It is well-known that within the Roman Church, miracles have often taken place, associated with the particular emblems of Roman faith, such as the virgin Mary, relics of saints, and statues: appearances of Mary, stigmata, miraculous cures, and the like. (Identifying Works: Signs and Fire, p. 163).
On the other hand, the middle ages are often called, especially by Roman Catholic writers, “the ages of faith.” They abound in legends of saints, which had the charm of religious novels. All men believed in the supernatural and miraculous as readily as children do now. Heaven and Hell were as real to the mind as the kingdom of France and the republic of Venice. Skepticism and infidelity were almost unknown, or at least suppressed and concealed. … The most incredible and absurd legends were accepted without question.
Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 4, pp. 12-13.
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