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
all offices of government and burthening them with heavie taxes and payments he robbed the Church and spoyled Spirituall Persons of their Revenues and tooke away their mayntenance Whereas other Tyrants persecuted Presbyterors the Presbyters or Ministers Iulian persecuted Praesbyterium the whole Order of Ministers or Priesthood by which meanes none would apply themselves to the studie of Divinitie when after long painfull and costly study they should have nothing to live upon Such Reformations before-named may rather be called Persecutions than Reformations of a Church Is this a Reformation to dispoyle their Bishâ—ps of their Livings which they enioyed from the very beginning of Christianity amongst them and to root out the very name of Bishops from among them Is this a Reformation to appropriate to themselves or convert to prophane uses the Livings of their learned Pastors set apart by their fore-fathers for their maintenance and put them to poure Stipends and oft pay them as the Souldiers are paid in some places with Flemmish cheese Is this a Reformation to pilfer and pill Churches of their Plate and rich Ornaments which many a devout Saint had offered to the service of Almightie God and to convert them to profane uses which the very Goths and Vandals durst not touch no not in their Enemies Churches for feare of Gods heavy indignation upon them Is it a Reformation to pluck down Churches built to the honour of God with great labour and cost I have heard one tell me that he saw the great Church at Redding overthrowne with a Myne God be mercifull to us and deliver all them that beare the name of Christ from such Reformations But whom should I exclaime upon for this exercrable wickednesse upon the Reformers God forbid they I hope had no such intent or upon the Ministers who had delivered their Magistrates from their slavery to the Pope alas by this meanes they were brought to misery and slavery But upon some covetous persons men void of all Religion who under colour of Religion and Pietie ioyning with the Reformers made a prey of the Church and brought it to this misery How can these men expect an inheritance with Christ in Heaven who have defrauded him here in earth But what do I telling them of Heaven If Almighty God did punish Ananias and Saphyra with suddaine death who gave much to the Church and kept back only some part dedicated to God and that of their owne how shall these men stand in iudgement that never gave any thing of their owne but have seized upon those livings which not they but their Pious Forefathers with many Execrations had given and dedicated for the Service of Almightie God In this their execrable dealing they have given great offence not only to the Romanists but to them who are displeased with the Roman Superstitions and Doctrines and would willingly make a separation from them but they see in these Reformations not a secession from their enormities but rather a defection from all Antiquitie In my poore opinion to overthrow the Policie and Government instituted by Christ in his Church and continued to this our age and used in all Churches else cannot be a Reformation but rather a Deformation All this I write not that I blame that which is reformed but for the amendment of that which is deformed which Almighty God grant in his good time Queene Elizabeth of blessed memory was wont to say That it is in a manner all one to have no Clergie at all as a beggerly or base one In America THere are some Christians both Roman Catholicks and Protestants The King of Spaine is said to have in America foure Regions or at least the Maritine parts of the said Regions The Regions are New Spaine Castella Neuva Peru and Brasile The Hollanders have surprised a great part of Brasile Some write that the Indians had some knowledge of Christ before the Spaniards arriued there For the Estate of Religion in West India under the Spaniard most of the Inhabitants of the Inland Countries and wilder parts continue in their Paganisme Thomas a Iesu writeth Although saith he the Indians have long enioyed the Husbandry of Ministers so that all are baptized yet very many of them worship Idols who taking offence at the covetousnesse of their Parish Priests blaspheme the Christian Faith In America also are divers Plantations of Protestants English and Dutch not onely in the Ilands but also in the continent And thus much I have related of the Christians in the World but whereas many places of the World are unknowne to us so also are the sheepe of our great Shepheard who cannot all be counted wee being ignorant of the Pastures in which they feed The Spaniards have in West India some Bishops 2 What manner of Christians AS I have in the first place reckoned up these severall sorts of Christians before named So in the Second place my purpose is to set downe what manner of Christians these be both for soundnesse of Faith and holinesse of life For the first these Christians are all Baptized in the Name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost They receive the Holy Eucharist in both kinds according to our Lord and Saviours institution They Believe the Creed retaine the Canonical Scriptures yea from some of these Churches both we and the Roman Catholicks have received the Sacraments and holy Scriptures Seeing then that these Christians use the same Sacraments as wee doe Seeing they believe in Iesus Christ and professe to fight under the Banner of Christ Crucified and reioyce in their suffering for his sake farre be it from us ever to thinke these Christians to bee cast away and reiected from being of the houshold of Faith Of these Christians Brocard the Monke testifieth Moreover those whom wee iudge to be damned Hereticks as the Nestorians Iacobits Maronites and Georgians and such like are found to bee for the most part honest and simple men living uprightly towards God and Man But to answer some particular obiections made by some Roman Catholicke against these Churches And first for the Greeke Christians whom some Roman Catholicks account erronious in their opinion concerning the proceeding of the Holy Ghost whom they affirme to proceed from the Father by the Sonne Now they doe acknowledge the Holy Ghost to be the Spirit of the Sonne as well as of the Father because the Apostle saith He is the Spirit of the Sonne and in the Gospell he is called the Spirit of Truth Now seeing it is no other thing to be the Spirit of the Father and the Sonne then to proceede from the Father and the Sonne They agree with us in Iudgement though they differ in Words so saith Lombard Thomas a Iesu and also Cardinall Tolet affirmeth the understanding Greeke saying That the Holy Ghost proceedeth by the Sonne signifieth thereby nothing but that which wee our selves professe But for full satisfaction in this poynt Read the Booke lately
These Churches of Asia the lesse St. Iohn governed and placed Bishops in them 7 The Christians in the Kingdomes of Cazan and Astracan and other Countries in Asia under the dominion of the Emperour of Muscovia who hath under him in Europe and Asia a greater extent of Land than the Roman Catholicks have in Europe All the Asiatick Christians before named are of the Greek communion and observe the Greek rites 8 The Armenians under their two chiefe Patriarchs one of these Patriarchs liveth under the Turke the other under the Persian In Cardinall ' Baronius Annals you may read of 1000 Armenian Bishops Thaddaeus whom they much esteeme preached the Faith to them Now I heare the Patriarch of the greater Armenia to be called Moses As these Christians live in Armenia the greater and lesser so also in many Countries and Cities of Asia Africa and Europe About the yeare 324 Gregory whom they call Illuminator was Bishop of Armenia who suffered Martyrdome under Licinius the Emperour In the yeare 1609 Abbas the Persian Emperour put to death 1000 of these Christians upon a Letter fained to bee written from their Patriarch to the Pope of Rome acknowledging him to be Head of the Church 9 The Iacobites who inhabit a great part of Asia and other places mingled with Mahumetans and Pagans Their Patriarch having many Bishops under him keepeth residence in Caramite the Metropolis of Mesopotamia wee may reade of a Patriarch of the Iacobites in the time of Heraclius the Emperour 10 The Chaldean and Assyrian Christians with others under the Patriarch of Mozul who have many of them their Services in the Syrian Tongue being the language in which our Lord preached These Christians inhabite mingled with Mahumetans and Pagans a great part of the Orient for beside the Countries of Babylon Assyria Mesopotamia Parthia Media c. wherein many of these Christians are found They are scattered farre and neere in the East both Northerly in Cathaia and Southerly in India Trigautius reckoneth 14 Metropolitans viz. of India China Cambaia Mogor Hilam Nzivin Prath Assur Bethgarmi Halack Passes Mauzeor xam Raziqueor besides many Archbishops and Bishops Cardinall Vitriacus in his History of the East reporteth these Christians with the Jacobites to be more in number then the Latines and Greeks These Christians were converted by Saint Thomas the Apostle and in their Service-book they have this Hymne as Trigantius reporteth The Indians the Chinoises the Persians and other Islanders and they that are in Syria Armenia Grecia and Romania in commemoration of S. Thomas doe offer prayse to thy holy Name 11 The Maronites in Mount Libanus who have a Patriarch and eight or nine Bishops under him 12 The Indians of Saint Thome so called because they received the Christian Faith from Saint Thomas the Apostle These Christians inhabite many places in the East Indies as Melia-par where Saint Thomas was buried and hath a goodly Temple erected to his name Angamall where an Archbishop resideth Cranganor Negapatan Vaipecotan and others Trigautius writeth that when the Portugals arrived at Cochin that the Lord Iacob ruled the Malabar Church who stiled himselfe Metropolitan of India and China and that Ioseph succeeded him Iosephus Indus borne in Cranganor in East India also writeth of a great Prelat to whom twelve Cardinals were subiect with two Patriarchs and many Archbishops and Bishops 13 The Chinoises possesse a Countrey little lesse then all Europe Saint Thomas preached the Gospel first amongst them afterwards they had a supply of Preachers from Iudea K. Tay with Neu huanti reigning in the yeer 782. They erected a Monument declaring the bringing in of the Gospell into China in what Provinces it was promulgated and how many yeeres it flourished The Monument is graven with Syrian Letters with these words Adam sacerdos Presbyter Papalis Zinostan seu regionis Sinarum in the margent of this Monument there are divers names engraven of them that brought the sweet Name of our Lord Iesus Christ among them as Constantinus Saba cusio seu Aethiops Dominus Sergius c. Paulus Venetus writeth of a Christian Church in the great Citie of Quinsay I read also of Gaspara a China Bishop 14 Cathaia is one of the largest Empires upon the face of the whole Earth in which there be also many Christians They write of a Christian King of Tenduc whose native Subiects are Christians besides he ruleth farre and wide over many Provinces whose inhabitants are also for the most part Christians To conclude there is neither speech nor language but his voice hath beene heard among them The sound of the Gospell is gone out into all Lands and the Word of God into the ends of the World In Africa are these Christians following 1 VNder the Patriarch of Alexandria whose iurisdiction hath been from the River of Nilus to the Gaditan straits In the City of Caire only are thought to be 200000 Christians Saint Marke was their first Bishop and now Metrophanes governeth and precedeth there brought up in Oxford sent hither by Cyrill the then Patriarch to our late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury In Cardinall Baronious Annalls you may read of a Succession of Bishops from Saint Marke to Gabriell the then Patriarch There is a service in the Syrian tongue set forth by Severus Patriarch of Alexandria also a service in the Cophts Language set forth in print by Kirkerus The Cophts are the native EEgyptians and have a Patriarch of their owne Moreover Demetrius of Thessalonica hath set forth a Service used in Cair and among the Christians in Arabia The Holy Bishop Athanasius who opposed the Arrian World was sixe and forty yeares Patriarch of Alexandria with many other Holy Bishops as among others Poterius Bishop of Alexandria who was slaine by the Eutychian Hereticks haled through the streetes his body cut in pieces and his Entrailes chewed by them The Patriarchs of Alexandria have beene great Princes and weare a Crowne His title is Oecumenick Iudge So many Holy men lived in this Church in ancient time that it was called the Paradise of God 2 The Abassine Christians under the Emperour of Aethiopia who inhabit many Kingdomes of Affrica They received the Faith first from Philip and afterwards Saint Matthew the Apostle preached among them they have a Patriarch or Abuna a-man of great esteeme and estate Their Abuna when Alvares was in Aethiopia was called Marke a Reverend old Man aged about 110 a man gracious in his speech never speaking without blessing of God and giving of Thankes when hee goeth out of his Tent he rideth upon a Mule well attended Their Churches are builded round adorned with rich hangings and Plate They have their Service in their owne tongue Zago Zabo Bugana Raze that is The Vice-Roy of Bugana an Aethiopian Bishop was sent Ambassadour from the Aethiopian Emperour to Iohn King
Church hath received the Holy Scriptures the Creedes the Sacraments and Christianity it selfe as the very names of Baptisme Eucharist Bishop Deacon Presbyter and many other sacred things doe testifie Moreover they have as they affirme St. Peters Chaire who was Bishop of Antioch and governed that Church many a yeare Hee was there Incathedrated with great reverence received and esteemed But going to Rome he was there most vily used and put to a most cruell death with his fellow Apostle St. Paul They also affirme that the City of Antioch commonly called Theopolis that is The City of God must needs be much dearer to St. Peter which honoured and reverenced him than the City of Rome which most unworthily used him and put him to death They moreover affirm that he must rather leave the Keyes to the Greek Church than to the Romish defiled with Simony Vsury Avarice and all other Vices whatsoever The Greekes also charge the Latines with divers errours besides the challenging of the Supremacy which they hold to be most grievous and intollerable to teach all to be taught of none and Dictator-like to give Lawes to bind other Churches yea in things against their Consciences as is their Doctrine of Purgatory of Image-Worship abusing their Fasts making no conscience to drink in them al day long that they scarce reade the Sacred rules and holy Scriptures saying That the Popes Commandements who for the time sitteth in the See of Rome are their Canons and Lawes That they make no account of Periury yea that the Pope freeth them of all Periury whensoever they intend to breake any bargaine or covenant made with any man That the Pope and his Priestly traine remit slaughter Periury and all kind of crimes past or to come by which remission there is a gate opened to villany And that which is most ridiculous for the future time they will remit to a determined time of Moneths or Years that the Latine Bishops are accessary to the death of Christian people the Pope especially who pronounceth the killer of Christians such as resist the Papacy blessed and happy That they shut up by their Lawes all Priests and Deacons from marriage and hold it an abhomination to receive the Sacrament from married Priests That there are many Church Men among them that commit whoredome and all kinde of uncleannesse most securely without punishment They accuse the Latines of many more Errors both in their Doctrine as also in their manners some of which you may finde in Cardinall Baronius Annalls Tome 11 Anno Christi 1054. with some answers to them by the Cardinal But this Church God hath humbled being subdued by the Mahumetans living as the Israelites in their Aegypticke Bondage We may see their lamentable estate in the late Martyrdome of learned Cyril late Patriarch of Constantinople who had long and wisely governed that Church And it seemeth that this his Crowne of Martyrdome was not to him unexpected as appeareth by a clause of a letter written by him to our late Lord Arch-bishop of Canterbury viz. For the Name of Christ saith he which we professe and whose marks wee beare about in our Bodies it is a ioy to us to be afflicted and vexed so also if it bee the Will of God to abide the utmost extremity of their cruelty that in the fiery tryall our Faith may shine more bright and God receive the greater glory This Church hath beene humbled as before but the Bishops of Rome have exalted themselves not onely above their follow Bishops but also above their Lords the Emperours and the whole Church of God For the First Pope Boniface the third having obtained of Phocas the Tyrant the glorious Title of Universall Bishop by little and little the Bishops of Rome subdued divers Bishopricks under them As Donus the first subiected Ravenna about the yeare 676. Pope Stephen the ninth subdued Millaine Anno 1057. and so others Yea Urban the 2. exacted an oath of Bishops for the further establishing of their Authority For the Second Leo Isaurus being perplexed with warre in Asia and Constantinople it selfe being besieged by the Caliph Pope Gregory the second stirred up the Princes of Italy against the said Emperour who tooke Italy from him of which the Pope hath a part now called St. Peters Patrimony which the Emperour could never againe recover The Bishops of Rome dividing the Empire into the East and West Pope Leo the third proclaimed Charles of France Emperour about the yeare 881. And Pope Iohn the thirteenth translated the Empire about the yeare 968 from the French to the Germans Thus by little and little the Emperours waxed weaker and the Popes stronger untill the time of Gregory the seventh who founded as Aventine writeth the Pontificall Empire To this Man saith Onuphrius the Church of Rome is beholding for her freedome and that shee is preferred above all Kings and Emperours whom before they obeyed as their Lords acknowledging themselves to bee their Vassalls as manifestly appeareth among other Records by the Dating of their ancient Bulls and Charters thus expressed Such a one our Lord and Emperour reigning As also by the Letters of the Bishops of Rome written to the Emperours as of Pope Leo the first to Martian By all meanes wee are to bee obedient to your Piety and most Religious Will As also of Gregory the great to Maurice the Emperour I being subiect to your command and of divers others as of Liberius to Constantius Leo the first to Theodosius Simplicius to Zeno Foelix to the same Emperour Pope Anastatius to Anastatius the Emperour Martin to Constantine with many more And some of the Bishops shew a reason of this their Obedience to be because they are commanded so to doe in Holy Scripture St. Peter himselfe commanding Obedience to the King as supreame Thus they were for many hundred yeares subiect to the Emperours but now they claime a superiority above Kings and Princes and challenge to themselves plenitude of Iurisdiction to take away and to give Empires and Kingdoms at their pleasures bringing the Emperours in subiection Pope Constantine gave his Feet to kisse to Iustinian the Emperour Gregory the seventh compelled Henry the fourth to wait bare-footed at his Doore three daies and three nights craving Absolution Alexander the third set his feete upon the Emperour Fredericks neck And as they have lift up themselves over their fellow Bishops and their Lords the Emperours so also over the whole Church of God viz. Above Generall Councells A Generall Councell is the representative Church of God upon Earth they claiming power to iudge controule all men her selfe to be iudged of none yea to make new Articles of Faith And as the Donatists falling from the unity of the Church fell also into this Hereticall Opinion That the Catholicke Church of God was no where to be found but in a corner of Africa where they dwelt and amongst them So the Romanists