A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 1 · Part 3 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Of the Saracens and Turkiſh Religion, Ceremonies and Hypocritical Life, with a ſhort hint how long time their Reign ſhall laſt after Mahomet's Deceaſe.
SEing I have here above made mention, amongſt the reſt of the Places and Churches of Jeruſalem, of the Turkiſh Moſchèes, and alſo of Mahomet their Prophet: I cannot but alſo Relate ſomething of theit Hypocritical and Superſtitious Life and belief, as I have obſerved in my Travels, and during my ſtay among them, chiefly ſomething of their outward Ceremonies, good Works, wherewith they think to fulfil the Laws, to cleanſe themſelves from their manifold Sins and Tranſgreſſions, and to obtain Gods Mercy and Love. Wherefore they ſtrive that they may be found always buſie in theſe good Works, whereof they reckon the chiefeſt to be; Alms, Pilgrimage, Faſtings, to make Offerings, to abſtain from certain Food or Drinks, frequent Waſhing, Praying, upon which two laſt they look moſt of all, as the true means, by which (if they keep them diligently) they may be freed and abſolved from their Sins, according to the Promiſes of their dear Prophet Mahomet. Such and the like have alſo the Jews had in the Old Teſtament, where without doubt their Prophet (being by his Mother an Iſhmaelite) had them alſo. But ſeeing that he alſo Attributeth to theſe Abſolution and Satisfaction for our Sins, and alſo conſequently Salvation and everlaſting Life: Therefore all thoſe that follow and believe his Doctrine, miſs the only Mediator and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt (of whom as well as of his Holy Word, they elſe have a good Opinion, as appeareth by their Alcoran) in whom God the Father Almighty will only be known, Invoked, and Adored. As St. John ſaith in his 5th. Chap. 23. He that Honoureth not the Son, Honoureth not the Father that hath ſent him: And Chap. 14. verſ. 9. where Jeſus ſaith, He that hath ſeen me hath ſeen the Father; and in the 4th Chapt. of the Acts, it is ſaid, verſe 12. There is no Salvation in any other, for there is no other Name under Heaven given among Men, whereby we muſt be ſaved, wherefore although Mahomet doth greatly Command and Teach, that we muſt Adore the only God, yet they do not know the true God, that will only be Adored and Honoured in his Beloved Son; and beſides Mahomet will not allow that God hath a Son, and much leſs, That Chriſt is the true God, in whom we ſhall believe. For in his Diabolical and Blaſphemous mind and thoughts he hath this precaution, that if God ſhould have a Son he might come to be Diſobedient unto him (as happeneth ſometimes chiefly amongſt them, to worldly Princes) which would expoſe all Creatures in Heaven, as well as on Earth unto great Danger. So he denieth the Deity of Chriſt and Eſteemeth him to be no more (as Arius doth) then a great Saint, and meer Man. So he hath the ſame Opinion with Macedonius, of the Holy Ghoſt whom, and Chriſt he ſometimes maketh but one perſon. And ſo the Turks know no more, by the Inſtruction of their Curſed Prophet, of the true living God (that is one in his Eſſence and three in Perſons) then when they Adored the Fire, water and other Elements, nay Heaven and Earth (as alſo the Perſians have done) before they come over to the Saracens, and adhered to the Doctrine of their Mahomet. And beſides they have no more comfort in our Lord Chriſt, then the Jews, becauſe they do not believe that Jeſus the Son of the Virgin Mary, and Meſſenger of God, was Crucified, Dead and Buried, but that another, that was very like him, ſuffered inſtead of him, becauſe he was Seated in Heaven (where into God received him, and that he was to return again at the End of the World) a great deal higher then that he could be ſo ſhamefully killed by the Jews that impious people; wherefore the Turks admire it very much, that ſo many Pilgrims of all Nations, come to ſee the Grave of Chriſt with ſo great a Devotion, which is not his. And although the Turks prefer their Mahomet before Chriſt, and alſo do not believe right neither of his Eſſence nor of his perſon, ſo that therefore all their Worſhip, with what Devotion ſoever performed, is null and in vain, becauſe it is not in Chriſt: Yet for all that they Praiſe and Eſteem Chriſt very high, and Extol him far beyond any Man, as one that was conceived by the Holy Ghoſt, born of the Virgin Mary, and that hath here on Earth carried on his Doctrine, and confirmed it with powerful Miracles. Wherefore they Eſteem the Books of Moſes, and the other Writings of the Prophets, but chiefly the Four Evangeliſts, which they call the Book Jugilis (and the Books of Moſes Threſit) as true and Godly. And ſometimes they pretend ſo fairly, that an ordinary Man that is not well inſtructed in the Chief Articles of Chriſtianity, although there is ſo great a difference, might eaſily be ſeduced, and perſwaded. Beſides the Turks will not allow, neither to Jews, Moors, nor Chriſtians, nay not to their own Nation, to ſay any thing ill of Chriſt, nor to Curſe him, but if any body ſhould preſume to do it, the ſoles of his Feet are ſtruck very ſeverely with many blows, and he is Fined beſides according to his Ability. So their Prophet Mahomet commends the Holy Scripture very much, and ſaith, that it containeth Truth and Happineſs.
If they would but often look into it (as their Alcocan teacheth them in ſeveral places) to read in it, and mend their Lives according to it, they might eaſily be brought to the right way again; but he himſelf doth not ſtand by his words, but falleth off again from them afterwards, and ſpeaketh quite otherways of the holy Scripture, and that ſo differing, that he quite contradicts himſelf. For as he did commend it before, ſo now he diſcommendeth it again, when he ſaith, That it hath been (becauſe it is too difficult to be kept) long ſince quite out of Doors, chiefly in thoſe parts where is written, That we muſt do good to our Enemies; leave all for his ſake; love God with all our heart, &c. and our Neighbor as our own ſelf. And that therefore he Mahomet, was peculiarly and purpoſely choſen by God Almighty, to bring down with him the Alcoran, and communicate it to the World (that was then drown'd in Luſts, Sin and Vices) to reform and bring it to rights again. Beſides this he knew very well how to diſguiſe his Tricks, and how to behave himſelf in his Life and Converſation, devoutly and diſcreetly towards the People, and how to blind them under this pretence, that they did believe him, and receive him the ſooner to be a great Prophet and Meſſenger from God. When he found that he had got a good Party, and a great many Adherents, that impowered him, he Studied daily more and more, to order his Laws ſo, that they might be acceptable and pleaſing to all the World. And thus he got in a great many places ſuch a fame, that, to our Grief, in theſe times, he hath ſeduced and poſſeſſed a great part of the World with his Erroneous and Poiſonous Doctrine, the Turks cloſely adhering to this Doctrine, therefore their Hearts are ſo blinded with darkneſs, that they cannot have any true knowledge either of God the Father, or the Son, or the Holy Ghoſt, and ſo they miſs of the right way that would bring them to the Knowledge, and Acknowledgment of their Sins, and conſequently to the Remiſſion thereof, and ſo make them Children of God, and Heirs of Life Everlaſting. But on the contrary, they remain Impenitent, and perſiſt in their ſinful Life, with ſuch a Confidence and Security, that they know not when they commit Sins; as to take a Mans Property and Goods away by force; to deſtroy his Houſe and Lands; to undermine his Life and Livelihood; and alſo, to contaminate themſelves with Uncleanneſs, Whoredom, Sodomy: Not to keep an Oath that hath been taken; to Revenge themſelves; from whence Reſults, Envy, Hatred, Anger, Contention, Murder, &c. as we hear, what Injuſtice and Violence the Grand Signior committeth daily upon our Brethren and Siſters, that border upon his Dominions; which we need not to wonder at, becauſe, if they fall out amongſt themſelves, they try all Unjuſt means to Revenge themſelves. Wherefore they accuſe their Adverſaries often falſely (becauſe they dare not offer any violence) before their Judges, and ſo bring them to Damage, Trouble and Pains. But when they have committed one of theſe, or the like Facts, and have a mind to free themſelves of it, or to be Abſolved, they go after their own invented Devotion, to good Works, Alms, Prayers, Faſting, Redeeming of Captives, &c. to make ſatisfaction to God for their committed Sins, as their Alcoran teacheth them. And ſo they lead a Life of good outward Converſation, and are very diligent in their Devotion, chiefly in going to their Prayers at the five Cuſtomary hours of the Day, when they leave their VVork, and go to Church. And ſeeing that in theſe Countries they have neither Clocks not VVatches, to tell them the time of the Day and Prayers, inſtead of them they have their Prieſts (called Meitzen by them) on the Steeples, which are ordered to cry out the Hours with a loud Voice, that you may hear them as far almoſt as the Ringing of a Bell, even throughout the whole Town. The firſt Hour of Prayers is an Hour and half before Day-light: The ſecond is about Noon: The third (which the Arabians call Latzera) is about Three a Clock in the Afternoon: The fourth is at Sun-ſet; and the fifth when after the Sun is down, the Twilight or whitiſhneſs of the Skies is gone, and the Stars appear clearly. Sometimes two of theſe Prieſts ſing together, which is common in great Towns, and they ſing almoſt as with us they ſing a Ballad, ſo that while the one is ſinging, the other may fetch his breath; and ſo they ſing by turns, until the Song is at an end. When I came firſt into theſe Countries, and hear'd them Sing about that time in the Morning, I believed the Turks did it that they might brisk themſelves up to go to Work, until I heard them do the ſame at other hours in the day time, and underſtood they were their Prieſts. So they Sing about Five a Clock at Night very well, and ſometimes ſomething longer, becauſe of the Sick that live near, which deſire it of them, to make them cheerful, and to have a good heart, which we need not to wonder at, for their Clergy (which are not Wiſer or more Learned than the Lay-men) know not how to comfort them, or to make them joyful, much leſs how to give good and wholſome Inſtruction, out of the Word of God (although they believe it to be true) how to obtain forgiveneſs of Sin, and Gods Mercy, Love, or Commiſeration, but think it to be ſufficient, if they Admoniſh them that lye a dying, to think of God, and to Pray to him that he may have Mercy upon them; and afterwards to waſh their Body to cleanſe them quite from all Sins, according to the Law of their Mahomet, which they highly eſteem, and that the rather, becauſe they ſerve not only the Living but alſo the Dead; wherefore the Turks waſh themſelves daily, chiefly at the Hours of their Prayer, when they are a going to Church, and that very carefully and diligently, viz. Their Hands, Privy-Members, Head, Neck, Feet, nay the whole Body, according as they are Contaminated or become Unclean. So in conſideration of their Sins, they have three ſorts of waſhing; whereof one is that of the whole Body, which theſe muſt make uſe of that are not Married, and contaminate themſelves with Concubines; wherefore the Baths are kept continually in an equal heat, and are open to any body both by Day and Night, that theſe that have occaſion to waſh their whole Body, may not be hindered in their Devotion, but ſoon go to Church again. The ſecond is performed on the Organs of the five Senſes, and the Head, to cleanſe them from all ſpots and blemiſhes, which are contracted by ill thought, and frivolous and unſeemly diſcourſes; wherefore there are ſeveral Ciſterns here and there, but chiefly in their Churches and Chapels, where they waſh themſelves firſt, that being clean, they may be worthy to come to Church to Prayers, for if they ſhould omit it, they believe that their Prayers would not be acceptable to God, and ſo he would not hear them. So they begin firſt with waſhing of their Hands, then they lift up the Water with the hollow of their Hands, and ſo let it run down to their Elbow; then they waſh their Mouth, Noſe, Eyes, Ears, Head, Neck, and at laſt their Feet, and ſpeak ſome peculiar words with it. When they have no Water, which often happeneth in large Deſarts of Arabia, they are allowed by their Laws inſtead thereof, to rub theſe Members over with Sand. But that they may not be hindered by their Cloaths, from coming to theſe Members, they wear ſuch ones that have wide Sleeves, no gatherings about their Neck, nor have any Strings about their Drawers. The third ſort is alſo eſteemed to be very neceſſary, and is made uſe of as often as they empty their Body by Stool or Urine, or Belching, and ſo they waſh themſelves cowring down before the Ciſterns, publickly without ſhame, both before and behind, in the ſight of every Body. According to what hath been ſaid, we ſee that they mind only the outward cleanſing of their Body, and ſo they look alſo upon the outward Circumciſion, rather than to think how they ought, according to Gods Commands, to cleanſe themſelves from their inward Leproſie, by the Bath of Regeneration, and to Circumciſe their Hearts, by an inward Spiritual Circumciſion, whereof they know nothing. When their Clergy-men have cried out the Hours, from the Steeples to the Batzars, or Exchanges, &c. and the Turks have waſhed and cleanſed themſelves, they go into their Chapels, which are in the middle of their great Camps, or Carvatſchars, where I could ſee it beſt, becauſe I durſt not go into their Moſques. After they have left their Shoes at the Gate, they do not turn, nor look back for one another to ſpeak, but go ſtraight forwards, until they come to their places where they ſtand ſtill, and look upon their Prieſt that is before them, and mind him, when he beginneth the Prayers, that they may ſay it after him, and imitate his Ceremonies or means, whereof he maketh uſe, as the lifting up his Hands, ſtroking over his Forehead, bending his whole Body forwards, falling down upon his Knees, kiſſing the Earth; and at length when the Leila hillalla beginneth, turning their Heads from one ſide to the other, whereby they give a hint, That they are in Peace, and good Will with God and their Neighbors. While they are in their Holy Places, you ſhall hear none of them Sneeze, Cough, Hawk or Spit, for they are of Opinion, that, if they ſhould do ſo, God would not hear their Prayers ſo effectually, becauſe they ſhould not be perfectly clean. They have no ſet Form of their Prayers, and Pray generally for good Fortune, and other Worldly welfare; for Victory for their Emperor; that God may ſend great Diviſions amongſt us Chriſtians, that ſo they may have a better opportunity to fall upon us, and to beat us. They ſuffer no Images in their Temples or Chapels, and are only for Adoring the true and only God, Creator of Heaven and Earth; and ſo inſtead of them they have Pictures of ſine Plants or Flowers, viz. Of Roſes, &c. and Writings of their Prophet Mahomet; and ſo you find on their Gold and Silver Coins, no Pictures or Images of their Emperors, as upon ours, but only the Names of them, or of the Towns where they are Stamped, in Arabian Letters, (which are common to both Nations) together with the date of the Year, which they begin from the time when Mahomet fled into the Deſarts, which for that reaſon they call the Year of Hegira, where he got a great number of Adherents, and was made by them a King; this was done in the Year of Chriſt 622. After they have ended their Prayers, they begin to talk to one another, and ſo every one of them goeth home to VVork again; and they are allowed on their Feaſt-days (which they keep on Friday, as we do on Sunday, and the Jews on Saturday) to open their Shops again after Prayers, and to go to VVork, becauſe they ſay that Idleneſs may the eaſier draw them into Sins. So one may eaſily know by their Shops, according as they are opened or ſhut up on theſe three days, whether they belong to Chriſtians, Turks, or Jews; beſides none of theſe forceth one to obſerve the others Holy-days, and ſo they live peaceably and quietly together. Before the Turks Holy-day beginneth, they lighten on Thurſday Night before, as ſoon as it beginneth to be dark, upon their high Steeples, many Lamps, whereof they hang without on the Galleries round about, three rows one above the other, ſo that as you look upon them in the Night, they look like unto a threefold Garland; they let them burn ſo long until they go out of themſelves one after the other. The ſame Lamps they alſo light every Night during their Lent, which beginneth in their Month Romadan (ſo called by the Arabians) and doth laſt all that Month long. Their Year conſiſteth of Twelve Months, which they Accompt by the Moon-lights; ſo that their Months do not agree with ours, (for theirs have not one with the other above 29 or 30 days) and conſequently their Years want between 10 or 11 days of ours, ſo that their Lent falleth at an uncertain time, ſometimes in the Spring, and ſometimes in the Summer, &c. ſo in my time it began in December, and ended in January. During all this time they are very Devout, and ſtrive to be at the Prayers and Duties; for if any body ſhould Dye in Lent time, that had uſed not to frequent them, they would look upon him as a loſt and damned Man, and doubt whether they ſhould Bury him or no. During their Lent they Eat nothing before Night; when the Stars appear, then every one goeth home to Eat, or elſe in the great Batzars to a Cooks Shop, to buy Victuals, where all Night long is ſo great a throng of poor People, that have nothing to Eat at home, that they lift one another almoſt up; there you ſee one Eating, another Drinking, another Crying out, others Quarrelling, which cauſeth ſuch a Crowd and Noiſe, as is enough to make one Deaf and Giddy. When Lent is at an end, then they begin their Eaſter-Feaſt (which they call Ʋlubaira) which they keep with great Solemnity for three days, ſalute one another very kindly, and wiſh one the other all health and happineſs, as we do on New-years-Day: They alſo ſeek all ſorts of Paſtime, chiefly the Janizaries, which in great places erect Gibbets three Fathoms high, to the top whereof they tye ſtrong Ropes, almoſt like as the Children do in our Country, where they Swing others for a ſmall recompence; when any body ſits in it, two ſtand ready with a broad String, one on each ſide, which they fling before him, and fling him backwards with it, and ſo ſet him a Swinging. Others run before the People that are walking, and ſprinkle them with ſweet ſmelling Water, to get a little ſpell of Money out of them, chiefly the Chriſtians, which they will not eaſily leave before they have ſatisfied them; wherefore they are neceſſitated to ſtay at home on theſe days. Not long after they keep another peculiar Feaſt, called Chairbairam, where they alſo uſe all ſorts of Geſticulations, which were too long to relate here; they do not Faſt on thoſe days, but they Sacrifice young Steers and Wethers, &c. cut them into ſmall pieces, to diſtribute them among the People, for the Honor of Abraham, becauſe he did obey God, and would have Sacrified his Son Iſaac to him: At this abundance of Heathens congregate themſelves in certain places before the Towns, to go in Pilgrimage to Medina-Talnabi, Mecha, and Jeruſalem, for love to Mahomet. Amongſt them many are found, that are recovered again from dangerous Diſtempers, or delivered from great Dangers, and then did make a Vow, either to go on Pilgrimage to one of theſe places, or elſe to kill ſuch a number of Beaſts to diſtribute among the Poor as an Alms.
According to what I have ſaid before, that they compute their Months more by the Moon-light, and ſo accompt Twelve of them to a Year, they obſerve mightily the Change of the Moon, chiefly the New Moon, to ſee it again. Wherefore at that time they go often in great Numbers out, unto the next Hill, to obſerve it the better, after Sun ſet. He that ſeeth it firſt ſheweth it with great rejoycing to his Companions. In their Prognoſtications they alſo mind the Moons Light and according to that, they make their Accompt, to know then if any thing ſhall happen. They have alſo (as ſome of them have told me) a peculiar Book, which they keep very cloſe to themſelves, wherein is briefly Written, what ſhall happen to them every year, whether it be good or bad: This beginneth in the ſame Year, with their Prophet Mahomet, and continueth for 1000 Year, when this is at an End, they have nothing more of that Nature worth any thing.
And being they go no further, ſome will deduce or conclude from thence, that their Reign will ſoon have an end, when thoſe years are paſſed. Wherefore they fear the Chriſtians very much, and confeſs themſelves, that they expect to ſuffer a great blow from the Chriſtians: And this one may ſee or conclude, from hence for on their Holidays in the Morning about 9 of the Clock, they ſhut up the Gates of their Towns, great Champs, and other publick Habitations, as I found at Aleppo, ſo that many times I could not get either out or in until they opened them again, for they fear at that time to be Aſſaſſinated by the Chriſtians.
Being then that their Term of Years is near expired, for when I lived in theſe Places in the year 1575. they Writ 982 of this ſame Term, ſo that there was not quite 18 Years more to come. Now if we compare theſe 1000 Years with thoſe whereof John the Evangeliſt and Apoſtle maketh mention in the 20th Chapt. and 7th Verſe of his Revelation, ſaying, When the 1000 Years are expired Satan ſhall be looſed out of his Priſon. And ſhall go out to deceive thē Nations which are in the Four Quarters of the Earth, Gog and Magog to gather them together to Battle (as alſo is written in this ſame Book of Revelation in the 9th Chapter, and by the Holy Prophet Ezekiel in his 38th and 39th Chapters) the Number of whom is as the Sand of the Sea, &c. We find not only that they may alſo be interpreted and applied to the Turks and their Adherents, but alſo that they have begun their Reign almoſt at the ſame time when Mahomet and the Antichriſt ſhould appear, about the year 666 as we Read in the 13th Chapter and the laſt Verſe of St. John in his Revelation. And beſides it looketh in theſe miſerable times (when it ſeems as if every thing would turn topſie turvy) that theſe Years are paſſed, and that Satan is looſed, as if our dear Lord God would make an End of this malicious World. Add that ſome Learned Mathematicians do Prognoſticate that at theſe times, but chiefly in the year 1588. great Alterations will be in all the parts of the World. When we add to this Date the 42 Months, or 1260 days, or the 3½ years, whereof the Prophet Daniel, and alſo the Holy Evangeliſt and Apoſtle John in his Revelation make mention, the Eighteen Years that are ſtill wanting of the 1000 Years of their Mahomet (as is above ſaid) will be compleated, ſo that theſe two years Numbers do very well again agree together.
God the Almighty preſerve us in all Adverſities, that we may perſevere in the acknowledged Truth of his Holy Goſpel, and ſend us Penitent Hearts, that we may be ſenſible of his merciful Viſitations, and alſo overcome the two laſt Wees that are not quite over, with Patience. Amen.