feare loue beleeue and serue him and then GOD will teach the humble his way and They which will doe his will shall know of his doctrine This is our way to eternall life thus to know him and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ if namely we so learne Christ as the Truth is in Iesus if we become fooles that we may be wise and putting off the old man be renued in the spirit of our minds and put on the new man which after GOD is shapen in righteousnesse and true holinesse Otherwise we know nothing as we ought to know otherwise we know nothing more nor so much as the Deuils know The feare of the Lord is the beginning of this wisedome And for this cause hath he called himselfe and proclaimed those his Names IEHOVA Iehoua strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth c. and the like in other places not that we may know to know a foolish curiositie but that hauing such light we may beleeue and walke in the light that we may be children of the light Iehoua if we may so name it the most essentiall and after the Iewish tradition ineffable name of GOD is not therefore onely reuealed vnto vs that we may know him in himselfe and of himselfe to bee Yesterday to day and the same for euer which is which was which is to come but also as the Creator of whom in whom and for whom are all things and as the Redeemer which is knowne by his Name Iehoua as himselfe interpreteth it by giuing a reall being and accomplishment to his promises In which one name as in others of like signification is expressed the Simplicitie Immutabilitie Infinitenesse Blessednesse Eternitie Life Perfection and other Attributes of GOD. When he calleth himselfe Strong therein is declared his almighty power whether we vnderstand it actually in producing and preseruing all things in Heauen and earth or absolutely whereby he is able to doe euen those things which in his wisedome he doth not whereby he is able to doe all things which either in themselues as implying contradiction or with him as imperfections are not impossible both those kinds not excluding but concluding the power of GOD which because he is Almightie cannot lie or denie himselfe What should I speake of his Wisedome whereby all things are open in his sight both himselfe and his creatures past present or to come and that not as past or future but in one eternall perfect certaine immediate act of knowledge which in regard of second causes are necessary or contingent or in effect but meerely possible and neuer actually subsisting Truth is in him as a roote from whence it is first in the being next in the vnderstanding thirdly in the writing or saying of the creature True he is in himselfe in his workes ordinary and extraordinary and in his Word reuealed by the Prophets and Apostles What should I adde of his goodnesse grace loue Mercie Iustice and other his Attributes and names not yet mentioned as Adonai which signifieth the dominion of GOD due to him by Creation by purchase by mutuall couenant Saddai which signifieth his All-sufficiencie and others Yea in one Chapter Petrus Galatinus rehearseth threescore and twelue names of GOD out of the Rabbines workes multiplyed and diuersified in tenne sorts which make in all seuen hundred and twenty names To dilate of these at large would aske so many large Commentaries and yet euen then should we still find this GOD incomprehensible of whom we may in respect of our capacitie rather say what he is not then what he is whose goodnesse is not to bee distinguished by qualitie or his greatnesse discerned by quantitie or his eternitie measured by time or his presence bounded by place of whom all things are to bee conceiued beyond whatsoeuer we can conceiue The Persons which communicate in this Diuine Nature are three This is their owne witnesse of themselues There are three which beare record in Heauen the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one This mystery was manifested in the baptisme of Christ and in our Baptisme in the name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost The Angels vnto this glorious Trinitie sing their Holy Holy Holy the Scripture it selfe applying that which there may be interpreted of the Father both to the Sonne Ioh. 12.41 and to the Spirit Act. 28.25 These with other places doe also signifie their personall distinction The Creation was not onely the Fathers worke but also of the other Persons as appeareth by that Nowne plurall ioyned to a Verbe singular in the first word of Moses and other like plurall appellations Es 44.24 and Es 54.5 2. Sam. 7.23 and many such places The Apostles apply the couenant worship and workes of GOD mentioned in the Old Testament To the Sonne and Holy Ghost in the New neither can the one be the Sonne or the other the Spirit of GOD naturally and in proper manner of speech but they must also subsist in the same Nature with the Father which being infinite spirituall immutable can be but one which must wholly or not at all be communicated In a word the equalitie the names the properties the works the worship peculiar to GOD are applyed to the Sonne and Holy Ghost equally with the Father Which they that list may learne in such as especially treat of this subiect where this mysterie of the Trinitie is auerred against all Heretikes Iewes and Infidels Yea by some also out of their owne authentike Authors whether they receiue Scriptures Rabbins Philosophers or any other I intend onely to anoint the doore-posts of this house with this Discourse that I may make a fitter entry thereinto leauing the fuller handling of this mysterie to such as purposely frame their whole Edifice with large Common-places hereof which yet alway must be more certainely receiued by Faith then conceiued by reason according to that of IVSTIN MARTYR Vnitas in Trinitate intelligitur Trinitas in Vnitate noscitur id vero quomodo fiat nec alios scrutari velim nec ipse mihi possum satisfacere Thinke of one a threefold light will dazell thee distinguish into three and an infinite Vnitie will swallow thee Vnus si dici debet Vnissimus saith Bernard Hauing thus with trembling hand written of that dreadfull Mysterie of the Trinitie of which we may say Cum dicitur Non dicitur It is not told with telling nor can be described by description The next to be considered are the Works of GOD which are either inward and immanent or outward and transient The inward are eternall and vnchangeable indeed no other but himselfe although accounted and called workes in regard of their effects in the World and of our conceiuing For all the proprieties of GOD are infinite as they are immanent in himselfe yet in
some to call the name of the Lord that is after Rabbi Salomo to apply the name of God to Images Stars and Men But the more likely opinion is that when Adam had obtained a more holy posteritie which was now multiplyed in diuers families Religion which before had been a priuate In-mate in Adams houshold was now brought into publike exercise whereof Prayer hath alwaies been accounted a principall part and God himselfe in both Testaments calleth his house a house of Prayer the calues of the lips and the ejaculations of the heart being the body and soule of Diuine worship whereof Sacrifices were in a manner but the apparel fashioned to that infancy of the Church Of the names of the posteritie of Adam and his hundred yeeres mourning for Abel of Seth his remoouing after Adams death to a mountaine neere Paradise and such other things more sauouring of fabulous vanity in the false-named Methodius Philo and others that follow them I list not to write And wel might Genebrard haue spared his paines in searching for the antiquitie of Popery in this first Age of the World Easily may we grant a Church then truely Catholike in the Posteritie of Seth instructed partly by Reuelations partly by Traditions concerning the Creation the fall the good and euill Angels the promised Seed the Vnitie and Trinitie punishments and repentance for sinne publike and priuate Deuotions and other like Articles gathered out of Moses but for the Rabble of Rabbinicall Dreames which hee addeth herevnto we had need of the implicite faith of some simple credulous Catholike to receiue them as namely Purgatory resembled in the fiery Sword at the entrance of Paradise Free-will grounded on that which GOD speaketh to CAINE Thou shalt rule ouer him the prerogatiue of the elder Brother ouer the yonger falsly applyed to the rule of the minde ouer sinfull lusts the choice of meates in the first Fathers abstinence from flesh fish and wine as hee saith which had not beene permitted to them as it is to vs Traditions when as yet they had no Scripture Superstitious Obsequies to the dead because the Iewes in their office for the dead call vpon the Fathers which lye buried at Hebron namely Adam Eue and the rest to open the gates of Paradise Deuotion to Saints because the Cherubins were set betweene Paradise and Sinners as if their Saints were honoured to keepe them out of Heauen and not the bloudie Sacrifices onely in Abels offering but that vnbloudie Sacrifice so they stile their Masse in the offering of Caine wee enuie them not their Founder yea he finds their Sacrifice of Orders in Gods executing the Priestly function of Matrimony in Adam and Eue of Baptisme in the Breeches which they ware of Penance because GOD said Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne of Confirmation in those words Shee shall breake thy head the Truth will breake their heads for so reading it of Vnction in that Seth went to the Cherub which kept Paradise and receiued of him three graines of the Tree of Life whereof we reade in the Apocalyps the leaues shall heale the Nations with those graines was an Oyle made wherewith Adam was anoyed and the stones put into his mouth whence sprang the Tree whereof the Crosse of our Lord was made hidden by Salomon in the Temple and after in the Poole of Bethesda Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici Did not Genebrard deserue an Archbishopicke or if the obseruation be his did not Petrus Victor Palma which set him forth with such Comments deserue the Palme and Victory for Peters pretended Successors which could find such antiquitie for proofe of their Catholicisme Much good may it doe their Catholike mawes with such Dainties Iust art thou O Lord and iust are thy iudgements which because they will not beleeue thy Truth giuest them ouer to such strong delusions to beleeue so grosse and palpable Lyes CHAP. VII Of the cause and comming of the Floud THus wee haue seene in part the fulfilling of the Prophesie of the Seed of the Woman and of that other of the Serpent in the Posteritie of Caine and Seth. The Family of Caine is first reckoned and their forwardnesse in humane Arts as the children of this World are wiser in their generation in the things of this life which they almost onely attend then the children of light As for the Iewish Dreames that Lamech was blind and by the direction of Tubalcaine his sonne guiding his hand slew Caine supposing it had beene a wilde beast which when he knew so inraged him that he killed his sonne also they that list may follow Moses reckoneth the Generations according to the first-borne in the Posteritie of Seth as enioying the Principalitie and Priest-hood that so the promised Seed of the Woman after such a World of yeares comming into the World might iustifie the stablenesse of GODS promises his Lineall Descent from Adam with a due Chronologie beeing declared After Seth Enosh Kenan Mehalaleel Iared was Henoch the seuenth from ADAM who walked with God whom God tooke away that he should not see death This before the Law and Helias in the Law are Witnesses of the Resurrection being miraculously taken from the Earth into Heauen not by death but by supernaturall changing of their bodies That hee should bee still in an Earthly Paradise and that hee and Elias should come and preach against Antichrist and of him be slaine is a Popish Dreame the Scripture saying that HENOCH was taken away that he should not see death of Elias that he is alreadie come in the person of Iohn Baptist the Spirit and power or spirituall power of walking with GOD reforming Religion and conuerting soules beeing communicated to many of those Ministers which haue lien slaine in the streets of that great Citie This his Assumption is supposed to be visibly done Hee was a Prophet and Iude doth in his Epistle cite a testimonie of his which eyther by Tradition went from hand to hand as it seemeth the whole Word of GOD was deliuered before the dayes of Moses GOD by Visions and Dreames appearing vnto the Patriarkes or else it was written and since is lost Some hold it was penned by some Iew vnder the name of Enoch Augustine thinketh that the Booke entituled Enoch was forged in his name as other Writings vnder the names of Prophets and Apostles and therefore calleth it Apocrypha as Hierome doth also Chrysostome and Theophilact account Moses the first Pen-man of Holy Scripture Although it seemes that Letters were in vse before the floud if Iosephus his testimonie be true who affirmeth that Adam hauing prohpecied two vniuersall destructions one by fire another by water his Posteritie erected two Pillars one of bricke another of stone in both which they writ their inuentions of Astronomie that of stone was reported to remaine in his time Some ascribe this to Seth as
fore-staller of the fish to her owne delicate tooth Mopsus a Lydian after drowned her in the lake of Ascalon where this fish-deuourer was of fishes deuoured They yet esteemed her a goddesse and offered vnto her fishes of gold and siluer and the Priests all day long set before her true Fishes rosted and sodden which after themselues did eate and it is not to be doubted but the metall-mawes of those Ostriges could also digest the other Diodorus Sieulus That hard by a lake full of fish neere vnto Ascalon was a Temple dedicated to this Fish-woman her Storie followeth That shee yeelding to the lust of a young man had by that copulation Semiramis whom now too late repenting of her follie shee exposed on the rockes where shee was nourished by Birds of which Birds called in their language Semiramis shee receiued that name The Shepheards after espying this hospitalitie of the Birds found the childe and presented her to Simma the Kings Shepheard who brought her vp as his owne daughter The mother not able to swallow her shame and griefe cast her selfe into the lake to bee swallowed of the water but there by a new Metamorphosis was turned into a Fish and hallowed for a goddesse and for company the fishes of that lake and the Birds of that Rocke were canonized also in this deifying deuotion In Ascalon was a Temple of Apollo and Herod Father of Antipater Grandfather to Herod the Great hence called Ascalonita was seruant to Apollo's Priest At Accaron was worshipped Ballzebub that is the Lord of Flies either of contempt of his idolatrie so called or rather of the multitude of Flies which attended the multitude of his sacrifices where from the sacrifices of the Temple at Ierusalem as some say were wholly free or for that hee was their Larder-god as the Romane Hercules to driue away flies or for that forme of a Flie in which he was worshipped as Nazianzene against Iulian reporteth He was called Swinthius and as some say Myiodes and Myiagrus howsoeuer one of these names commeth from Mice and the other from Flies such mouse-eaten flie-blowne diuinity did they professe Nec Muscam quarent deum Accaron saith Nazianzene of this Baal or Beelzebub The Arcadians sacrificed and prayed to Myiagrus and by that meanes were freed from danger by Flies Plinie reporteth that at the Olympian games they sacrificed a Bull to Myiodes which done clouds of Flies departed out of that territorie And in another place he sheweth that the Cyrenians sacrificed to the god Achor haply the god Accaron here mentioned when the multitude of Flies caused a pestilence all which Flies thereupon presently dyed The Iewes in detestation of this Idoll tearmed him Beelzebul that is dung-hill or dung-Iupiter Yea Scaliger saith the name Beelzebub was in disgrace also and that the Tyrians and Sydonians did not so call him Baal or Belus being a common surname to their gods which they distinguished with some addition as Iupiter was named Beelsamen Lord of Heauen but the Hebrewes and not the Phoenicians in contempt called him Beelzebub or fly-Lord This was Iupiter Olympius So Iuno was intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Heauenly Shee was painted at Carthage sitting on a Lyon with a Thunderbolt in her right hand in her left a Scepter But for Beelzebub he was there Aesculapius or Physicke-god as appeareth by Ahaziah k who sent to consult with him in his sicknesse And perhaps for this cause the blaspheming Pharisies rather applyed the name of this then any other Idoll to our blessed Sauiour whom they saw indeed to performe miraculous cures which superstition had conceiued of Baalzebub and if any thing were done by that Idoll it could by no other cause bee effected but by the Deuill as tending like the popish miracles to the confirmation of Idolatrie What the deuill had at Beelzebubs shrine to this end performed blinded with rage and malice they imputed to the miracles of Christ which in regard of the Efficient were more excellent then could be Satans impostures as countermaunding him and all his proiects for the matter were meerely supernaturall in the Forme were acted by his will signified by his naked word and for the end which is the onely touch-stone for vs to trie all miracles were to seale no other truth then was contained for substance in the Law and the Prophets which hee came not to destroy but to fulfill If an Angell from heauen yea with heauenly miracles if it were possible should preach vnto vs otherwise Paul biddeth vs to hold him accursed and cursed be that deuill of Hell that vnder colour of miracles one of Antichrists ensignes hath taught the Wolrd to worship the Lipsian Lauretan and I know not what other Ladies not that Virgin on Earth holy in Heauen glorious but their Idol-conceits and idol-blockes of her Our Lord hath taught vs plainly in Matthew to serue God only without sophisticall distinctions As for the Heathenish and Popish and all those other packets of miracles which we receiue by the Iesuits annuall relations from the East and West Indies I esteeme them with Doctor Hall a hall of Elegance That they are either falsly reported or falsely done or falsely miraculous or falsely ascribed to Heauen But I know not how pardon it Reader I am transported to Hale Zichem and Loretto from our Phoenician ports The name of Beelzebub hath beene occasion of this parenthesis But the power of Beelzebub I feare hath induced Bellarmine to fall downe and thus to worship him for his purple aduancement For amongst the Notes of the Church he hath reckoned for one this of miracles maius ipse miraculum a greater miracle hee that now will not beleeue without miracles that Gospel which at first was thereby sufficiently proued We reade that the Iewes seeke for signes and are therefore called an euill and adulterous generation and not onely false Christs and false prophets and Antichrist himselfe but the heathens had their Legends of miracles as the whole course of our Historie will shew Goe now and reckon a Catalogue of miracles through all Ages euen to the time of blessed Ignatius and his Societie and aske of vs miracles for proofe of our doctrine Our doctrine hath alreadie by the Apostles and Prophets Pen-men of holy Scriptures beene prooued that way and we leaue to you the stile of Mirabiliarij Miracle-mongers which Augustine for like bragges of things miraculously wrought by them giueth the Donatists With vs Miracles must be prooued by the Truth and the Church and not they by miracles But let vs come backe to Phoenicia The Phoenicians are accounted first Authors of Arithmeticke and Astronomie as also of the Art of Nauigation Prima ratem ventis credere docta Tyrus saith Tibullus and obserued the North-starre to that Sea-skill The Sydonians are reputed first authors of Weights and Measures Herodotus affirmeth that the Phoenicians which
the very middle of the world That in the Messiahs dayes Wheate shall grow without renewing by Seed as the Vine But of these and the like more then enough in this booke following L. Carretus a Conuert from the Iewes setteth downe these size as the maine differences betwixt them and vs The Trinitie the Incarnation the manner of his comming whether in humilitie or royaltie the Law ceremoniall which the Iew holdeth eternall saluation by and for our owne workes which the Christian ascribeth to Faith in Christ crucified and lastly of the time of his comming whether past or present To these he thinketh all other may be referred But let vs examine the particulars CHAP. XIIII Of the Iewish opinions of the Creation their Ceremonies about the birth of a Child Of their Circumcision Purification and Redemption of the first-borne and Education of their Children §. I. Of their Exposition of Scripture a taste in Gen. 1.1 THeir Exposition of Scripture is so absurd that wee haue hence a manifest argument that as they denyed the Sonne that Eternall Word and Truth whose written word this is so that Spirit which indited the same the Spirit of Truth hath put a vayle on their heart and iustly suffered the spirit of errour to blind their eyes that seeing they should see and not vnderstand This will appeare generally in our ensuing Discourse but for a taste let vs begin with the beginning of Moses whereon R. Iacob Baal Hatturim hath left to the world these smoakie speculations The Bible beginneth with Beth the second letter in the Alphabet and not with Aleph the first because that it is the first letter of Beracha which signifieth blessing this of Arour that is a curse Secondly Beth signifieth two insinuating the two-fold Law written and vnwritten for Bereshith hath the letters of Barashetei first hee made secondly Lawes thirdly Bereshith the first word of Genesis hath as many letters as Aleph be Tishrei that is the first of Tishrei or Tisri on which the Iewes say the world began fourthly Bereshith hath the letters of Baijth roshe that is the first Temple which he knew the Iewes would build and therefore created the world fiftly it hath the letters of Iare shabbath that is to keepe the Sabbath for God created the world for the Israelites which keepe the Sabbath sixtly also of Berith esh which signifieth the Couenant of fire to wit Circumcision and the Law another cause of the creation seuenthly likewise it hath the letters of Bara iesh that is hee created as many worlds as are in the number Iesh that is three hundred and ten that the Saints might reioyce therein Now if I should follow them from these letters and spelling to their mysticall sententious exposition of greater parts of the sentence you should heare Moses tell you out of his first words that the world was created for the Talmudists for the sixe hundred and thirteene precepts because hee loued the Israelites more then the other people Againe that hee foresaw the Israelites would receiue the Law but hee is now an Asse saith he which beareth Wine and drinketh water There are in the first verse seuen words which signifie the seuen dayes of the weeke seuenth yeere of rest seuen times seuenth the Iubilee seuentimes seuen Iubilees seuen Heauens seuen lands of Promise and seuen Orbes or Planets which caused Dauid to say I will praise thee seuen times a day There are 28. letters in it which shew the 28. times of the World of which Salomon speaketh Eccles 3.1 There are in it sixe Alephs and therefore the world shall last sixe thousand yeeres So in the second verse The earth was without forme and voyde are two Alephs which shew the world should bee two thousand yeeres voyde now in the third verse are foure Alephs which shew other foure thousand yeeres two of which should bee vnder the Law and two vnder Messias §. II. Their Dreames of Adam NOw for the first man his body saith R. Osia in the Talmud was made of the earth of Babylon his head of the land of Israel his other members of other parts of the world So R. Meir thought hee was compact of the earth gathered out of the whole earth as it is written Thine eyes did see my substance now it is elsewhere written The eyes of the Lord are ouer all the earth There are twelue houres of the day saith R. Aha in the first whereof the earth of Adam or earthly matter was gathered in the second the trunke of his body fashioned in the third his members stretched forth in the fourth his soule infused in the fift hee stood vpon his feet in the sixt hee gaue names to the Creatures in the seuenth Eue was giuen him in marriage in the eighth they ascended the bed two and descended foure in the ninth hee receiued the Precept which in the tenth he brake and therefore was iudged in the eleuenth and in the twelfth was cast out of Paradise as it is written Man continued not one night in honour The stature of Adam was from one end of the world to the other and for his transgression the Creator by laying on his hand lessened him for before faith R. Eleazar with his head he reached a reacher indeed the verie firmament His language was Syriacke or Aramitish saith R. Iuda and as Reschlakis addeth the Creator shewed him all generations and the wise-men in them His sinne after R. Iehuda was heresie R. Isaac thinketh the nourishing his fore-skin He knew or vsed carnall filthinesse with all the beasts which GOD brought vnto him before Eue was made as some interpret R. Eleazar and R. Salomon but Reuchline laboureth to purge them of that sense who affirmeth that hee had an Angell for his Master or Instructor and when he was exceedingly deiected with remorse of his sinne GOD sent the Angell Raziel to tell him that there should be one of his progenie which should haue the foure letters of Iehouah in his name and should expiate originall sinne And heere was the beginning of their Cabala and also presently hereupon did hee and Eue build an Altar and offer sacrifice The like offices of other Angels they mention to other Patriarchs and tell that euery three moneths are set new watches of these watchmen yea euery three houres yea and euery houre is some change of them And therefore wee may haue more fauour of them in one houre then another for they follow the disposition of the starres so said the Angell Samael which wrestled with him vnto Iacob Let mee goe for the day breaketh for his power was in the night But let me returne to Adam of whom they further tell that he was an Hermaphrodite a man-woman hauing both Sexes and a double bodie the Female part ioyned at the shoulders and backe parts to the Male their countenances turned from each other This is proued by Moses his words So GOD created man
the Aethiopian and Calliata Ellecedi which vpon emulation composed also euery one an Alcoran glory of those their Workes containing more honestie and truth Neither hath it pleased any noble or wise man but the rude vulgar of which sore the wearie Labourers gladly gaue eare to his promise of Paradise the poore delighted to heare of Gardens in Persia and Bankrupts and Felons easily listened to securitie and libertie The language is vulgar Postellus also testifieth and without all Art of Grammar such as is obserued of their learned Writers without all bounds of reason or eloquence The Method is so confused that our Arabian Author who liued before it was so generally embraced and in freer times saith That hee had heard euen good Saracens affirme with griefe that it was so mixed and heaped together that they could finde no Reason in it Bad Rime as you haue heard and worse Reason Hierome Sauanorola hath the like saying That no man can finde herein any order Nor could so confused and foolish a Worke proceed from any naturall or supernaturall light It is yet craftily contriued when hee hath set downe some wicked doctrine presently to lace and fringe it with precepts of Fasting Prayer or good manners alwayes taking away things hard to bee beleeued or practised and where it deliuereth any truth it is maymed with defect eclipsed with obscuritie and serueth for a stale to falshood Erpenius hath translated the Chapiter of Ioseph containing a hundred and eleuen Verses the second of which calls it Coran and the next Alcoran the Article added His Annotation is Per verbum Dei intelligunt legem suam qua Coranus ipsis dicitur quam Muhamed ijs persuasit coelitus ad se demissam And although the matter bee absurd and impious yet he saith others perhaps haue of zeale said otherwise that this Coran is composed with such puritie of speech accurate analogie and expressed with perfection of writing that deseruedly it is to them the matter and rule of Grammar They call it Koran of a word which signifies to read as a reading Lecture or collection of Chapiters as the learnedst Arabs will haue it It is not much lesse then the New Testament in words The Arabs extoll it aboue all creatures and ranke it next to God and thinke him vnworthy to liue which toucheth it vnreuerent as a contemner of God They vse it therefore with all reuerence nor will permit a Christian or a Iew to touch it to sit on it is a grieuous crime capitall to Iewes or Christians Nor may they themselues touch it vnwashed and therefore write on the couer thereof Let no man touch it but he which is cleane In it are one hundred and fourteen Chapiters of vnequall quantitie that of Ioseph the twelfth the second as large as the last fortie The first is but of six Verses and therefore not reckoned a Chapiter by our Country-man Robert of Reading who also diuides the fiue following into more by tenne that the seuenth is his seuenteenth Euery Chapiter hath the name of the first word or of the subiect as this is called Ioseph the first opening because it presents it selfe at the opening of the booke It was composed out of diuers papers of Muhamed found at his house which hee professed to receiue from Gabriel at diuers times by Abubecr his father in law the Numa of that Saracen Empire Each Chapiter is called Souraton and with the Article Assurato whence the Latine call it Azoara z. for ss and o. a for o. u as in the word Alcoran it is not to be construed vultus but gradus a degree or step for these steps the whole is passed and each of these was a lesson also to be conned of children and of his disciples After these fancies had caused him to bee expelled Mecca he fled ten dayes off to Iatfrib and there diuulged the rest This is called Medina and Medinatalnabi the Citie of the Prophet and hence some Chapiters haue title of Mecca some of Medina This flight was the fifteenth of Iuly at night A. 622. which is their Aera or computation of their yeeres reckoned by the Moone so that their 1026. began the twentie ninth of December A. D. 1616. Euery Chapiter consists of Verses very vnequall and lame affected rithmes Yea sometimes a sentence is patched in to make vp a rithme Before euery Chapiter is prefixed Bismillahirrahmanirrahimi for so they read it coined together with Articles as if it were all one word the signification is In nomine Dei miseratoris misericordis that is In the name of God shewing mercie mercifull which is as much as summè misericordis exceedingly mercifull or mercifull in Act and Nature To these words they ascribe innumerable mysteries and vertues so that they thinke that almost no worke can haue good successe vnlesse they preface it with this sentence Therefore in the beginning of their bookes they vse it and whatsoeuer businesse they goe about if it be to mount their horse or set forth to rowe a boat c. as I haue beene told Also there are in the beginning of Chapiters fourteene mysticall words of the signification whereof the Arabs professe their vncertaintie and Abubecr was wont to say That in euery booke God kept somewhat secret to himselfe which in the Alcoran were those mysticall beginnings of Chapiters Diuers haue diuersly deuised to hunt out Cabalisticall senses and state-periods with other vanities from them They hold that all the Alcoran was sent in one night which they call therefore nox demissionis nox potentiae and lest it might breed a contradiction that some parts were deliuered at Mecca for so it must be written not Mecha they say that Muhamed receiued them by pieces of the Angell as occasions required but hee from God all in one night and so they will haue the name signifie also a booke sent from heauen Thus much Erpenius in his Annotations on that Chapiter wherein also he blameth the old translation of Robert Reading as in other things so in that that when his mistresse brought Ioseph before other women they were all saith the translation menstruous and cut their hands saying hee was rather an Angel then a man He translates for menstruate sunt magnificarunt eum they magnified him adding concerning that cutting off the hand that it is still an vse of the Arabs Persians and people of the East to expresse loue My friend Mr. Bedwel fortie yeeres studious of Arabike hath told mee that that translation of Reading is generally reasonable well done nor is so faultie as some will haue it or much reading supply that way As for other supply it needs a sword like that Gordian knot rather then a penne that as by the sword it hath beene obtruded on the world as a iust punishment of ingratitude to the Sonne of God the eternall Truth and not by reasons or Scriptures which it corrupts mingles mangles maimes as the Impostors obliuion sometimes sometimes
obtaine Diuine fauour Az. 2. The Creator said I am the onely Creator alwayes the same pittifull mercifull besides whom there is none other whose miracles and great workes are vnto the wise the frame of Heauen and Earth the intercourse of night and day the ships in the Sea fit for the vse of men raine for the refreshing of the earth the composition of all creatures the windes the cloudes c. 15. Inuoke and worship one GOD alone 43. All the miracles of GOD cannot bee written if all the Trees in the world were pennes and the Sea seuen times greater and were inke with whom it is a small thing to raise the dead OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST hee writeth thus Azo 29. Wee sent our Spirit to Marie the best of all women and the wombe vntouched Azoar 31. in likenesse of a man professing himselfe a Diuine Messenger concerning a Sonne c. And when shee in trauell plained Christ came from vnder her and said Feare not and when some chid with her about the childe the childe it selfe made answere I am the Seruant and Prophet of God Hee saith the Iewes did not slay Christ but one like him Azo 11. and vpbraideth them for not receiuing him Azo 2. and chap. 4. To Christ the Sonne of Marie properly communicating our owne soule wee haue giuen him strength and power more then other Prophets yet chap. 13. he disclaimeth that worship which is done him and his mother Az. 4. Wee giuing our soule to Christ the Sonne of Marie preferred him before all others that had beene exalted by me to speake with GOD to power and vertue He inserteth the Prayer of the Virgins Mother when shee felt her selfe with childe by Ioachim and maketh Zacharie to bee the Virgins Tutor 5. Who hee saith for his vnbeliefe was dumbe three dayes The Angell saluted Marie saying O thou the purest of all women and men deuoted to GOD. Ioy vnto thee of that great Messenger with the Word of GOD whose name is IESVS CHRIST an excellent man at the command of the Creator he shal come with Diuine power with knowledge of all learning with the Booke of the Law and Gospell shall giue Commandements to the Israelites shall giue life cure diseases shew what is to be eaten and to be done shall confirme the Old Testament shall make some things lawfull which before were vnlawfull c. Hee acknowledgeth that his Mother knew not man 11. They say the Iewes that they killed Christ the Sonne of Marie the Messenger of GOD but it was not true but they crucified in his stead another like him for the incomprehensible GOD caused him to goe vnto Him IESVS is the Spirit and Word and Messenger of GOD sent from heauen 11. And GOD spake to him Az. 13. and gaue him a cleane and blessed soule whereby he made yellow formes of birds and breathing on them made them flie Hee cured one borne blinde and the leprous and raised the dead GOD taught him the Booke and Wisdome and the Gospell and Testament Concerning his LAVV and ALCORAN he handleth it in the second Chapter of Azoara which beginneth thus In the name of the mercifull and pittifull God This booke without any falshood or errour shewing the Truth to them which loue feare and worship GOD and are studious of prayers and almes and the obseruation of the lawes giuen of GOD from heauen to thee and other thy Predecessors and the hope of the world to come hath manifested the true Sect For this bringeth the followers thereof to the highest inricheth them with the highest good as to the vnbeleeuers and erroneous it menaceth truely the greatest euill to come This hee after applieth to Paradise and Hell which is due to the Enemies of Gabriel which intimateth this Booke to his heart by the Creator and to all the Enemies of GOD and Michael and the Archangels This his Alcoran hee calleth the establishing of the Law of the Israelites and Azo 21. hee arrogateth to his Booke wisdome and eloquence and 47. hee saith it was composed of the incomprehensible and wise GOD euery where agreeing with it selfe and calleth it 63. the Booke of Abraham and 69. if it should be placed on a Mountaine that Mountaine for Diuine feare would be dissolued Those which will not be conuerted take and slay by all meanes intrapping them and fight against them till they be your Tributaries and Subiects And 18. the fifth part of all the prey is due vnto GOD and his Prophet and to your Kindred and Orphans and the poore Those that are taken in Warre kill or make slaues but pardon them if they will turne to your Law and GOD also will pardon them Such good Warriours shall haue full pardon The Iewes and Christians contrarie to that he had said before let GOD confound He hath sent his Messenger with the right way and good law that he may manifest and extoll it aboue all lawes Of the twelue moneths foure are to be consecrated to fight against the enemies Those that refuse this war-fare lose their soules and they which flie in the day of battell Az. 6. doe it by the Deuils instigation thus punishing them for their former sinnes Yea the Deuils themselues Az. 56. being conuerted thereby say to their Diobolicall Nation We haue heard a Booke sent after Moses which approoueth all his sayings and teacheth the true and right way And Az. 12. he calls the Alcoran a Booke of truth sent from aboue a Confirmer of Christs Precepts Hee saith Az. 15. That Moses deliuered some things in writing more vnwritten He makes his Booke to bee the same which GOD had taught Abraham Ismael Isaac Iacob Moses and CHRIST Az. 5. he saith his booke containes some things firme and without exception some things contrarie which froward men peruert to controuersies but the exposition thereof belongs to GOD onely and to the wisest which beleeue that all of it came from God Az. 6. he excites them to defend it when hee shall be dead or slaine and God will reward them Neither can any die but by the will of God to wit in the time appointed They which in the expedition shall haue pardon which is better then all possessions and an easie iudgement And they which die in the wayes of God are not to bee esteemed dead for they liue with GOD. That life is firme this and all worldly things mutable 7. If the Alcoran Az. 9. were not of God it would haue many contrarieties in it which himselfe yet Az. 5. confesseth They which are well Az. 10. and remaine at home are not of like merit as they which goe to warre The fire of hell is hotter then the danger of warre And although thou Prophet shouldest pardon the resisters of God and his Messenger seuentie times yet God will neuer pardon them The sicke and weake and such as haue not necessaries are excused from this necessitie of warre but to the good Warriours God giueth Paradise in reward of
tell his Disciples the Historie of the Arke Who told them that by the weight of the Ordure the Arke leaned on the one side whereupon Noe consulting with GOD was bidden bring the Elephant thither out of whose dung mixed with mans came forth a Hog which wrooted in that mire with his snout and by the stinke thereof was produced out of his nose a Mouse which gnawed the boords of the Arke Noe fearing this danger was bidden to strike the Lion on the forehead and by the Lions breath was a Cat engendred mortall enemie to the Mouse But to returne from this stinking tale to refresh our selues with the like sweets of this Paradise He addeth that there they haue the wiues that here they had and other Concubines whom how when wheresoeuer they will Abd. But why is Wine lawfull there and here vnlawfull Mah. The Angels Arot and Marot were sometime sent to instruct and gouerne the world forbidding men Wine iniustice and murther But a woman hauing whereof to accuse her husband inuited them to dinner and made them drunke They inflamed with a double heat of Wine and Lust could not obtaine that their desire of their faire Hostesse except one would teach her the word of ascending to heauen and the other of descending Thus she mounted vp to heauen And vpon enquirie of the matter shee was made the Morning-Sarre and they put to their choice whether they would bee punished in this world or in the world to come they accepting their punishment in this are hanged by chaines with their heads in a pit of Babel till the day of Iudgement Hell saith Mahomet there hath the floore of Brimstone smoakie pitchy with stinking flames with deepe pits of scalding Pitch and sulphurous flames wherein the damned are punished daily the trees beare most loasome fruits which they eate The day of Iudgement shall be in this sort In that day GOD will command the Angel of Death to kill euery Creature which being done hee shall aske him if nothing bee aliue Adreiel the Angell of Death shall answere Nothing but my selfe Then goe thy waies betwixt Paradise and Hell and last of all kill thy selfe Thus he folded in his wings prostrate on the earth shall strangle himselfe with such a bellowing noise as would terrifie the verie Angels if they were aliue Thus the world shall bee emptie fortie yeeres Then shall GOD hold the Heauen and Earth in his fist and say Where are now the mightie men the Kings and Princes of the World Tell mee if yee be true whose is the Kingdome and Empire and Power Repeating these words three times he shall rise vp Seraphiel and say Take this Trumpet and goe to Ierusalem and sound This Trumpet is of fiue hundred yeeres iourney At that sound all Soules shall come forth and disperse themselues vnto their owne bodies and their bones shall be gathered together Fortie yeeres after hee shall sound againe and then the bones shall resume flesh and sinewes After fortie yeeres the third sound shall warne the Soules to re-possesse their bodies and a fire from the West shall driue euery creature to Ierusalem When they haue here swum fortie yeeres in their owne sweat they shall with much vexation come to Adam and say Father Adam Father Adam Why hast thou begotten vs to these miseries and torments Why sufferest thou vs to hang betweene hope and feare Pray to GOD that hee will finish his determination of vs between Paradise and Hell Adam shall excuse his vnworthinesse for his disobedience and send them to Noe Noe will post them to Abraham Abraham to Moses He shall send them to Iesus Christ To him they shall come and say The Spirit Word and Power of GOD let thy pitie moue thee to make intercession for vs He shall answer them That which you aske you haue lost I was indeed sent vnto you in the power of GOD and Word of Truth but yee haue erred and haue made me GOD more then euer I preached to you and haue therefore lost my benefit But goe to the last of the Prophets meaning him with whom thou now talkest Abdia Then shall they turne to him and say O faithfull Messenger and friend of GOD we haue sinned heare vs holy Prophet our only hope c. Then shall Gabriel present himselfe to helpe his friend and they shall goe to the Throne of GOD. And GOD shall say I know why you are come Farre be it that I should not heare the prayer of my faithfull one Then shall a bridge be made ouer Hell and on the top of the bridge shall bee set a ballance wherein euery mans workes shall bee weighed and those which are saued shall passe ouer the bridge the other shall fall into Hell Abd. How many bands of men shall there be in that day Mahom. An hundred and twentie of which three only shall be found faithfull and euery Band or troupe of men shall be in length the iourney of a thousand yeeres in breadth fiue hundred Abd. What shall become of Death Mah. He shall be transformed into a Ram and they shall bring him betweene Paradise and Hell Then shall arise much dissentions betweene these two peoples through feare of the one and hope of the other But the people of Paradise shall preuaile and shall slay Death betweene Paradise and Hell Abd. Thou O Mahomet hast ouercome and I beleeue that there is but one GOD Almightie and thou art his Messenger and Prophet In this long and tedious Summarie of that longer and more tedious Dialogue compared with the former Iewish opinions touching their Behemoth Leuiathan Ziz Ierusalem Swines flesh the Angell of Death and other their superstitious opinions it may appeare that the Iewes were forward Mint-masters in this new-coyned Religion of Mahomet In the beginning of this Dialogue are mentioned their fiue Prayers and their Ramadam or Ramazan Of which that Arabian Noble-man in confutation of the Alcoran writeth thus He which hath fulfilled these fiue Prayers shall bee praised in this world and in the next They are as follow Two kneelings in the morning after-noone foure at Vespers or a little before Sun-set foure after Sun-set foure at their beginning of supper two and after supper when it is darke two in all eighteene kneelings in a day Their Lent or Fast of the Moneth Ramazan is thus In the day time they must fast from Meate Drinke and Venerie till the Sunne bee downe then is Riot permitted them till a white threed may be discerned from a blacke But if any be sicke or in iourneying he may pay at another time the same number of dayes Sampsates Isphacanes a Persian in a letter written to one Meletius which had conuerted to Christianitie and fled to Constantinople to reduce him to his former vomit alleageth this saying of GOD to Mahomet I haue made all things for thee and thee for mee obiecteth to Christians the worship of three Persons the Father Mother and Sonne the worship of many gods And
soot and tastes not much vnlike it good they say for digestion and mirth Of the boyes which some Coffa-men keepe as stales wee haue spoken before Optum they much vse it seemes for the giddinesse and turbulent dreames it causeth which they as all kinde of stupifying astonishment and madnesse religiously affect This perhaps the cause why Tobacco is so liked a thing brought them by the English the worst here passing currant and excellent there But Morat Bassa not long since caused a pipe to be thrust through the nose of a Turke and so be led in derision through the Citie They take it through reeds with great heads of wood annexed The vnder garments of the women differ little from those of the men These weare on their heads a cap sugar-loafe-fashion the better sort vse Bracelets and Iewells When they goe abroad they weare ouer all long gownes of violet or scarlet cloth tyed close before the large sleeues hanging ouer their hands They haue the sweetest children that are lightly seen which they carry astride on their shoulders They anoint their bodies with the earth of Chios which makes the skinne soft white and shining freeing the face from wrinkles For the Readers further pleasure I haue here presented a Turkish Woman in Picture They vse their bond women with little lesse respect then their wiues Their Markets yeeld Men Women Virgins Children to as ample tryall and full purchase as Horses with vs saue that the Men-slaues may compell their Masters before the Cadi to limit the time of their bondage or set a price of their redemption or else to sell them to another But Galley slaues are seldome released or those that belong to great men beyond the Cadies authoritie They buy little children and geld many of them as you haue heard which some say was begun by Selym the second after he had seene a Gelding couer a Mare and by Menauinus his relation of himselfe seemes not practised in his father Baiazets time These are in great repute with their Masters yea the second Vizier of the Port is now an Eunuch For Arts some haue some little knowledge in Philosophie Necessitie hath taught them the practise of Physicke not the grounds of Arts In Astronomie they haue some insight and vndertake to tell fortunes They haue a good gift in Poetrie Their Musicke is very vile The Grand Signior was once perswaded to heare some Italian Musick but while they spent much time in tuning hee perhaps esteeming that their Musick commanded them to depart Logick and Rhetorick they reiect Some write Histories but few read them thinking none dare write the truth of the present or can of the times past Printing they reiect the most of their Priests liuing by writing Euery one hath some trades such lightly as serue their owne turnes a lazie people more esteeming ease then profit yet very couetous seldome holding compact with the Christians that holds not with their commoditie CHAP. XI Of the Religious places amongst the Turkes their Meschits Hospitalls and Monasteries with their Liturgie and Circumcision §. I. Of their Temples A description of S. SOPHIES THE places of most Religion to the Turkes abroad are those which Mahumet himselfe polluted with his irreligion as Mecca Medina c. The places of most Religion amongst themselues are their Mosches or Meschits that is their Temples and Houses of Prayer whereof they haue many in all Turkie and next thereunto their Hospitals for the reliefe of the poore impotent and Pilgrims Neither are the Turkes sparing in these or the like seeming charitable expences For when a Turke falleth sicke and thinketh he shall thereof dye hee sends for his friends and kinsfolkes and in their presence maketh his Testament the greatest Legacies whereof are bequeathed to publike vses which they thinke will be meritorious to their soules Such are the making and repayring of Bridges Cawseyes Conduits to conuey water to their Hospitalls or Temples Some also giue to the Redemption of Captiues Many of their Women the deuouter Sexe whether in Religion or superstition bequeath money to bee distributed amongst such Souldiers as haue slaine any certaine number of Christians a deed in their conceit very religious These are the Wills and Deeds of the inferiour sort But the Emperors and great Bassaes appoint Legacies to expresse a greater magnificence with their deuotion as the building of Temples and Hospitalls Their Temples or Meschites are for the most part foure square not much vnlike to our Churches but larger in length then bredth The Temple of St. Sophie in Constantinople is of all other in the Turkes Dominion the most admirable built long since by Iustinian and by Mahumet the Conqueror peruerted to this Mahumetan vse aboue nine hundred yeeres after Of this Temple they write that it was first built by Constantius sonne of Constantius the Great with a roofe of timber and burnt by the Arrians in the time of Great Theodosius who againe repayred it Sozomenus saith that in the broyles which hapned not long after in the raigne of Arcadius and Honorius about Chrysostome the Church was fired his enemies ascribing it to his partakers and they againe to his Aduersaries It is reported that Theodosius Iunior rebuilt it But in the time of Iustinian Procopius testifieth that base and wicked men burnt it againe which Iustinian built a-new in such sumptuous and manificent sort that in regard of this change it might haue beene wished that it had perished long before His chiefe worke-men were Anthemius and Isidorus who raised it into a most goodly frame which might amaze the beholders and seeme incredible to the hearers Both he and Euagrius recite the particulars The length was two hundred and threescore feet the bredth one hundred and fifteene the height a hundred and fourescore Zonaras Agathias and Georgius Cedrenus tell of the harmes it receiued by Earthquakes whiles Iustinian liued which yet he repaired as did Basilius and Andronicus after him Nicephorus saith that Constantine raised the Temple of Peace which before was but small to that large and stately greatnesse which in his dayes it retayned and his sonne Constantius finished the Temple of Sophia so neere it that they seemed to haue but one wall It was founded by Constantine his fa her and was burnt in a sedition of the people in the raigne of Iustinian in which rebellion thirtie thousand of the people were slaine and partly to pacifie the wrath of GOD saith hee for so great a slaughter hee built this Temple From the side of the Temple hee tooke foure hundred twentie and seuen Pillars or Images of Heathen gods and of the twelue signes of the Zodiake and fourescore Statues of Christian Emperours which hee didistributed in the Citie But more then enough of the ancient structure thereof As it is at this day diuers haue described it but of them all most diligently Petrus Gellius The walls and roofes thereof are of
his head They made the people beleeue he was conceiued of Lightning He had a Chappell assigned to him and called by his name Hee was kept in a place enclosed before which was a Hall and in that another enclosed Roome for the Dame or Mother of Apis. Into this Hall they brought him when they would present him to strangers Psammetichus was the founder of this building borne vp with Collosses or huge statues of twelue Cubits in stead of Pillars and grauen full of figures Once a yeere he had sight of a Female chosen by especiall markes and slaine the same day On a set day which he might not out-liue according to their rituall Bookes they drowned him in the bottome of a sacred Fountayne and then buried him as aforesaid with much mourning After this solemnity it was lawfull for them to enter into the Temple of Serapis Darius to curry fauour with the Egyptians offered an hundred Talents to him that could find out a succeeding Apis Of this Apis thus writeth Saint Augustine Apis was the King of the Argiues who sayling into Egypt and there dying was worshipped by the name of Serapis their greatest God This name Serapis was giuen him sayth Varro of his Funerall Chest called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and from thence Serapis as if one should say Sorosapis after Serapis It was enacted that whosoeuer should affirme that he had beene a man should be done to death Hence it is that in the Egyptian Temples Harpocrates an Image holding his finger on his mouth is ioyned a companion to Isis and Serapis in token of concealing their former humanitie Suidas sayth that Alexander built vnto him a magnificent Temple of which and of this Serapis wee shall largely declare in the next Chapter Viues out of Nymphodorus sayth that this carkasse in that Chest whereof the name Serapis was deriued was of a Bull not of a Man Eusebius nameth two Kings called by this name Apis one a Sicyonian the other of Argos the first more ancient the other the Sonne of Iupiter and Niobe called after Serapis But Apollodorus affirmeth him the Sonne of Phoroneus and Brother of Niobe And therefore the Sicyonian King is more likely to be the Egyptian Apis Builder of Memphis for the other dyed in Peloponnesus which of him was called Apia Caelius Calcaguinus affirmeth that their Apis was but the symbole of the soule of Osiris and that Serapis is an Egyptian word and signifieth ioy and mirth But who can find truth in falsehood or certainty in Superstitious errors The markes of the next Apis were these All his body was blacke with a white starre in his fore-head after Heredotus or in his right side sayth Pliny like vnto a horned Moone For he was sacred to the Moone sayth Marcellinus On his backe hee had the shape of an Eagle a knot on his tongue like a Beetle If such an one might seeme impossible to be found as no doubt it was rare and therefore costly Augustine attributeth it to the Deuils working presenting to the Cow in her conception such a phantasticall apparition the power of which imagination appeareth in Iacobs example But what a beastly stirre haue we here me thinkes I heare some whining Reader say about Beasts and Buls I answere That it deserueth the more full relation both for the multitude of Authors which mention something of this History for the Antiquitie and especially for the practice of the same Superstition in Aarons and Ieroboams Calues after their returne from Egypt the Schoole of this Idolatry Besides this Apis of Memphis they in other places obserued others as Mneuis a blacke Bull consecrated to the Sunne as Apis was to the Moone with his haires growing forward worshipped at Heliopolis Bacis another that was fayned to change colour euery houre at Hermunthus besides Onuphis and Menuphis other-where Thus by Sinne Beasts became Gods Men became Beasts if this be not a baser degree of basenesse to worship Beasts and in them Deuils to content themselues with meane houses and neuer to be contented with the magnificence and sumptuousnesse of their Temples to Beasts Splendida fana cum lucis Templa cum vestibulis porticibus admirandis introgressus autem vide bis adorari felem c. that is They haue glorious Chappels with Groues and stately Temples with goodly Gate-wayes and Porches but when you are within once you shall see nothing but a Cat or some such Carrion worshipped c. And euen at this day in Cayro and other places of Egypt they account it according to their Mahumetane Superstition no small point of charitie to bee bountifull and liberall to Birds which they will redeeme to libertie and to Dogges Cats and other Beasts setting them meate and good prouision at appointed times As for the Camell that hath carried the Alcoran at Mecca in their Pilgrimage yee haue heard alreadie how religious they esteeme the touch thereof Dousa saw the like at Constantinople some plucking off his haires as holy relikes some kissing him some wiping off his sweat therewith to rub their faces and eyes all entertayning him with frequent concourse and at last eating his flesh distributed into small parts for that purpose We are further to know that although Egypt worshipped beasts yet not all the same these onely were vniuersally receiued three beasts a Dogge a Cat a Bull two Fowles the Hawke and the Ibis two fishes Lepidotus and Oxyrinchus Other beasts haue their Sects of Worshippers as sheepe among the Thebans and Saits the fish called Latus among the Latopolitans a Cynocephalus at Hermopolis which is a kind of great Ape or Monkie naturally circumcised and abhorring from fish a Wolfe at Lycopolis The Babylonians neere to Memphis worshipped a beast called Cepus resembling in the face a Satyre in other parts partly a Dogge partly a Beare Likewise other Cities other beasts which caused great dissention whereof Iuuenal Ardet adhuc Combos Tentyra summus vtrinque Inde furor vulgo quod numina vicinorum Odit vterque locus Combos and Tentyra doe both yet burne With mutuall hate because they both doe spurne At one anothers Gods c. Strabo saw in the Nomus or Shire of Arsinoe diuine honour giuen to a Crocodile kept tame in a certaine Lake by the Priests and named Suchus nourished with Bread Wine and Flesh which the Pilgrims that came to visit him offered Now the Tentyrites and those of Elephantina killed Crocodiles And in the Citie of Hercules they worshipped an Ichneumon a beast that destroyeth Crocodiles and Aspes and therefore euen at this day of much estimation as Bellonius obserueth where you may see his description These imagined that Typhon was transformed into a Crocodile At Hermopolis they worshipped a Goat and Goats had carnall mixture with Women The Ombites more beastly esteemed themselues fauoured of their Crocodile God
gouerned at the same time in seuerall parts of Egypt as in so small a Region as Canaan Ioshua destroyed 31. Kings This Scaliger coniectureth Lydiat affirmeth Neither yet is Scaliger to be blamed for acquainting the World with these fragments of Manetho considering that the middle part therof holdeth not onely likelihood in it selfe but in great part correspondence with the Scriptures If the Egyptians deuised otherwise to Herodotus and Diodorus it was easie for them to deceiue strangers or bee deceiued themselues The like History of prodigious Antiquities Augustine relateth of an Egyptian Priest that told Alexander of the continuance of the Macedonian Kingdome eight thousand yeeres whereas the Grecians accounted but foure hundred and fourescore Yea the Scriptures themselues haue not escaped that mis-reckoning of Times almost all Antiquitie being carried downe the streame of the seuenty Interpreters which adde many hundred yeeres to the Hebrew Text either of purpose as some suppose or as Augustine thinketh by errour of him that first copied the Scriptures out of Ptolemeys Library Sir Walter Raleigh in that his laborious and learned Worke called The History of the World supposeth That Egypt first tooke that name at such time as Aegyptus or Ramesses chased thence his brother Danaus into Peloponnesus which some reckon 877. yeeres after the Floud some more As for the prodigious Antiquities which they challenge hauing refuted Mercator and Pererius he enclineth to this opinion touching their ancient Dynasties that they are not altogether fabulous but that Egypt being peopled before the Floud two hundred yeeres after Adam there might remayne to the sonnes of Mizraim some Monuments in Pillars or Altars of stone or metall of their former Kings or Gouernours which the Egyptians hauing added to the List and Roll of their King after the Floud in succeeding time out of the vanitie of glory or by some corruption in their Priests something beyond the truth might be inserted Petrus Alexandrinus lately set forth in Greeke and Latine by Raderus writes That Mizraim hauing giuen beginning to the Egyptian Nation did after goe into the East to the Persians and Bactrians and is the same that was called Zoroastres by the Greekes Inuenter of Iudiciall Astrologie and Magicke He hauing giuen order for the keeping of the ashes of his burned body as the pledge of the Empire so long to continue with them called vpon Orion which he saith was Nimrod by the Persian Superstition beleeued thus honoured after his death and was consumed with Lightning the Persians reseruing his ashes to this day the cause saith the Note on that place why the Persians worship the fire . Yet the Author mentions another cause from Perseus which kindled fire by Lightning and preseruing the same built a Temple to it Hee saith also That Picus or Iupitar his father taught Perseus to diuine by a Cup like to that which is mentioned of Ioseph in Egypt and the same Picus was father to Hermes or Mercurie King of Egypt with other Legends too long for this place This Mercurie he maketh the same with Faunus the first finder he saith of Gold and that in a golden Vesture he foretold diuers things and that the Egyptians worshipped him hauing before made him their King which place he held thirty nine yeeres After him reigned Vulcan 1680. dayes for at that time the Egyptians knew not to number by yeeres He first made a Law against Adulterie and that the Egyptian women should haue but one husband He was Inuentor of Iron and Armour Stones and Clubs being before that time the only Weapons His sonne Sol succeeded a great Philosopher after him Sosis and next Osiris then Orus Thules Conqueror of Africa and after that Sesostris of the race of Cham the same as he supposeth with Trismegistus Thus much I haue thought here to adde out of him where the Reader may further satisfie himselfe if that can satisfie any which can nothing certifie or make certaine in these Antiquities wherein we may find many opinions scarcly any truth but in the Word of Truth the Scriptures That which we read of the Dynasties of Shepherds Scaliger interpreteth of that baser seruile sort which Moses saith were abominable to the Egyptians and seeme to haue beene strangers that inhabited some fenny places which Nature had fortified if we beleeue Heliodorus and thence made forrages into the Countrey the custome of Borderers and were called therefore Robbers These it seemeth driuen to their shifts by the hard and tyrannous vsage of the Egyptians procured as wee reade of the Tartars their owne Freedome and thraldome of their Lords The Romanes in their times were forced to mayntaine a Garrison against them therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Ierome mentioneth the Bucolia where no Christians dwelled but onely a fierce Nation Iosephus and Eusebius thinke them to bee the Israelites which is vnlikely because they liued in seruitude and neuer raigned there Lydiat supposeth the Philistims vnder Abimelech and Phicol to be the men Nothing is more obscure in the Egyptian Chronologie then the time of the departure of Israelites thence vnder Moses whom Iustin Martyr affirmeth out of Diodorus to haue bin the first that wrote the Egyptian Lawes Tatianus Assyrus who after became an Heretike saith and alledgeth Ptolemey Mendesius a Priest for his Author That this departure was in the dayes of Amasis King of Egypt who liued in the time of Inachus Theophilus and Iosephus out of Manetho in the Reigne of Tethmoses Eusebius in the reigne of Cenchres Cedrenus saith Petisonius Others otherwise according to the diuers interpretation of Manetho The Scripture sheweth it was foure hundred and thirty yeeres from the promise first made to Abraham as all that I know both elder and later Greeke and Latine Chronographers except Genebrard and Adriehomius reckon it Lydiat thinketh That the drowning of the Egyptian Pharo was the cause of those tumults in Egypt about Succession which are ascribed to Egyptus and Danaus Orosius reporteth That the prints of the Chariot-wheeles of the Egyptians then pursuing the Israelites through the Sea did yet in his time remayne in the Sands on the shore and vnder-water which no curiositie or casualtie can so disorder but that Diuine Prouidence doth re-imprint them in their wonted forme Hard it is to apply the yeeres of the Egyptian Chronologie to the true account of the Worlds generation by reason of the disagreement of Authors touching the Egyptian Kings vntill Sesacs time which after Lydiat was in the yeere of the World 3029. although euen from hence we haue but slippery footing Augustus after the same Author made Egypt a Prouince in the yeere 3975. Vnder which Roman gouernment it continued vntill the Saracens conquered it in the time of Omar the third Chalipha who began his reigne after Scaligers computation in his Catalogue of the Chaliphaes in the yeere of Christ 643. The names of the Caesars
Hia falling and many of his followers vpon him till a certaine Alcayde knowing him cryed that Bomobali that is the King of clouts or rags was slaine whereupon all forsooke him and fled his other troupes now also comming to the flight which before his indiscretion and impatience would not suffer him to vse in the fight Thus died this glorious vainglorious Saint a man of great valour which hee had tryed in thirty seuerall Battailes and skirmishes in which he obtained the better both against Sidan and the Mountayners whose Corne-fields he burnt destroyed their Vineyards and in two or three daies had cut down sixty thousand Oliue-trees The place of this battle betwixt Hamet and Hia was in or neere the Gardens which are said to extend foure miles from Marocco the time in October 1613. Alcuid Azus was then in Marocco with the Sonne of Hamet both which vpon this disaster fled with abundance of Treasure but by the Larbies were taken and Azus his head presently smitten off as the supposed contriuer of many policies to their detriment Hamets Sonne was carried to Marocco and presented to Sidan where after diuers contumelies opprobriously carried on an Asse diuers dayes he was at last slaine When Side Hia had slaine Hamet hee grew suspected to Sidan because hee did not then presently proclaime him nor durst he aduenture to the City till Hia had remooued his forces further The City meane while sustayned diuers abuses by the Souldiers as before by the Vsurper in so much that Sidan wept when hee entred and saw the beauty of his Palace defaced which some say is comparable in greatnesse and statelinesse to the best in Christendome and kept within doores three moneths or more After this comming forth hee brake his Couenant with Hia and those which before he had pardoned were now put to death and some also grieuously tortured Whereupon Hia tooke armes againe and came neere to Marocco with a great Power which suddenly he was forced to disperse and to returne home for feare of Treason by Side Lassan a great man in his Armie which was reported to hold intelligence with Sidan and to haue written to him Thus barbarous and miserable is the present State of Barbary Sidan the only Suruiuer of the Brethren possessing Marocco Fez acknowledging no Souereigne but the City gouerned by the Magistrates thereof and in the Countrey each Cast or Tribe by it selfe Mully Abdela the Sonne of Mully Shek liues sometimes at Micanes sometimes at Alcasar little respected maintayning himselfe by spoyle and robbery and Side Hia enioying the Royall profits of the Kingdome of Sus. He liues commonly at Taradant holds the Countrey subiect but arrogates not the title of King His word is Lanserel hoc layenore Side Hia that is Let the Truth liue and Side Hia flourish A late Letter from thence signifies the feare that Sidan had of Hia's third approch to Marocco in which respect he sent two thousand Souldiers into the Countrey of Draa thence to enter into Sus if such inuasion happened But we haue beene too tedious Actors of this Barbarian Tragedie Wee must forward on our Pilgrimage and now hauing glutted our eyes with bloud let vs take more quiet view of the other parts of this Kingdome Agmet was sometimes called a second Marocco from whence it standeth foure and twenty miles The Hils and Valley about it adorned with Gardens and Vineyards a faire Riuer and fertile fields yeelding fiftie fold encrease haue assembled Natures Forces to ioyne with Arte if Magicke may be so termed and the Histories write true for the common good of Agmet and Marocco The Riuer runneth as is thought to Marocco vnder the ground which secret passage is attributed to the Wizards of Ioseph Founder of Marocco lest the water course should be cut off from the City This fruitfull Agmet in Leo's time was peopled onely with Foxes and wild beasts sauing that a certaine Heremite held the Castle with a hundred of his Disciples The Mountaynes are very rude according to their rough and cold places of habitation many of them couered continually with Snow In Nififa they gaze and wonder at strangers in Semede they forced Leo to play the Iudge and Notarie accepting no excuse eight dayes and then set him in a Church-porch and after a certaine Prayer presented themselues with their presents before him Cockes Hens Nuts Garlike and some of the better sort a Goat which all he gaue his Host money they had none for him In Secsina there is at all times of the yeere Snow There are many great Caues wherein they winter their beasts in Nouember Ianuary and February They weare no shooes but certaine Sandals and are lustie men at ninety or a hundred yeeres old Temnella is an Hereticall Hill and Towne which hath a faire Temple They are of Elmaheli his Sect and challenge any stranger which comes amongst them to dispute In Hantera are many Iewes of the Carraim Sect The fourth Region of this Kingdom is Guzzula confining with the Hill Ilda on the West Atlas on the North Hea on the East They haue no walled Townes but great Villages neither haue they King or Gouernour the cause of Ciuill Warres amongst them yet doe they obserue three dayes in a Weeke truce when euery man may trauell or batter safely A certaine Heremite who was reputed a Saint was Authour of this three dayes truce in each weeke Hee had but one eye I my selfe sayth Leo saw him and found him to bee trustie courteous and liberall Duccala the fifth Region lyeth betweene Tensift and the Ocean Habib and Omirabih At Azaphi the Prince was in Leo's time murthered at Church while he was in his deuotions by a subiect who was chosen Gouernour but the Portugals obtayned the place Azamur a Citie exceedingly addicted to Sodomie was also punished with Portugall slauerie and most of the Countrey thereabouts In the Hill called Greene-hill liue many Heremites of the fruits onely there growing Here are many Altars and Saints after the Mahumetan fashion Mahumet King of Fez in the yeere of our Lord 1512. passed this way with his Armie and at euery Altar made a stand and there kneeling would thus say My God thou knowest that my intent of comming to this wilde place is onely to helpe and free the people of Duccala from the wicked and rebellious Arabians and from our cruell enemies the Christians and if thou doest not approue it let thy scourge light onely on my person for these people that follow me deserue not to be punished Hence he sent me Ambassadour to Marocco Hascora the sixt Region of Marocco is situate betweene the Riuer Tensift and Quadelhabid . Alemdio in Hascora was conquered to the King of Fez by a Merchant whose Paramour the Prince had taken away for which adulterie he was by the Iudges condemned to be stoned The Prince of Temcenes was so addicted to Arabian poetrie that hee gaue Leo then a youth of sixteene yeeres old
For to say nothing of that opinion that the Torrid Zone was not habitable in the opinion of the most as wee haue shewed in the former Chapter the allegations are not such as can force vs to beleeue that whereto by great Authors they are alledged Seneca's Prophesie is little to the purpose New-worlds sayth he shall be in the last Ages discouered and Thule shall not be any longer the furthest of Nations But all that Chorus seemes to a diligent Reader to intend nothing else then to describe the vsuall affects and effects of Shipping and Nauigation agreeing to that Argo-Argument of the Tragedie wherein Iason in that famous Argo sayling to Colcos had obtayned Medea's loue which he vnkindly requited And had the Poet intended these Westerne Discoueries he would neuer haue said Nec sit terris Vltima Thule but Nec sit tellus Vltima Gades as Boterus obserueth For the American Discoueries haue not beene by the way of Island and Northward but Southward and this appeareth by the Verses before Nunc iam cessit Pontus omnes Patitur leges Quaelibet altum cymb apererrat Nil qua fuerat sede reliquit Peruius orbis Indus gelidum Potat Araxem Albin Persae Rhenumque bibunt venient annis Secula seris quibus Oceanus Vincularerum laxet As for Plato's Atlantis and Tertullians Aeon borrowed of him Acosta alledgeth diuers Platonikes Proclus Porphyrie and Origen which interpret Plato after a mysticall sense and prooueth by the words of Plato himselfe that they can be no true History The like allegations hath Marsilius Ficinus in his Commentaries vpon Timaus and Cricias howsoeuer hee alledgeth Crantor and some others which esteeme it a bare History to which yet his thousands of yeeres before the Floud deny truth and credit although we interpret them of the yeeres of the Moone Ficinus sheweth both their Allegoricall and his Anagogicall interpretation But the Discourse of Plato cannot agree if it were a History to America both because it placeth Atlantis at the mouth or entry of the Straits by Hercules Pillars whence this is by a huge Sea separated and that is not said still to continue land but by an Earth-quake to haue sunke and become Sea That which is cited out of Aristotle his Admirandae auditiones if any reade the place may appeare to be some neerer Iland and neyther Iland nor Continent of America Neyther can I credit that which Ouiedo supposeth of the Hesperides Ilands cited out of Pliny Mela Solinus dawbed ouer with Morter borrowed of fabulous Berosus and the Poets as if in those first Ages of the World they had beene Spanish Inheritance and none other then Hispaniola or some other of the Ilands or mayne land of this New World the Histories whereof might perhaps mooue Columbus to these Discoueries Out of Plutarch and other Histories of the Carthaginian Phoenician and Tyrthenian Nauigations they haue coniectures but very vncertaine and obscure and those things which Diodorus reports of that Iland agree nothing to the New-World which had not attayned to that ciuility he there mentioneth before the Spaniards arriuall And by his discourse it seemes rather to be some of the Ilands of Africa then America if the History be true Neyther could such long Voyages so farre off from any land be performed without the helpe of the Compasse which was first found thirteene hundred yeeres after Christ by Iohn Goia of Melfi according to that Verse of Panormitan Prima dedit nantis vsum Magnetis Amalphis Gomara citeth Blondus and Maffaeus Girardus witnesses of this Melfian inuention saue that hee cals him not Iohn as Ortelius doth but Flauius di Malphi And in the tempests which happened among the Ancients it seemes that for want of this skill they wandered very vncertayne but as the Sunne or Starres by returne of their desired light after the tempests ended directed them Yet I will not say but that in former-times some ships might come sometime by casualty into those parts but rather forced by weather then directed by skill and thus it is likely that some parts of America haue beene people This I much doubt whether their Science in Nauigation was such as that they would voluntarily aduenture and could happily effect this Voyage to and from the West Indies The most probable Historie in this kind is in my minde that of Madoc ap Owen Guyneth who by reason of ciuill contentions left his Countrey of Wales seeking aduentures by Sea and leauing the Coast of Ireland North came to a Land vnknowne where he saw many strange things This by D. Powell and Master Humfrey Lhuyd is thought to be the Continent of the New World confirmed herein by the speech of Mutezuma professing his Progenitors to be strangers and so were all the Mexicans to those parts as the History in the eight Chapter following will shew and by the vse of certaine Welch words which Dauid Ingram obserued in his trauell through those parts The History addeth that hee left certayne of his people there and comming home for more people returned thither with ten sayle Howsoeuer it is certayne , that the prints of Brittish Expedition are in manner worne out and no signe thereof was found by the Spaniards Onely they vsed a Crosse in Cumana in the Iland of Acuzamill the same was worshipped but without any memory of Christ or any thing sauouring that way might as well be there without any Christians erecting as those Crosses which in the sixt Booke we haue shewed were in the Temple of Serapis at Alexandria Moreouer some Authours deny that any such Crosses were there found and brand the report for a Fiction As for Mutezuma being a stranger it might be so and yet his Progenitors of some other parts of America And the words of Welsh are very few which as it happens in any other Language might by some chance come to passe But if any be desirous to beleeue that this Madoc peopled the Continent or Ilands of America rather then the Terceras or some of the African Ilands I will not hinder nor will I runne too much out of compasse in pleading for the Compasse as which onely can direct in such spacious Seas Yet of this opinion is that Learned and iudicious Author Iosephus Acosta who diligently discussing this question How men passed first to the Indies largely and learnedly contendeth that they came not thither purposely if they came by Sea but by distresse of weather and yet finds no lesse difficulty that way in the transporting beasts especially wilde and vnprofitable beasts which is not like any would take into the ship with them much lesse conuey them ouer so huge an Ocean At last hee concludeth that although some might arriue there by shipwrack tempest of weather yet is it most likely that the first Inhabitants descended of Adam Noah of which one bloud God hath made all Mankind to dwell on
by Pedro Teixera and Abraham Zacut a Iew published by Ioseph Scaliger The Author by birth an Egyptian hath beene exact in relating the Times and Acts of all Egyptian Gouernours which with other things too long for an abridgement and not so pertayning to the generall knowledge of that Historie of their Religion and Empire I haue omitted yet scrupulously rendring those things which I thought fitting for that my scope or satisfaction of any not exceedingly curious Reader I confesse had the Booke comne to my hand in time this as the other Tractates of Sir Ierome Horsey and Master Methold had beene published with my Pilgrimes yea that Muhammedan part of my Pilgrimage was passed the Presse before this came to my hand although euen for Religions sake this is not vnfit here And for Religions sake I haue beene Religious in keeping the foot-prints of their Religion in the Phrases vsed by the Authour of Muhammed or any other of his Sword-saints stiling his memory glorious others happy indeed odious and pestiferous because the Authour so speaketh in other things also obseruing his words euen as Saint Luke mentioneth Heathenish Names and Deuotions of Mars Castor Pollux Iupiter Mercury or other prodigies of Ethnike Superstition Let their Shewes and Deuotions in a false Religion prouoke vs to emulate the Truth with greater Zeale lest our lukewarmenesse also cause vs to be spewed out of Christs mouth for withholding the truth in vnrighteousnesse the true cause why one Age brought into the World those hypocriticall Chalifas and these Vicars the one by Muhammeds Midwifery gladio oris and the other by that of Phocas ore gladij those with a forcing Temporall Sword these with a forged Spirituall made of the Keyes turned into Picklocks to set the World in so manifold combustions whiles one seekes a thousand yeeres together to thrust the Church out of all the World the other to bring all the World vnto their Pontificall Pompificall Cacolicke not into the true Catholike Church in the communion of Saints And if the Saracenicall and Papall History were well knowne the mysteries of S. Iohns Apocalypse might receiue greater light then that want hath yet permitted So vsefull is this kind of knowledge to generall Learning and to the summ of all Diuinity THE SARACENICALL HISTORY CONTAINING THE ACTS OF THE MVSLIMS FROM MVHAMMED TO THE RAIGNE OF ATABACaeVS IN the Succession of forty nine Emperours Written in Arabike by GEORGE ELMACIN Sonne of ABVLIASER ELAMID the Sonne of ABVLMACAREM the Sonne of Abultib In the Name of God mercifull mercy-shewing in whom is my helpe PRaysed in all Languages be the holy God glorified in the height of his Throne of all creatures distinct in necessity of Essence from euery thing being separated by the admirablenesse of Names and noblenesse of Attributes superexcellent in power and greatnesse of Maiestie aboue all comparison in his strength greatnesse and immensitie I wil prayse him with thanksgiuing for benefits giuen and gifts abundantly bestowed HAuing read the History of that learned and famous man Muhamed Abugiafar Son of Giarir the Tabarite of happy memory and seeing the narrations and allegations very prolixe hauing also read the abridgement thereof by the learned Kemaluddin and many other Briefes I gathered a History out of them contracting the words but retayning the things and order omitting no case or exploit of moment beginning with the beginner of Islamisme of glorious memory rehearsing his birth genealogy and acts till he fled to Medina and after that his warres victories and fortune till his death I proceed in order with the orthodoxall Chaliph's obseruing the course of times and yeeres adding the Kings of other Prouinces and the occurrents of their times according to the computation of the Hegira vnto the Reigne of Sultan Rucnuddin the Holy King of happy memory THe first Emperor of the Muslemans was Muhammed Abulcasim of glorious memory Muhammed Abulcasim saith Muhammed Abugiafar first manifested and obserued the Religion of Islamisme hee was Sonne of Abdalla which was the Sonne of Abdulmutalib the Sonne of Hasiem the Sonne of Abdumenaf His Mothers name was Emina the Daugter of Waheb Sonne of Abdumenaf Now Muhammed of glorious memory was borne in the stonie Valley of the Citie of Mecca early on a Munday morning the eighth of the former moneth Rab in the 882. yeere of Alexander the Great His Father dyed two moneths before he was borne his Mother when he was sixe yeeres old His Grandfather Abdulmutalib brought him vp till he was eight yeeres old and then dyed aged 110. yeeres after which he was educated by his Vncle Abutalib When hee was fortie yeeres old he was called to the Propheticall office on Munday the second of the former Rab in the 922. of Alexander the Great which was the twentieth of the Raigne of Cosroas Sonne of Hormisda Sonne of Nusierwan The first that beleeued in his Prophesie was Chadigia his Vncles Daughter the next was his seruant Zeid Sonne of Harith and after him Ali the Sonne of Abutalib all of happy memory After them were added Abubecr with fiue others all which were called by him to Islammisme viz. Otsman Sonne of Affan Zubeir Sonne of Awam Abdurrahman Sonne of Aufi Saad Sonne of Abuwaccas and Obeidalla Sonne of Algiarab These nine were the first which entred Islamisme In the foure and fortieth yeere of his age he manifested his vocation for before hee only inuited men priuily to Islamisme And publishing his vocation he commanded to beleeue in God alone and him to worship and adore he destroyed Idolatry commanded Circumcision established the Fast of the moneth Ramadan the fiue Prayings Cleannesse Pilgrimage to the Temple of Mecca that Bloud should not be eaten nor that which dyeth alone nor Swines flesh And those which obserued not these things he vexed with warre and fought against them The Christians also came to him both Arabs and others and hee receiued them into his fidelity giuing them a writing of Securitie So also the Iewes Magi and Pagans and others which performed to him oath of fidelity obtained of him free libertie but on condition to pay tribute and poll-monie He commanded also to beleeue the truth of the Prophets and Apostles and of the Bookes sent to them Also that Christ the Sonne of Mary is the Spirit of God and his Word and Apostle and he approued the Gospell and the Law of Moses The Coraisites would not consent touching these things but resisted him valiantly and defied him But his Vncle Abutalib assisted him and forbade that any man should approch to him with a Sword In the fifth yeere Omar the Sonne of Alchittabi of happy memory beleeued and confirmed the other Muslims with his faith they were then 39. and himselfe was the 40. In the eighth yeere the Coraisites writ a Decree that the children of Hasiem should not make league or be mixed with the children of Almutalib and hanged it in the Temple of Mecca In the tenth
Companions the first Abdollah or Abu-Bacr his sincerest and most inward friend a man very rich and releeuer of Mohameds necessities his successour after his death He dyed the thirteenth yeere of the Hegira and sixtie three of his age and was buried in the same graue with Mohamed The second was Homar the sonne of Chattab surnamed Faruq who succeeded Abi-Bacr and ruled ten yeeres and six moneths Hee was the first which was called King of the faithfull and writ the Annalls of the Moslemans and brought the Alcoran into a Volume and caused the Ramadam Fast to be obserued He was slaine the twentie three of the Hegira and buried by Abi-Bacr The third was Othman who in his twelue yeeres raigne subdued Cyprus Naisabur Maru Sarchas and Maritania and dyed A. H. 35. and was buried in the buriall place of the Citie Aali is the fourth who is called also Emir Elmumenin that is King of the faithfull Hee was slaine A. H. 40. in the sixtie three of his age and was buried in the Citie Kerbelai Hee was Vncles sonne or Cosin-German to Mohamed and his sonne-in-law and deare familiar from his youth and receiued the Mosleman law together with Mohamed whereupon hee was wont to say I am the first Mosleman And therefore the Persians detest the other three Chalifas as heretikes burne their writings wheresoeuer they finde them and persecute their followers because forsooth they were so impudent to prefer themselues before Aali and spoiled him of the right-due by Testament Hence are wars hostile cruelties betwxit them the Turks and Arabs Mohamed the false prophet in the eleuenth yeere after his Hegira or flight and the sixtie three of his age dyed at Medina and was buried there in the graue of Aaisee his wife Here is a stately Temple and huge erected with elegant and munificent structure daily increased and adorned by the costs of the Othomans and gifts of other Princes Within this building is a Chappell not perfectly square couered with a goodly roofe vnder which is the Vrne of stone called Hagiar Monaüar sometimes belonging to Aaisce aforesaid This is all couered with gold and silke and compassed about with yron grates guilded Within this which shineth with gold and gems Mohameds carcasse c833208arcasse was placed and not lifted vp by force of Load-stone or other Art but that stone-Vrne lieth on the ground The Mosleman Pilgrims after their returne from Mecca visit this Temple because Mohamed yet liuing was wont to say That hee would for him which should visit his Tombe as well as if he had visited him liuing intercede with God for a life full of pleasures Therefore do they throng hither with great veneration kisse and embrace the grates for none haue accesse to the Vrne of stone and many for loue of this place leaue their Countrey yea some madly put out their eyes to see no worldly thing after and there spend the rest of their dayes The compasse of Medina is two miles and is the circuit of the wall which Aadhd Addaule King of Baghdad built A. H. 364. The territorie is barren scorched Sands bringing forth nothing but a few Dates and Herbes CHAP. IIII. Of the Alcoran or Alfurcan containing the Mahumetan Law the summe and contents thereof §. I. Of the Composition of the Alcoran THe Booke of Mahomets Law is called by the name of ALCORAN which signifieth a collection of Precepts and Alfurcan as it is expressed and expounded in a Booke called The Exposition or Doctrine of the Alcoran because the sentences and figures thereof are seuered and distinguished for Al is the Article and phurcan signifieth a distinction or as some say Redemption Claude Duret citeth an opinion that of the Hebrew word Kara which signifieth the Law or Scripture commeth this word Koran which with the Article Al signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Scripture as with them it is esteemed The like hath Soranzo Master Bedwel in his Arabian Trudg-man saith that the Thema is not KARANA coniunxit colligit as before is deliuered but KARA which signifies to read so that Alkoran in Arabike is iust as much as Hammikra is in Hebrew that is the Text Corpus iuris the authenticall bodie of their Law It is called in that language the Koran without the Article Al and Korran so Cantacuzenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if one should say their Bible Scripture or Booke of the Law The Word of GOD saith Mahomet in that Booke came not to mee all at once as the Law vnto Moses the Psalmes to Dauid and the Gospell to Christ The Sentences or Chapters thereof are called Azoaras which is interpreted a Face as wee call them Capita Heads So saith one which hath written Notes vpon the Alcoran but Master Bedwel who hath published an Index or Table of all these Azoara's or Chapiters with their Arabike Titles as they are named and cited by the Mahumetans saith That they call the name of the Chapiter Sura and with their Article Assura or Suraton Assurato And hee deriues of the Hebrew word Zobar that Azoara but this Arabike Sura is expressed not by Zain He but by Sin Wau and Resh differing letters being no other then the Syrian Suriya which signifieth principium initium For as the Bookes of Moses in the Hebrew and the Sections of the Ciuill and Canon Law so these Chapiters for the most part are denominated of some notable word in the beginning of the same and are so cited by Mahumetans and learned Christians Yet these sometime name it by the interpretation as the chap. Albacara the chap. of the Cow because the word so signifies The stile is not in Meter as some haue imagined for Iosephus Scaliger a great Criticke and reputed one of the greatest Linguists in the world affirmeth That that Language is not capable of metricall measures by quantities of Syllables as neither the Hebrew Abyssine or Syrian Hee saith yet That the Alcoran is composed in Rime but such as is not in any tunable proportion but that word which maketh vp the Rime being sometimes neerer and sometimes farre beyond all harmony distant from that word whereto it answereth A hobbling kinde of Rime saith Master Bedwel in his Index Alcorani and rude Poeme without all care for it is Postellus his testimony you shall haue a period of two hundred Syllables to rime and hold like cadence to as other very short Scaliger addes that at the end of such Rimes are set the figures of Flowers or some such matter which if it be so the Turkish nicetie of making no likenesse of any thing in their Carpets or other workes is stricter then these Alcoran bookes themselues and indeed is not common with them vnto other Mahumetans who vse their libertie in this point For the words and phrase no man euer writ any thing in Arabian more rudely saith an Arabian Christian in confutation hereof and much better might Muzeilenia Helcasi and Alabazbi
vnlawfull but they say vsurie is as Merchandize Ye which are good feare GOD and forsake Vsurie lest the anger of GOD and of the Prophet assaile you Take onely the principall and if he cannot pay you stay still he can and giue him almes for this shall be better for you And Az. 6. Euery one which feareth GOD must very much beware of this vice fearing the fire prepared for vnbeleeuers And Az. 11. ascribeth the miseries of the Iewes to their wickednes and vsuries Az. 4. 15. He which repenteth him and leaueth his sinne obtaineth pardon and the cancelling of that which is past but returning againe thereto hee shall suffer eternall fire In the 5. Vnto bad men is denied humane and diuine mercie except they repent GOD careth little for the conuersion of them which after that of Infidels they are made beleeuers become worse Such shall suffer without any remission intolerable punishment 10. GOD pardoneth lesse faults but not criminall Az. 5. Let no man reckon him a good friend which is an vnbeleeuer except it be for feare If betwixt you there grow discord laying aside all stomacke doe the will of GOD and become Brethren together imitating GOD who hath deliuered you from the fire and from dangers 6. GOD would not that any should doe euill to those of his owne Nation and those which consent to your Law but rather their profit and commoditie Az. 6. Thinke not that euer Paradise shall be open vnto you if you be not first valiant and couragious in battaile and before you enter into battaile prepare your selues for death and after the death of the Prophet Mahomet defend the orders by him giuen with Armes No man can die but when GOD will that is when his time is come Those which flee out of the warre are prouoked of the Deuill but GOD pardoneth them which repent They which die in the way of GOD are not truely called dead They liue with GOD. Let none feare them which are gouerned of the Deuill 7. Be patient and you shall haue eternall life 10. Accompanie not with vnbeleeuers neither in friendship nor other businesse They which goe on warfare for GOD and the Prophet shall receiue abundance in the Earth and after death the mercie of GOD. They which refuse except they be sicke or children shall be cast into Hell Neglect not prayers in your expeditions Some may pray whiles other stand in Armes Pray not for them which hurt their owne soules 18. Looke to your selues that there be no discord amongst you His last Azoara is this In the Name of the mercifull and pittifull GOD sanctifie thy selfe and pray continually and humbly vnto him which is Lord of all Nations Lord of all GOD of all that he will defend and deliuer thee from the Deuill which entreth into the hearts of men and from deuillish and peruerse men From Mahomet himselfe and from his diuellish and peruerse Law AMEN §. III. The Saracens opinion of their ALCORAN THus haue I endeuoured to bring some order out of confusion and haue framed these heads out of that Alcorau-Chaos where is scarce either head or taile this tale they haue and beleeue for what will not What shall not they beleeue which refuse to beleeue the Truth that he which readeth this Booke a thousand times in his life shall haue a woman in Paradise whose eye-browes shall be as large as the Raine-bow But amongst the more studious and iudicious the manifold contradictions therein hath bred no scruple as in their ordinary discourses in speech and writing may appeare For as many Marchants and such as haue liued with them report it is a common thing to heare from themselues obiections and doubts touching their Law in their Bookes also and Tractates are contained many Morall sentences and exhortations to vertue and holinesse of life and those things called in question which the Alcoran hath seemed to determine Of these their Bookes Master Bedwel hath lately translated and published one a Dialogue written some six hundred yeeres since in which many scruples are propounded and left vndecided many things found contradictory yea and the Bookes of the Old and New Testament commended and approued and the Doctrine of the Trinitie explained the exceptions also made by the other Mahumetans to the Gospell answered In that booke it is affirmed that there were written by Mahomet a hundred and twentie thousand sayings of which onely three thousand are good the residue false that the descent of the Moone into Mahomets sleeue is impossible that shedding of blood is too slippery an argument for proofe of Doctrine that the Sunne his beames and heat doe represent the Trinitie and Vnitie that the state of Paradise is like to that of Angels without meate drinke women and therefore that voluptuous Paradise is one of Mahomets fictions for himselfe saith hee did write some things in iest that it seemeth absurd and against reason and faith to follow a Law which it selfe saith none can vnderstand but GOD that the Alcoran in the Assora Ionas sends men to the Iewes and Christians for the right vnderstanding thereof that wheras it sayes Christ is the word of GOD it followes hee is the Sonne of GOD as reason and speech the Sunne and his layes are one Essence and the Vnderstanding Will Memory in one Man that the Chrstians could not as the Mahumetans obiect blot the name of their prophet out of their Scriptures seeing the Iewes and Christians and Heretiques and Christians haue alway beene watchfull aduersaries to each other and they are more ancient sixe hundred yeeres then Mahomet that the storie of the speaking Ant and other things are triuiall and impertinent that Moses Law was giuen with open miracles and the Gospell approued with diuers languages and martyrdomes that these nor any Law of GOD hath therein any contraritie that virginitie is a chiefe and bodily good and their prophet writes of himselfe polygamy adulteries and the like with many libidinous precepts and practises that these things seeme contrarie that the Deuills shall be saued the Iewes also and Christians which yet he counselleth to slay with other the like contradictions that their prophet onely vnderstood the Arabike and by an Interpreter heard that which is contained in the Bookes of Iewes and Christians which easily appeares in his falsifying the Histories of the Bible that hee hath no Testimony but his owne that there are many absurd things in their law not confirmed by Miracle and others excuse them by Metaphors c. These things are there religiously discoursed with shew of reuerence to their Law but exceeding magnifying of Christ and his Gospell which is so generall with the more learned sort that some also haue hazarded their liues in this quarrell And Auicen that learned Physician saith against their Paradise that wise Diuines more respect the minde the coniunction whereof with truth is a felicitie beyond those sensuall pleasures of the bodie And
were it not for sensualitie ignorance and the sword these Alcoran-fables would soone vanish CHAP. V. Other Muhameticall speculations and explanations of their Law collected out of their owne Commentaries of that Argument OF such writings as haue come to our hands touching Mahomets doctrine and Religion that seemeth most fully to lay them open which is called by some Scala a booke containing the exposition of the Alcoran in forme of a Dialogue translated into Latine by Hermannus Dalmata and made the twelfth Chapter of the first Booke of the Alcoran in Italian I haue therefore presumed on the Readers patience to those former collections out of the Alcoran it selfe to adde these ensuing as a further explanation of their opinions The Messenger of GOD so beginneth that booke was sitting amongst his fellowes the praier and salutation of GOD bee vpon him in his Citie Iesrab and the Angel Gabriel descending on him said GOD saluteth thee O Mahomet c. There came foure wise-men Masters in Israel to prooue thee the chiefe of whom is Abdia-Ben-Salon Mahomet therefore sent his cousin Hali to salute them and they being come to Mahomet after mutuall salutations Abdia telleth him that he and his fellowes were sent by the people of the Iewes to learne the vnderstanding of some obscurer places of their Law Mahomet asketh if he come to enquire or to tempt Abdia saith to enquire Then Mahomet giuing him full leaue he beginneth hauing before gathered out of the whole bodie of their Law an hundred most exquisite questions The principall dregs you shall here haue Abdia Tell vs O Mahomet whether thou bee a Prophet or a Messenger Mahomet GOD hath appointed me both a Prophet and a Messenger Ab. Doest thou preach the Law of GOD or thine owne Law Mah. The Law of GOD this Law is Faith and this Faith is that there are not Gods but one GOD without partaker Ab. How many Lawes of GOD are there Mah. One the Law and Faith of the Prophets which went before vs was one the Rites were different Ab. Shall we enter Paradise for Faith or Workes Mah. Both are necessarie but if a Gentile Iew or Christian become a Saracen and preuent his good Workes Faith onely shall suffice But if Gentile Iew or Christian doe good Workes not in the loue of GOD the fire shall consume both him and his worke Ab. How doth the mercie of GOD preuent his anger Mah. When before other creatures Adam rose vp he sucesed and said GOD be thanked and the Angels hearing it said The Pittie of GOD be vpon thee Adam who answered Amen Then said the Lord I haue receiued your Prayer Ab. What be the foure things which GOD wrought with his owne hands Mah. Hee made Paradise planted the tree of the Trumpet formed Adam and did write the Tables of Moses Ab. Who told thee this Mah. Gabriel from the Lord of the world Ab. In what forme Mah. Of a man standing vpright neuer sleeping nor eating nor drinking but the praise of GOD. Ab. Tell me in order what is one what is two what three foure fiue sixe c. to an hundreth Mah. One is GOD without Sonne partaker or fellow Almightie Lord of life and death Two Adam and Eue Three Michael Gabriel Saraphiel Archangels Secretaries of GOD. Foure The Law of Moses the Psalmes of Dauid the Gospell and Alfurcan so called of the distinction of the Sentences Fiue The prayers which GOD gaue mee and my people and to none of the other Prophets Six The dayes of the Creation Seuen Heauens Eight Angels which sustaine the Throne of GOD. Nine Are the Miracles of Moses Ten Are the Fasting-dayes of the Pilgrimes three when they goe seuen in their returne Eleuen Are the Starres whereof Ioseph dreamed Twelue moneths in the yeere Thirteene Is the Sunne and Moone with the eleuen Starres Fourteene Candles hang about the Throne of GOD of the length of fiue hundred yeeres Fifteene The fifteenth day of Ramadam in which the Alcoran came sliding from heauen Sixteene Are the Legions of the Cherubims Seuenteene Are the names of GOD betweene the bottome of the earth and hell which stay those flames which else would consume of the world Eighteene Interpositions there be betweeene the Throne of GOD and the ayre for else the brightnesse of GOD would blinde the World Nineteene Be the armes or branches of Zachia a Riuer in hell which shall make a great noise in the day of Iudgement Twentie The day of the moneth Ramadam when the Psalmes descended on Dauid The one and twentieth of Ramadam Salomon was borne The two and twentieth Dauid was pardoned the sinne against Vriah The three and twentieth of Ramadam Christ the Sonne of Marie was borne the prayers of GOD be vpon him The foure and twentieth GOD spake to Moses The fiue and twentieth the Sea was diuided The sixe and twentieth He receiued the Tables The seuen and twentieth Ionas was swallowed of the Whale The eight and twentieth Iacob recouered his sight when Iudas brought Iosephs coat The nine and twentieth Was Enoch translated The thirtieth Moses went into Mount Sinai Ab. Make short worke for thou hast done all this exactly Mah. Fortie are the daies of Moses his fasting Fftie thousand yeeres shall the day of Iudgement continue Sixtie are the veines which euery of the heauens haue in the earth without which varietie there would be no knowledge amongst men Seuentie men Moses tooke to himselfe Eightie stripes are due to a drunken man Ninetie the Angell said to Dauid This my fellow hath ninetie sheepe and I but one which he hath stollen from mee An hundred stripes are due to the Adulterer Ab. Well shew vs how the earth was made and when Mah. GOD made man of mire the mire of froth this was made of the tempests these of the sea The sea of darknesse the darknesse of light this of the word the word of the thought the thought of Iacinth the Iacinth of the commandement Let it be and it was Ab. How many Angels are set ouer men Mah. Two one on the right hand which writeth his good deeds another on the left which registreth his bad These sit on mens shoulders Their pen is their tongue their inke is their spittle their heart is the booke Ab. What did GOD make after Mah. The bookes wherein are written all things past present and to come in heauen and earth and the pen made of the brightest light fiue hundred yeeres long and eightie broad hauing eightie teeth wherein are written all things in the world till the day of Iudgement The booke is made of the greatest Emerald the words of Pearles the couer of pitie GOD ouer-looketh the same an hundred and sixtie times in a day and night The heauen is made of smoake of the vapour of the sea the greennesse of the sea proceedeth from the mount Kaf which is made of the Emeralds of Paradise and compasseth the world bearing vp the heauens The gates of heauen are of gold the