Purchas his pilgrimage. Or relations of the world and the religions observed in all ages and places discovered, from the creation vnto this present. Contayning a theologicall and geographicall historie of Asia, Africa, and America, with the ilands adiacent. Declaring the ancient religions before the floud, the heathenis, Iewish, and Saracenicall in all ages since ... / by Samuel Purchas.

  • Purchas, Samuel, 1577?-1626.
Date:
1626
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Purchas his pilgrimage. Or relations of the world and the religions observed in all ages and places discovered, from the creation vnto this present. Contayning a theologicall and geographicall historie of Asia, Africa, and America, with the ilands adiacent. Declaring the ancient religions before the floud, the heathenis, Iewish, and Saracenicall in all ages since ... / by Samuel Purchas. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    21/1028
    inv cenfurei fometimes, bccaufe it were more then nccdcs 5 fometimes becaufe of hedifiiculdc. 1 mention Authors fometimes of meane quality , for themcaneft hauclcnce to obieruethat which thcmfclues fee, more certainly thcnthccon- tcmplationsancl 'J/^^<'''^e of the more learned. I would alfo acknowledge the la¬ bour of the meaneft. 1 hauc laboured to reduce Relations to their firft Authorsj lettinR their names to their Allegations: the want whereof hath mqch troubled mec whilft the molt leaue out their Authors, asifiheirowneaflcrtion werefuf- ficicntauthoritiein things borrowed, ihauc (tomy greatpaines)contraaedand Epitomized whole Volumes (and fome very large) into one Chapterja thing vfu- all through thcle Relations. Where 1 hauc found plentifull difeourfe for Religi; on (my chiefe aime) I am (hortcr in other Relations j and where I haue had leflc helpcs for that difcoueric, I infift more on the wonders of Nature, anddifcouc- ricsby Scaand Land, with other rcmark’cablc accidents. Thefc Rarities of Na¬ ture I hauc fometimes futed in a differing phrafe and figure of fpcechj not that I affedfa fiintafticall fingularitie j but that thefc Diuine workes might appcarcin Robcs.if not fitting their Maieftic, yet fuchas our Word-Robe did willingly without any great affedation or ftudte,affoord:not without example of the Scrip¬ ture which vfeth tobring in thcmUtCvCrcaturcs, fpeakingand performingCasit were) other perfonall offices j nor without this effed to make the Reader ftayal while with obferuation and wonder jbefidcs that,variety of it lelR is dclightfome. If any mi llikc the fulneffc in fome places, and the barrchncUe of words mo¬ thers; let them confider, we handle a World, where are Mountainesand Vallies* fertile habitations, and fandy defarts ; and others fteps, whom I follow, hold me fometimes in a narrower way, which elfewherc take niorc hbernc. I touch here and there a Controuerftc\both for illuftration of Hiftorici and in fcafon, and out of feafon, to (hew my affedation to the Truth. Nowif any manthinke, that it were better thefc rotten bones ofthc pallcdtf and ftinking bodies of the Prefent fuperftitions were buried, then thus raked out of their eraucs; bcfidcs that whichhath becnefaid, I anfwcre, That I haue ffifh- cient example in the Scripfifrcs, Mi^ercv<>rmtnf9r ourturmngt0the ends of the andyctdcpaintvntovs thcvgly faccof Idolatry info many Coun¬ tries of the Heathens, with the Apoftafics, Seds, and Hcreficsofthc Icwes, as in our firff and fccond bookeis (hewed: and the Ancient Fathers alfo, tullton, Clemens, lrenxus,Orlgen,undmovcU\y,Eufehus EpsphAm^PhlaJlrt^ fu and hauc gone before vs in their large Catalogues of Hercfies and I Spealeviito any indifferent Reader (for fome not Readers, not indifferent, I refoed not, whole Authoritic, perhaps, would be but indifferent, ir they mult firft win it by being Authors of fo big, I dare not fay , fo great volumes) ff^here beany, either Idolatries, or other impieties, in this worke of mine exprefl^ be¬ yond theirs which hecrc out of the Scriptures arc mentioned)Stewcs in the Tem¬ ple, humane SacriHces to MnUch, Taw.c, his mourning. Sodomites, incefl s, with other fleihly, worldly.bcaftly, Deuillilh monftersof iniquitie, obtruded vnder Religions Sacred Mantle, amongft the Amorites, Egyptians and lewcs, before Lcimmingof Chrift ; or greater^tkeneffe and Lkht it lelle was made manifelf.v mSthc Darhefft omfrchindedumt: Acre* biftcherics, his trcacherie.thcblafphemiesofthc .Scribes, Priefts,andPha- rifes, and the crucifying of the SonntsofcGod.by men, for king, loathrome,monftrous abufes hSoft not becne offered to the Chriftian Name in wotfc impoftures and pollutions, bylfic Nicholaitans,and other mcarnat D - uils.rccordcd by thofe Fathers and other Ecclcfiafticall Amhors,then any of hceie in this bookeobferued; to which, if that which Epfhimm hath the Gnoftikes alone, fully and particularly, be confidered, alt thefc Ethnike and Mahumetan fuperftitions would comparatmely be mpfied \ So true is that olde faying, and of the Truth it k\k^>dom md htrdmghwj^