5S8 lord’s discovery of the banians and persees.

“ The twelfth, That when God manifefteth himfelf to him in vifion of the night, andIheweth him in what manner he made his works in the creation; he Ihould not revealGod’s fecrets, but keeping them to himfelf Ihould admire his power, for God dothnot p’lblilh himfelf to any as he doth to his Diftoree, or high prieft.

“ The thirteenth, That he keep an ever living fire, that never may go out, whichbeing kindled by that fire which Zertooft brought from heaven, may endure for allages, till fire fhall come to deftroy all the world, and that he fay his prayers over it,according as it is enordered by the book of the law.”

This is a fummary of thofe precepts contained in the book of their law, that Zertooftby them is affirmed to bring from heaven, and that religion which Guftafph withhis followers embraced, perfuaded by the forementioned miracles by Zertooft wroughtamongft them.

Chap. VIII. — Declaring other Ceremonies amongf thefe Pcrfees, in their Feqfts andFajls ; in their idolatrous Worjhip of Fire, Baptifms, Marriages, and Burials.

THE third particular concluding this trail, confifteth in the difplay of certain ritesand ceremonies obferved by this fe£l, differencing them from others in the contentsabove mentioned ; the particulars follow in their order.

Firft, then, Touching their liberty in meats and drinks, and their cuftoms obferved intheir feafts and falls. Their law alloweth them great liberty in meats and drinks; butbecaufe they will not give offence to the Banians, amongft whom they live, nor difpleafethe Moors, under whofe government they are ; they efpecially abftain from eating ofkine and hog’s fleffi, meats prohibited by the laws of the two former. It is obfervablealfo amongft them, that they eat alone, as a means for greater purity and cleannefs ;for they fuppofe they participate of another’s uncleannefs by eating with him : they like-wife drink every one in feveral cups, proper and peculiar to their own ufes, for thefame caufe ; and if any chance to drink in another man’s cup, they wafh it three times,and abftain from the ufe thereof for a certain feafon after.

Secondly, For their feftivals enjoined by their laws, they obferve fix in the year ;and thefe feafts are celebrated for five days together, each of them according to the fixworks of the creation. The firft is called Meduferum, which is upon the fifteenthof their month called Fere, which is our February, for joy that the Lord made theheavens to be a place of glory, to entertain fuch as fear him. The fecond is calledPetufahan, which is upon their month Sheruar, our April the fix and twentieth : forthat the Lord had made hell to be a place for the devil and his angels. That feaft,therefore, is a memorial to put them in mind that they take heed of that evil that maybring them thither. The third is Yatrum, celebrated upon the fix-and-twentieth oftheir month Mahar, which is our May, in memory that the Lord made the earth andfeas, to bring forth creatures for the ufe of man. The fourth is Medearum, kept uponthe fixteenth of their month Deh, which is our Auguft, in memory that God madethe plants and trees, by whole fruits man is fuftained and nouriffied. The fifth isHomefpetamadum, upon the month Spindamud, which is our October, beginning onthe thirtieth day, in remembrance that God made the beafts, fiffi,' and fowl, creaturesordained for the fuftenance of man. The fixth is called Medufan, falling on theeleventh of their month Ardebeft, which is December, for joy that then the Lord mademan and woman, from whence all mankind had their original.

In the third place, touching their falls. After every one of their feafts they obfervea five days abftinence, eating but one meal a day, in memory that the Lord after every

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