Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	write_n	write_v	writer_n	265	4	7.7662	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47042	Saint Patricks purgatory containing the description, originall, progresse, and demolition of that superstitious place / by Henry Jones ...	Jones, Henry, 1605-1682.	1647 (1647)	Wing J946; ESTC R16600	121,914	152

Purgatory and that to this end that it should be every where divulged which concludeth with the former the words are these Awake thou man and remember my Rhyme in haste Let it spread East and West and be written with a pen. I am Patrick Chiefe or head of the Clergie who have obtained from God no small thing A gift large and liberall which was never found till I did come to it A Purgatory for punishment here and no other Purgatory to be after What boldnesse then what rashnesse who but an Innovator and one deserving to be hissed out of the company dare question who other than Patrick should be the finder or founder of this Purgatory It is you see concluded by a generall Tradition by the common consent of the Church and approved by a Vision an Argament in that Church not inferior to any other the thing I confesse do not deserve so much inke but I have the rather observed it that the confidence of these men may be seen imposing for undeniable verities matters doubtful most uncertain For notwithstanding all these loud-cryes to the Contrary we shall finde this not to be any new Question whether or not S. Patrick were the Author of this Purgatory The Originall of this den hath bred some difference among Writers saith a most judicious Writer and one favouring the cause but this is too generall Others finde us work denying that S. Patrick was either the beginner or finder of this monument saith the same Author And so obscure is the Question that a Jesuite findeth such difficulties and improbalities in their opinions who attribute it to S. Patrick that he clearly conceiveth it cannot be Two things I muse at saith he That neither the Time nor the Author of so strange Erection was preserved concerning the time one Record putteth it in anno Domini 302. which is 128. yeares before Patrick converted Ireland and sixtie and fix yeares before his birth So that it will not be I trust any absurditie in us to examine this and make some while a stand before we rashly assent with the vulgar to a thing it may be no lesse unlikely than Questionable especially seeing Roth himselfe even there where he seemeth most confident of this could not but tacitely confesse it not to be altogether so generally confessed as men usually esteemed it that is to say without Contradiction but this he must have to be understood with a Modification of Almost which we say useth to salve from a lye speeches too farre strained such as that is Neither is it without controversie to which of the Three Patricks if to any of them this Purgatory should be ascribed But to the second of that name doth Ra●nlphus give it whom John Brampton followeth and both agree with Henry of Saltry yet doth not Henry mean him whom Ranulphus calleth the lesse who flourished about the yeare 850. as the Compiler of the Antiquities of Glastenbury hath it as it is observed by the now most learned Primate of all Ireland But he whom Henry nameth is that Great Patrick who converted the Irish to the Christisn Faith which no man will I suppose say was done 〈◊〉 850 being rather more than 400. yeares before that is to say in the year 432. for this Purgatory is said to be one chiefe meanes of the conversion of Ireland to which end it was supposed to be first instituted for so Thyreus out of others He did mollifie their unbridled minds with the terrour of infernall paines that so he might as it were force them to beleeve For He as undoubted Tradition and many credible Authors report did shew this signe to those incredulous men doubting of the paines and punishment of the damned and thereof requiring some visible demonstration for He made a Circle in the earth within the compasse whereof there was an opening of the earth great and terrible to be seene through whose secret and winding passages oft times are heard lamentations wailings and dolefull sounds where we have S. Patrick the Author the time at the first conversion of the Kingdome and the manner and thing it selfe wonderfull and miraculous But if we should call upon Thyreus for a confirmation of these so confidently delivered Assertions our best answer would be that we must relie on undoubted Tradition and on the testimonies of credible Authors how undoubted the Tradition hereof is shall likewise hereafter appeare But who are these Authors in this is he silent for in very truth we finde neither credible Authors nor any Author at all that for more than 700. yeares after S. Patrick doth write one word of this Purgatory which will seeme incredible to any that shall consider either the Times or the Subject to be treated off As for the Times whether we consider that in which S. Patrick lived or those next following no ages were if not this more learned and Christianitie planted here by S. Patrick had so good progresse that if we beleeve Iocelin writing of S. Patricks life In a very short time there was no wildernesse nor almost any corner of the land or place in the Island so remote which was not with perfect Monks and Nuns replenished insomuch as Ireland was by a speciall name and that deservedly called the Island of Saints for they lived according to the Rule by S. Patrick prescribed unto them they contemning the world and desiring heavenly things with an holy mortifying of the flesh and denying their owne wills Equall were they both in merit and number to those Egyptian Monks so as by doctrine and life they did informe and teach forraigne and farre distant Nations Thus Iocelin And can it be imagined that among so many learned and devout men living in the same or the next following ages to S. Patrick there should not be so much as any one found that doth but once mention this Purgatory if then it had been likely it is it would not have been hid especially in the first rising of it it being of so great observation that the whole Kingdome is pretended to be moved with it and converted by it Object If it be said that although those ages might afford learned men yet perhaps not many Writers or if such there were yet might their works not come to our hands and so This passe unobserved Reas. Which things were they so and that many such writings might miscarry yet what shall we thinke of them whose works doe appeare or if no other Writer would do it why doth not our great Patrick himself write of it or but glance at it he having so fit an occasion to doe it in his booke intituled De tribus habitaculis said to be his The words I doe insert There are three dwelling places under the command of Almighty God The Highest Lowest and the Middle whereof the highest is called the Kingdome of God or the Kingdome of Heaven The lowest is called Hell this present