PART I. Cophtites have now only one poor representative of their nation left: and the Armenians are run fo much in debt, that it is fuppofed they are haftening apace to follow the example of their brethren, who have deferted before them.

Befides their several apartments, each fraternity have their altars and fanctuary properly and distinctly allotted to their own use. At which places they have a peculiar right to perform their own divine fervice, and to exclude other nations from them.

But that which has always been the great prize contended for by the Chriftians of the feveral nations aforefaid, is the command and appropriation of the holy fepul chre, a privilege contefted with great warmth, especially between the Greeks and Latins. For putting an end to the quarrels hereby occafioned between the feveral forts. of Chriftians, the French King interpofed, by a letter to the Grand Vifier about twenty-two years fince, requesting him to order the holy fepulchre to be put into the hands of the Latins, according to the tenor of the capitulation made in the year 1673. The confequence of which letter and of other inftances made by the French King was, that the holy fepulchre was appropriated to the Latins. This was not accomplished till the year 1690, fince which the Latins only have the privilege to say mass in it. And though it be permitted to Chriftians of all nations to go into it for their private devotions, yet none may folemnize any public office of religion there but the Latins.

In order to the fitting of this hill, called mount Calvary, for the foundation of a church, the first founders were obliged to reduce it to a plain area; which they did by cutting down several parts of the rock, and by elevating others. But in this work care was taken, that none of those parts of the hill, which were reckoned to be more immediately concerned in our bleffed Lord's pas fion, fhould be altered or diminished. Thus that very part of Calvary, where they fay Chrift was faftened to, and lifted up on his crofs, is left entire, being about ten

or

or twelve yards fquare, and standing at this day fo high CHAP. VI. above the common floor of the church, that you have. one and twenty steps or stairs to go up to its top. And the holy fepulchre itself, which was at first a cave hewn into the rock under ground, having had the rock cut away from it all round, is now as it were a grotto above ground.

At about a yard and an half distance from the hole in which the foot of the cross was fixed, is feen that memorable cleft in the rock, faid to have been made by the earthquake, which happened at the fuffering of the God of nature; when (as St. Matthew, chap. xxvii. 51. witneffeth) the rocks rent, and the very graves were opened. This cleft, as to what now appears of it, is about a span> wide at its upper part, and two deep; after which it clofes but it opens again below, (as you may fee in another chapel contiguous to the fide of Calvary,) and runs down to an unknown depth in the earth. That this rent was made by the earthquake that happened at our Lord's paffion, there is only tradition to prove: but that it is a natural and genuine breach, and not counterfeited by any art, the sense and reason of every one that sees it may convince him. For the fides of it fit like two tallies to each other, and yet it runs in fuch intricate windings, as could not be well counterfeited by art, nor arrived at by any

inftrument.

mouth of

95 It is proper here to speak more of the stone, which we of the ftone observed above is faid to be the very stone, which was laid rolled to the to fecure the door of our Saviour's fepulchre. That this our Lord's ftone was to be seen in the fourth century or age, both fepulchre, St. Cyril and St. Jerom, who lived in that age, inform us. It was accordingly kept for a long time in the church of the Sepulchre; but the Armenians, not many years fince, stole it from thence by a ftratagem, and conveyed it to the church above mentioned, built over the place where Caiaphas's house ftood, and belonging to the Armenians. This ftone, as Mr. Maundrell tells us, is two yards and a quarter long, high one yard, and broad

PART 1. às much. It is plaiftered all over, except in five or fix little places, where it is left bare to receive the immediate kiffes and other devotions of pilgrims.

I fhall close this account of mount Calvary with obferving, that it was a tradition generally received among the primitive Chriftians, that (the first as well as fecond) Adam was buried here: as alfo that this was the place where Abraham was about to have facrificed his fon Ifaac, the type of our bleffed Saviour.

Having thus given an account of the feveral places telating to our Saviour's paffion, and that according to the lateft relations we have of them, the reader will, I hope, excufe me, if I take him now a little way, not above half an hour, faith Mr. Maundrell, from Jerufalem to a con vent of the Greeks, taking its name from the holy cross. This convent is very neat in its structure, and in its fituation delightful. But that which most deserves to be noted in it, and for which reafon it is here noted, is the occafion of its name and foundation. It is then becaufe here is the earth, that nourished the root, that bore the tree, that yielded the timber, that made the CROSS.

CHAP. VII.

Of the Places honoured with our Lord's Prefence after his
Refurrection.

1.

firft appears

in the gar

mount Cal

buried.

ON the first day of the week, very early in the morning, Mary Magdalene with fome other women came to Our Lord our Lord's fepulchre; where they found the stone rolled to Mary away, and were acquainted by angels, that our Lord Magdalene was not there, but was rifen from the dead, and were den on alfo ordered by the angels to go and tell his difciples, vary, where that he would go before them into Galilee, where they he was fhould fee him, as he had told them before his death. The women hereupon go, and presently acquaint Peter and John with what had paffed; who coming to the fepulchre, found it as the women had faid, and fo returned again to their own home. But Mary Magdalene ftaid ftill at the fepulchre, weeping, because fhe could neither find her Lord's body there, nor yet learn where it was laid. At length turning herfelf back, fhe faw JESUS ftanding, but did not know him. Then JESUS faith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom Seekest thou? She, fuppofing him to be the gardener, to whom belonged the garden wherein the fepulchre was, faith unto him, Sir, if thou haft borne him hence, tell me where thou haft laid him, and I will take him away. JESUS then called her by her name, Mary; whereupon the looking more earnestly on him, knew him, and cried out, my Mafter. JESUS after this fends her to the difciples with a meffage, which the accordingly acquainted them with.

2.

After this our Lord appeared to two of the difciples, as they were going to Emmaus, whither he went with Of Em them, and staid there with them till he had made himself maus. known to them. This Emmaus is by St. Luke faid to be a village diftant about threefcore furlongs, that is

PART I. about seven or eight miles, from Jerufalem, to the weft of it. It was afterwards made a city, and Roman colony, and called Nicopolis.

3.

Of the

mount in

Galilee, where our

Lord ap

After this the difciples, according to our Lord's directions, went into Galilee, to a certain mountain, which he had particularly appointed them to repair to, where our Lord appears to them. This mountain is thought peared to by fome to be the fame whereon he was transfigured, or his Apoftles mount Tabor; by others to be the fame with the mounfurrection. tain of Beatitudes, lying north of the sea of Galilee, a little beyond Capernaum, and mentioned above, chap. v. fect. I.

after his re

Our Lord

appears at

the fea of

Tiberias.

5.

During the disciples ftay in Galilee, our Lord appears again to them at the sea of Tiberias or Galilee, otherwise called the lake of Gennefareth; which is already defcribed, chap. iv. fe&t. 8.

Our Lord was feen at feveral other times, and thereAt feveral fore in all probability at several other places; for he was, other places as St. Paul informs us, feen of Cephas or Peter alone, tioned in then of the twelve; after that, of above five hundred Teftament. brethren at once; after that, of James, the firft bishop

not men

the New

6.

of Jerufalem; then of all the Apoftles, 1 Cor. xv. 5, 6. But the particular places, where he was thus feen, are not recorded in holy Writ, excepting thofe already mentioned, and the place where he made his laft appearance, when he ascended, which remains therefore only to be fpoken of.

The Apostles then being returned out of Galilee to Of the place Jerufalem, and our Lord being there on the fortieth day whence our after his refurrection affembled together with them, com cended up manded them, that they should not depart from Jerufalem,

Lord af

into hea

ven.

till they had received the promise of the Holy Ghost. After which, having given them fuch inftructions as he thought good, he led them forth to mount Olivet, as far as to Bethany. Here he lift up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass while he blessed them, and they beheld, he was parted from them, taken up and carried into heaven, a cloud receiving him out of their