Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	holy_a	read_v	word_n	3,200	5	4.0993	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50461	A conference betwixt a papist and a Jew, or, A letter from a merchant in London, to his correspondent in Amsterdam	Mayo, Richard, 1631?-1695.; N. H.; Jacob, John, 17th cent.	1678 (1678)	Wing M1522; ESTC R10629	19,865	37

to bely God and their own Consciences we may imagine it must have been for some advantage to themselves but contrarywise they knew that to profess Christ and the Christian Religion was to bring upon themselves and theirs the greatest odium and persecution Yea God himself would have abhor'd such Miscreants but on the contrary we find they are approved of God and that by many miraculous signs and wonders which he did by them and by that abundant measure of his Spirit which he poured out in extraordinary gifts and graces upon them And this would have led me to the last term in my assumption that Jesus his testimony of himself was confirm'd not only by his own Miracles but also by the Miracles that his followers did in his name For the truth is they did as great Miracles in the Name of Jesus as ever he did in his own person They cured all manner of infirmities and that not leisurely by the application of Medicines but suddenly and miraculously by a words speaking The very shadow of Peter one of his Disciples heal'd the sick as they lay in Beds or Couches in the Streets A certain man aged 40 years and upward that had been lame from his mothers womb was carried and laid dayly at the Gate of the Temple which was call'd Beautiful to ask alms of them that entred into the Temple To him this Peter said Silver and gold I have none but such as I have I give thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk And he took him by the right hand and lift him up and immediately his feet and ancles received strength and he entred into the Temple walking and leaping and praising God This was manifest to all them that dwelt in Jerusalem and acknowledged to be a notable Miracle by the Rulers of the people and the Elders of Israel One Dorcas that was dead he restored to life with a words speaking which was known to all the inhabitants of Joppa which occasion'd the conversion of that Town to the Christian Religion I might instance in the Miracles that were wrought by other Disciples and followers of Jesus Let me conclude with a word or two concerning Paul who was once mad against the Christians and did zealously persecute them in every City He was miraculously converted by Jesus Christ's appearing to him in the way as he went about this work to Damascus a great light shone round about him which his Companions saw as well as himself and a voice spake to him saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks He was struck blind for many days But anon the eyes of his body and mind both being enlightened he preacheth that Faith which before he persecuted and which is to our purpose many signal and special Miracles were done by his hands so that from his Body were brought to the Sick Handkerchiefs or Aprons and the Diseases departed from them and the evil Spirits went out of them But I forbear any further naming of these particulars and having thus clearly and fully prov'd the Premises I hope you will yield the Conclusion which is That Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah After a short pause L's friend the Rabbi broke silence and spake as followeth Sir I desire you would have the like patience in hearing my answer as I have had in hearing your argument The Question before us is of greatest consideration both with us Jews and you Christians and you may imagine that before now I have debated it both with my self and others I remember some years ago in Portugal I was assaulted with this very Argument of proving Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah by his working of Miracles and finding that it was much urged by the Christians I spent some time in studying that point and form'd an answer to this argument in writing and that Writing I brought with me which I the rather did because my friend told me this was the Subject to be argued and I did suppose you might happily attempt the proving of it by this very medium And because I have a bad memory and speak no good English I shall beg leave to make use of my Papers So having pull'd a little Manuscript out of his Pocket and turn'd over a few leaves he made a fold at the place he sought and laid it by him a while and thus proceeded As to that Sir which you call'd your Proposition I shall offer nothing in contradiction to it it seems to be founded on the greatest reason nor will any of ours gainsay those two positions you mention'd 1st That God only can work real Miracles 2dly That he will not as I remember you well exprest it set his Seal to a lye Jehovah is a God of Truth and Righteousness But Sir as to that which you called your Assumption it doth not in our opinion carry the like evidence and demonstration with it For to be plain with you it doth not appear to us That though Jesus of Nazareth did testifie he was the Messiah he confirmed that Testimony by such infallible Miracles either of his own or his followers nor hath any thing been urged by you for the manifesting thereof but what you have found in your own Books which you cannot but know are questioned by us as to their Authority and Verity And surely had our Fathers and the Chief Priests of our Nation seen any such Miracles done by Jesus of Nazareth as your records do mention they were men of that Religion and Learning that they would not have so evilly intreated him but would have paid him more respect and veneration We believe therefore as our Ancestors have believed before us that they were some of them Forgeries and feigned Miracles and that others of them pardon the word were Diabolical atchievements And we are the more confirmed in this belief because your latter Records and Chronicles do tell us of multitudes of Miracles which were wrought as they say by men and women of your Religion which seem to us to be very fabulous yea ridiculous Yet these are received amongst you likewise as certain and infallible and have the approbation of your Church and of the High Priest whom you call the Pope and the Sanhedrim of Cardinals And some of these do vye with the Miracles of Jesus and his Disciples and seem to be much of the same sort or kind Let me name a few of many and they are such as I have taken out of great Authors and licens'd or allow'd Records And pardon me if I don't cite the Author and places where they are chronicled if you desire it I can produce my vouchers for every story and those such as are authentick Then taking up his little book and putting on a pair of Spectacles he read as followeth Your words said he do first make mention of Jesus his miraculous Conception before they speak of his and his followers miraculous actions This

I have heard urged by others though it was omitted by you How he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and then born of a Virgin without the knowledg of man A like Miracle is recorded in one of your Church-histories publisht not long since with allowance how St. Kentigerne's Mother begged of Jesus that she might imitate his Virgin-mother in the conception and birth of a child accordingly within a little time she finds her self with child but often protests she never knew any man But by the Law of that Country where she lived she must be cast headlong from the top of a high mountain She weeps and prays but the Executioner does his work down she falls but is so far from being kill'd or dasht in pieces that she has no bruise or hurt Then she is carried on shipboard many miles into the Sea and there turned out into a small boat of leather destitute of all humane help yet with great speed and safety she arriveth at a far distant Port and landing she is delivered of that admirable Saint and miraculously conceived son St. Kentigerne As to Miraculous actions the forementioned book and others of equal or greater authority will afford plenty that do not only compare with but exceed the Miracles of Jesus and his Disciples As for instanee your Records speak of Jesus his fasting forty days and I can shew you where 't is recorded of St. Patrick that he fasted a whole Lent which I think with you is forty days without any humane sustenance where one St. Ardan is said to fast full fifty days and to grow fatter upon it And whereas it is said That Jesus fed five thousand persons with five loaves and two small fishes St. Patrick is said to have fed fourteen thousand men with one Cow two Stags and two wild Boars and it was talkt how next day the Cow was alive again And as for Jesus his turning Water into Wine it is not so much as is commonly affirmed of your Priests how by repeating four or five words they can turn Wine into Blood and Bread into Flesh and that the Flesh and Blood of Jesus himself though you affirm he is ascended into Heaven and shall there remain till his second coming And it is recorded of one Odo an Archbishop of Canterbury that when some of his Clergy did doubt of such Transmutation or Transubstantiation that he prayed with tears whilst he was at Mass that God would convince them by a sign and the body of Jesus which he held in his hands that is the bread began to pour forth blood into the Chalice which they perceiving desired the Prelate to pray that the blood might be changed again lest vengeance should fall upon them for their incredulity he doth so and it became wine Again whereas your Records speak how Jesus and his Disciples did heal all manner of Diseases whether the Diseased were present or absent and that with a words speaking the like is also recorded of some of his more modern followers Take for instance St. David a great light of the Church as he is called He invited St. Kined to come to his Synod St. Kined excused himself because he was lame and crooked unfit for such holy company and unable for so great a journey Whereupon St. David prays him strait and sound But the other still delayed his coming upon which St. David unprays his former prayer and he becomes lame and crooked again St. Bernard had great success as appears in your Histories this way for he cured one in Spain of a fore disease whilst he was in France he cured one of a Dropsie by putting his own girdle about him another of the Head-ach by sending him his cap to wear another that lay a dying he restored by sending him his coat with a many more of the like kind As for casting out of Devils nothing is more ordinary than for your Priests to do that feat by their Exorcisms your holy water with the sign of the Cross is said to be frequently successful in this work And I find in one of your Histories how a Woman was dispossest of seven Devils at Lauretto by calling on the Virgin Mary for help and when four were cast out the other three called Heroth Horribilis and Arcto with much difficulty were removed one crys out Mary Mary thou art too cruel against us another howled lamentably and said Mary thou art too powerful in this place where thou dost force us out of our possession against our will And the Priest who by Mary's aid did this Miracle made him tell what place that was who answered it was the Virgins Bed-chamber wherein after the Angel Gabriel's message she conceived God which was as other Histories speak brought thither by a Miracle Nay some of your great Saints have contended with the Devil and worsted him as St. Dunstan who catch'd him by the Nose with a pair of hot Tongs and plucked him so hard that the Devil was glad to shift from him by breaking down a Wall crying out it did so smart once and again oh what hath this Bald-pate done As for raising the dead this also hath been frequently practised St. Francis makes one dye that answered his disciples roughly when they would have borrowed his Cart and afterwards raised him up again and restored him to life A man and his Son going a Pilgrimage to St. James at Compostella light upon a wicked Host that first makes them drunk and then puts two Silver Cups into their Wallets They are pursued and being taken and tryed the Son was hang'd the Father goes on his Pilgrimage and returneth Thirty six days after to the-body of his Son still hanging he maketh grievous lamentations till by and by the hanged Son began to comfort him saying Most dear Father weep not but rejoyce for I was never better in all my life St. James supports and comforts me with heavenly sweetness The Father overjoyed makes known the business the people flock together the man is taken down and the Host hanged up in his room I could shew you where St. David is said to have raised a Boy from the dead who afterwards waited upon him St. Patrick to have raised one from the dead that was almost devour'd by Hogs And St. Alban being to be Martyr'd people thronged to see his Martyrdom and crouding very hard by a deep River many fell in and were drown'd The Saint perceiving it prays that all might see his passion and to that purpose the Waters may be dryed up It was done accordingly and those that were drown'd before are now found safe at the bottom of the River Again whereas it is recorded that Jesus raised himself from the dead I can turn you to Records in great credit with you where some of your eminent Saints are reported to have done things little inferiour thereunto St. Dennis the Patron of France when his head was cut off carried that head of his two Miles in his hands