Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	doctrine_n	scripture_n	tradition_n	1,683	5	8.8849	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42631	A description of the present state of Samos, Nicaria, Patmos, and Mount Athos by Joseph Georgirenes ... ; translated by one that knew the author in Constantinople.; Perigraphē tēs parousēs katastaseōs tēs Samou, Ikarias, Patmou, kai Athōnos. English	Geōrgarinēs, Iōsēph, 17th cent.; Denton, Henry, 1633?-1681.	1678 (1678)	Wing G536; ESTC R7929	42,183	134

searchers into Brittish Antiquity do strain hard to make the Cassiterides or the Scilly and Man and Anglesey put in for a claim But the Poets have been more accurate in maintaining the Character of an earthly Paradise and describing a felicity of state beyond that of a Platonick or Utopian Commonwealth than in directing us by any rules of Geography where it is to be found And as they have left it indifferent to the Reader to fix the Local Situation of such Islands where they will so they have left it impossible to any Reader to find such a place in the whole World Indeed it is the high prerogative of great and lasting Wits to affix an esteem and veneration upon those places they make the Stage of their Stories be they true or false But in this point of credit the Islands of the Archipelago do far surpass any other in the World And this is true not only of the licentious and extravagant Fables of their Romantick Mythologie but also in the graver and more creditable Records of sober History They did heretofore in a manner engross the Monopoly of all the Wit and Fancy both of Greece and Rome Insomuch that 't is hardly possible for a man well vers'd in the Greek and Latin Tongues to be a stranger to the antient Geography of these Places And Pliny who was in nothing less erroneous than in this part of his natural History of these Islands does honour the Bay wherein they are situate with the Title of Sinus claritatis literarum A large Encomium and such as no other aggregate body of Islands had equal right to The Japan Philippine and Molucco Islands in the Oriental Ocean are far beyond these for number but the only thing they are sought for is some natural products peculiar to their Soil and Climate in which commendation they do not exceed the late discoveries in the American Ocean but we find not that the World was ever beholding to the one or the other for the Propagation of Learning or Civility Nor is it only famous for the early rise of Humane Learning and civil Culture in the days of Gentilism but also for the early appearance of the more glorious Sun-shine of the Heavenly Doctrin of the Gospel St. John the Divine honoured in the Oracles of God with the peculiar Title of the Disciple whom Jesus loved was once an Inhabitant of these Islands where he founded the Christian Religion and writ that Divine and Mysterious Book which was indeed to him Apocalypse but to all future ages Apocrypha St. Paul that great Apostle of the Gentiles did often cross this Sea to plant the Doctrin of Salvation in all the neighbouring Shores of Europe and Asia And in future ages when the Divine Providence raised up a Christian Emperour to protect his Church from persecution these Islands were the very centre of once the most Orthodox and learned Church in the World To whom we owe not only the transmitting the Holy Scriptures to our knowledge but also the digesting the Doctrin of them into Articles of Faith the defence of Truth against all invasion of Errour the faithful Records of most pure and primitive Tradition the clear Exposition of many obscure passages which without their direction might have been at this day unintelligible and the great advantage of many bearned and elaborate Volumes of Orthodox Divinity both Polemical and Practick And of all those many different Sects of Christianity in the East they have to this day most firmly retain'd the ancient Truths and made the least Deviation into Errour If that ignorance which those barbarous extinguishers of learning the Turks keep them in renders that afflicted Nation obnoxious to be impos'd upon and incapable of knowing better it deserves rather our pity than our contempt and scorn It is rather a Miracle of Gods gracious Providence that under such tyrannous Masters and such proud and contemptuous enemies of the common name of Christianity the light of Evangelical Truth is not only dim'd but utterly extinct as it has hapned in the Latin Church in Africa once inferiour to none for purity of Doctrin and piety and learning in their Professours Yet this cannot be deny'd them but that they accord with us in many things wherein we differ from the Romish Church I may add this more that in the Sacrament of the Eucharist the Greek Church doth not bear that conformity or similitude with the Romish Church as the great Champions for Popery would affix upon them And that will easily appear in these particulars 1. They use not the Elevation of the Host 2. No carrying it in Procession 3. The People stand when they receive it 4. They give it in both kinds to all 5. The bread is of a common sort before Consecration It is besides the business of this Preface to enlarge upon the present State of the Greek Church which the reverend Author hath in some measure done in his account of Samos and Mount Athos And that subject is more largely handl'd by a late learned Author in the Latin and English Tongues All that I shall add is that scarce any part of Greece has less intermixture with the Turks than these Isles where the Greek Language and Religion is less intrench'd upon There are no less than twenty Bishops in the Archipelago some with the Title of Metropolite as Metelyn and Methymia others with the Title of Arch-Bishop as Samos and Andros and some with the bare Title of Bishop as Sciathus Yet neither of the two first differ from the last in any thing but in Title or priority of Place Their jurisdiction is alike it being ordinary here for a Metropolite and an Arch-Bishop to be without a Suffragan The reason is because of the great Revolutions many of the old Bishopricks are lost and the ancient frame of Ecclesiastical Polity much alter'd The Patriarch continues the Title of Metropolite upon all the places that formerly were so and the litle of Arch-Bishop upon those that depend immediately upon the Patriarch without any subjection to a Metropolite although they have no Bishop under their jurisdiction The following Treatise giveth an account of three Islands of the Archipelago and Mount Athos the Great Academy for the Greek Clergy In all these places he liv'd and writes nothing but what he saw or what he receiv'd from the constant Tradition of the places So that as to matters of fact he may be better rely'd upon than those that write of places to which they are great strangers For the Truth of what is related is the main Postulatum of an History A DESCRIPTION Of the ISLE of SAMOS AND Of its present State at this Day SAmos is one of the greatest and most remarkable Islands of the Archipelago situate near the Continent of Asia It is well known that this was the Country of Pythagoras and once was Govern'd by Kings of her own and has made stout resistance against Athens what time they both liv'd

commodious Havens to which it owes its being inhabited though not so well as in former times as appears by the many and great Ruins in it This Island was eminent for those wonderful Revelations which the Blessed Apostle and Evangelist St. John had in it during his banishment thither in the time of the Persecution under Domitian The substance of what is related in that Life of St. John that goes under the Name of Prochorus is generally believ'd in Patmos to this day And though the Author might be of later years than Prochorus the Disciple of St. John as the most judicious Historians of later days do pronounce him to be Yet that the whole contents of that Book should be a meer Fable and nothing but the Product of the Authors invention and fancy is very improbable For though he might take great liberty in the Manner and Circumstance of what he relates yet the Matter and Substance were built upon some foundations of real Truth and such as many Books now not extant and the Streams of Tradition then nearer the Fountain but now run dry might acquaint him with That the Island at St. John's first coming were all Idolaters had people possessed with Devils and were mis-led with Magicians is more than probable That St. John's casting a Devil out of young Apollonides had a great influence on the peoples Conversion and rais'd him the Enmity of a Magician and all that he could draw after him is a thing reasonably credible The Name of Cynops the Magitian is known to all the People to this day yea not without some very improbable circumstances of the Story that St. John should cause him to jump twice into the Sea and the second time to be turn'd into a Rock which now bears his name However it is no small credit to a Place otherwise very inconsiderable that that great Apostle once the peculiarly beloved Disciple who of all the Apostles did alone survive our Saviours judicial coming into his Kingdom of Power and Vengeance upon the Jewish Nation that he should be for no small time an Inhabitant of this Island and there Pen that Mysterious and Sublime Book which to him indeed was Apocalypse but to all others Apocrypha to him a Revelation but to us yet an hidden Mystery like the former Prophecies of the Old Testament that were never rightly understood till actually fulfill'd The Tradition of this Island is very positive that he writ his Gospel here likewise and that upon the Request of the Islanders who at his departure after seven years abode in the Island did importune him to leave them in writing what they ought to believe Whereupon he staid eight days longer to dictate the Gospel to his Disciples that writ it They add more that as he was beginning the Work there hapned a great Thunder and Earthquake whereupon looking up to Heaven he spake those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the beginning was the Word Besides it is a most confirm'd Tradition that the Cavern which now goes by the name of the Holy Grotto was made by the Rupture of the Earth in that Earthquake The Original of this Island as it is at this day is ascribed to St. Christodoulus in the Days of Alexius Comnenus It was Alexius Comnenus the first of that name in whose dayes began the Holy War who reigned the 20 last years of the tenth Century and the 18 first of the eleventh and was contemporary with William the Conquerour and Godfrey of Bulloigne This Christodoulus was Abbot of Latros and had jurisdiction over some 20 Monasteries in Asia near a great Lake about a days Journey and half from Ephesus He being molested by the Turks whose power now mightily encreas'd in Asia obtained leave of the Emperour to build a Monastry in Patmos Whither having transported his Wealth and Family he built a Monastry near the Port of Nestia and named it Rouvali But not liking the place and as the Tradition goes being warned by a Vision and a Voice from Heaven he quitted that Monastry and built another in the highest part of the Island and fortifi'd it with a strong Castle environ'd with high and strong Walls And there he built a Church The Inhabitants that lay scatter'd in the Isle desired leave to build Huts neer the Monastry for their better Shelter and defence in case of any sudden Attaque by Pirats In process of time these Huts were chang'd into fair Houses and by Trade and Commerce became a great Town to the number of 800 Houses and there Inhabited by rich Merchants that traded into all parts But the many Revolutions that have happen'd since have eclips'd the former Glory of the place And their Ships of Merchandise are all dwindl'd into small Fisher Boats and the Inhabitants are all extremely poor About half a mile from this place stands the Holy Grotto where St. John the Evangelist is said to have writ the Apocalypse Here is a small Monastry under the Jurisdiction of a Caloir The Inhabitants of the neighbouring Borough pay great Devotion to this place They talk here of a Fig-Tree whose Figs have naturally the Characters of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apocalypsis Near the Grotto is a stone Font where St. John the Evangelist is said to have baptiz'd The best Port of this Island and of all the Archipelago on the West side towards Naxos is call'd Scala or the Wharf because of a Wharf built of stone for the convenient lading or un-lading of Ships That which renders it free from annoyance of Winds are certain little Islands that shelter it from the East and North-east Winds The Venetian Fleet were wont to winter here during the War of Candy Besides this Port stands an entire Village call'd Phocas without an Inhabitant Here is likewise among old Ruins a Church yet standing which they say was built in St. John's days and they shew something like a Pulpit where they say St. John us'd to Preach 2. Merike whose neighbouring Hills are well stored with Vine-yards 3. Leukes fortify'd with a Castle for the Retreat of the Labourers in the Vine-yards and well supply'd with fresh Fish from a neighbouring Lake 4. Myrsini from the growth of Myrtles hereabouts Here is a Fountain of excellent Water which the People call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hagiasma or Holy-Well 5. St. Nicholas from a Church here dedicated to that Saint 6. St. George's from a Church here dedicated to that Saint This is a convenient place for Ships to take in fresh Water at Two Miles hence are the Ruins of an old Town call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Platys Gialos or the Broad shore but now it is cover'd with the shrub Arbutus which the Greeks call Coumara in old Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it bears a Fruit like a Strawberry but much bigger 7. Turcolimnionos or the Turks Port because it is frequented by the Corsairs Betwixt this place and Port Scala a rich Merchant Nicholas Mathas did lately build a