Selected quad for the lemma: father_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
father_n	eternal_a	ghost_n	holy_a	29,948	5	5.9119	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62173	The present state of Persia with a faithful account of the manners, religion and government of that people / by Monsieur Sanson, a missionary from the French King ; adorned with figures ; done into English.	Sanson, Nicolas, 1600-1667.	1695 (1695)	Wing S687; ESTC R37147	83,172	223

lies an Appeal to this Court This Tribunal is very like the Sanhedrim of the Jews for 't is here that Impiety and Treachery take their Measures to seize upon Christ and Rob and Crucifie him over again in the Persons of Christians his Children and 't is there they likewise dispose of Crowns of Martyrdom to such as refuse to follow the Standard of Mahomet and 't is there also that the greatest Wretches avoid the justest Torments and temporal Deaths if they will but renounce their Master CHRIST for there are no Crimes so great but they can pardon to a Christian that will embrace the Abominations of Mahometism Moullahs or Mahometan Priests are to sue or be su'd in this Court and they there also decide the Differences that arise about Marriages and Divorces which are practis'd in Persia after the same manner as with the Jews and not like the Turks who use infamous Ceremonies towards the Woman that is divorc'd 'T is also in this Court that they execute the Law of Iman Dgafar which adjudges all the Goods of a Christian Family to but one of 'em that shall become Mahometan for the rest may starve if they don't think fit to follow his wicked Example 'T is by these means this impious Legislator thought to draw the Armenians to Mahometism But nevertheless this Law is not so well approv'd of by the Governours who lose their Tribute when Christians turn Mahometans and therefore commonly do what they can to oppose it but yet the false Zeal of these Ministers of the Law always prevails The Sadre in this Court permits Renegadoes to return to Christianity upon their making it appear to him by an humble Petition That they are not able to fulfil the Law of Mahomet That they cannot accustom themselves to all the Purifications and Prayers which are requir'd That they have not Strength sufficient to undergo their rigorous Abstinence in their Ramazan or Lent And lastly That the Law of Mahomet is an insupportable Yoke to ' em The Sadre having read this their Petition immediately throws it at their Heads which the Secretary taking up writes at the bottom These are Mortettes that is unclean base and unwarthy of so holy and pure a Religion as that of Mahomet Then they return to their Tribute and exercise their Religion freely This easie Method of returning to Christianity is mightily practis'd by the Armenians when they have a mind to elude the Law of Iman Dgafar for you shall see a rich Armenian if he finds any of his Family turn Mahometans immediately Circumcise one of his Sons to prevent their having his Estate And afterwards if his Renegado Relation die without Issue then he shall present a Petition to the Sadre back'd with a rich Present to permit his Son to recant But if he does not die then it is his Business to keep in with his Son that he may not take the advantage the Law has given him and so himself and the rest of his Children suffer This wicked Law destroys thousands of Souls without any Remedy to prevent it But the Turks are very far from this Custom for they instead of making a Renegado sole Heir of the Family will not so much as allow him a share with his Brothers they thinking him very well provided for by the Choice he has made of their Religion And a Return to Christianity with them is punish'd by Fire The Religion of the modern Persians The Persian Religion is the Mahometan and the Alcoran is the sole Guide of their Belief This impure Book Their Books compos'd by Mahomet is a ridiculous Collection of many Impieties and Fables mix'd with some Truths which he had gather'd from Holy Books and Tradition which is the reason that they reckon among their sacred Library Sacred Library the Pentateuch the Psalms all the Prophets and the Holy Evangelists but these Divine Writers have been all perverted by Mahomet They object against the Missionaries who make use of Arguments out of the Holy Scriptures against 'em that 't is the Christians have corrupted those Writings and interpreted 'em according to their own purpose As for Example In the 14th Chapter of St. John where our Saviour says to his Apostles The Comforter that is the Holy Ghost whom my Father shall send in my Name shall teach you all things They say the Christians have blotted out the Name of Mahomet which they pretend was the Holy Ghost promis'd The Alcoran teaches the Belief of one God The Vnity of a Deity Creator of Heaven and Earth Holy Eternal Immense Good Just Almighty and Infinite in all kinds of Perfection One of the most absurd Fancies you find in this Book is where it says That God having created the World bore it up on the Horns of a Bull of so prodigious an heighth that each of his Horns took up as much space as an Horseman well-mounted could traverse in a thousand Days though he rid never so swift But this Animal as prodigious as he was had but a very thin Skin for the pricking of a Fly would spur and move him from whence says Mahomet proceed Earth-quakes But they altogether reject the Belief of the Blessed Mystery of the TRINITY They deny the Trinity and the Incarnation of the WORD They say That JESUS CHRIST was pure Man a Great Prophet the True Messias promis'd to the Jews That he was born of a Virgin a Favourite of God and commendable for his many Miracles Also That he is not dead but was carry'd into Heaven whilst the Jews thinking they had crucified him only vented their Malice upon Judas the Iscariot whom they had taken for him This is the sum of what the Persians believe concerning God Also they have very absurd Opinions concerning the Angels Opinion of Angels for they believe 'em corporeal and capable of committing the grossest Sins That the Bad Angels have been created of a pestiferous Fire and those that have believ'd the Alcoran have always obtain'd favour before God They believe the Immortality of the Soul Immortality of the Soul and that there is a future Life where God will reward the Good and punish the Wicked Their Paradise consists in nothing but sensual Pleasures They pray for the Dead and interr 'em with abundance of Ceremony They Honour all such Saints What Saints they Honour who have lived in perfect Obedience to their Law The Twelve chief Descendants from Ali have the first place amongst ' em They have the Interpretation of the Alcoran from them and they follow no other They solemnize Feasts to their Memory The last Wednesday of the Year they celebrate one in Honour of Fatma Wife of Ali and Daughter of Mahomet This Fatma to content the Potters who complain'd of their bad Trade caus'd her Domesticks to break all the Pitchers that came to her Fountain the last Wednesday of the Year which is the reason that in memory of so laudable an Action they now