life and an Oyl of joy sanctifying our Souls and Bodies That which preceeded in the old Law was made more evident and clear in the new Testament wherewith the Priests and high Priests Prophets and Kings were anointed Wherewith also thou didst anoint thine Apostles and all hitherto have been baptized by them and their Successors the Bishops and Presbyters by the laver of Regeneration And thou Almighty Lord God by the coming of the holy and adored Spirit make this the Garment of Incorruption an efficacious Seal which may imprint on those who are to be baptized the Divine Nomination of thy only Son and of the Holy Ghost that they may be known before thee to be of thy Houshold Citizens Servants and thy Children sanctifyed in soul and body and freed from all Malice washed from sin and being clothed with the Vestment of thy Immortal glory may be acknowledged through this signal by the Holy Angels Arch-Angels and all the Heavenly Powers and may become formidable to all evil and impure Devils and may become a peculiar People a Royal Priesthood a Holy Nation being signed by this thy immaculate Mystery and having thy Christ in their hearts in which thou God the Father in the holy Ghost mayest fix thy habitation because thou our God art holy and rests in the Saints and to thee the Father the Son and the holy Ghost we return glory for ever and ever Amen By this Prayer we may collect and observe the Doctrine of Chrism and for what reason and on what grounds it is practised in this Church CHAP. IX The third Mystery called the Holy Eucharist as also of the Blessed Bread or Panis Benedictus The Sacrament of the Holy Communion is as by all the Churches of God so particularly by the Greeks celebrated with singular Devotion their four Offices or Services relating to the administration of this Sacrament being of long Antiquity the Greeks argue to be agreeable to the Original Institution of our blessed Saviour The question about Transubstantiation hath not been long controverted in the Greek Church but like other abstruse notions not necessary to be determined hath lain quiet and dissentangled wound upon the bottom of its own Thread until Faction and Malice and the Schooles have so twisted and ravelled the twine that the end will never be found Nor after so many Volumes wrote by the most learned on both sides for some Ages until the World be better informed or satisfyed until the wise God by the illumination of his Divine Grace disperse those Clouds of Prejudice Interest and Ignorance which blinds the Minds and prepossesses the Spirits of the greatest part of Mankind It hath been a question very dubitable and not meanly controverted what side the Greek Church hath maintained in this dispute For if you will believe Cyrillus the Patriarch of Constantinople in the 17th Article of his Confession of Faith wrote about the year 1630 and printed 1633. his Sence and Words are wholly agreeable to the Tenents of the Reformed Churches in this particular from which those whose Education is purely of the Greek Literature instructed and taught in their own Monasteries do not seem much to deviate for when they carry this Sacrament to the sick they do not prostrate themselves before it nor do they expose it publickly to be adored unless in the very Act of Administration nor do they carry it in procession nor have they instituted any particular Feast in honour of it all which are Arguments that had this belief of Transubstantiation been agreeable to the Faith of the ancient Eastern Councils they would not have been less careful in ordaining those particular notes of honour in the Administration than the Western have done Howsoever such as have had their Education in Italy as he who wrote the Oriental Confession together with those who subscribed it seem to concur wholly with the Church of Rome in this Tenent having these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is When the Priest consecrates the Elements the very substance of the Bread and of the Wine is transformed into the true substance of the Body and Blood of Christ. And a little farther they proceed in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which we perceive that the Greeks have lately formed a word which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie or express Transubstantiation which they never read in their ancient Fathers though they may have found Metaphorically used in some times before the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the truth is it is difficult to make the Greeks understand the right state of this question for observing that there is a Sacramental Change granted to be of the Bread they immediately consider it as no other than a change which is substantial Nor is it a wonder that the Greeks follow the Latines in this Doctrine since as we have said before the most learned men amongst them taking their Education in Italy have in all points wherein neither custom nor Councils have determined taken up their Doctrines according to the positions of the Roman Schooles whom therefore they name by the distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For really others which have had their Education in Greece only do not follow this Novelty and they which do contradict their own Liturgy viz. that of S. Chrysostom which is common to them both wherein after the compleat consecration these words follow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is that all we who partake of this Bread and this Cup may be united together in the Fellowship of the holy Ghost neither to our damnation or condemnation the which agrees with what the Apostle S. Paul writes in 1 Cor. c. 11. where after the words which we and they use for Consecration v. 24 25. he adds v. 26. For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup c. and V. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself Nay in that very Book where they have formed and used the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they mollifie it in a few lines after in these words viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who gave his own flesh and blood for meat and drink to the faithful under the Covering of Bread and Wine and not under the covering of Accidents only as maintained in the Roman Church And farther those words before mentioned viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot be meant of the mere Accidents but of the Elementary species of Bread and Wine as appears by these words of the same Authors following the words before cited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. the Communication of the Mystery ought to be celebrated under the two species of Bread and Wine and the same words repeated 11 lines after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now no man ever called the Accidents of Bread and Wine the Objects of our five Senses only two Accidents The Laity as well as the Priests communicate in both kinds
taking the Bread and the Wine together in a Spoon from the hand of the Priest The Bread is made of the finest Wheaten Flower with Leaven from whence arises a sharp Dispute between them and the Latines the latter of which argues That it ought to be without Leaven in regard that it is more than probably presumed that the Institution of this Sacrament being ordained at the time of the Passeover it was administred with unleavened Bread which was only lawful on that occasion The Wine in the Sacrament before Consecration they mix with Water in representation of the Blood and Water which issued out of the side of our blessed Saviour opened by the Spear of the Roman Souldier The mixing of Wine with Water in this Holy Sacrament is no question of great Antiquity in the Church being acknowledged by most of the ancient Writers Fathers and Councils and particularly by Cyprian who believes it to have been so practised by Christ himself Others judge it an Ordinance of the Church only but all agree and assent unto it as to a Custom derived from a long Antiquity The Modern Writers of the Reformed Religion such as Vossius and othersâ— do not deny but that the Primitive Church mixed Waterâ— with their Wine in this Sacrament because drinking the same Wine at the Agapae or Love-Feasts as they did at the Lords Supper they might give occasion to the World to censure their Intemperance were their Wines which in the Eastern parts of the World are generous and strong not tempered and their force abated with Water This probably may be the Reason hereof rather than any Inference that can be made from the Example of our Saviour declared in the Holy Evangelists or the practice of the Church specified by the Apostles But because this Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is an essential part of the Christian Worship and greatly controverted between the Reformed and Roman Churches it will not be impertinent to set down distinctly the form and manner how it is celebrated in the Greek Church In the next place the Priest cuts off a second part from the Loaf before mentioned and forms it in the fashion of a Triangle Δ saying In honour and memory of our blessed Lady Mother of God and perpetual Virgin Mary through whose Prayers O Lord accept this Sacrifice to thy Celestial Altar and this Triangular is placed on the left hand of the formen with these words the Queen stood by in a Vesture of Gold c. Then the Priest takes the third part of the Loaf from which with his Lance in like manner he cuts out a small piece and places it under the first which he designed for himself and says of the honoured and glorious prophet the fore-runner of Christ John the Baptist then takes out a second and places it under the former saying of the holy glorious Prophets Moses Aaron Elias and all the other holy Prophets then taking out a third places it under the second and says of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul and of all the twelve Apostles and so is finished the first Order Next the Priest cuts another small piece from the remaining parts of the Bread and places it near the first part and says of our Holy Fathers and Prelates of Basil the great of Gregory the Divine of John Chrysostom Athanasius Cyril and of all the Holy Doctors then he takes another piece and places it under that immediately before going and says of the Apostle first Martyr and Arch-Deacon Stephen and of the holy Martyrs Demetrius Gregory and all the other Martyrs then he takes a third and places it under the second saying of the holy Confessors Antonius Euthymius Sabba and Onuphrius Then is taken out another particle and placed under the left Angle of that part which the Priest is to receive who proceeds and says of the holy and miraculous Anargyri Cosma †Damianus Cyrus and John the merciful under which is also placed another particle of the holy Progenitors of the blessed Virgin Joachim and Anna and last of all is taken out a ninth particle in honour of S. Chrysostom whose Liturgy is that day read naming with him the Saint whose Festival is that day celebrated which nine particles of Bread represent the nine Hierarchies of Angels and are adjoyned to this Office in honour and commemoration of the Saints and Martyrs departed Then follows the Offertory for the living The Priest taking another small piece from the Bread says Remember O Lord who art a Lover of Mankind every Christian Prelate naming particularly the Bishop of the Diocess and of him who ordained him unto Ecclesiastical Orders and places it on his right hand names all those living which are recommended to their Prayers especially those who paid for that Mass. Then last of all is taken out another small piece of Bread which is laid on the left haâ—â— in commemoration of the Founders of the Church and of the Parents and Friends of those who are departed which paid for the Mass the meaning and nature of which Commemoration we shall declare more particularly in the Chapter wherein we treat of the Office for the Dead Things thus prepared in order for the Sacrament the Priest raises the form of a Star in Silver and holds it over that Bread which is ordained for Consecration in the Eucharist saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Star stood over the place where the young Child was and repeating some short Prayers and Ejaculations that God would purifie him and make him worthy to offer this glorious Sacrifice he goes forth from the place of the Offertory and reads the Epistle and Gospel for the day in representation of the Apostles going forth into the world to preach and propagate the Christian Faith Then the Priest returning takes the Bread and Wine covers it and before the Consecration is completed and as they say themselves not yet transubstantiated sets it on his head and goes in Procession with it through all the Church at which time the people bow worship and make the Sign of the Cross casting the sick and infirm in the way that the Priest striding over them they may receive some miraculous benefit and remedy by the direct beams and influx of the Sacrament which when I have objected to some Priests as a thing strange to see the Elements adored before Consecration till which time they could not pretend them to be transubstantiated They knew not well how to answer otherwise than that they adored the Elements as being in immediate capacity and disposition to be converted into the true Body and Blood of Christ. The Creed or Symbolum Apostolicum is next repeated and then the Cover or Vail is taken off called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then over the Bread the air is moved with a Fan signifying the wind and breath of the Spirit which illuminated and inspired the Apostles when they composed the Articles of this holy Faith Then are
read the same words which we use at the Consecration of the holy Communion viz. In the same night when he was betrayed he took Bread and when he had given thanks he brake it c. Then follows this Prayer with some Soliloquies Lord who in the third hour didst send thy holy Spirit graciously take it not away from us but grant it unto us praying Lord make clean our hearts within us Which Prayer is repeated three times with the head bowed down and then the Priest raising himself again with an humble voice saith Lord hear my Prayer and lifting up his hand by way of blessing adds make this Bread the holy Body of Christ. Amen And here all the order of Consecration being finished he thus proceeds Thou art my God thou art my King I adore thee piously and faithfully And so covering again the Chalice which contains both species he elevates it and the People worship The Priest then Communicates eating that part of the Bread which in the time of preparation was divided into four pieces and the other three he puts into the Chalice of which with great devotion he sups three times and having himself received he administers the rest in a Spoon in both Kinds to the Communicants which being done the Chalice is carried to the side-Table of Preparation called the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therein are also put the remaining Particles which were laid aside and designed for commemoration of the living and dead of which when the Priest hath received some himself the remainder is divided amongst the Communicants Thus the Mass being finished the Priest cleanses the Cup with great care lest any thing should remain of the Sacrament to be carelesly and prophanely treated It is the Custom in this Church to conserve the Sacrament for the use of the sick but it is never exposed to the view of the People unless at the time of Celebration and thence also covered in the Chalice with a Vail But a most laudable Custom it is in this Church That those who intend to Communicate before they dare to approach the Altar and receive the Divine Mystery they first retire to the bottom of the Church and there ask forgiveness of the whole Congregation desiring their pardon in case they have offended any particular person whatsoever If any one at that time acknowledges himself agrieved or injured the party abstains and withdraws from the Sacrament until such time as he is reconciled and his Adversary satisfied The words they use are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pardon us Brethren for we have sinned in word and deed The people answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God pardon you Brethren Immunis ar am si tetigit manus Non sumptuosa blandior hostia Mollibit aversos Deos Farre pio Saliente Mica CHAP. X. Of the fourth Mystery called Priesthood wherewith is treated of their Monasteries Orders of Fryars and Nuns and the austerity of their Lives P Riesthood amongst the Greeks is accounted one of the seven Mysteries of the Church in respect of that Power and Authority the Clergy is endued with for dispensation of the Mysteries of mans salvation as the power of the Keys for loosing and binding sins the power and energy of Preaching and interpreting the holy Scriptures as Oracles of God of receiving into the Church baptizing cleansing and regenerating with water in a mysterious manner from the foulness of Original sin power of administring the Sacrament of the holy Eucharist the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Chrism of healing the body by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or holy Oyl matters of such deep and profound concernment beyond the most sublime and elevated understanding as cannot proceed from the vertue and efficacy of any natural calling but only from that unintelligible and mysterious Character of the Priesthood acoording to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. v. 1. Let a man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God Besides the different Orders of Religious and Secular Priests there are others distinctly appointed to administer in the Church and at the Altar namely Anagnostes who is ordained only to read the Hymns which are sung and the Prophets of the Old Testament the Psaltes which is appointed to sing the Psalms of David the Lampadarios who hath the care to trim the Lamps the Deacons and Sub-deacons who read the Epistles and Gospels all which are initiated and first blessed by the Bishop with imposition of hands who gives to the Anagnostes a Bible or Book of the holy Scripture which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to the Psaltes the Psalms of David signing and blessing them with the sign of the Cross All which after Ordination have the Crowns of their heads shaven Of Priests there are two sorts who have the power of Preaching and Administring the Sacraments viz. Secular and Religious The first though married have license to enter into holy Orders but their Wives dying they cannot be admitted to a second Marriage of which hard Injunction of their Church some early Widowers have complained unto me with sad remembrances of their past estate and inabilities for a continent life These wear Caps turned up with white from which hangs a fall of the same Cloth on their backs which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Dove being a Badge of their innocent life but this is oftentimes nay most commonly forfeited being cut off by the Bishop for some omission of duty or commission of sin so that few are observed to have continued this evidence of purity so frail are even Priests in those appetites which they profess to subdue The Religious Priests are called Kaloires from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good Priest or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good old Fathers which are Monks inclosed or encloistered in Monasteries professing chastity and obedience Their Order is of S. Basil besides which there is no other amongst the Greeks their Habit is a long Cassock of coarse Cloth girt to them of Camel colour with a Cap of Felt or Wool made to cover their ears and covered with a black Cool called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their Government and way of living is very austere and strict for they wholly abstain from flesh for all their life In the Lents and times of Fasting they are nourished with Bread and Fruits Oyl and Fish with blood not being allowed which with Lacticinia and Eggs are the Dishes and Delicacies indulged at their Feasts and times of less austerity Most of their time is taken up in their Quires being obliged every day in Lent to read over the whole Psalter once and at the end of every four Psalms is said the Gloria Patri c. with three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Metagnai or in better Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they call them which is a bowing or kissing the ground three times At the end of every ten Psalms
not being understood amongst them it would be impossible to form a definition which may accord with their capacity we shall therefore tell you in what manner they celebrate those two Sacraments in their Church The Baptism of Infants they use and esteem necessary as being that which washes away their Original sin in performance of which the Priest takes the Child by the Feet and Hands and dips it three times under Water which immersion of three times these with the Greeks esteem essential unto this Sacrament so that where the Vessel is shallow and not capable to recieve the whole Body the Priest pours it with his hand that not Part or Member may remain unbaptized After Baptism they apply the Chrism anointing the Fore-head Eyes Ears Breast Palms of the hands and soals of the feet with consecrated Oyl in form of a Cross and then they administer unto the Child the Holy Eucharist which they do only by rubbing the Lips with it The distribution of the Panis Benedictus which they call Maz is in use amongst them as with the Greeks Surp Usiun as they call the holy Eucharist they celebrate only on Sondays and Festivals though on other days they perform the publick Services of the Church whereby it appears that they have other Morning Services besides that of the Communion They put no Water into the Wine nor Leaven into the Bread as do the Greeks They hold Transubstantiation as do the Papists from whom the Priests readily accepted of such a Doctrine as tends to their Honour and Profit Christ saith This is my Body and This is my Blood which plain words these good men are willing to accept in their litteral sense that so they may not be put to the subtilties of the Schools nor to the interpretation of Mystical and Sacramental Terms Let the meaning be how it will the Church of Rome which is more wise and learned than they hath so determined it and if they erre be the fault and errour upon them Howsoever this Tenent of Transubstantiation is held and discussed but of late years amongst them and is not altogether Universally accepted some of them will pretend to maintain and others will deny it and declare that the Epitome of their faith which is mentioned only in the 12 th Chapter of this Book was subscribed by some few of their Bishops and extorted from them by threats and rewards Their manner of distributing the Communion is done by sopping the Bread into Wine so that the Communicant receives both species together which is different from the Form and Custom of the Latine Greek and reformed Churches They differ from the Greeks in that they administer Bread unleavened made like a Wafer they differ from the Romans in that they give both Species to the Laity which the Priest doth by putting his Fingers into the Chalice out of which he takes the Wafer soaked in the Wine and delivers that unto the Communicant And it is pleasant to observe that he hath no sooner done so but that some Boy or young Lad is presently at hand to lick his Fingers which he willingly grants him in regard that they esteem it a kind of initiation or Pledge to them of receiving the Sacrament hereafter when they come to years of understanding as the rubbing of the Lips of the Infant with the consecrated Elements is to Children at the time of their ad-admittance to Baptism So that when I consider and observe in what a plain manner our Saviour instituted this Sacrament how easily understood and how clearly practised and how facil to be followed and brought into imitation for it is said he took Bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to his disciples c. in like manner he took the Cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink you all of this Notwithstanding which we may see how far the Churches have deviated from this easie and plain rule The Latines administer it with a Wafer and deny the Cup to the Laity the Greeks give both Species in a Spoon together the Armenians soak the Bread in the Wine Only God hath illuminated the Reformed Churches and taught them how to follow the Examples of the first Institution and yet amongst them likewise there is some difference and amongst the Sectaries yet greater whereby we may judge of the malice and subtlety of the grand Deceiver who would render that salutiferous food unwholesome and make this principal Instrument of Grace and Salvation to become the most dangerous snare and ruine of Humane Souls CHAP. IX Of Penance and Excommunication THEY use Confession in the Ear of a Priest who is for the most part very rigorous in the Penance he imposes for if the Sin be enormous and very foul he is not contented with one bare Act of Penitential satisfaction but lays a penance to continue for several years at the end of which it is seldom that the Penitent escapes or obtains absolution without some pecuniary mulct by way of peace-Offering or Atonement for sin and by which also the indignation of the Priest himself may be satisfied and appeased and this penance once imposed no man can remit no not the Bishop nor Patriarch himself Some I have known who have been enjoyned a whole weeks fast that is from Sonday night to Sonday Morning following during which time they have taken nothing into their Mouths of Meat or drink only on Wednesday night they had license to drink one draught of Sherbet Excommunication is made use of as frequently by them as by the Greeks by the abuse of which the Priests procure the most considerable part of their gains Nor is any Ecclesiastical Rite as we have said before performed nor a Benefice conferred without Money the Oppression and Exaction under which they live both of the Turks and Persian being a plea as they suppose sufficiently forcible to excuse from the Crime of Simony CHAP. X. Of their Marriages MArriage is not only lawful for a Secular Priest but is esteemed so necessary that none can be a Priest unless he enter first into the state of Matrimony I say a Secular Priest because a Bishop or a Monk cannot marry or rather that state is not inconsistent with the Office of a Bishop as a Bishop but as the Bishops are Monks being always chosen out of the Monasteries of Religious men In case the Wife of the Secular Priest dies and he marries again he is ipso facto degraded and suspended from his Sacerdotal Ministry Lay persons are permitted to marry twice but the third Marriage is abominable and esteemed as scandalous and as great a Sin as Fornication A Widow cannot marry with other than with a Widow as one that hath not been married must take one who is reputed a Virgin in which they observe the same degrees of consanguinity as are agreeable to the Canons of the Western Churches They usually chuse Monday Morning at or before break a-day for the time to be