1694 DIVINE HEALING. An Account of the Healing by Faith of Elizabeth Savage + A Defense of the Continuation of Miracles

A very scarce and important work in the history of the protestant church's relationship to the miraculous. After the Reformation, certainly there are miraculous instances recorded among the Huguenots and the Covenanters. The English puritans were much more cautious. One of the ongoing charges against the papists had been their false miracles. And any claim to authority because of miracles was, according to the reformers, trumped by Scripture. So the relationship toward promoting miraculous occurrences was complex. We have a mention of healing in Richard Baxter, some exploration of the charismatic gifts in John Owen's work on the Spirit, and a few other sprinkled instances. 

This work, however, was published in the midst of a sort of miniature revival of healing in London during the 1690's. Previous to Mrs. Savage, another woman had been healed through the reading of the Gospels. And here, we read the account of Elizabeth Savage. It sounds remarkably similar to healings from the time of Edward Irving of from early Pentecostalism. She reads the Gospel of Mark, chapter 1. And being given a supernatural trust in Jesus, extends her body . . . and is healed. It was verified by friends, doctors, divines, and more. 

Additionally, though brief, we have one of the very first protestant defenses of the continuation of the miraculous gifts. 

Exceptionally rare with no copy on auction previous to this year since 1921. 

A Narrative of the Late Extraordinary Cure Wrought in an Instant upon Mrs. Eliz. Savage, (Lame from her Birth) Without the Using of any Natural Means with the Affidavits which were made before the Right Honorable the Lord Mayor; and the Certificates of Several Credible Persons who knew her both before and since her Cure. Enquired into with all its Circumstances, by Noted Divines, both of the Church of England and of Others; And by Eminent Physicians of the College; and Many Persons of Quality who have Express'd their full Satisfaction. With an Appendix attempting to Prove that Miracles are not Ceased. London. John Dunton at the Raven and John Harris at the Harrow in the Poultry. 1694. First Edition. 46pp. 

Half leather with some light rubbing; a bit closely cropped with loss to pagination, catchwords and signatures and occasionally just impacting text with impacting legibility.