the Creation of the world the creation of the first Man and Woman and the Progeny from them descending as it is by the Banians deliuered THE great God say the Banians being alone bethought himselfe how hee might make his excellency and power manifest to others for his great vertue had beene obscured and hid if it had not beene communicated to his creatures What meanes might then bee better to giue euidence of both these then the creation of a world and creatures therein For this cause the Almighty consulted with himselfe about the making of this great worke which men call the World or Vniuerse and as the Ancients say they haue deliuered the Lord made foure Elements as the ground-worke of this mighty frame to wit Earth Aire Fire and Water which foure Elements were at first all mingled together in a confusion but the Almighty separated them in manner following First it is deliuered that by some great Cane or like instrument hee blew vpon the Waters which arose into a bubble of a round forme like an egge which spreading it selfe further and further made the Firmament so cleare and transparent which now compasseth the world about After this there remaining the Earth as the sediment of the Waters and some liquid substance with the same the Lord made of both these together a thing round like a ball which hee called the lower world the more solid part whereof became the Earth the more liquid the Seas both which making one Globe he by a great noyse or humming sound placed them in the middest of the Firmament which became aequi-distant from it on euery side Then he created a Sunne and Moone in the Firmament to distinguish the times and seasons and thus these foure Elements that were at first mixt together became separate and assigned to their seuerall places the Aire to his place the Earth to his the Water to his place and the Fire to his place These Elements thus disposed each of them discharged his seuerall parts the Aire filled vp whatsoeuer was emptie the Fire began to nourish with his heate the Earth brought forth his liuing creatures and the Sea his And the Lord conueyed to these a seminall vertue that they might bee fruitfull in their seuerall operations and thus the great world was created This World as it had his beginning from foure Elements so it was measured by foure maine points of the Compasse East West North and South and was to be continued for foure Ages and to be peopled by foure Casts or sorts of men which were maried to foure Women appointed for them of which wee shall speake as order may giue occasion God hauing thus made the world and the creatures thereto belonging then God created Man as a creature more worthy then the rest one that might be most capable of the workes of God The earth then did at Gods voyce and command render this creature from his bowels his head first appearing and after that his body with all the parts and members of the same into whom God conueyed life which as soone as he had receiued witnessed it selfe for colour began to shew it selfe red in his lippes his eye liddes began to disclose the two lights of Nature the parts of his body bewrayed their motion and his vnderstanding being informed hee acknowledged his Maker and gaue him worship That this creature might not bee alone who was made by nature sociable God seconded him with a Companion which was Woman to whom not so much the outward shape as the likenesse of the minde and disposition seemed agreeing and the first mans name was Pourous and the womans name was Parcoutee and they liued conioyned together as Man and Wife feeding on the fruites of the earth without the destruction of any liuing creature These two liuing in this coniunction had foure sonnes the first was called Brammon the second Cuttery the third Shuddery the fourth Wyse These foure brethren were of Natures distinct each from the other the foure Elements claiming in each of them a different predominance For Brammon was of an earthly constitution and therefore Melancholly and Cuttery was of a fiery constitution and therefore of a Martiall spirit Shuddery was of a flegmaticke constitution and therefore of a peaceable or conuersable disposition Wyse was of an ayery temper and therefore full of contriuements and inuentions And because Brammon was of a melancholly constitution and ingenious God indued him with knowledge and appointed him to impart his Precepts and Lawes vnto the people his graue and serious looke best fitting him for such a purpose for which cause hee gaue him a Booke containing the forme of diuine Worshippe and Religion And because Cuttery was of a Martiall temper God gaue him power to sway kingdomes with the Scepter and to bring men into order that the Weale-publicke might thriue by vnited indeauours for the common good as an Embleme of which the Almighty put a sword into his hand the instrument of victory and domination And because Shuddery was of a nature mild and conuerseable it was thought meete that he should bee a Merchant to inrich the Common-wealth by Trafficke that so euery place might abound with all things by the vse of shipping and Nauigation as a monitour to put him in minde of which course of life he had a paire of Ballances put into his hand and a bagge of waights hung at his girdle instruments most accommadate to his profession Lastly because Wyse was of an Ayery temper whose conceipts vse to bee more subtle and apprehensiue he was indued with admirable inuentions and was able by his first thoughts to forme any thing that belonged to the Mechanicke or handy-crafts man For which purpose hee had a bagge of tooles or instruments consisting of such variety as were necessary to effectuate the workes of his fancy or conceipt Thus you haue the first Man and Woman and the Progeny from them descending according to Banians tradition and a world to be raised of so few the persons as they thinke could not be better fitted to the same the whole world being well considered consisting of and subsisting by such foure kindes of men The World being in this Mayden puritie that the generations of men might not be deriued from a polluted beginning of mankinde the Almighty gaue not Pourous and Parcoutee any daughters least some of these foure 〈◊〉 preferring the needes of propagation before piety and Religion should haue defloured their Sisters and haue blemished the world with impurity but prouiding better for the holinesse and sanctity of our Ancestors that the worke of generation might be agreeable to the worke of Creation God made foure Women for these foure Men and placed them at the foure Windes one at the East another at the West a third at the North and a fourth at the South that thus being diuided there might be a better meanes for the spreading of their generations ouer the face of the earth with which foure Women how
and with holinesse and prudence gouerne men in their seuerall Tribes So he did many worthy Acts and exceedingly maintained Religion was a Patron to the Bramanes and Churchmen and his name was Ram who became so memorable for his worthy deedes that his name is made honorable in the mention amongst them euen to this day that whensoeuer they meete and salute one another they cry Ram Ram as a word importing the wishes of all good It is like that after him there ruled many worthy Kings but tract of time rendering euery thing worse at the latter ending then at the beginning brought forth such as followed the course of the ancient wickednesse and new ambitions and new hypocrisies and new frauds and circumuentions and daily breaches of the Law deliuered in Bremawes book began afresh to make intrusion amongst them So the Almighty was againe angry that after so many iudgements the people would not be warned to his feare therefore by Gods appointment Ruddery caused the earth to open and swallow them vp aliue reseruing onely some few of the foure Tribes as a last tryall for the new peopling of the world againe And such was the conclusion of the third Age of the world CHAP. XV. The fourth and last Age of the world Vistneyes rapture to Heauen the Banians opinion touching the finall conclusion of the World and in what manner they suppose it shall be AFter this the Almighty againe commanded that the world should bee peopled by those that were reserued amongst whom there was one Kystney a famous Ruler and pious King of whose vertues they haue ample record as being one most notable in the last Age which they thinke now by the course of time to be deuolued vpon vs he did wonderfully promote Religion vpon which there was a reformed beginning of goodnesse By this Vistneyes time as they say being expired in this place and vale of mortality the Lord tooke him vp to heauen there being no further neede of his preseruation for when this Age is concluded there shall be a finall end of all things But the Bramanes though they suppose time to be running on the fourth Age of the world yet they suppose this Age shall bee longer than any of the rest in the end whereof they say Ruddery shall be rapt vp into heauen These Ages they call by foure names the first Curtain the second Duauper the third Tetraioo the fourth Kolee Concerning the manner of this finall iudgement they hold it shall bee more dreadfull than any of the rest and that it shall bee by fire that Ruddery then shall summon vp all the power of destruction that the Moone shall looke red that the Sunne shall shed his purling light like flaming brimstone that the lightening shall flash with terrours the skies shall change into all colours but especially fiery rednesse shall ouerspread the face of heauen that the foure Elements of which the world at first was constituted shall be at opposition and variance till by this Agony she be turned to her first confusion And that the finall consummation of the world shall be by fire they gather hence Of such as was the beginning of the world of such shall be her dissolution but the Principles of the worlds constitution were these foure Earth Ayre Water and Fire therefore by them shall she be destroyed which also they gather by the destruction of the seuerall Ages For the people of the first Age were destroyed by water the people of the second Age were destroyed by winde which they accoumpt the Ayre the people of the third Age were destroyed by Earth and the people of the last Age shall be destroyed by fire Then say they shall Ruddery carry vp the soules of all people to heauen with him to rest in Gods bosome but the bodies shall all perish So that they beleeue not the Resurrection for they say heauen being a place that is pure they hold it cannot be capable of such grosse substances The Authors Conclusion to the Reader together with a Censure on the materiall parts of this Relation THus worthy Reader thou hast the summe of the Banian Religion such as it is not voyd of vaine Superstitions and composed Forgery as well may bee iudged by the precedent Discourse wherein as in all other heresies may be gathered how Sathan leadeth those that are out of the pale of the Church a round in the Maze of Errour and Gentilisme I might leaue the particulars to thy Censure as well as to thy Reading but since I haue detected such grosse opinions in this Sect I cannot let them passe without a rod trust at their backes as a deserued pennance for their crime To helpe thy memory therefore in a short reuise of their forementioned vanities what seemeth their first Age to present but a figment of their owne deuising to confirme them to be the most ancient of all people as if like the Aegyptians in the 2. booke of Iustine they onely would boast of Antiquity and to lay the first ground of Religion and Gouernment when the Scythians had better arguments to pleade than they How fabulous and like an old womans tale seeme their deuised Medium for the worlds propagation in placing foure women at the foure windes And for the second Age and the worlds restauration therein if by those three persons Bremaw Vistney and Ruddery they glaunce at the Trinity how prodigious haue they made that Mystery making it rather a Quaternity than a Trinity What a monstrous fancy haue they formed and shaped for the peopling of that Age and if they ayme not at a marke so sublime what men shall deserue the Attributes to them appropiate Touching their Law the maine Pillars thereof haue beene demolished in its Confutation The Kingdome of God consists not in meates and drinkes For other their Ceremonies and Rites contained in their second Tract of the booke what man of reasonable vnderstanding doth not wonder at their superstitions which place their faith in outward washings lotions and sprinklings in worshippe of Sunne Moone and other liuing creatures in paintings vnctions and garish processions in offerings vnder greene trees in cringings beckings and bowings to Images and other multifarious Ceremonies all euidences of braines intoxicate with the fumes of Errour and Polytheisme As for their foure Tribes or Casts as in all else how Pythagorically they stand vpon the number of foure the world was formed of foure principles diuided into foure points of the Compasse to endure for foure Ages planted by foure men matched to foure women restored againe by foure and to be demolished by foure seuerall destructions in foure seuerall Elements and to conclude like Sadduces denying the Resurrection in which consisteth the hopes of the blessed Of which St. Paul 1 Cor. 15.29 If in this life onely we haue hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable All these declare how they haue made their Religion a composed Fiction rather then any thing reall for faith to
of Pythagoras Plato Empedocles Apolonius Tyanius and Proclus and might in Liber Paters discoueries of those parts bee dispersed amongst this people as well as by a Scholler of Pythagoras who spread it in Italy where it found fauour with Numa Pompilius that superstitious Emperour and was maintained by the Albanienses and Albigenses confuted by Athanasius Secondly touching the substance of this opinion that gained the Patronage of so great Schollers They did hold that there was a passage of soules of one Creature into another that this Transmeation was of the soules of men into beasts and of beasts into men hence Pythagoras auerred himselfe to be Euphorbus Empedocles in his verse affirmed himselfe to bee a Fish This made it an abominable crime to eate flesh least as saith Tertullian in Apologet. Cont. gent. Cap. 48. Bubulam De aliquo Proauo Quispiam obsonaret Some should eate vp the Oxeflesh that had swallowed vp his great Grandfathers soule This opinion gayned propugnation and defence by Pythagoras and Plato by this meanes because that beleeuing the soules immortality it might gaine assent with others by this thought of its suruiuing in other bodies after its relinquishment of the deceased as Greg. Tholoss affirmeth in his Syntax Art Mirab. lib. 8. cap. 12. Thirdly the reasons by which they doe induce assent to this Transanimation of soules were these because the soule was impure by the sinnes and corruptions of the body therefore it was needfull it should bee sublimed from this corruption by such transmeation out of one body into another as Chymicall spirits gaine a purer essence by passing through the Still or Limbecke diuers times euery Distillation taking away some of his grosse part and leauing it more refined Againe because it was meete the soule should make a satisfaction for the filthinesse it had contracted by remaining in the prison of the body an exile from blessednesse a longer time till this passage from one body to another had so purified them that they might be fit to enter into the Elysium or place of blisse Lastly in confutation of this opinion for prohibition of eating of flesh from supposall of a Metempsychosis we maintaine that there is no such Metempsychosis or transanimation of soules First the immortality of the soule wee euince without this Chymera of the fancy by an argument drawne from mans dissolution this is the nature of all things that are compounded that they should bee resolued into that which they were at first before their coniunction Man is compounded of soule and body the very dissolution of these two in death declareth this for that cannot be separated that was not before conioyned This composition was by life and a creature without life being in the soule alone it is manifest that the soule had it before euer it came to the body or else that which was dead could neuer haue liued by the meanes of that which was likewise dead If the soule had this life before the body it must needes haue the same after in his separation and by consequence is immortall Next in confutation of their reasons for this opinion We answer First that the soule is not cleansed by such Transmeation from body to body but rather defiled by that filthinesse those bodies contract as water becommeth defiled by infusion into an vncleane vessell Much more since they affirme the soules of men enter into beasts which are creatures of greater impurity Besides those spirits that are subtiliated by Stils and Lymbecks the fire is effectuall to their subliming but the bodies haue not the goodnesse in them that may tend to the soules greater purity in such Transmeation To conclude it is improbable the soule should be enioyned to such a satisfaction for sinne as tendeth to its greater defilement These reasons therefore auaile little to confirme the soules Transmeation in the manner premised We in the last place shall prooue this Metempsychosis to be no other then a vaine imagination by the reasons following 1. Then that the soules are not deriued from one another per traducem by way of traduction appeareth by Adams speech to Eue Gen. 2 23. This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh he doth not say soule of my soule and spirit of my spirit It appeareth then that though shee receiued her body from Adam yet she had her soule from God And this is that which Zachery affirmeth Zach. 12.1 The Lord formeth the Spirit of a man within him whence Augustine saith Eam infundendo creari creando insundi That the soule being put into man was created and by creating was into man infused if therefore God created some why not all 2. Of spiritual things corporal there shold seeme the same manner of increase but the bodies haue new beings therefore the soules 3. If the soules were purified by their passage from one body to another then that man that had the soule last should be capable of all that knowledge that was enioyed by them that had it before and so the Infant should be an experienced creature in past occurrences but we discerne no such extraordinary ripenesse of knowledge in one more then another but that all our habits are gained by industry which whilst Plato would excuse saying that the wandering soules did receiue from the diuell a draught of the cuppe of Obliuion and so were forgetfull of that which is past Irenaeus thus taunteth him Iâ— Plato had tryall that his soule was obtused with such a draught I wonder that he could remember that his soule had lost her remembrance Lastly if this were true it would follow that the soules of beasts should be immortall which would be absurd to thinke in these better knowing times Hauing therefore proued this opinion of passage of soules out of one body into another to be a fancy and nothing reall this may bee no iust cause to detaine them from eating the flesh of creatures that haue had life in them Neither would they if there were great reason to the contrary permit it as they doe in the Casts of Cuttery and Wyse whom if they pleased they might restraine by the like iniunction All which thus euidenced this already deliuered may be sufficient to publish concerning the first Tract in the Booke deliuered to Bremaw touching the Morall Law CHAP. IX Of the second Tract of the Booke deliuered to Bremaw containing their Ceremoniall Law in their Washings Annointings Offerings vnder greene Trees Prayers Pilgrimages Inuocations Adorations together with the formes of their Baptizings Marriages and Burials customary amongst them THe second Tract of the booke deliuered to Bremaw comprized certaine ceremoniall iniunctions by them to be obserued in the particulars following the knowledge of which being something materiall to set forth the Religion of this people shall be the Subiect of this present Chapter First then they are enioyned to frequent washings of their bodies in Riuers The originall of which custome they say began with this second Age of the
happeneth by protractation and delay of time as also that the Parents might before their death see their Children disposed which commeth to passe by these earely coniunctions Next for their contract in Marriage the Parents of the Children doe prepare the way by priuate conference the intention and purpose being made knowne and betwixt them agreed vpon then there are Messengers and Presents sent to the Parents of the Mayden to bee married with the noyse of Trumpet and Drumme and the singing of songs in the praise of the perfections of the Bride which may truely giue her the merite of one worthy to be coueted and sought vnto which presents being accepted then there are gifts sent backe to the Bridegroome in token of their acceptance of the nuptiall proffer with like singing of Encomiasticks in praise of the Bridegroome seeting him forth to bee so well composed as may well deserue acceptation So the Bramanes appointing a day for the solemnization of the Marriage then there is a certaine Show to publish to the whole Towne this Marriage intended This Show is first by the Bridegroome who in Nuptiall pompe attended with all the mens Children in the Towne of the same Tribe some on horsebacke some in Pallankins some in Coaches all adorned with Iewels Scarfes and Pageant like habiliments make their Cursitation round about the most publicke streets in the Towne with Trumpets and kettle Drummes and guilded Pageants the Bridegroome is distinguished from the rest by a crowne on his head decked with Iewels very rich And hauing thus published himselfe The next day followeth the Bride in like pompe crowned attended with all the Girles of the same Tribe in no lesse brauery and triumphant accommodation exposed to view of the Spectators The day drawing to his decline they repaire home to accomplish the full Rites of Marriage The Ceremony obserued in their Marriage is that they neuer are conioyned together but at the going downe of the Sunne at which time a fire is made and interposed betweene the Married couple to intimate the ardency that ought to be in their affections then there is a silken string that incloseth both their bodies to witnesse the insoluble bond of wedlocke that in Marriage there ought to bee no desertion or forsaking one another After this bond there is a cloath interposed betwixt them shewing that before Marriage they ought not to make their nakednesse knowne one to another this custome they say was taken from the meeting of Brammon with Sauatree who because they were naked couered their immodest parts till the words of Matrimony were vttered So the Bramanes pronouncing certaine words enioyning the man to affoord all things conuenient to the woman and charging the Woman to loyalty in the marriage vowe with pronunciation of a blessing of fruitfull issue to them both the speeches concluded the cloath interposed rest away the bond by which they were engirt vnloosed and after that full freedome to communicate themselues to each other Dowry there is none giuen that the drifts of Marriage might not be mercenary saue the Iewels worne on the Bridall day and to the Feast none repaire but those of the same Cast. To conclude in marriage they haue some particular legall iniunctions by which the Tribes are differenced as first that no woman may bee admitted to second Marriage except in the Tribe of Wyse which are in the handycrafts men Secondly that men in all Tribes are admitted to second Marriages except in the Bramanes Thirdly that euery Tribe do marry of such as are of his owne Cast Therefore the Bramanes must marry with such as are descended from the Bramanes and the Cutteryes with such as are descended from the Cutteryes so likewise the Shudderyes But the Wyses are not onely enioyned to match into their owne Tribe but into such as be of their owne Trade as a Barbers sonne to a Barbers daughter and so of others to keepe their Tribes and Trades from commixtion Lastly as for their burials this is their custome when any man is desperately sicke and past hope of recouery they inioyne him to vtter Narraune which is one of the names of God importing Mercy to Sinners of which mercy at that time he standeth most in need His spirits languishing they stretch out his hand pouring faire water into it as the offering of his life praying to Kistner uppon the God of the water to present him pure to God with this offering of his hand His life being departed they wash his body as a testimony of his cleannesse and purity this is the Ceremony obserued in the visitation of their sicke After this for the buriall of their dead it is after this manner First they beare the dead body to a Riuers side appropriate to such purpose where setting the Corps downe on the ground the Bramane vttereth these words Oh earth wee commend vnto thee this our Brother whilst he liued thou hadst an interest in him of the earth he was made by the blessing of the earth he was fed and therefore now hee is dead we surrender him vnto thee After this putting combustible matter to the body accended and lighted by the helpe of sweete oyle and aromaticall odours strowed thereon the Bramane saith Oh Fire whilst be liued thou hadst a claime in him by whose naturall heate he subsisted wee returne therefore his body to thee that thou shouldst purge it Then the sonne of the deceased taketh a pot of water and setteth it on the ground vpon which he setteth a pot of Milke when throwing a stone at the lower pot he breaketh it to sheards which rendereth the water to losse and perishing the vessell of milke aboue defrauded of his support powreth forth his humidity on the ground likewise vpon which the Sonne thus moralizeth the action That as the stone by his violence caused the vessels to yeeld forth their humour so did the assault of sicknesse ruine his Fathers body and bring it to losse as milke or water that is spilt on the ground neuer to bee redeemed The body then being incinerated or burnt to ashes they disperse the ashes abroad into the Ayre the Bramane vttering these words Oh Ayre whilst hee liued by thee he breathed and now hauing breathed his last we yeeld him to thee The ashes falling on the water the Bramane saith Oh water whilst he liued thy moysture did sustaine him and now his body is dispersed take thy part in him So giue they euery Element his owne for as they affirme man to haue his life continued by the foure Elements so they say he ought to bee distributed amongst them at his death After this funerall solemnity the Bramane presenteth to the sonne or neerest kindred of the deceased a Register of the deceases of his Ancestors as also readeth to him the law of Mourners That for tenne dayes he must eate no Beetle nor oyle his head nor put on cleane cloathes but once euery month throughout the whole yeere on the day of the
leane on Though then the Nouelty of this Relation may make it gratefull to any who like an Athenian desireth to heare some thing strange or new I know not wherein it may be more profitable then to settle vs in the solidnesse of our owne faith which is purged of all such leuities for the vainnesse of Errour makes truthes greatest opinion which duely considered may well moue vs to say Micat inter omnes Iulium Sydus velut inter ignes Luna minores That our great light outshines all these as farre As Siluer Moone outshines each lesser Starre FINIS THE RELIGION OF THE PERSEES As it was Compiled from a Booke of theirs contayning the Forme of their Worshippe written in the Persian Character and by them called their Zundavastaw Wherein is shewed the Superstitious Ceremonies vsed amongst them More especially their Idolatrous worshippe of Fire LEVIT 10.1.2 And Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord which he commanded them not and there went out a fire from the Lord and deuoured them TERTVL d. Praescript c. 22. Scripturae ignem alienum imponentes hoc est Intelligentiam alienam à Deo introducentes Incensum Domino non suaue sed execrabile offerunt Printed for FRA. CONSTABLE 1630. To the most Reuerend Father in God GEORGE by the Prouidence of God Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Primate of all ENGLAND and Metropolitane May it please your Grace HAuing in the former Booke presented the Banian with his Errours and Superstitions to your Censure I haue in this second Booke brought the Persee also to the same Barre to be arraigned vpon like Guilt This Superstition of the Persee as your Grace well knoweth by the Relation of Socrates in the seauenth Booke of his Ecclesiasticke History Cap. 8. was much weakned in opinion by one Marutha Bishop of Mesopotamia wherein Yesdegerd the last King of these Persees became so wauering that the Magies to reclaime him from Reuolt and vacillancy in the opinion of his holy fire did conuey one vnder ground where their liuing fire was kept that might tell Yesdegerd that if hee did reuolt from this worshippe hee should bee deposed from his Rule and come to a miserable ending at the hearing of which voyce conceiued to bee some diuine message Yesdegerd grew much troubled till Marutha brought the Imposture to discouery by aduising Yesdegerd to digge vnder ground where the feigned Cryer was heard and deprehended in a vault to the shamefull detection of this close deuise To your Grace then I referre the said Persee with his soyled and tainted worshippe hopefull your Grace will be pleased to sentence him to a publique Procession habilimented in the ridiculous vesture of his owne Superstitions that all good minded people vpon view of him may giue him his demerited shame and defamation Thus with the humble tender of my seruice to your Grace in these forraigne Collections and my prayers that you may liue long to doe worthy Acts in Jsrael I rest Bound to your Grace in all dutifull obseruance HENRY LORD To the Honourable and Worthy Knight Sr. Maurice Abbot Gouernor of the Companie of Merchants trading to the East Indies Christopher Cletherow Alderman of the City of London and Deputie of the said Company and to all the worthy Aduenturers Members of the same Society Right Honourable SJnce the purposed tender of my first Noueltie time that is sometimes propitious to gratefull Intentions hath made me fruitfull in a second producement As therefore I resigned to you my display of the Banian Sect so also may you be pleased to accept this of the Persees since by the strength of your fauours and the oportunities of your imployment I haue beene inabled to bring it forth also As for the strength of the Superstition why the Persees should make the Fire their God seemes to weake purpose as one Canopus an Aegyptian Priest once euinced For vpon a time when there was a publique Tryall and Contention amongst the Nations whose God was most powerfull and the Chaldeans and Persees as Ruffinus testifies in the second Booke of his Ecclesiasticke Historie ostentated their god of Fire affirming that it was able to destroy all the Aegyptian gods and Idols of gold siluer brasse wood stone or whatsoeuer and consume them to nothing Canopus to elude this Assertion brings in a stone vessell orbicular and full of holes like a Cullender filled with water and the ventages thereof so cunningly plastered with waxe that the fraud went vndetected which being set to mannage his contention with the Fire the heate melting the waxe gaue the liquid humour within liberty to extinguish the Fire which was the Persians god which proiect if it seeme but circumuentiue and deceiptfull to iustifie the power of the Aegyptian god of Stone aboue the Persians god of Fire yet who sees not that if so be any be pleased to make the Water his god it would quickly extinguish the Fiery god which these Persees worshippe and so by consequence wee may hold this a poore Superstition Howsoeuer then both these and the former seeme to bee issues illegitimate and branded in the Conception with the name of base begotten because they are Superstitious Yet since our Physitians in England haue learned to make the poysons in forraigne Countries medecinable and soueraigne in our owne J hope tâ—e good Christians in England haue learned also to conuert the Heresies of the Heathen though in themselues banefull and obnoxious to vses cauearie against relapse and defectious Apostasie Accept it then Right Honourable and take it according to his bâ—st Vse as men at some times of the yeere make of weedes things both healthfull and vsefull from him who would haue affoorded you some thing more worthy if there might haue come any thing good out of Gallile Jn defect whereof accept my dutie in this which shall be euer forward to witnesse it selfe in all good prayers and wishes for the flourishing and prosperous estate of your Affaires forraigne and Domesticke as becommeth Your thankfull Seruant and Minister Henry Lord. THE PROEME shewing the cause that moued the Author to produce the following Tract HAuing declared the Religion Rites Customes Ceremonies of a people liuing in the East Indies called the Banians a Sect not throughly publisht by any heretofore whilst my obseruation was bestowed in such Inquiry I obserued in the towne of Surratt the place where I resided another Sect called the Persees who because I did discerne them to differ both froÌ„ the Moore Banian in the course of their liuing in the forme of their Religion as also that the Scripture Dan. 6.15 speaketh of the law of the Medes Persians that might not alter finding these to bee that same people that are linked with the Medes I thought it would not be vnworthy of my labour to bring to the eyes of my Countrymen this Religion also especially since I neuer read of any that had fully published the same but that it hath remained oâ—scure and hidd from
God would make him a true follower of the Religion of the Persees all the dayes of his life of which those garments are the Badge or signe that hee might neuer beleeue in any lawe but that which was brought by Zertoost that hee might continue a worshipper of their fire that he might eate of no mans meate nor drinke of any mans cuppe but in all things might obserue the Rites and customs of the Persees All which transacted hee is held a confirmed Persee and one of their owne Sect. Fourthly touching their Mariage and the rites in them obserued They haue a fiuefold kinde of Mariage distinguished by seuerall names The first they call Shausan which is the Marriage of a mans sonne and a mans daughter together in the time of their youth where the Parents agree without the knowledge of the Children to this they attribute much and suppose them to goe to Heauen that are maryed in this state The second is called Chockerson when the party once widowed is maryed againe The third Codesherahâ—san when a woman enquireth out a husband for herselfe according to her owne free choyce The fourth Ecksan when a young man or Mayd dying before they bee marryed then they haue a Custome to procure some mans son or daughter to be matched to the party deceased attributing the state of Marriage to bee a meanes to bring people to happines eternall in another world Those that commonly vse this are the richer sort who by a price hyre the parties to such a Contract with a summe of money The fift is called Ceterson when the father hauing no Son a daughter of his owne hauing Sonnes he adopteth some of them to bee his and maryeth them as if they were his owne Children for they account that Man vnhappie that hath not a Male or Female a Sonne or a daughter to ioyne in the state of Marriage Now for the Rite or Ceremony obserued in their Marryages it is this the parties being agreed and mett together for the purpose of Contracting about the time of Midnight the Parties to bee maryed are set vpon a bed together for they are not maryed in their Churches opposite to the parties to bee maryed stand two Churchmen the one in the behalfe of the man the other in behalfe of the woman with the kindred of each by the Herbood or Church man to either deputed holding ryce in their hands an Embleme of that fruitfulnesse they wish to them in their generations Then the Churchman that standeth in the mans behalfe moueth the question to the woman laying his forefinger on her forehead saying Will you haue this man to bee your wedded husband who giuing consent the Church-man deputed in the Womans behalfe laying his forefinger on the Mans forehead moueth a like question of which receuing answer they ioyne their hands together the man making a promise to her that hee will giue her so many Dinaes of gold which is a peece worth thirtie shillings to binde her to him implying by that promise to maintaine her with all things necessarie the woman againe promiseth that all shee hath is his so the Herboods or Churchmen scattering the Ryce vpon them prayeth God to make them fruitfull and send them many sonnes and daughters that may multiply as the seede in the Eares of haruest that they may liue in vnity of minde and many yeares together in the state of wedlocke Thus the Ceremony being done the Womans Parents giue the Dowry for the Men giue none the Marriage feast is celebrated for 8. dayes after when such time is expired they are all dismissed And this is all that may be obseruable about their Marriages or Matrimoniall Ceremonie In the last place for the Buriall of their dead two things are notable First the place of their Buriall Secondly the Ceremonie vsed therein differing them from others First for the place of their Buriall they haue two places or Tombes built of a round forme a pretty height from the ground sufficiently capacious and large within they are paued with stone in a sheluing manner in the middest of them a hollow pit to receiue the bones consumed and wasted about by the walls are the shrowded and sheeted Carkeyses layd both of men and Women exposed to the open aer These two Tombes are somewhat distant one from the other the one is for all those that are of commendable life and conuersation but the other is for such as are notorious for some vice and of publique defame in the world for some euill by which they are branded Touching the Ceremony obserued in the Burialls of their dead whensoeuer any of them are sick vnto death the Herbood or Churchman is sent for who prayeth in the Eare of the sicke Man in this manner Oh Lord thou hast commanded that wee should not offend this man hath offended That wee should doe good this Man hath done euill That we should worshippe thee this man man hath neglected Lord forgiue him all his offences all his euills all his neglects When hee is dead the Churchman commeth not neere him by tenne foote but appointeth who shall bee the Nacesselars or Bearers they then carry him on an Iron Biere for the lawe forbiddeth that the body of the dead should touch wood because it is a fewell to the fier they accompt most holy and those that accompany the dead are interdicted all speech because the graue or place of the dead is a place of rest and silence Being come to the place of Buriall the Nacesselars or Bearers lay the body in and the Churchman standing remoate from the place vttereth the words of Buriall in this Manner This our Brother whilst hee liued consisted of the foure Elements now he is dead let each take his owne earth to earth aer to aer water to water and fire to fire This done they pray to Sertan and Asud to whom was giuen the Charge ouer Lucipher and the euill Spirits that they would keepe the Diuells from their deceased Brother when hee should repayre to their holy fier to purge himselfe for they suppose the soule to bee vagrant on Earth for three dayes after his decease in which time Lucipher molesteth it for security from which molestation it flyeth to their holy fier seeking preseruation there which time concluded it receiueth Iustice or reward hell or heauen Vpon this Opinion they all as their busynes will permit assemble themselues for three dayes together and offer vp their prayers at morning Noone and euening that God would bee pleased to bee mercifull to the soule departed and remit the sinnes that the party committed in his lifetime After the three dayes are expired and that they thinke the definitiue sentence is past what shall become of him they on the fourth day make a Festiuall and conclude their mourning The Authors conclusion to the Reader SVch in summe worthy Reader is the Religion which this Sect of the Persees professe I leaue it to the censure of them that reade what to thinke of it This is the curiosity of superstition to bring in Innouations into Religious worshippe rather making deuises of their owne braine that they may be singular then following the example of the best in a solid profession What seeme these Persees to be like in their religious fire but those same Gnats that admiring the flame of fire surround it so long till they proue ingeniosi insuam ruinam ingenious in their owne destruction And if the Papists would hence gather ground for Purgatory and prayers for the dead and many other superstitions by them vsed to bee found in these two Sects wee can allow them without any shame to our Profession to gather the weedes of superstition out of the Gardens of the Gentile Idolaters But the Catholike Christian indeed wil make these Errours as a Sea marke to keepe his faith from shipwracke To such I commend this transmarine collection to beget in good Christians the greater detestation of these Heresies and the more abundant thanksgiuing for our Calling according to the aduise of the Apostle Ephes. 4.17 This I say and testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke in the vanitie of their minde hauing their vnderstandings darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their heart but rather that we may pray that God would establish vs in his truth his Word is that Truth FJNJS