Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	body_n	earth_n	spirit_n	6,743	5	5.1226	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69640	An history of apparitions, oracles, prophecies, and predictions with dreams, visions, and revelations and the cunning delusions of the devil, to strengthen the idolatry of the gentiles, and the worshipping of saints departed : with the doctrine of purgatory, a work very seasonable, for discovering the impostures and religious cheats of these times / collected out of sundry authours of great credit, and delivered into English from their several originals by T.B. ; whereunto is annexed, a learned treatise, confuting the opinions of the Sadduces and Epicures, (denying the appearing of angels and devils to men) with the arguments of those that deny that angels and devils can assume bodily shapes ; written in French, and now rendred into English ; with a table to the whole work.	Bromhall, Thomas.	1658 (1658)	Wing B4885; ESTC R15515	377,577	402

in a word is as much as to say that their gods were rather Idols of men then very men and rather framed by the pattern of men then as men in truth and substance which is a thing the most ridiculous that can be imagined But will some say to what purpose serveth all this touching our matter of Specters I have said before that the Sadduces did maintain God to have a body to the end they might the better deny the appearing of Specters which are substances without a body Also the Epicures made their Gods to have bodies that so they might hold them in the Heavens idle and doing nothing and by consequence might deny their Apparition upon Earth For as touching Devils or Spirits they believed there were not any but did confound them all in the number of their Gods And that they did but make a jest of Specters appeareth by the speech of Cassius in Plutarch and in that that Celsus half an Epicure writing against the Christians did deny them flatly and absolutely as is to be seen in Origen who hath answered him and did reprove the Christians in that they would allow of any powers or Spirits contrary to the gods supposing according to his own saying and opinion that there were no Devills Besides that he made a mock and a jest of Angels and of the Resurrection of the body and generally of all those Apparitions which were made both in the Old and New Testament And now that we speak of contrary powers it putteth me in remembrance of a speech of Plutarch who reproveth Chrysippus for that in this universall body of the World so well ordained and framed he should grant so great an inconvenience to wit that there should be a kind of Devills afflicting and tormenting men to the disturbance of the concord and harmony of the World Which being well ordained by the Author and maker thereof ought not to be thought to bear or sustain any thing which should be incommodious to it self and by lapse and continuance of time should work the confusion and destruction of the same But it seemeth that Plutarch reprehended Chrysippus upon a desire and humour of contradiction rather then moved upon any just cause or matter of truth For the Devills do not work any dammage or inconvenience to the World being bridled and restrained by the hand and power of God And if they do torment men or tempt them it is to exercise them or to manifest the glory and Justice of God of the which they are sometimes made the executioners And as in each Common-Wealth well instituted there be executioners ordained for the punishment of Malefactors and such as trouble and disturb the publick peace and good of the Common-Weal and yet the universal body of the Common-weal is not thereby offended or endamaged but to the contrary rather it receiveth much more profit and commodity Even so God hath placed and left here below in this World Devils and wicked Spirits to be as tormenters and executioners to wicked men that so his Justice might shine the more glorious to the comfort of the godly and of his Elect that live in the love and fear of him But to come again unto the Epicures It is most certain that they were no other then the followers of nature and that onely so far as things did fall under their outward senses And if one should alledge unto them that any Specters Images and Visions had presented themselves they would refer the same for the most part to the concourse and perpetuall flux of their Atomes or to some other like reasons the which we hold it not amisse to discover and decipher at large as we have drawn them out of Cicero or of Lucretius All Images say they which do externally present themselves unto our senses either they are visible or invisible If they be Invisible either they are created in the Ayre or in our own minds and conceits As touching those made in the Ayre it is not any strange thing or abhorring from reason that in the same should be engendred certain voices like as we see it is naturall that cold commeth from the Rivers ebbing and flowing from the Sea and heat from the Sun And it may be that some voice being spread abroad within the Valleys doth not onely rebound back again to the place from whence it came but doth dilate and scatter it self here and there throughout the Ayre as do the sparks that mount up from the fire So that for one voice there are many engendred which running through the empty Ayre do enter within the Ears of those that knew nothing of the naturall voice and do put them into a misconceit and fond opinion that they have heard either some of the Fayries or Satyres or Nymphes playing and sporting amidst the Woods As concerning those that are bred in the mind They say that for the innumerable course of Atomes all whatsoever we do dream or think of commeth incontinently into the spirit or mind and sometimes passeth by Visions and Images into the bodily Eyes But if the Images be visible either they are reverberated and beaten back from the Chrystall and transparant Ayre exceeding clear in her superficies or they come of the Spoyls and scales of naturall things Touching the Ayre That it may of it self cast some kind of Image having power to appear they prove it in this sort All Ayre that is Chrystalline or transparent hath a kind of refraction as appeareth by the mirrour whereof Looking Glasses are made and polished and by the water and by a thick and darkned Ayre And this do the Catopticks themselves teach in their principles Now by the comparison and similitude of the mirror and the water all Ayre which hath a refraction doth of it self yield some certain form And therefore it is not any thing strange if in an Ayre a man may see certain forms and Images And they do bring also this comparison Even as the Tapestry hangings in a Theater or a large wide Hall do cast abroad round about their naturall colour where they find an Ayre opposed against them and the more that the beams of the Sun do beat or shine upon them the more bright and shining lustre they carry with them and seem to have cast off and left their colour in the same place which is directly in opposition against them So is it most certain that the Ayre may of it self cast abroad certain forms and figures the which look by how much the more they be made clear by the light which doth bring and tye them to our object so much the more comprehensible shall they be unto our sight In brief concerning the spoils and scales cast from natural things of which in their opinion Images should be engendred They do make this argument The Caterpillars say they do leave their spoils in the hedges or bushes like unto themselves so do the Serpents among the thorns or stones and the little creatures

of it answered that she knew not where she was that a very fair young man did oftentimes meet her by night and sometimes by day Her parents though giving small credence to their daughter yet earnestly desiring to know the truth who it was that had perswaded and enticed their daughter to this lewdnesse within three dayes after the damosel having given them notice thereof that he which ravish'd her was with her having therefore unlock'd the doors and set up a great light coming into the Chamber they saw an ugly foul Monster of such a fearfull hue as no man can believe in their daughters arms Very many that were sent for came in all haste to this unseemly object Among whom a Priest of an approved life and well disciplin'd all the rest being scared away and amaz'd when repeating the beginning of St. John's Gospel he came to that place The Word was made Flesh the evil Genius with an horrible outery goes away carrying the roof of the house away with him and set all the furniture on fire The woman being preserved from peril was 3. dayes after brought to bed of a most deformed Monster such as no man as they say ever saw which the Midwives to prevent the infamy and disgrace of that family heaping up a great pile of wood did instantly burn to ashes Hector Boethus libr. 8. hist Scotorum THe same Boethus relates another story in the same place In the year of our Lord God 1536. as they were sailing from an arm of the Sea called Phortea to traffique into Flanders there arose such a violent wind that the sayls mast tacklings and all were broken and the ship also was toss'd up and down the swelling waves that every body concluded they must certainly perish The master of the ship admiring at that season so huge and unaccustomed churlishnesse of the Heavens for it was about the Summer-Solstice when with loud cryes they did not attribute it to the Stars but to the wiles of some evil Devils they heard a voyce from the lower part of the ship of a woman miserably complaining of her self that some hee-Devil in the form of a man with whom she had many years accompanied with was at that time with her and forc'd her she would therefore yield her to the mercy of the Sea that if she perished who was the cause of so great and imminent danger all the rest by the goodnesse of God might escape safe A Priest coming to the woman bewailing her self to counsel her for her own salvation and them that were with her did piously exhort her now openly confessing and acknowledging her fault earnestly detesting that abominable wickednesse and repenting the fact from the bottom of her heart with sighs expressing the same that nothing should be wanting on her part and he knew God would be propitious to her c. In the midst of the Priests exhortation when the perplexed woman with many sighs and groans was deploring that hainous crime she had committed all that were by saw a black Cloud come forth out from the pump of the Ship and with a great noise fire smoak and ill savour descended into the Sea Then was it fair weather and the Sea calm and the Merchants went to their desired haven with their Ship and nothing lost FRanciscus Mirandula makes mention in his writings that he knew one Berna call'd Benedictus a Priest 75. years old who had lain above 40. years with a familiar spirit for his Bed-fellow in the shape of a woman it came into the market with him he conversed with it insomuch that all the standers by seeing nothing took him for a Fool. He called her Hermelina as if she were a woman I knew also saith he another whose name was Pinnetus who was above 80 years old he did use the sports of Venus more then 40 years with another spirit which appear'd like a woman and call'd her name Florina Utramque historiam Cardanus recitat lib. 15. cap. 80. de varietate rerum JAcobus Ruffus writes in the fifth Book the sixt Chapter of the conception of men that in our time Magdalena a Citizens Maid-servant was ravished by a foul spirit and then took her leave on her repenting by the order of the Ministers of the Church after which she felt such cruel torments and pangs in her belly that she thought every hour almost that she should be delivered of a child then came forth out of her womb iron nails wood pieces of glasse hair wooll stones bones iron and many such like A Certain Merchants Wife about 6 or 7. miles from Wittemberg in the way to Silesia when her husband was away by reason of his merchandizing abroad was wont to entertain one Concubine or another It so fell out that her husband going forth one of her Paramouts came in the night time and when he had made himself spruce and satisfied his lust as it seemed in the morning like a Magpie sitting on the buttery he bade his Concubine farewell in these words This was your Lover and before he had done speaking he vanished out of sight and never came more BEnedictus the 8th by his Country a Thuscane by the Magick of Theophylact his Nephew who had been the Scholer of Sylvester the second long since Pope came to be Pope He was head of the Church 11. years After his death he appear'd to a Bishop which he in his life-time commonly made use of sitting upon a black horse much lamenting and complaining of the torments of the damned and charging me to warn his Brother John the 11th to bestow that gold on the poor which he had formerly buried under ground whereby he was in hopes to be freed THeophylact Nephew by his Brother Aldericus of the two Popes Benedict and John came to that dignity by his Magick wherein he was alway accounted famous He call'd himself Benedict the 9th He continued so by times ten years He was at last strangled in a Wood by one of those spirits with whose familiar he was wont to converse Benno Historians report among whom are Martinus Polonus and Petrus Damianus that Benedict was by a Hermite seen near the Mill of a terrible shape for in his body he was like a Bear in his head and tayl like an Asse And when he was asked How he came to be so metamorphosed 't is reported he made this answer I wander up and down in this shape now because when I was Pope I lived as void of reason and conscience without law and without God and have defiled the chair of Rome with all manner of vilenesse ST Martin Bishop of Yours in France when hard by his Monastery an unknown Martyr's bones were by the vulgar superstitiously worshipped that he might not by his authority corroborate their superstition took one day with him some of his brethren and to the place he goes where calling upon God he supplicates him to manifest and clear the truth thereof unto him On his left hand

Lord 1330 invaded Italy falling sick of the Gowt underwent great perill in his affairs circumvented by the unfaithfull dealing of his couzen german General Leodrisius who leading the Rhaetian and Helvetian cohorts and with a strong hand gathering together all banished men came to Abdua Actius though troubled with the Gowt raised Souldiers in every place and left his Garrisons well fortified to the care of Governours till such time as his expected recruits should come to him And committing the Van-guard of his Army to his Lievtenant Nervianus the Leodrisianians had prevailed against them had not St. Ambrose the Mediolanensian guardian Saint been seen by many of the City in form of an Horseman succouting them apparently in their distress for there came at that time to their relief Hector Panicus with a wing of Cataphractans Albrogians sent by Ludovicus Subaudius father-in-law to Actius which overcame the Rhaetians unseasonably exulting and resting themselves disorderly putting them to the sword and took Leodrisius himself prisoner there being slain at that time above four hundred thousand men And in the field where this Victory was obtained a Temple was built to St. Ambrose in memory thereof where yearly upon the twenty fourth of February the Mediolanensian people coming together in great pomp with the Praetor and Counsellors celebrated his Feast with sacred solemnities Jovius in Actio But Fulgosus lib. 1. cap. 6. writeth That the Auxiliaries which came to relieve Actius as soon as they began battel clearly saw Ambrose with a whip to fall upon the Barbarians which Martinus Scaliger led being hired thereunto by Leodrisius and in memory of this Victory Ambrose was pictured with a whip in his hand ever after this IN the battle wherein Ramirus King of Spain fought against the Saracens before Calugurium James the Apostle was seen by all who were there leading the Christian Army and putting the Saracens to flight NIcephorus lib. 8. cap. 23. reporteth That Chrysanthus and Musonius being Bishops who sate in the Nicene Council and dying before they had subscribed those Articles of Faith which were there agreed upon the Fathers of the Council therefore went to their Monuments and holding a writing in their hands which contained in it the Articles they spoke to them as if they had been living men hearing them Holy Fathers you have fought a good fight with us you have finished your course and kept the faith if therefore what we have done ought to be allowed and confirmed it is meet and needfull that you who are illustrated by the splendour of the Trinity whose beatificall Vision frees you from all obscurity and hindrance which lets us from the clear and perfect discerning of things with us subscribe this little book who when they had spoke these words laid it down before the Tomb sealed and going to their rest that night and returning in the morning they found the book sealed with the seals inviolated and their subscriptions inserted with the rest which they perceived to be newly written in these words We Chrysanthus and Musonius with all the Fathers in the first holy Oecumenical and Nicene Council do agree and although translated from our bodies yet with our own proper hands we have subscribed the Articles in this book PLergilis a Priest prayed That he might see what species laid hid under the form of bread and wine and whilest he continued his supplications for the same an Angel from Heaven appearing to him speaketh saying Arise quickly if thou desire to see Christ he is present cloathed with that body which the holy Mother of God bore he therefore casting his eyes upon the Altar seeth the child the onely begotten Son of the Father whom with trembling arms he takes and kisses and presently restores again to the top of the Altar and falling prostrate upon his knees again he implored Almighty God again that he would turn him again into his pristine species and as soon as he had finished his prayer he found the body of Christ returned to his wonted form as by prayer he had desired Rabbanus de Sacramento Eucharistiae cap. 30. Paschasius in libro de corpore et sanguine Domini cap. 41. A Certain Souldier in the City of Rome extinct by the Plague when he revived said That he saw a narrow bridge under which ran a River ugly and caliginous which sent forth an incredible stinking savour but on the other side of the bridge upon the bank-side of the River he saw pleasant places which with the variety of flowers which grew therein sent forth such fragrant odours as much delighted the smelling faculty and habitations all about which were of a certain divine form and splendour but amongst the rest one was greater and excelled in glory for that it was wholly built with golden bricks but for whom it was built he could not understand but he considered that he observed that the just most securely passed that bridge and that the unjust and reprobate fell into the River then he saw as he said a stranger a Priest who inoffensively passed through those streights having quietly and contentedly suffered the going thorow the turnings therein for that he had lived piously in this world but amongst those which he saw fall whom the whirlpool of the froathy snatching stream tossed about he saw Peter chief Bishop of the Ecclesiasticall Family who four years since coming that way infolded with Iron chains and in vain striving to swim through the horrible hollow passage he therefore had a warrant as a punishment to him to punish those that hereafter should be guilty rather severely then indulgently Marulus lib. 6. cap. 14. IN the Castle of the seven holy brethren Albericus a certain Noble child when he attained the tenth year of his age afflicted with sicknesse was brought even to deaths-door at which time he lay immoveable without sense as if he had been quite dead seven dayes and nights In which interval brought by the blessed Apostle Peter and two Angels he cometh to the infernal gulph at length he was brought to see the pleasant things of Paradise and lifted up into the aerie Heaven he was sufficiently instructed by Peter of things contained in the Old Testament of the punishments due to sinners and the glory of Saints he saw certain secret things which he was forbid to speak and so for seventy dayes he being led about the Provinces by him he was restored to life Chronicon Cassionense lib. 4. cap. 68. VIncentius hath a long Narration extant in his book 27. chap. 99. of Tundalus whose soul was led by an Angel as well to the infernal place of punishments as purgatory where he saw many whom he knew at his first entrance amongst the blessed he met with a multitude of men and women enduring the misery of rains and winds pining away with hunger and thirst but injoying light molested with no stink who as the Angel told me had not lived very honestly nor had been charitable to the poor were

nothing but his dead body his soul being departed Marul lib. 6. cap. 16. THe body of St. Jerome when he had given up his soul was surrounded with a suddain glorious light Angels appeared and the voyce of Christ was heard which invited him to his Heavenly Kingdom The same hour Cyril Bishop of Jerusalen saw his soul carried by Angels going towards Heaven the same day his holy soul shining with wonderfull brightness appeared to Augustine Bishop of Hippo. At Turon two Monks saw a shining Globe passing through the Skies and thereupon immediately heard a Quire of Angels most ravishingly singing which whilest they admired they understood that the soul of Jerome the Priest who dyed then at Bethlehem was carried by Angels to rest in Paradise c. Idem THe day that St. Augustine was buried a certain Monk who abode far off being wrapt in spirit saw him singularly arrayed with a Miter and Bishops weeds sitting amongst the clouds all in glorious white such radiant beams proceeding from his eyes as illuminated the whole Church incredible sweetnesse of odour delighting his smelling faculty Afterwards he was seen by Bernard whilest Sermons were read in the night-time by his brethren in the Church casting out of his mouth most pure waters which immeasurably flowed upon the Pavement of the Church Idem AS the life so the death of Francis Assiatus from w●om the Order of Minors begun was noble and magnificent who expiring a certain brother saw his soul in form of a star to slue out of his body and fly towards Heaven The same hour an Husbandman grievously sick with over-labouring his soul being ●eady to depart languishing and speechlesse on a suddain broke foth into speech saying Expect me father expect me and being asked he said he saw St. Francis with great light making toward Heaven Which said his soul went out of his body making good his words by his action continually following him whom he had said he saw Marulus lib. 6. cap. 16. A Certain Monk of Adoneus at Rhotamagium in the night going to see one with whom he was enamour'd fell off the bridge into the water and was drown'd The Devils contend with an Angel for his soul it is agreed betwixt them to refer it to Richard Duke of Normandy to end the difference His order was that his soul restored to his body should first be placed upon the bridg and if he took the way which leadeth to his beloved Mistris he should be in the power of the Devil but if he should take toward his Church his soul should be in the power of the Angel which done the Monk returned to his Monastery and so it is believed he was freed from the jawes of the Devil Ranulphus lib. 6. cap. 7. in Polychronico WHen before the body of a certain dead Monk Mass was celebrated at the singing of Agnus Dei he leaped off the Beer blaspheming God refusing to kiss a woodden cross which was offered him to kiss falling upon the Virgin Mary with railing words deriding those that sung Psalms for that he was orda●ned to the horrid torments of Hell The Monks beating their breasts with their fists pour forth prayers devoutly for him the poor man receiving a better mind began to laud and praise the omnipotency of Christ to renounce Satan to adore the cross and to confess That after he took the life of a Monk upon him and vowed chastity he perpetrated fornication and praising God the text day he comfortably departed Vincentius lib. 25. cap. 62. A Certain Monk of France saw the soul of a most lewd and wicked man who notwithstanding he put on Monasticall weeds in the agony of death was bound by the Devil in fiery chains and that he saw him dragged towards Hell but at last by the intervention of St. Benedict was freed for that whilest he was adorn'd with his habit he had done no hurt Also Maius a Cassinensian Monk who being precipitately cast down from an high Window in the night by the Devil broke his neck he complained to a great favourer of his in the Monastery for that was with many prayers sought by that convent that in his sleep this evil was imposed on him by the Devil but that he was freed by the help of St. Benedict from hence alms-giving and the number of Psalms said for the dead in that Monastery increased Cassianus lib. 4. cap. 4. WHen St. German came to Turnodurum he cometh to the Sepulchre of a certain disciple which had followed him out of Brittain and asked him whether he would warr with him any further who answered That he had sufficiently warred and that he enjoyed heaped rewards for his fight and further prayed that he would depart Saith Germanus Rest in peace and happinesse so he laying down his head slept in the Lord. When he made his journey to Augustodunum at the Tomb of Cassianus the Bishop born in Scythia having much company in the hearing of them all he called to him in the Tomb and enquired what and how he did saith he I enjoy sweet rest and expect the coming of my Redeemer To whom Germanus answered Rest happily therefore and intercede more diligently for our health Bonfinius lib. 4. Decad. 1. PAschasius a Deacon of the Apostolicall Court excelling by his piety towards God and man as it is reported by Gregory but that he pertinatiously stood for Lawrence whom he thought more worthy against Symmachus who was judged by the voyces of all men worthy of the place of chief Bishop when after death he was to pay punishment for his fault he was found by Germanus Bishop of Capua performing the drudgery of a servant in the Angulanian Baths which Germanus when he understood the cause went away and for some dayes made supplication for him returning knew that he was freed from that burthen and that his prayers were heard whom now he perceived was not to be found there Marul lib. 5. cap. 11. A Certain Priest having come often to wash himself at the baths called Centurellae offered bread as a reward to one that had often freely waited upon him and found that he did not want it for he had been Lord of that place and after death he was there punished again to expiate a certain offence by suffering punishment yet he offered much to him if by offering consecrated bread he would pray for him wherefore the Priest offered the holy Host and praying for him returned to the Baths but not finding the man he understood that he was freed from his pain Idem BEnedict the Tenth chief Bishop after his death appearing to John the Portuensian Bishop confesseth That he was kept by Odilones his prayer from eternal death And that he now appeared to him that he would go to him and desire him that he would pray for him now being in Purgatory as he was accustomed when he was living This Message being delivered the Abbot and he prayed for him and injoyned all the Monks who were with

Angell or Devill and a body there is not any proportion for both the one and the other are of divers kinds and by consequent both of them are incompatible together To this I answer That if the proportion be taken according to the quantity greatnesse and measure there is no proportion between the Angels or Devils and a body because their greatnesse is not of one and the same kind nor of one and the same consideration Notwithstanding nothing can let but that there may be a certain habitude of an Angell to a body as of a thing that moveth to the motion and of a thing figured to the figure the which may be termed a proportion Another Argument they make which is this No substance finite whatsoever it be can have in any operations together An Angell is a substance finite and therefore it cannot both minister unto us and take to it self a body together But this is easily dissolved for I say that these two operations To take a body and to serve in their Ministery are ordained mutually to the Angels and therefore nothing hindreth them but that the Angels may use both of them at once and together Again they inferre that if Angells and Devils do take a body either it is a Celestial Body or some other having the nature of some of the four Elements Now the Angels cannot take a Celestiall Body for that the Body of the Heaven cannot divide it self nor cannot make any abstraction from it self much lesse can the Devils have the power seeing the Angels have it not Besides they cannot take unto them a body of Fire for then they should consume and burn the body near to which they do approach much lesse can they take a body of the Ayre for that is not figurable neither can they take any body that is a moveable Element and retaineth no form nor yet by the same mean can they have a Terrestriall body for we see it written how the Angels do very soon and suddenly vanish away out of sight as it appeared by that Angell which came to Tobias And the Devills also when they shew themselves in any Apparition can in a moment withdraw themselves from the sight of men And therefore being unable and unapt to take upon them any body either Elementary or Celestiall it must needs follow that they appear not at all To this I answer That the Angels and Devils may take a body of any Element whatsoever and which themselves will yea and of many Elements mixt together Neverthelesse it is most likely to be true and the common opinion is that they do soonest of all take unto them a body of the Ayre by thickning the same and forming it of vapours that mount and arise from the Earth and in turning and moving it at their pleasure as the wind moveth the Clouds being able to make the same to disappear and vanish away again whensoever they will by reason that it is nothing but a vapour But yet this will not satisfy them but they go further saying That every assumption of a body is limitted and bounded with some union But of an Angell and of a Body there cannot be made any of those Three means of Unity of which Aristotle speaketh For they cannot be made one by Continuation by Inseperability nor by Reason To this a man may answer as before That there is not any union in the assumption of a body by an Angell For if there were a union then in truth that which Aristotle speaketh should be requisite between the Angell and the body which it assumeth But there is not between them any union save onely that which is of a thing moving to the thing moved as we have before affirmed Again the good Angels say they in appearing unto us either do take True Figures visible and palpable or such as are altogether false if they have such as be true it should then follow that if they appear in a humane body then they do assume a True humane body But this is unpossible unlesse we should say That an Angell may enter into the body of a man which is a thing not convenient nor agreeable unto the Angelicall Nature And if they have False Figures this would be much more unfitting and unbeseeming them for that all feigning and dissembling or any kind of fiction is very unseemly in the Angels of Truth And therefore in what sort and fashion it be the Angels cannot take any Body upon them To this objection I answer That the bodies which the Angells do take have True and unfeigned forms so far forth as they may be seen and perceived by the senses be it in their colour or their Figure but not according to the nature of their kind For that cannot become sensible but by accident That therefore is no cause why a man should say that there is any fiction and feigning in the Angells for they do not oppose and set before our eyes humane shapes and forms because thereby they would be thought and esteemed to be men but to the end that by their humane properties we should know the vertues of the Angels And like as Metaphorous speeches are not therefore any whit the sooner to be reputed false in which by the similitude of things other significations are comprehended So the figures and forms of Angels are not false because they are taken and assumed to the similitude and semblance of men More then so they reply that the Angels and Devills by the vertue of their Nature cannot work or create any effects within humane bodies save onely by the means of their naturall vertues But their naturall vertues cannot be in things corporall to form any Figure of a humane body but onely by the usual and determined mean of Generation to wit by the seed naturally ordained to that effect in which sort the Angells and Devills cannot take a body upon them And the same reason and consideration is there of other figures of earthly bodies also which they take unto them But hereunto this answer may be made them That albeit the natural vertues of a body do not suffice to produce a true shape of a humane body but onely by the due and ordinary mean of Generation Neverthelesse so it is that the Angells and Devills are capable to cloath themselves and to put on a certain similitude of humane body as touching the colour and figure and other such exteriour Accidents and that especially at such a time as when it may suffice them by a locall motion to move any such bodies by means whereof both the vapours are thickned and again purified and made thin as also the Clouds are diversly painted and figured But they object again that this is not sufficient But they say that it behoveth the cause moving to infuse some vertue into the body moved but cannot infuse any vertue except it touch it And if it be so that the Angells have not any touching nor feeling with the