haue cheifely their aboade and therefore to make it a more compleate worke it will not be amisse compendiously to declare their multitudes amplenesse and seuerall habitations in this Europaean world To begin with the remotest partes hereof Eastward in the kingdome of Polonia as it is this present confining on the West at the riuers of Warta and Odera with the Marchesates of Silesia and Brandeburge on the East at the riuers of Nieper and Bresnia with Moscouia on the South at the Riuer of Niester with Moldauia at the g Ne commemorem ditâ—onis amplitudinem inquit Erasmus de Regno Poloniae loquens complectentis Russos etiam Aâ—bos Lâ—tuanos quibus omnibus latissimè imperat a vistula flumine ad Tauricam Cheronâ—sum a mari Balthico ad Caparthum montem Sigismundus Rex Eras epist ad Polo Seâ—r tar praefix expo in orat do Caparthian mountaines with Hungarie on the North with the Baltique sea hauing vnder its dominion Polonia Lituania Liuonia Podolia Russia the lesse Volhimia Masouia Prussia which vnited as it were within one roundish inclosure are in circuit about 2600. miles and of no lesse space then Spaine and France layd together in this so large and ample kingdome the Protestants in great numbers are diffused through all quarters thereof hauing in euery Prouince their publicke Churches and congregations orderly seuered and bounded with Diocesses whence are sent some of the cheefest amd most principall men of worth vnto their Generall Synods which within these few yeares they haue frequently held with great celebritie and with no lesse Christian prudence and piety For whereas there are diuers sorts of these Polonicke Protestants some embracing the Waldensian or the Bohemick others the Augustane and some the Heluetian confession and so doe differ in some outward circumstances of Discipline and ceremony yet knowing well that a kingdome diuided cannot stand and that the one God whom all of them worship in spirit is the God of peace and concord they iointly meet at one Generall Synode and their first Act alway is a religious and solemne profession of their vnfained consent in the substantiall points of Christian Faith necessary to saluation Thus in Generall Synodes at a Anno. 1570. Sendomire b 1573. Cracouia c 1578. Petricoue d 1â—â—3 Wlodislaue e 1â—95 See the Acts of the Synods themselues Torune vnto which resorted in great troops Christians of all Orders States and degrees out of all Prouinces of this most potent kingdome they declared the Bohemicke Helueticke and Augustane confessions seuerally receiued amongst them to agree in the principall heads of Faith touching the holy Scripture the sacred Trinitie the Person of the sonne of God God and man the prouidence of God Sinne Freewil the Law the Gospel Iustification by Christ Faith in his name Regeneration the catholike Church and Supreame head thereof Christ the Sacraments their number and vse the state of soules after death the resurrection life eternal they decreed that wheras in the forenamed confessions there is some difference in phrases and formes of speech concerning Christs presence in his holy supper which might breed dissention all disputations touching the manner of Christs presence should bee cut off seeing all of them doe beleeue the presence it selfe and that the Eucharisticall elements are not naked and empty signes but doe truely performe to the faithfull receiuer that which they signifie and represent and to preuent future occasions of violating this sacred consent they ordained that no man should be called to the sacred ministery without subscription thereunto and when any person shal be excluded by excommunication from the congregation of one conâ—ession that he may not be receiued by the congregation of another Lastly forasmuch as they accord in the substantiall verity of Christian doctrine they professe themselues content to tolerate diuersitie of ceremonies according to the diuerse practise of their particular Churches and to remoue the least suspition of rebelling and sedition wherewith their malitious and calumniating aduersaries might blemish the Gospell although they are subiect vnto many greeuous pressures from the adherents of Antichrist yet they carnestly export one another to follow that worthy and Christian admonition of Lactantius Defendenda Religio est non occidendo sed moriendo non saeuitia sed patientia non scelere sed fide illa enim bonorum sunt haec malorum This is the state of the professors of the Gospell in the electiue Monarchy of Polonia who in the adioyning countries on the South Transiluania and Hungarie are also exceedingly multiplied In the former by the fauor Gabriel Bartorius now Prince of that Region who not many yeares since hath expulsed thence all such as are of the Papall faction in a manner the whole body of the Inhabitants except some few rotten and putred limmes of Arrians Antitrinnitarians Ebionites Socinians Anabaptists who heere as also in Polonia Lituania Borussia haue some publicke Assemblies are professed Protestants in the later a greater part specially beeing compared onely with such as are there addicted to the Romish superstition But hence Eastward in the kingdom of Bohemia consisting of 32. thousand parishes now become in a manner hereditary to the house of Austria as likewise the kingdome of Hungary and its appurtenances the Marchesates of Lusatia Morauia the Dukedome of Silesia all which iointly in circuit containe 770. miles the Protestants are esteemed two third parts in Austria it selfe and the countries of Goritia Tirolis Cilia the principalities of Sueuia Alsatia Brisgoia Constans now annexed thereunto the most part of the people and especially of the a Nobiles fere omnes qui in subditos suâ—s et clientes iudicia exerceÌ„t eorumque nonnulli vitae et necis â—â—â—ent potâ—staâ—e â—â—â—mouarum opininum veneno inflecti sunt Thesau polit Apot. 6. Nobility are the same way affected and are in regard of their number so potent that they are fearefull vnto their malignant opposites And almost they are of the same number and strength in the neighbour countries of the Arch-Duke of Gratzden a branch of the house of Austria namely in Stiria Carinthia Carniola saue since the yeare 1598. they haue not had in these countries the publicke exercise of their Religion by the importunate and clandestine solicitations of the Iesuites who notwithstanding in respect of the number and potencie of the a Illustres domini Ordinarij necnon prouinciahum pars maxima nihil non agit vt manere nobis ministris Euangelâ—â— liceret sed Iesuitam instigationes quam totius prouinciae supplicationes plus poterant Histo. persecut Grae. carâ—â—s Nobility on the Protestant partie euen in Gratts the prime City of Styria could not effect their desires vntill in the yeare forementioned vnder pretence of conducting the Arch-Dukes sister into Spaine to bee wife vnto the now Philip the third sundry Embassadors from the Princes of Italy the Pope the King of Spaine attended with many souldiers
spirit that * Esd. 6.42 an other tale of the same author doth touching the collection of all the waters into a seuenth part of the earth the other sixe beeing left vncouered or * Cap. eod vers 50. a third of the Elephant and the Whale Behemoth and Leuiathan namely that God appointed the sea to one of them and the land to the other because they were so great that the Sea could not hold them both for else belike if the Sea had bene large enough we might haue gone a fishing for Elephants For how is the sea gathered into a seauenth part of the earth whose expansion is not only by the most skilfull Philosophers esteemed but found by experieÌ„ce of nauigations hitherto made to ouerspred as neerly as may be discerned about halfe the compasse of the Earth Or being of that bredth and withall of the depth that it is knowne to be how should it not bee spatious enough to receiue Elephants and Whales together The dimensions of the Elephant euen of the greatest sort of Indian Elephants and the earth breedeth none so large as those of India are Aelian de Animalib l. 12. c. 8. saith Aelianus nine cubits of heigth the length in that beast is equall to the height and fiue of bredth the greatest that haue bene seene in Europe being * Vid. GilliuÌ„ in Descript 6 Elephant c. 6. et Gorop l. 2. Origin Antuerptan obserued to be far lesse The dimension of the Whale indeed is far greater fiue times saith * Aelian l. 16. ca. 12. Rondelet de Piscib l. 16. c. 11. ArriaÌ„ de Reb. Indicis longe ante finem Aelianus then the largest sort of Elephants But yet his ordinary dimensioÌ„ is but 36. cubits long and 8. cubits high as Rondeletius hath obserued But admit notwithstanding some of them to bee 50. cubits of which length Nearchus in Arrianus is saide to haue measured one in the East Ocean nay to be 600. foot long and 360. foote thicke as * Ap. Plin. l. 32. c. 1. Iuba in Plinie related to bee found in the Bay of Arabia where yet as it is well knowne by the foundings of nauigators that sea is not by a good deale 360. foote deepe Or let them be more yet Plin. l 9. c. 3. euen foure Acres long that is 960. foote as Plinie hath related of some in the sea of India For although the two last reports bee in truth no better then fancies and fables Basil. in Hexaemer Homil. 7 which the impudence of some hath made the ignorance of others to beleeue yet I will exclude none but onely Basil as intolerably hyperbolical affirming namely that whales are equal to the greatest mountaines their backs wheÌ„ they shew aboue the water like to Islands But admitting all the rest I say what proportion haue those dimensions of the Whale the Elephant to the huge bredth depth of the OceaÌ„ For if I may without offence intersert a short Philosophicall speculaton the depth of the Sea to speake nothing of the bredth which euery common mappe doth represent is determined by Fabianus in Plinie Fabian apud Plin. l. 2. c. 102 Cleomed Meteot l. 1. c. 10. and by Cleomedes to be 15 furlongs that is one mile and seuen eight parts Or else equall to the height of the greatest mountaines to whose height and the deepenesse of the Sea the Geometricians as Plutarch hath recorded anciently assigned equall dimensions Plutarch in Vita Aemilij Pauli Or yet rather if you will any thing respect my opinion it is a great deale more Scalig. de Subtilitate Exercit. 38. For as for the shallow speculation of Scaliger and * And. Baccius de Thermis l. 1. c. 4. Alij others of the shallownesse of the Sea determining the height of Hilles farre to surpasse the deepenesse of the sea And that in very few places it attaineth 100 passes of depth is indeed true in the narrow Channels and Straits of the Sea But in the free and large Ocean it is by the experience of Nauigators knowen to bee as false as the Gospell is true Indeed touching the height of mountaines I finde it pronounced by the great Mathematician Eratosthenes in Theon Theon in Comment Magnae Construction Ptolom l. 1. that the highest sort of them passe not in perpendicular erectnesse 10 furlongs that is one mile and one fourth part of which height also it is obserued in Plinie Plin. l. 2. c. 63. Plutarch loc supra citato that Dicaearchus by Dioptricall Instruments found the Hill Pelius in Thessalie to bee and in Plutarch that Xenagoras another Mathematician obserued the height of Olympus in the same Region sauing that in this later there is an addition of 20 passes for the whole number of passes is 1270. Neither do I find any greater perpendicular height attributed to Mountaines by any ancient writer Cleomedes excepted Cleomed l. 1. Meteor c. 10. who assigneth to the height of Hils as he doth also to the depth of the Sea 15 furlongs For Alhazen I omit because he onely restraineth the height of hilles Alhazen de Crepuscul propos 1. as namely not to exceed 8 miles without determining what their height should be But yet all these are to bee vnderstood I take it with relation to the Mountaines in and about Greece with which themselues were acquainted which may in no sort compare with the huge Mountaines of vast Continents such as are the Alpes in Europe Atlas in Afrique Caucasus in India the Andes in Peru and such other But whatsoeuer the height of Hilles may bee aboue the common superficies of the Earth it seemeth to me after good consideration that the depth of the Sea is a great deale more For declaration of which point I require to be supposed first that the Earth at the first forming of it was in the superficies regular and sphericall which the Holy Scripture directs vs to beleeue because the water couered and compassed all the face of the Earth And secondly that the face of the Land is in largenesse and expansion at least equall to that of the sea And thirdly that the vneuennesse and irregularity which is now seene in the superficies of the Earth was caused as is noted in Damascen either Damascen l. 1. de fide Orthodoxa c. 10. by taking of some parts out of the vpper face of the Earth in sundry places to make it more hollow and laying them in other places to make it more conueâ—e Or else which in effect is equiualent to that by raysing vp some and depressing others to make roome and receite for the sea that mutation being wrought by the power of that word Genes 1.9 Let the waters be gathered into one place that the dry land may appeare For as for the fancy of Aquinas Dionysius Aquin. in Sum pa. 1. q. 69. a. 1. Dionys. Carth Catharin Alij in Comment cap. 1. Genes Catharinus
be not to bee found at this time an hundred housholds of Iewes Boter Relat pa. â— l. 2. c. de Gindei Onely of all the townes of Palestina Tiberias which Amurath the great Turke gaue to Aluarez Mendez a Iew and Staffâ—letto are somewhat peopled with them Neither haue they at this present for any thing that is certainly knowen any other region in the world seuerall to themselues Yet because there be some prouinces wherein they are obserued specially to abound as others also whence they are excluded and banished I will consider a little of their present condition The first Country of Christendome whence the Iewes were expelled with out hope of returne was our Country of England whence they were banished Anno 1290 by King Edward the first Not long after they were likewise banished France An. 1307. by Philippus Pulcher Onely of all the Countryes of France in the Iurisdiction of Auignon the Popes state some are remaining Out of Spaine An. 1492 by Ferdinand and shortly after out of Portugall An 1497 by Emanuel Out of the Kingdome of Naples and Sicilie An. 1539. by Charles the 5. In other regions of Europe they are found and in some of them in great numbers as in Germanie Bohem Polonia Lituania Russia and part of Italie specially Venice and Rome In Greece also a great multitude wherein two Citties beside all them of other places Constantinople and Thessalonica are esteemed to be about 160000 Iewes As also they are to be found by plentifull numbers in many parts of the Turks dominion both in Asia and Afrique And for Asia specially in Aleppo in Tripoli in Damascus in Rhodes and almost in euery City of great trade and traffique in the Turkâ—sh Empire As likewise in diuers parts of the Persian gouernment in Arabia also lastly in India namely about Cranganor and in some other more remote regions And to come to Afrique they are not only foundin the Cities of Alexandria and Cair in Aegypt but as in many other regions places of Afrique so principally in the Cities of Fess and Tremisen and specially in the Hilles of Sensaua and Demen in the Kingdome of Maroccho many of which last are by Leo Africanus specially noted to be of that Sect Leo African l. 2. c. 36. c. which the Iewes name * For of the Iewes as touching their religion there bee in these times three fects The first which is the greatest of them is named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who beside the holy scriptures imbrace the Talmud also for Authenticall and for that cause they are also termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The second are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which receiue onely the scriptures And the Third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Samaritans at this day but very few which of all the holy Scriptures admit onely the Pentateuch or bookes of Moses Karraim and by the other Iewes of Afrique are reputed no better then heretiques But yet beside these and such like dispersions of the Iewish Nation that may be elsewhere in the world there is a phantasie of many learned men not vnwoorthy some diligent consideration that the Tartars of Scythia who about the yeare 1200 or a little before became first knowen abroad in the world by that name and hold at this day a great part of Asia in subiection That those Tartars I say are of the * Postell Descript Syriae cap. 1. Genebrad Chron. l. 1. Boteâ— Relat. pa. 1. l. 2. c. vlâ—ima parte della Tartaria pa. 3. l. 2. c. de Gindei Israelites progeny Namely of the ten Tribes which by Salmanazar and some of his predecessours were carried captiue into Assyria Which although it be as I said no other then a vain and cappriccious phantasie yet hath it not onely found acceptance and entertainement with sundrie learned and vnderstanding men but reason and authority are produced or pretended to establish it for a truth For first It is alleaged that the word Tatari or Totari for so indeed they are rightly called as * Leunclau in Pandect Hist. Turcic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. learned men obserue and not Tartari signifieth in the Syriaque and Hebrew tongues a Residue or Remainder such as these Tartars are supposed to bee of the Ten Tribes Secondly because as the Patrons of this phantasie say they haue alwaies embraced the ancient character of Iudaisme Circumcision And thirdly 2 Esdras 13. v. 41.42.43.44.45 the authority of supposed Esdras the very spring I take it whence hath flowed this streame of opinion is alleaged Namely that the Tenne Tribes tooke this course to themselues that they would leaue the multitude of the heathen and goe foorth into a farther Country where neuer mankinde dwelt That they might there keepe their statutes which they neuer kept in their owne land And that they entred in at the narrow passages of the Riuer Euphrates The most high shewing them signes and staying the Springs of the floud till they were passed ouer And that their Iourney was great euen of a yeare and a halfe and the region is called Arsareth But to the first of these arguments I may answere that the Tartars obtained that name neither from Hebrew nor Syriaque originall and appellation but from the riuer Tartar saith Leunclauius Leunclau in Pand. histor Turcic §. 3. and * Boem de Morib gent. l. 2. c. 10. Haitti lib. de Tartaris cap. 16. others Or else from the Region as sayth Haitho where the principall of them anciently dwelled Secondly that the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew or Syriaque signification importing a residue or remainder can but full ill as it seemes be applied to the Tartars in relation of the Israelites whom they exceedingly surpasse in multitude as ouerspreading halfe the vast continent of Asia or thereabout For all the Nations of Asia from the great riuers of Wolgha and Oby Eastward and from the Caspian sea the riuer Oxus the Countryes of India and China northward are contained vnder the Appellation of Tartars and yet without these bounds many Tartars there are both toward the West and South And what if the innumerable people of so many Nations as are knowen to inhabite and ouerspread the huge continent of America be also of the same of-spring Certainely if I bee not greatly deceiued they are no other For first that their originall must bee deriued from Asia is apparent because as he that readeth the relations and histories of those Countryes of America may easily obserue they haue no rellish nor resemblance at all of the Arts or learning or ciuility of Europe And their colour restifieth they are not of the Africans progenie there being not found in all that large Continent any blacke men except a few about the Riuer of S. Martha in a small Countrey called Quarequa which by force and violence of some tempest are
Chaboras being part of Taurus and seuering Assyria from Armenia and Media and Hara the other hilly parts in the north side of Assyria as seemeth more agreeable to the obseruations of Beniamin Tudelensis for about those parts he found in his trauail the greatest multitudes of the Israelites then in the places aleaged I would vnderstand by Ashur not the Empire or dominion but the peculiar kingdome of Assyria Calach and Chabor and Hara and Gozan vnto this day which limitation of time vnto this day must at least of necessitie import the time wherein that history of their remaining in Ashur recorded in the books of the Kings of the Chronicles was writteÌ„ Of which later either Esdras himselfe was the Author as in the iudgmeÌ„t * R. Dau. Kimchi R. Shelomo ex sententia senioruÌ„ apud Sixt. Senens Biblioth Sanctae lib. 1. of learned men he is reputed therfore could not as it seemeth be the Author of that apocryphall history Abulens in praef ParalipoÌ„ in QuaestioÌ„ 5. or at least if Esdras were not the Author yet that the Author whosoeuer he was liued and writ that history of the Chronicles after the return of the Iewes from the captiuity or in the end of it that is in Esdras time is euident by the end of the booke where Cyrus his benignity for restoring of the Iewes his proclamation for their returne to Ierusalem is recorded and that in the very same words wherein Esdras in the beginning of his own booke hath registred them At that time therfore it is euident that the Israelites were not departed out of the dominions of Ashur No nor long after that in Iosephus his time Ioseph Antiq. l. 11. c. who hath recorded that euen then the tenne Tribes remained beyond Euphrates and were there growne into innumerable multitudes neither yet many hundred yeares after Iosephus was dead for R. Beniamin a Iew that liued but about 440. yeares agoe and trauailed diligently those parts of the world and many other to visite his dispersed countrimen hath in his Itinerary left obserued not only that he found exceeding far greater multitudes of the Israelites Beniamin in Itiner pag. 57.58.59.70.71.74 75.76.77.78.80.81.86 to be then remaining in those prouinces of the ancient dominion of Ashur then he found in other places possessing * Pag. 75. 87 large regions and * Pag. 76. c. many cities so that in the cities of some one Region * Pag cad 300000. Iewes were by him numbred obseruing specially that in the parts of Media many thousand Israelites of the progeny of them that Salmanaser ledde into captiuity were then remaining but withall he setteth downe particularly and precisely the very places of those regions where certaine of the Tribes were seated there grown into great multitudes As namely in * Pag. 77. one place the Tribes of Ruben Gad and Manasse And in * Pag. 87. an other the 4. Tribes of Dan Asher Zebulon and Naphtali But yet if there were neither authority of holy Scripture nor experience to refell this fable the fancies that haue sprung of it yet ordinary reason at least of men that are not ignorant of Geography and are meanly skilled in the affaires of the world may easily discerne the futility of it For first what neede was there of such a miracle 2. Esdr. 13. as to * And the most high theÌ„ shewed them signes stayed the springs of the floud Euphrates till they were pasâ—ed ouer â—ecs 44. stay the course of Euphrates for the Israelites passage from Assyria or Media toward Tartary the riuer lying far to the west both of the one region and of the other no way crossing or impeaching their iourney which lay northward betweene that riuer and the Caspian Sea Or how might those poore captiue Israelites disarmed as they were and dispersed in sundry Prouinces of the Assyrian Empire and being vnder the ouersight and gouernment of Assyrian presidents be able to leaue the places where by the Kings commandement they were to inhabite Or They tooke this counsel to themselues that they would leaue the multitude of the Heathen v. 41. if the Israelites were able by force to depart and free themselues from the dominion of the king of Ashur yet were they so wise also as to forsake the places where they were peaceably setled and venture their small remainders vpon perils and vncertainties namely to finde out a place where neuer mankind dwelt Or if their stomacke serued them so well and their wit so ill as in such manner to forsake Assyria And goe forth into a country where neuer mankind dwelt v. 41. yet were they also able to make themselues way euen a way as hee saith of 18. moneths passage through the fierce and mighty nations of Scythia whom neither the conquerours of the Israelites the Assyrians I meane nor the Persians and I might adde also the Grecians and the Romans were neuer able to subdue but were in the after times subdued by them for that the parts of Scythia should bee without Inhabitants in Scythia it must bee where they would find that country where neuer mankind dwelt or else it is not in Tartary is scarse credible as wherof we read in histories * Iustin. hist. l. 2. in princip to haue coÌ„tended with Aegypt for antiquity of habitation to haue preuailed and for the aboundance of people to bee termed Hominum Officina Insomuch that the greatest occasion of swarming abroad of those nations of Scythia and of their ouerwhelming of Asia Europe with their infinite multitudes and colonies is in histories recorded to be lacke of room for habitation in their owne countries And lastly to make an end of this tedious discourse with the ende of their imagined tedious iourney what ancient Geographer or Historian is there set our Esdras aside that euer remembred of such a Region as Arsareth where they are saide to haue seated themselues True it is indeed that I find the city of Arsaratha Beros lib. 3. Ptolem. Geog. l. 5. c. 13. et in Tab. 3. Asiae mentioned both in Berosus fragments and in Ptolomie placed neer the issue of the riuer Araxes into the Caspian sea and it was perhaps one of the Israelitish colonies planted in the confines of the empire of Assyria for it may well bee that Arsaratha is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the City or the hill of the remainder or perhaps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the last letter of the first word cut of in the Greeke pronunciation for sounds sake the Land of the remainder but the tale of eighteene months iourney wil no more agree with this citie then the region of Arsareth doth with Geography or Historie So that me thinks this forged story of the Israelites voyage and habitation in such remote regions where neuer mankind dwelt sauoureth of the same phantastical and Talmudical