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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62650	Two journeys to Jerusalem containing first, a strange and true account of the travels of two English pilgrims some years since, and what admirable accidents befel them in their journey to Jerusalem, Grand Cairo, Alexandria, &c. by H.T. Secondly the travels of fourteen Englishmen in 1669. from Scanderoon to Tripoly, Joppa, Ramah, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, the river Jordan, the Lake of Sodom and Gomorrah, and back again to Aleppo. By T.B. VVith the rare antiquities, monuments, and memorable places and things mentioned in holy Scripture: and an exact description of the old and new Jerusalem, &c. To which is added, a relation of the great council of the Jews assembled in the plains of Ajayday in Hungaria in 1650. to examine the Scriptures concerning Christ. By S.B. an Englishman there present. VVith an account of the vvonderful delusion of the Jews, by a counterfeit Messiah or false Christ at Smyrna, in 1666. and the event thereof. Lastly, the fatal and final extirpation and destruction of the Jews throughout	Timberlake, Henry, d. 1626.; Brett, Samuel.; R. B., 1632?-1725? Journey to Jerusalem.; T. B.	1692 (1692)	Wing T1277A; ESTC R219326	92,206	197

of Levi stood up and made a Speech concerning the End of their Meeting And this said he is To examine the Scriptures concerning Christ whether he be already come or whether we are to expect his coming In examining this Question they searched the Old Testament with great Care and Labour most part of that day to be resolved in the Truth having many Bibles to that end About which Point began a dispute that lasted many hours which at last drave to this Conclusion That the Major part of this Assembly were of Opinion That Christ was not Come But some others of the Assembly having strictly Examined the Scriptures and finding them so plain for his coming were inclined to think that Christ was come Being the rasher moved so to think by the consideration of the great Judgment that hath been upon them these 1600. years By reason whereof they have been as a Cast-off and Vagabond People which consideration pr●vailed so far upon many others as drave them not only to think but to conclude That Christ was come I remember one of them in Conference with others seemed to be very apprehensive of the great and long desolation of their Nation ever since their Destruction by the Roman Empire and imputed their Afflictions to their Non-repenting of such a wickedness as to kill the Lord from Heaven And comparing their present with other Judgments which their Nation had suffered he ingenuously confessed he did believe it was for some wickedness that their Nation was guilty of And that one of their great Sins he thought was the spilling of the Blood of the Prophet sent from God to their Nation and so many Massacres that have been committed by the several Sects and Factions among them For said he we are no Idolaters nor are we guilty of Idolatry And therefore I think we have not had this heavy Judgment upon us for that but surely it is the spilling the Blood of Jesus the Prophet sent from God and for Massacring those that loved him And this was the sum of what was Disputed the Second Day of their Meeting and so they ceased until the next morning The THIRD Day being Assembled together again the Point chiefly agitated was concerning the Manner of Christs Coming And that they said should be like a Mighty Prince in the Power and Authority of a King Yea in greater power than ever King had And that he will deliver their Nation out of the Power of their Adversaries and restore them to their Kingdom again And that the Nations should be of their Religion and Worship God after their Manner For they held that the Messiah will not alter their Religion whensoever he cometh And therefore began to conclude That Christ was not come For Jesus said they the great Prophet when he came began to alter our Religion therefore he was not the true Messiah And farther when Jesus came whom some call the True Messiah he began presently to pluck down our Religion and set up his own therefore he was not the True Messiah Thus some of them concluded But some did not But they went from this Dispute to another concerning his Parentage They did all agree in this That he shall be born of a Virgin according to the Praedictions of the Prophets in the Old Testament And in this also That he should be born of a Virgin of mean Note and Parentage among their Nation as was the Virgin Mary that bare Iesus the great Prophet from God And upon this many of them seemed to incline to think that Christ was come but left it to the next Day when they should again Meet together The FOURTH Day The Assembly being met the Propounder demanded what they thought Whether Christ was come or no They said They thought he was come But they Answered thus That if he were come he was no other than Elias because Elias came formerly in great power and with great power he declared it in slaying the Priests of Baal and for fulfilling the Scriptures he was opposed by Ahab and Iezebel And so they esteemed this Man whom they called Iesus to be that same Elias Moreover others said That they thought he was more than a Mortal Man in that he so strangely Ascended up into Heaven which some of our Fore-fathers saw and this was all that was done on the Fourth Day The FIFTH Day The Assembly being Met they went about the same Question that was Controverted the day before and took it into Examination again to answer them that said Elias was not the Messiah They of the contrary Opinion did argue the love and care of Elias for the good of their Nation That he left them Elisha his Disciple to teach and instruct the People And this they took to be the care of the Messiah These were their chief Arguments to maintain their Opinion The same day towards night came into Question among them what then he was that said He was the Son of God and was Crucified by their Ancestours But because this was a Great Question among them they deferred the farther Consideration thereof until the next day The SIXTH Day there were some Pharisees that stood up who were the great Enemies of Christ and said they would undertake to answer the last Question And would by no means yield that he was The Christ. And these are the Reasons they gave for their Opinion viz. 1. Because he came into the World like an ordinary and inferior Man not with his Scepter and Royal Power For they affirmed That the coming of Christ would be Glorious 2. Reason they pleaded against him was the meanness of his Birth in that his Father was a Carpenter and this they said was a dishonour of which when Christ comes he will not be capable 3. Reason They accused him to be a False Christ and an Enemy to Moses Law in doing and suffering his Disciples to do unlawful Works on the Sabbath Day For they believed they said that the True Messiah will exactly keep the Law of Moses Now though it were replied that the Gospel doth testifie of Christ that he did fulfil the Law of Moses yet they rejected that answer because they did not believe and own the Gospel But these reasons did not satisfie the Council there still remaining doubts in them concerning Christ. So that after the Pharisees had done speaking there stood one up Rabbi Abraham and objected against the Pharisees The Miracles that Christ wrought while he was upon the Earth viz. The Raising of the Dead to life again his making the Lame to walk the Blind to see the Dumb to speak by what Power I pray you my Brethren did he them With that the Pharisees arose and desired to answer him and this is the answer they returned before the Council Perhaps said they this Iesus was an Impostor and Magician and so was enabled to do those Miracles And for our parts we believe that all the Miracles he did were done by Magick and Charms

the Prophet where they shewed his usual place of sleeping and his house standeth so upon a hill as from thence I saw Bethlehem afar off Thence we went to an old ruinated house which they told me was Iacobs which may the better appear to be so for in the field thereto adjoining is the tomb of Rachel Iacobs Wife and some two Miles from this tomb is a Town in the same field called Bethesula the Inhabitants whereof are all Christians In this great field being between Ierusalem and Bethlehem did lie the camp of Senacherib when he besieged Ierusalem From hence we rode to the field where the Angels brought Tydings of great joy to the Shepherds which is two Miles from Bethlehem and thence we rode to Bethlehem to the M●nastery wherein were about ten Friars who welcomed me very kindly and brought me first into a great Church then into a large Entry wherein I saw the name of Mr. Hugo Stapers twice set one above another and between them both I set my name Then they guided me down the stairs into a Vault where was a Chappel built in the place of our Saviours Nativity enclosing both it and the Manger wherein Christ was laid and also the place wh●re he was presented with gifts by the wisemen Over thi● Chappel is a great Church ●uilt by Queen Helena mother to Constantine ●he Great as they say and further I saw di●ers Tombs of holy men and others Going up to the top of the Church I saw upon the ●eads the name of Mr. Hugo Stapers again in●raven which made me look the more ear●estly for some other Englishm●ns names but ●inding none I graved my name and came ●way then went we in and dined with the ●riars After Dinner they brought me to a ●lace where the Virgin Mary hid her self ●hen search was made to kill the Children ●o taking my leave of Bethlehem giving the ●riars three pieces of Gold for my Dinner ●nd my company with me being Eight in ●umber mounting our Asses we rode to the ●ell where King Davids three Captains ●etched water for him through the whole ●ost of the Philistines which standeth a little ●ay from Bethlehem towards Ierusalem ●nd hath three places to draw water up Hence went we presently back to Ierusalem entring the gate at four a clock afternoon and at five the Turks let us into the Sepulchra Sancta each of us paying nine pieces of Gold for our entrance No sooner were we in but they locked the Gates so there I stayed till 11 of the clock the next day and then came we forth Now follows what I saw in Sepulchra Sancta First I observed hanging without the Gate at least 100 lines or strings and in the Gate is a great hole whereat a little Child may easily creep in whereof demanding the reason they told me that the hole served to give victuals at for them which lie within the Church which are above 300 persons men and women all Christians and there they live continually night and day and can have no passage in or out but when the Turks open the Gate for some Pilgrim which happeneth not sometimes in 14 days Wherefore these Christian Lodgers in the Church have their whole houshold there and boarded lodgings built for them The strings hanging at the Gate have each one a Bell fastned at the lodgings and when their servants which are without bring them any meat each rings the Bell belonging to his houshold and so come accordingly each knowing hi● own Bell for the receipt of his food The several sorts of Christians which I saw in this Church I will in order describe 1. The Romans who bear the greatest sway 2. The Greeks for they be next in number to the Romans yet little better then slaves to the Turk 3. The Armenians who have been so long Servants to the Turk that having forgot their own Language they use all their Ceremonies in the Arabian Tongue The 4th sort of Christians are Nestorians who are likewise slaves to the Turk and have no other Language than the Arabian The 5th Abassines being People of the Land of Prestor Iohn The sixth Iacobites that are Circumcised Christians but slaves likewise to the Turk All these Christians in name have bought their several places in the Church and by-rooms for ease being never fewer of all these six sorts than 250 or 300 continually there lying and Praying after their manner The places where they ordinarily go to their Devotions are thus as the Roman Friars brought me to them 1. The Pillar whereat our Saviour was whipped 2. The place where he was imprisoned while they were preparing or making his Cross. 3. Where the Souldiers divided his Garments 4. Where the Cross was found by Q. Helena which is at the foot of Mount Calvary and hard by that is the Chappel of the Queen 5. The place where Chris● was Crowned with Thorns which I could not see till I give the Abassines that kept it two pieces of Silver 6. The place where the Cross being laid on the ground our Saviour was nailed unto it 7. The place on the top of Mount Calvary where the Cross stood when he suffered 8. The Rock that rent at his crucifying which is worth observation for it is slit like as if cleft with Wedges and Beetles from the top to the two third parts downwards as it were through the brow and breast of the Rocks The rent is so great in some places that a Man might hide himself in it and grows downward less and less 9. The place where the three Maries Anointed Christ after he was dead 10. Where he appeared to Mary Magdelen like a Gardiner And thence we came to the Sepulchre it self which is the last place where they use Prayers From whence I went to see the Tomb● of Baldwin and Godfrey of Bulloigne An● returning back to the Sepulcher I measure● the distance between place and place fro● five of the Clock before night until next da● at Eleven at my coming forth writing dow● all things I thought worth notice My Co●panion Mr. Iohn Burrel and I went thence 〈◊〉 the Pater Guardian to Dinner where we hear● that five English-men were arrived at the City Gates travelling towards Aleppo their names were Mr. William Bedle Preacher to the English Merchants at Aleppo Mr. Edward Abbot Servant to Sir Iohn Spencer Mr. Ieffery Kerbie Servant to Mr. P. Banning and Leigiers for them in Aleppo with two other young men Iohn Elkins and Iasper Tymme These five hearing of my being there came all to the House and though they saw not my Imprisonment nor were with me at the sight of those things in and about Ierusalem can witness that they were acquainted therewith at the Gates and with other truths beside These with my Companion Mr. Iohn Burrel I left behind in Ierusalem departing thence to see other places in the Country of Palestine But let me first tell what I observed in the Cities Situation because

Arabians provided two good Dromedaries for us I and the Moor riding before and the Arabians behind us two upon each Dromedary and so departed from Gaza about two in the afternoon and rode apace those kind of beasts going so hard that within four hours I was so weary that I desired them to suffer me to alight down to rest me which we did about six in the evening and being alighted the Arabians tyed the Dromedaries two forefeet together as their manner is making them kneel down which done we sat down to eat a few Raisins and Bisket which we carryed in our Alforges but in the mean time one of our Dromedaries brake his halter and ran back towards Gaza whereupon one of the Thieves took the other Dromedary and made after him until both he and the other that broke loose were out of our sight then the other Arabian that stayed behind with us ran after them and we were left alone in the wild Desarts of Arabia at last night approaching and both our guides and Dromedaries being gone we were in no small fear what would become of us In which case leaving my Moor with the Alforges wherein we carryed our Victuals I went to the top of a sandy hill not far from thence to see if I could espy our two Thieves I was no sooner upon the top of the Hill but I saw four wild Arabians come running towards me from the other side of the sandy Hill which I perceiving ran in great haste to my Moor yet not so fast but one of the Thieves was at my heels and drawing out his Sword bad my Moor deliver me but the Moor bad him search me for he knew I had nothing about me of worth only my hair cloth Coat and said farther to him this Cuar which is as much as unbeliever is to be conducted to Cairo in four days by two of your companions whom he named whereunto they all answered that if it were true they would do me no hurt but if their companions came not again with their Dromedaries then they would carry us away with them but within two hours after in the night my two Arabians came again with their Dromedaries and then they were all fellow Thieves And we gave them a few Raisins and a little water and so departed and the fourth day at night we came to a place where the Arabians had Tents and there they gave me some Camels Milk and beheld ●e so earnestly as if they had never seen a white man before From thence we departed and the next night we came to Salhia where being sore shaken in my body notwithstanding I was swathed with rollers I was constrained to give over my Dromedaries and to get Horses which they procured there of some of their acquaintance This Dromedary is a beast like a Camel but hath a lesser head and a very small neck but his leggs are as long and there is no more difference between a Camel and a Dromedary then there is between a Mastiff-dog and a Grey-hound these beasts eat little and drink less for they drank not while I was with them and it is said that they will not drink in eight or ten days together but cannot abstain so long from meat And by this you see I went as far in 4 days as in 12 before I think a good horse will run as fast but not continue it their pace is a reaching trot but very hard and quick From the edge of Salhia on the East side of Gozan I took horse But the reason why the Arabians did get me horses was not because they pittyed me for my weariness but that they durst not go any nearer to the inhabited Countrey with their Dromedaries and there one of them stayed the other went with me to Materia from whence I sent my Moor to Cairo to fetch me their Hire and there I payed them that let me the Horses six pieces of Gold and gave the two wild Arabians 24 pieces of Gold an●●hen they delivered me safe into the Custody of my Moor within three Miles of the City Cairo where I was welcomed by the Consul and others there resident I paid my honest Moor six pieces of Gold and bought divers Provisions to furnish him to Mecha in which Journey as he returned again he dyed In Cairo I staid two days and the seventh night after I came to Bullac and there took Boat and in 3 days I got down the River Nilus to Rossetta and there taking Horse with a Ianisary fell into greater danger than during my Journey for between that Town and Alexandria there were divers Great Ianisaries who came from Constantinople and newly landed at Alexandria who having tyred their Horses would have taken our two Mules from us which my Ianisary refused them and drew his Sword and they to be revenged came running to take me and having laid hands upon me four of them beat me cruelly and drove me to the passage hard by and there would have killed me which my Ianisary perceiving and seeing that nothing could appease them but our two Mules after he had been sore wounded he delivered them unto the other Ianisari●● or I had there been sl●in after my long and weary Journey being within five Miles of my Ship that lay in the Rode at Alexandria And so he being wounded and I well beaten at last we got to the gates of Alexandria but it was so late that we could not get in but were forced to stay all that night upon the hard stones and in the morning I got aboard of my ship when I had been from it fifty days And so I ended my Pilgrimage A JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM OR THE TRAVELS OF Fourteen English Men to Jerusalem in the Year 1669. Aleppo Honoured Sir THese serve to Accompany an Account of my Iourney to Holy Land for which I might refer you to others who have given ● most exact Relation of that Pilgrimage yet according to your desire I present you with this my Description TUesday May 3. 1669. we set Sail from Scanderoon with a N.E. Wind on th● Margaret Tho. Middleton Commander being fourteen English Men of the Factory of Aleppo in Company but being force● to return three times by contrary Winds by May 10. we arrived at Trippoly whose Por● is guarded with six small Castles near th● Sea and one great Castle upon the Land defended from Tempests on the West wit● Islands and on the East with a Cape of Land● so that none but a North Wind can be prejudicial to Ships in this Port the Ground i● stony which forced the Captains to buoy u● their Cables the Ships riding in six or seve● Fathom Water The Town is about a Mil● fr●m the Marine situate upon the shelf of 〈◊〉 Hill and hath one good Castle for its defence● the Town is ruinate and there were few t● be seen it being the time of making whit● Sild and most o● the People in their Garden● May 13. after three

Messiah of the World so long expected and desired by the Iews This Design took wonderfully with Nathan and because it was thought necessary according to Scripture and Ancient Prophesies that Elias was to precede the Messiah as St. Iohn Baptist was the forerunner of Christ Nathan thought no man so proper to Act the part of the Prophet as himself and so no sooner had Sabatai declared himself the Messiah but Nathan discovers himself to be his Prophet forbidding all the Fasts of the Iews in Ierusalem and declaring that the Bridegroom being come nothing but Joy and Triumph ought to dwell in their Habitations Writing to all the Assemblies of the Iews to perswade them to the same belief And now the Schism being begun and many Iews really believing what they so much desired Nathan took the courage and boldness to Prophesie That one Year from the 27th of Kisleu which is the month of Iune the Messiah shall appear before the Grand Signior and take from him his Crown and lead him in Chains like a Captive Sabatai also at Gaz● Preached Repentance to the Iews and Obedience to himself and Doctrine for that the coming of the Messiah was at hand which Novelties so affected the Iewish Inhabitants of those parts that they gave up themselves wholly to their Prayers Alms and Devotions and to confirm this belief the more it happened that at the same time News hereof with all particulars were dispatched from Gaza to acquaint the Brethren in Forreign Parts The Rumour of the Messiah was flown so swift and gained such reception that intelligence came from all Parts and Countreys where the Iews inhabited by Letters to Gaza and Ierusalem Congratulating the happiness of their Deliverance and expiration of the time of their Servitude by the Appearance of the Messiah To which they adjoyned other Prophesies relating to that Dominion the Messiah was to have over all the World that for 9 Months after he was to disappear during which time th● Iews were to suffer and many of them to undergo Martyrdom but then returning again Mounted on a Coelestial Lion with his Bridle made of Serpents with seven heads accompanied with his Brethren the Iews who Inhabited on the other side of the River Sabatian he should be acknowledged for the Sole Monarch of the Universe and then the Holy Temple should descend from Heaven already built framed and beautified wherein they should offer Sacrifice for ever And here I leave you to consider how strangely this deceived People was Amused when these Confident and vain Reports and Dreams of Power and Kingdoms had wholly transported them from the ordinary course of their Trade and Interest This noise and rumour of the Messiah having begun to fill all places Sabatai Sevi resolved to Travel towards Smyrna the Country of his Nativity and thence to Constantinople the Capital City where the principal Work of Preaching was to have been performed Nathan thought it not fit to belong after him and therefore Travels by the way of Damascus where resolving to continue some time for better Propagation of this new Doctrine in the mean while Writes the following Letter to Sabatai Sevi 22. Kesvan of this year To the King our King Lord of our Lords who gathers the Dispersed of Israel who Redeems our Captivity the Man elevated to the heighth of all sublimity the Messiah of the God of Iacob the true Messiah the Caelestial Lion Sabatai Sevi whose Honour be exalted and his Dominion raised in a shor● time and for ever Amen After having kissed your hands and swept the Dust from your Feet as my Duty is to the King of Kings whose Majesty be exalted and his Empire enlarged These are to make known to the Supream Excellency of that Place which is Adorned with the Beauty of your Sanctity that the Word of the King and of his Law hath enlightened our Faces that day hath been a solemn day unto Israel and a day of light unto our Rulers for immediately we applied our selves to perform your Command as our duty is And though we have heard of many strange things yet we are couragious and our heart is as the heart of a Lion nor ought we to enquire a reason of your doings for your Works are marvellous and past finding out and we are confirmed in our Fidelity without all exception resigning up our very Souls for the holiness of your Name And now we are come as far as Damascus intending shortly to proceed in our Journey to Scanderoon according as you have commanded us that so we may ascend and see the Face of God in light as the light of the Face of the King of Life A●d we servants of your servants shall cleanse the dust from your feet beseeching the Majesty of your Excellency and Glory to vouchsafe from your habitation to have a care of us and help us with the Force of your Right Hand of strength and shorten our way which is before us And we have our Eyes towards Iah Iah who will make haste to help us and save us that the Children of Iniquity shall not hurt us and towards whom our hearts pant and are consumed within us who shall give us Tallons of Iron to be worthy to stand under the shadow of your Ass. These are the words of the servant of your servants who prostrates himself to be trod on by the soles of your feet Na●han Benjamine And that he might Publish this Doctrine of himself and the Messiah more plainly he Wrote from Damascus this following Letter to the Iews at Aleppo and parts thereabouts To the Residue or Remnant of the Israelites Peace without end THese my words are to give you notice how that I am arrived in peace at Damascus and behold I go to meet the Face of our Lord whose Majesty be exalted for he is the Soveraign of the King of Kings whose Empire be enlarged According as he hath Commanded us and the 12 Tribes to elect unto him 12 Men so have we done And we now go to Scanderoon by his command to shew our faces together with part of the principal of those particular Friends to whom he hath given Licence to assemble in that same place And now I come to make known unto you that though you have heard strange things of our Lord yet let not your hearts ●aint or fear but rather fortifie your selves in your Faith because all his Actions are Miraculous and Secret which Humane understanding cannot comprehend and who can penetrate into the depth of them In a short time all things shall be Manifested to you clearly in their Purity and you shall know and consider and be instructed by the Inventor himself Blessed is he who can expect and arrive to the Salvation of the true Messiah who will speedily publish his Authority and Empire over us now and for ever Nathan Benjamine And now all the Cities of Turkey where the Iews Inhabited were full of the expectation of the Messiah no Trade nor course of

the Sentence But that something was of necessity to be promised to satisfie his present humorous Zeal The Emperour accepts of the Answer and immediately causes it to be Recorded in form of a solemn Stipulation between them That in case there were no news of their Messiah within the Seventy years assign'd to which of Grace he added five more they should either turn Mahumetans or their whole Nation utterly be destroyed throughout Persia and their Substance confiscated but with this Clause also inserted That if their Messiah did Appear within that Period the Emperour would himself be obliged to become a Iew and make all his Subjects so with him this drawn as we said in form of an Instrument was reciprocally sign'd and seal'd on both parts and the Iews for the present dismiss'd with the payment yet of no less than two Millions of Gold as my Author affirms for the favour of this long Indulgence Since the time of this Amperor Abas to the present Sophy now Reigning there are not only these 70 years past but 115 expired during which the Persians have been so molested by the Turks and by continual War in the East-Indies c. that the succeeding Princes no more minded this Stipulation of their Predecessors till by a wonderful Accident in the Reign of the second Abas Father of him who now governs ● person extreamly curious of Antiquities searching one day amongst the Records of his Palace there was found this Writing in the Iournal of his Father intimating what had so solemnly pass'd between him and the Chiefs of the Jews in the Name of their whole Nation Upon this the Sophy instantly summons a Council produces the Instrument before them and requires their advice what was to be done and the rather for that there began now to be great Whispers and some Letters had been written to them from Merchants out of Turkey of the motions of a pretended Messiah which was the famous Sabatai This so wrought with the Emperor and his Council that with one Voice and without longer pause they immediately conclude upon the destruction of the Jews and that this wicked Generation of Impostors and Oppressors of his People were no longer to be indured upon the Earth In Order to this Resolution Proclamations are issu'd out and publish'd to the People and to all that were Strangers and Inhabitants amongst them impowering them to fall immediately upon the Jews in all the Persian Dominions and to put to the Sword Man Woman and Child but such as should forthwith turn to the Mahumetan Belief and to seize on their Goods and Estates without any remorse or pitty This cruel and bloody Arrest was accordingly put ●n Execution first at Ispahan and suddenly afterwards in all the rest of the Cities and Towns of Persia. Happy was he that could escape the fury of the inraged People who by vertue of the publique Sentence grounded upon the declared Stipulation and now more encouraged by the dwindling of their pretended Messiah had no commiseration on them but slew and made havock of them wherever they could find a Jew through all their vast Territories falling upon the spoil and continuing the Carnage to their utter Extermination Nor did the Persecution cease for several Years beginning from about Sixty three till Sixty six at Ispahan the Cities and Countries of Seyra Ghelan Humadan Ardan Tauris and in sum through the whole Empire without sparing either Sex or Age excepting as was said such as turned Mahumetans or escaped through the Desarts into Turkey India and other far distant Regions and that without hopes of ever Re-establishing themselves for the future in Persia the hatred of that People being so deadly and irreconcileable against them And in truth this late Action and Miscarriage of their pretended Messiah has rendred them so universally despicable that nothing but a determined Obstinacy and an evident and Judicial Malediction from Heaven could possibly continue them in that prodigious Blindness out of which yet GOD of his infinite Mercy one day deliver them that they may at last See and Believe in Him whom they have Pierced and that so both Iew and Gentile may make One Flock under that One Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls Iesus Christ the True MESSIAH Amen The Epistle OF KING AGBARUS To our Saviour Iesus Christ with our Saviours Answer I Know not how better to fill up the following vacant Pages than by adding this notable Relation mentioned by the famous Historian Eusebius in his fi●st Book of Ecclesiastical History which followeth in these words After the Divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was made manifest to all men by the working of Miracles he drew unto him an innumerable Company of Strangers who dwelt far distant from Judea and were afflicted with divers diseases and Maladies hoping of him to recover their health among which number king Agbarus Governour of the famous Nations inhabiting beyond the River Euphrates being grievously diseased in body and judged incurable by the skill of men hearing the renowned fame of Iesus and the wonderful works that he wrought in all places he petitioned to him by Letters humbly desiring deliverance from his disease Iesus though not Presently yielding to his Petition vouchsafed to answer him by an Epistle that he would shortly send one of his Disciples who should cure his malady and not only his but all that belonged to him which promise he in a short time performed for after his Resurrection from the dead and ascension into Heaven Thomas one of the Twelve Apostles sent his Brother Thaddeus who was reckoned among the seventy Disciples of Christ by Divine Inspiration unto the City of Edessa to be a Preacher and Evangelist of the Doctrine of Christ by whom all things which concerned the promise of our Saviour were performed and for the further confirmation hereof the Letters themselves are recorded in the Monuments of the Princely City of Edessa and inrolled in the Publick Registry there among things of Antiquity acted about the time of King Agbarus and Preserved unto this day and I know no reason why we may not give you the very Letters themselves as they were copied out of the Registry and translated by us out of the Syrian Tongue The Epistle of Agbarus to our Saviour AGbarus Governour of Edessa unto Iesu the good Saviour shewing himself in Ierusalem sendeth Greeting I have heard of thee and thy Cures which thou hast done without Medicines or Herbs for as the report goeth thou makest the blind to see the lame to go the Lepers thou cleansest evil Spirits and Devils thou castest our the long diseased thou restorest to Health and raisest the dead to life When I heard these strange tidings concerning thee I imagined with my self one of these two things that thou art either a God come from Heaven and performest these matters or else the Son of God that bringest these things to pass Wherefore by these my Letters I beseech thee to take the