Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	antioch_n	apostle_n	elder_n	2,819	5	9.5165	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01403	The secretaries studie containing new familiar epistles: or directions, for the formall, orderly, and iudicious inditing of letters. ... By Thomas Gainsford, Esq.	Gainsford, Thomas, d. 1624?	1616 (1616)	STC 11523; ESTC S102834	84,541	142

first complaint so that there was a present demand of the like iustice both on the English and French merchants and was not determined without a great summe of money and bribing the Bashaw wherein there was no other face of preuention to be seene then disbursment of a fine and acknowledging a fault and so with great difficulty the matter was concluded About the same time Master M. hauing beene some two yeare before surprised by the Maltesses and then protesting neuer to be so ouermastred or ouershot vndertooke a dangerous encounter betweene Sicilia and Candy with a Venetian Galeas in a shippe called the Corslet For comming toward the gulph hauing some vncustomed or peraduenture prohibited goods aboord as also neglecting those nauall and marine ceremonies appropriate to the State hee held it stubbornly out rather then he would be searched or abased in vailing his bonet and so the fight continued a whole day till he was hurt many of his men slain but being taken and ouer mastered he was carryed to Venice where with much adoe his libertie was obtained to the great honour of Sir Henrie Wotton our Embassador and contentment of the merchants both here and at home Your memorable friend To the Worthy Doctor T. REuerend Sir While I lay ill at ease in Meteline I receiued a letter from you by the hand of Sir H. B. as hee came a shore to see the Iland and belike taking easie iourneys in a Turkish Carmisan heard at Gallipolis and the castles that I was sicke there Notwithstanding I raised vp a pale face with a chearefull heart and vnderstood by the same that you desired a kinde of account concerning the Greeke Church and Turkish gouernment Truly your letter was most acceptable vnto me as vnderstanding thereby the health of him I loue so well but the contents affrighted me as knowing nothing could come from mee worthy your view or bearing any shew of delight especially satisfaction considering the iudicious apprehension and great reading of the receiuer yet againe when I knew if the worst fell out I was to encounter with loue and ciuill acceptation I tooke aduantage of a day wherein my Feauer did not rage and thus hudled vp this vnfashionable peece which if it resemble the confused lumpe wherein nature helpeth the Beare in the deliuerance of her burthē you must with her industry either reduce it to fashiō or your owne goodnesse winke at the deformities I will therefore begin with the Greekes who are so enuious and malignant toward the Latines that they had rather liue in seruitude vnder the Turkes then require either aide or assistance of the Romish Bishop contesting with him euen from prioritie of place and auncient possession of the Christian religion so that in their account hee is but a meere vsurper of their glory and promotion which hee hath ouermantled with diuises and mens traditions that neither they can acknowledge him a father in the true Church nor he them as obedient children to his holy Consistory Concerning their ciuill gouernment it is a meere mangled body For no man possesseth either lands goods or scarcely their liues in securitie but either the Turkes command makes them slaues or the Timatriots or quartering of souldiers by the name of Capoges or Spahies subiecteth all to licentiousnesse and incontinencie they haue no munited cities but vpon the frontires of Transiluania and Hungary nor permitted the possession of armour or munition onely Gratianopolis Andrinopolis Philopolis Salenica Galipolis and some townes in the Ilands are populous and ful of Edificies but farre from their ancient beauty or other cities of Europe To conclude in a word they are the meere pictures of miserable confusion and ruines of time Concerning their religion it is so corrupted with age pride of precedency that it will entertaine no reformation saying plainly that Antioch was the first Christian Church and the Greekes made the sheepe of Christs fold before euer Paul was carryed prisoner to Rome as for Peters persecution or being there at all they absolutely deride it and assure vs that he was twenty year elders of Antioch and appointed the Apostle ouer the Iewes In pouertie they almost come neere the Primitiue Church For their Monasteries are much diminished and their Churches and Congregations very small and of little entrade they denie purgatory and the Popes supremacy saying plainly that if such a title were extant or necessary it belonged to Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople with whom Gregory the Great of Rome had many encounters to suppresse that tumour they baptise with oyle and water haue foure Lents fast precisely weare long haire like the Nazarites allow of no Saints but in the Bible nor haue pictures in the Church but from thence yet do they celebrate certaine feasts to Saint George Nicholai and Demetrius they are much giuen to mirth and exceede in contraries For at their mariages they haue great pleasure and pastime in their buryall great sorrow and lamenting euen to the groueling on the ground and watching night and day ouer the graues Many Countreys acknowledge their religion as Russia Georgia Mengrelia Armenia and the people of Aethyopia vnder Prester-Iean Of whose particulars you haue whole volumes Amongst whom an vnderstanding wit may select the best though many absurdities are entermingled with some truthes Concerning this Turkish gouernment neuer came Monarchy to the height of such a preuailing For there is no subiect of hereditary eminence but himselfe and this Emperor Sultan Achmat is the 14. of the house of Othoman the doctors of their Law called Alcharon and the Mufty the principall Priest rule the Empire although it seeme managed vnder the gouernment of the 5. Vizeeres other Bashawes the strength of his kingdome is meerly supported by the Ianissaries souldiers who are the sonnes of Christians and depend vpon the pleasure of their Emperour as without eyther Friend or Parent but the Turkes pension They loue Iustice punish Adultry with death hate Drunkennes and Blasphemy doe nothing but to purpose eate no swynes-flesh nor should drinke any wine They weare long garments neuer vncouer the head which is all shauen except one locke on the toppe by which they suppose to be pulled vp to heauē by Mahomet their great prophet They haue many wiues cōcubins to preuēt adultry they write bias and read backward as the Hebrues and neglect all languages but their owne Persian and Arabian None but of Mahomets race weareth greene and all are obedient to their Bashaws they absolute slaues to the Emperour For their religion it is full of great reuerence They call to their churches or mosquees 4. times a day by the voyces of men on the top of a tower and on friday their sabboth 5. times No liuing thing is pictured or engrauen in theyr churches or mosqueis to auoyde idolatry The principall Priest is the Musti of great account with the Emperour For he the doctors of their law ouer-rule in many ciuill