Part 25

These and many more insipid lies of their _Mahomet_, which are very ridiculous and silly fables, are believed to be as true as the Gospel by the _Turks_, _Moors_, and _Arabians_, &c. They also certainly believe (chiefly these that live at _Jerusalem_ as the Pilgrims know) that on the last day their _Mahomet_ is to come and seat himself on the rock of the temple of _Moria_, and Christ on the other side of the valley of _Josaphat_ on the mount of Olives, over-against him. Then when all the people of the earth shall appear before the Lord of Judicature, he shall ask _Mahomet_, who the rest are (meaning the Christians that have been under the yoak of the _Turkish_ Emperor) then shall _Mahomet_ answer and say, _They are these that served me faithfully_; whereupon Christ shall let them pass into Paradise and eternal felicity; which they believe to consist in gratifying fleshly lusts and desires, in eating and drinking, fine cloaths, costly jewels, gold, silver, pearls, pleasant spring gardens, beautiful and cleanly women. Therefore the temple is so highly esteem’d by the _Turks_ and others of the same faith, and believed to be so holy, that they go into it on their bare feet with great devotion, and come twice a year thither in pilgrimage in great Caravans from all places, moved thereunto by the great zeal they have towards their _Mahomet_; but chiefly these Pilgrims that have been at _Madina-Talnabi_, and _Mecca_, that is three days journey farther, who return by the way of _Jerusalem_ (which is now by them call’d _Chutz_) to say also their prayers there, and are of opinion that if they should do otherwise, than to come thither, their peregrination would not be acceptable to God. Amongst these are a good many Renegado Christians, that go with them to _Mecca_, to get by their devotion into greater preferment and wealth, wherefore they are esteem’d by them as holy and creditable ones, although they are full of knavery and roguery, as those that come from _Mahomet_’s own blood; they keep them very honourably, and pray for them as their victors, and endue them with great and peculiar privileges, so that their single witness is as valuable as three, four, six, or ten of others, according as they have been oftner in these places. And that every body may know them, they put upon their turbants on their heads, their _Mahomet_’s green colours, as those of their priests do, who esteem themselves to be his relations, who are only permitted, (as the _Persians_ wear their red colour) to wear such turbants. Wherefore the _Turks_ believe it to be a sin to cover those members, which nature hath made secret, with that colour which their Prophet did bear on his head. When the before-mention’d Renegado Christians are come to this degree, they are bought by every body for money, to bear witness before the Cady, or any other _Turkish_ magistrate, and that even in causes whereof they have not the least knowledge. So it happens daily, that those that give larger bribes to the magistrate, and do exceed their adversaries in number of witnesses, make their lost and foul cause good; and of this they make no conscience, because their _Koran_ teacheth them, that God does not impute to them perjury, but only if they do not invoke him; so that it is full satisfaction, if they feed ten poor ones for this transgression, or if they cloath them, or if they redeem one prisoner; but if they are not substantial enough to do this, they fast three times. This is of a very ill consequence, because they are not afraid to be perjur’d and to cheat others. And although these and other the like sins, are very common amongst the _Turks_, _viz._ robbing, and to break their faith, _&c._ which are directly against God, yet for all that these (because they have lost all remembrance of confession, penitence or mending of their lives) exceed them in this by far. Besides all this they do not let the Christians know who or what they are, but rather study to their utmost power, to abuse and hurt them as often as they find an opportunity, nay they would not spare their very lives, if they dare do it for fear of the _Turkish_ magistrates. In this they are very like unto the _Abyssins_, who in former ages were subject unto the _Soldans_ of _Ægypt_, and did live on the south side of mount _Libanus_, who, as defenders and protectors of their own religion, were set out before other _Saracens_, to murder and kill clandestinely all those that did oppose their _Mahometan_ laws and religion. But after the _Turkish_ Emperor did beat the _Soldan_, and took his dominions from him, the fury of these assassinators was also soon quelled; for the great _Turk_ doth not allow, in any of his provinces, of murthers, as the _Saracenes_ did, but punish’d them severely, and keepeth very strict laws that no body may hurt the other; which you may conclude by this, that if one doth but fetch blood from the other in the least, he is not only mulcted in one or two ducats, but sometimes in forty, fifty, nay sometimes in a hundred, according to the heinousness of the crime, and the ability of the offender; and so he keepeth subjects in peace and quietness.

Besides these Pilgrims that go to _Mecca_, there are many others in their great Caravans, that rather, like unto pedlers, endeavour to get thither with small charges, by the help of their _Carvatschares_, or Inns, and Hospitals, to make good profit there, by buying and selling, than out of devotion to wait on their _Mahomet_, and amongst them there are also sometimes Christians, but at their arrival they must not visit the holy places, much less touch them. Wherefore they buy before hand all sorts of merchandizes, chiefly at _Cayro_ (from whence to _Jerusalem_ it is ten days journey) to sell or swap them at _Mecca_, and other places. Which custom we need not think to be strange among the _Turks_, seeing that a great many are found among the _Roman_ Pilgrims, that pretend to be good Christians, that go pilgrimages to _Rome_, St _Jacob_, _Jerusalem_, &c. not only to get his Holiness’s absolution and indulgences, but rather to make good profit of goods they buy for that purpose; or which is more, they pass over their estates during their absence, into the hands of others, to reap the benefit thereof with this condition, that if they return home from these places where they vow’d to go to, they shall have them restored again with great profit. Now as among all these Pilgrims, chiefly those that have been oftnest at _Mecca_ are by the _Turks_ in greatest esteem, and that green colour (which only belongeth to the Priests to wear) is the sooner allow’d them, whereby they may be known, as the brothers of St _Jacob_ are known, by the scallop-shells. The fame it is also with their camels, for on the lower part of one of their fore-feet you may see as many small chains hung as they have been times there in Caravans, so that you also may soon discern them.

And that I may return to my purpose again; near to the _Turkish_ Mosque of the holy Rock, is also another church, which by the Christians, when they were in possession of _Jerusalem_, was call’d the _Virgin Mary_’s church, which is very well built, rather bigger than the _Turkish_, and stands without towards the south on the place of the great porch of the _Israelites_, which is several times mention’d in the Scriptures _Viz._ _Joh._ x. _Matth._ xxi. where it is calleth the temple and porch of _Solomon_, where Christ did preach, and drove out the buyers and sellers, _&c._ Underneath it is a great cave, so wide that some hundred horses may with ease be drawn up in battalia therein. This is also in the possession of the _Turks_, and the Christians dare no more come in here than in the other. By this prohibition _viz._ That the _Mahometans_ shall admit into their churches or porches thereof no strangers which according to their laws are not cleansed and washed, you may easily see, that the _Turks_ have taken many ceremonies and laws from the Jews, and according to their depraved understanding and mind, transcribed them into their _Koran_; so we see that anciently they have their circumcision, offerings, washings, fasts at certain times of the year, marrying more than one wife, not eating any thing that is unclean, or pork, or what is suffocated, not having bells, nor drinking wine, as the _Levitical_ Priests must not do, derived from the Jews; but this last law concerning not drinking of wine, is not only not kept, for they drink thereof without mixture, let it be as strong as it can, more than any other nation. It being then true that they choose the fatt with wine presented them by _Moses_, as is before said, to their own ruin and destruction, wherefore I pray that God may fulfil their prophecy, _Amen_.

CHAP. VI.

_Of the ~Saracens~ and ~Turkish~ religion, ceremonies, and hypocritical life, with a short hint how long time their reign shall last after ~Mahomet~’s decease._

Seeing I have here above made mention, amongst the rest of the places and churches of _Jerusalem_, of the _Turkish_ Mosques, and also of _Mahomet_ their Prophet; I cannot but also relate something of their hypocritical and superstitious life and belief, as I have observed in my travels, and during my stay among them, chiefly something of their outward ceremonies, good works, wherewith they think to fulfil the laws, to cleanse themselves from their manifold sins and transgressions, and to obtain God’s mercy and love. Wherefore they strive that they may be found always busy in these good works, whereof they reckon the chiefest to be; alms, pilgrimage, fastings, to make offerings, to abstain from certain food or drinks, frequent washing, praying, upon which two last they look most of all, as the true means, by which, if they keep them diligently, they may be freed and absolved from their sins, according to the promises of their dear Prophet _Mahomet_. Such and the like have also the Jews had in the Old Testament, where without doubt their Prophet, being by his mother an _Ishmaelite_, had them also. But seeing that he also attributeth to these absolution and satisfaction for our sins, and also consequently salvation and everlasting life; therefore all those that follow and believe his doctrine, miss the only Mediator and Saviour Jesus Christ, of whom as well as of his holy word, they else have a good opinion, as appeareth by their _Koran_, in whom God the Almighty Father will only be known, invoked and adored. As St _John_ saith Chap. v. 23. ‘He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father that hath sent him.’ And chap. xiv. 9. where Jesus saith, ‘He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.’ And in _Acts_ iv. 12. it is said, ‘There is no Salvation in any other, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ Wherefore although _Mahomet_ doth greatly command and teach, that we must adore the only God, yet they do not know the true God, that will only be adored and honour’d in his beloved Son; and besides _Mahomet_ will not allow that God hath a Son, and much less that Christ is the true God, in whom we shall believe. For in his diabolical and blasphemous mind and thoughts he hath this precaution, that if God should have a Son he might come to be disobedient unto him, as happeneth sometimes chiefly amongst them, to worldly Princes, which would expose all creatures in heaven, as well as on earth unto great danger. So he denieth the Deity of Christ and esteemeth him to be no more (as _Arius_ doth) than a great Saint and meer Man. So he hath the same opinion with _Macedonius_, of the Holy Ghost, whom and Christ he sometimes maketh but one person. And so the _Turks_ know no more, by the instruction of their cursed Prophet, of the true living God (that is one in his essence and three in person) than when they adored the fire, water and other elements, nay heaven and earth, (as also the _Persians_ have done) before they come over to the _Saracens_, and adhered to the doctrine of their _Mahomet_. And besides they have no more comfort in our Lord Christ, than the Jews, because they do not believe that Jesus the Son of the _Virgin Mary_, and messenger of God, was crucify’d, dead and bury’d, but that another, that was very like him, suffer’d instead of him, because he was seated in Heaven (where into God received him, and that he was to return again at the end of the world) a great deal higher than that he could be so shamefully kill’d by the Jews that impious people; wherefore the _Turks_ admire it very much, that so many Pilgrims of all nations, come to see the grave of Christ with so great a devotion, which is not his. And although the _Turks_ prefer their _Mahomet_ before Christ, and also do not believe right neither of his essence nor of his person, so that therefore all their worship, with what devotion soever performed, is null and in vain, because it is not in Christ: Yet for all that they praise and esteem Christ very high, and extol him far beyond any man, as one that was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin _Mary_, and that hath here on earth carried on his doctrine, and confirm’d it with powerful miracles. Wherefore they esteem the books of _Moses_, and the other writings of the Prophets, but chiefly the four Evangelists, which they call the book _Jugilis_ (and the books of _Moses_ _Thresit_) as true and godly. And sometimes they pretend so fairly, that an ordinary Man that is not well instructed in the chief articles of Christianity, although there is so great a difference, might easily be seduced, and perswaded. Besides the _Turks_ will not allow, neither to _Jews_, _Moors_, nor _Christians_, nay not to their own Nation, to say any thing ill of Christ, nor to curse him, but if any body should presume to do it, the soles of their feet are struck very severely with many blows, and he is fined besides according to his ability. So their Prophet _Mahomet_ commends the holy Scripture very much, and saith, that it containeth truth and happiness.