for Fornication and shall marry another committeth Adultery It is manifest then say they that the Gospel permits the dissolving of Marriage in the Case alledged and declining the Authority of St. Augustine and some other Latin Fathers as to that Point they affirm that the Greek Fathers never explained that Passage otherways and that besides the whole Eastern Church therein agree with the Greeks Nay it is easie to prove by the Histories of the Councils of Florence and (1) F. paolo nella sua Istoria del Concil Card. Palavic nella sua Istor del Concil di Trent of Trent that it is the Practice of all the Greek Church And therefore it was that the Ambassadours of Venice addressed themselves to the Council of Trent for obtaining some qualification to be made in the Canon which was ready to be published against those who said that Adultery dissolved Marriage And the thing that set the Republick of Venice upon this was that the Greeks of Candia Cyprus Corfou Zante and some other Places Subjects of the State practised that which the Council was about to condemn In effect the Ambassadours had satisfaction because their reasons were thought good as Cardinal Palavicini acknowledges in his History of the Council It is nevertheless true that the Greeks dissolve their Marriages too easily and not in the Case of Adultery alone But they still pretend that therein they Conform to the Canon and Civil Laws which ought to be moderated because of the too great Liberty they have taken to themselves However Caucus having onely mentioned the Case of Adultery seems to have been too reserved inasmuch as he might have told a great many other Cases of less importance wherein the Greeks make no scruple to divorce Seventhly it is not to be thought strange that the Greeks eat no flesh that hath been stifled or strangled bloud nor other meats that are not onely forbidden in the Old Testament but also in the New as appears in the Acts of the Apostles a thing not singular to the Greeks of Corfou onely but which is generally practised by all the Christians of the East and not very long since it was wholly abolished in the West In the Eighth place as to the Article which concerns the Supremacy of the Pope it may be thought strange that Leo Allatius should fall so foul on Caucus in that Point as if he were one of the greatest Impostours in the World It is but too true that the Greeks who are not Latinised nay and all the rest of the Eastern Churches do not at present own that Primacy of Rome over the other patriarchs in the manner that it is acknowledged in the Western Church (1) Metroph Critop in Epit. Doctr. Eccl. Orient Metrophanes Critopulus assures us that the Eastern Church acknowledges no other Head but Jesus Christ who hath the Qualities of Head of the Church that amongst the Patriarchs there is no difference unless it be of the See 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he speaks The Patriarch of Constantinople takes the first place He of Alexandria the Second the Patriarch of Antioch the Third and he of Jerusalem the Fourth Every one is Supreme within his own Jurisdiction and if they all meet together in one place they mutually kiss one anothers hands So that none of them takes the Title of Head of the Catholick Church as the same Critopulus observes who would thereby condemn the Pope who assumes these Titles As to what Leo Allatius adds (2) Leo Allat de Consens Eccl Occid Orient that Caucus imposes upon the Greeks when he saith that they excommunicate the Pope and Latin Bishops on Holy Thursday that is a thing which hath not onely been observed by Caucus in Corfou but by many other Travellers also in several places The Jesuit Dandini who travelled to Mount Libanus in Quality of Nuncio under Clement VIII in the description that he makes of the Isle of Candy speaks of the Greeks in these terms (1) Girolamo Dandini in Miss Apost cap. 5. I should have a great many things to say if I would relate all the impurities of the Prelates Priests and other Churchmen of that Nation their separation from the Latin Church the Maledictions and Excommunications which they thunder against her on the most Holy Days and at the same time when we pray to God for their Conversion Ninthly we may easily believe that the Greeks reckon Sub-Deaconship amongst the inferiour Orders which are not Sacred to speak in the Terms of the Latins since it is not very long since the Latins themselves have made it a sacred Order In the tenth Place it may be seen in the Books of Greek Writers that to own but seven General Councils is not a thing peculiar to the Greeks of Corfou Nay one would think it a little too much to oblige them to receive the Latin Councils wherein they have had no share or those others wherein they say they were forced to be present more for the Interests of State than the Concerns of Religion They are permitted to live in this Belief in the States of the Republick of Venice Lastly as to what concerns Festival Days Fasts and many other Matters of Discipline it is certain the Greek Church does not agree therein with the Latin and Caucus had reason to say that the Greeks admitted them not nor yet part of the Saints of the Roman Church which they laugh at when they see them in Churches as may be seen in the History of the Council of Florence written by Syropulus where he saith (1) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When I enter into any Church of the Latins I salute none of the Saints whom I see because I know none of them Nay I have much adoe to know Jesus Christ there whom I do not adore neither because I know not in what manner they represent him I think this may be enough to justifie Caucus in what he attributes to the Greeks and if that Authour hath been pleased sometimes to exaggerate their Errours and to impose upon them it may also be said that Leo Allatius hath not always kept within bounds in making their Defence I confess the way that he hath taken to reunite the two Churches would be more effectual for reconciling the Greeks to the Roman Communion than the Course that hath been followed by the Emissaries who have encreased their Errours and continue to doe so daily instead of lessening them but for all that we may know the true Sentiments of the Greeks if we can but lay aside our ordinary Prejudices and distinguish those who are Latinised from those that are not We forgot to observe their Belief as to Purgatory Hell and Paradise (2) Caucus ib. ac supra Caucus with many other Writers does affirm that the Greeks deny Purgatory and that notwithstanding they pray for the Dead which is to be understood with relation to the Opinion of the Latins who commonly establish a
the Sacrament of the Eucharist which they keep not as the Latins do in precious Vessels but in a little bag of Leather or Cloath which they always tye to their Girdle carrying it about with them wheresoever they goe to be made use of upon occasions when they are to give the Viaticum to the sick Nor doe they make any Difficulty to give it to be carried by others whether it be Man or Woman and seeing the Consecrated Bread is hard they break it into little Pieces to be moistened without much regard to the small Crums of that Consecrated Bread that fall upon the ground or that sick to their Hands * * I confess these People pay not Veneration enough to that August Sacrament but on the other hand it is not reasonable to exact from them all the External Worship that is rendered to it in the Western Church seeing they have not the same reasons to doe it having no Berengarians amongst them that might oblige them to give those Exteriour Marks of their Belief We can expect no more from them than what was practised in the first Ages of the Church And it is not peculiar to the Mengrelians alone to keep in a leathern Bag the Sacrament which is to serve for a Viaticum the same is also observed in some Greek Churches who in that manner keep it fastened to the Wall in their Churches CHAP. VII Of the Belief and Customs of the Nestorians THere are many Sects of Christians in the East who bear the Name of Chaldeans or Syrians but the most considerable of these Chaldeans are those whom we call Nestorians who in effect reverence Nestorius as their Patriarch and invocate him in their Prayers That Nation aswell as the other Orientals have several times desired to be reunited to the Church of Rome which happened under the Pontificate of Julius III. to whom the (1) Ep. Nestor ad Jul. III. ex Syro in Latin conversa per Andr. Mas Nestorians wrote demanding of him the Confirmation of the Election which they had then made of a Patriarch and praying him at the same time to protect him against a Family which for a long time had kept Possession of the Patriarchate This is to be observed because the Orientals commonly have no recourse to the Pope unless for some particular Interest which is also the reason that these kinds of Unions are not very lasting The Reunion of the same Chaldean Nestorians with the Church of Rome under the Pontificate of Paul V. is more considerable than the former and seeing the Acts of these Reunions have been Printed at Rome we shall here extract out of them what may conduce to the Discovery of the Belief of those People and add some Reflexions thereupon (2) Pet. Stroza de Dogm Chald. Edit Roma 1617. Stroza who hath caused these Acts to be Printed affirms that the Sect of the Nestorians is so great that their Patriarch has Jurisdiction over more than three hundred thousand Families most of which have submitted themselves to the Pope by means of the Jesuits Pope Clement VIII gave them a Jesuit to govern them in Quality of Metropolitan Untill the time of Julius III. the Nestorians acknowledged but one Patriarch who took the Title of Patriarch of Babylon but Division happening amongst them because they could not endure that the Patriarch should always continue in one Family as it had for the space of above an hundred years which appears by the Letters (1) Epist Nestor ad Jul. III. they wrote to Julius III. for having Confirmation of their new Election the Patriarchate was also divided for the Pope gave them for Patriarch Simon Jubacha a Monk of the Order of St. Pachome who held his Residence at Caremit in Mesopotamia where in that Quality he ordained several Bishops and Archbishops After the Death of Simon Jubacha Abdjesu or Hebedjesu to pronounce it after the manner of the Chaldeans was made Patriarch in his Place Abraham Ecchellensis Abrah Ecchel who hath published a little Syriack Treatise of Abdjesu gives him the Title of Metropolitan of Soba in the Preface which he presixes to that Book He takes notice of several Books composed by the same Hebedjesu in favour of the Religion of the Nestorians but that being come to Rome under Julius III. he made an Abjuration of Nestorianism It is of him that mention is made in the Life of Pius IV. In whose Pontificate he made a second Voyage to Rome for obtaining the Confirmation of his Patriarchship and was present at the Council of Trent Being a Man of Parts he had so much Address as to draw over many Nestorians to the Church of Rome But they who succeeded him could not retain them having neither his Parts nor Address Abathalla who was also a Monk of St. Pachome succeeded to Hebedjesu and having lived but a very short time Denha Simon was his Successour who before was Archbishop of Gelu but he was forced to leave Caremit and to retire to the Province of Zeinalbech in the utmost Bounds of Persia having been obliged to yield to the Power of the Patriarch of Babylon His Successour whose Name also was Simon resided in the same place which lessenned much the Authority of that second Patriarch And this was the State of the Affairs of the Nestorians from the time of Julius III. untill Paul V. in whose Pontificate Elias Patriarch of Babylon made a solemn Reconciliation with the Church of Rome (1) Stroza in proleg This Elias having received Presents from Paul V. and a Formulary of Faith sent some in his Name to thank his Holiness and to submit himself wholly to him acknowledging the Church of Rome as the Chief of all other Churches He made a Profession of Faith in the (2) Ep. Patriarch Babyl ad Paul V. Letter which he wrote to the Pope wherein he Anathematises even those who believe not that the Church of Rome is the Mother of all Churches Then he adds that his Church of Babylon differs from other Churches of Hereticks which have multiplied Patriarchs without any Title and without the Participation of the Church of Rome whereas the Patriarchate of Babylon hath been established by the Authority of the See of Rome as is to be found in their Annals where it is mentioned that the Patriarchs of the Eastern Church were ordained at Rome whither they sent afterwards for obtaining the Confirmation of their Election But seeing it happened often that those who were sent were killed by the way it was at length after a long time concluded by the Pope in Council that he would ordain them a Patriarch and give them Liberty of Election for the future And this says the Patriarch Elias is the Original of the Patriarchal See of Babylon which we have not usurped having received that Dignity from the Church of Rome It is easie to perceive that all this History concerning the Original of the Patriarchate of the Nestorians hath been made
ancient Custome than a Ceremony of Religion There is a great difference to be made then betwixt the Jacobites when under that Name are comprehended the Cophties Abyssines and Armenians and those who are properly called Jacobites for though they all follow the Opinion of that same James from whom they have taken the Name yet for all that they differ in some Ceremonies Abraham Ecchellensis alledges that the Jacobites believe aswell as the Latins that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son but in that he is mistaken aswell as in many other things relating to the Belief and Customs of the Christians of the Levant CHAP. X. Of the Belief and Customs of the Cophties IT is probable that the Cophties or Copties have had their Name from a Town called Coptus which was heretofore the Metropolis of Thebais mentioned by Strabo and Plutarch The Christians of Egypt carry that Name at present and they have also a particular Language which is called the Coptick Tongue though they use it not but in their Offices Arabick being the Language of the Countrey And that Language which the Jesuit Kircher pretends to be a Mother-tongue independent of any other hath been much altered by the Greeks for besides that it still retains the Characters a very great Number of its words are pure Greek The Belief of these People is the same as that of the Jacobites for they are Monophysites as we observed when we spoke of the Jacobites and therefore it is to no purpose to repeat what we said in that Place They have at several times made several Reconciliations with the Church of Rome but onely in outward appearance (1) Sacchini in hist Societ The Jesuit Roderigo who was sent to that Nation by the Pope in the Year 1562 upon submissive and respectfull Letters which they had written to his Holiness as if they owned the Church of Rome for Chief and Mistress of all others will furnish us with a pretty instance of these counterfeit Reconciliations which most frequently have no better Foundation than mere humane Interest This Jesuit having had some Conference with two Cophties whom the Patriarch Gabriel had deputed for that purpose easily perswaded them of the Pope's Authority but when the Jesuit afterwards pressed the same Patriarch to send Letters of Submission and Obedience to the Pope telling him that he ought not to scruple at that seeing in his former Letters he had called the Pope Father of Fathers Pastour of Pastours and Head of all Churches he made answer that since the Council of Chalcedon and the establishment of divers Patriarchs independent one of another every one of them was chief and absolute Master in his own Church and that if even the Patriarch of Rome fell into any Errour he ought to be judged by the other Patriarchs He farther answered that as to the Letters which he had written to the Pope it ought not to be taken strictly what was onely meant for Civility and Modesty and that though he spoke of Obedience and Submission yet that was no more than Friends commonly doe one to another In fine he added that if there was any thing in those Letters which he wrote to the Pope that was not agreeable to the Doctrine of his Church it ought not to be imputed to him but to the Carrier of the Letters who without doubt had corrupted them In this manner did the Patriarch of the Cophties entertain the Pope's Envoys after that he had received from the Conful the Money that was sent him from Rome This History is more largely related by (1) Sacch in hist Societ Par. l. 6. the Jesuit Sacchini And I wave a great many other Reconciliations of that Church to the Church of Rome which have had no better Foundation than this The same Jesuit Roderigo observes amongst the Errours of the Cophties that they put away their Wives and Marry others that they circumcise their Children before Baptism that they acknowledge indeed seven Sacraments but that besides Baptism Confession the Eucharist and Orders they reckon in the same rank Faith Fasting and Prayer not to speak of others He says farther that the Cophties do not believe that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Son that they admit but of three Councils to wit of Ephesus Constantinople and Nice But some of these pretended Errours are either common to all the Eastern Church or they particularly concern the Jacobites who have rejected the Council of Chalcedon As to their reckoning amongst the Sacraments Fasting Prayer and Faith they take not the word Sacrament in that strict Sense we do and that inclines me to believe that they call none properly Sacraments but the four first and that some Mystical Doctors have afterwards added the other three to make up the Mystical Number of Seven In fine we may observe that it is not true that the Cophties believe as the Latins do that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son as (1) Brerew of Languag and Relig. chap. 22. Brerewood after Thomas à Jesu does assure us for that belief is peculiar to the Church of the West Kircher the Jesuit adds to this that they pretend that none but their own the Armenian and Abyssine Churches are true Churches that they believe that the Souls of the departed goe neither to Heaven nor Hell before the Day of Judgment I shall not spend time in refuting many Errours of Brerewood concerning the Religions of the East It is enough I relate matters of fact as really they are without giving my self the trouble to refute Authours who have written on that Subject (2) P. Vasle Rel. della stato Pres dell Egitto Father Vanslebio who hath written the Present State of the Christians of Egypt Printed at Paris in Italian relates many other things which chiefly concern their Ceremonies He observes that when the Priest elevates the Host in time of Mass they who are present knock their Breasts casting themselves upon the ground and making the sign of the Cross and that they move their Cap a little which seems to me to be a Latin Ceremony nor do I think the Cophties elevate the Host unless it be after the manner of the Orientals to wit a little before the Communion which is of no long standing neither in their Church Possibly Father Vanslebio might have seen that Ceremony in some of the Churches of the Abyssines who might have taken it from the Portuguese that have had Churches in Ethiopia where Mass was celebrated after the manner of the Latins The same Authour remarks that when the Priest communicates he breaks the bread in form of a Cross and that he puts it into the Wine of which he eats three little Morcels with as many Spoonfulls of the Species of Wine ad that he communicates thereof to him who serves at Mass He adds that they keep not the Holy Sacrament after Mass and that they never consecrate in private Places but always