Perlegi Tractatum hunv cui Titulus est A relation of the Christians in the World eumque typis mandari permitto Iulij 29. 1639. Sa. Baker A RELATION Of the CHRISTIANS in the World Revelations 7. 9. After this I beheld and loe a great Multitude which no man could number of all Nations and Kinreds and People and Tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lambe LONDON Printed by I. Okes. Anno Domini 1639. Reverendissimo in Christo Patri ac Domino Honoratissimo Domino Gulielmo Cantuariensi Archiepiscopo totius Angliae Primatiac Metropolitae Regiae Majestati à Consilijs Sanctioribus Academiae Oxoniensis Cancellario Patrono suo Colendissimo HAbes in libello isto amplissime Praesul Ecclesiae Catholicae statum et pomoeria In quo Augustam Ecclesiam Catholicam non angustis modo Romani Pontificis limitibus ut incassum somniant Pontificij circumscriptam nec in obscuro aliquo ut Africae angulo ut non minus olim vane concluserunt Donatistae coarctatam sed vere Catholicam Hoc est Universaliter extensam ab Oriente in Occidentem et a meridie in Septentrionem sparsim diffusam videri licet Et mihi certe summa delectatio et consolatio fuit cum legendo invenissem et contemplando intellexissem quam magna sit domus Dei Omnipotentis quam ingens possessionis ejus locus quam fortis Ecclesia columna Dei viventis contra quam nec tyrannorum bujus mundi malitia nec potestatum infernarum astutia quicquam sint praevalitura De Dedicatione huius Operis cum argumentum sacrum sit ac Ecclesiasticum non diu deliberandum fuit cuius tutelae Consecrarem Tibi Illustrissime ac Reverendissime Praesul qui in Anglia nostra summus es Sacrorum Praeses et Ecclesiae Patronus non vigilantissimus modo sed et verissimus optimo iure dicari debet Ignosce itaque Reverendissime Praesul huic meae in dedicando 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et dignare etiam suppliciter oro hoc meum qualecunque sit opusculum sub alarum vestrarum umbra protegere Ego sane iam annosus et senio confectus hoc opus non sine magno labore multis vigilijs concinnatum ad lucem publicam Reverentiae vestrae patrocinio fretus fidens expono Mibi quidem in istiusmodi rhapsodijs conscribendis coepisse sat est Nunc ut alij longe me eruditiores ad gumentum isthoc prosequendum et illustrandum instigentur vestrum erit Quod ut usui publico sit Deum Optimum Maximum precor per Iesum Christum ut Authoritatem vestram Ecclesiae tranquillitati quam diutissime servet Amplitudini vestrae addictissimus Reverentiae vestrae servus humillimus Ephraim Pagitt In Europe are 4 Sorts of christians The Protestants Papists Moscouits Greekes These two last agree With the Protestants and are not subiect to the Pope In Africa are The Cophtie Under the Patriarch of Alexandria And the Abassin christians in Aethiope Under theire Abunna or Patriarch In Asia are the christians Under the Patriarch of Ierusalem and Antioch the Armenians Georgians Circassians Christians in Cazan and Astracan ect Under the Patriarch Mosco of ASia the lesse Under the Patriarch of Musall The Iacobits Christians of S t Thome Maronites ect A Relation of the Christians in the WORLD HAving made a diligent enquiry of the estate of the Church of God upon Earth I doe finde that it is not confined to any one Country or Nation nor impaled within any one Bishops Dioces but truely Catholick or universal dispersed over the face of the whole Earth Our blessed Lord and Saviour being ready to ascend into Heaven commanded his Apostles saying Goe yee and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost And this his Commandement the holy Apostles being inspired from above put in execution They went forth and preached every where the Lord working with them In the Ecclesiasticall Histories the Countries and Nations are named in which and to whom they preached And although some are perswaded that those Churches are altogether perished or become hereticall yet according to our Lords promise of Assistance not only to his holy Apostles viz. I am with you alway but also to their Successors preaching after them even to the latter end of the world Christianity in the substantiall and essentiall points of it remayneth in many of these Countries to this day And truly it is to mee a matter of great consolation in so many changes of this VVorld and oppositions of wicked men against them that doe professe the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ to see the Church of God preserved and propagated upon the face of the Earth and not only the Doctrine of Christian Religion but also the ancient Ecclesiasticall Policie and government of Bishops to be mainted and defended through the providence of Almighty God not only by Christian Princes but also by Mahumetan and Pagan Kings The world may be divided into the Old known to the ancients which may be subdivided into Europe Asia Africa New late found out which may bee sub-divided into America the North and South unknown lands EVrope hath in Longitude as some write from the further part of Ireland West and the River Tanais East about 2166 Miles and in latitude 2220 Miles or there abouts Affrica is about twice as large as Europe and Asia is esteemed to be larger than them both I finde in Europe foure sorts of Christians viz. Protestants Romanists Muscovites and Greeks The Protestants who inhabit the Kingdomes of England and Scotland being about 1836 miles in compasse and Ireland conteyning about 400 Miles in length and 200 in breadth Gildas writeth that Britanie received the Faith in the time of Tiberius Nicephorus Dorotheus and others also write that the Ecclesia Occidentalis Reformata in Regnis Angliae Scotiae Hiberniae Daniae Norvegiae Succiae Transilvaniae Inhabitant etiam hi Christiani Pontifi cijs mixti Germaniam Poloniam Eranciam Helvetiam Rhetiam Hungariam Bohemiam Belgiam Pontificia in Hispania Italia Francia nhabitant etiam hi Christiani Protestantibus mixti partem Germaniae Poloniaae Franciae Belgiae Helvetiae Rhetiae Hungariae Bohemiae Orientalis Graeca sub Patriarcha Constantinopolitano Antiocheno Alexandrino Hierosolymitano Moscoviae Bulgariae Iberiae seu Georgianorum Chaldaea aut Chaldaeis lingua vicina haec Ecclesia dividitur in eam cui imputatur quod sit Nestoriana sub Patriarcha de Mosul alijsqueâ—hiChristiani Mahumetanis infidelibus mixti inhabitant Babyloniam Assyriam Mesopotamiam Parthiam Mediam Catthaiam Tartariam Indiam c. Monophysitica Armeniorum Iacobitarum Coptorum seu Christianorum Aegyptiacorum Aethiopum seu Abassinorum Apostle Simon Zelotes preached in Britanie and that he was Crucified lyeth buried there some suppose that he came with Ioseph of Arimathea into Britanie which Ioseph you may read in Cardinal Baronius his Annals to have arrived here
about the five and thirtieth yeare of our Lord. Aristobulus one of the seventy Disciples was one of the first Bishops of Britanie The memory of these Arch-Bishops following viz. Of Patrick in Ireland Palladius in Scotland and of David in Wales who Preached the most sweete Name of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ in these Countries before named will never be forgotten In St. Peters Church in Cornehill London remaineth a Monument declaring that King Lucius founded that Church for a Bishops See and of a succession of Arch-Bishops there for 400 yeares Elvanus sate Arch-Bishop there by whose preaching with others King Lucius had beene converted as also Restitutus a married Bishop who with other British Bishops subscribed the Synode at Arles Anno 350. Neither is Vodinus one of the Arch-bishops of London to be left in oblivion who was murthered for reproving King Vortiger for putting away his wife and marrying Rowen daughter to Hengist an Infidel Reverend Bede telleth us of many Learned men and Bishops in Britany before and about the comming of Austin the Monk As also of Bishop Aidan and Finan who are at this day reckoned among the Romish Saints although they would have no Communion with the said Austin Likewise Arch-bishop Cranmer Bishop Ridley Bishop Latimer and others who restored Religion to the ancient Purity and sealed their Confession with their Blood will be had in Everlasting memory There are now in the Kingdomes above named eight Arch-bishops and about eighty Bishops The Clergy in these Kingdomes are learned best provided for and the most honorable of the reformed Churches The Bishops are Barons and sit in their Parliaments and two of the English Bishops viz. Durham and Eley have some regalities in their Diocesses In ancient time the Kings of England placed Clergy-men in the greatest Offices of the Kingdome The Protestants also inhabit the Kingdome of Denmark with the Balticke Islands and the great Islands in the Ocean as Islands part of Freisland The Kingdome of Norway being in length about 1300. miles and not halfe so much in breadth There are in Denmarke and Norway two Archbishopricks and foureteene Bishoprickes These Kingdomes received Christianity from the Apostles or Disciples as Merman affirmeth There were two Danish Bishops in the first Councell of Nice viz. Marcus Metropolitanus Protogenes The Kingdome of Sweden bigger then France and Italy in which Kingdome is one Arch-Bishopricke and seven Bishopricks The Kingdome of Transilvania in a manner intire In the Kingdome of Poland being of no lesse space than Spaine and France laid together the Protestants in great numbers are diffused through all the quarters thereof having in every Province their publicke Churches orderly severed and bounded with Dioces There are also in Polonia many Greeks or Russes who have eight Bishops whose Metropolitane is the Arch-Bishop of Kiovia These Bishops are not beggarly but well provided for and of good esteeme Isidore Arch-Bishop of Kiovia before named went to the Councell of Florence attended with 100. Horse There are also many Armenians Christians whose Bishop is resident in Leopolis In France the Protestants had at the conference of Poisie 2150 Congregations In this Christian Kingdome Philip the Apostle with many holy Bishops preached the faith as Dionysius Disciple of S. Paul the first Bishop of Paris and Martyrs Lazarus Photinus Disciple of Polycarp and Irenaeus B. of Lions Hilary B. of Poicteurs who tooke great paines to purge France from the Arrian Heresie Remigius Bishop of Rhemes who baptized Clodoveus the first Christian King of France Neither should wee forget Germanus Bishop of Anxer nor Lupus Bishop of Tros who crossed the Seas to aide the British Bishops against the Pelagians The Protestants have also the greatest part of Germany all the temporall Princes of note being of late Protestants except the Dukes of Bavaria and Cleere and in a manner all the Free Cities and Hanse Townes The Protestants detain also in their possessions the Archbishopricks of Magdenburgh and Breame with the Bishopricks unto them belonging As also the Bishopricks of Verdden Halberstad Osnaburgh and Minden When Magdenburgh was converted to the Faith Albert was there Bishop Cresceus Disciple of Saint Paul was one of the first Bishops in Germany and Winibrode an Englishman commonly called Boniface is Famous amongst the Archbishops of Ments whom the Pagans murthered in hope of prey and found only in his Coffers a few bookes and Relicks The first Bishop of Wertburgh was Burchard a Britaine this Bishop is Duke of Franconia and Lord of part of Vortland The first Archbishop of Breme was Ausgarius who converted Erick the third King of Denmarke Also in these later times the memory of Doctor Luther who caused Reformation in some parts of Germany is very precious in the Countries by him reformed They have also halfe the Netherlands there were lately Bishops in these parts as amongst others Amandus Bishop of Utrecht who converted the Gauntois to the Christian Faith As also Frederick Bishop of the said See who for reproving Lodowick the Emperour for keeping Iudith was put to death but now in these Countries and some others they have no Bishops but appropriating the Church-livings to themselues they give their Ministers Pensions But I fear that in this their taking to themselves the Church-livings set apart by their Fore-fathers for the service of Almighty God and paying their Ministers pensions they doe no otherwise than a King of Spaine did who taking very much from the Church built a Monastery or two of whom the Proverbe went That he had taken a Sheep from Almighty God and given him again out of it the Trotters Now what the miserable Effects are which follow upon the want of Bishops in those Countries let the abundance of Heresies Sects Schismes and Religions amongst them testifie to the world Also they have more than halfe Switzerland and the Grisons Country in which Countries have beene many Bishops The Protestants also live mingled with the Romanists in Hungarie Austria Bohemia Piemont and other places Severinus is accounted the Apostle of Austria In those Countries have beene many holy Bishops and Doctours who have shined like Stars in the Firmament illuminating the Darknesse of the blind World with the light of their Celestiall Doctrine The second sort of Christians in Europe are The Roman Catholicks Who inhabit SPain being in compasse 1893 miles or thereabouts in times past divided into many Kingdomes but now united into one In this great Kingdome are about eleven Archbishops and many Bishops men of great Dignity and Estate Saint Iames is affirmed to be the Apostle of Spaine as also Saint Paul Osius Bishop of Corduba whom Constantine honoured for the marks of Iesus Christ that he bore and Isidore Bishop of Sivill are famous for opposing the Arrian Hereticks with Illefonsus Archbishop of Toledo Isidorus Scholer Fulgentius and others The revenues of
set forth by the most reverend Father in God the Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury his Grace my Honourable Patron in which it will appeare The Greekes to differ from us in forme of Words onely So the Greekes deny not the Holy Ghost whom they acknowledge to be the third Person in Trinity God equall with the Father Neither are they Hereticall in this poynt as some affirme them to be so Condemning and casting into Hell so many Millions of Christian soules redeemed with the precious blood of his dearest Sonne Iesus Christ and for this poynt onely Moreover Guido the Carmelite Prateolus and others impute unto the Grecians divers errors which Lucianus of Cyprus a Bishop a learned Dominican and a worthy man as Possevine the lesuite accounteth him sheweth to be falsely ascribed to them As that they teach simple Fornication to be no sinne That it is no sinne to lend upon Vsury That it is not necessary to make restitution of things uniustly taken away with other things being meere slanders Thomas a Iesu writeth that one of the principall things that maketh the Grecians so averse from the Latins is that they are wronged by them by untrue reports and slanderous imputations Of the Greeke Communion are the Muscovites the Russes in Poland the Georgians Circassians Mengrellians and Melchites all these observe the Greek Rites 2 Againe a great part of the Christians in Asia Persia Tartaria and other Provinces are Hereticks Who affirme That there were two Persons in Christ as well as two Names But this Errour they have reiected as Onuphrius writeth they hold nothing savouring of that Errour These Christians indeed make a scruple of calling the blessed Virgin the Mother of God left they should seeme to make her the Mother of the holy Trinitie and divine Essence 3 The Christians in Aegypt Aethiopia with the Iacobites in Syria are accused to be infected with the Heresie of Eutyches wheras they curse Eutyches for an Heretick for confounding the two Natures of Christ. They affirme The two Natures in Christ to be so united that there is one personated Nature arising of two Natures not personated without mixtion or confusion As Thomas a Iesu and others affirme 4 They scandall also the Abassine Christians for using Circumcision If you be circumcised you are falne from Grace and Christ profiteth you nothing whereas they circumcise not for any Religion but only it being an ancient custome of the Aethiopians They accuse them also of Anabaptisme For that they wash themselves yearly in the flouds in memoriall of Christs Baptisme As the Spaniards do yearly in memoriall of Saint Iohn Baptist And the like are the imputations laid upon other Churches To conclude this point through the mercifull goodnesse of God all these different sorts of Christians by reason of delivering certaine points of Faith mistaking one another or variety of opinion touching things not Fundamentall yet agree in one substance of Faith and are so farre forth Orthodoxe that they retain a saving Profession of all duties absolutely necessary to salvation and are members of the true Catholike Church of God As these Christians are Orthodoxe in the mayne so for their holy lives and conversations they are to be admired and may be exemplary unto others Holinesse of Lives FIrst for their Reverence in Churches no man is allowed to walke talke or sit in them especially in the time of Divine Service In Aethiopia old men are allowed to use Crutches in the Church and weak men to leane against the wals Iohannes Faber reporteth of the Rasses that he hath not seene the like of them for their frequenting Prayer and devotion in their Prayers who lying prostrate upon the ground poure out their devout Prayers unto Almighty God For their Chastitie they permit no Stews nor Brothel-houses among them They punish Adultery with death The Adulterer among the Aethiopians is accounted to dishonour the Emperour from whom all Honour is derived Adulterers among them are cast alive unto the Lions They are among other vertues great lovers of Truth Among us saith Pretegian if any man willingly tell a lye hee is accounted a man worthy of death for the first he is admonished for the second he doth penance for the third he is led by a rope about his necke out of the Towne or City and banished into some Desart where commonly he perish for hunger For their Fasts they keepe them very strictly farre unlike the Roman Catholicks in the West who allow men to drink Wine and to eate sweete Meates in their very fasts Thomas a Iesu writeth that the austere living of the Greekes causeth them to contemne the Latines but let the Greekes know saith he that Christian Righteousnesse doth not consist chiefely in macerating the Body but in Charity Faith Hope and other vertues Although these Christians are not so learned as we suppose the Christians in the VVest to be yet they got farre beyond them for godlinesse and devotion And if these Christians shall bee excluded Heaven who ioyne believing and doing Faith and VVorkes together alas where shall they appeare that come farre short of them But as you have heard of the great multitude of Christians in the VVorld of their Religion holy Lives and Conversations wee may in the next place consider what hath beene the bane of the Church viz Ambition which was the ruine of the Angels in Heaven and caused man to lose Paradise Of this our Lord gave speciall warning to his Apostles when they strove who should bee greatest And St. Paul more especially to the Romans Boast not thy selfe against the Branches Be not high minded but feare A great Controversie arose among the Bishops in the west parts of the VVorld who should bee greatest The Bishop of Rome sitting in the Imperiall City claimed superiority above his fellow Bishops precending a Canon of the Counsell of Nice As also the donation of Constantine the Emperour Likewise the Patriarch of Constantinople the Emperours Court being removed thither claimed the like preheminence by the Decree of a Councell also by Donation of Maurice the Emperour Indeed the Easterne Church may challenge to her selfe some preheminence in regard of her great priviledges and prerogatives as having all the Apostles Sees the greatest number of Patriarchs being the bigger Church and more ancient The Maiesty of the Emperour of Constantinople for above 1000 yeares which hath with stood Paganisme and Mahumatisme And of the Emperour of Moscho and Trebizond for some hundred of years The authority of seven generall Counsels held among them The Syrian Language in which the Sonne of God delivered his Holy Oracles the Hebrew and Greek Tongues in which they were Registred and which hath had not only the Holy Apostles but also Christ himself when he was in his flesh preaching among them And this Church we are forced to confesse with the Bishop of Bitonto to be our Mother Church from whom the Latine
affirme the Catholick Church of God to be onely in Rome and in the Countries subiect to their Bishop And therefore they tearme themselves Catholicks excluding all other Christians in the World out of the Catholike Church and so Heaven and putting them into the state of damnation though never so Orthodox and Pious for not being subiect to their Bishop onely Yet many of these Christians by them so damned suffer grievous persecutions for Iesus Christs sake which they might quit themselves of if they would renounce their Saviour and also attaine great priviledges and preferments And that which is more some of these Churches so damned and condemned by them never heard of the Bishop of Rome Postel writeth a Booke of the great multitude of Christians unknowne to the Latine World Before the Papacy of Iulius the third writeth Miraeus the name of the Chaldean Patriarch was unknowne to us Neither doe I find any mention of him in the Popes Records And yet Cardinall Amuleius reporteth That hee and his Bishops had long kept the Faith and also many of them had suffered Martyrdome for Christs Name Also the Indian Christians of Taprobane and the Islands adiacent saith Thevet nor their Fathers never heard of the Pope of Rome nor his Cardinals nor of the Greek Patriarchs nor of the Councells untill the Portugals came among them and yet they kept the Ceremonies of the Primative Church which they received from the Apostles and their Disciples God forbid that all these Christians and especially they that have given their Bloods for Iesus Christs Name and glory in his Crosse should be excluded for having any share or benefit by Christs Blood and this for not being subiect to the Pope of Rome and for not being members of the Roman Catholicke Church which they never heard of By this their uncharitablenesse doe not the Romish Catholicks cut themselves off from the unity of the Catholicke Church As Firmilian writeth to St. Cyprian of Pope Stephen Excommunicating other Churches Thou hast cut off thy selfe from the unity of the Churches Deceive not thy selfe he is a true Schismaticke that maketh himselfe Apostate from the Communion and Union of the Churches Thou thinkest they are divided from thee but thou onely art separated from them As the Church of Rome hath exalted her selfe above all other Churches so also the Roman Catholicks are accused for devising and adding some new Articles of Faith to the old ones much advancing the state and profit of their Clergy which the other Christians will not nor dare admit of having received onely twelve from the holy Apostles As first they have made the Popes Supremacy before named an Article of the Faith viz. That their Bishop is head of the whole Church of God and that every soule must be subiect to him upon necessity of salvation Secondly That their Bishop cannot erre in Cathedra Thirdly That their Bishops hath power to depose Kings and to dispose of their Kingdomes Fourthly For the honour of the inferiour Clergy they have made Transubstantiation a Doctrine of Faith by which every Priest hath superlative power given him As a Reverend Bishop writeth viz. To doe a greater worke daily than God did in the Creation For therein Almighty God made but Creatures But in this the Priest as they say can make his Maker Fiftly for the more honour of the Clergy They allow them the onely use of Christs Blood in the Eucharist prohibiting the Laity the use thereof VVhich all the Christians in the Vniverse enioy but onely the Romish Catholick Laitie and for this they have made a Decree flat against Christs institution viz. Although the Lord Christ in his last Supper did deliver this venerable Sacrament in both kinds c. Yet non obstante they doe approue and decree for a Law the custome of receiving in one kind Againe for the better Maintenance of their Clergy they have invented new devises as Purgatory with the horrible paines thereof as with Burnings Boylings and Roasting of soules they doe so fright simple people that they get much mony from them Of this place the Bishop of Rome hath iurisdiction the other Orthodox Patriarchs having nothing to doe with it commanding out whom he will much Treasure is got hereby 2 Pardons which are grounded upon Purgatory Pardons began saith Fisher Bishop of Rochester when men were frighted with Purgatory 3 The inferiour Clergy doth also share with the Pope in the profits of Purgatory for they have turnd the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist into a Sacrifice true reall and propitiatory under the name of Masse in which they doe say that the Priest doth truely and really offer up Christ to God his Father but this is done by way of bargaine and hire for remission of sins and freedome of soules out of Purgatory And of this they make great profit 4 They have made a Canon for the Worshiping of Images and for this cause they have in every Church an Image or more of some of their Saints many of which simple people and especially foolish women are made to beleeve to have some speciall vertue to helpe as St. Radegond can make barren women fruitfull St. Bartilmew can make women to conceive a Male-child or a Female according to their desires St. Margart can give them easie labour St. Uncomber can make peace betweene married folk St. Edith can keepe corne from blasting And to these Saints simple people did trot with rich Offerings and Worship these Saints with kneeling bowing and praying before them yea the Priests carry them about in Procession with great pomp playing at noddy with the simplicity of the people 5 They have also devised a Treasury in which is reserved the surplussage of the Sufferings of Christ of the Saints Whereas say they the least drop of Christs Blood had beene sufficient to have saved all the World And that Christ shed all his blood and also that many holy men suffered more than their sins deserved least their sufferings should be in vaine they are reserved in this Treasury for the Pope to bestow where he list The other Orthodox Christian Patriarchs having nothing to doe with this Treasurie With this and such like devises they get much money from simple and silly people For the confirmation of these things although they have no Scriptures yet they will store you with multitudes of Miracles and Visions These with some other the Church of Rome hath Canomzed for Articles or Doctrines of Faith as if the Apostles Creed should be defective which the other Christians in the world thinke to bee compleate enough About these Additions is the contestation betweene the Roman Catholicks and the other Christians of the world These are urged by the Romanists under their Popes curse and these additions are reiected by others fearing Gods curse being Articles not left by the holy Apostles nor found in holy Scriptures The societies of Christians before named