Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	authority_n	church_n	scripture_n	4,231	5	6.1426	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16489	Relations of the most famous kingdomes and common-wealths thorowout the world discoursing of their situations, religions, languages, manners, customes, strengths, greatnesse, and policies. Translated out of the best Italian impression of Boterus. And since the last edition by R.I. now once againe inlarged according to moderne observation; with addition of new estates and countries. Wherein many of the oversights both of the author and translator, are amended. And unto which, a mappe of the whole world, with a table of the countries, are now newly added.; Relazioni universali. English	Botero, Giovanni, 1540-1617.; Johnson, Robert, fl. 1586-1626.	1630 (1630)	STC 3404; ESTC S106541	447,019	654

let loose the Queene of Cities as they terme Paris to looke bigge and angerly upon us our London can affront her with a matching countenance and over-match her in many severall excellencies And surely if any man should materially object against these my assertions I should deeme him either some young humorist some petulant factor discontented traveller or head-strong Papist of which profession I misdoubt not but to finde many amongst men who being either distressed at home or unsetled abroad to their private ends will not blush with the King of Assyria to laugh at the weaknesse of Iuda for being confident in the promises of God will raile on religion condemne government extoll petty Princes and with Naaman the Syrian preferre the waters of Babylon before the wholesome River of Iordan But come to particulars they sticke in the clay and like an unbroken colt fl●●ging up and downe and sweating with rage and neither able to goe forward in a handsome course nor remaine patient in expecting the will of the Rider Or open them but one window to let in but the light of our glory by discoursing of our Navie the generall musters of the Country the arming of every Gentlemans house a Noblemans attendance a Ladies jewels the Majestie of our Vniversities the happinesse of our Husbandman the wealth of our great Cities and order in the administration of the same● Then stand they with Niobe transhaped into stone and remaine confounded by reason of their former perverse and ignorant wilfulnesse But I will not be uncivill in exprobration only let me tell them that because in beastly Galata and Constantinople the Merchant may goe into divers Bashawes and Greekish houses and there by entertainment transported with outward deceit of colours as painting gilding in-laid workes and such like hee maketh a wonder at the cost and pompous expences not remembring how their best masters in England are scarce admitted up staires into many worthy houses of our Noblemen and Gentlemen which being admitted would afford other manner of discoveries both magnificent and wealthy even to true admiration Because in Venice they have overlooked the Bucentaure S. Marks Palace and Piazza a dainty front of buildings on the grand Canale the College of Iesuits a Mercer or two that selleth Copes and rich cloaths of gold for high Altars the fundamento novo the Arsnall c. Therefore England hath but poore furniture wanteth the essentiall meanes of Princelinesse and Majestie is onely gawdie in colours a little imbroidery and gold lace which they allow to Players and Mountebanks both in Venice Florence Verona and the rest of her Cities Because in Genoa Naples Rome and some other places they may see an even street of houses with a pillar or two of jet jasper and hard marble a Cardinals Palace and six moils in a Carosse to attend him but to the conclave a stately Mosque in Turkie the Domo in Florence new Saint Peters at Rome and some other ostentous buildings they say our beauty is eclipsed and wee must submit the controversie to the apparant bravery of forren magnificence whereas in truth they hold no more comparison for Majesty though dispersedly either with our Courts late Country buildings demesnes adjacent and commodious houses about the Citie for receit capacity and entertainment than bird-cages doe to delightsome Arbours But who are they that so entertaine Tables with this returne of discourse surely none but our fashion-follow-Travellers who with many long lookes expecting in an Almanacke for a yeare of Iubile flie over Sea by flocks towards Rome Where by the way in Ausburg Noremberg and some other Cities of Germanie meeting with a flaggon of wine wherewith the Burgers according to custome with such entertainment use to welcome strangers they presently write over with what state they were feasted and how graciously admitted into Cities resembling new Ierusalem in respect of our disproportion of building and unequall fashion of our streets Because in France they may drinke wine of Orleance or Lyons and for their money satisfie incontinencie wherein yet they confesse Italy to surpasse Oh! say they England is a barren Countrey and farre from becircling her forehead with the garland of Bacchus or wreath of Abundance but sitteth desolate like a widow having the curse of baldnesse inflicted upon her Because in Padoa they are told of Antenors Tombe in the streets seene the Amphitheatres in Verona or Rome monuments truly resembling the wrinkles of an old face or beheld the wals of Constantinople the ruinous Colosses of the Citie with the Aquaduct in the Country Oh! these be Kingdomes that make aged Time young againe and surpasse our new Nation for wonders and works of Majestie Because they have beheld though peradventure with little understanding the forts of Mount-m●lian and Saint Katherines the citadels of Millan and Antuerp the Castles of Naples and Saint Angelo and have beene acquainted with the examination of passengers at Lyons Millan and the frontier Townes of the Princes of Italie They presently exclaime against our weaknesse and ill-advised discipline which leaveth our Country as it were naked to all inconveniences of wind and weather In the next ranke come up our male-contents and they are such as being meerely gulled with pride selfe-conceit and fantastick vaine-glory have run a prodigall hunting-journey with Esau untill being weary and hungry they have beene inforced to sell their birth-rights for a messe of pottage Then with Yorke and Stanly and thousands more they enter into violent courses curse David raile on their Countrey and accuse Authoritie of injustice and partialitie With the Dukes of Guise and B●ron they set up the praises of the Spanish King and the tender-heartednesse of the Pope for the decay of Religion supposing themselves sufficiently magnified for contesting with Kings and sleighting the Princes of the bloud In the reare slily stealeth up the obstinate Papist To him urge honestie reason yea the Scriptures and hee will discharge no other shot but the Ordinance of the Church Put him from that slanker and you shall see him like an Adder lurking in the grasse to sting the heele of the passenger And that is with telling you that in France the Church at Amiens hath delicate Pictures the nostre Dame at Roan and Paris maintaine brave processions Our Lady at Sichem works only miracles yea more than miracles for they will tell you of a Virgin got with childe in a Nunnerie by one of her sisters For say they she protested before our Lady that she never knew what the company of man meant But leaving these men to themselves and the sting of their owne consciences we will proceed to shew you with what affections other Nations doe at this day Court us France is so strengthened and beautified at home by the multitude of Princes and noble Gentlemen that now at this day enjoying the Kingdome intirely to themselves they are confident to defend it not seeking ambitiously to offend others though haply envying to

the first patternes Vniversities indowed we onely have Our Armes and Navigations have made us Lords of the Vniverse Our Arts mechanicke are incomparable And all these hath God Almightie blessed with the seat of the Christian Religion among us Europe is much inlarged to the Northward since Ptolomees time The bounds are best seene in the map the length of it is about 3600. Italian miles the breadth 2200. miles The Religions are such as are professed in severall nations either by toleration as the Iewish by the Turke Emperour Pole Pope Venetian and Amsterdam or the Heathen in some remoter parts of Lapland Finland and Norwey where they are rather Witches than Christians Religions established by command are first Mahometisme under the Turke Secondly the Greeks religion in the same parts and in Russia Thirdly the Romish in Spaine Italy France Poland most of the dominions of the Emperour and other Princes of Germanie the Wal●●ns and Archduchesse Countries Fourthly the reformed Churches and they follow the doctrine either of the Scriptures Fathers and Councels according to their pu●●ty as in England or else have they a relation to the opinions of Doctor Luther as those of Sweden Denmarke the dominions of the Electors of Saxony Brandenburgh and divers others of Germany or of Master Calvin as in France especially the Palatinate Hessenland and Low Countries Calvinisme is also received in Hungaria and Transilvania where there be many reliques withall of Antitrinitarians Arrians Ebionites and Anabaptists Lower likewise in five of the thirteene Cantons of Helvetia and amongst the Grisons doe the Calvinists professe publikely In Bohemia Mo●avia Silesia c. the Protestants of the Augustane confession were esteemed two third parts Of these severall Churches though some follow the Augustane confession as the Lutherans some the Helvetian as the Switz●●s some the Gallicane as the Calvinists yet all of them agree in the fundamentall and saving points and all accord in their detestation of the Roman as is to bee seene in the Harmony of Confessions Of the Languages of Europe Scaliger finds eleven mother tongues the foure noblest of which be the Greeke Latine Sclavonian and Dutch each subdivided into her daughter-dialects ●●e learned Greeke is no where vulgarly spoken at this day The moderne is nothing but a barbarous composition of Turkish Sclavonian and Italian with the old Greeke corrupted The Latine worne also out of vulgar use is degenerated into the Italian Spanish and French all which three were anciently called Romanse The Sclavonian is a large a stately tongue it hath these dialects the Bohemian Russian Polonian 〈◊〉 Windish and the Dalmatian The Characters be of two kindes the ancient called the Dalmatian and the Russian letter corrupted from the Greekish These Sclavonian dialects and tongues doe differ yet not so much as the Italian and Spanish The worst of the foure best is the German tongue and that varied into the high and Low Dutch as also into the Saxish Fris●an English North-Albing and the Danish which last is variously spoken by the Danes of Denmarke Sweden and Norway whence the Island speech also commeth if these two last be not the ancient Gothish The other seven of meaner elegancie are first the Albanian spoken by the Epirotes Secondly the Tartarian Thirdly the Hungarian brought out of Asia by the H●nnes Fourthly the Finns and Laplanders speech in the North of Sweden Fifthly the Irish. Sixthly the Welsh whose worth being most expressively significant and having beene the language of the ancient Celtae and ●oken in the most part of Europe could not be valued because not understood by the learned Scaliger Dialects if this but much varied are our Cornish and that of Brittaigne in France Seventhly The Biscaigners inhibiting for seven dayes journey on both sides the Pyre●●● mountaines T is the reliques of the ancient Spanish before it was altered by the Latine Scaliger never heard of the Monks language spoken by ours of the I le of Man the most of which is surely derived from the Irish. The Wallons also of the Low Countries have a French dialect scarce to be understood by a peasant about Paris Ireland THis kingdome by the English Spanish and French is tearmed Irland or Ireland by the Brittish Yuerdhon by the Inhabitants Eryn According to the Celestiall Globe it is situated betweene the Artike Circle and the Tropike of Cancer but neerer the Artike containing in Latitude foure degrees and an halfe and according to the computation of our late Writers betweene the twentie and the 25. Paralels In the South parts their longest day is of sixteene houres with three fourths In the Northerne of almost eighteene According to the Terrestriall it stands between the greater Brittanie and Spaine on the East disjoyned from England wich a tempestuous sea termed Hibernicum not above one dayes sailing upon the West beateth the vast Ocean upon the North where the Deucalidon Ocean disgorgeth it hath Island disjoyned no further than a ship in one day may saile unto upon the South it beholdeth Spaine distant three dayes sailing and the Vergivian Sea From South to North it representeth an Ovall forme and by halfe is lesse than Brittanie Amongst many writers Camden whom a man may best relie upon reporteth that it containeth 400. miles in length and in breadth 200. The aire hereof is most wholsome the situation milde the weather temperate but not altogether good to ripen fruit For neither in Summer season the heat is so parching that it driveth the Inhabitant to seeke the shade neither the cold in Winter so rigorous but that he may well live from the fire side By the influence of the aire all parts of the yeare are tolerably warme It bringeth forth no venomous creature neither nourisheth any brought from other places The quality of the soile and constellation of the Heavens is moist with the most whereupon it commeth to passe that both inhabitants and strangers are troubled with the flix and Rheumes and holpen or prevented with drinking Aqua-vitae The Land is of divers Natures in some place rough and mountainous in others boggie and waterish shadowed with huge woods and exposed to the winds with intermixture of many great Lakes Yea in the ridge of their highest hils mountaines indeed I cannot terme them you shall find pooles marishes It hath goodly havens and delectable plaines but neither comparable to the woods for largenesse nor greennesse It is generally fertile except Vlster which in some parts is fertile in othersome barren And Conaght which in times past through idlenesse hath beene lesse manured than any other Country is fuller of hils and bogges and for the greatest portion woody The hils swarme with cattell and sheepe from whence they reape plenty of butter cheese and milke The wheat thereof is small and short and those vines which they cherish serve rather for shade than profit For in those countries the sunne entring into Virgo causeth cold gales to blow and in Autumne the' after-noones heat is so faint

on all the land which they take from their enemies and assigning a small parcell peradventure none at all to the ancient Lords they divide the residue into Timars to every Servitor a portion viz. to every one about foure and twenty or thirtie Acres of our measure with seed to sow it Upon condition to pay halfe the fruits the seventh yeare and halfe of the twelfth Herein consisteth the chiefest preservation of the Ottoman Empire for unlesse upon this consideration the care of manuring the Land were committed to these Masters and they againe set it over unto others for their profit and lucre all would lye waste thorow the whole Empire themselves affirming That whatsoever the Grand Seignior once treadeth with his horse-hoofe were it not for this course there never after would grow grasse againe With these Timars he also maintaineth an hundred and fifty thousand horse-men excellent well armed and alwayes readie at their owne charges to march whither their Leaders will command them So great a Cavalry can no other Prince maintaine with the yearely expence of fourteene Millions of Gold Which maketh me to wonder that some Writers comparing the Turkish receits with the Entrado of the Christians never spake word of so huge a member of the Turkish Puissance It is reported that in the warre of Persia the Turke conquered so much land that thereof he erected forty thousand Timars and a new Exchequer at Tauris from whence he receiveth yearely a Million of gold By these troopes the Grand Seignior so aweth his subjects that they no sooner can stirre but as so many Falcons these Timariots are presently on their necks And this is the drift of this dispersing them thorow the Provinces So that one part of them is alwayes readie at the sound of the Trumpet upon all occasions to march while the other stay at home to keepe the Inhabitants in their due obedience With his Treasure his Bassaes intermeddle not But two generall Treasures or over-feers are chiefe dealers therein the one residing in Romania the other in Natolia The Cadalisquers have the administration of Justice who assist the Bassaes in the Divan Neither doe any sit there but the twelve Beglarbegs the Princes children being Presidents in their fathers absence and some certaine of the Cadies to assist in matters of Law and difficultie as is used with us in the Court of Star-chamber This Court is holden foure dayes in the weeke by the Bassaes wheresoever the Prince sojourneth if it be in the time of peace then at Constantinople or in some other Town according to occasions within his Dominions if in Warre then it is kept within his Pavillion In this Councell called Divan where audience is open to every futer they consult of Embassies and of answers to be made unto them of matters of State and of Soveraigntie of the meanes to provide for decayed or ruinated Provinces of murders and condemnation The Suppliant Complainant or Suter speaketh without Advocate or Atturney and is forced to answer presently to the information of his Adversary if he be present or to prove or disprove his accusation by witnesses Upon hearing of both parties judgement definitive is given and may not be repealed When the Councell hath sitten seven or eight houres the Bassa visier maketh true relation to the Prince of all that hath beene handled if he lye it is present death For the Prince often listeneth at a window termed Dangerous right against the Divan being made in such sort that he may heare and see and not be perceived Though he be seldome there yet are they alwayes suspitious After he hath heard the discourse and advice of his Councell he seldome gain-sayeth but confirmeth or moderateth the same These things thus ordered they are written and registred by Officers appointed To the management also of the Civil Government they as the Christians have many severall degrees of Civilians or rather Church-men which is a kinde of Ecclesiasticall Law the professours whereof are all of the Clergie if I may so terme them And to the training up of these professors there are certaine Houses or Colleges called Medressae in Constantinople Andrianople Burssia and other places in which they live and studie their Sciences wherein they have nine severall degrees The first are called Saffi and are the puisne Students or Novices The second are Calsi Readers or Tutors unto the first The third are Hogi Writers of Bookes for they have no Printing The fourth are Naipi or young Doctors who are not yet so well studied in their Lawes as to be profound or absolute Judges but yet are of sufficiencie to supply a Judges place in case of absence The fifth are Cadi who are both Judges and Justices to punish offences Of this sort there is one atleast in every Citie thorowout all the Grand Seigniors Dominions they are distinguished from other men by their high Turbants being at least two yards in compasse The sixth are called Mudressi who are as Suffragans unto their Flamins or Bishops Their authoritie stretcheth to over-looke Cadies and to see that they doe their duties in their severall charges The seventh are Mulli Bishops and are the principall Church-governours next unto the Mustee Their office is to place and displace Church-men at discretion The eight are Cadeliscari they are two great and principall Judges or Cardinals the one of Grecia the other of Natolia Selimiu the third added another over the Provinces of Aegypt Syria Arabia and part of Armaria equall in authoritie to the former These sit every Session in the foresaid Divano amongst the Bassaes to determine temporall suits being as it were chiefe Justices in dignitie and authoritie The ninth and principallest is the Muftee Hee commandeth and governeth all Church-men or Judges whatsoever and his sentence in matters of Law and Religion is uncontrollable yea the greatest Bashaws in matters of Law or difficultie referre all to his decision without appeale Such is his greatnesse that he may not abase himselfe to sit in the Divano neither when he commeth into the presence of the great Seignior will he vouchsafe to kisse his hand or to use greater reverence towards his Highnesse than his Highnesse will afford unto him And therefore when hee entereth the Grand Seigniors Chamber hee will presently rise and then both sit downe face to face and so conferre And these be the degree and no other by which the poorest scholler may ascend unto the highest place of Honour in this Turkish government Toward the East from Ta●ris to Balsara lye the Persians Toward the South and the Persian Gulfe the Portugals Toward the Red-sea ●hesterh●●● Upon the West the Xeriffe and the Kingdome of Naples On the North border the Polonians and the Germans Without all question the Turke farre excelleth the Persian in military discipline for Mahumet the second tooke 〈…〉 the first and after him his sonne Soliman defeated Ismael and Ta●ias Amurath the third by his Lieutenants tooke

twenty stations and the fourth last at Balsara in the Persian gulfe consisting of fifteene Gallies and these two last under the charges of the Beglerbegs of Balsara and Cairo In the time of Sel●mus we reckoned one million and three hundred thirty three thousand Christian soules to live within his Dominions not accounting those that enjoyed freedome of conscience by privilege nor those that then were subject to the Aegyptian Sultan whom the said Selimus vanquished The Iewes likewise live dispersed over his whole Dominions in such infinite numbers that scarce no Towne nor Village but is very populously replenished with their families speaking divers languages and using the trade of Merchandize in royall and rich fashion A people scattered over the face of the earth hated by all men amongst whom they live yet of incredible patience as subjecting themselves to times and to whatsoever may advance their profit worldly wise and thriving wheresoever they set footing Men of indifferent statures and best complexions Those that live in Christendome are the relikes only of the tribes of Iuda and Benjamin the other ten some say are lost Others that they be in India or driven by Salmanasser into the extreme parts of the North. Their owne Country after the expulsion of the Aegyptian Sultans by Selimus at this day is adjoyned unto the Crowne of the Ottoman Empire being governed by divers Sanziacks all under the Bassa of Damasco It is now inhabited by Moores and Arabians Those possessing the vallies these the mountaines Of Turkes there be some few of Greekes many with other Christians of all sects and Nations especially of such as impute an adherent holinesse to the place Those Iewes that live here are not proprietors of any land therein but live as strangers and aliens and pay their duties to their Lords The Arabians are said to be descended from Ismael dwelling in tents and removing their aboads according to opportunity of prey or benefit of pasturage not worth the conquering nor can they be conquered retiring to places inaccessible for Armies A Nation from the beginning unmixed with others boasting of their Nobility and this day hating all mechanicall Sciences They hang about the skirts of the inhabited Countries and having robbed retire with wonderfull celerity They are of meane stature raw-boned tawny having feminine voices of a swift and noislesse pace being behinde you and upon you before you bee aware Their Religion if any Mahumetisme their Language extending as farre as their Religion Yet if any one of them undertake that conduct he will performe it faithfully not any of the Nation offering to molest you Then will they lead you by unknowne waies farther in foure dayes than a man can travell by Caravan in fourteene Persia. PErsia and the Persian glory hath beene often obscured First by the Arabians who to bury in oblivion the memory of former reputation enacted by Law according to the custome of Conquerours that the people should no more be called Persians but Saracens Secondly by the Tartarians led by Ching●s And lastly by Tamerlan and his followers But not long before the daies of our Ancestors by the vertue of Ismael Sophy of whose originall and fortunes for the better understanding of this History it will not bee amisse to discourse the King some might truly have beene said to have recovered its ancient splendour if the Turkish depredations upon the Natives had not through bloud and devastation inforced this Ismael to re-people the Country with Tartars Turcomans Courdines and the scumme of all Nations who though they live in a better Country yet doe they nothing resemble the ancient and noble descended Persians but at this day retaine the inheritance of their bad trecherous and vilde dispositions When Mahumet after the decease of his first wife who adopted him her heire by her riches and his new superstition had gotten him a name amongst the vulgar he married for his second wife Aissa the daughter of one Ahubacer a great rich man and of high authority in those quarters By this mans continuance and the friendship of Oman and Ottomar his kinsmen hee gathered together a great rabble of Arabians and partly by faire meanes and partly by colour of Religion he became Master of many bordering Territories and also about the same time gave Fatime his Daughter by his first Wife to Halie his Cousin and to him after his death all his earthly substance making him the head of his superstition with the title of Caliph Abubacer by whose countenance Mahumet became gracious taking in ill part the preferment of the young man by the aide of Omar and Ottomar whose desires wholly built upon hope of succession by reason of the old mans yeares and for kindred sake were inclined rather to see Abubacer than Halie to bee their Caliph beganne openly to resist Halie and to spoile him and his wife Fatime of all the substance which was left them by the Uncle Abubacer died Omar and Ottomar succeeded Omar was slaine by a slave Ottomar in a private quarrell after whose death Halie succeeded Against him rose Mavie who accusing him as accessary to the death of Ottomar his Lord caused him to be slain neere Caffa a City within two daies journey of Babylon where likewise he lieth buried The place is called to this day Massadel that is the house of Halie After his decease the Inhabitants of Caffa proclaimed Ossan the son of Fatime Caliph but him likewise Mavie opposed and flew by poison Then was he absolute Caliph and after him his sonne Iazit Ossan left behinde him twelve sonnes one whereof was called Mahumet Mahadin The Moores say he never died but that hee shall returne againe to convert the world and therefore they keepe alwaies ready in the Mosque of Massadella a horse gallantly furnished where in their foppery they affirme that this worlds conversion shall first begin Upon these differents of Halie Abubacer Omar Ottomar and Mavie have mighty factions of armes and opinions arisen amongst the sectaries of this new superstition The Persians labour to prove Halie true Caliph by the last Will of Mahumet the Arabians stand as stifly to the three first When from the yeare of our Lord God 1258. to the yeare 1363. the Moores had no Caliph Mustapha Mumbala the last Caliph being slaine by Alcu King of the Tartarians a certaine Nobleman in Persia named Sophi Lord of Ardevel deriving his pedegree from Halie by Musa Ceresin his Nephew and one of the twelve sonnes of Ossan in memory of whom he altered the forme of the Turbant by his vertue and valour won great credit and estimation to his new faction To him succeeded Adar the sonne of Guine to whom Assembeg a powerfull Prince in Syria and Persia gave his daughter in marriage But his sonne Iacob-beg fearing the power and estimation of Adar caused him to be slaine and delivered his two sons Ismael and Soliman to his Captaine Amanzar willing him to cast them in prison in Zaliga a Castle in