weak understanding and capacity We Christians call God the Father for his Creatures sake being the first creating Cause and sole Preserver of all created who was for ever in the same Essence he now is in and will be for Eternity and is the first Person in the Trinity We believe the Son who by Mahomet in the Arabick phrase is called Rahman and signifieth Mercies so changed by him to be likewise God not according to flesh for God is a Spirit born of a Woman but of the Essence and substance of God Omnipotent begotten by God the Father to put away the sins of the World and so took humane flesh by the Holy Virgin Mary suffered for us died and was buried and according to the sayings of the Prophets arose again the third day and ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father there to judge the quick and the dead to render immortal happiness to those that have faith in him and to the unfaithful everlasting punishment I then Presented him a Crucifix and said Behold this now and see if Mahomet did unworthily call the Son of the eternal God by Name of Mercies when with Arms thus stretched forth he calls poor sinners to his embraces saying Come unto me all ye that labour and are burthened with sins and I will refresh you And to render him more capable of the Trinity I pointed to the Sun saying You have a fair similitude here as there is but one Sun that hath form heat and light so there is but one God and Father who hath Son and the Holy Spirit which you call Rucahim consisting of three Persons equally of one substance and from Eternity coexisting This comparison wrought in him a belief in God the Father his onely begotten Son and the Holy Ghost a Trinity in Unity And when he had heard my weak discourses of God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost he much admired saying O God O God I nor any of our Sect could ever imagine you had such good thoughts of God for we conceive you live in darkness of understanding but by your relation it seems you have great apprehensions of him and believe well if you did not neglect our great Prophet of God Mahomet I said What shall we do with the toyes and dreams of Mahomet for besides Baptism and the mystery of the Trinity which were had from Christians we know the Alcoran contains nought that tends to Truth Then I alledged to him the fancies and filly trifles of Mahomet's two Angels called Arot and Marot whom Mahomet says That God did send from Heaven to minister justice unto mortal men commanding them to forbid drinking of wine and unlawful mixtures with women and to shew the way to heaven to no man These Angels transgressing Divine Commandment were defiled deceived and made drunk by a Woman and shewed to Mahomet the way to heaven whom when God saw there he asked the Angels standing by who it was that came in that shape thither And the Angels telling him it was by the error of Arot and Marot he turn'd the Woman into a Star and sent those Angels chained into a well to be punished everlastingly Divers like ridiculous stories I related as that of the Beast Baraile who could speak as man who carryed Mahomet to heaven where himself confesseth to have seen great Angels with many heads and those speaking many Languages in divers Tongues which is sufficiently foolish and unworthy the name of a Prophet but said I know not whether oppressed with Wine in sleep he dreamed to have seen such miracles or monstrosities in his imaginations And therefore when he inserts such follies in his Alcoran he deserves not the Title of a Prophet from any reasonable man Having heard this somewhat abashed he arose and would argue no further but led me into the Temple and shewed me certain Images carved in wood and asked me If we did worship those silmilitudes of men or adore them I answered No think not we worship the stone or timber wherein these sigures are engraved they are used and respected onely as records and remembrances to mens mindes of the passions and sufferings of our Saviour Jesus Christ for the redemption of our transgressions and we worship our true God in minde and Spirit remembred by that Crueifix neither are you denied the like remembrances of your great Princes and famous men nor we of holy Saints but 't is to give God thanks for their examples of holiness and our prayers to imitate their charity and pieties In these discoursings he spies some dogs walking in the Church and doing something against an Altar an evil custom and to be condemned by all and asked whether it was lawful for Beasts to enter our Churches and blushing with shame not knowing how to defend this negligence of Christian Pastors I told him It was neither lawful nor seemly and desired him to conceive it a meer negligence of Officers When he heard this he commended it very much and desired me to instruct him in our Saviour's Prayer which I gave him after in the Arabian Dialect A Lamentation for loss of Christians destroyed AFflicted with an infinite and incredible sorrow most high and mighty Monarchs and Governors of Christian Commonwealths to see the sad condition and most miserable being of our Brethren under the Turkish slavery whereof some seduced from the bosome of our Church to heretical unhappiness others with civil and hostile sword slain murthered and cast to devouring Beasts others made captive to perpetual servitude and most cruelly afflicted They all by me in lamentable sobs and groanings complain O monstrous mischievous ambition of ill men and wicked covetousness of ruling How many equal souls consecrated to Gods Divine Worship have you betrayed to Death and to the Devil How many Principalities and Kingdoms of great Kings and all sorts of Nobility have you destroyed How many walls of stately Towns have you demolished How many sumptuous Palaces and strong stately Castles have you levelled with the ground How many lawful Owners have you dejected from eminent Estates and quiet Conditions and banished to perpetual disconsolations And although I intend not to write the Acts of Princes but to delineate the calamities and tragedies of Captives I cannot forbear remembrance of that abominable discord of the Earl of Servia a potent and proud Prince who agreeing a shameful foul example of a vitious ambition with the Bassa of Bosnia his neighbour Enemy and having many Castles and strong holds upon the Turkish Confines even to the River Savus which divides Illyria from Croatia and defended all those Provinces which lye between that River and the River Dravus from Turkish violences and incursions This Earl or Lord of Servia falling into variance and some petty controversies with the Nobility of Sclavonia made friendship with the said Bassa and joyning their Armies both together invaded the Sclavonians partly at difference between themselves and partly impotent
in their praying their bodies are ever in great motion and agitation wherewith they marvelously afflict themselves with loud cryings and fierce ejaculations so as oftentimes their strengths and spirits failing they sink unto the ground and if it happen any of them conceive her self with child she then assures her self that pregnancy proceeds from favour of the Holy Spirit and when delivered the Infants born are called Sons or Souls of the Holy Ghost This hath been related to me from their Hand-maids for I nor ever any man else were present at that spectacle At mens devotions I have been often present with my Master whose customs are in manner following in their prayers they ne'er take off their Turbants coverings of their heads but with the tops of their fingers gently touch them in token of taking them off they fall upon their knees and often kiss the ground they hold it for great wickedness to have a Christian present at their mysteries for they believe their Churches as they say to be polluted by men unwashed and that Christians use not such Lavatories Every Church in Turky hath a peculiar place for Baths and washings with lodgings for a Priest Now here the Priest ascends his Pulpit reads a piece of the Alcoran and sometimes expounds it and there preaches about two hours his Sermon ended two boys come up to him who pronounce their prayers singing with responsals which Songs being ended the Priest with the whole People in a low voice beating upon their sides repeat these words There is but one God which for the space of half an hour they do and so depart But this manner of prayers and ceremonies of preaching and singing are not done every day unless in time of Lent Festivals some Sundays and most observe the Fridays for religious worship Of their Lent They keep their Lent by fasting one Month and one Week every Year but not always the same for if this Year they fast out January the next they fast out February and keep on that course so as in twelve Years space they dedicate to God in lieu of tenths one Year and twelve Weeks Travellers and sick Persons are excused from present fastings but are injoyned to supply it by fasting so many days at other times When they fast all that Day they taste nothing not so much as Bread or Water then the Stars appearing it is lawful for them to eat of all things which are not strangled or Hoggs-flesh which they esteem as Carrion most unclean Their Lent being past they observe Easter for three days with great solemnity anoynting the Nails of their Feet and Fingers with an Oyl which they call Chna which makes those Nails to shine like Gold and with the same they sometimes stain or colour the Hoofs and Tails of Horses This Tincture holds very long and can hardly be wip'd away so as until new Nails thrust out the old they still retain that dye but Nails of the Hand by frequent washing abate in time Women do not onely anoynt the Nails but their whole Hands and Feet also with that Oyl Of their Circumcision They Circumcise not on the eighth day as the Jews do but when the new-born arrive at the age of seven or eight years and be of perfect speech the mystery whereof is from the words of confession required before Circumcision which are some of those sentences aforementioned in their Churches which they repeat and give assent thereto by holding up the Thumb of the Right-hand The Youth is not for this mystery brought unto their Church but is Circumcised in his Parent House I have been often present at this solemnity which is performed in manner following first the friends are all invited to a feast sufficiently furnished with all sorts of delicate flesh lawful for them to eat and almost every where especially amongst the wealthier sort an Ox is killed bowelled and flayed in the body whereof they include a Sheep and in that Sheep a Hen and in her an Egge all which are entirely roasted together for the solemnity and splendor of that day Then in their Feast and time of Supper the Boy that is to be circumcised is brought to a Physitian skilful in that Art who fixing between a pair pinchers the foreskin of his privie Member to prevent all fear in the Boy he telleth him that the next day he will Circumcise him and so departs but presently feigning to have omitted something appertaining to this preparation on a sudden he cutteth off the fore-skin applying thereunto a little salt and bombace and then he is called a Musselman that is one circumcised Yet their Names are given the day of their Nativity not Circumcision After continuance of this Feast for three days the Boy with great pompe and solemnity is accompanied to the Bathes and being returned to his House he is brought before the Guest and by them presented with gifts prepared for him some give Silver Silken Vestments some Silver Cups others Money and sometimes Horse Women present him likewise some with Shirts Handkerchers and such like according to the several pleasures and abilities of the Guests Women are not circumcised onely they confess the aforesaid words and so made Musselmen And if any Christian voluntarily confess a Faith in Mahomet and suffers Circumcision which often happens by the heavy yoke and burthen of their Tribute this Man is led through all the Streets and open places of the City to the great joy and honour of the people with acclamations and ringing of Bells him also they present with gifts and after free him from all Tribute For covetousness of this profit many Greeks and Albanes become circumcised But if any be forced thereto as he that shall strike or otherwise disgrace a Musselman or blaspheme Mahomet as it befel a certain Grecian Bishop which I did see that man is circumcised and hath nothing presented to him yet shall be freed from Tribute as others circumcised Of their Priests Their great Mufty as the Pope among Catholicks cannot erre and is the highest Minister of all Religious and Lay Persons an Officer of great power and trust his conclusions and sentences in State and Church-affairs are irrevocable and his person held in most esteem and reverence next the Emperour his habit most in green being Mahomet's colour There is small difference between their other Priests and Lay-men nor much from the Governours of Ceremonies such as our Bishops are neither is much learning required from them it is sufficient if they can read the A LCORAN and MVSSAPH yet they that can interpret on the Text are esteemed most learned because the Traditions of Mahomet are written in the Arabick not vulgar Turkish Character and they hold it for most detestable to have them interpreted in the vulgar Language These Priests and Governours are elected by the People but their rewards and stipends for their labours are paid by the King They have Wives and Habits like Seculars and if
any publick Office to wear have Arms or habit like a Turk or else to use the recreations of cheerfulness as Pageants Playes or Dancings If they injure Christ or you with bitter or contumacious words you must be silent and endure it If you speak ought against their professed Religion you are forced to Circumcision and but to whisper against Mahomet Fire and Brimstone followeth If a Christian on horseback pass by a Musselman that is one initiated in the Turkish Faith he must on necessity light from his horse and bowing down his head worship him which if omitted he straight is knocked down with clubs Condition of Priests and Fryers under Tribute Priests and Fryers are held the worst of Men and are esteemed by Turks the very Sacriledge and Scandal of God and mankinde They have no benefit from Churches Upon some festival dayes a little bread is given them by poor Women and not on other dayes They get their livelihood by carrying Wood their custome being to cut down sticks in Woods lade them on Asses and with this Merchandize they cry about the Streets Wood to be sold The Tribute of Christians They pay a part of all encrease not onely of Corn and Cattle but even Mechanicks pay it out of all their profits And then they pay another subsidie for every single man through a Family each head a Crown If Parents refuse this Tribute their Children are taken from them and made Slaves Others are bound in Chains and beg from door to door to pay this Crown which if they cannot this way procure they are cast into perpetual Prison and when all Duties are performed it is yet lawful for the Turk to chuse the best amongst his Children whom he circumciseth and removes from all approach or sight of Parents and breeds him for his Wars ne'er to return to his Friends and so a childe easily forgets both Christ his Parents and his kindred that after if he chance in company with them he shall not know them No Man can express by Words the Lamentations Cries Tears and grievous sighs at this distraction of Children The Father to see his Son educated in the fear of Christ torn from him and made an Instrument of Satan to oppose Christ hurried from his Mother to live perpetually with strangers leaving whatsoever is dear in blood pleasing in society or loving in familiarity with an everlasting dereliction after listed in the ranks of those the Greeks call Fatherless and Motherless yet many of these although they have denied Christ carry about them the Gospel of St. John In the beginning was the word c. in Greek or the Arabick tongue as an Amulet or preservative in their Armpits and with great desire they expect the Christian Sword according to some Turkish prophecies should revenge and free them from those great afflictions and persecutions and that if Christians do it not whatever is the cause or with what minde soever hindred all very ill deserve of Christian Religion A Narration of a dispute with a Turk AFter I had travelled with much labour and many dangers the better parts of the world and seen many pleasant Towns and Countries as Socrates Plato and other Philosophers had diligently done at length I arrived at the famous City of Hungary Varadinum where by chance I met one Dervis Gsielebi a skilful man in the Laws of Mahomet who having dispatched his business with the Governour he very much desired conference with some Christian about Religion on either side This motion of his being published by an Interpreter and none for divers days appearing to encounter him in defence of the Christian cause though many Religious persons were in that Town struck mute and speechless at the courage of one Ethnick Infidel who seemed to me like Israelites that durst not adventure on one uncircumcised Goliah provoking them This I perceiving and grieving in my spirit that in such plenty of Clerks and learned men none was so well armed with Truth as durst though by Interpreters reprove the insolence of such an Heathen then and fearing that so wicked and detestable a silence in so good a Cause with so bad a Man would betray the Truth and render our Saviour Jesus Christ's Opinion with him more ignominious I my self though never called to Ecclesiastical Function undertook the charge of arguing this point of Piety with him and so a prefixed day was agreed on between us when multitudes of of people of each Religion came Spectators of the event The place was in a Monastery of Franciscans the day Whitson-Sunday day of Pentecost where he moved to me first this Question Where God had his being before the Heavens and Earth and therein all things else were created Which Question though it seemed to me not much pertinent to our purpose yet lest he should imagine us ignorant of our great God's universal presence I said He then was in his own being But when that seemed to him somewhat obscure and that he did not sufficiently understand it I then told him He was where he now is Which he understanding denied in the general and said Not so but that he then was in a bright cloud Which when he earnestly affirmed I quoted Genesis for they also read the books of Moses and the Prophets and said If God were in a Cloud before the Foundation of Heaven and Earth then that Cloud must be created before them both and upon further argument on this point being at last convicted he would dispute no further in it but gave me leave to propound some Question to him and for solemnity of that days sake I thought fit to say something thereof and finding these words In the name of God his mercies and the Spirit of them in their Alcoran in the Arabian Tongue and Character I desired him to read them The mystery of the holy Trinity Which when he had considered and wondred at he said Christian from whence had you this for in the beginning of all our actions we Musselmen use these three words and prefix them to every Chapter of our Alcoran when we sit down to eat when we go to prayers when we wash our hands or other parts of our bodies these words we first pronounce and these actions finished we sprinkle our heads with water and repeat these words In the Name of God his Mercies and the Spirit of them When thus he had confessed the Truth I desired to understand from him what he meant by the word Mercies who replied He understood it literally without other signification Then I applied my self to the mystical Interpretation and divided it according to Truth into three Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and shewed them written in the Arabick tongue And when he saw I had mentioned the Son of God he question'd How God could have a Son since according to their Law and Doctrine of Mahomet God had neither Wife nor Childe To whom I answered according to my
wholly destroys them and their Province with fire and sword ruining their Towns and Castles some by violence and force some by craft and treachery customary with wicked men and Turks and so totally vanquished and conquered them And after a few Months had passed this Bassa beholding the Earls rich Provinces and neighbouring with his he took or made occasions to invade him whom at length he kill'd and so reduced all his Territories under the Turkish Government Thus this seditious Atheist Traytor to his Country and his Brethren most ignominiously lost his life for such are the Turks rewards to whomsoever by craft policy or villanous fraud he can lay hold on or ensnare The like was done with some Noble-men of Hungary whom they reduced to miserable captivity Wherefore most Christian Monarchs the cruelties of this Tyrant ought with all industry and vigilance be both feared and prevented lest considering your fair Provinces and viewing them with a fascinating eye he find you disagreeing and thereby infeebled he assault you on all fides not only Candia Calabria Malta and Sicily but even Italy France Spain and Germany and prove an universal scourge and terrour to all Christendome They are wise who by others harms prevent their own you are concerned when your neighbors house is fired But not to trouble you in this kinde I recommend to you most prudent Governours the correction and amendment of this great errour and return to the deplorable calamities and afflictions our Brethren suffer under the yoke of Tribute in the Turks Dominions where some with chains about their necks are dragged through sharp and spiny parts of Thracia and lesser Asia with naked feet in thirst and hunger and if by labour of long journeys diseases or other griefs they die as often happens to men of Quality and bred in ease are hurled stript in the next ditch though not half dead to the care of ravenous fowls others that is young people of either sex endure perforce the filthy lusts of their buyers and their defencers with hideous cryes and howlings of violated and vitiated people the age of six years not defending them others ignorant in husbandry or Mechanick Arts and literated men who are least saleable are for long time driven from Town to Town from Street to Street and being once sold compell'd with clubs and scourges to learn Trades and daily employments in base businesses and grievous pains others of more robustious strength are made slaves to Gallies tied by the legs with chains and most miserably tortured whose sad calamities the power of humane wit cannot express in words And if these poor unfortunate souls could have foreknown that miserable being they 'd rather have chosen a thousand deaths If pains of life and death were e'er commix'd together yea if to live long and many days and die every hour were ever extant it is in Turkie Egyptian servitude Babylonian banishment Assyriack captivity Roman destruction are toyes and trifles to these calamities People who live as it were in the firy Furnace of the Chaldean Hut and crying up to heaven with sighs and groans O Lord how long arise and forsake us not in the end and when oppressed and grieved beyond all hope they turn their eyes again on their own Countries likewise in captivity yet wish themselves rather slaves there then where they are their prayers are not for liberty but change of place and for that cause indifferent for death or or life they turn Fugitives and some leaving their flocks in deserts their Oxen at plow expose themselves to devouration some murthering their Masters and their Children some burning their houses in revenge some run away hiding themselves in Caves and hollow Trees with fearful wants and dangers which I here forbear having given the Reader some taste thereof before And now they turn their cries to you all Christian Monarchs and Governours of Common-wealths Imploring and beseeching the Pope of Rome who should be Father of our Country and all sorts of men belonging to Christ his holy Church That they uniting all sects of men in peace and concord would labour to suppress this common enemy and restore their Brethren unto liberty Imploring and beseeching the Emperor and all Imperial Princes Dukes Cities and Nobility to cool their hot Calentures of ambition and avarice of neighbours rights and set apart domestick quarrels and call together and unite their strengths against so cruel an Usurper and hostile Enemy and labour to defend their present or else recover their lost Territories and then be assured the circumspection of the Spanish Souldiery the warlike fierceness of the Belgick Provinces the quick prudence of the Italian wâ—… the robustiousness and stoutness of the Germans will be easily perswaded by the King of Romans against this universal Enemy remembring you withal No Crown sits so gloriously on an Emperor or Princes head as that which beareth a true Title of the Peoples safety and lawful Liberties Imploring and beseeching the most Christian King of France to employ his helping and heroick Arms in safeguard according to his Title of his Christian Brethrens liberties and his own from Turkish Tyranny Imploring and beseeching the most mighty and potent Kings of England Poland Denmark Swedeland with all Republicks Cities and Corporations Christian to unite and joyn in one their strengths and powers in war against this cankered common Enemy of their Religion Crowns and Dignities Imploring and beseeching all sorts of Powers and Authorities spiritual and temporal to imploy their diligence and shew the worthiness of their callings by correction and amendment of wicked and dissolute loose livers by whom God's wrath is kindled against us and to reduce them to holy Rules of Christian Exercises in living justly soberly and religiously and so render God a true account of Stewardship and prevent the miseries have befallen others drowsie and sleeping inadvertencies Imploring and beseeching both young and old of all sects and conditions godly Christians religious and secular beloved Fathers dear Brethren respected Friends Neighbours and Companions that you all with humble face and countenance pure and sincere hearts and hands devout minds mournful voyces and weeping eyes condole grieve and lament the miseries the calamities of Turkish captives and call unto the Lord of Hosts with violence in pity to his people to avert his anger and not to give them up to the perpetual rebuke of this wicked Infidel most cruel Enemy of Christian Religion and Liberty but to inspire the mindes of Christian Kings and Governours with light of his holy Spirit to reduce them all to unity and concord against this ravenous and insatiable Dragon and grant others such success that these wretched captives their Christian Brethren may be restored to liberty in the worship and adoration of their God our Christ and onely serve him who is for ever blessed that at length the Christian World may be refreshed and eas'd from such perpetual slavery An Exhortation against the Turk I Have often
marvelled with my self most mighty Monarchs when I considered theadvantages which promise Christians victories against the Turk and yet in so many years they attempted none or failed We have Jesus Christ our God who in one only night destroyed the host of Sennacherib who drowned Pharaoh who with a maiden hand of Judith struck off the head of Holopherues and to be brief a God whose will is victory Contrary to which they have Mahomet a wicked man of life and conversation in death yet hanging in his Sepulchre without Resurrection so as there is as much difference between them as is between an ever living Son of an ever living God and a putrid carkass of a son of a mortal man that if we diligently examine the nature of each Power and Authority it would apear like dead men superiors in strength to living Now in abilities of bodies capacities and gifts of understanding we exceed them which are good strengths and fortifications against an enemy and yet we are still defeated Who is more hardy then the Hungarian more stout and robustious then the German more quick and nimble then the Frenchmen more grave and solid than the Spaniard more cautelous and prudent then the Italian more valiant and daring then the English forbearing other Nations the endowments of whose mindes are better or at least equal All these abilities seem able singly to get a victory or at least well to forward it Courage often without much force generosity of minde wisdom forecast ambition of honour and policy oft subdues an Enemy yet notwithstanding wretches as we are amongst so many victorious attributes we get no victories Then if we consider the easie preparation and great furnitures of all sorts of arms we shall appear far to exceed the Turk Guns of all sorts have been our own inventions and the divers kinds of compleat harnesses for horse and foot The Turks Persians Subjects naked or half so march forth to war they have bows we guns that is fire and thunder they have arrows which hardly pierce and Armour we Cannons which Rocks cannot withstand and yet now some Musselmen have Guns and Gunners but few and unskilful Now I pray what other kinde of people use they most in Expeditions Scythians and Thracians who have no Italian or Spanish Spirits onely a kinde of inhumane fierceness ignorance and stolidity to these are added Grecians lost men with ease and laziness Asians corrupt with luxury Aegyptians no less in minde then bodies feebled Arabians bloodless thin and parboyl'd with the Sun Who could imagine such kinde of Souldiery should subdue the great advantages and abilities of those forenamed Nations yet be it spoken with grief our Christians by these are overcome and mastered into servitude and our great Captains are forced to bear arms against us who were born and bred by Ancestors to liberty and in the mean season the Turk laughs at us and the Jew rejoyceth Now if I should consider the Laws and Institutions of Nations we shall be found abundantly superior in that respect for what is more righteous and divine then the Decalogue and holy Gospel written by Gods own Finger and his Spirit what more regular then the Canon-Law more just and equal then the Civil Law Whereas the Turks live by Direction and Dictates of the Alcoran a book of stuff as foolish as full of vanity a book of sport and mirth if pity for the seduced did not allay it though now spread abroad too much and handled amongst Christians so as it may be truly feared we shall learn other Laws or shortly loose our own and turn Turks in our minds and approbations sooner then in our bodies to their Dominion VVhat is then the cause having so many Prerogatives of hopeful War we are always beaten why are our Ensigns adorn'd with Crucifixes fearful formerly to Infidels and Devils now trampled on and slighted I shall tell you in few words and truth We have a God most great most good but alienated from us so far that according to the Prophets saying We scarce are to be named his people for why should Christ remain with us whom we have rent and corn in far more pieces then the Souldiers did his Garment by our hideous Sects Schisms and Heresies Besides his Name what of him is deap unto us The very Plow-man these times is impudent and factious the Citizen fraudulent and avaritious the Magistrate seeks retributions and rewards the Nobility is riotous and lazy the Gentry contentious and proud the Souldier beyond his pay and spoile craves nothing from the War let Scepters fall as they will he is no less grievous to friends and companions then Enemies Church-men besides pomp Ecclesiastical have little of the Church not sanctity not piety and some not fitting erudition seeking their own not Christs advancement that we may say with the Prophet All have declin'd the ways of God and are unprofitable there 's none that doth good not even one Why should we marvel then that Christ is not our Friend We therefore go to war without a God and what is more calamitous with God our adversery We carry Bibles and Crucifixes with us but the crucified by his favour converseth with our enemies our Actions therefore perish and are involv'd in losses And when one Nation fights against the Turk another is employ'd in civil wars calling to his aid Pagans Schismaticks or Hereticks more eagerly to oppose Christ others tend their home-affairs to indulge themselves in ease and voluptuousness The souldier sets not forth for Christ but money which failing soon deserts the field and turns home back again What have we then from those rich Attributes and Eulogies of Germany France England Spain and Italy when the souldier neglects both God and Honour and goes to war as to market a brothel-house or stews to exercise all rapine spoile and lewdness We have good Laws but evil manners good furniture of Arms but wicked dispositions it is our glory to fight among our selves and if we prove coward to enemies there follows little shame or punishment When do we see a Souldier quitting colours or disbanding severely handled which crimes were anciently capital and whole Legions have been decimated and tyth'd for less offences We therefore march with men few in numbers and those corrupt in manners against millions of men well disciplin'd for Turks leave their vices in their houses from whence we carry ours In their Pavilions and Tents no deliciousness Arms onely and necessary provisions in Christians all forts of Table-delicates luxury and riotousness and commonly as many light lascivious Women as Men. What wonder then if they conquer who are preserved by sobriety parsimony diligence fidelity and obedience Let them perish then who lose a field to get a prey who are oftner found amongst Whores and drunk then in good actions but 't is the fault and errour of Superiours when Subjects are not kept in due observance which if Christians were we could not be inferiour