to himselfe that although they held indeede but one personated nature to bee in Christ resulting of the vnion of two natures not personated yet they acknowledged those two natures to bee vnited in his person without any mixtion or confusion and that they themselues differed not in vnderstanding but onely in termes from the Latine Church Th. a Ies. l. 7. pa. 1. c. 14. And although as it is storied by some writers of these times some there bee among them that still retaine that errour yet certainely that it is no generall and receaued opinion among them is most manifest for wee haue extant the confessions of the * Tom. 4. Biblioth Veteâ— Patrum pag. 1050. Iacobites of Mesopotamia and of those of * Apud Baron in fine Tomi 6. Annal. Aegypt and * Zag Zaho de Religion Morib Aethiop apud Damian a Goer of Aethiopia and of * Confess Armenior Num. 26.27.28.29 c. Armenia that is to say all sorts of Iacobites out of which it is euident that that errour of Eutiches is clearly renounced as articularly acknowledging that the humane nature of Christ was taken of the Virgin and of the same substance with ours and remained after the adunation with the deitie without any mutation of properties distinct from the diuine nature * Vid. Concil Chalcedon Action 1 Theodoret. de haeres l. 4 in Eutiche All which the heresie of Eutyches denied Of the Copthi or Christians of Aegypt CHAP. XXII THe Sect of Christians named Cophti are no other then the Christians of Aegypt And it is the name of their Nation rather then of their Religion in respect whereof they are meerely Iacobites for as Masius hath obserued Mas. in Syror. Peculio the Aegyptians in some ancient Monuments are termed Aegophâ—i whom vulgarly wee name Cophti or Copti and so they also name themselues as may be seene in the Confessions of these Aegyptians recorded in Baronius Baron in Leâ—at Eccles. Alexand ad sed Apostolic â—â—om 6 Annal in sine Oâ—ted in Theâ—aâ—â—o in Aegypâ—â—s Sealig ad Eu. sebâ—â— Chronic. ad An. M DC CXXXIV Dâ—us de Trib. secc Iudaeor l. 2. c. 14. tit de Philacterijs Damascend de haeresib post med And certainly that the Aegyptians themselues name their Country Chibth Ortelius after Theuet hath recorded As also it is obserued by Scaliger that in the Talmud it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And by Drusius out of R. Dauid and R. Shelomo that Aegypt is by them named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not without some traiection of letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 R. Dauid in praef l. Radic R. Shelom in Exod. 13. But touching their Religion to omit curiosities about the name they differ not as I said from the Iacobites Insomuch that as Damascen hath obserued the same sectaries that first were termed Aegyptij because among the Aegyptians that heresie of one onely nature in Christ found the mightiest patronage were after of Iacobus Syrus aboue mentioned named in Syria Iacobites And till this day Seuerus Dioscorus and Iacobus the principall parents and patrons of the sect are by the Aegyptians honoured in the memorials of their Liturgies Th. a Ies-l 7. pa. 1. cap. 5. â—â—oter Rel. p. 3. l. 3. c de â—hristiani del â—â—gitio 1. Vsing Circumcision Yet I am not very certain whether for religion or which I obserued it before to haue beene as an ancient custome of that nation which custome yet is reported Th. a Ies. l. 7. pa. 1. c. 6 Boter p. 3. l. 3. c. de Christ. de Egitto to bee now abrogated among them by the perswasion of the Bishops of Romes Legates in a Synode held at Caire about 30 yeares agoe An. 1583. 2. The confer the inferior sacred orders vnder priesthood eueÌ„ to infants preseÌ„tly after baptisme altogether their parents promising for them and performing in their steads till they be 16 years old or thereabout what they promise in their behalfes namely chastitie and fasting euery Wednesday and Friday and in the 4. lents of the yeare Th. a Ies. l. 7. p. 1. c. 5. They repute not baptisme of any efficacy except ministred by the Priest and in the Church in what necessitie soeuer Th. a Ies. l. 7. pa. 1. c. 5. 3. Neither baptise their children afore the 40 day though they should die without baptisme Th. a Ies. Ibid. 4. Minâ—string the Sacrament of the Eucharist in both kindes 2 Theueâ— in Cosm. de Leuant c. 48. 5. They minister the sacrament of the Eucharist in leauened bread Th. a Ies. Ibid. 7. Giue the sacrament of the Eucharist to Infants presently after their baptisme Id. Ibid. 8. To sicke persons they neither minister extreame vnction nor the Eucharist Id Ibid. 9. Athough they acknowledge the holy Ghost to proceed from the Father and the Son yet in relating of the Nicene Creed they leaue out those words and from the Sonne as the Grecians do Id. Ibid. 10. They admit not to Purgatorie nor of prayer for the dead Th. a Ies. l. 7. pa. 1.23 11. They contract marriages euen in the second degree of consanguinity without any dispensation Tecla Abissin ap Th. a Ies. l. 7. pa. 1. c. 13. 12. They obserue not the Lords dayes nor other feasts except in the Citties Tecla Abissin Ibid. 13. In celebrating of the Eucharist they eleuate not the Sacrament Tecla Abissin Ibid. 14. Reiect all the generall counsels after that of Ephesus expressely condemning the counsell of Chalcedon Id. Ibid. 14. Read the Gospell of Nicodemus in their Liturgies Prateol de Heresib in Cophti 15. Repute the Roman Church hereticall and auoide the communion and conuersation of the Latins no lesse of Iewes And although Baron in fin Tom. 6. Annal. haue registred an Ambassage from Marcus the Patriarch of Alexandria to Pope Clement the 8. wherein hee is said to haue submitted reconciled himselfe the Prouinces of Aegypt to the Pope yet the matter being after examined was found to be but a trick of imposture as Th. a Ies. l. 7. pa. 1. c. 6. hath recorded 16. Maintaining the opinion of one nature in Christ Thom. a Iesu de Conu gent. l. 7. par 1. c. 5. yet in such sort that although in the generall position touching one nature in our Sauiour they follow Eutyches yet in the speciall declaration at this day they differ very much from him For they acknowledge him to be truely and perfectly both God and man 3. Thom. a. Ies. loc citato Botor loc cit And that the Diuine and humane natures are become in him one Nature not by any confusion or commixtion of them as Eutyches taught but onely by coadunation Wherin although they catholiquely confesse that there is no mutation of properties in either nature being united in Christ from what the diuine and human natures seuerally obtaine in seuerall Persons Yet being not well able as it seemes to distinguish betweene the nature
Iacobites touching one onely nature in Christ was the last of that loÌ„g and wicked traine of heresies which vpon the contempt of the councell of Chalcedon exceedingly wasted and ruined the East Church for after that the detestation of Nestorius heresie touching two Persons in our Sauiour condemned in the third generall Councel had so immoderately distempered the phantasies of Eutiches in Constantinople of the Patriarch of Alexandria Dioscorus with other their adherents that they thought not themselues safe enough from the heresie of two persons till they were fallen into the other and opposite extremity of one nature in Christ the Diuine and humane natures in Christ in their conceits by permixtion and confusion of substances of properties growing into one vpon their adunation and withall that the humane nature of Christ was not consubstantiall to ours but of another kind condition which phantasies the fourth generall councell condemned After I say this heresie of Eutiches and Dioscorus had growne to that head in Aegypt Syria that like a violent furious streame whose course would not bee stayed it bare downe before it all oppositions and among the rest that great reuerend councell of Chalcedon that had condemned it and was contemned by it it gaue occasion for an infinite traine of heresies to follow at the breach which it had made For first to omit infinite extrauagant branches Vid. Nicepl or Histor. Eccles. l. 18 c 45. â—â—quent Leont de Sectis Action 5. c. that sprang from it and infinitely deformed the Church renting with many schismes the vnity with as many heresies wounding the faith of it It drew after it the heresie of the passiblenesse of the deitie because the deity of Christ was become in their conceits the same nature with the humanity that was passible Secondly the absurdity of that being discerned it occasioned an other extremely opposite namely of the Impassibility of the humanity of our Sauiour but on the same ground because namely it was become one nature with the deitie which now we know to bee vnpassible Thirdly when the fondnesse of both were discouered It bred a new deuise touching one nature in our Sauiour as the wit of Heretiques will better serue them to deuise a thousand shifts to delude the truth then their pride will suffer them once to yeelde and acknowledge it It bred I say a new deuise namely to be one not by permixtion or confusion of substances as Eutyches first taught but onely by composition the deitie and humanitie by coalition becomming one nature in Christ as the bodie and soule grow into one nature in Man And fourthly when this phantasie began also somewhat to abate and relent in manie yet still a fraction as it were or rather a consequent of it was retained for indeede it implieth by necessarie consequence the vnitie of nature namely that there was but one will and one action of both natures in the person of our Sauiour And God knowes what a traine and succession of heresies might haue followed these if that Lord whom they had infinitely wronged by their wanton and wandring conceats of him had not to stop the course and streame of their wickednesse and follie brought on them the Sarracens of Arabia for euen while the Church specially that of the Easterne parts was in great perplexitie and trauaile with the heresie of the Monethelites which I last mentioned the Mahumetans of Arabia like a mightie inundation brake forth and ouerwhelmed all and them first that first and most had wronged the Sonne of God by fostering the forenamed heresies and the infinite brood that sprung of them I meane Aegypt and Syria and to this day both they and the neighbouring nations that had beene infected by them remaine in thraldome But yet as in the diseases and distempers of our bodies contraries are vsually healed by contraries so seemeth it to haue fallen out in the distempers of these mens religions for as worldly prosperitie and wantonnesse of wit ordinarie companions wherewith these nations in those times abounded bred in them their ordinarie children namely prosperitie of the world pride and wantonnesse of wit errour which couple in matter of faith and religion is wont to produce no better issue then heresie So on the other side hauing now at length their harts humbled and their wits taimed by that pouertie and affliction wherein the tyrannie and oppression of the Arabians and Turkes hath long holden them it seemeth the Lord hath taken piâ—tie on them as it is his propertie not to dispise humble and broken spirits and to remember mercie in the middest of iudgement and reduced them or the most of them to the right acknowledgement of his sonne againe For certainely that they and other Christians of the East haue at least in these later times disclaimed and abandoned those hereticall phantasies touching our Sauiour wherein by their misleaders they had beene aunciently plunged and which many Christians of these West parts still charge them with all doth manifestly appear First of ** Biblioth Vot Patr. Tom. 4 pag. 1049 1â—3 the Iacobites and Secondly of the * Confess Armen de Trinitate Art 26.27.28.29.30 Nestorians by their seuerall confessions translated out of the Syriaque tongue by Masius and extant in Bibliotheca Veterum patrum Thirdly of the * Baron Tom 6. Annal. in fine Armenians by their owne confession also translated by Pretorius Fourthly of the * De Relig Morib Aethiop ap Domian a Goes Cophti by the profession of their faith extant in Baronius Fiftly of the * Posseuin Appar sac in Nestoriani Habassines by the relation of Zaga Zubo a Bishop of their owne Sixtly of the * Posseuâ—n lib. citat in Maronitae Indians by their reconcilement to the Church of Rome mentioned by Posseuine And Seuenthly of the Boter Rel. pa. 3. l. 2. c. Maroniti Maronites by their like reconcilement recorded by him and by others Of the seuerall Languages wherein the Liturgies of Christians in seuerall parts of the World are celebrated CHAP. XXVI ANd thus haue I related the seuerall sects of Christians that are abroad in the world with the places of their habitations and the special characters that are recorded of their religions One point notwithstanding of their difference haue I left purposely as yet vntouched both for the amplenesse of the matter and because I conceaue you would haue it declared seuerally Namely touching the different languages in which all these seuerall sorts of Christians celebrate their Liturgies or diuine seruice But first to speake a word or two of the publique seruice of the Iewes and of the Mahumetans in their Synagogues and Meskeds seeing I intreated before of those religions The Iewes where they obtaine libertie for their Synagogues celebrate theirs in the auncient Hebrew tongue Michou l. 2. de Sarmatia c. 1. Crus Turcog l. 7. pa. 487. c as Michouius with manie others hath
sent froÌ„ the Catholique to the Bishop of Rome in his time that the iurisdiction of the Catholique of Armenia was then farre larger as namely that he had aboue a thousand Bishops vnder his obedience Except Otho perhaps mistooke as I verily beleeue he did obedience for communion for as touching the communion which the Armenians mainteined with other Iacobites it extended indeede verie farre But the iurisdiction of Armenia for ought I can finde in any record of antiquitie contained onely foure prouinces namely the two Armeniaes before mentioned the greater and lesse and the two prouinces of Cilicia In which small circuit that such a multitude of Bishopâ— should bee found is vtterly vncredible especially because we finde registers extant both of the Bishops of the two Armeniaes in the * Tom. 1. Iuris Oriental l. 2. Nouell of Leo-Sophus the Emperour touching the precedence of Metropolitans and likewise of the bishops of Cilicia in * De Bel. sacro l. 14 c. 12. Guilielmus Tyrius and all of them put together exceede not the number of thirtie And although I finde that * Nouel 31. cap. 1. Iustinian diuided the two Armeniaes into foure prouinces which yet to haue beene after reduced ' againe into two the Nouell of Leo euen now mentioned assureth vs yet were not for that cause the number of Bishops encreased anie whit the more Now touching the properties of their religion 1. They are charged with the opinion of one nature in Christ 1 Niceph. hist. Ecclesiastic l. 18. c. 53. yet not as Eutyches imagined it one namely by a permixtion and confusion of the diuine and humane natures but yet by such a coniunction and coalition of them that they both together make but one compounded nature in our Sauiour as the body and soule but one compound nature in man But neuerthelesse it seemeth by the confession of the Armenians which wee haue extant touching the Trinitie sent by the mandate of the Catholique of Armenia Confess Armenior Art 26 27.28.29.30 c. to the Patriarch of Constantinople not 50 yeares agoe that at this present they haue vtterly renounced that phantasie 2 Alfons a Castro l. 5. cont Haeres Titul de Dâ—o Haeresi 13. Boem de Morib gent. l. 2. c. 10. 2. They beleeue the Holy Ghost proceedeth onely from the father 3. They celebrate the sacrament of the Eucharist with vnleauened bread as the Romans doe 4. They denie the true body of Christ to be really in the sacrament of the Eucharist vnder the Species of bread wine 3 Nicephoâ— loc sup citato Luturgia Armen apud Cassandrum de Liturgijs Guido sum de heresib They mingle not water with wine in the Eucharist An auncient opinion property of theirs for I finde it * Concil Constantinop 3. Can. 32. recorded of them and condemned in the sixt generall councell 4 Niceph. loc citat Liturg. Armenior vbi supra But they retaine it notwithstanding still 5. They receaue infants presently after baptisme to the communion of the Eucharist affirming that baptisme cannot bee conferred without the Eucharist 5 Boem de Morib gent. l 2. c. 10. Guid sum de heresib 6. They denie the virtue of conferring grace to belong to the sacraments Guido loc alleg They reiect purgatorie and pray not for the dead 6 Guido in Sum. de haeresib Alfons a Castr l. 12. coâ—t Haeres Tit. de Purgâ—torio haeresi 1. BoeÌ„ loc citato Th. a Ies. l. 7. pa. 1. c 17. 7. They beleeue that the soules of holy men obtaine not blessednesse till the vniuersall iudgement Th. a Ies. l 7. pa. 1. c. 17. They admit married priests and as Burchardus hath recorded deser terr sanct pa. 2. c. 2. § 9. admit none to be secular priests 7 Bellon Obsâ—ru l. 3. c. 12. Postel in Lingua Tzeruiana except they be married They rebaptise those that come to their communion from the Latine Church Guid. Sum. de heresib but exclude their second mariage 8 Boem loc citat 8. They abstaine from eating vncleane beasts 9 Nichol. Peregr Orient l. 4. c. 19. Boter Rel. pa. 3. l. 2. c. Dioscoriani 9. They eate flesh on fridaies betweene Easter and Ascension day 10. They fast lent most strictly without egges milkemeats flesh oile wine c. onely with fruites herbes 10 Vitriac histor Orient c. 7.9 rootes and pulse 11. They celebrate not Christmasse day when other Christians doe Decâ—mb 25. but fast on it And in stead of it 11 Vitriac loc citato celebrate the feast of our Sauiours baptisme namely on the day of the Epiphanie 12 Boter loco â—itato 12. They solemnise the feast of the Annunciation the sixt day of Aprill The purification the 14 of Februarie c. Of the Maronites CHAP. XXV THe Maronites who were so named not of an heretique called Maron as many falsely write Prateol de sect Heretic in verb. Maronitae But of a holy man of that name for wee finde mentioned in the booke of Councels the Monastery of S t. Maron Concil Constantinop sub Men. act 5. the Monks only wherof at first were termed Maronites they are fouÌ„d in small numbers in Aleppo Damascus Tripolie of Syria and in Cyprus But their maine habitation is in the Mountaine Libanus Which although it containe in circuit about * Posseuin Appar Sacr. in Maronitae 700 miles and is possessed onely in a manner by the Maronites who for that priuiledge namely to keepe themselues free from the mixture of Mahumetans pay the Turke * Namely for euery one aboue 12 yeares old 17 Sultanines by the yeare the Sultanine weigheth a dramme of gold about 7 s 6 d of our money and for euery space of grounde 16. spannes square one Sultanine yearely as is recorded by Posseuine large tribute yet of all sects of Christians they are the least as being esteemed not to passe in all * Boter Relat. pa. 3. l 2. c. de Maroniti Posseuin loco citato 12000 houses all in scattered villages beside a few Monasteries by reason of the indisposition of Libanus in most places for frequent habitation For beside the craggednesse or steepenesse of that Mountaine which maketh many parts of it in a maner inaccessible the higher Ridges of it which by Brocardus his relation are so eminent Brocard in Dâ—sâ—r Terr sâ—nctae Tacit historiar l. vltimo that they may be discerned 40 leagues off are also couered in a manner continually with snow which it retaineth as Tacitus with * Vitâ—iac hist. Oâ—iâ—nt c. 84. Postell descâ—ipt Syrâ—ae pag 33. others hath left recorded notwithstanding the heat of that climate euen in the nearest approach of the Sun And is scarcely as hath been obserued by Postell in one Summer of thirtie to be found cleare of it for which very cause and no other that Mountaine seemeth to haue gotten the name of Lebanon For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the
and the Person they dare not say there be in Christ two Natures for feare they should slip into Nestorius heresie of two Persons Which heresie of one onely Nature in our Sauiour beginning with Eutyches although after dispersing it selfe into many branches hath euer since the time of the Counsell of Chalcedon by which Eutychianisme was condemned and for it the Patriarch of Alexandria * Concil Chalced. Action 3. Dioscorus deposed beene nourished and maintayned as by other Christians of the East so specially by the Aegyptians Insomuch that not onely sundry Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antiochia but specially of Alexandria together with many other Bishops of the East parts their Suffragans and adherents are recorded to haue maintained and aduanced Euagr. l 3. c. 5.6.22.30.33 c. Leont de Sect. Action 5. Niceph. l. 16. c. 2.4 5. l. 18. c. 45. sequent that heresie of Eutyches but we finde moreouer manie Synodes of those parts registred or remembred in Euagrius Leontius Nicephorus and the booke called * Synod 97.101.103 108 109 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought to light by Pappus c. wherin in the behalfe of that heresie the decrees of the Councell of Chalcedon were condemned In which counsell although we reade of the greatest Confluence of Bishops that euer mette about the Establishment of any point in Christian religion and yet beside the 630 Bishops present in that Councell there are extant in the * Ad sin Concil Chalcedon Tom. 2. Concil Binij Booke of Councels the suffrages of about 30 prouinciall Synodes that by their Epistles to the Emperour Leo confirmed it together with all the Bishops of the West by whom it was likewise receiued yet notwithstanding all this that heresie so preuailed in the East parts and specially in Aegypt wherof we now entreat that from that time to this it was neuer cleared of it But as there was neuer heresie that so grieuously wounded the Church of God as that of Eutyches except perhaps Arrianisme so was no part of the Church so deepely and deadly wounded by it as that of Aegypt So that euen at this day although the wound be in some sort healed yet the wemme or scarre still remaineth For it is not many yeares since by certaine lesuits Agents for the Bishop of Rome some conferences were had with the Patriarch of Alexandria and his Synode Boter Relat. pa. 3. l. 3. c. de Christiani de Egitto wherein although they confessed if true relation be made of that conference that Christ is true God and true Man yet did they purposely refraine from mentioning two natures in Christ lest they should by little and little slippe into the heresie of two persons Now as touching their Ecclesiastical gouernment they are subiect to the Patriarch of Alexandria * Chitrae de â—at Ecclesiar pag. 21. whose Patriarchall seat is at this present translated and so long hath beene to the Citie of Caire in * Legatio Alexâ—ndrin ap Baâ—on Tom. â— in fine either of which Cities Caire and Alexandria there remaine at this day but three Christian temples a peece Whereas Burchardus recordeth of his time about 320 years agoe that in one of them Caire there were aboue 40. Burch descr ter sanct par 2. c. 3. But yet to the Iurisdiction of this Patriarch belong not onely the natiue Christians of Aegypt who are but very few considering the exceeding populousnesse of that Nation for they are esteemed as I sayd before not to passe 50000 which in Burchardus his time are by him recorded to haue beene aboue 300000. Id. pa. 2. c. 3. together with the small Remainder of Christians that are found about the Bay of Arabia and in Mount Sinai Eastward or in Afrique as farre as the greater Syrtis Westward but the Christians likewise of Aethiopia acknowledge obedience to him 〈…〉 cap. 1â—5 For although Aluarez in his storie of Aethiopia haue related as he doth also some other matters touching the ancienter condition of the Church too grossely and boldly that the Christians of Nubia till their defection from Christianity were of the Popes dependance and Iurisdiction and receiued their Bishops by his consecration and say nothing of the Patriarch of Alexandria yet certainely that they were not so is manifest for besides that Saligniacus himselfe the Popes protonotary and whose trauaile had taught him some knowledge of the East parts directly denieth the Nubians professing of obedience to the Bishop of Rome obseruing that they were gouerned by a Prelate of their owne whom they termed the Priest of the law Itiner Tom. 8. c. 2. Beside that direct testimonie of his I say there be other Euidences First because there cannot be produced any Instance out of any Ecclesiasticall history either ancient or moderne as I am certainely perswaded to that effect Secondly because the fathers of the Nicene counsell as we finde in * Nicen. Concil l. 3. c. 36. Gelasius Cizicenus are knowen to haue assigned Aethiopia whereof Nubia is a part to the Patriarch of Alexandria his Iurisdiction Thirdly because the Patriarchship of Alexandria lyeth directly betweene Nubia and Rome as being immediately at the backe of Aegypt Fourthly because the Nubians were in religion Iacobites as a Roman Cardinal Vitriacus Brocardus and others haue recorded Vitriac histor â—rient c. 76. Brocard deâ—â—ript Terre sanct and as their baptising with fire remembred by Burchardus and Saligniacus did manifestly import Burch descr terr sanct pa. 2. c. 3. § 7. Saligniac Itin. Tom 8. c. 2. of which sect the Patriarch of Alexandria is knowen to be which had the Pope the assignement or confirmation of their prelates it is vtterly vnlike they should haue been Fiftly because in time of their necessitie being left destitute of Bishops and Ministers if they had pertained to the Bishop of Rome his Iurisdiction they would rather haue had recourse to him for repaire of the decayed and ruinous state of their Church who both plentifully could and no doubt readily would haue relieued them rather then suffered them to depart as they haue done from the Christian faith To him I say they would rather haue resorted for supply then to the K. of Habassia * Aluarez loâ—o prox citato as they did being of another patriarchall Iurisdiction Certaine therefore it seemeth that Nubia while it was Christian belonged not to Rome but to Alexandria By whom if the Nubians in their distresses were not relieued no man can wonder that knoweth the great want and misery of the Church of Aegypt Of the Habassines CHAP. XXIII NOW touching the Habassines or midland Aethiopians whether they haue obtained that name by reason of their habitations in houses which the Aegyptians called Auases Strab. l. 2. et l. as Strabo hath obserued for the ancient books haâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in difference from them which dwelling neerer the Bay of Arabia were called Trogloditae 〈◊〉