their God see how they now bathe themselves in that celestiall blisse as being so fully sated with joy and happiness that they cannot so much as desire more see them in a mutuall interknowledge enjoying each others blessednesse see the happy communion which they hold with their warfaring brother-hood here upon earth whose victory and consummation they do in a generality sue for to the throne of Grace Foresee them lastly after a longing desire of meeting with their old and never forgotten partner joyfully reunited to their now-glorified bodies and imploying their eternity of life in continuall Hallelujahs to him that sits upon the throne Take up thy rest here O my soul for ever but do not as yet thus end thy prospect it is good for thee to know worse things If in Paradise the Tree of the knowledge of good and evill were forbidden to our first parents the act of the knowledge of both is not forbidden to us Even to know evill in speculation may avoid the knowledge of it in a wofull experience See then O my soul the best creature falling from good into evill in choosing it see him by misinclining his own will apostatizing from his infinite Creatour and hurled down headlong from the height of heavenly glory to the bottome of the nethermost hell see the irrecoverable condition and dreadfull numbers of those precipitated Angels see their formidable power their implacable malice their marvailous knowledge craft skill to do mâ—schief their perpetuall machinations of our destruction especially in their last assaults see their counterfaisance in their glorious and seemingly-holy apparitions for a spirituall advantage and when thou hast recollected thy self to a resolution of defiance and unweariable resistance câ—st thine eye upon the deplorable condition of those damned souls whom they have either betrayed by their fraud or by their violence mastered and whiles thou doest blesse and magnifie the divine Justice in their deserved torment spend thy tears upon those who would needs spend their eternity of beeing in weeping wailing and gnashing And lastly rouz up thy self in this moment of thy remaining life unto all carefull and fervent indeavours to save thy self and to rescue others from this fearfull damnation SECT. XII The Comparison of both worlds how our thoughts and affections should be taken up with the Invisible World NOw then having taken a view of both worlds of the materiall world by the eys of sense and reason of the Invisible by the eyes of reason and faith I cannot but admire God in both and both of them in God but the Invisible so much more as it is infinitely beyond the other For God himself is the world of this world whom whiles in the materiall world we admire in his creatures in this immaterial we admire in himself Now himself must needs be infinitely more wonderfull then many worlds if such there were of those Creations that should proceed from him As for the parts of the created but Invisible world it must neods be said that the lightsome part of it hath more glory then any piece of the materiall world can be capable of on the contrary the dark and privative region of the Invisible world hath infinitely more horror then the other for what is the worst and most disconsolate darknesse of this visible world but a privation of the light of the Sun which yet can never be so absolute as to exclude all imperfect diffusion of those in sensible glimmerings whereas the darknesse of this spirituall world is an utter privation of the sight of God joined with an unconceiveable anguish Even in nature spirituall essences must needs be more excellent then bodily and earthly and of onely spirits it is that the Invisible world consisteth Besides what vanity and inconstancy do we find every where in this materiall and elementary world what creature is there which doth not exchange life for death being for dissolution sanity for corruption what uproars do we find in the air what â—ommotions and turbulencies upon earth the best state of things is an uncertain vicissitude the worst certain desolation and destruction whereas the Invisible world is setlted in a firm and steady immutability the blessed Angels and souls of the Saints being so fixed in their glory that they are now no more capable of alteration Shortly he that saw both worlds shuts up all in one word The things that are seen are temporal the things that are not seen eternal As then I can never open my bodily eyes but I shall see the material world and I hope I shall never see it but I shall praise the power and wisdome and goodnesse of the infinite Creatour of it so shall it be one of the main cares of my life to blesse the eyes of my soul with the perpetuall view of the spirituall and Invisible world Every action every occurrent shall mind me of those hidden and better things and I shall so admit of all materiall objects as if they were so altogether transparent that through them I might see the wonderful prospects of another world And certainly if we shall be able so to withdraw our selves from our senses that we shall see not what we see but what we thinke as it uses to be in the strong intentions of the mind and shall make earthly things not as Lunets to shut up our sight but Spectacles to transmit it to spirituall objects we shall lead a life as far remâ—ved from those beasts which we see as near approaching to those Angels whom we converse with and see not Neither shall it be enough for us to know an Invisible world as to consider that all we see is the least part of what we see not unlesse we bee so affected to the unseen world as we ought It is our knowledg that must shew us how to be Christians but it is our affection that must make us so In the acknowledgment therefore of an Invisible glory and infinitenesse our hearts must be ever taken up with a continuall awe and reverence If some great Prince shall vouchsafe to let me be seen of him although he please to keep himself unseen of me and shall only according to the state of some great Eastern Monarchs speak to me behind a Vail or Traverse or as the great Prete of the South had wont to grace Ambassadours shew me only some part of his leg so as that I may understand him to be present I should thinke it concerned me to carry my self in no lesse seemly fashion towards him then if I saw his face for his sight of me cals for a due regard from me not my sight of him Since therefore we have so certain demonstrations of the undoubted presence of God and his holy Angels ever with us though not discernible by our bodily eyes with what fear and trembling with what reverence and devotion should wee alwayes stand or walk before them making it our main care to be approved of them to whom we lye no
when it was for a plague to Egypt they were supernaturally produced Hail an ordinary meteore murrain of Cattel an ordinary disease yet for a plague to obdured Pharaoh miraculously wrought Neither need there be any great difficulty in discerning when such like events run in a natural course and when spirits are actors in them the manner of their operation the occasions and effects of them shall soon discry them to a judicious eye for when we shall finde that they do manifestly deviate from the road of nature and work above the power of secondary causes it is easie to determine them to be of an higher efficiency I could instance irrefragrably in severall tempests and thunderstorms which to the unspeakable terrour of the inhabitants were in my time seen heard felt in the Western parts wherein the translocation and transportation of huge massy stones and irons of the Churches above the possibility of naturall distance together with the strange preservation of the persons assembled with other accidents sensibly accompanying those astonishing works of God still fresh in the minds of many shewed them plainly to be wrought by a stronger hand then natures * And whither else should we ascribe many events which ignorance teacheth us to wonder at in silence If murders be descryed by the fresh bleeding of cold and almost putrefied carcasses If a man by some strong instinct be warned to change that lodging which he constantly held for some years and findes his wonted sleeping place that night crushed with the unexpected fall of an unsuspected contignation If a man distressed with care for the missing of an important evidence †such a one I have known shal be informed in his dream in what hole of his Dove-cote he shall find it hid If a man without all observation of Physical criticisms shall receive and give intelligence many dayes before what hour shal be his last to what cause can we attribute these but to our attending Angels If a man shall in his dream as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus professes receive the prescript of the remedy of his disease which the Physitians it seems could not cure whence can this be but by the suggestion of spirits And surely since I am convinced that their unfelt hands are in many occurrences of my life I have learned so much wit and grace as rather to yeeld them too much then too little stroke in ordering all my concernments O ye blessed spirits many things I know ye do for me which I discern not whiles ye do them but after they are done and many things ye may do more which I know not I blesse my God and yours as the author of all ye doe I blesse you as the means of all that is done by you for me SECT. VII The Degrees and Orders of Angels HEaven hath nothing in it but perfection but even perfection it self hath degrees as the glorified souls so the blessed Angels have their heights of excellency and glory He will be known for the God of Order observeth no doubt a most exact order in his Court of heaven nearest to the residence of his Majesty Equality hath no place either in earth or in hell we have no reason to seek it in heaven He that was rapt into the third heaven can tell us of Thrones Dominions Principalities Angels and Arch-angels in that region of blessednesse We cannot be so simple as to think these to be but one classe of spirits doubtlesse they are distinctions of divers orders But what their severall ranks offices employments are he were not more wise that could tell then he is bold that dare speak What modest indignation can forbear stamping at the presumption of those men who as if upon Domingo Gonsales his engine they had been mounted by his Gansaes from the Moon to the Empyreall heaven and admitted to be the heralds or masters of ceremonies in that higher world have taken upon them to marshall these Angelicall spirits into their severall rooms proportioning their stations dignities services according to the model of earthly Courts disposing them into Ternions of three generall Hierarchies the first relating to the immediate attendance of the Almighty the other two to the government of the Creature both generall and particular In the first of Assistents placing the Seraphim as Lords of the chamber Cherubim as Lords of the cabinet-counsel Thrones as entire Favourites in whom the Almighty placeth his rest In the second of universall Regency finding Dominions to be the great Officers of State who as Chancellours Marshals Treasurers govern the affairs of the world Mights to be the Generals of the heavenly Militia Powers as the Judges Itinerant that serve for generall retributions of good and evil In the third of speciall government placing Principalities as rulers of severall Kingdoms and Provinces Archangels as guardians to severall Cities and Countreys and lastly Angels as guardians of several persons And withall presuming to define the differences of degrees in each order above other in respect of the goodlinesse and excellency of their nature making the Arch-angels no lesse then ten times to surpasse the beauty of Angels Principalities twenty times above the Arch-angels Powers forty times more then Principalities Mights fifty more then Powers Domininions sixty above Mights Thrones seventy above Dominions Cherubim eighty above thrones Seraphim ninety times exceeding the Cherubim For me I must crave leave to wonder at this boldnesse and professe my self as far to seek whence this learning should come as how to beleeve it I do verily beleeve there are divers orders of celestial spirits I beleeve they are not to be beleeved that dare to determine them especially when I see him that was rapt into the third heaven varying the order of their places in his severall mentions of them Neither can I trust to the Revelation of that Sainted Prophetesse who hath ranged the degrees of the beatitude of glorified souls into the several chores of these heavenly Hierarchies according to their dispositions and demeanures here on earth admitting those who have been charitably helpfull to the poor sick strangers into the orb of Angels Those who have given themselves to meditation and prayer to the rank of Archangels those who have vanquished all offensive lusts in themselves to the order of Principalities to the height of Powers those whose care and vigilance hath restrained from evil and induced to good such as have been committed to their oversight and governance To the place of Mights those who for the honour of God have undauntedly and valiantly suffered and whose patience hath triumphed over evils To the company of Dominions those who prefer poverty to riches and devoutly conform their wills in all things to their Makers To the society of Thrones those who do so inure themselves to the continuall contemplation of heavenly things as that they have disposed their hearts to be a fit resting place for the Almighty To the honour of Cherubim those
partner in the dissolution then it is now desirous to meet him again as well knowing in how much happier condition they shall meet then they formerly parted Before this drossie piece was cumbersome and hindred the free operations of this active spirit now that by a blessed glorification it is spiritualized it is every way become pliable to his renued partner the Soul and both of them to their infinitely glorious Creatour SECT. VIII The reunion of the body to the soul both glorified LO then so happy a reunion as this materiall world is not capable of till the last fire have refined it of a blessed soul met with a glorified body for the peopling of the new heaven who can but rejoyce in spirit to foresee such a glorious communion of perfected Saints to see their bodies with a clear brightness without all earthly opacity with agility without all dulnesse with subtility without grosness with impassibility without the reach of annoyance or corruption There and then shalt thou O my soul looking through clarified eyes see and rejoyce to see that glorious body of thy dear God and Savior which he assumed here below and wherein he wrought out the great work of thy redemption there shalt thou see the radiant bodies of all those eminent Saints whose graces thou hadst wont to wonder at and weakly wish to imitate There shall I meet with the visible partners of the same unspeakeable glory my once dear parents children friends and if there can be roome for any more joy in the soul that is taken up with God shall both communicate and appropriate our mutuall joyes There shall we indissolubly with all the chore of heaven passe our eviternity of blisse in lauding and praising the incomprehensibly-glorious Majesty of our Creatour Redeemer Sanctifier in perpetuall Hallelujahs to him that sits upon the Throne And canst thou O my soul in the expectation of this happinesse be unwilling to take leave of this flesh for a minute of separation How well art thou contented to give way to this body to shut up the windows of thy senses and to retire it self after the toil of the day to a nightly rest whence yet thou knowest it is not sure to rise or if it do yet it shall rise but such as it lay down some little fresher no whit better and art thou so loath to bid a cheerfull good-night to this piece of my selfe which shall more surely rise then lye down and not more surely rise then rise glorious Away with this weak and wretched infidelity without which the hope of my change would be my present happinesse and the issue of it mine eternull glory Even so Lord Jesus come quickly THE INVISIBLE WORLD The Third BOOK SECT. I. Of the Evill Angels Of their first sin and fall HITHERTO our thoughts have walked through the lightsome and glorious regions of the spirituall world now it is no lesse requisite to cast some glances towards those dreadful and darksome parts of it where nothing dwels but horror and torment Of the former it concerns us to take notice for our comfort of these latter for terrour caution resistance I read it reported by an ancient Travailer Haytonus of the Order of the Premonstratensis and cousin as he saith to the then-King of Armenia that he saw a country in the Kingdome of Georgia which he would not have believed except his eyes had seen it caldel Hamsen of three dayes journey about covered over with palpable darknesse wherein some desolate people dwell for those which inhabit upon the borders of it might hear the neighing of horses and crowing of cocks and howling of dogs and other noises but no man could go in to them without losse of himselfe Surely this may seem some sleight representation of the condition of Apostate Angels and reprobate souls Their region is the kingdom of darkness they have onely light enough to see themselves eternally miserable neither are capable of the least glimpse of comfort or mitigation But as it fals out with those which in a dark night bear their own light that they are easily discerned by an enemy that waits for them and good aim may be taken at them even whiles that enemy lurks unseen of them so it is with us in these spirituall ambushes of the infernall powers their darknesse and our light gives them no smal advantage against us The same power that clears and strengthens the eyes of our soul to see those over-excelling glories of the good Angels can also enable us to pierce thorough that hellish obscurity and to descrie so much of the natures and condition of those evill spirits as may render us both wary and thankful In their first creation there were no Angels but of light that any of them should bring evill with him from the moment of his first beeing is the exploded heresie of a Manes a man fit for his name and if Prateolus may be beleeved of the Trinitâ—â—ians yea blasphemy rather casting mire in the face of the most pure and holy Deity For from an absolute goodnesse what can proceed but good And if any then of those spirits could have been originally evil whence could he pretend to fetch it Either three must be a predominant principle of evill or a derivation of it from the fountain of infinite goodness either of which were very monsters of impiety All were once glorious spirits sin changed their hue and made many of them ugly Devils Now straight I am apt to think Lord how should sin come into the world how into Angels God made all things good sin could be no work of his How should the good that he made produce the evill which he hates Even this curiosity must receive an answer The great God when he would make his noblest creature found it fit to produce him in the nearest likenesse to himself and therefore to indue him with perfection of understanding and freedome of will either of which being wanting there could have been no excellency in that which was intended for the best such therefore did he make his Angels Their will being made free had power of their own inclinations those free inclinations of some of them swayed them awry from that highest end which they should have solely aimed at to a faulty respect unto oblique ends of their own Hence was the beginning of sin for as it fals out in causes efficient that when the secondary agent swarves from the order and direction of the principal straight waies a fault thereupon ensues as when the leg by reason of crookednesse fails of the performance of that motion which the appetitive power injoined an halting immediately follows so it is in finall causes also as Aquinas acutely when the secondary end is not kept in under the order of the principall and highest end there grows a sin of the will whose object is ever good but if a supposed self respective good be suffer'd to take the wall of the best
under a pretence of zeal to violate charity in unjust censures and violent executions another while under pretence of mercy to bear with grosse sins one while he stirs us up under a colour oâ— charitable caution to wound our neighbour with a secret detraction another while out of of carnall affections he would make us the pandars of others vices one while he sets on the tongue to an inordinate motion that many words may let fall some sinne another while he restrains it in a sullen silence out of an affectation of a commendable modesty one while out of a pretended honest desire to know some secret and usefull truth he hooks a man into a busie curiosity and unawares intangles the heart in unclean affections another while he broaks many a sin with only the bashfulnesse of inquiry one while he injects such pleasing thoughts of fleshly delights as may at the first seem safe and inoffensive which by a delayed entertaiâ—ment prove dangerous and inflaming another while he over-layes the heart with such swarms of obscene suggestions that when it should be taken up with holy devotion it hath work enough to repell and answer those sinfull importunitâ—es one while he moves us to an ungrounded confidence in God for a condescent or deliverance that upon our disappointment he may work uâ—to impatience or upon our prevailing to a pride and over-weening opinion of our mistaken faith another while he casts into us glances of distrust where we have sure ground of belief one while he throws many needlesse scruples into the conscience for a causelesse perplexing of it affrighting it even from lawfull actions another while he labours so to widen the conscience that even grosse sins may passe down unfelt one while he will seem friendly in suggesting advise to listen unto good counsell which yet he more strongly keeps us off from taking for a further obduration another while he moves us to sleight all the good advise of others out of a perswasion of our own self-sufficiency that we may be sure to fall into evill one while he smooths us up in the good opinion of our own gracious disposition that we may rest in our measure another while he beats us down with a disparagement of our true graces that we may be heartlesse and unthankfull one while he feeds us with a sweet contentment in a colourable devotion that we may not care to work our hearts to a solid piety another while he endeavours to freeze up our hearts with a dulnesse and sadnesse of spirit in our holy services that they may prove irksome and we negligent one while he injects lawfull but unseasonable motions of requisite imployments to cast off our mindes from due intention in prayers hearing meditation another while he is content we should over-weary our selves with holy tasks that they may grow tediously distastefull one while he woes a man to glut himselfe with some pleasurable sin upon pretence that this satiety may breed a loathing of that whereof he surfeits another while he makes this spiritual drunkenness but an occasion of further thirst one while he suggests to a man the duty he owes to the maintenance of his honour and reputation though unto bloud another while he bids him be tongue-proof that he may render the party shamelesly desperate in evil doing one while he allows us to pray long that we may love to heare our selves speak and may languish in our devotion another while he tells us there is no need of vocall prayers since God hears our thoughts one while he urgeth us to a busie search and strong conclusion of the unfailable assurance of our election to glory upon slippery and unsure grounds another while to a carelesse indifferency and stupid neglect of our future estate that we may perish through security one while sleighting the measure of contrition as unsufficient another while working the heart to take up with the least velleity of penitent sorrow without straining it to any further afflictive degrees of true penance one while suggesting such dangerous points of our self-examination that the resolution is every way unsafe so as we must presume upon our strength if we determine affirmatively if negatively decline towards despair another while encouraging a man by the prosperous event of his sin to re-act it and by the hard successes of good actions to forbear them one while under pretence of giving glory to God for his graces stirring up the heart to a proud over valuing our own vertues and abilities another while stripping God of the honour of his gifts by a causelesse pusillanimity one while aggravating our unworthinesse to be sons servants subjects guests almsmen of the holy and great God another while upon some poor works of piety or charity raising our conceits to a secret gloriation of our worthinesse both of acceptance and reward and Gods beholdingnesse to us Shortly for it were easie to exceed in instances one while casting undue fears into the tender hearts of weak regenerates of Gods just desertions and of their own sinfull deficiencies another while puffing them up with ungrounded presumptions of present safety and future glory These and a thousand more such arts of Deceit do the evil spirits practise upon the poor soul of wretched man to betray it to everlasting destruction And if at any time they shall pretend fair respects it is a true observation of a strict votary That the Devils of Consolation are worse then the afflictive O my soul what vigilance can be sufficient for thee whiles thou art so beset with variety of contrary temptations SECT. VI Of the apparitions and assumed shapes of evil spirits BEsides these mental and ordinary onsets we find when these malignant spirits have not stuck for a further advantage to cloath themselves with the appearances of visible shapes not of meaner creatures only but of men both living and dead yea even of the good Angels themselves It were easie to write volumes of their dreadful and illusive apparitions others have done it before me my pen is for other use The times are not past the ken of our memory since the frequent and in some part true reports of those familiar Devils Fayires and Goblins wherewith many places were commonly haunted the rarity whereof in these latters times is sufficient to descry the difference betwixt the state of ignorant superstition and the clear light of the Gospell I doubt not but there were many frauds intermixed both in the acting and relating divers of these oecurrences but he that shall detrect from the truth of all may as well deny there were men living in those ages before us Neither can I make question of the authentique records of the examinations and confessions of Witches and Sorcerers in severall regions of the world * agreeing in the truth of their horrible pacts with Satan of their set meetings with evill spirits their beastly homages and conversations I should hate to be guilty of so much
incredulity as to charge so many grave Judges and credible historians with lyes Amongst such fastidious choice of whole dry-fats of voluminous relations I cannot forbear to single out that one famous story of Magdalene de la Groix in the year of our Lord Christ 1545. * who being borne at Cordova in Spain whether for the indigence or devotion of her parents was at five yeares age put into a Covent of Nuns at that age an evill spirit presented himselfe to her in the form of a Blackmore soul and hideous she startled at the sight not without much horror but with faire speeches and promises of all those gay â—oyes wherewith children are wont to be delighted she was won to hold society with him not without strong charges of silence and secrecy In the mean time giving proof of a notable quick wit and more then the ordinary ability incident into her age so as she was highly esteemed both of the young novices and of the aged Nuns No sooner was she come to the age of 12 or 13 years then the Devill solicits her to marry with him and for her dowry promises her that for the space of 30 years she shall live in such fame and honour for the opinion of her sanctity as that she shall be for that time the wonder of all Spain Whiles this wicked spirit held his unclean conversation with her in her chamber he delegates another of his hellish complices to supply the place and form of his Magdalene in the Church in the Cloister in all their meetings not without marvailous appearance of gravity and devotion disclosing unto her also the affairs of the world abroad and furnishing her with such advertisements as made her wondred at and won her the reputation not of an holy virgin only but of a Prophetesse Out of which height of estimation although she was not for years capable of that dignity she was by the general votes of the sister-hood chosen unanimously to be the Abbesse of that Covent Wonderfull were the feats which she then did The Priest cries out in his celebration that he missed one of the holy Hosts which he had consecrated and lo thaâ— was by her wonted Angell invisibly conveighed to holy Magdalene The wall that was betwixt her lodging and the Quire at the elevation of the host clave asunder that holy Magdalene might see that sacred act And which was yet more notorious on solemn festivals when the Nuns made their procession Magdalene was in the sight of all the beholders lift up from the earth the height of three cubits as if she should have been rapt up to heaven and sometimes while she bore in her armâ— little image of the child Jesus new born and naked weeping like a true Magdalene abundantly over the babe her hair seemed by miracle suddainly lengthened so low as to reach unto her ankles for the covering of the naked child which so soon as she had laid aside that dear burden returned suddenly to the wonted length These and many other the like miracles made her so famous that Popes Emperour the Grandees of Spain wrote to her beseeching her in their letters to recommend their affairs to God in her powerful devotions and in requiring her advise advertisements in matters of high importance as appeared afterwards by the letters found in her Cabinet And the great Ladies of Spain and other parts would not wrap their new-born infants in any clouts or swathing-bands but such as the sacred hands of Abbess Magdalene had first touched blessed All the Nuns of Spain were proud of so great an honour of their order and such miraculous proofs of their sanctity At last it pleased God to lay open this notable fraud of the Divell for Magdalene after thirty years acquaintance with this her paramour having been Abbess now twelve years began to conceive some remorse for her former practises and growing to a detestation of her horrible society with that evill spirit found means freely to discover to the Visitors of her Order all the whole carriage of this abominable and prodigious wickedness Although some credible wise and learned persons have reported that she perceiving the Nuns to have taken secret notice of her foul pranks lest she should run into a deserved condemnation did under the favour of those laws which give pardon to self-accusing offenders voluntarily confesse her monstrous villany and impiety This confession blankt many of her favourers and admirers and seemed so strange that it was held fit not to beleeve it without strict and legall examinations and proceedings Magdalene was close imprisoned in her Covent and being called to question confessed all this mysterie of iniquity Yet still her Moore continued his illusions for while she was fast lockt up in her Cell with a strong guard upon her dores the Nuns were no sooner come into the Quire towards morning to say their Mattins then this deputy-apparition of Magdalene took up her wonted stall and was seen devoutly tossing her beads amongst her sisters so as they thought the Visitors had surely freed her of the crimes objected upon her vehement penitence But hearing that Magdalene was still fast caged in her prison they acquainted the Visitors with what they had seen the morning before who upon full examination found that she had never lookt out of the dores of her Gaole The processe was at last sent up to Rome whence since the confession was voluntary she had her absolution A Story of great note and use for many occasions and too well known to the world to admit of either deniall or doubt and ratified as by the known consent of the time so by the faithfull records of Zuingerus Bodin Reney Goulartius Lord God! what cunning conveyances are here of the foul spirit what subtile hypocrisie what powerfull illusions enough to make sanctity it self suspected enough to shame the pretence of miracles He can for an advantage be an holy Nun as well as an ugly Moore he can be as devout at Mattins Sacraments Processions as the best What wonder when he can at pleasure counterfeit an Angell of light In that glorious form did he appear to Simeon Stylites of old to Girtrude of Westphalia not without the entertainment of her joy and devotion till Hermanus of Arnsburgh descryed the fraud and taught her to avoid it by a means no lesse advantagious to that ill spirit then her former devotion Yea yet higher to Pachomius and to Valens the Monk as Palladius reports he durst appear and call for adoration and had it under the form of the Lord of life blessed for ever How vain is the observation of those Authors who make this the difference betwixt the apparitions of good Angels and evill that the good make choice of the shapes either of beautifull persons or of those creatures which are clean and hurtlesse as of the shape of a Lamb to Clement or an Hart to Eustace or a Dove to Gummarus whereas the evill put themselves into