Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A39735
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The life and death of the B. Virgin giving an account of the miracles ascrib'd to her by Romish writers : with the grounds of worship paid to her / by a lay hand.
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Fleetwood, William, 1656-1723.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing F1247A; ESTC R29843
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26,177
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44
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that She was Born in Original Sin. But the Monks not satisfied with this gave to our young Novice who was indeed a very stupid Block-head a mighty strong sleeping Potion which deprived him of all manner of Sense and Understanding and in this Fit imprinted other four Wounds upon his Feet his Hand and Side with Aqua Fortis to imitate the Wounds of our Saviour and the Marks of St. Francis. Being come to himself they made him believe he had been in an Extasie during which the Blessed Spirit had imprinted on him these four new Wounds They gave him also very frequently strange Drinks to make him Foam and struggle against Death as Jesus Christ had done before him Hitherto the poor Wretch had never doubted of the truth of all this but believed in good earnest that he had had true Visions from Heaven and Apparitions of the Virgin. But now at last began to suspect there must be some Enchantments Witchcraft and Illusion in the case and therefore after he had been thus Martyr'd several Months makes his escape from the Convent to the Magistrates where he discovered all the Mystery Langius a Monk in his Chronicle in the Year 1509. adds That they made an Image of the Virgin and fill'd the Head of it with some red Liquor which distilling from the Eyes She was reputed thereby to weep Blood. They coloured also an Host with Vermilion and Flesh-colour as though it had been turned into Flesh and all this to persuade the World their Doctrine of the Conception was true Four of the Dominicans were hereupon seised Francis Vulchi that counterfeited the Spirit Stephen Boltzhorst Preacher whose Office was to vent these Visions in the Pulpit with J. Vetter Prior of the House and H. Stenieker Receiver who were all Burnt over against the Convent in the Year aforesaid This Story did not serve a little towards the disabusing of the Switzers some time after when they reform'd themselves in matters of Religion The Monks to whom Heaven in these latter days revealed the notable Circumstance of the Immaculate Conception have also by the same Spirit of Revelation learnt the very day when it was It was on the eighth of December and She was brought forth the Her Birth eighth of September following this we know because we know what Age the Virgin was of when She lay Inn of our Saviour And knowing precisely the Year of our Lord we know also the Year of his Mothers Birth Not that the Gospel says a letter of her Age but that 's all one We have found it in Nicephorus Lib. 2. c. 2. ex Enodo Antiochedo Callistus an Author that may compare with any Legendary in the World and who by consequence shall have as much Credit as a true Evangelist We have found I say in this Historian that the Virgin was just Fifteen when She brought forth Jesus Christ She was Born at Jerusalem in Joachims own House that stood pretty near to the Pool of Bethesda of which St. John in the 5th of his Gospel makes mention For so says our old Friend J. Damascen who was Sainted L. 4. c. 5. de Orth. fide Orat. 1. de Nat. Virg. for having been a Martyr for the Worship of the Virgins Images Others and Tostatus for one on Mat. 2. say She was Born at Nazareth or Seppharo Three Leagues from thence but where ever it was it is certain that the whole Universe was moved at it The Angels as they did some time after for the Son Descended in Troops from Heaven chanting out Hymns and most Melodious Songs in honour of the Spouse of their Eternal King. The little holy Maid her self having the use of her Reason as soon as She was Born found also mighty Consolation and exceeding great Pleasure in it And which is a greater Wonder yet Pelbartâ— Stellarium lib. 5. part 1. art 3. this Heavenly Melody is every Year repeated on the same day And by this Musick the day of her Birth which had long been undiscovered came to be revealed to a very Contemplative Saint who had heard this Musick every 8th of September and wondered what the matter was as a Wiser Man than he might very well do and therefore on a time in one of his Rapture Fits begged of God that he would reveal this matter to him and was answered that on this day the Glorious Virgin was Born and thus has the Mother gotten the start of her Son. She was even with him in having Armies of Coelestial Spirits to celebrate the day of her Birth but this yearly Repetition of the Angels Harmony has given Her the advantage For I don't know any Book that says they do as much for Jesus Christ It may be some Devoto of the Virgin jealous of the glory of his Queen may find something less in the Birth of Mary than in that of Jesus Christ because he hears of no new Star that accompanied her Birth as one did his But this only serves to betray his want of reading for had he seen but one Theophilus a certain Historian of whose Age and Authority it would be to no purpose to inquire for no body can give you an account but however of very good Credit in this Case he could have told him that on the Birth-day of the Virgin the Light of the Sun was doubled that the Moon received such an augmentation of Light that she seem'd almost to equalize the Sun so that the little Cloud that is wont to obscure her disappeared on the night of this Nativity and round her Globe shone as it were a great Star of an extraordinary Fire and Lustre I think this was another kind of Star than that which appeared to the Wise Men in the East which seemed to be but a pittiful flying Meteor in the Air in comparison with this An Angel gave the Name of Jesus before the Child was born and an Angel did as much for Her and the name of Mary was of Heavens choyce and it was also Mystical as well as that of Jesus for Mary or Miriam in the Hebrew signifies the Star of the Sea. Not that any Jew or Rabbi how profound soever ever understood this Etymology but that it was revealed to our Legendaries so to signifie that by vertue of it she might succeed to Venus who was the Morning Star before and President of the Sea having a kind of right thereto by Her extraction from the Froth of it For as Salmeron the Jesuite says as Tome 3. Tract 4. the Star that is called Hesperus and Lucifer directs and conducts the Sailers to the Port so the Mother of Messiah succours us in all our Dangers that we may arrive at the Port of the Grace of God and Life Eternal Common Seamen have another kind of opinion of her Power in respect of Ports and Havens in this World too After the Birth next comes her Education in her Niceph. l. 1. cap. 7. Damasc ubi supra Cermanes
Ave Maria's for the Virgin. And for the same reason was our Friend Alan favoured because the Rosary-way of Worship beginning to decay he did what in him lay to revive it And for the two Virgins obtaining the favour to Kiss Jesus Christ in the Flesh even to Swooning away why was it but because they were devoted to the Service of the Virgin in a more peculiar manner Now that you may not think these fearful Examples are but few in number you must know there are abundance of them in all the Authors that F. Crasset quotes and admires Hautin a Jesuit like himself reports a History from Surius of the Marriage of the Virgin Mary with one Herman surnamed Joseph because they were both of them married to the Virgin to whom the Virgin came accompanied with two Angels one of which began to speak and say To whom shall we marry this Young Man To Mary replied the other at which they commanded Herman to draw near Poor Herman knew not what in the earth to do Love prick'd him on and Shame-fac'dness pull'd him back for though before times he had had particular intimacy with the Hautin Angelus Custos c. 4. numb 3. Blessed Virgin yet he could never hope to see himself advanc'd to such a degree as to be married to Her. Caesarius also whom F. Crasset quotes as a very sincere Caesarius l. 7. c. 13 18 32 52. Author relates the Story of a Soldier that fell in love with his Captain 's Wife and following the advice of a good Hermit saluted the Virgin a hundred times a day who to recompence this civility offered herself to him like an exceeding handsom Woman saying I will be thy Wife come kiss me and forc'd him to it In the same Author we find the Virgin Mary kissing and embracing Monks very liberally Some she watches over whilst they sleep others she wipes the face of whilst they sleep with her Handkerchief And had I not reason to say the Chronicles of Diana and Minerva were more chastly deliver'd down than those of the ever Blessed Mother of our Lord After these favours it would be vain to produce any more or others but you may be assured there is no sort or kind with which the Devoto's to the Virgin have not some time or other been graced She has kept them in their Sicknesses She has given them their Sight She has delivered them from extreme dangers both by Sea and Land from Thieves from Fire from the Gibbet from Prisons and from Death itself for many have been raised from the dead only because they or their Parents have been religious Worshippers of the Blessed Virgin. Read but Chroniâ—on S. V. Deiparae where you shall find a thousand Instances If one should collect together all the deliverances God hâ—th wrought from the beginning of the World to this day they would not make a History to compare with those wrought by our Lady of Loretto Mont Serrat Liesse Hall Moyenpont Aspremont Ardiliers and a hundred more and all to persuade Us that the Virgin is mightily pleased to see Herself adored and that she is at a stand sometimes to find out what Favours to bestow on her peculiar Servants But that which is most abominable is that these Fables would persuade Us that the Service of the Virgin is of greater benefit to Us than that of God and that provided a Man dedicate himself to Her Service let him be otherwise never so wicked a Villain yet he need not despair of his Salvation It was one of these profane Visions St. Brigit pretended to have had and which F. Crasset hath mustered up afresh to the intent you should not think those Opinions were at all altered since those days 1370. Sinners says he being her Subjects Part 1. tr 1. qu. 10. p. 77. make up her Crown and Glory and 't is for that she loves them with the tenderness and sweet compassion of a Mother let them be never so wicked as a Mother pittieth her Children though they have lost their sences and are become mad and this is what she has revealed to St. Brigit Brig Revel book 6. c. 10. Know Thou quoth the Mother to the Daughter my dearest Child that there is no Man in the World so lewd and curs'd of God that is entirely forsaken of him whilst he lives no Sinner so desperate but may return and find mercy with him provided he have recourse to Me. St. Bonaventure is of the same mind and expresses himself in these comfortable words O Mary be a Man never so miserable a Sinner you have the soft compassions of a Mother for him you embrace him and hug him close in your bosom and never will forsake him till you have reconcil'd him to his formidable Judge 'T is with design of persuading us to believe these comfortable Truths that F. Crasset musters up a whole Chapter of Examples of the wickedest Men that possibly can be that yet have been saved by preserving their Ubi supra pag. 86. devotion for the Blessed Virgin amidst all their impieties entire Such a one is that of Theophilus of Adanus a City of Cilicia who having been depos'd of his Archdeaconry for no great good gave himself over to the Devil for spite and anger by the help and means of a Jewish Magician whom he served He renounced Mary and her Son and gave the Devil a Scroll signed with his own Hand after which he became intolerably desperate and mad for what he had done But in these Agonies of Mind and Soul a glimpse or ray of hope appeared to him that Blessed Mary could deliver him from this evil and straightways thereupon he goes to her Church and prostrates himself before her Image Which failed him not at this time of need but reconciled him to God and forced the Devil to give him back his Bonds again To this F. Crasset thinks sit to add such another Pag. 90. part 1. taken from Caesarius of a young Gascoign Soldier who after he had wasted all he had in the World gave himself up to Satan and renounced Jesus Christ but do whatever the Devil could he could not be brought to renounce his Mother and this obtained his Pardon for that horrible Crime down he threw himself before the Image of the Virgin Mary which had the Image of Jesus in her arms and heard this Dialogue between them The Virgins Image said O my sweet Son have mercy on this Man The Son's Image answered Why Mother what would you have me do with this Wretch that hath renounced Me After this the young Man saw the Blessed Virgin that is to say her Image prostrate herself to little Jesus and demand again his Pardon whom Jesus lovingly took up and 't was very much for a Child of his bigness and said to her I never yet refused my Mother any thing she ask'd I grant it for your sake and yours alone Would one believe that a Jesuit