Part 29
But yet that but a few slaves come from thence to us again, the chief reason is not, as many think, because the _Turks_ press them to change their religion; for although they sometimes threaten them, as they use to do, or treat them somewhat more hardly than is usual in their servitude, as Christians also do very often, but rather their secure and impenitent life which they lead, forgetting God and his holy Word to that degree, that they know not how to give an account of their Christian faith and religion; nay, (what is more) they know not the difference between these two religions, which are so vastly differing, although they would, if they did know it, rather suffer death than be seduced from the true religion, and precipitate the soul, together with the body, into damnation. When then the knowledge of the truth is gone, and faith almost, if not quite extinguish’d, so that there is but little hope left of their salvation, they daily forsake their religion as fast as worm-eaten fruit falls from the tree; begin to think how to compensate their bodily suffering, they may lay up and get money by robbing and burning, and so get privileges, to live according to their own will and pleasure, like beasts in daily uncleanness; and when they are harden’d in it, they come at last to such a degree of sottishness and brutality, that (as St _Peter_ saith) they believe the chief good of this world to consist in voluptuousness, wherein they perish at length, and must expect the wages of unrighteousness with the rest.
When the _Turks_ have conquered one or more (which they discern at first by their fore-finger, which those that have a mind to turn use to shew to them first, as a token, by lifting of it up over their heads, chiefly in their _Mosques_) they rejoyce in them mightily, and are clearly of opinion, That this their work is precious and good before God, and that their religion is confirmed and upheld by the assenting of many; wherefore they soon meet together to confirm these turn-coats with their usual ceremonies, and so to make them true _Turks_. First they lay before them a cross, whereon they must trample three times, spit upon it, and repeat every time some words after them taken out of the _Koran_; so the Christians that will be made _Turks_ pronounce them after them. When this is done, three of them are ready with their bows, and shoot together up, and give them before the arrows fall down again _Turkish_ names: then (if they be men) they set them up upon high horses, put them on their best cloaths, and dress them neatly, and so lead them for two days together through all the streets, that every body may see them, and know them to be such as do adhere to their religion, and so to be free to walk and deal among them without any hinderance. If they are of an higher degree, and of great authority, sometimes ride along with them some _Turkish_ gentlemen of quality, in their best dress, accompanied by many _Janizaries_, who fire here and there in the streets for joy, but chiefly in those places where they spy Christians. They have with them all sorts of musical instruments, _viz._ The drums, great drums, and little drums, (which they beat at the same time both above and below) hautboys, and others: They also carry in this their procession long streamers upon long poles, almost like unto them that we see in the cross-walks in our Frieries; and besides, the rabble that run before and behind make such a noise, that one cannot hear the other. When all this is over, they circumcise them at last on the third day, and then they reckon such an one to be a true _Musulman_, that is, a circumcised one, who hath leave to go to their _Mosques_ without being hindered, to buy their books and writings, and to read them, which must not be sold to others that are not of their religion, upon pain of great punishment, that they may not come into unclean hands, or to be trod upon as writings of no worth.
Their _Jews_, whereof there are a great many among them, and are called by them _Choifut_ or _Choifoutler_, excel ours in cheating and cozening by far, and there is no doubt but they would oftentimes renounce their religion to make profit: But the _Turks_ envy them more than we Christians, they do not trust them, they reckon them not worthy to eat with them as they do with us Christians, nor marry with them; much less will they receive them as any thing related to their religion, except it be, that before for some days they have frequented the Christian churches, and there are baptized, and have often eaten pork, that unclean meat, that is also forbidden unto them. When they have done thus, they proceed with them after the same manner as is before-said.
Concerning the Christians that live among the _Turks_, as the _Surians_, _Armenians_, &c. they have here and there in great trading cities, their peculiar streets which they inhabit, and they are commonly without in the suburbs; and thereabout are also small and low churches, where they perform their devotions. When they begin to be decayed of age, or are burnt by fire, or destroyed in war time, if they will have them built up again, they must have leave first of the _Turkish_ magistrate, and lay down a good sum of money, which grants nothing except you grease them well.
The _Turks_ (to save charges) suffer no bells nor clocks, neither in their own nor other temples, nor will they give leave to the Christians to ring to church with them, so that all day long you neither hear a bell toll, nor a clock strike. Instead thereof, the _Turks_ have, according to their _Koran_, their five hours set, which their Priests call out from the high steeples, and in the exchanges, with a loud voice, and with stopped ears, and cry, _Alla Haickbar_, that is, _God is true_; and then, _Leila hillalla, Mahammet rasur alla_; each of them he repeats twice, to call the people to their devotions. But the Christians have a servant, that at the hours of prayers and sermon goeth about with a strong cudgel, and striketh, in every street, on one or more doors made strong for that purpose, as if it were upon an anvil, several times, which resounds through all the street.
When the Christians pray, they observe almost the same ceremonies with the _Turks_, _Persians_ and _Arabians_, _&c._ they turn themselves towards the south, they speak low in the beginning, lift up their hands, bend their heads and whole bodies downwards; then they fall down upon their knees, kiss the earth several times, and pray with great devotion; which custom the _Jews_ keep also, and that without doubt, because the Patriarchs used the same in their prayers, as we read in _Genesis_ chap. xvii. verse 3. and 17. ‘And _Abraham_ fell on his face: _Exod._ xvii. 11. When _Moses_ held up his hands _Israel_ prevailed:’ And in 1 _Kings_ xviii. 42. is said, ‘And _Elijah_ went up to the top of _Carmel_, and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees:’ And also _Nehemiah_ viii. 6. ‘And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands; and they bowed they heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.’ So did _Christ_ himself, lying on his face, vehemently pray the third time. If we Christians did but mind the fervency and zeal of the heathens and superstitious in their prayers, we should see what reason we have to awake from our laziness and coldness in our prayers, and to pray with earnestness. There live in _Turky_ so many Christians, that they inhabit the greatest part of that country; wherefore considering their great number (to speak according to all human probability) it would be an easy matter to subdue the _Turks_ without the assistance of any outlandish power, and to drive them out of their own countries, did not God Almighty, who visiteth us for our manifold sins, set them over us as a punishment: For although the _Turkish_ Emperor sets his Beglerbys and Bashaws, as great and mighty lords here and there over great provinces and countries, to rule them with great zeal and severity, and to order all business according to his pleasure, so that among so great a number of people, and considering their severe reign and government (where small transgressions are vigorously punished) there is not easily to be feared an insurrection; yet he could not be half so strong, without the help of the Christians that live amongst his people, nor be able to bring together such mighty and numerous armies of good and experienced soldiers.
The Christians, for the most part, wear as well as the _Turks_ long cloaths, and gird their loins with fine and soft rollers, some of silk, and others made of cotton; in them they keep still to this day their money, chiefly the poor, as some with us, that have no pockets, do in their handkerchiefs, tied up in a strong knot; the same without doubt did the ancients wear, as the words of _Christ_ our Saviour, _Matth._ x. 9. give us to understand, where he speaketh to his disciples, and sends them into the world, saying, _Provide neither gold nor silver, nor brass in your purses_. (In the _German_ bible, we read girdles.) With such a one, without doubt, the Prophet _Agabus_ did tie the hands of the Apostle _Paul_ in _Cesarea_ in the house of _Philip_, when he would make him to understand, that the _Jews_ at _Jerusalem_ would take and tie him, and at length deliver him up into the hands of the heathens, as you may read in _Acts_ xxi. Now altho’ the Christians go as well as the _Turks_ in long cloaths, so that that way they are hardly to be distinguished from one another; yet they are distinguished by the peculiar colours of their turbants, which they wear; for the _Turks_ wear white ones, as also do the _Arabians_ and _Persians_, only these put behind to it a red coloured cloth, and the others make it up in another form, and let one of the ends hang down behind to defend their naked necks from the excessive heat of the sun. But the uncircumcised that have a differing religion, are not allowed to wear a white one, unless another colour be mixed with it, much less a green one; which colour being their _Mahomet_’s, and esteemed to be holy, is not allowed to be worn by any body, neither _Turks_ nor Christians, (except to their Priests and some Pilgrims that have been on pilgrimage to _Mecca_) neither in turbants nor other cloaths. So the _Armenians_ have blue, the _Nestorians_ flesh coloured, the _Grecians_, _Maronites_, _Surians_, and others have white ones with blue lists wrought into them. But the _Jews_ have yellow ones, as they have in our country yellow bonnets; yet when they have a mind to travel afar off, as into _Mesopotamia_, _Assyria_, _Persia_, or into the _Indies_, &c. (seeing that the _Turks_ hate them, that so they may travel the securer, and with little charges) they put on white ones by the way, and pretend to be _Tschelebys_, or noblemen, nay, sometimes messengers of the _Cambre_, which they may easily do, because they understand the languages, yet not without great danger. But they stay not long in a place, that they may not come to be known.
There are also some _Jewish_ Physicians, which instead of the yellow turbants, wear red high hats of scarlet, they exceed in number the _Turkish_ ones, that go cloathed like the common people. They are commonly more able and learned, because they can read the physical books of _Galen_ and _Avicenna_, &c. in their original languages _Greek_ and _Arabick_; which they generally understand. But for the _Latin_ tongue, very few of them understand that, neither have they any good books in it, but what they have received in the taking the island _Cyprus_.
So much of the Christians in general. But because I have made mention of Christians of several nations, that inhabit the temple of mount _Calvaria_, what places in and without the town of _Jerusalem_ each of them are possessed of, and with what errors in religion they are contaminated, I cannot but relate in particular of each of them, as much as I could understand and learn in that little time.
CHAP. XI.
_Of the GREEKS._
As the ancient _Greeks_ in former days did excel almost all other nations in wisdom and understanding, and used to have their children instructed at home in their own universities in all manner of learning; so in our times we find the contrary; for in all _Greece_ there is not one university to be found, where such discipline and learning flourishes as did anciently; just so is the desire of learning, and instructing their children extinguished in them. They take greater delight in idle discourses, and rather love idleness, which they have learned very well, since they truckle under the _Turkish_ yoke. ’Tis true, they write the _Greek_ language, but which is as corrupt and different from the ancient, as the _Italian_ is from the _Latin_. The _Turks_ despise them for their laziness and cowardise, and on the contrary they love the _Germans_, _French_ and _Italians_, and praise them, saying, That they are stout and courageous soldiers; they call them all by the same name _Franci_, because the divisions of our country are unknown to most of them.
In former ages they had here and there in large and eminent towns, instead of the Pope (whom they will not obey, nor be subject unto) their Patriarch, Archbishops and Bishops, whereof some are still kept up; but after the _Turks_ did take and possess themselves of their country, there is fewer of them in number, and they have smaller revenues.
Without their country, they have in great trading Cities, as _Cairo_, _Aleppo_, _Antiochia_ of _Syria_, _Venice_, &c. their peculiar churches, and chiefly in some holy places in the Land of Promise. As at _Jerusalem_ the temple of mount _Calvaria_, the place of Skulls, whereon _Christ_ was crucified; and also the beautiful chancel that is in the middle of the church; wherein is a round hole about a span over in a stone, which is, as they pretend, the middle of the earth, according to the words of the kingly prophet _David_, when he says: ‘God, who now is my King from the beginning, has wrought our selves on the middle of the earth.’ Besides these, they have another called the Holy Cross, about an _English_ Mile out of town, which, as they pretend, is built on the same place where the tree did grow whereof they made the cross of _Christ_. Besides this, they have a great many more which I reckon unnecessary to mention here.
Some of their church doors are so low, that you must stoop when you will go through them.
They believe that the Holy Ghost doth proceed only from the Father, and not from the Son. They keep yearly two great fasts, and they eat flesh upon the sabbath, or saturday, at pleasure; they sing the mass in their own language, that every body may understand it. In their churches they suffer no embossed work, nor carved images, but have plain pictures on boards, or on the walls. They do not believe in Purgatory, as the Papists there, called _Latini_, do; nor that our praying, fasting or offering for the dead can do them any good. And they are mightily displeased, that the _Roman_ priests do not, according to the plain words of St _Paul_, marry as well as they, nor give the Lord’s Holy Supper in both kinds, as our Lord himself did institute it. Wherefore they condemn such errors of the _Popish_ church, and excommunicate the Pope and his adherents on the Holy Friday yearly. And because they reckon them to be superstitious, they will not permit them to say mass upon their altars; but if they should do it, they accuse them before the _Turkish_ magistrates.
So it happened when I first came over, that they were very angry with a Papist that had said mass upon their altar, and so had profaned it, wherefore they did immediately consecrate the altar again, and had the Priest before the Cadi: and they brought it so far, that he was mulcted five hundred ducats, to pay in a short time. When he thought that the punishment was greater than the tresspass or transgression, he did seek for help at _Aleppo_ and _Tripoli_, by the _French_ and _Italian_ Consul, but did obtain no great matter, so that he was still in election to pay the forfeiture.
CHAP. XII.
_Of the ~Surians~ that esteem themselves to be ~Christians~._
Among the eastern _Christians_, we also find them that are called _Surians_, whereof there is a great many, but chiefly in _Syria_. They have like unto the _Jews_ in several towns their peculiar churches. In _Jerusalem_ they live in the church of St _Mark_, which stands in the place, where the house stood formerly, at the door whereof St _Peter_ the apostle did knock when the angel had delivered him out of prison.
In their religion they follow for the greatest part the _Greeks_; they administer the Sacrament in leavened bread; and they say their masses like unto them in the vulgar _Arabian_ tongue. They are a sort of poor naked, covetous, and helpless people; their gowns reach only to their knees, as those of the _Maronites_, some whereof are wrought of coarse goats hair, striped black and white, such as the _Arabians_ make use of commonly, and almost alike unto their _Mescha_, which they use for sacks and tents, and they wear nothing underneath them, but shirts without neckbands, as is usual in all the eastern countries, they wear high shoes, which serve them for stockings and breeches also, being tied up with straps. They are subject unto the _Turks_, who make use of them as labourers both by water and land. They also mind their trade more than their religion; wherefore having lived so long among the _Turks_, they have already assumed their customs and manners in temporal and spiritual affairs, and are thereby become so confident and secure, that now-a-days the difference between these two religions are esteemed by them to be small and frivolous. If a Christian hath to deal with them, and desireth, to buy something of them, either Opium, Scammony, or any other the like drug, which they commonly falsify, he must look to himself as if he had to deal with _Jews_.
CHAP. XIII.
_Of the GEORGIANS._
Near unto the glorious city of _Trapozinta_, situated on the _Euxine_ sea, beginneth the country of the _Georgians_, and buts toward the south upon _Armenia_. These are very civil and simple people, but yet strong and brave warriors; they esteem and honour among other saints, but chiefly for warlike businesses, as their patron, the Knight St _George_, from whom they take their denomination. Their Merchants come very often in great caravans to _Aleppo_, and are, according to all appearance, in their shape and posture like unto the _Persians_, only that these are more whitish, and the others more tawny and browner: they wear also like them, short flying coats, and long and wide drawers, _&c._ They have, as the rest, their Patriarchs and Bishops, who, altho’ they are differing and dissenting in some points; yet for the most part they follow the doctrine and errors of the _Grecians_, and so they have and use the same writings and offices. Their priests are, as well as those of the _Armenians_, allowed to be married; but yet if either of them should happen to die, they must not marry again. In _Jerusalem_ they are also possessed of their peculiar places, wherein they sing and exercise the offices, and chiefly of one in the church of mount _Calvaria_, in the place near the sepulchre of our Lord _Christ_, where he did first appear unto _Mary Magdalen_ in the similitude of a Gardener after his resurrection.
CHAP. XIV.
_Of the ARMENIANS and their religion._
The _Armenians_ possess a large country, which is chiefly divided into two parts, _viz._ The lesser _Armenia_, which is now subject to the _Turks_, and the greater, now called _Turco-Mannia_ by some, which is partly belonging to the Sophy King of _Persia_. In it arise two great rivers, the _Euphrates_ and the _Tygris_, which run a great way toward the south, mix together below _Bagadet_, and at length fall into the _Persian_ gulf, by the town _Balsora_ or _Batzera_. They are pious and honest people, innocent, but very zealous in their religion, and receive strangers readily that come to them, and give them lodging, as I have often found it in my travels. They are also very much inclined to help and assist the poor slaves that are under _Turkish_ confinement, and ready to help them out. Their Merchants, whereof there are many amongst them, are dispersed not only over all _Turky_, but also _Persia_, the _Indies_, and many other countries; wherefore they have in all chief towns of trading, as _Antiochia_, _Aleppo_, situated in _Cœlosyria_, _Orpha_, &c. their peculiar warehouses and churches; and also in _Jerusalem_ (whither they go in great numbers) the beautiful church of St _Jacob_ the Greater; and also below near to the place of Skulls, another chapel locked up, _&c._ and have commonly before their chancels large hangings, behind which the priests keep separated from the people.
These, although they agree in very many points and articles exactly with those of the reformed religion, yet notwithstanding they have some errors worth to be rejected, and some scandalous customs besides. So you may see them here and there cry over the graves of their deceased friends; for to give them visits, they go out in the morning early, the greater part of them old women, and there they make such mourning and howling, that the travellers that come by (for their graves or burying places, are generally out of town near the highways) may hear them a great way off. There you shall see them sit, some folding their hands over their heads, and looking mournfully; others fetching great sighs, beating on their breasts; others spreading themselves over the graves, as if they would embrace their friends and take them in their arms. In the mean while, their priests go about among them reading and praying, and sometimes they speak to some of them. When they have done mourning thus, and cast sorrows from their hearts sufficiently, they sit down together, eat, drink, and be merry.
They do not at all esteem the Popes of _Rome_, but have their own prelates, which they honour with great and peculiar reverence; neither do they believe any indulgences, nor purgatory.
Their priests go in plain habits; they have wives as well as their laymen; they let their hair and beards grow; they keep on _Easter-day_ a great feast, and soon after beginneth their Lent, which they keep strictly, and therein, as also on Wednesday and Friday all the year round, they eat neither eggs nor flesh, nor any thing else that ever had life in it, only Saturday and Sundays they are allowed them, to refresh themselves; other feasts and holydays they do not keep any at all. In all these points, they rather agree with the _Abyssins_ than the _Romans_; and also in these following, _viz._ That they eat not of unclean meats that are forbidden in the Old Testament; they admit to the communion young and old without distinction; they baptize their children in the name of the Holy Trinity; they believe the articles of our Christian faith; they preach, sing, pray, and perform all their devotion in the vulgar tongue, that every one may understand it; they use for the interpretation of the word of God, the writings of _John Chrysostom_, and _Gregory Nazianzen_; they dare not, no more than all the other nations that live amongst the _Turks_, except the _Maronites_, make use of any clocks, to call people to church, in place whereof they have strong wooden tables, or some house doors prepared, several in each street, whereon they strike several strokes with a great cudgel, and so call people to church.
CHAP. XV.
_Of the NESTORIANS._