lord to take Vengeance on the Excommunicate It was never pronounced but when the Offender became desperate 3. The Cherem when the Offender within 30 days gave no sign of Amendment This was so dreadful and direful in our Saviour's time that many principal Jews who believed on Christ durst not confess him for fear of it See the Form By the Decrees of Cities and Command of the Holy we Anathematize adjure exterminate excommunicate curse and execrate God being willing and his Church by the Book of the Law by the 600 Precepts therein written by the Anathema with which Joshua anathematized Jericho by the Curse wherewith Elisha cursed the Young Man by the Curse wherewith Gehezi cursed his Boy and by the Excommunication with which Baruch excommunicated Merozi and by the Excommunication which R. Jehuda Son of Jehezkiel used in this matter and by all the Anathemata Imprecations Curses Excommunications and Exterminations which have been made from the time of our Master Moses and since by the name of Acetheriel Jah the Lord of Hosts Michael the great Prince by the name of Mittatron whose name is as the name of his Master by the name of Sandalipon who ties the bands of the Lord by the name of the 42 Letters by his name who appeared to Moses in the Bush by the name with which Moses divided the Sea by the name I am what I am by the mystery of the name Tetragrammaton by the Scripture that was written upon the Tables by the name of the Lord of Armies Sabath the God of Israel sitting upon the Cherubim By the name of the Spheres and Circles and Living Creatures Saints and Ministring Angels By the name of all the Angels which wait on the most High God Every Israelite and Israelitess who willingly and knowingly violates any of those laws which are now denounced to be observed Let him be Cursed of the God of Israel who sits upon Cherubim Let him be Cursed by the Bright and Glorious name which the High Priest in the day of expiation expresseth with his mouth Let him be Cursed by Heaven and Earth Cursed from Almighty God Cursed of Michael the great Prince Cursed of Mittatron whose name is as the name of his Master Cursed of Acetheriel Jah the Lord of Hosts of the Seraphim and of the Orbs of the Holy Animals and Angels who wait before the most High God of Israel in Holiness and Purity If he was born in the month Nisan which the Angel Vriel as the Prince of the Classes under which it is governs Let him be Cursed of him and all his Order and if in the month Ijar which the Angel Tzephaniel governs let him be Cursed of him and all his order c. Let him be Cursed of the 7 Angels set over the 7 weeks and of all their order and helping power Let him be Cursed of the 4 Angels which govern the 4 Seasons of the year Cursed of the 7 Palaces Cursed of the Princes of the Law by the name of the Crown and the name of the Seal Let him be Cursed of the great God strong and Bright Let him receive Confusion for his embraces Let him fall with swift Ruin Let God the God of Spirits put him under all Flesh Let God the God of Spirits lay him prostrate to all flesh Let the wrath of the Lord and Violent whirlwind fall upon the head of the wicked Let the Destroying Angels run upon him Let him be Cursed in every thing that he puts his hand to Let his Soul depart in Terrour Let him dye of the Quinsey Let not his breath come or go Let him be smitten with a feaver Dryness the Sword Rottenness the Jaundise Neither Let him be deliver'd from them before Destruction Let his sword enter into his own heart And let his Bows be broken Let him be as the dust before the wind and the Angel of the Lord scattering them Upon him shall rest all the Maledictions written in the Book of this Law and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven Also the Lord shall separate him for mischeif out of all the Tribes of Israel to all the Curses of the Covenant written in the book of this Law But you who adhere to the Lord your God are all alive this day He that blessed Abraham Isaac Jacob and Moses and Aaron David and Solomon and the Prophets of Israel and those who are Pious among the Nations let him bless all this Holy Congregation except the man that hath violated this Anathema and so let it be his will and Decree Amen Dr. Addison Prsent state of the Jews in Barbary N. B. Samaritans were Excommunicated by sound of Trumpet and Singing of the Levites Ross Christians Greek A Form of the Greek Excommunication If they restore not to him that which is his own and possess him peaceably of it but suffer him to remain injured and damnifyed Let him be separated from the Lord God Creator and be Accursed and Unpardoned and Undissolvable after Death in this World and in the World to come Let Wood stones and iron be dissolved but not They. May they inherit the Leprosy of Gehazi and the Confusion of Judas may the Earth be divided and devour them like Dathan and Abiram may they Sigh and Tremble on Earth like Cain and the wrath of God be upon their Countenances may they see nothing of that for which they labour and beg their bread all their days may their works possessions and
to Church Mr. Hales Let. from Dort to Sir D. Carleton Helvetia One of the Helvetian Deputies declared That with them all Persons before Marriage were to be Examined by the Minister else their Marriage was to be deferr'd Idem A Catechism answering in bare Texts of Scripture was desired by the Remonstrants at the Synod of Dort to gain Anabaptists c. Idem Palatinate In the Palatinate in Sundays at one a Clock the Bell rings duly to Assemble the young People together at Church in order to be Catechised where Persons grown up to Men and Women submit themselves willingly to Catechetical Instruction and aged Persons disdain not to give their Presence The Ordinance is attended with Psalms and Prayers Protestants of France The Protestants of France have a large Catechism which they expound on Sundays Afternoon Papists The Papists have their Catechism likewise and Catechising used amongst them See afterwards under the Title of Discipline Frequency and Devotion at the Sacrament Jews THey embrace Circumcision for a Sacrament of Divine Institution and a Sign and Seal of the Covenant seldom deferring it longer than the eighth day doing it sometimes at home the Richer in the Synagogue The chief Officer or Circumciser is Mohel the God-father is called Baal-berith who receives the Child at the Synagogue-Door with this Acclamation Blessed is he the Child or Elias that comes and holds the Child to the Mohel who gives GOD thanks for this Sacrament given to Abraham Whilest the Fore-skin is taking away the Father thanks the Lord that he gave Abraham a heart to fulfill the Law of Circumcision and preserv'd him to see this his Son circumcised When he hath done the Mohel prays that the Child may live to see his Sons thus initiated may keep the Law and do good Works Then he taking a Cup of Wine and blessing God for creating the Vine and giving it an exhilarating Vertue dips the little Finger of his left Hand thrice in the Wine and lets it drop in the Child's mouth and having tasted it himself reaches it to the Congregation After which the Mohel gives GOD thanks that he hath Sanctified the Child in the Womb and hath brought it to the Foederal-Sacrament c. Then he takes the Infant from the Baal-berith and delivering it to the Father gives it a Name praying for him c. Dr. Addison I forgot to tell that at the Baal-berth's giving the Child to the Mohel is sung Deut. 15. They are not peremptory about the precise time of eight Days I knew one Jacob Israel Balgara born in Spain Circumcised in Barbary in the fortieth Year of his Age. They are careful not to delay the first occasion of being Circumcised The negligence of Parents herein is liable to Excommunication If a Child die before the eighth day 't is Circumcised at the place of Burial with only giving it a Name c. In the celebration of the Passeover they run home from the Synagogues at Even where they have in one Dish three Cakes in another a rosted Leg of Lamb with an hard Egg in another Pap and spiced Wine and divers Fruits in another Lettice Parsley c. Rosse Christians Serapion having lapsed and on his Death-bed desiring Reconciliation and the Sacrament and none being willing to communicate with him he sent his Boy to the Pastor who being also sick sent the Eucharist by the Boy after he had re-received the Sop he immediately died Dr. Cave Calvinists A Gentleman of no mean rank being a Candidate of Divinity and assisting at the Administration of the Sacrament while he was holding the Cup fixed his Eyes upon a Gentlewoman who was betrothed to him She some days after at her Father's House ask'd him the Reason He told her because he had almost a fancy to drink her Health Whereupon she began to hate and utterly detest him and the Matter being spread abroad he was taken Prisoner and some Weeks after Condemned and Beheaded Werndley in his Liturgia Tigurina Heathens Gaurs The Gaurs in Persia at the Birth of their Children practise something like our Baptism for some days after the Child is born they wash it with Water wherein certain Flowers are first boyl'd and during that dipping the Priest who is present makes certain Prayers If the Child dye without that washing they do not believe but that it goes to Paradise but the Parents shall give an account for their neglect because the washing encreases his Favour in the sight of GOD. M. Tavern l. 4. Armenians The Armenians always Communicate at their Marriage and during the Administration they Sing and play on certain great Cymbals D. of H. Emb. Trav. Those aged Persons that Communicate not once a Year and Children dying unbaptized are not buried in the Church-yard Idem p. 208. Muscovites Those Muscovites who receive the Sacrament prepare themselves by extraordinary Mortifications for eight days eating nothing but a hard kind of Bread and drinking nothing but Water and Quas which is so sowre that it wrings the Belly and brings to Death's door and make their Confession Such as have taken an Oath lately in any Law-suit or committed Murder or any heinous Sin are debarr'd 'till death There are but few that neglect to receive the Sacrament at Easter Sacraments Muscovites THE Muscovites think Baptism the only Door through which a Man must enter into Christ and so into Paradise They Baptize their Children as soon as born if weak at home if well at Church The way thus 1. The Priest receives the Child at the Church-Door from the God-father and God-mother crosses and blesses him saying The Lord preserve thy going out and coming in receives Wax-Candles uses Incense c. 2. Makes a Procession about the Font 3 times with the God-father c. the Clerk going before with the Picture of S. John the Priest reading in the interim c. 3. The God-fathers give the Child's Name in Writing which the Priest puts on an Image upon the Child's breast saying over certain Prayers 4. He asks the God-fathers if the Child believe in God the Father Son and H. Ghost 5. All turn their Backs upon the Font to shew their horrour for those three Questions that are to be ask'd afterwards viz. If he renounced the Devil his Angels and his Works To which the God-fathers answer three times and spit so often on the ground 6. Then they face about and the Priest asks If they will bring up the Child in the true Greek Religion 7. He Exorcises the Child by putting his hand on him and blowing three times cross and saying Get out of this Child thou unclean Spirit 8. He cuts off a little of the Child's hair puts it in a Book dips the naked Child three times in the Water In the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost 9. Puts a corn of Salt in the Child's mouth crosses it on the Fore-head Hands Breast Back with Oil puts a clean Shirt on him saying Thou art as clean as this
over another upon the Navel and say softly some Prayers to themselves 4. They still keep their face to the Keble 5. At the end of every Prayer prostrate themselves on the ground and cry Allah ekber At Sabahnamaz they prostrate 8 times At Noon 20 times At the Quindy 16. At the Akschamnamaz 10. At the Yatzinamaz 24. 6. They never prattle nor talk in their Moschs but carry themselves with great Reverence 7. They turn neither this way nor that way whatever may happen M. de Thevenot Ancient Heathen The people were obliged both among the Ancient Greeks and Romans to a grave Comportment all profane and rude persons being driven away And when any Sacrifice was offered both the Priest and People that offered laid their hands on the Altar to signifie their free consent and heartiness of Devotion Modern Heathen In the Becar a Province of the East Indies when the people come to their Pagods having taken directions from their Bramens they anoint their bodies with Oil and say their Prayers and depart M. de Thov But first they present their Oblations to the Idol Idem The Persians are covered on their Heads all day long with their Shasks not excepting the presence of their King nor their set times of Devotion Sir Tho. Herbert 16. The Rule of Worship Jewish 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moses The Prophets The Psalms H. Scripture Hammi-kra Reading 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Secondary Law consisting in Traditions for many Years unwritten or dispersed without Order till after our Saviour's time and then by Rabbi Juda reduced to Aphorisins which afterwards became of great Authority with all the Jews The Book is called Mischna i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Its parts are as followeth 1. Zeraim of Fruits and Seeds c. 2. Moed of Fasts 3. Naschim of Women Divorces Diseases 4. Nezikim of Losses 5. Kodaschim of Sacrifices and sacred things 6. Tahoroth of Purifications Hotting Their Religion is contained in the Old Testament and Talmud M. de Theven For say they Moses was not with God on M. Sinai 40 Days and 40 Nights to keep Geese Purchas Canons also were made by the Sanhedrim and varied in several Generations about the Times of Morning and Evening Service the Number of Prayers to be said daily which at last grew to be 18 c. Dr. Lightfoot To study and read the Bible is a Vertue and not a Vertue i. e. a small Vertue but to learn their mischna or Talmud-Text is a Vertue worthy Reward and to learn Gemaram the Complement of the Talmud is a Vertue so great that none can be greater Purchas ex Tract Banamaziah Ancient Christian 1. H. Scripture Our pious Fathers fetcht their Weapons against the Hereticks out of no other Armory than the Scripture Augustine against Patilianus the Donatist saith Let not these words be heard among us I say or you say but let us rather say Thus saith the Lord Jerome saith whatever things are asserted as delivered from the Apostles without Scripture-Testimony are smitten with the Sword of God Ambrose to Gratian the Emperour Let the Scriptures be asked saith he Let the Apostles be asked Let the Prophets be asked Let Christ be asked Jewel's Apol. I adore the fullness of Scripture Let Hermogenes's School shew that it is writ if not writ let him be afraid Tertul. 2. Traditions Of which Tertullian speaks in these words I will begin with Baptism where coming to the Water we testify before the President That we renounce the Devil his Pomps and his Angels then are we thrice dipt answering somewhat more than Christ commanded in his Gospel The Sacrament of the Eucharist which our Lord instituted after Supper we partake of in our meetings before the Day arise we think it wickedness to fast or to pray kneeling on the Lord's Day we kneel not from Easter till Whitsuntideâ— Whensoever we go forth or come in or whatsoever we are conversant about we sign our foreheads with the sign of the Cross And if you do require a Law of Scripture for these Observations you will find none Tradition will be alledged as the Author and Custome the confirmer of them de Coron Mil. c. 3.4 Vincentius Lirinensis saith he many a time and with much industry and attention enquired of Holy and Learned Men how he might by a certain general and regular way discern the Truth from Falshood c. and he always received this kind of Answer First by the Authority of the Divine Law and secondly by Tradition of the Catholick Church Because saith he tho the Scripture be perfect and more than sufficient for all things yet by reason of its heighth it is diversly interpreted Let us endeavour to hold that which hath been believed every where always by all Vin. Lirin Commonit c. 1 and 3. Mahometan Mahomet distinguisheth the Law into 1. Written viz. The Alcoran so called from Al this and Koran Reading of 124 Azoaras or chapters On the Cover of which they write Let none touch this but he that is clean Their Liturgy is in the Arabian Tongue not understood by many of the common people The Priests never touch their Alcoran without an Expression of much outward Reverence So the people at seeing or hearing of it read shew much attention affection and reverence The Alcoran written in Heaven and sent in the month Ramadan They lift it to their heads before they read it It hath no method or order in it 2. Unwritten viz. the Suna or Assonna Traditions whereof Bochari hath published 7275 Titles or Apothegms Most of the Mahometans do firmly believe them all called therefore Populus Sunae N. B. They receive the Decalogue of Moses and cause it to be observed by all M. de Theven Ancient Heathen 1. Written The Romans had the Books of Sibylla Cumana kept by a College of 8 Pontiffs with a Chief whose Office it was to regulate all the Ceremonies relating to the Worship of the Gods Galtruch What Rites of Sacrifices and Worship were to be observed were not only diligently prescribed in the Laws of Sacrifices but by the Oracle of Apollo enjoyned to be observed with much Accuracy Nat. Com. 2. Unwritten The Druids of Gaul held it not lawful to commit their Verses of which they had a great number containing the mysteries of their Discipline to writing Caesar Comment Modern Heathen 1. The Hindoes or Indians call the book of their Law Shestâ—r or the book of their written word which hath been transcribed in all ages ever since the first delivery of it not long after the Creation as they say by thee Bramins out of the which they deliver Precepts unto the people Viz. 1. Thou shalt not kill any living creature c. 2. To observe times of fasting and hours of watching 3. About Festivals c. 4. To take their food moderately c. 5. Help the poor as far as possible 6. Not to tell false Tales 7. Not to steal 8. Not
to suck them in the Poll or elsewhere to suck their Blood once in 24 hours 10. The Devil promising to them to live gallantly having pleasure of the World for so many years that they shall want nothing Clothes Victuals nor Money 11. Giving Six Pence and vanishing with the paper 12. At their solemn Meetings upon the way saying Thout Tout a Tout Throughout and about 13. After Meeting and due courtesy done and other service they have a cloth laid on the ground c. 14. Wine Cakes Rost-meat Drink c. 15. The Devil sits at the upper end of the Table 16. Useth some words before meat 17. Bidding the Guests welcome 18. Plays upon a Pipe or Cittern 19. The Name of God or Jesus not mention'd at their Meetings 20. Giving them power to bewitch persons either by 1. Baptizing a Picture of Wax c. The Devil saying I Baptize thee with this Oyl The Witches saying A Pox on thee Ill spite thee c. The Devil himself being Godfather Or 2. Giving an Apple Dish Spoon c. Or 3. By a Touch or Curse c. 21. Sometimes they have Carnal Copulation together at such Meetings 22. The Devil leaves an ugly smell at parting 23. They use such words as these at parting A Boy merry meâ—t merry part 24. As they return homewards Rentum Tormentum In short the Devil keeps to no order is no where constant to himself In Popish Countries can be Papist in Turky Mahometan and adapt himself to the Humour of his Disciples The Order of the Jewish Service in Barbary out of Dr. Addison Jewish 1. THey spend some time in the Meditation of the Divine Attributes 2. They repeat to themselves Numb 24.5 How goodly are thy Tents c. And Psal 26.8 O Lord I have loved the habitation of thine house c. 3. They lay the right hand on the heart and bowing their Bodies toward the Chest wherein the law is kept they begin the publick Service 1. With Psal 5.7 As for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies c. 2. After the appointed course of the Psalms they have Two Lessons the first out of the Law the second out of the Prophets 3. They Pray 1. Standing 2. Girt 3. With the Head bowed 4. Their Face toward Jerusalem 5. Their hands on their heart 6. Uttering their Prayers in a sort of plain Song 7. Without Spitting or Belching c. 8. At Confession of Sins using Prostration and shewing a great sense of their own vileness 9. At pronopuncing of Holy Holy Holy Lord God c. they jump up three times Ancient Christian The Order of the Divine Service amongst the Primitive Christians out of Dr. Cave The manner various commonly thus 1. They began with Prayers probably v. Tertul Apol. c. 39. 2. Read the Scriptures The Quantum arbitrary The Apost Constitut appoint two Lessons S. Clemens Epistle to the Corinth Hermas's Pastor The Writings of S. Ephrem Read in some places after Holy Service 3. They sung Hymns and Psalms vid. post 4. The Presbyters and President of the Assembly preach'd and made Exhortations one after another 5. Prayers were made for Catechumens Penitents Possessed c. according to their respective Capacities the Persons in every rank departing as soon as the Prayer that particularly concerned them was done 1. The Catechumens departed 2. The Penitents The Deacons crying aloud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Lat. Ite missa est 6. The Faithful only the Catechumens gone and the Doors shut proceeded to the Lord's Supper wherein they 1. Prayed for all states of Men c. 2. Gave the kiss of Charity 3. Prayed for the Consecration of the Eucharist 4. Received the Elements 5. Made their Offerings 7. They Admonished Censured Absolved c. 8. They concluded with a Blessing Afternoon Note They had publick Prayers and Sermon to the People in the Afternoon Chrysost Basil Augustine make sufficient evidence of it 9. The People stretched out their right-hand the left-hand being put under it Cyril 10. During the Administration they sung Psalms Psal 33. constit Apost and Hymns 11. Concluding with Prayer and Thanks-giving 12. Saluting each other with a Kiss of Peace Signacula Orationis Tertull. Ancient Heathen The Order of their Service out of other Authors D'Assigny c. 1. The Priest washes hands in pure Water 2. He leads the Sacrifice to the Altar 3. Before they offered to Jupiter they offered Praoedancae Hostia some preparatory things to the Daemones or Angels that they might intercede for them to the God 4. If these appeared unlucky they offered others succedancae Hostiae 5. The Priest offered a set Form of Prayer to Janus and Vesta 6. He mark'd the Beast with his Knife from head to tail and if he appeared unruly they let him go and took another 7. Laid upon his head and back the mola salsa mixt with Frankincense 8. Tasted a Cup of Wine 9. Caused the Assistants to do the like 10. Poured the remainder of the Wine between the Horns of the Beast 11. Took from that place a few Hairs called prima libamina and cast them into the Fire 12. Commanded an Officer to kill the Beast 13. The Assistants flead him lighted the Wood c. 14. The Sooth-sayer with a long Knife turned the Bowels up and down to observe them and tell his Judgment upon them for they might not touch them with their hands 15. The Priest cast some Frankincense in the Fire with some Wine 16. The Priest taking that part of every Member which the Officers had cut out into a Blatter called Lanx or Discus did litare i. e. cast them into the Flames to appease the God 17. While this was doing the Priest and the Person that gave the Victim did jointly make their Prayers to the God with their hands upon the Altar 18. Then they with the Assistants went to Feast upon the Remainder of the Sacrifice singing the Praises of their God 19. After the Banquet they returned to the Altar and cast into the Flames the Morsells of Meat that were left with the Tongue and some Wine 20. They returned Thanks to the God for the Honour of sharing with him in the Victim 21. At Rome they concluded with Prayers to Janus and Vesta the Tutelary Gods of the Empire N. B. At the beginning the Herald called to the People Favete linguis Afterwards to the Priest Age quod Agis Jewish Their Order of Service in Rome Venice Worms Mentz Frankfort c. at this day out of Mr. Rosse 1. THey wash and scrape their Shoes 2. They enter the Synagogue with great Reverence bowing towards the Ark. 3. Are tied to a set Form of Prayer by Book 4. The People answer Amen Though their Liturgy be in the old Hebrew which the People genearlly understand not 5. They utter divers brief Benedictions and after them some short Prayers 6. Instead of Sacrifices because banished from Jerusalem they read the Law concerning
not far off for He did not make them and go away Sed ex illo in illo sunt Ibid. l. 4. c. 12. Do not hide from me thy Face Let me dye truly let me dye that I may see it Moriar ne moriar ut eam videam l. 1. c. 5. What art thou to me Have Mercy on me that I may speak What am I to thee that thou shouldest command me to love Thee and if I do it not shouldst be angry with me and threaten me with great miserys Is it not a small thing if I should not love thee Alas for me tell me by thy Mercies O Lord my God what Thou art to me Say unto my Soul I am thy Salvation Speak so that I may hear c. Ibid. Galeacius Caracciola Marquess of Vicum the Pope's Nephew upon his parting with his Friends and Family his Lady and Children weeping and crying and himself going to Geneva as an Exile had these words Let them be accursed that prefer all the pleasures of this World to one Hours Communion with Jesus Christ Anonym Joachimus Curaeus a German Physician in the close of his Life spake thus Come Lord Jesus and let all that love thee say Come and he that loves thee not let him be Anathema Maâ—anatha Thou knowest I love thee with thee I shall be the beginning of this New-year Mel. Adam Affiance in GOD. Jews THE Jews still pray for the re-edifying of the Temple with a still Voice that none can hear in these words Let thy will be before thy Face O God our Lord Lord of our Fathers that the holy House of thy Temple may be restored to our Days and grant us thy Will in thy Law And afterwards rising with great Joy and Clamour they sing a Prayer of Praise in hope thereof and sitting down again they read a long Prayer gathered here and there out of the Psalms and some whole Psalms and part of 1 Chron. 30. And lastly the last words of Obadiah v. 21. The Saviours shall ascend into Mount Zion to judge the Mount of Esau and the Kingdom shall be the Lord's Which they speak in hope of the Destruction of the Christians and their own Restitution they proceed singing And God shall be King over all the Earth in that day God shall be One and his Name One as 't is written in thy Law O God hear Israel God our God is One God And this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One in the next Prayer they repeat and resound for half an hour together One One One c. Looking up to Heaven and turning to the four corners of the World Purchas Christians Luther in great spiritual trouble having writ about the Walls and Tables in his Study in great Letters VIVIT He is alive to a Friend dedemanding of him the Reason replied Christ is alive and if he were not I would not desire to live one Hour longer Dr. Bolton in his Serm. Mahometans They look upon themselves as obliged to perform the inward acts of Faith and account all Actions without Faith as sins without any Merit F. Simon They commend nothing so much as Trust in God owning him for their only support Idem Heathens M. Antonius gave God thanks for his Assistance in the Government of his Will The Southern Americans when they go to Wars carry their Gods along with them and ask Counsel of them for all Affairs Rosse Obedience to His Laws Jews IN every Synagogue the Book of the Law is kept within a Chest written on Parchment in great Characters and carried to and fro on two Staves fastened to each end of the Parchment The Book which is the Pentateuch is wrapt in Linnen and covered with Silk Velvet or Tissue The two Staves are called the Trees of Life When the Praecentor brings forth the Book they all sing Num. 10.35 Let God arise and let his Enemies be scattered c. After some Anthems are sung one comes and kisses the Cloaths in which it is wrapt and with a loud Voice blesseth God who hath chosen them before all others and given them a Law Then the chief Singer reads a Chapter and the Book is kissed again after that elevated on high the whole Congregation shouting This is the Law that Moses gave to Israel When the Book is wrapt up again all both Young and Old kiss it touching it only with their two Fingers And while it is carried back again they all sing again Return Lord to the many Thousands of Israel Numb 10.36 Mr. Rosse Obedience to the Divine Laws Muscovites SOme Lutheran Divines in Sweden and Livonia have made it a Problematical Question Whether the Muscovites were Christians or not The Danish Gentleman who published the Embassie he was sent upon into Muscovy from Frederick the Second gives the Muscovites a very true Character in two Lines when he says They are subtile over-reaching humourous self-willed obstinate insolent and impudent regulating their Reason according to their Power that they have shaken hands with all Vertues to run themselves into all manner of Vice D. of H. Ambass Trav. Ceylan A witty Man of Ceylan and a good natural Philosopher called Alegamma Motiar having conversed with the Jesuits and desiring to be a Christian desired to know what Jesus Christ had done and left in Writing and having read over the New Testament with that heed and study that in less than six Months there was hardly a Passage which he could not repeat after which he desired to turn Christian because he found their Religion such as Jesus Christ had taught but only he wondred That they themselves did not follow his Example for that he never yet could find by his reading that Jesus Christ ever took any Mony of any body but that they took all they could get and never Baptized or Buried unless they were well paid but tho he started the Question he was Baptized and became a Sedulous Converter of others Tavernier Part 2. l. 3. c. 3 Love and Reverence to his Name Word c. Jews THe Jews to shew their Zeal for the Law of God wear the Zizith or Fringe which is a square piece of Linnen-cloth or Silk c. with Fringes worn next the Shirt hanging down on the breast or Shoulders c. and account the right wearing of it a keeping of the whole Law and ascribe as many miracles to it as the Papists to the Cowl of S. Francis Women never wear it Dr. Addison They have also scrowls of Parchment Phylacteries Tephillim written with several sentences of the Law and tied on the fore-head and left-arms Idem They have a great veneration for the Law viz. the five Books of Moses never reading it or taking it out of the Chest but on Monday Thursday and Sabbath-day After the Elevation of it and its return from Procession and being put in its coverings all the Males in the Synagogue kiss it in order as the Papists do the Pax. Idem When they kiss it they bless God