only in the nighte as some precious stones doo the eyes of certaine beastes a Gloewoorme or gloebearde as also some kynd of rotten wood wherewith many times children so terrifie their playfellowes that they imagine with themselues to sée euil spirits or men al burning with fire Hector Boethius writeth that a certain king of Scots caused some of his men to be disguised in garments with brighte shyning scales hauing in their hands rotten wood in stede of sâ—aues and so to appeare to his nobilitie and lordes in the night exhorting them to fight couragiously with their enimies and promising them to obtein victorie Wherby the noble men supposing they had séene angels behaued themselues valiantly and atchieued the victorie Many tymes candles and small fiers appeare in the night and séeme to run vp and downe And as the yong men in Heluetia who with their firebrands whiche they light at the bonfires in Shroftide somtime gather them selues together and then scatter abrode and agayne méeting togither march in a long ranke euen so do those fâ—ers sometime séeme to come togither and by and by to be seuered run abroade and at the last to vanish clean away Somtime these fâ—ers go alone in the night season and put such as sée them as they trauel by night in great fear But these things and many suche lyke haue their natural causes and yet I will not denye but that many tymes Dyuels delude men in this manner Natural Phylosophers wryte that thicke exhalations aryse out of the earthe and are kyndled Mynes full of sulphur and brimstone if the ayre enter vnto it as it lyeth in the holes and veines of the earth will kindle on fier and striue to get out Sometimes fier bursteth out of the earth as high as a tall trée and is soddenly put out agayne Whiche thing is to be thought to procéede of fierie matter séeking a vent to gushe out at We reade of the mount Aetna in Cicilie that in times past it burnte continually day night casting forth flames of fier fiery stones and ashes in great abundaunce The like is read also at Vesunius a hill in Campaine about a Germaine mile from Naples The same hill in the time of Titus the Emperour as S. Hierom reporteth cast foorth of it so much fier that it burnt the countrie and cities and people rounde about it and filled the fieldes adioyning full of cinders and ashes These two hilles euen in our dayes boyling with greate heate haue very muche indamaged the people inhabiting thereabout In Iseland as Olaus Magnus witnesseth are found fiers which breake out of the earth And as whole hilles and mountaines may burne euen so may a little fier be kindled in the earth yet wander very large They whiche trauelling by the way or by some other meanes chaunce to sée these things and know not the naturall causes of them imagin by reason of feare that they haue sene men burning like fier or some other straunge thing which they haue heard other men talk of And by meanes of their great feare often times they fall into greate daungerous diseases The arte perspectiue doth also worke this wonderfull feate that diuers and sundrie shapes will appeare in glasses made and sette togither after a certeyne artificiall sorte some times they will séeme to go out of the dores and resemble menne of oure familiar acquayntaunce Many things in very déede are naturall althoughe wée can not fynde any naturall reason for them And yet by the way they shewe them selues too foolishe which labour to bring al things to natural causes Here I will say nothing of those men which can beare plain and rude people in hande that they or some other of their acquaintance haue séen strange things which they earnestly auouche to be true when as in déede there was no such â–ª thing Howe often I pray you do we heare things affirmed as true which afterwarde proue moste false as that one was caryed away body and soule that an other was put to death and an infinite number of suche like reports CHAP. XII A proofe out of the Gentiles histories that Spirits and ghosts do often times appeare ALbeit many melancholike mad fearefull and weake sensed men doo oftentimes imagine many things whiche in very déede are not and are lykewyse deceyued somtyme by men or by brute beasts and moreouer mistake things whiche procéede of naturall causes to bée bugs and spirits as I haue hitherto declared by many examples yet it is most certayne sure that all those things which appeare vnto men are not alwayes naturall things nor alwayes vayne terrors to affray men but that spirits do often appeare many straunge and maruellous things do sundry times chaunce For many suche things of thys sorte are to be red in diuers graue and auncient historiographers and many men of no small credite haue affirmed that they haue séene spirits both in the day and in the night also And here I will orderly declare a fewe histories out of diuers allowed authors touching spirits which haue appeared and shewed them selues Suetonius Tranquillus writeth that when Iulius Cesar marching out of Fraunce into Italie with his army and comming to the riuer Rubico which deuideth Italie from the hether Fraunce staying there a while and reuoluing with him selfe how great an enterprise he hadde taken in hand as he was wauering in mind whether he shold passe the water or not sodenly there appeared a man of excelling stature and shape sitting hard by piping on a reede Melancthon in his phisicks calleth him â—â—iton vnto whom when not only shepherds but also very many souldiors from the camp and amongst them diuers trumpetters had flocked to heare him he sodenly snatched a trumpet from one of them and leaped to the riuer and with a lustie breath blowing vp the alarum went to the farther side Then sayd Caesar good lucke mates let vs go whether the gods warnings leade vs and whether our enimies iniquitie calleth vs The dice are throwne And so he transported ouer Plutarke writeth in Theseus life that many whiche were in the battaile of Marathonia against the Medians did affirme that they sawe the soule of Theseus armed who long time before died of a fall before the vauntgard of the Grecians running and setting on the barbarous Medians For which cause the AtheniaÌ„s afterward were moued to honour him as a demigod Pausanias writeth in Atticis That in the field of Maratho 400. yeres after the battaile there foughten there was hard the neying of horses and the incountring of souldiours as it were fighting euery night And that they which of purpose came to heare these things could hear nothing but those that by chaunce came that way hearde it very sensibly The same Plutarke writeth in the life of Cimon that when the citizens of Cheronesus had by fayre words called home their captaine Damon who before for diuers murthers departed the citie afterwards
and many times they ar coÌ„trary to themselues and therfore they haue not alwayes thought aright Sometime they send vs to the word of God as to the most certayne rule and leauell of faith There are examples ynow by whiche it may be shewed that the olde Councelles haue erred in some of their determinations The Councell of Ariminum hath allowed the Arrians doctrine The second Ephesin councell did subscribe to Eutiches The Councell holden at Carâ—hage which CipriaÌ„ gathered pronouÌ„ced flatly against the scriptures c. What shall we say was done in later times It is well ynough knowen by histories who hathe resisted Councels and ruled them and what hath bene chiefly handled in them for certayne hundred yeares And what for the most parte hathe by and by followed after them euen cruel warres and bloudy slaughters If nowe those auncient Councels coulde erre who will maruayle that they which haue assembled since haue erred But as touching the apparitions that I may all other things omitted talke only of them tell me I pray you who should certifie the Councles whether this or that vision were true or false Certaynly no Councels can bring to passe that the lyes whiche haue bin scatred abroade shall nowe begin to be true tales although they of the Councel haue saide they are true It is euen as foolishe to say the Pope who wil be counted aboue all Councels hath confirmed this or that miracle to be true which they say was wrought in some one monastery or other How can the bishop of Rome being so far off knowe any thing better than they which dwell in the same places If the bishop hauing no other assuraunce than out of their words or writings which perhaps go about to erecte newe pilgrimages and newe deuises to get money confirme once that this or that soule was séene it must straight way without any gaynsaying be beleued But if any other men who haue with diligence sought out the truth of the matter do testifie the contrary al that they say must not be regarded Consider I beséeche you of this matter Before all haue doubted whether the thing were so or no but assoone as the Pope doth giue his verdicte or some Church man do in his dreame sée it to be so it is a heynouse matter afterwards to doubt of it O tyme O manners As touching other common and laye men as they terme them which say they haue séene one after his death and haue heard and knowne him and haue spoken with him I easyly graunt they haue séene and heard some thing and haue thought verily they were soules and that they dyd speake with them But it foloweth not therfore that they were soules indéede much lesse that any dead man hath appered in body and soul vnto them For at Domes day only the soules shall returne to their bodies agayne Soules are spirits but spirits are inuisible wherefore they cannot so be séene vnlesse they take some outward shape vpoÌ„ them But it can neuer be proued by the testimony of holy scripture that as good euil Angels so soules take some shapes vpon them Besides this it is most true that oftentimes the shapes and formes of them whose soules are not yet sundred from their bodies by death as when one lieth vpoÌ„ his death bed are no lesse séene than theirs which are already dead Therfore it is not necessary that we beleue the ghosts which are séene to be soules By these things you vnderstaÌ„d what is to be thought of the tale of Platina Nauclerus others which write that a certeine Bishop sawe Pope Benedict the eyght lately dead in a solitary place sitting vpon a blacke horse being demaunded why he was so caried about with the blacke horse he warned the bishop that he shold distribute the money which was giuen to the vse of the pore but nowe wickedly kept to other purposes vnto those pore folks to whome of right it beloÌ„ged Other tales of like stampe are ryfe euery where CHAP. XIII VVhether soules do returne agayne out of Purgatorie and the place vvhich they call Limbus puerorum THat soules whiche are gon either to Heauen or to Hell returne not thence nor appeare agayne before the latter daye perchaunce some menne woulde easely graunte but they imagine there is a thirde place whych is Purgatorie oute of the whiche soules doe retourne vppon earthe For as yet the laste sentence hath not passed on them and therfore as yet they maye bée helped and therefore also they doe craue helpe and shewe themselues vnto men But wée haue proued before at large bothe out of the scriptures and also out of the writings of the auncient fathers that the soules of the faithful are saued and that the soules of the vnbeleeuers are damned immediatly without delay and therefore there is no Purgatorie Agaynst this they alledge sundry argumentes amongst the whiche thys albeit it be very common yet is it the chéefest when they say that no man is saued excepte he be purged from all his sinnes and that sinne cleaueth vnto vs euen vnto the graue If wée saye that puritie and cleannesse consisteth not in our woorkes or in the paynes which we endure but that God through faith in his sonne Iesus Christe who is our only redemption iustification satisfaction and raunsom for our sinnes doth iustifie vs they streyght aunsweare that our faith is vnperfecte and that the moste godly men complayne when they departe hence of the weakenesse of their fayth And therefore that God dothe not take vp suche kynde of men straightwayes into heauen nor yet bycause they are not vtterly voyde of fayth thrust them presently downe into hell And therfore that there is a middle place betwene bothe whiche is called Purgatorie in which the soules are purified from the imperfection whiche remayned in them at the time of their death and out of the which they are deliuered by the merits of the liuing and by large pardons Is not this as muche as to attribute that vnto our owne paines and to external fyre whiche ought only to be ascribed vnto the death of Christ Doth not Christe teache vs that if at any time we féele any weakenesse of faith we shold crye out with the Apostles Lorde increase our faith Doth God disdaine to heare the prayers of his faithfull people in the extremitie of death Christ sayth he that is washed hath no néede saue to washe his féete but he is cleane euery whitte Hée wyll saue vs not for the woorthinesse of our faythe but by his méere grace onely He dooth bestow these things amongst vs as if some ryche man did fréely giue meate and drinke vnto others wherof some of them receyueth it in woodden some in earthen and some in siluer or golden vessels or as if a Prince did distribute vnto euery one a piece of golde and some receyue it with a féeble hande and some with a strong and lustie hande He that hath the weake hande receyueth
spirites speake them but bicause they are comprysed in the woorde of god But in case they are repugnant to the woorde of God they ought in no wyse to be receyued albeit an angell from heauen vtter them Thou wilt not beléeue a man of thy familiar acquaintaunce otherwyse worthy of credite who sounde of bodye and soule nowe liueth togither with thée if hée affirme any thyng whiche thou knowest to be contrary to the holy Scriptures why then wouldest thou beléeue a spirite which thou doest not know In ciuill causes the euidence or witnesse of deade men is reiected why then in causes of religion shold we giue eare to the testimonie of runagate and wandring spirites It is no harde or difficulte matter for the Lorde oure God to sende his angels vntoo vs whome otherwyse hée vseth for oure profite and by them to instructe vs in the Fayth but it hathe pleased him to appoynte the matter otherwyse Wée reade in the tenth chapter of the Actes that by an angell he commaunded Cornelius to sende for Peter that he might instruct him in the fayth He myghte haue commaunded the Angell to teache Cornelius but he folowed an orderly meanes It shal be best for vs therfore to stand to the holy Scriptures simply and that all appearing of spirites as also all dreames and reuelations be tried by the holy scriptures as vpon a touchstone and so to admit nothing but that whiche is set foorthe in the holy Scriptures for excepte wée go thus warely to woorke there is greate daunger least wée bée deceyued If the aunciente Fathers had so doone they had not estrayed so farre from the Apostles simplicitie S. Augustine in his thirde booke and .6 chapter writing agaynste the letters of Petilianus sayeth thus If concerning Christe or any other thing whiche appertayneth to fayth and euerlasting lyfe I will not say we for comparyng with him that sayde Albéeit that wée but simply where as he goyng on sayd If an Angell from Heauen shall teache you any thyng besydes that whiche you haue receyued in Scriptures conteyning the law and the Gospell bée he accursed S. Chrysostom vpon the Epistle to the Galathians the firste chapter Abraham sayeth he when he was desired to send Lazarus sayd They haue Moyses the prophets if they will not heare them they will not giue eare vnto them which rise from the dead And when he bringeth in Christ vttering these words he sheweth howe he woulde haue the holy scriptures more worthy of credite than any raised from the dead S. Paule when I name Paule I name likewise Christ for he stirred vp his mind preferreth the Scriptures before Angels descending from Heauen and that for very iust cause For albeit Angels are great yet are they seruants and ministers For all holy scriptures were not commaunded to be written and sent vnto vs by seruants but by almightie God the lord of all things Thus write these two holy fathers What things soeuer are necessarie for vs to knowe are conteined in the holy scriptures those things which are not expressed in them we muste not curiously enquire of as things profitable for our saluation Who wil therfore say against the commaundement of God that these things are to be sought and learned of dead men and by diuelishe visions These things which are secrete and hidden we shal thorowly sée when we come to eternall life May not god if we be not content with his holy word say that vnto vs which sometimes he spake by the mouth of Helias vnto the messangers of king Ochosias Is there no god in Israell that you now go to Accaron to aske councell of Belsabub Yea Thomas Aquinas denieth that diuels are to be heard which deceyue simple menne feyning them selues to be the Soules of dead men and by that coloure especially terrifie menne whiche some tymes also happened vnto the Gentiles If it were certayne and sure that the Diuel coulde not appeare and deceyue menne and also shewe greate and straunge miracles then perchaunce some men would thinke that we shoulde giue eare vnto suche Spirits but nowe we sée the contrary happen An euill spirite cloaketh his erroures vnder the coloure of diuine seruice and vnder the pretence of religiō he endeuoreth to ouerthrowe religion For as S. Hierom sayth the Deuill sheweth not himself with al his deceites that he may be known what he is And therefore it behoueth vs to be very circumspect and warie Moreouer myracles are onely testimonies and seales of the word neither may any thing be approued by them whiche is repugnant to the worde of god All miracles which lead vs away from our creator vnto creatures do attribute that vnto our works which is only due vnto the merites of Chryste and to be shorte all those whiche induce vs any wayes into errour are to be eschued If we must néedes beléeue these appearing soules no man could be assured of his estate for newe things shoulde be continually deuised as we sée playnely it happened in the olde time Therefore we must let passe all manner of spirits and embrace true religion and therein constantly abide CHAP. VIII Testimonies out of holie Scripture and one example vvhereby it is proued that such kynde of apparitions are not to be credited and that vve ought to be verie circumspect in them THat wée ought not by and by to beléeue all things whiche we heare not onely experience and many common Prouerbes but also the holie Scriptures teach vs especially in cases concerning our saluation touching the which thing we wil alledge only a fewe places and examples When Christ first sent abroad his Disciples to preach the Gospell he sayd vnto them Matthew .10 Be yée wise as serpentes and simple as Doues beware of men howe muche more than ought we to take héede of diuels Christ prophecieth in the 24. of Matthew that many false techers shall come in the latter dayes and shall shewe straunge myracles to confirme their erroures and therefore hée commaundeth the faythfull to be héedefull and circumspect and not without cause hée addeth Beholde I haue tolde you before Saynte Paule to the Galathians the firste Chapter sayth in great eanest vnto them that if an Angell come from Heauen and preache vnto them any other Gospell hée shoulde be accursed Euen so if at thys tyme spirites appeare and doe vtter any thyng repugnant to the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes they are to be reiected The Apostle in hys firste Epistle and fourth Chapter to Timothie dothe prophecie of false teachers which shoulde come and saythe the spirite speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall departe from the faythe and shall gyue héed vnto spirites of errour and doctrines of Deuils whiche speake lyes through hypocrisie and haue their consciences burned with an hote yron forbydding to marrie and cōmaunding to absteyne from meates whiche God hath created to be receyued with gyuing thanks of them whiche beléeue
that Lemures are soules which tarrie about the bodies Porphyrius calleâ—h them the wandring soules of men departed before their tyme as it were Remures taking their name of Remus whose soule folowed his brother Romulus who to the intent he mighte pacifie them instituted feastes called Lemuria Seruius writeth that Vmbrae were called Laruae and they called dead mens soules by the name of Vmbrae Of Laruae men are called Laruatâ— that is to say frantike men and suche as are vexed with spirites Who also as Nonius witnesseth are called Ceriti Seruius sayeth that mennes soules are called Manes at suche tyme as departyng from their bodies they are not yet passed into other bodies And he iudgeth that they are so called by the fygure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiche is when one speaketh by contraries of the olde adiectiue Manus that is good bicause they were nothing lesse than good For the auncient people supposed that Manes were infernall gods and therfore did they number them amongst theyr euil gods and pacified them with sacrifice least they should hurt them Some affirme that Manes are in déede infernall gods but yet good whereof commeth Mane whiche signifieth good and Dij Manes as if you would say good prosperous gods therof also is said Jmmanes for not good Some other suppose that soules separated from the bobodies were called after this name Whereby we sée the auncient monuments of tumbes haue ben dedicated to Dijs Manibuâ— to the infernal gods In the which opinion Apuleius was as we sayd a little before There are some that iudge Manes to be the very same that the olde people called Genij â–ª and that there were two of these Manes assigned vnto mens bodies euen immediatly after their begetting which forsake them not wheÌ„ they are dead but continue in the graues after the bodies are consumeâ— â—or the whiche cause those men who defaced Monumentes were thoughte to doo wrong vnto the gods called Manes The soothsayers called as well the celestiall as the infernall gods by the name of Manes and that bicause they beleued as Festus doth write that all things did manare that is were deriued from them Other thinke they were so called â— manandopunc of â—lowing bicause the places betwéene the circle of the Moone and the earth from whence they come are full of soules Maniâ— are deformed creatures as Festus saythe and also vgly shapes wherwith nursses make children afrayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a woman with a face almost of a moÌ„strous fashion hereof it is taken for a heg as also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie a terrible sight a spirit or an elfe Nicephorus sayeth in his Ecclesiasticall historie that a woman vsing to walke by night is called by the name of Gilo Lamiae were supposed of the aunciente people to be women hauing eyes to put out or in at their plesure or rather certaine shapes of diuels which taking on them the shew of beautifull women deuoured children and yong men allured vnto them with swéete inticementes Philostratus in his booke Appollonio writeth a maruellous historie or fable of one Menippus beloued of an heg The same authour writeth that Lamiae are called of some men Laruae spirites walkyng by nighte and Lemures nighte spirites of horrible shapes and of many Empusa ghosts of variable fashion and that nursses so named them to make their children afrayde Chrysostomus Dion writeth that in the inmost parte of Affrike are certayn wylde beasts hauing the countenance of a woman whiche in lyke maner are called Lamiae and he sayth that they haue their pappes and al the rest of their breast so fayre as any paynters witte can deuise which being vncouered they disceytfully allure men vnto them and when they haue taken them doo foorthwith deuoure them In the fourth chapter of the Lamentations of Hieremie it is sayde Lamiae nudauerunâ— mammas suas c. Apuleius writeth that Lamiae are things that make Children afrayde Lamiae are also called Striges Striges as they saye are vnluckie birdes whiche sucke out the bloud of infants lying in their cradles And hereof some men will haue witches take their name who also are called Volaticae as Festus writeth The name of Gorgon was inuented to make childreÌ„ afraid for they say these Gorgons are rauening spirites such as men faine Lamiae to be Ephialtae Hyphialtae that is Jncubi and Succubi which we cal Maares are night spirits or rather Diuells which leape vpon men in their sleepe The phisitians do affirme that these are nothing else but a disease Empusa is an apparition of the Diuel or a spirit which sheweth it selfe vnto such as are in misery chaunging hys shape into diuers formes and for the most parte appeareth at noone time Read more hereof in Suidas Dicelon is so called bicause it is sente to make men afraid those kinds of terrors the Grecians cal Hecataea as Apollonius writeth bicause Hecate or Proserpina is the cause of them who therfore is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of terrifying and that by reason that terrours by night were thought to be stirred vp by hir Plutarchus writeth that Acco and Alphito were monstrous women by naming of whome mothers kepte their children in awe and made them feare to do euill Cardanus calleth these Diuels whiche kepe vnder the earth many times kill men as they are vndermining by the name of Telchinnes Men vsing witchecrafte and such as are possessed with a Spirite and out of their wits are called amongst the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of these sorte are those monsters halfe lyke men and halfe like beastes which men saye are founde in woods and oftentimes haue appéered vnto men It is sayde that Panes and Faâ—ni are all one hauing their nether partes lyke vnto Gaotes féete And menne saye that Satyri are almoste lyke vntoo menne And those whiche are of full age are called Sileni Onocentaurus is a beaste of a straunge fashion whiche is reported to be lyke a man in the vpper parte and downwarde lyke an asse Onosceli as it is written in Plutarche are Diuels hauyng legges like vnto asses The olde people imagined that Hippocentauri were creatures who before were lyke to men but the hinder partes had the similitude of horses And they doo fayne that Sphinx is Animal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a beast of the similitude of a man. Scilla and Harpyae are rauening Dyuels with faces lyke vnto maydens As touchyng menne lyuing in the Sea as Tritones Nereides and Syrenes who as the auncient people affirmed had faces lyke vnto menne Reade Gesnerus in Historia Aquatilium where hée intreateth of them For he proueth oute of many authoures that there are founde Monsters in the sea hauyng shapes and countenaunces somewhat lyke vnto men Some of these monsters whiche are in déede bée of the kynde of Apes and
words when immediately there followed a great groning not of one man but of many being admiâ—t as it were with greate admiration And bicause many were present in the ship they said the same hereof was spéedely spred abroad at Rome Thamus sent for Tiberius the Emperor who gaue so much credite vnto the matter that he diligently enquired asked who that Pan was The learned men whome he had in great number about him supposed that Pan was he who was the Sonne of Mercuriâ— and Penelope â–ª c. These and such like things Eusebius who also reciteth this historie affirmeth to haue chaunced in that time of Tiberius in the which Chryst being conuersant amongst men expelled al maner of deuils from the societie of theÌ„ Other most Godly professours of our Religion affirme as namely Paulus Marsus in his Annotations vppon the first of Ouids Fasti that this voice was heard out of Paxe the very same night ensuing the day wherein our Lorde suffered in the â—9 yeare of Tiberius whiche was the same yeare that Chryst was crucifâ—ed in by the whiche voiâ—e being vttered in a wildernesse of solitarie rockes it was declared that our Lorde and God had suffred for vs For the word Pan in Géeke signifieth all and then the Lord of al the world was Crucified He addeth moreouer that Theodosius doth say that the Archadiâ—â—s do worship this God calling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meaning thereby to signifie a Lord Ruler not of woordes but of al manner of material substances whose power is suche that it is able to create the essence and substance of al bodies whether that they be heauenly or earthly And albeit he refer this vnto the Sunne yet if a man marke diligently his mysteries haue a higher meaning c. Héereunto belongeth those things which are reported touching the chasing or hunting of Diuels and also of the daunces of dead men which are of sundrie sortes I haue heard of some which haue auouched that they haue séene them No man is able to rehearse all the shapes wherein spirites haue appeared for the Diuell who for the moste part is the worker of these things can as the Poets faine of Proteus chaunge himselfe into all shapes and fashions These walking spirits sometimes stoppe the way before men as they trauel and leade them out of their way and put them in suche greate feare that sometimes they become grayheaded in one night I remember I haue heard the like historie of my olde friende Iohn VVilling a godly and learned man of one in the Countie of Hannâ—w who not many yeares ago méeting with a walking spirite in the night season was so much altred that at his returning home his owne Daughters knewe him not Spirits oftentimes awake men out of their sléepe and cause many to forsake their owne houses so that they can not hire them out to any other Sometymes they ouerthrowe somewhat or strike men or cast stones at them and hurt them either in their bodies or in their goodes yea and sometime God dothe suffer them to bereaue men of their liues It often chaunceth that those mens faces and heades do swell which haue séene or heard spirits or haue ben blasted with them and some are taken mad as we sée by experience I remember wel it hath hapned that some supposing they haue séene armed men who were readie to take them haue therefore assayed to slay themselues which thing may be by craft of the Deuil Spirits do also trouble cattell in the night time in the pastures Thus muche concerning the first part of this woorke wherin I trust I haue proued and made it euident that albeit there be many which vainely persuade themselues they haue séene wandring spirits or haue behelde one in stéed of an other yet notwithstanding that ther are walking spirits that other straunge things do sometime happen I haue also shewed vnto whom they appeare especiallie and where when after what sort or in what fourmes they shewe themselues and what things they worke and bring to passe Whosoeuer dare flatlie denie these manyfolde and agréeable testimonies of the olde and newe writers he séemeth vnworthie in my iudgement of any credite whatsoeuer he say For as it is a great token of lightnesse if one by and by beléeue euery man whiche saithe he hath séene spirits so on the other side it is great impudencie if a man rashely and impudâ—ntely contemne all things which are aduouched of so many and so credible Historiographers and aunciente fathers and other graue men of great authoritie ¶ The second part of this Booke doth shewe that those Spirits and other strange sights be not the Soules of Men but be either good or euill Angels or else some secret and hyd operations CHAP. I. The opinion or beleefe of the Gentiles Ievves and Turkes concerning the estate of Soules seperated from their bodies IN the second part of this book we haue to consider what those thyngs be which as we haue before shewed are bothe hearde and séene in the daytime and in the night whether they be the souls of deade men or no also what the olde Wryters haue iudged of them and what the Holie Scriptures do teach vs herein Plato doth thinke that Heroicall and excellent soules as being of the pure sorte do mount aloft but that other base and viler soules that are defiled with the pleasures and lustes of the body do wander belowe on the ground and the same he déemeth to be those spirites whiche are eftsones séene Also other heathen and prophane writers say they are héereby moued to thinke that the soules of men doe lyue after death for that it is most cleare euident that many spirites wander and raunge hither and thyther and are oft times heard and séene and founde to talke with men for they suppose that most of these are mens soules Tertullian a very auÌ„â—ient writer in his boke De anima saith that the wise Heathens whiche dyd define the soule to be mortall for some of them as namely the Epicures thought that the soules dyed with their bodies thought that the soules of the wise if they departed from their bodies hadde their abiding on hygh but the rest were throwne downe into Hel. Furthermore the Heathen thought the Soules should stray continually abroade before they founde rest vnlesse the bodies from which they were seuered were rightly buried in the earth Wherefore as we may reade in Poets it was a gréeuous crime to caste foorth any bodie vnburied Hector in Homere besoughte Achilles that he would not cast foorth his carcasse to bée deuoured of Dogs and birds but that he would deliuer the same to be enterred by olde Priamus his father and Hecuba his mother Patroclus appeared in a vision by night after his deathe vnto Achilles and requested him to bestowe vppon him all funeral solemnities For otherwise he sayde the soules of those that were buried woulde thrust him backe
that he shuld not be able once to enter in at Hel gates Which example Tertullian aledgeth therwithal confuteth this vain opinion of the heathen Palinurus in Virgill besought Aeneas that he woulde cast earth on him when he was dead and erect vnto him an horsse for so did they call those Monuments of the deade in whiche albeit no man was layde yet were they vsed in the honour of the deceassed Vergill writeth that Deiphobus his Ghost wandred abroade vnto the whiche Aeneas erected an Horse For the Gentiles were of suche opinion in those dayes that they thoughte an emptie and counterfeyted buriall profited very much Moreouer the heathen were persuaded that the soules which dyed before their naturall time especially of those which perished by violent death whome they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as by hanging drowning or beheading c. dyd strap abroade so long time as they should haue liued if they had not ben slaine by violent death Which opinion Tertullian also confuteth Plato in his 9. booke De legibus writeth that the soules of those which are slayne do pursue their murtherers so far that they do hurt them the which except it be vnderstoode by way of a Metaphor is likewise to be reiected The Catholik faith amongst the Iewes was that the soules of the dead did not return into this erth but either were at rest which was when they dyed in the faythe of the promised Messias or were condemned if they departed hence in their sinnes withoute repentaunce For Iob in his 7. chapter sayth Euen as the cloude vanisheth and fadeth away so he that goeth downe to the graue shall come vp no more nor returne into his house c. But if thou wilt say that Iob was an Ethnick it may be alleaged of Dauid that when he was in very greate daunger and death euen present before his eyes he prayed in the 31. Psalm Into thy handes O Lord I commend my spirite The Preacher also in his 12. chapter sayth The spirit shall returne to God that giueth it In the boke of Wisedome which of old wryters is attributed to Philo Iudeus the third chapter therof it is written the soules of the righteous are in the hande of God and no torment shal touch them And on the other side the soules of the wicked go downe into hell In the 49. Psalm it is written of those welthy worldlings whiche for lucres sake departe from God and his commaundements They are layd as shéepe in Hel death shal consume them and Hell is their habitation c. If the Iewes had beléeued that the soules after this life were tormented in Purgatorie no doubt amongst so many diuers kyndes of sacrifices whiche they offered for the sinnes of the lyuing they woulde at laste haue some one kynd of sacrifice wherby to redéeme souls or in some part to assuage and mitigate their paines And that soules do returne after deathe do offer themselues to be séene and beheld of men and require ayde of them we find no wher in the old Testament but rather the contrary In the 2. of Samuel 12. Dauid speaketh this of his yong childe that he begat by Bersaba that he could not bring him into life againe that he would go to him and the chyld should neuer returne vnto him againe And Iesus the sonne of Syrach in his .38 chapter sayth there is no returning from death Of the vision whiche was shewed to Samuel we will straightway speake in his proper place And that in latter ages long after Christ came in flesh there were some amongest the Iewes who thought that the soules seperated from their bodies dyd straye and raunge a broade it may hereby be gathered for that certaine of the Rabbines write that the soule of Naboth which was slayne bycause he woulde not sell his Uyneyarde to Achab was that Spirite that promised his helpe to seduce Achab béeing as it were one that coueted his death The Turkes also beléeue that the soule is immortall and that assoone as they are loosed from the body they come eyther into a place of rest or of torment But whether that they dyd think that soules returned agayn into the earth and roue there too and fro I could find no playn mention thereof in their Alcaron CHAP. II. The Papistes doctrine touching the soules of dead men and the appearing of them THe Papists in former times haue publikely both taught written that those spirits which men somtime sée and hear be either good or bad angels or els the soules of those which either liue in euerlasting blisse or in Purgatorie or in the place of damned persons And that diuers of theÌ„ are those soules that craue ayde and deliueraunce of men But that this doctrine of theirs and the whole state therof may be the more euideÌ„tly perceiued we wil more largely repete the same out of their owne bokes Iacobus de Cusa a Carthusian Frier Doctor of diuinitie wrote a book of the Apparition of soules after they were seperated fro the bodies which work of his hath in it many supersticious toyes and was Printed in a town belonging to the dominion of Berna named Burgdroâ—e in the yeare of our Lorde 1475. Popish writers commenting on the 4. boke of the Maister of Sentences do appoint foure places to receyue soules after they are departed from the bodies Thrée of the which places they say are perpetuall one which lasteth but for a tyme already lymitted The first place or receptacle is Caelum Empireum the firie heauen so termed of his passing gret brightnesse and glorie which they say is the seate ordeined for the blyssed sort this place by an other in Scripture is called Paradise The second place is Hel vnder the earth being the Mansion of Deuils and Infidels departing hence in deadely sinne without repentance The third place they tearme Limbus puerorum whiche is prouided as wel for the Children of the faythful as of the vnfaythfull who they say shal continually abyde there without any sense of payne being only depriued from the fruition of Gods presence And therefore they say that after their death they ought not to be buried in holy buriall The fourth place is Purgatorie whiche is prepared for them that departe hence without deadly sin or if they committed any such sinnes dyd some penance for them but yet made full satisfaction for theÌ„ or else went hence only stayned with venial sinne Of this place to wit Purgatorie Popish writers teach maruellous things Some of them say that Purgatorie is also vnder the earth as Hel is Some say that Hell and Purgatorie are both one place albeit the paines be diuers according to the deserts of soules Furthermore they say that vnder the earth there are more places of punishment in which the soules of the dead may be purged For they say that this or that soule hath ben séene in this or that
what he desireth so that hereby thou mayst be honored he comforted and thy faithfull people also holpen and succored In the name of the father the sonne and the holy ghost Amen Yet do they teache that a man may choose to vse this or some other forme of prayer and ceremonies bicause that without these spirites haue often appeared shewed what they required This doon we shold as they teach fall to questioning with them and say Thou spirite we beséech thée by Christ Iesus tell vs what thou art and if there be any amongst vs to whom thou wouldest gladly make answere name him or by some signe declare so much After this the question is to be moued eche man there presente being recited whether he wold aunswere vnto this or that man And if at the name of any hée speake or make a noyse al other demaunds remayning should be made vnto him As these and suche lyke What mans soule he is for what cause he is come and what he doth desire Whether he require any ayde by prayers and suffrages Whether by Massing or almes giuing he may be released Farther by how many Masses that may be compassed by iij. vj.x.xx.xxx c. Furthermore what maner of priests should say Masse for him Monks or secular Priests Then if he aske for any Fasting by what persons howe long and in what sorte he woulde haue it doone If he require almes déedes what almes déedes they should be how many and on what persons bestowed whether on him that lacketh harbour or that is diseased of the leprosie or on some other sort of people Furthermore by what signe it may be perfectly known that he is released and for what cause he was firste shut vp in Purgatorie And yet they hold that no curious vnprofitable or superstitious questiōs shold be demaūded of the spirit except he wold of his own accord reuele open them And that it wer best that sober persons shold thus questiō with him on som holyday before diner or in the night seson as is cōmōly accustomed And if the spirite will shewe no signe at that tyme the matter should be deferred vnto some other season vntill the spirite woulde shewe hymselfe agayne and yet that the crosse and holy water should be left there for that by the secret iudgement of God it was ordeyned that they shold appeare at certeine houres and to certeine persons and not vnto all men And farther they say that we néede not to feare that the spirit would do any bodily hurte vnto that persone vnto whome it doth appeare For if such a spirit would hurte any he might iustlie be suspected that he were no good spirit Moreouer popishe writers teache vs to discerne good spirits from euill by foure meanes First they say that if he be a good spirit he will at the beginning somewhat terrifie men but againe soone reuiue and comforte them So Gabriel with comfortable words did lifte vp the blessed virgin which before was sore troubled by this salutation They also alleage other examples Their second note is to discry them by their outward and visible shape For if they appeare vnder the forme of a Lyon beare dog tode serpent catte or blacke ghoste it may easly be gathered that it is an euill spirit And that on the other side good spirits do appeare vnder the shape of a doue a man a lambe or in the brightnesse and clere light of the sunne We must also consider whether the voice whiche we heare be swéete lowly sober sorowfull or otherwise terrible and full of reproch for so they terme it Thirdly we must note whether the spirit teache ought that doth varie from the doctrine of the apostles and other doctoures approued by the Churches censure or whether he vtter any thing that dothe dissent from the faith good maners and ceremonies of the church according to the canonicall rites or decrées of councels against the lawes of the holy Church of Rome Fourthly we must take diligent héede whether in hys words déeds and gestures he do shew forth any humilitie acknowledging or confessing of his sinnes punishments or whether we heare of him any groning wéeping complaint boasting threatning slaunder or blasphemie For as the begger doth reherse his owne miserie so likewyse doo good spirits that desire any helpe or deliuerance Other signes also they haue to trie the good angels from the bad but these are the chéefe Now touching the suffrages or ways of succour wherby soules are dispatched out of Purgatorie Popishe doctours appoynt foure meanes That is the healthfull offering of the sacrifice in the sacrament of the aultar almose giuing prayer fasting And vnder these membres they comprise al other as vowed pilgrimages visiting of churches helping of the poore and the furthering of Gods worship and glorie c. But aboue all they extoll their masse as a thing of greatest force to redéeme soules out of miserie of whose wonderfull effect and of the rest euen nowe recited by vs they alleage many straunge examples Of these things they moue many questions the whiche who so lust to sée let him search their bookes whiche haue bin written and published of this matter Neither only in their writings but in open pulpit also they haue taught how excellent and noble an acte it is for men touched with compassion with these foresaid works to ridde the soule that appeareth vnto them and craueth their help out of the payns of purgatorie or if they cannot so do yet to ease and assuage their torture For say they the soules after their deliuerance ceasse not in moste earnest maner to pray for their benefactors and helpers On the other side they teach that it is an horrible and heynous offence if a man giue no succoure to suche as séeke it at his hands especially if it be the soule of his parents brethren and sisters For except by them they mighte conueniently be released of so manyfolde miseries they woulde not so earnestly craue their helpe Wherefore say they no man should be so voyde of naturall affection so cruell and outragious that he should at any tyme denie to bestow some small wealth to benefite those by whome hée hath before by diuers and sundry wayes ben pleasured If they were not the soules of the deade whiche craue helpe and succour but diuelishe spirites they woulde not will them to pray fast or giue almes for their sakes for that the diuels doo hate those as also al other good works CHAP. III. VVhat hath follovved this doctrine of the Papists concerning the appearing of mens soules BY these meanes it came to passe that the common sorte were of opinion that those spirites which were séene and heard were the soules of the dead and that whatsoeuer they did say was withoute gaynsaying to be beléeued And so the true simple and sincere doctrine of the calling vpon God in the name of Christe Iesus only of the confidence in Christes merites and redemption
those that are departed from this lyfe in the true faith of the Messias to come in suche sort that they feele no gréefe but yet are depriued of the sight of god This place they call Abrahams bosom and hell for Hell doth not always betoken a place of tormente but also generally the state that soules are in after this lyfe And that our lord Iesus Christ did visite and release them and when he ascended caried them with himselfe into heauen Albeit certain of the fathers as Ireneus Tertullian Hilarie others think that they shal at the last day ascend to heaueÌ„ Some also there be of our tyme which maintaine this fonde opinion that the soules sléep vntil the day of the last iudgement in which they shal be again coupled with their bodies but this assertion hath no grouÌ„d in holy scripture of the which point diuers haue entreated But especially Iohn Caluin that worthy seruaunt of God in a proper treatise that hée wrote of the same matter in which he doth learnedly confute their reasons that maintein the contrary opinion Wherfore sith holy scriptures as the Fathers vnderstand interprete them teache that the soules of men as soone as they departe from the bodies do ascende vp into heauen if they were godly descende into hell if they were wicked and faithlesse and that there is no thirde place in which soules should be deliuered as it were out of prison that soules caÌ„ neither â—e reclaimed out of heauen or hell Hereby it is made euident that they caÌ„not wander on the earth desire aide of meÌ„ For first the soules of the blyssed néed no aide or help y men caÌ„ giue them on the other side the damned sort can no way be releued the which S. Ciprian the martir in his oration against DemetriaÌ„ dothe plainly witnesse in these words wheÌ„ we be once departed out of this world ther is afterward no place left for repeÌ„taÌ„ce no way to make satisfactioÌ„ here life is either woon or lost so forth Albeit the testimonies alredy alleged on this point of doctrin may wel suffise those that loue the truth are desirous to come to the knowledge therof yet to increase the nuÌ„ber I wil recite other testimonies also out of the fathers to proue manifestly that the soules departed do not again return wander on the earth so that all they which haue not yet stopped their cares that the truth myght not pierce enter into them may euideÌ„tly perceiue that those ancient tymes taught a far better doctrine of those spirits ghosts than other later tymes vnder poperiâ— haue coÌ„mended allowed Tertullian a very auncient writer in the end of his booke De anima sayth the soules do not any longer abide on the earth after they be once loosed from their bodies that neither by their own accord nor other mens coÌ„mandement they do waÌ„der at all after they haue descended into hel but he sayth that euil spirits do vse this kinde of deceyt to fayne themselues to be the soules of suche as are deceassed And that Hell is not open to any soule that it should afterward at any time depart thence Christ our Lord in the parable of the poore man that was in rest and the riche glutton that was in torment doth playnely ratifie vnder the person of Abraham that there can be no maÌ„ sent back to shew or tel ought of the state of hell And albeit the fathers haue noted certain errors and scapes in Tertullian yet ther was neuer any that reproued him for this opinion Athanasius in his booke of questioÌ„s the .xiij. question doth giue a reason wherfore God wil not suffer y any soul decessed shuld return vnto vs declare what the state of things is in hel what great misery is there hereby saith he many errors wold easily spring vp among vs for many diuels might so take on them the shape of men be traÌ„sformed into the likenesse of the dead say that they arose froÌ„ the dead and so publish many lying tales false opinions of things there don therby to seduce and hurt vs Weigh these words of Athanasius I pray thée Sainct Chrysostome in his nynetéenth Homilie on the eight chapter of sainct Mathews Gospell hath in maner the same woordes for hée moueth thys question Why suche as were possessed with Spirites lyued in graues Therefore sayeth he they abode there to put this false opinion in mens heads that those persons soules whyche by violent death departed were turned into Dyuels so dyd seruice vnto witches and soothsayers The which opinion the diuell first broughte in thereby to diminishe the Martyrs prayse and glorie that so the Sorcerers mighte â—lea those persons whose wicked trauell help they vsed those matters saith he ar far from truth For he proueth by the Scripture that the spirites of the godly are not vnder the power of the Diuels nor yet do stray abroade after deathe then that they woulde retourne vnto theyr owne bodyes if they myghte wander whether they lusted And further if they dydde any seruice too theyr Murderers by that meanes they should at their handes receyue a reward for an yll déede and displeasure By natural reason also it can not come to passe that a maÌ„s body should be turned into an other body and therfore also the spirite of a man can not be chaunged into a deuill But among other things which proprely belong to our purpose he sayth If we heare a noyse that sayth I am suche a soule we muste thus thinke that thys talke procedeth of some sleight and subtiltie of the deuill and that it is not the soule of the dead body that speketh these things but the Deuill that deuiseth them to deceyue the hearers And by and by he sayeth that these are to be counted olde wiues words or rather doting fooles toyes to mocke children withall For the soule when it is parted from the body cannot walke any longer in these parties For the soules of the iust are in the hands of god And on the other side the soules of the wicked after their departure hence are straightway lead aside and withdrawne froÌ„ vs which may euidently be séene by Lazarus the rich man And in another place also the Lorde sayth This day will they take thy soule from thée wherefore the soule cannot here wander when it is departed from the body A little afterwarde he addeth that it may be proued out of many places of scripture that the soules of the iust doo not here wander after death For Steuen saide Lorde receiue my Spirit and Paule desired to be loosed and to departe hence and to be with Christ. Also the scripture as touching the patriarks death vseth this phrase he is layde vnto his fathers growen vp vnto a good olde age And that the soules of sinners and wicked men cannot after their departure here abide any longer we may
they alledge this that Christs apostles beleued that the spirit or soule either of Christ as some of the fathers vnderstand it or of some other person did appere vnto thē Besides to proue this matter they alledge places out of the fathers decrées of councels the cōmon report that hath ben bruted of those that returned frō the dead To al these resons by Gods assistance we will briefly and orderly answere As touching y first obiection that al things are possible vnto God we denie it not We graunt then that God can bring soules out of heauen or hel vse their trauaile seruice to instruct cōfort admonish rebuke men But for that no text or example is found in holy scripture that euer any soules came from the dead which did so scoole warn men or that the faithful learned or sought to vnderstande any thing of the soules deceassed we cānot allow the sequele of their reason We may not of gods almightie power inferre cōclusions to our plesure For this is a principle holdē in scholes that the reson doth not truly folow that is set frō the power of doing to the dead done For God doth nothing against himself or his word writē to warrāt their reson they shold first haue proued that it was gods wil y soules shold return into the erth for so do holy fathers intreat of gods almighty power Tertulliā against Praxias saith Truly I neuer thought that any thing was hard to be done of God we may faine of God what wée liste as if he had done the same bicause he is able to doo it But we must not beléeue that God hathe therefore done all things because he is able to doo them But first we ought to make inquirie whether he hath done them S. Ambrose in his sixte booke of epistles and 37. epistle writeth vnto Cromatius in this wise Therefore what is there vnpossible vnto him Not that thing whiche is hard to his power but that which is contrary to his nature It is vnpossible for him to lye and this impossibilite in hym procedeth not of infirmitie but of vertue and maiestie For truth receyueth no lye neither doth the vertue of God enterteine the vanitie of errour Reade farther that whiche followeth in the same place Hierom writing to Eustochia of the preseruing of hir virginitie saith I will boldly auouch this one thing that though God can do all things yet can he not restore a virgin after hir fall Augustine in the tenth chapter of his fifth booke De ciuitate dei hath That God is saide to be omnipotent in doing that he will and not in doing that he will not Againe he addeth Gods power is not herby any whit diminished when we say that god cannot die or be deceyued And immediatly therefore he cannot do some things bycause he is omnipotent c. Thodoret also teacheth vs that it may not absolutely without exception be pronounced that all things are possible vnto god For who so doth precisely affirme thys dothe in effecte say this muche that all things both good and bad are possible vnto God c. Wherefore féeble is that obiection of theirs God can sende soules vnto men to teache and admonish them therefore these spirits that praye ayde be soules that come out of Heauen or Hell. In the meane time we do not denie the power of God as some do maliciously report of vs but we wold not haue the same made a denne or couert of errours Heare what the Lorde our God in the .18 of Deuteronomie speaketh When thou shalte come into the lande whiche the Lorde thy God giueth thée doo not thou learne to doo after their abhominable rites and vsages of those nations Let none bée founde among you that maketh hys sonne or his daughter to passe through the fire nor a diuiner that dooth forshew things to come nor a Sorcerer nor a witche nor a charmer nor one that consulteth with spirits nor an inchanter nor a Magitian nor one that raiseth vp the dead For the Lorde dothe abhorre all that doo such things and bicause of these abhominations the Lord thy God hath caste them out before thée Be thou therfore sound and perfecte before the Lorde thy God and by and by he promiseth to send them that great Prophet whome they shoulde heare In the .viij. of Esay it is written If they say vnto you inquire of them which haue a spirite of diuination whiche whisper and murmure softely in youre eares to deceyue you Should not euery people or nation enquire at their God what shall they go from the liuing to the dead Let them goe vnto the lawes testimonie suche as haue no light should they not speake according to this word which who so should contemne shal be hardened and hunger c. Héereby we do vnderstand that vnder a greate penaltie God hath precisely forbidden that we shoulde learne and searche out any thing of the dead He alone woulde be taken for our sufficient schoolemaster In the Gospell wée read They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them Unto these may be added testimonies out of the Apostles writings that God doth not send vs soules hither to informe vs The common and ordinarie way whereby it pleaseth God to deale with vs is his word Therwithal should we content our selues and not wayte for newe reuelations or receyue any thing that dooth not in all pointes agrée therwith But as touching this matter we wil speake more in his proper place CHAP. VII That the true Samuell did not appeare to the vvytche in Endor NOwe touching the examples by them commonly alleaged whiche do thinke that the soules of the dead do return again vnto the liuing vpon the earth I wil first intreat of Samuels apparition of which matter now adayes there is greate contention and reasoning And as I trust I shal proue by strong argumentes that very Samuell himselfe did not appeare in soule and body neither that his body was raised vp by the sorcerers which perchaunce then was rotten consumed vnto dust in the earth neither that his soule was called vp but rather some diuelish spirite First the author of the two bookes of Samuel sayeth that Saule did aske counsell of the Lord that he would not answer him neither by visions nor by Urim nor by his Prophets Wherfore if God disdayned by his Prophetes yet liuing and other ordinarie wayes to giue answer vnto him whom he had alredy reiected we may easily coniecture that he would much lesse haue raysed a dead prophet to make him answer And the rather for that as we haue a little before sayde the law of God hathe seuerely by a greate threatening forbidden to learne oughte of the deade and woulde not haue vs to searche for the truth of them nor that any manne should vse dyuination by spyrites and suche other diuelyshe Artes. Secondly yf very Samuell in deede appeared that muste
that soule He also confuteth the opinion of the Ethnikes prouing by the testimonie of the very Magitians whom they highly reuerenced that the soule was immortall These men affirmed and taught that they did call vp soules from the dead the which poynt euen those of the Gentiles beleeued who notwithstanding thought that the soule did streightway die with the bodie Iustine the Martyr in the seconde Apologie whiche he wrote in the defence of Christians hath these wordes I will sayth he say the truth In times past wicked angels through vayn visions deceyued women and children and with straunge and monstrous sightes made men afrayde by whiche meanes they often wroong that oute of foolishe and rude persons whiche by reason they coulde neuer get of them And therefore not knowyng that these were the Diuels engins and policies tendyng to delude them they by one consente termed the workers of these slye conueyances by the name of Gods assignyng to eache of them their propre names as best pleased themselues c. Afterwardes in the same Apologie hée exhorteth the heathens that they would not deny mens soules after this lyfe to be indued with sense but at the least way woulde giue credite to their owne Necromancers who teach that they call vp mens soules Also let them beléeue those that affirm they haue ben vexed with spirits of dead men which persons the coÌ„mon people term furious frantike bodies In Augustin de ciuitate dei many such things be coÌ„teined Now what dreadfull strange and maruellous ceremonies they vsed when they went aboute by their Magicall artes to call vp the soules of the deade a man may sée in the first booke of Lucan the Poet where he setteth foorth howe Erictho a famous Wytche in Thessalye reuiued and restored a souldioure to lyfe againe who was lately slayne before Whiche acte he did at the requeste of Sextus Pompeius that so he myght by him learne what wold be the issue of the battayle fought at Pharsalia This kind of Magike they proprely terme Necromancie or Psycomancie which is wrought by raising vp the spirites and soules of the dead Of whiche there were dyuerse sortes For sometyme appeared vnto menne the whole bodies of the dead but at an other time onely ghostes and spirites and often nothing was hearde sauyng onely a certayne obscure voyce Plutarche in the lyfe of Cimon as hée is translated by Ioachimus Camerarius in the Preface on Plutarches bookes De oraculis quae defecerint de conseruata figura Delphis writeth that Pausanias when he had taken the Citie of Bizance sente for Cleonice a mayden of noble parentage to haue vnhoneste companie with hir Whome hir parentes partely by necessitie and partely for feare sente vnto him But after that the Uirgin had once obtayned so muche of his wayghters in hys priuie chamber that they shoulde at hir fyrst entraunce put out the lyghtes shâ—e in the darke goyng softly towards Pausanias bedde by the waye stumbled on the candlesticke and ouerthrew it agaynste hir will as hée laye asléepe in his bedde who béeing troubled wyth the sodayne noyse drewe a swoorde that laye by hym and therewith slewe the virgin as she had bin his enimie whiche went priuily to sette vppon hym But shée béeing thus slayne wyth that deadly stroake woulde neuer after suffer Pausanias to take his quiet reste but in a vision appearing vnto him in the nyghte season denounced sentence of hatred against this noble captayn in these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Answere to the lawe for wrong is an euill thing vntoo all men This heynous déede of Pausanias was very gréeuously taken of all his companions who therfore vnder the conduction of captayne Cymo â–ª sette on him and chased him out of Thracia And thus hauyng lost the citie of Bizâ—nce when as it is reported the sight continued in troubling him hée fledde vnto Necyomantium at Heraclea where the soule of Cleonices béeing called vp hée by intreatie pacified hir displeasure Shée didde there bothe present hir self vntoo hys syght and also told hym it shold shortly come to passe that the euill towards him shold cease as soone as he came to Sparta Héereby priuily intimating his death c. This Pausanias did at the first soberly and discreatly demeane him selfe but afterwardes béeing puffed vp with such victories as he had obteined he ruled and raigned lyke a very Tyraunt Wherefore when the Magistrates called Ephori would haue committed him to pryson he tooke Sanctuarie in a Temple where he was shutte vp vntill he famished through hunger I might héere heap togither many such like Hystories to proue euidently what this Samuel was In other matters also if God licence him the Deuill is not destitute of power and howe craftie and ready he is for all assayes experience doth well declare Furthermore graunt that wherein the pith strength of the question doth consist which can neuer be proued by Scripture that God did permit Samuel to return and to Prophesie of things to come after hys death yet will it not thereof followe that suche visions shoulde nowe be shewed also or that those thyngs shoulde be out of hande credited and done which they commaund God in tymes past did often in visible shape sende his Angels vnto men but nowe we heare not that many are sent vnto men neither in déed is the same necessarie WheÌ„ the Apostles lyued héere many notable miracles were doone but nowe for certaine good causes they cease and fal away for whatsoeuer is necessarie for our Saluation is expresly conteyned in the worde of god These notes touching Samuels appearing may suffise CHAP. X. Moyses and Elias appeared in the Mounte vnto Chryst our Lorde many haue ben raised from the dead both in body and soule and therefore Soules after they are departed may returne on earth againe IN like manner they obiecte vnto vs out of the 17. of Matthew that Moses and Helias were séene in the Mount whiche is called by the olde Wryters Tabor with our Lord Iesus by the Apostles whom he had chosen for the same purpose and that they dyd speake with him Luke telleth of what matters they coÌ„muned with him to wit of his deth that is the deth of the crosse Thereupon they gather that the soules of dead men may come againe into the earth appeare vnto men we haue grauÌ„ted before the God is able to send soules again into the earth but that it is his will so to do or that it is necessary especially at these days is not yet proued Moses Helias apered not to al the Apostles but only to thrée neither did they speake to those thrée they brought no new Doctrine they coÌ„maunded them not to build Churches in their honor or to do any such like thing whether that their soules came alone or their bodies also sure it is they were not sente to the Apostles but to Chryst only It was very necessarie that they which shuld be
he may intermedle euil things therwith he speaketh truth that he may scatter abroade lyes and roote them in mens hearts So Sinon in Vergill mingled falsehode with truth that he might the better entrap the Troians Sathan dothe imitate craftie gamsters who suffer a plaine and simple yong man to winne a while of them that afterwards being gréedy to play they may lurche him of all his golde and siluer He followeth them which once or twise iustly repay vnto their creditoures suche money as they haue borowed kéeping their promise duely that afterwards they may obteine a great summe of them and then deceyue them The diuell sometimes vttereth the truth that his words may haue the more credite and that he may the more easely beguile them He that woulde vtter euill wares doth not only sette them foorth in wordes but doth also so trim and decke them that they seeme excellent good wherby they are the more salable this arte also the diuell knoweth for he painteth out his stuffe that he may obtâ—â—de it vnto other men in the stead of good ware S. Ambrose writeth in his CoÌ„mentaries vpon the first epistle to the Thessalonians and fift chap. expounding these words Quâ—nâ—he not the Spirit Despise not prophecying Examin all things and kepe that which is good Euill spirits are wont to speake good things craftely as it were by imitation and amongst those they priuily insinuate wicked things that by means of those things which are good euill things may be admitted and bycause they are supposed the words of one spirit they may not be discerned a sunder but by that whych is lawfull an vnlawfull thing may be commended by authoritie of the name and not by reason of vertue c. Herevnto apperteine those words whiche we reade in S. Chrisostomes second sermon De Lazara There he sheweth that many simple men haue bin in this erroure that they haue thought the soules of those which were slayne by some violent death did become Diuels He sayth further that the Diuell hathe persuaded many witches and such as serue him being in this erroure that they shoulde kill the teÌ„der bodies of many yong men hoping they shold become Diuels and do them seruice And by and by he addeth But these things are not true no I say they are not What is it then that Diuels say I am the soule of suche a Monke Uerely I beleue it not euen for thys that Diuells do aduoutche it for they deceyue their auditours Wherefore Paule also commaundeth them to silence albeit they speake truth lest taking occasion by truth they mingle lyes therwith and so purchase them selues credite For when they had sayd These men are the seruants of the most high God shewing vnto you the way of saluation The Apostle not content herewith coÌ„maunded the prophecying spirite vnto silence and to come foorth of the mayd And yet what harme speake they These men are the seruantes of the moste high god But bycause the most parte of simple men haue not vnderstanding alwayes to iudge of those things whiche are vttered by Diuels he at once excludeth them from all credite Thou art saith he of the number of infamous spirites it belongeth not to thee to speake fréely hold thy peace kepe silence it is not thy office to preache This is the authoritie of the Apostles why takest thou vppon thée that which appertayneth not vnto thee hold thy peace be thou infamous So also did Christe sharply rebuke the diuels saying vnto him we knowe thée who thou art therein prescribing vnto vs a lawe that we shoulde in no wise trust the diuell albeit he tell the truth Sith we know these things let vs in no wise beléeue the diuell nay rather if he say any thyng that is truth let vs flâ—e from him and shunne him For it is not lawful exactly to learne sounde and holsome doctrine of diuels but out of the holy Scriptures That you may therfore know that it can in no wise be that a soule once departed out of the body can come vnder the tyrannie of the diuell heare what sainct Paule sayth For he that is dead is iustified from sinne that is he sinneth no more For if the diuel can do no hurt vnto the soule whyle it is in the body it is euidente hée can not hurt it when it is departed out of the body c. By all these things it is playne what manner of things those are which are heard séene ¶ The thirde part of this Booke in which is shewed why or to vvhat end God suffereth Spirits to appeare and other strange things to happen as also howe men ought to behaue them selues when they méete with any suche things CHAP. 1. God by the appearing of Spirits doth exercise the faithfull and punishe the vnbeleeuers IT followeth nowe hereafter to be intreated of why God suffreth spirites ghostes and horrible sightes to appeare c. also why he dothe permitte other straunge and miraculous thynges to happen And furthermore howe men oughte to behaue them selues when they sée any suche thyngs GOD doth suffer Spirites to appeare vnto his electe vnto a good ende but vnto the reprobate they appeare as a punishemente And as all other things tourne to the beste vntoo the Faythefull euen so doo these also for yf they bée good Spirites whiche appeare vnto menne warnyng and defendyng them thereby do they gather the care prouidence and Fatherly affection of GOD towardes them But in case they bée euyll Spyrites as for the most part they are the faithfull are moued by occasion of them vnto true repentaunce They looke diligently vnto themselues so long as they liue least the enimie of mankynde who is ready at all assayes and lyeth always in waight should bring them into mischiefe and take further vauntage to vexe and hurte them God also by these meanes dothe exercise and trie their faith and pacience to the end they continue in his woord receyue nothing contrary to the same haue it neuer so fayre a shewe nor do any manner of thing agaynst his worde although those spirites doe not streightwayes cease to vexe them God dothe also suffer them to be exercised with haunting of spirites for this cause that they shold be the more humble and lowely For in the second Epistle to the Corinth and .xij. chap. Paul sayth And least I shold be exalted out of measure through the excellencie of reuelatioÌ„s ther was giuen vnto mée vnquietnesse through the fleshe euen the messanger of Sathan to buffet me bicause I shold not be exalted out of measure For this thing besought I the Lord thrice that it mighte depart from me And he sayd vnto me My grace is sufficieÌ„t for thée for my strength is made perfect through weakenesse Except God did shut vp the waye before vs with certaine stops and â—ets we shold not know our selues we shoulde not vnderstande wherof we stand in néed we shold not so earnestly pray vnto God
the other made aunswere by waye of reasoning called violentum Nay sayth hée hereby ye may gather that your religion is naught and oures good for the diuell assaulteth those whome he feareth will shortly reuolte from him It is not much vnlike which Aeneas Siluius who was afterwardes made Pope called Pius 2. reciteth in his Historie of the Councell of Basill out of the lyfe of holy Benedict father of the Monkes called after his name Hée sometymes visityng a certayne Monasterie of holy men espyed an infinite route of diuels who as it were fighting with the holy fathers labored to disturbe the good workes which they went about And he foorthwith going to a faire full of marchandise and buying and selling saw there but one diuell and he also idle and sad sitting vppon a watchtoure wherat saint Benedict maruelling that he saw the place whiche was holy and dedicate to prayer full of dyuels and that he founde the prophane place which was occupied with periurie and other offences garded but with one Diuell hée coniures the same Diuell to declare and shewe vnto him the true cause therof who streight answered him that it was néedefull the holy place shoulde be assaulted by many diuels but those whiche sinned of their voluntarie accorde had no néede to bée deceyued by the Diuell But I aske thée thys question O thou Papist myghte not the Gentils in ancient tyme haue obiected the same to the Christians when they demaunded of them why their Oracles ceassed and why there were so fewe Uisions If those Spirites or bugges be Diuels why doe you then saye and beléeue that they are the soules of dead menne whiche desyre helpe of you I wyll shewe you the verye true cause why those visyons are nowe so seldome tymes séene forsoothe bycause the Dyuell perceyueth that wée vnderstande hys subtleties and craft therefore hée hunteth after other men and seeketh to deceyue them As for example when thou wilt cramp some man by the toes in the night time as sometimes pleasant fellowes vse to do to recreate themselues when they trauel and so draw him out of his bed if thou perceyue he be acquainted with thy sleyght by and by thou leauest him and goest vnto an other which is fast asleep and cannot perceiue the deceyt There be other causes also why these things happen nowe more seldome If any man deceiue thée once twice or thrice afterwardes thou openest thy eyes and espiest what he doth and what he goeth about so when we haue béene often beguiled with false apparations we will not easily be persuaded if any man tel vs that a soule or spirit hath appeared as the prouerb saith Moreouer whereas nowe adayes fewe stand in feare of spirites many might be easily found who would séeke them feele them yea and also handle them This is wel known therfore no man will gladly put on a visour or otherwise counterfeit himselfe to be a ghost A man may soone persuade a childe that ther is is a black man a tall woman which wil put chyldren that crie in their budget c. but after they are come to maturitie of yeares they will no more be feared with visours and such like persuasions they will laugh at thy follie if afterwards thou go about to make them so afraid Euen so when we were children in the Scriptures that is when we vnderstood them not we might be easily seduced to beleeue many things But nowe that we reade them in all manner of tongs and do dayly profit in them we do not suffer our selues to be so mocked neither do we beléeue euery vaine apparition How many sightes of spirites did the knauerie of the Monkes of Berna driue away after it was once detected Things are set vp in the fieldes to feare awaye the birdes whiche at the last also they perceyue to be but trifles and are not dryuen away any longer with suche toyes What maruel is it then if after so great a shipwracke of godlynesse and truth men albeit they are simple do at the last open their eyes CHAP. III. VVhy God doth suffer straunge noyses or extraordinarie rumblings to be heard before some notable alterations or othervvise IN that there happeneth certayne straunge things before the death of men and also before notable alterations and destructions of countries as maruellous crackes terrible roaring surely it turneth to good vnto the iust to further damnation to the wicked For by these means God sheweth that nothing commeth to passe by chaūce or by aduenture but that the life and deth the prosperous or vnfortunate estate of al men is in the power and hand of god It is nothing so as the Epicures affirme that God hath no regard whether any man lyue or be borne or do well or euill or otherwise or whether common welthes do florish or be made wast Chryst himselfe techeth vs that not so much as a sparrow falleth vnto the ground without the wil of god Salomon Daniel say that the hearts of kings are in Gods hands and that he appoynteth or deposeth kings at his pleasure Wherfore if we happely do heare any noises or such like they ought rather to put vs in good comfort than to make vs afrayd And againe God héereby admonisheth vs that we be not idle and secure for he hath in al ages stirred vp his seruants not only with words but also with rare and strange apparitions The very Gentiles accounted these myraculous things as the admonitions and warnings of their gods as it may be séen euery wher in ther histories And albeit it be very likely that most of these things happen by the deuils procuremēt yet neuerthelesse we héerin perceiue Almightie God his fatherly care loue preseruation of vs against the deuises of the deuil For albeit the deuil take no rest but is alwayes in redynesse to destroy vs yet can he not hurt vs so long as God kepeth watch defendeth vs The wicked who despise the preaching of Gods worde are sore terrified with these things in so much that they not knowing whether to turne thēselues are constrained to confesse that god doth gouern al mens actions that there are good and euil spirites Otherwise they coulde in no case be repressed but that they woulde do greater mischiefe vnto the faithful except God by these meanes dyd cast feare vppon them and as it were with a snaffle or brydle did hale and drawe them backe CHAP. IIII. After vvhat sort they should behaue themselues vvhiche se good or euil spirits or mete vvith other strange aduentures and first hovve Ievves and Gentiles behaued themselues in the like cases THat we may rightly vnderstand how we ought to behaue our selues if any thing eyther good or euill appeare vnto vs we wil first declare how the gentiles and Iewes vsed themselues in like cases Amongest the Gentiles not only those wandring spirits beare men in hande that they were mens soules but also shewed what were good and
verie godly menne as we read both in the olde and newe Testament were stricken with excéeding feare when they sawe good Angels but yet a man must pul vp his heart againe When Chrystes Disciples sawe their Maister walking vpon the water and approching neare the shippe they thought they sawe a spirite and they were astonished and cryed out through feare But the Lorde sayde vnto them be of good comforte it is I be not afraide The lyke is reade in the foure and twentie Chapter of Saint Luke when he appeared vnto them after hys resurrection and saw that they were maruellously afraid Matthew the 10. Feare not saythe Chryst those whiche slay the body but cannot kyll the soule but rather stande in awe of him who can cast both bodie and soule into hell fire The Deuil would like it wel if we would alwayes stand in feare of him Be not dismayde although thou heare some spirit stir and make a noyse for in case hée rumble onely to make thée afrayde care not for him but lette hym rumble so long as he wyll for if hée sée thée wythout feare hée wyll soone depart from thée And if thou thinke good thou mayst boldly say vnto him get thée hencewith a myschiefe thou wicked Deuil thou hast nothing to do with me who haue sette my onely beléefe in Christ Iesu my Sauiour I am owner of this house and not thou vnto whome ther is an other place apoynted c. If hée perceyue that ther is no feare or dreade of him and that his bustling is not estéemed he will not continue long time I will make thys matter manifest with a similitude which is wel knowne There be certaine men whiche if they thinke other men stande in feare of them they make wise to drawe their sworde and sometymes too they drawe it and strike the stones therewith chafing and swearing lustily But if they knowe their aduersaries haue a good courage and that if néede require they will fight it out stoutly they will quickely put vp their sworde into their skabberde In lyke manner if the Deuill sée thou art of a good stomacke and wel armed with Gods worde he wil soone seeke after others whome he may mocke with feare But if it please God to exercise thée by the Deuill for a certayne tyme as hée dyd sometime Iob thou must paciently suffer all things whiche he layeth vppon thée and that willingly for Goddes commaundement sake And knowe thou well that he cannot thus much hurt neither thy goods nor body nor soule without the permission and sufferaunce of Almightie God if God giue him leaue to plague thy bodie thinke with thy selfe howe so euer it be doone that God hath so doone for thy profitte and commoditie who also sendeth gréeuous sicknesses vppon other men by other meanes and instruments or else doth exercise them with other kyndes of calamities Be therefore strong and constant in faythe yet lette euery one beware of boldnesse temeritie and headdie rashnesse Let it comfort thée that thou knowest Chryst hath conquered the Deuil as he himselfe teacheth in the eleuenth chapter of Luke by the example of a strong mā at armes In the 12. .16 of Iohn he saith the Prince of this worlde shal be cast out of the doores that is to say out of the harts of them which cleaue to the word of God and are not in loue with the worlde wherof he is prince ruler For he hath power ouer such which doo gréedily loue the worlde In the fyrst of Iohn the third chapter it is sayde The sonne of man appeared that is came into the worlde for that cause that he might destroy the woorkes of the diuel There are many miracles in the gospell which shew that Christ cast out diuels Albeit God for a tyme do suffer the diuel in many things yet hath he apointed him his bounds which he may not passe And he dooth not suffer the faythfull to be tempted any more of him than they are able to endure He giueth his grace plentuously vnto them vpon whome he layeth great afflictions Wée ought not to maruel if spirits somtymes be séen or heard For as sainct Peter sayth Sathan raungeth euery where in houses fieldes water and fyre and yet he is not alwayes espied of men neyther can he so be except God giue him leaue to shewe himselfe In that that we doe always sée him for he being of an inuisible nature taketh on him diuers shapes or heare him wée haue to thank the goodnesse of almightie God for otherwise we should not be in rest one moment of tyme But if sometime wicked spirites méete with vs in a visible forme by the wil of god or do otherwise trouble and disquiet our houses we must not think therfore that they were neuer in our house before CHAP. VI. It behoueth them vvhich are vexed vvith spirits to pray especially and to giue themselues to fasting sobrietie vvatching and vpright and godly liuing NOw bicause good angels appeare vnto vs more seldome in this oure tyme for there is a very great difference of men liuing vnder the newe testament from them that liue vnder the olde vnto whom God many and oftentymes sente his angels and that euill Angels very often appeare we ought the rather to committe our selues more diligently to the tuition of almightie God both when we go to bed and also when we arise agayne Our sauioure amongst all other things taught vs to pray to this purpose Deliuer vs from euill And moreouer he saith in the .17 chapter of Matthew that some kind of diuels are not driuen away by any other kind of meanes than fasting and praying As touching those which suppose that diuels ought to be cast out with coniurations and execrable curssings I wil entreat in the end of this my booke Watch pray least ye fall into temptation Matthew .26 And in the 22. of Luke Christ sayth vnto Peter Sathan hath desired to sifte you euen as corne but I haue prayed that thy faith faile not And euē at this present also he maketh intercession for vs sitting at the right hand of his heauenly father The auncient fathers in olde tyme called vppon God in all theyr daungers and troubles whereof it were a néedelesse matter to aduouche many examples It is also very profytable and good to craue the Prayers of the whole congregation when soeuer we are vexed with euill spirits and vayne fantasies For wée knowe righte well that the prayers of the Church haue bin very proffitable and effectuall vnto others and that the godly in their distresses haue euermore desired them It is Gods pleasure that the faithfull should succoure one an other with their good prayers Howbeit that the Saints after their departure from hence shoulde pray for vs or that we shoulde in any wise desire theyr prayers surely there is no commaundement of God or any example thereof in the holy scriptures Moreouer the Apostles teache vs to withstande
any allowed authors that in the time of the apostles and many dayes after this gréeting was accounted as a prayer or that any godly men did salute and call vpon the holy virgin Which thing I write not bicause I would bereue the holy Uirgin of hir honor but least that against hir will wée giue hir that honour which is only due to God the Father and to his sonne Iesu christ For he is our onely mediatour and redéemer 1. Timoth. 2. Otherwise the Aue Marie and other such places of holy Scripture full of consolation and comfort touching the humanitie of Christ his punishment death and merites are to be often read and diligentely considered neither are the Scriptures to be pulled out of the handes of the laye people in whiche they may sée all these things with their owne eyes In déede I denie not but Spirites haue many tymes vanished away vpon the saying of Aue Marie but it was so doone that men myght therby be confirmed in their superstition But these men procéeding further did coniure or consecrate water with certain peculiar ceremonies and kept it in vessels in their churches houses and elsewhere amongest many other vertues ascribing this force vnto it that it chaseth away spirites and vayne sights They also consecrated salte and taught that whether soeuer it were cast it draue away spirits and all deceytes of the diuel yea and the diuel himselfe also Moreouer they coniured with certain ceremonies and words candles palme herbs and other creatures to driue awaye fantasies as they terme them They layde these and such lyke things as also the relikes of Saintes in those places wheras Spirits had ben séene or heard They also beare men in hande that greate belles and sancebelles by their noyse frayed spirites out of the ayre All these things are founde more at large in the Papists bookes whiche are written of the consecration of suche things and are publikely extant If belles be roong on S. Iohns day or S. Agathes day they say it is a most excellent remedie against spirits Some vsed to burn a buÌ„dell of consecrated herbes that with the smoke therof they mighte thase away diuels Many haue their peculiar and straunge blessings agaynst spirites There haue bene also many holy rites instituted by the coÌ„maundement of wandring soules as Masses for the dead vigils prayers and twelue months minds as though the soules of godly men being deliuered from all trouble were not immediately translated into eternall rest And it is also plain by reding the Poets and Historiographers that the Gentiles had their sacrifices for the dead as their rites called Nouendialia which were obserued the ninth day and their yearely feastes c. Howbeit those counterfait ghostes craued nothing so earnestly as that many Masses might be song for their sakes for they bare men in hand that those had great and maruellous force to redeme them out of Purgatorie Iohn Tritenhemius writeth in his Chronicles of the Monasterie of Hirsgauium about the yeare of our Lorde 1098. Henricus the fourth then being Emperoure that at such tyme as the order of the Cistertians first began there appeared many dayes and nights not far from the citie of Wormes great troupes of horsmen and footmen as if they were now going foorth to battail running now here now there in troupes that about .ix. of the clock at night they returned again to the hill nere at hand out of the which they vsed to come forth At last a certain monke of the abbey of Limpurge which stode not far from the hil wheÌ„ce they issued associating certain other vnto him came on a certain night to the place of the hil blissing himself with the sign of the holy crosse adiured them in the name of the holy and vnseparable Trinitie as they came out of the hill to declare vnto him who they were vnto whom one of the company made answer we ar quod he no vain things neither yet liuing souldiers but the soules of earthly meÌ„ seruing in this world vnder our prince who not loÌ„g since was slain in this place The armour furniture horses whiche were vnto vs instrumentes of sinne while we liued are euen nowe after oure death certayne signes and tokens of tormentes Whatsoeuer ye sée aboute vs is all firie vnto vs although you nothing discerne our fyre When the Monks enquired whether they might be holpen by men the spirit aunswered we may saith he be holpen by fasting and prayers but chiefly by the oblation of the body and bloud of Christ which thing we beseche you to do for vs As soone as he had so sayd all the whole route of spirits cried thrée times with one voice pray for vs pray for vs pray for vs And sodainly withall they séemed to be all resolued into fyre yea and the hill it selfe as if it had bin on fyre â—ast forth as it were a great crashing and rushing of trées They had in Churches a peculiar order of them whome they called Exorcistes or coniurers whose duetie was to coniure and driue awaye Diuels but they were not so indued with that gifte as the auncient Christians were and therefore they did but vaunt and boast of themselues Afterwards certaine Monks and priests well séene in Magicall sciences for they were neuer without such trim men toke vpon them to coniure and driue away euill spirits out of houses into wods desert places They wroght maruellouse straunge things and they sayd that a spirit in the name of saincts and by the vertue of their coniuring and charecters was constrayned to giue place whether he would or not In dede the Diuel giueth place but he doth it as enimies do which by flying chuse a more fitte place to fight in or more apte to embushe them selues That which Sathan doth he doth it willingly and of his owne accorde that he might withdrawe men from trusting in God only and driue them hedlong into Idolatrie Christ and his disciples cast out Diuels but they were loth and vnwilling to departe Moreouer they vsed to hang saincte Iohns Gospell about their necks and caried about wyth them hallowed waxe inclosed in a purse which they call an Agnus Dei. There are certaine bookes abroade especially one written by Iacobus de Clusa a Carthusian concerning the appearing of soules separated from their bodies wherin amongst other things we reade after what sorte men should prepare them selues when any Spirits appeare how they shall behaue them selues in comming to them in departing from them in the place where they appeare and what questions are to be proposed vnto theÌ„ touching whiche things I spake before in the second parte of this booke and second chapter where if you list you may finde them I haue heard men which haue confessed themselues to haue bin so superstitious that when the priest lifted vp the host as they call it in saying masse they woulde presently wipe their face with their hands bycause they
to passe straunge things Chap. 17. Fo. 167. Diuels do sometymes bid menne doe those things which are good and auoyde thinges that are euill sometymes they tell truth and for what cause Chap. 18. Fol. 171. The Chapters of the thirde parte God by the appearing of Spirits doth exercise the faithful and punish the vnbeleeuers Chap. 1. Fol. 175. What the cause is that in these our dayes so fewe spirites are sene or heard Chapter 2. Fol. 183. Why God dothe suffer straunge noyses or extraordinarie rumblings to be heard before some notable alterations or otherwise Chapter 3. Fol. 186. After what sorte they shoulde behaue themselues whiche see good or euill spirites or meete with other straunge aduentures and firste howe Jewes and Gentiles behaued themselues in the like cases Chapter 4. Fol. 187. Howe Christian menne oughte to behaue themselues when they se spirits and first that they ought to haue a good courage and to be stedfast in fayth Chap. 5. Fol. 190. It behoueth them whiche are vexed with spirites to praye especiallie and to giue themselues to fasting sobrietie watching and vpright and godly lyuing Chap. 6. Fol. 193. That spirits which vse to appeare ought to be iustly suspected and that we may not talke with theÌ„ nor enquire any thing of them Chapter 7. Fol. 199. Testimonies out of the holy Scripture and one example whereby it is proued that suche kinde of apparitions are not to bee credited and that wee oughte to bee verie circumspect in them Chapter 8. Fol. 201. After what sorte the faythfull in the primatiue Churche vsed themselues when they met with spirits Cha. 9. Fol. 204. That sundrie kindes of superstition haue crepte in whereby men haue attempted to driue away spirits Cha. 10. Fol. 206. That spirites are not to bee driuen awaye by cursing and banning Chapter 11. Fol. 214. After what sorte we oughte to behaue oure selues when we heare straunge crackes or when other forewarnings happen Chapter 12. Fol. 216. FINIS ¶ The firste parte of this Booke concerning Spirites walking by night Wherein is declared that Spirites and sightes do appeare and that sundry strange and monstrous things do happen CHAP. I. Concerning certaine vvordes vvhiche are often vsed in this Treatise of Spirits and diuers other diuinations of things to come TO the intente that those men which occupie themselues in reading of this my Booke and especially in perusing of other auncient writers may the better vnderstande euerie thing I will at the firste entrance briefly expound those thinges which shall seeme to concerne the proprietie of wordes and termes vsed in this my treatise of Spirits Spectrum amongst the Latines doth signifie a shape or forme of some thing presenting it selfe vnto our sight Scaliger affirmeth that Spectrum is a thing which offereth it selfe to be séene eyther truely or by vaine imagination The diuines take it to be a substance without a body which béeing hearde or séene maketh men afrayde Visum signifieth an imagination or a certayne shewe which men being in sléepe yea and waking also séeme in their iudgemente to beholde as we reade of Brutus who sawe his owne angell Cicero in his first booke Acadaem quest writeth that Visum amongst the Grecians is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fantasie or vaine imagination Also the Latines call those things Visiones whiche the Grecians name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Terriculamenta are vayn visions or sightes which make men afrayde The Latins also call it Terriculum bicause it bréedeth feare That whiche S. Math. 24. and Marke 6. call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erasmus doth translate it Spectrum â–ª but the olde interpreter vseth the Gréeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in lyke maner dothe signifie an else a sighte or vaine apparition Suidas maketh a difference betwéene Phantasma Phantasia saying that Phantasma is an imagination an apperance or sight of a thing which is not as are those sightes whiche men in their sléepe do thinke they sée but that Phantasia is the séeing of that onely which is in very déede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken in Luke 24. chap. for a spirite or vaine imagination Howbeit most coÌ„monly some other worde is ioyned vnto it if it be put for an euill spirite as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gentiles as S. Augustine and other fathers doo testifie supposed that the soules of men became Daemones that is good or euill angels which if they had done wel then were they called Lares that is priuate gods but if they haue done euill then were they named Lemures or Laruâ— bugs Elues But if it were douted whether they had liued well or yll then were they called Manes Apuleius and other olde writers affirme that Genij and Lares were all one It was supposed as Festus witnesseth that Lares were the soules of men or else inâ—ernal gods Lares were called Praestites bicause they made all things safe with their eyes that is they saued and preserued all things And authors affirme they were called Hostilij for that they were supposed to driue away enimies Neither were they thought to beare rule only in priuate houses in crosse méeting ways but also to defend Cities They were lykewise worshipped priuately in houses and openly in the high wayes As touching those that were called Larâ—s you may reade more in Anthonius Constantius of Fauentia his commentaries and in Ouid. lib. 5. Fastorum Genius saye the Grammarians is the naturall god of euery place of euery thing or of euery man when we are borne as it is written we haue two Geniâ— wherof the one encourageth vs to doo well the other â—o doo euill Genius saith Censorinus is a god in whose gouernance euery man doth liue so soone as he is borne eyther bicause he taketh care for our begetting or that he is ingeÌ„dred with vs or els that he taketh charge and defence of vs when we are begotten Sure it is he is called Genius à gignendo that is of begetting Penates lykewyse are domesticall gods Macrobius affirmeth that they are gods by whom we onely breathe by whom we enioy this body by whoÌ„ we possesse the reson of our minds Nonius sayth Lemures are spirites walking by night terrors rising of pictures of men of beasts Other say that Lemures are euil hurtful shapes which appere in the night yea and that they be the soules of those that make men blacke and blew called after that name Some men call the ghosts of al dead things by the name of Lemures Thus sayeth Apuleius Of those Lemures â–ª he that hathe care of hys posteritie and inhabiteth the house with a peaceable and quiet kinde of rule was called Lar familiaris god of the house And bicause amongst the people of olde tyme as they counted Lares good so they supposed Lemures to be nought therefore to driue them away they did sacrifice vnto them Some other men affirme
some are onely fabulous or false yet notwithstandyng it maye bée that the Dyuell doothe deceyue men vnder the formes of them Thus muche concerning tearmes whiche wée muste vse in this oure Treatyse of Spirites or Uisions Herevntoo haue I adioyned straunge happes and foretokens whyche for the moste parte chaunce before greate matters And therefore I knitte them vnto these bycause they haue greate resemblaunce vnto them For vayne imaginations also appéere vnto our sights armed men as it were are séene on earth or in the aire and other suche lyke shapes voyces noyses crackes and suche lyke But as touching the very wordes Portentum is that which forsheweth some thing to come as when straunge bodies appere in the ayre or blazing starres or thunder in fayre weather or whirlewindes do chaunce Festus sayth that albeit Portentum be a naturall thing yet it happeneth seldome and doth betoken some thing to come to passe after a certaine season Ostentum is some straunge thing whiche sheweth some thing to come to effecte spéedily They giue the lyke examples of them bothe Prodigium is a thing which albeit it often chaunce by course of nature yet notwithstanding it doth always betoken some euill thing being called Prodigium as it were of porro agendum to bée doone afterwarde Monstrum is that whiche hapneth agaynst nature as when any thing is brought foorthe hauyng membres béelonging to an other kynde the whiche is also called Promonstrum as who should saye Porro aliquid monstrans siue monens that is shewing or warnyng some thyng to happen afterward NotwithstaÌ„ding these termes are many tymes confounded togither taken in one signification and that bicause they respect one ende that is to tell before or giue warning of things to come The vayne visions wheron we here intreate appertayne nothing to natural philosophers neyther yet these things which we haue ioyned with them For if a sodaine cracke or sound or groning or rumbling as though the house would fall or if any other thing chauÌ„ce whiche standeth by natural reason it doth not proprely belong vnto this matter which we haue in hand But letting these things passe we will by Gods helpe and ayde come néerer to the matter it selfe â–ª CHAP. II. Melancholike persons and madde men imagin many things vvhich in verie deede are not THere haue ben very many in al ages which haue vtterly denied that there be any spirites or straunge sightes The Philosophers of Epicurus sect did iest and laugh at al those things whiche were reported of them and counted them as fayned and counterfeat by the whiche only children and fooles and playne simple men were made afrayd When Cassius who was an Epicurian vnderstoode by Brutus that he had séene a certain vision he as Plutarche doth testifie indeuored to attribute the matter vnto naturall causes We reade in the .23 chap. of the Actes of the Apostles that the Sadduceys did not beléeue there shoulde be any Resurrection of the dead and that they denyed there were any spirites or angels Yea and at thys day many good and godly men beleue those things to be but tales which are talked of â—o and fro concerning those imagined visions partly bicause in all their lyfe they neuer sawe any suche and partly or rather especially bicause in time past men haue bin so often deceiued with apparitioÌ„s visions and false miracles done by Monkes and Priests that nowe they take things that are true to bée as vtterly false What soeuer the cause is it may be proued by witnesse oâ— many writers by dayly experience also that spirites and straunge sightes doo sometyme appeare and that in verye déede many straunge and maruellous things doo happen True it is that many men doo falsly perâ—uade themselues that they sée or heare ghostes for that which they imagin they see or heare procéedeth eyther of melancholie madnesse weaknesse of the senses feare or of some other perturbation or else when they sée or heare beasts vapors or some other naturall things then they vaynly suppose they haue séene sightes I wote not what as héereafter I will shewe particularly by many and notable examples There is no doute but that almost al those things which the common people iudge to be wonderfull sightes are nothing lesse than so But in the meane season it can not be denied but that straunge sightes and many other suche lyke things are sometymes hearde and also séene And fyrste it can not be denyed but that some menne whiche eyther by dispositions of nature or for that they haue susteyned greate miserie are nowe become heauie and full of melancholie imagine many tymes with them selues being alone miraculous and straunge things Sometimes they affirme in greate soothe that they verily heare and sée this or that thing whiche notwithstanding neyther they nor yet any other man dyd once sée or heare Which thing we sometimes sée by experience to bâ—e true in those men whiche be troubled with greate headache or subiect to other diseases of the body or cannot take rest in the night or are distraughted of their wittes Those whiche dwell with suche kinde of men when they héere them tell such obsurde tales such straunge things and suche maruelous visions albeit they pittie their vnfortunate estate yet can they not many tymes conteyn themselues from laughing Aristotle in his booke de rebuâ— mirandis writeth of a certaine man distraught of his wittes who going into the Theatre of Abydos a Citie of Asia when no man was therein and there setting alone by clapping of his handes signified that he liked as well euery thing there as if some commedie or tragedie had ben notablie sette forth on stage The verie like Historie hath Horace in his seconde booke of Epistles of a certain man who comming into the Theatre at Argos behaued him selfe euen as the other man did And when his Kinsfolke through the helpe of good Phisitians hadde restored him to his ryght wittes againe he was verie angrie with them saying that he neuer liued more pleasantly than while he was beside him selfe Atheneus lib. 12. writeth of one Tresilaus whose braines were so distempered that he verily supposed all the ships whiche aryued at Porte Piraeus to be his owne he would numbre them he commaunded the Mariners to launch from shore and when they returned after their voyage home againe he as much reioyced as if he had ben owner of all wherewith they were laden The same man affirmed that in al the time of his madnesse he liued a verie pleasant life vntill the Phisitian hadde cured him of his disease I my selfe haue séene a man Iohannes Leonardus Sertorius by name whom verie honest and graue men which knewe him wel would testifie to be a godly man which was throughly perswaded with him selfe that he coulde proue our Religion which we nowe professe to be true and catholicke euen by a miracle from heauen as somtime Helias did He
companie are so troubled in minde that they thinke their friends enimies and cannot tell in the world where they are and whether they go all the which commeth by feare Plutarche in his booke De sera numinis vindicta reporteth a maruellous and notable historie of one called Bessus who after he had murdered his father hid him selfe a long season But on a time as he went to supper espying a swalowes nest with his speare he thrust it downe and when those which supped togither with him misliked and abhorred his crueltie for we like not those men that trouble litle birdes and other beasts bicause we iudge them austerne and cruell he aunswered haue they not saith he falsly accused me a greate while crying out on me that I haue slayne and murdered my father Those which wer◠present being striken with greate admiration reported these his words to the king who immediatly caused hym to be tormented and examining the matter diligently at the last founde him giltie and punished him as a manquiller of his owne father Hereof ye may gather what fear◠can do the swalowes coulde not speake and yet he perswaded him selfe that they vpbrayed him with murdering his father Euen so many through feare imagine that they heare and sée many thinges whiche in deede are méer◠trifles Procopius in the beginning of the warres of Italie declareth that as Theodoricus sate at meate after he had put to death Boethius and Symmachus his sonne in lawe a fishes head being brought before him he sawe in it the countenance of Symmachus looking horribly which biting the nether lip with lowring eyes séemed to threaten him wherewith the King béeing sore abashed fell into a gréeuous sicknesse wherof he afterwards died Yea feare if it be vnmeasurable maketh vs to abhorre those things whiche otherwise should be comfortable vnto vs The apostles of our lorde Jesu Christ may be examples hereof Who in the night season being in greate daunger in the Sea when they sawe Christe walking on the water approching towards them wer maruelously appalled For they supposed they sawe a Spirit and cried out for feare But the Lorde came to deliuer them out of that present daunger wherein they were After his resurrection they were maruellously affrayde and as S. Luke saith they verily supposed they saw a Spirit when in deede he appeared vnto them in his owne body Therfore the lord comforteth hartneth them saying Behold my hands my féet for I am euē he hādle me and sée for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye sée I haue They through great ioy could not beleue it but maruelled at it Héere thou séest by feare it came to passe that the Disciples supposed the lord him self to haue ben a ghost And therefore no man ought to maruell if we hindered by feare mistake one man for an other and perswade our selues that we haue séene spirits whereas no suche were They whiche are of stout and hautie corage frée from all feare seldome tymes sée any spirits It is reported of the Scythiās a warlike natiō dwelling in mountaynes from whom it is thought the Turkes take their originall that they neuer sée any vayne sightes of spirits Authors write that Lions are not feared with any bugs for they are full of stomacke and deuoide of feare CHAP. IIII. Men vvhich are dull of seing and hearing imagine many things vvhich in very deed are not so THey which are weake of sight are many tymes in suche sorte deceyued that they beholde one man in stede of an other Poare blynded men whom the Gréekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which can not sée any thing except it be very néere their eyes as for the most parte students are which night and daye turne ouer their bookes are so muche deceiued in their sight that they are many times ashamed to vtter what they haue thought they haue séene And it standeth by naturall reason that an ore séemeth to be broken in the water and a tower foure cornered a farre off sheweth to be rounde Those whiche drinke wine immoderately in suche sorte that their eyes beginne to waxe dimme and stare out of their heads like hares whiche haue bene caried hanging on a staffe a mile or twaine sée things farre otherwise than sober men doe They suppose they sée two candles on the table whē there is but one desiring to reache the potte they put their hand amisse In Euripides tragedie named Bacchis Pentheus affirmeth that he séeth two sunnes and two cities of Thebes For his braines were maruellously distempered It is a common saying that if wine haue the victorie all things seeme to bée turned vpside downe trées to walke mountaines to be moued riuers to runne against the head c. Salomon exhorteth all men from dronkennesse in his prouerbes cap. 23. shewing what discommodities ensue therof and amongst other things he sayeth thus Thy eyes shall sée straunge to witt visions and maruellous apparitions For as timorous men imagin miraculous things euen so do dronken men who of purpose corrupt and spoile their sight And albeit God shew many wonders in the aire and in the earth to the ende he may stir men vp from idlenesse and bring them to true repentaunce yet notwithstanding we must thinke that dronken men which sit vp vntill midnight do often say they haue séene this or that vision they haue behold this or that wonder when as in déed they are vtterly deceyued For in case they had retourned home in due season and not ouercharged themselues with too much wine no suche thing had appeared vnto them For in dede their eyesight had not bin blinded Doth it not often come to passe that when men are once throughly warmed wyth wine they mistake one for another of whom they thought they were abused in worde or déede and violentlye flye on them with weapon The place before alleaged out of Salomon maye also bée vnderstood to thys purpose Thy eyes shall sée straunge to witte women to luste after them For experience teacheth vs that men being dronk assaie to rauishe matrones and maydens which béeing sober they would neuer once thinke vppon Wine immoderately taken is the nurse of rashe boldnesse and filthy lust Aristotle writeth that some menne through the féeblenesse of their sight beholding in the aire néere vnto them as it were in a glasse a certaine image of them selues suppose they see their owne angels or soules and so as the Prouerbe is they feare their owne shadowe Although men in obscure and darke places can sée nothing yet doo they not I pray you imagine they sée diuers kindes of shapes colors And we many times suppose those things which we sée to be farre otherwise than in déede they are It is well knowne a mans sight maye be so deceiued that he verily thinkes that one deuoureth a sword spitteth out money coales and suche like that one eateth breade and spitteth foorth meale
one drinketh wine which after runneth out of his forehead that one cutteth of his felowes head which afterwardes he setteth on agayne and that a cocke séemeth to drawe after hym a huge beame of tymber c. Moreouer it may be brought to passe by naturall things as by perfumes and suche like that a man woulde sweare in earnest that all men â—itting at the table wyth him haue no heds at al or else that they are like the heads of asses that somtimes a vine spreadeth it self as it were ouer al the house wheÌ„ in deed it is a mere deceit or a plain iuggling cast Of whiche matter there be bookes coÌ„monly set abrode The like reson is in hearing in the other senses Those men whoâ—e hearing is somwhat decayed many tymes séem in their owne imagination to heare the noyse of boystrous winde or violent tempeste the sparkling of fyre the roaring of waters sodenly increased singing and sounding of instruments and also the iangling of belles when as in deede these things are not so but only chaunce by default of hearing for others whiche are conuersant with them hauing the right vse of hearing doo not heare any suche thing at all Somtimes in very deede such things are heard as the crackling of waynscot walles and suche lyke whiche are naturall signes of some tempeste shortly after ensuing There are also certaine hollowe places thorough the whiche the winde whiszing giueth a pleasant sound as it were through a pipe much lyke vnto singing so that men wonder very much therat We reade in writers of Philosophie that the very same also chaunceth in banks of riuers whiche bend a little in compasse Hearing is also deceyued when we thinke we heare thunder and it is in déed but the rumblyng of some carte There be many which thinke they handle some thing and yet are deceyued If men sicke of the ague drinke wine of the â—est and swéetest sorte yet they thinke it is more bitter than Gaâ—l if they eate pottage neuer so good yet they iudge it vnsauorie whiche thyng commeth not of any faulte in the Cooke but of the mouth and stomack which is distempered with sicknesse For vnto them whiche haue abundance of choller all things séeme bitter And euen so it commeth to passe that a man supposeth hée seeth heareth féeleth or is felte of some spirite when in déede it is not so and yet no man can persuade him the contrarie If feare and weaknesse of the syghte and of other sensâ—s méete togyther then men fall into straunge and maruellous imaginations beléeuyng thyngs vtterly false to be very true Neyther wil they bée brought from theyr owne opinions by any meanes or reason We reade that not only perticular and priuate men but also whole armies of soldiours generally haue bin so deceyued that they haue verilye thought their enymies hard at their héeles when as no man followed And hereof haue procéeded many horrible flightes in battaile Cominaeus a knight and diligent writer of hystories in the ende of his firste booke of the Actes of Lewes the .11 King of Fraunce writeth that when Charles Duke of Burgundie with other Princes hadde remoued their armie to Paris they vnderstood by their espials that the next day the king had determined to sette on them with all his power of men Wherfore the next daye Charles sent out certaine horsemen to vewe his enimies who comming foorth by reason that the elemente was somewhat â—arke supposed they sawe a huge number of pikes and speares but when they had passed a little further and that the aire was a little clearer they vnderstood the same place wherein they iudged the king to be with all his armie to be planted and ouergrowne with many high thistles whiche a farre off shewed as it had bin long speares For the night beguileth mens eyes And therefore none ought to maruell if trauellers towardes night or at midnight mistake stones trées stubbes or such like to be sprites or elues We reade in the last booke of the kings the 3. chap. that after the death of king Achab the Moabites reuolted from Ioram hys sonne wherefore he desired Iosaphat to aide him and with all his power he determined to make warre on the Moabites to reduce them to obedience and subiection Which thing when the Moabites heard they prepared to defend themselues so many as were able to beare armoure But when they hadde set foreward verie early in the morning against their enimies supposing in the rising of the sunne the waters whiche GOD had miraculously brought out to bée redde they sayd amongst themselues Surely the two Kings haue encountred togither and each haue destroyed other wherevppon they running on heapes without order to spoile the Israelites Tents were by them vanquished and slaine here you sée all the Armie mistooke water in steade of bloude CHAP. V. Many are so feared by other men that they suppose they haue heard or seene Spirites FUrthermore it commeth to passe many tymes that not only pleasant and merrie conceyted men but also spiteful and malitious men chaunging their apparell make others extreamelie afrayd It is a common custome in many places that at a certaine time of the yeare one with a nette or visarde on his face maketh Children afrayde to the ende that euer after they shoulde laboure and be obedient to their Parentes afterward they tel them that those which they saw were Bugs Witches and Hagges which thing they verily beléeue and are commonly miserablie afrayde Howbeit it is not expedient alwayes so to terrifie Children For sometimes through great feare they fall into dangerous diseases and in the nyght crye out when they are fast asléepe Salomon teacheth vs to chasten children with the rod and so to make them stand in awe he doth not say we must beare them in hande they shal be deuoured of Bugges Hags of the night and such lyke monsters Many times pleasant merrie yong men disguise theÌ„selues like vnto Deuils or else shroud themselues in white shéetes to make other men afrayde with whome if simple men chaunce to meete they make no doubt of the matter but verily thinke they haue séene spirites and straunge sightes And yet it is not alwayes the safest way so to deceyue men with iests and toyes for many examples might be brought to shew how euill some men haue sped hereby It is an vsuall and common thing that yong men merily disposed when they trauell by the way comming to theyr Inne at night tye roapes to the bed side or to the couerlet or garments or else hide them selues vnder the bed and so counterfeating them selues to bee Spirits deceyue and mocke their fellows It chaunced once at Tigurinâ— where we dwell that certayne plesaunt yong men disguising theÌ„selues daunced aboute the Churcheyarde one of them playing on a beere with two bones as it were on a druÌ„me Wich thing when certaine men had espied they noysed it about the
chosen into their order who séemed to be very fitte for their purpose They tried him by throwing stones into his chamber in the night tyme making a great noise and faining them selues to be Spirits The matter séemed vnto them euen from the beginning that it woulde take good successe â–ª On a certeine day béeing Fryday the supprior shrouding himself in a shéete together with other Spirites whom he had coniured vp for this purpose brake into the Friers cel with great force and noyse faining with many teares that he desired his ayde help Now had they priuely conueyed Holy water and the Reliques of Saints into his Cell before The poore Frier half dead with feare denied that he coulde by any meanes helpe him recommending himselfe to Christ our sauior and to his holy mother The Spirite aunswered that it was in his and his brethrens power to deliuer him out of this miserie if he would suffer hymself for the space of .viij. days euery day to be whipped vntil the bloud folowed and moreouer cause .viij. Masses to be soong for his sake in S. Iohns chappell himselfe while they were soong lying in the floore with his armes spread abroade After he tolde him that the next Fryday before midnight he wold come again with greater noyse willing him in any wise not to be afrayd for the Diuels could nothing hurt him bicause he was an holy man The next day this foolish Frier openeth al the matter to the ringleaders of this deuise beséeching theÌ„ to assist him that the miserable soule might be deliuered The matter was out of hand rumored aboute the citie The Monkes preached openly hereof in the pulpit coÌ„meÌ„ding highly the holinesse of their order which euen hereby might be séene for that the spirite craued helpe of them and not of the wicked dronken Franciscans â–ª At the tyme appoynted the spirite accompanied with other euil spirits came again with greate noyse to the Friers cell who adiuring and coniuring him questioned with him touching certain points The spirite shewed him who he was and for what cause he was so miserably vexed and withal gaue great thanks both vnto him and also to his fathers for being touched with remorse of him adding that in case there were yet .xxx. Masses soong and â—our Uigiles obserued that he wold yet once ageyn whip himself vntil he bled then he shoulde be cleane deliuered out of most cruell torments which he had continually endured a hundred and sixtie yeares He had confereÌ„ce with him also of other maruellous matters whiche we néed not here to rehearse Afterwards the same spirit appeared againe vnto the Frier and preferred the order of preachers before al others bearing him in hand that many of them which had bin aduersaries vnto this order suffered most horrible torment in purgatory that the citie of Berna should be vtterly ouerthrowne except they banished the Franciscans refused the yearly stipends which they receyued at the french kings hands He also talked of sundry things which had hapned to the Friar which thing they had learned before of him by meanes of auricular confession Moreouer he hartely thanketh the Frier for the great benefite of his deliueraÌ„ce giuing him to vnderstande that he was nowe admitted into the .vij. degrée of Angels and that he should say Masse there for his benefactors After these things thus done an other night one comming vnto him in the apparell of a woman sayde he was S. Barbara whome he deuoutly serued and tolde him that the blessed virgin would shortly appeare vnto him and make full answere vnto those questions which one of the Monks had written in a paper for him This paper Barbara promised that she hir selfe wold deliuer vnto our Lady which they shoulde shortly after finde in a hollie place sealed and signed miraculously The Frier vppon this reuealeth the whole matter vnto his fathers desiring to bée confessed of his sinnes wherby he might be found worthy the apparition or séeing of our Lady He willed them to serche in the halowed place for the scroule which at the last they found in the Fratry as they term it where they had laide it before Then they caried it with great reuerence vnto the high alter affirming that it was sealed with christes bloud and that the tapers lightned of their owne accord In y morning the virgine Mary appeared vnto him agayne rehersing many things whiche hir sonne Iesus commaunded hir to tell vnto him to wit that Pope Iulius was that holie man which shoulde reconcile the two orders in frendship againe and institute ordayne the feast of the defiled conception of our Lady for she woulde sende vnto the Pope a crosse marked with foure droppes of hir sonnes bloud in signe that she was conceiued in originall sinne and that they shoulde finde an other crosse marked with fiue droppes of bloud in their fratrie which they must conuey to Rome â–ª for the Pope would allowe and confirme it with large indulgences and after returne it to Berna agayne other things likewise she sayde whereof many things were both reported and written to and fro But in witnesse of the foresayde things the same Mary droue an yron nayle through the hand of the poore Frier saying this wounde shal be renewed in the day wherein my sonne was crucified and in the feast of my sonnes bodie After they toke a burning water made by Necromancie by the which they taking away his senses made foure other woundes in his body And after that he came againe vnto him selfe they bare him in hand that there was a certeine holie thing I wote not what which appeared aboute him And when they sawe that many men came flocking about him to sée this newe Christ they taught him for hée was of rude condicions howe to behaue hym selfe And when they had giuen him a drinke beréeâ—ing him of hys senses and causing him to some at the mouth then he saide be striued and wrestled with death euen as Christ dyd in the mount Oliuet After al this another of them appeared vnto him telling him many things but the Frier knowing him by his voice began to suspecte and mislike the whole matter and with violence thrust him from him The next night the Frier himself appeared vnto him saying that he was Mary of whom he had ben in doubt and to the ende he shoulde bée out of all suspicion she had brought him the host of hir sonnes body for he brought him an host stiped in poyson to the ende he shoulde no more thinke he sawe an euil spirite he also affirmed that he had brought a vessel of glasse full of hir sonnes bloud which he would giue vnto him and to his Monasterie But the Frier who also had this vision in suspition answered If sayde he thou be not an euil spirit reherse thy Pater noster and thy Aue Maria with me The Priour sayde the Pater noster and afterward sayd in the person of our Lady Hayled am I
It hath many times chaunced that those of the house haue verily thought that some body hath ouerthrowne the pots platters tables and trenchers and tumbled theÌ„ downe the stayres but after it waxed day they haue found all things orderly set in their places againe It is reported that some spirits haue throwne the dore of from the hookes and haue troubled and set all things in the house out of order neuer setting theÌ„ in their due place againe and that they haue maruellously disquieted men with rumbling and making a great noise Sometimes there is heard a great noise in Abbeis and in other solitarie places as if it were coupers hooping and stopping vp wine vessels or some other handicraftes men occupied about their labour when it is most certayn that all in the house are gone to bed and haue betaken themselues to rest When houses are in building the neighbours many times heare the carpenters masons and other artificers handling all things in such sorte as if they were busily labouring in the day time And this straunge wonder is ioyfully receiued as a sure token of good lucke There be some which iudge it commeth to passe naturally that we suppose we heare these things in the nighte which we heard before in the day time Which question I leaue to be discussed of better learned than my selfe Pioners or diggers for mettal do affirme that in many mines there appeare straunge shapes and spirites who are apparelled like vnto other laborers in the pit These wander vp and down in caues and vnderminings séeme to besturre them selues in all kinde of labour as to digge after the veine to carrie togither oare to put it into baskets and to turne the winding whele to drawe it vp when in very déede they do nothing lesse They very seldome hurte the laborers as they say except they prouoke them by laughing and rayling at them for then they threw grauel stones at them or hurt them by some other means These are especially haunting in pittes where mettall moste aboundeth A certayn godly and lerned man wrote once vnto me of a siluer mine at Dauosium in the Alpes vpon the which Peter Buol a noble man the Schultish of the same place whom they cal Landammanus had bestowed great cost a fewe yeres before and had gathered therby good store of riches In the same myne was a spirite or Diuell of the mountayne who when the laborers filled the stuffe they had digged into their vessels he séemed for the most parte euery Fryday to be very busie pouring the mettals of his owne accord out of one basket into an other Wherewith the Schultishe was not offended and when he would eyther descende into the pit or come vp agayne blessyng him selfe with the signe of the Crosse he neuer receyued hurt It chaunced on a tyme that whyle the sayde spirit was too busie intermedlyng himselfe with euery thing one of the myners being offended therewith began to rayle at hym very bitterly and with terrible cursing wordes byd him get him thence in the diuels name But the spirit caught him by the pate and so writhed his necke about that his face stoode behynde his backe yet notwithstanding he was not slaine but liued a long time after well knowne vnto diuers of his familiar friends whiche yet liue at this day howbeit he died within a fewe years after Georgius Agricola whose learned works whiche he wrote of mettalles be yet extant in the end of his booke of creatures liuing vnder the earth he maketh two kinds of Diuels haunting in certayne Mynes abroade For hée sayth there are some cruell and terrible to beholde whiche for the moste parte doo very much annoy and hurt the labourers digging for mettall Suche a one was hée whiche was called Annebergius who only with his breath destroyed aboue .xij. laborers at once in the caue called Corona Rosacea The wynde wherewith he slewe them he lette flée out of his mouth for he appéered in the similitude and lykenesse of an horse Suche an other was Snebergius who wearyng a black roll about his necke tooke vp a labourer aloft from the grounde and sette him in the brinke of a certayne excéeding déepe place where had sometyme bene great store of siluer not without gréeuous brusing of his body And againe he saith there be some very milde and gentle whome some of the Germans call Cobali as the Grecians do bycause they be as it were apes and counterfeiters of men for they leaping and skipping for ioy do laughe and séeme as though they did many things when in very déede they doo nothing And some other call them Elues or Dwarfes of the Mountaynes thereby notyng theyr small stature wherein they commonly appeare They séeme to bée hoare wearyng apparayle lyke the mettall fyners that is in a petycote laced and an apron of lether about their loynes These hurte not the laborers excepte they misuse them but do imitate them in all their doings And he sayth they are not much vnlike vnto those whom the Germans call Guteli bycause they séeme to beare good affection towards men for they kéepe horses and do other necessary businesse They are also lyke vnto them whom they cal Trulli who taking on them the fayned shapes of men and women do serue as it is sayd like seruants both amongst other nations specially amongst the Suetians Touching these spirits haunting mynes of mettal ther is somwhat to be read in Olaus Magnus de Gentibus Septentrionalibus the 6. booke and .x. chapter They whiche sayle on the greate Ocean sea make reporte that in certayne places where the Anthropophagi doo inhabite are many spirites whiche doo the people there very muche harme Héere many straunge things might be brought concerning visions appearing vnto men in their sléepe and also of them which being in a traunce haue lyen a whole day and more without mouing lyke vnto dead men and after béeing restored to them selues agayne haue tolde many miraculous things which they haue séene Cicero writeth of maruellous things in his booke of diuination or soothsaying And so do many other men also Augustine himselfe reciteth in many places of his bookes that some after they were dead haue warned many their frendes of diuers matters and haue disclosed vnto them secrete things which were to come and haue shewed sicke folkes good remedies for their diseases and haue done many suche like things Auenzoar Albumaro a physition of Arabia writeth that he receiued an excellent medicine for his sore eyes of a physition lately deceased appering vnto him in his slepe as Marsilius Fâ—cinus doth testifie writing of the immortalitie of the soule Lib. 16. cap. 5. The holy Scriptures also teache vs that God hath reuealed many things vnto men by dreames S. Mathew in his first and second Chapter writeth that the angell of God appered many tymes vnto Ioseph our Sauior Christes foster father in a dreame and coÌ„maunded him to beware
while the carkas lyeth on the ground dooth send out bloud against him whiche wounded him if hée stand nere looking on his wounde Whiche thing bothe Lucretius affirmeth to come to passe and also Iustices haue diligently obserued Dido in Vergile thus threatneth Aeneas And when the cold of death is come and body voyde remayns Eche where my haunting spirite shal pursue thee to thy payns The like place is in Horace in other Poets As a théef sitteth at the Table a cuppe béeing ouerthrowne the wyne perceth through the whole and sounde wodde of the table to all mens admiration Touching these and other such maruellous things there might be many histories and testimonies alleaged But whosoeuer readeth this booke may call to their remembraunce that they haue séene these and suche like things them selues or that they haue heard them of their friends and acquaintaunce and of such as deserue sufficient credit Before the alterations and chaunges of kingdomes and in the time of warres seditions and other daungerous seasons ther most coÌ„monly happeÌ„ very straÌ„ge things in the aire in the earth amoÌ„gst liuing creatures clean coÌ„trary to the vsuall course of nature Which things meÌ„ cal wonders signes monsters and forewarnings of matters to come There are séene in the aire swords speares suche like innumerable there are heard and séene in the aire or vppon the earth whole armies of men encountring togither and wheÌ„ one part is forced to flye there is heard horrible cries and great clattering of armour Gunnes launces and halberdes with other kindes of weapons and artillerie do often times moue of their owne accord as they lye in the armories When as souldiers marche towards their enimies and their ensignes will not displaie abroade but folde about the stander bearers heads if the souldiours be therewith amazed they surely persuade themselues there is some greate slaughter towards It is sayde also that horses will be very sad and heauie and will not lette their masters sit on their backs before they go to the battaile wherin they shall haue the ouerthrowe but wheÌ„ they are coragious and iustilie neighing it is a sure token of victorie Suetonius writeth that the company of horses which Iulius Cesar let run at libertie neuer to be put to labour againe did wéepe aboundantly when Cesar was slayne When Miltiades addressed his people against the Persians there were heard terrible noises before the battaile and certaine spirits were séene which the Athenians afterwards affirmed to be the shaddowâ— of Pan who cast suche a feare on the Persians that they turned their backs and fled Therof Terrores Panici tooke their name being spoken of sodayn feares vnloked for and terrours suche as Lymphatici metus are which driue men out of their wits being taken therwith Before the Lacedemonians were ouerthrowne in the battaile at Leuctâ—â—s the armour moued made a great noise in the teÌ„ple of Hector At the same time the dores of Hercules temple at Thebes being fast shut with barres opened sodainly of their owne accord and the weapons and armour which hoong fastned on the wall were found lying vppon the grounde These things are to be read in Cicero his firste booke De diuinatione In the second warres of Carthage the standerd bearer of the first battaile of pykemen coulde not remoue his ensigne out of his place neither yet wheÌ„ many came to helpe they could any thing preuayle These and suche other signes of euill lucke Caius Flaminius the Consul nothing regarded but soone after his army was discomfited and he him selfe slayn Concerning which matter Titus Liuius writeth at large In the beginning of the warres waged with the people called Marsi there was heard out of secrete places certaine voices and noyse of harnesse whiche foreshewed the daunger of the warres to come Plinie writeth in his .2 booke and 59. chapter that in the warrs with the Danes and many times before there was heard the clashing of armour and the sound of trumpets out of Heauen Appianus declareth what signes and wonders went before the ciuill warres at Rome what miserable cries of men clashing of armoure running of horses were heard no man séeing any thing Valerius Maximus in his firste booke and .6 chapter of straunge wonders writeth how Câ—â—eius Pompeius hadde warning before not to fight the fielde with Iulius Cesar for as he launced off at Dirrachium his souldiours were taken with a sodayne feare and in the night likewise before the battaile their harts and courages sodaynly failed them And after the same author addeth that which Cesar him selfe reherseth in his 3. booke De bello ciuili how that the very same day wherin Cesar faught his fortunate battaile the crying of the armie and the sound of trumpets was herd at Antioche in Syria so sensibly that the whole city ranne in armour to defende their walles The very same thing he sayth happened at Ptolemais and that at Pergamus in the most priuie and secret parts of the temple where none may enter saue only priests which place the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were hearde the sounde of drummes and timbrels The historiographers reporte that Castor and Pollux haue bin often séene in battailes sitting on white horses valiaÌ„tly fighting against the enimies campe Plutarch writeth in Coriolanus life that they were seene in the battaile against Tarquinius and that immediatly after they bare tidings to Rome of the victorie The selfe same writeth Titus Liuius also in his 8. booke of his first decade We may read in the history of the siege of the noble citie of Magdâ—burge in Saxonie that the enimie which laide siege to the towne so often as the citizens issued out to skirmish with them supposed that one vpoÌ„ a white horse came riding before the citizens battaile when as the citizens them selues saw no such man. Iosephus in his bookes of the warres in Iurie recordeth what strange signes hapned before the destructioÌ„ of Ieâ—usalem which were that a brasen gate being fast rampierd with barres opened in the night time of his owne accord And that before the sunne sette there were séene chariots in the aire and armies of men well furnished enuironing the citie round about And that at Whitsontide as the priests entred the temple to celebrate diuine seruice â–ª they heard a great noise by and by a voice crying Migremus hinc Let vs departe hence He reckeneth vp â—ther like things which we neede not repeate in this place The same night that Leo of CoÌ„stantinople was slayne in the teÌ„ple the trauelers by sea heard a voice in the aire which saide that Leo had roared out euen to the same place Felix Malleolus doctor of both the laws master of Sclodor canon at TiguruÌ„ a maÌ„ of great reding as it may easily apere by his lerned writings which ar yet extaÌ„t For he liued about y time wheÌ„ the couÌ„cel of Basil was holdâ— writeth
one and they were always read of the auncient people For albéeit they neuer wente aboute to approue any doctrine by them yet were they of great authoritie amongst them CHAP. XIX To vvhome vvhen vvhere and after vvhat sort spirits do appeare and vvhat they do vvorke BY all these examples we may plainly perceiue that many straunge things are obiected to mens senses that sometimes spirits are séene and heard not only as some haue thought as Plutarke witnesseth in the life of Dion of children women sicke folkes dottards otherwise very plaine and simple creatures but also to mē of good corage and such as haue bin perfectly in their wits Yet it may not bée denied but that there appeare many more vnto some that vnto other some as vnto trauellers watchemen hunters carters and marriners who leade all their life not only in the day time but also in night in iorneying in the water woods hills and vallies You shal mete with some one who neuer sawe nor heard any of this geare in all his life time and contrariwise there be other some whyche haue séene and hearde very man suche things So there are some which very seldom chaunce vpō serpents agayne many there are which oftentimes méets with them in their iorney The common people say that those whose natiuities chaunce vppon the Auguries for so they terme the foure seasons of the yeare do sée more store of Spirites than those whiche are borne at other tymes but these are méere trifles Those whiche are stedfaste in true faithe see or heare suche thiyngs more seldome than superstitiouse people as in all other things Hée that is superstitiouse vseth some blessing as they call it to heale hys horses disease and it taketh good effecte he inchaunteth a Serpente and it can not once moue out of the place He applyeth a blessyng to straunge bleedyng and it stoppeth presentely He taketh a hollie rod or twisted wand inchāted it wil moue where a mettle mine is but he that is of a sounde fayth and doth despise these things for he knoweth well they are contrary to the word of god also to the Popes decrées albeit perchaunce he practise such things yet notwithstanding he can bring nothing to passe And so also it chaunceth that he séeth spirites and vaine visions a great deale more seldome than superstitious men do for hée knoweth wel what hée ought to déeme and iudge of them There are some kinde of men who thinke it a gay thing if many suche straunge sightes appeare vnto them There were farre many more of these kindes of apparitions and myracles séene amongest vs at suche tyme as we were giuen vnto blindnesse and superstition than since that the Gospell was purely preached amongest vs the cause whereof I will shewe heareafter And moreouer it commeth often times to passe that some one man doth heare or sée some thing most plainly when an other which standeth by him or walketh wyth him neyther séeth nor heareth any such matter We reade in the Historie of Heliseus that he saw chariottes of fire and many horsemen vpon the toppe of the Mountaine and yet hys seruaunt sawe nothing vntil the Prophet prayed vnto the Lord that he woulde voutsafe for hys confirmation and consolation to open hys eyes that he might also beholde this notable miracle So likewise we reade in the 9. chapter of the Actes of the Apostles that Christ ouerthew Paule before Damascus and that he spake vnto hym and his companions also hearde the voyce Afterwardes in the 22. chapter Paule himselfe shewing vnto the people in the presence of Lycias in the Castle at Hierusalem what had hapened vnto them sayth that they heard not the voice of him that talked with him which two places are not repugnant for the meaning is that they heard a voyce or sounde in deede but they vnderstood not what the Lord had sayd vnto him Plato writeth in his Dialogue called Theages that Socrates had a familiar spirit who was woonte to put him in mynde to cease from labouring when that whiche he attempted shuld haue no happie successe This spirit he himselfe sawe not and other men hearde not They say that sometimes Children doe sée certaine things whiche other men sée not and by a certain peculiar operation of nature some men behold that which others in no wise can perceiue As touching the tyme when spirits appeare we reade in hystories that it shall be after a thousand yeares which God hath appoynted in the whiche tyme Sainte Iohn prophesied in the Apocalips that Sathan shoulde be lette loose that is to saye errours and supersticion and al kynd of mischéefe should abound many spirits appeare euery where for men gaue them more creditte than the Scriptures If a spirit apeared or was heard to say in case these or those things be decréed to wit vowed Pilgrimage and erecting Chappelles and that this shall be an acceptable kynde of worship vnto God the Bishoppes and paryshe Priestes weighed not whither those things were agréeable to the word of God or no. c. Spirits appeared in old time and do appeare still in these dayes both day night but especially in the night and before midnighte in our first sléep Moreouer on the frydayes saterdayes fasting daies to confirme superstition Neither may we maruel that they are heard more in the night thā in the day time For he who is the author of these things is called in the holie Scriptures the Prince of darkenesse and therefore hée shunneth the light of Gods worde And albeit these are heard or séene in al places yet are they most especially conuersant in the fieldes where battels haue ben fought or in places where slaughters haue ben made in places of execution in woods into the which they haue coniured deuils being cast out of men in Churches Monasteries and about Sepulchers in the boundes of countries buts of lands in prysons houses towers and somtime also in the ruines and rubbish of Castles God thretneth the Babilonians in the 13. chap. of Esaie that spirits and Satyrs shal daunce where their magnificent houses Pallaces were where they were wont to lead their daūces And in his 34. chap. wher he threatneth destruction vnto al nations enimies of God he saith In the ruinous tottering Pallaces Castles houses horrible spirits shal apeare with terrible cries and the Satyre shal cal vnto hir mate yea the night hags shal take their rest there For by the sufferance of God wicked Deuils worke strange things in those places where men haue exercised pride and crueltie The maner of apearing of spirits is diuers manyfold as it apereth by those things which I haue aleaged before For they shew themselues in sundry sorte sometymes in the shape of a man whome we know who is yet alyue or lately departed otherwhile in the likenesse of one whom we knowe not I heard of a
He cut off mens heads their handes and féete which he set in a basyn before al the lookers on to behold with the bloud running about the basen which by and by he would put againe vpon the places whence they séemed to haue ben cut off without any hurte to the parties Hée was séene and hearde of all men to exercise huntyng and running and suche lyke things in the aire and cloudes as men are accustomed to exercise vpon the earth He practised so many and diuers deceytes that all men maruelled and were astonished out of measure In the yeare of our Lord .1323 when Frederike Duke of Austrich who was chosen Emperor against Lewes as the same author witnesseth was vanquished in a great battail betwéene Ottinga and Moâ—ndâ—rfus and deliuered into the handes of Lewes who sent him away into a strong castell to be safely kept It chaunced shortly after that a coniurer going vnto his brother Lupoldus in Austriche promised that by the helpe of a spirite he would within the compasse of an houre deliuer Frederike safe and sounde out of captiuitie if he would promise him and giue him a worthy reward for his paines The Duke aunsweared him if thou wilt quoth he do as thou makest promise I wil worthily reward thée So the Magitian with the Duke entring his circle of coniuration in an houre moste conuenient calleth the Spirit whiche was accustomed to obey his commaundement Whome when he appeared in the likenesse of a man he commaunded by the vertue of hys coniurations that he should spedyly bring vnto him into Austriche Duke Frederike deliuered safely out of prison Unto whome the spirit aunswearing said If the captiue Duke will come with me I will willingly obey thy commaundement This sayde the spirite flyeth awaye into Bauarie and taking vppon him the forme of a Pilgrime he entreth into the prison where the Duke was kepte prisoner whome as soone as he sawe the Spirite whyche was sente as messanger vnto him sayde If thou wilt be deliuered out of captiuitie mount thee vp vpon this horse and I will bring thée safe and sounde without any huâ—te into Austriche vnto Duke Lupoldus thy brother Unto whome the Duke sayde Who art thou The Spirite aunswered Aske not who I am bicause it appertayneth nothing to the purpose but get thée vp on the horse whichâ— I offer thée and I will bring thée safe and sound and fréely deliuered into Austrich Which when the Duke heard he was taken with a certaine horror and feare being otherwise a hardy knight and when he had blessed him selfe with the signe of the holy crosse the Spirit sodainly vanished away with the blacke horse whiche he had proffered him and retourned emptie agayne vnto him that sent him of whome béeing rebuked bicause he had not brought the prisoner he declared al the matter vnto him in order Duke Fredericke at the last being deliuered out of prison confessed that it had so happened vnto him in his captiuitie the very same day they named This historie is also to be sene in the Chronicles of the Heluetians There are also coniurers founde euen at this day who bragge of themselues that they can so by inchauntments saddle an horse that in a fewe houres they will dispatch a very long iourney God at the last wil chasten these men with deserued punishment What straunge things are reported of one Faustus a German which he did in these our dayes by inchauntments I will speake nothing at this time of those olde sorcerers Apollonius and others of whom the histories report straunge and incredible things Hagges witches and inchaunters are sayde to hurte men and cattell if they do but touche them or stroake theÌ„ they do horrible things wherof there are whole bookes extant Iugglers and tumblers by nimblenesse do many things they will bid one eate meatâ— which when they spit out agayne they cast forth ordure and such like Magitians iugglers inchanters and Necromanciers are no other than seruants of the Diuel do you not thinke their mayster reserueth some cunning vnto him selfe Howbeit this is not to bée dissembled that the Diuel doth glory of many things whiche in déede he cannot performe as that he saith that he raiseth the dead out of their graues c. He may in very déede by Gods sufferaunce shewe the shapes of them vnto men but he hath no suche power ouer the dead bodies CHAP. XVIII Diuels doe sometimes bid men doe those things vvhich are good and auoide things that are euill sometimes they tell truth and for vvhat cause IF those spirits whiche séeke helpe at mens hands be not soules but Diuels many will say why then do they persuade men vnto good things exhorte them vnto vertue and call them from vice For they saye Iudge vprightely take héede of thefte and extortion restore goodes vniustely gotten vnto their owners beware of periurie surfets and drunkennesse enuie and hatred lying and deceite pray earnestly come to Churche often c. The Dyuell is not pleased when wée doo good and auoide euill nothing woulde gréeue him more than that we should liue according to the prescripte woorde of god Therefore they are not Diuels which bid vs do good and eschue euill Moreouer those Spirites speake truthe but the Dyuell is a lyer and is called by Christe the father of lyes Therefore we may not say that they are diuellishe Spirits Unto this argument I aunswere thus he dothe thys for his owne aduantage If he should shewe him selfe so as he is by nature he should little proffite That whiche he dothe he doth it to this ende that he may purchase credite vnto his words and that he might the better thrust other things vpon men and bring and driue them into sundry erroures whereby they forsaking the worde of God might giue eare vnto Spirits Did not the seruaunts of vncleane â—pirits I meane false Prophets come in times past vnder shéepes skinnes and fayned themselues â—o tender the peoples commoditie whereas in very déede in the meane space they sought after another thing that is that when they had obteined great authoritie they might pill and poule other men and fill their owne bags with golde and siluer Do not all heretickes yet at this day say they are sent froÌ„ God and that we must eschewe wickednesse and seeke after vertue Diddest thou neuer heare y théeues trauelling by the way with those on whose company they light haue talked of liuing honestly and of the punishmeÌ„t of wicked men and the reward of good men to the ende that after they might take the aduantage of theÌ„ vnwares Whereas the Diuell hathe fayned him selfe to be otherwise than he is it hath brought forth innumerable errors superstitions and false worshippings in the Churche of god For Bishops in proces of time neglected the worde of God they would accepte the Diuell and receiue him as an Angell of light when he came not in a blacke and horrible but a plesaunt and acceptable forme He speaketh some good things that
to deliuer vs from euill to strengthen our fayth and to giue vs pacience and other necessarie things Neither should we be touched with compassion of other mennes miserie which are vexed with spirits but we woulde rather say that they can not tell what they speake and that they imagine many vayne feares Moreouer if other vnderstande that godly men are for their exercise vexed by spirits they become more pacient when soeuer they are sicke or otherwise troubled acknowledging theyr owne harmes to be but small in comparison of other mens For nothing is more greuouse than when a manne is tormented by the Diuel Nowe as touching infidells they are constrayned will they or nill they to confesse that there are diuels for there are many which would neuer be persuaded there are good or euill Angels or spirits except sometimes they had experience therof in déede God suffreth these things to chasten them For so muche as they will giue no place vnto truth but are wilfully deceyued it is good reason they be taught by diuelishe illusions what they must do or leaue vndone and that they be illuded by euill spirits after some other meanes Thus we reade in the .13 chapter of Deuteronomie if there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreames and giue thée a signe and wonder and that signe or wonder that he hath saide come to passe and then say let vs go after straunge Gods which thou hast not knowne and lette vs serue them hearkeÌ„ not thou vnto the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreames For the Lorde thy God proueth you to wit whether ye loue the Lord your God with all your soule Ye shall walke after the Lorde your God and feare him kepe his commandements and hearken vnto his voice serue him and cleaue vnto him And he addeth further that the same Prophete or dreamer shall dye the death By these words we do not only sée that God doth suffer suche leude fellowes to worke maruellous things but also to what ende and purpose he permitteth it that is to trye his faithfull how constant they be and how faithfully they would beleue in him if at any time spirits do come and foretell things to happen hereafter Our sauioure Christ saith in the thirde chapter of Saincte Iohn This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darknesse more than light bicause their déedes were euill for euery one that doth euill hateth the light neyther commeth he to the light least his déedes shoulde be reproued c. By the which woordes our Sauiour sheweth the cause why the worlde is condemned whiche is bycause they receyue not the lyght of the woorde of God or Christe himselfe who is the light of the worlde sette foorth vnto vs in his woorde but rather shut their eyes agaynst the cleare light preferring darkenesse that is errours superstition and wickednesse before the woord of god If God then condemne and reiecte the vnthankfull worlde what maruell is it if he vexe them with spirites and vayne apparitions Chryst sayth in the fyfth of Iohn I come in my Fathers name and you receyue me not yf an other come in his owne name you receyue him Christe laboured for their health and saluation this they woulde not acknowledge but refused him therfore was it the iust iudgement of God that they shold receyue others that hunted after their owne coÌ„moditie and profite suche as were Theudas Iudas of Galilee and many other false doctours and seditious seducers Wherefore if any refuse to giue eare to Christe and his ministers it is by the iust iudgemente of God that they hearken vnto Spirites and suche like things Saincte Paule in the seconde to the Thessalonians and seconde chapter writeth of Antichrist that he shoulde exercise greate tyrannie in the Churche of God and sheweth agaynst whome and for what cause God will suffer him so to do saying Among them that perishe bicause they recyued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued And therefore God shall sende them strong delusions that they shoulde beléeue lyes that all they myght be damned whiche beléeue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse And in the fourth chapter of his seconde Epistle to Timothe he earnestly beséecheth his scholer to be diligent in preaching dayly He giueth this reason for the tyme will come when they shall not suffer holsome doctrine but after their owne lustes shall they whose eares itche get them an heape of teachers and shall withdraw their eares from the truth and shal be turned vnto fables Now we sée the cause why god dothe suffer seducers false teachers and wicked spirites to deceyue men in the place of true doctours which is for that eyther they vtterly despise his woorde or little esteme it and can not abide godly and constant preachers Touching which matter wée will alleage a fewe examples Pharao contemned God and his seruants Moyses and Aaron wherfore God blynded his eyes that he gaue himself to be ruled by his Magi or wyse men and at the last perished miserably in the red Sea. Saule woulde not giue eare vnto Samuell who bare a ryght hart and good affection towardes his king he loued him not as by reason he shoulde haue done but haâ—ed him and all other that loued him right wel for he contemned the woord of god Wherfore it came to passe that being in extreme daunger he sought help of a witch to reare Samuel froÌ„ the dead that he might now vse his aduise whoÌ„ he despised béeing aliue disdayned to heare him This woman reareth one who is no otherwise called Samuel than when false gods are called gods when in very déede they are not gods but wood and stones or rather as Paul sayth .1 Corin. 10. very diuels This counterfait Samuel giueth him neither comforte nor counsell but driueth him to vtter desperation The same hapned vnto Saul whiche chaunceth vnto those stubborne children whiche despise their pareÌ„ts contemne their counsel wold gladly wishe their death at the last grow vnto y point that they wold willingly take in haÌ„d a great iourney on coÌ„dition it might be graunted them to heare them giue their last counsell An other example herof Achab king of Israel Iezabel his wife had many godly prophets amoÌ„gst whoÌ„ Elias was a man indued with the gifâ—e of shewing working miracles But they did not only conteÌ„ne those prophets but also cruelly murdered so many of them as they could catche Yet amongst the rest they especially laboured to intrap Elias who was exceading zelouse The Baalamites were in greate fauoure with the king but especially with the Quéene as hir chief dearlings And when the time approched that Achab shoulde suffer due and worthye punishement for his Idolatrie and wickednesse wherein he had long time liued he entred councell with his kinsman Iosaphat that they ioyning their powers togither might recouer agayne the
citie of Ramoth Gilead whiche the Assirians had taken from hym Iosaphat allowed well this deuise notwythstanding hée woulde in any wyse aske counsayle herein of god Achab therefore gathereth togither a councell of .400 priests of Baall who all with one voice exhorted him to goe on with his enterprise assuring him of most certeyne victorie One of them named Sedechias was so vainly bold that putting hornes of yron on his head he sayde with these hornes shalt thou pushe the Assirians But Iosaphat suspecting the matter asked if there were any one Prophet of God to be found of whom they might séeke councell Achab answeared There is quoth he yet a certeine man by whom we might enquire of the Lorde but I hate him for he doth not prophecie good vnto me but euill his name is Micheas Iosaphat thought good in any wise to heare him Wherfore the king presently sent for him by one of his chamberlaines And thus the messanger spake vnto him All the Prophets with one voice prophecie good lucke vnto the king I pray thée therfore that thou speake nothing to the contrary When he was nowe brought before the two kings sitting in their thrones clad with sumptuous apparell and before the other Prophets which stoode in their presence king Achab asked him whether they should make warres against Ramoth Gilead or no Unto whom he scoffingly answered go saith he thou shalt haue prosperous successe The king who by the manner of his vtterance vnderstoode he spake not in earnest instantly required hym to tell hym the truth Whervppon he sayde that he had séene all Israell dispersed in the mountaines as shepe without a shepherd and that the Lorde had sayde These men haue no Lord let euery one returne home to his owne house in safetie Then sayde Achab did I not tell thée that this fellowe doth prophecie me no good The Prophete went on saying heare the word of God I sawe the Lord sitting in his seate of maiestie and all the host of Heauen stand about him on his righte hande and on his lefte hande And the Lorde sayde who shall entice Achab that he may go and fall at Ramoth Gilead And one sayde on this manner and an other sayde on that manner Then there came foorth a spirit and stoode before the Lorde and sayde I will entice him And the Lorde sayde vnto him wherewith And he sayde I will go out and be a false Spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets Then he sayde thou shalt entise him and shalt also preuaile go foorth and do so Nowe therefore behold the Lorde hath put a lying Spirit in the mouth of all these thy Prophets and the Lorde hathe appointed euill agaynst thée Then Sedechias came nere and smote Micheas on the chéeke and sayde when went the spirit of the Lorde from me to speake vnto thée And Micheas prophecied what should happen also vnto him So the king commaunded him to be cast into prison and to be fed with bread and water vntil he returned frō the warres Then sayde Micheas if thou returne in peace the Lorde hathe not spoken by me and therewith he willed all the people to hearken what he spake Notwithstanding the kings went forewarde with their enterprise and prepared themselues and led foorth their armes against their enimies Achab was slayne in the battaile Iosaphat because he ioyned him selfe with the wicked was in very great daunger c. I haue handled thys historie somewhat at large that we might vnderstand howe God by his iust iudgement sendeth spirits vnto those which despise his word whereby they may be beguiled and deceyued The very same happened vnto the Christians after the Apostles tyme For when the word of God began to be lesse estemed than it shoulde haue bin and men preferred their owne affections before the hearing thereof and when as they would incurre no manner of daunger for the defence of their faith and of the truth but accounted of all religions alike God so punished them that nowe they began to giue eare vnto false teachers whiche framed them selues vnto theyr veine affections they learned of images whom they called lay mennes bookes they kissed these mens boanes and shrined them in golde if happely they were their boanes whose doctrine before they disdained to receyue they gaue credite vnto false apparitions and diuelishe visions and so suffered they worthy punishment for their greate ingratitude Euen as yong men which will not be ruled by their maisters are after compelled to obey other men with great shame so also happened it vnto those men for they fell dayly more and more from the word of God in so muche that when they had once lost the truthe some ranne one waye and some an other to fynde a meanes for the remission of their sins and one man beleued this spirite an other that which no man can deny The like chaunced vnto the Gentiles in times past as it appereth by the first chap. to the Romans also by their own writings They worshipped many gods many miracles were shewed amongst them they had many visiōs of gods and many oracles which when the Apostles began to preach al cessed S. Athanasius in his booke De humanitate verbi Fol. 55. 64. writeth that in auncient time ther were oracles at Delphos in Beeotta Lycia other places whiche he nameth but nowe since Chryste is preached euery where vnto all men this madnesse hath ceassed c. In the like manner writeth Lactantius and others But in these our daies since we haue refused mens traditions and willingly imbraced the doctrine of the Gospell all appearings of Soules and Spirites haue quite vanished away Who I pray you heareth now of any soule or Spirit which doth wander and as they call it craue mens deuotions Those rumblings of Spirits in the night are now muche more seldome heard than they haue bin in times past CHAP. II. VVhat the cause is that in these our dayes so fevve spirits are seen or heard THe clere light of Gods worde driueth away al such spirits which vse to worke their feates in the darke The cleare light approching the shaddowe and darknes vanisheth The prince of darknesse shunneth light and hath nothing to do where men worship God the father only through Iesu Christ beleuing only on him and committing them selues wholy vnto his protection If men esteme the word of God and haue it in price he will in no wise suffer them to be so ouerséene and deceyued as they are whiche do all things without the warrant of his word Here I cannot ouerpasse with silence a certeine merry iest when once there chanced to bée talke in a certayne place of visions and Spirits a certayne professor of the Gospell sayd vnto a Papist in this maner You ought quoth he euen by thys to gather that our religion is true and youres false for that since the Gospell was preached vnto vs very fewe spirits haue ben sene of any man. To whome
expedient for them to doe for their sake to wit that they should do sacrifices for their soules obserue their obsequies burie their bodies erect Temples make holydayes and such like stuffe Suetonius writeth that the Emperor Caligule his body was priuily coÌ„ueyed into the gardens called Lamiam and there with a hastie fire being but halfe consumed was cast into a pit and couered with a little earth But afterwards wheÌ„ his sisters returned froÌ„ exile it was taken vp thorowly burnt afterward solemnly buried But before they had so doon the gardeÌ„ kéepers were very much troubled with appearing of spirits And moreouer no man could passe any night in the same house where he was slayne without some great feare vntil such time as the house was vtterly destroyed with fire We read also in other writers that the ghostes of them which wer not orderly buried or whose accustomed rites and ceremonies in the time of warres were omitted dyd appeare eyther to their friendes or vnto others complayning intreating that their funerals all other ceremonies mighte be obserued for their sake whereof came the hearses wéekemyndes monthmindes and anniuersaries whereof we reade many things in the Ethnike writers and many things are recyted out of the olde Poets and in Lilius Giraldus in his booke De sepultura and also in Polid. Virgilius de Inuentione rerum lib. 6 cap. 10. We haue shewed before in the seconde parte and first Chapter that some haue desired others that they might be buried after that they were dead Cicero writeth in his 1. boke De legibus that Romulus the first founder of Rome walking after his death not farre from Atticus house appeared vnto Iulius Proculus and tolde him that hée was nowe a god and that his name was Quirinus and therewith commaunded that there shoulde be a Temple erected and dedicated vnto him in the same place Ouide writeth lib. 4. Fastorum that Remus apeared in the night time vnto Faustulus and to his wife Accia Laurentia somtime his Nurse complayning vnto them of his miserable death and desiring them to make laboure that the same day wherein he was slayne might be accounted amongst their holydayes The people of Rome as Ouide witnesseth lib. 2. Fastorum kept a feast in the moneth of Februarie called Feralia in the whiche they did sacrifice vnto the infernall Goddes and those whose duties it was to celebrate the funerals of their Auncesters carried dishes of meat to their sepulchers Wherof Festus and Varro called the same feast by the name of Feralia These dishes of meate were set vpon a stone at the time of these sacrifices for the which cause as Seruius sayth they were called Silicernium by the whiche worde some will haue a certaine feast signified which is bestowed vpon old men Donatus sayth that Silicernium is a supper which is made to the infernall Gods bycause Eam silentes cernant that is the deade soules do receyue it or bycause those that doe serue it do onely cernere see it and not tast thereof c. There were also certaine holie feastes called Parâ—ntalia in the which meate was caried to the Sepulchers for the soules of Parents and Auncestours before deceased And albeit they suppose that soules were pleased with small gyftes as of mylke wyne and suche like whereof mention is made in Ouid yet notwithstanding they also kylled sacrifices wherof some suppose that Feralia toke their name à feriendis pecudibus of killing shéepe Unto their sacrifices they also added prayers and kindled lights WheÌ„ in tymes past the Romains being troubled with warres had let passe the feast of Parentalia they therefore supposed that the infernall Goddes being for the same cause angrie there arose storms and pestilence and that soules rysing out of their graues did wander with pittifull complaintes about the graues and by the highway sides and in the fieldes This feaste endured by the space of fiftéene dayes in the whiche maried women lay not with their husbandes neyther those whiche were mariageable dyd marrie and the Images of their Goddes were couered The soules of them that were deade when they came too the meate they wandred about the graues and were fed as they thought with the banquet In the Moneth of May there was holden a feast in the night time which at the beginning they called Remuria and afterwardes Lemuria This did not differ much from the feast called Feralia whiche was instituted to pacifie soules Touching the originall of them and the rytes belonging therto looke Ouid in his lib. 5. fastorum One who tooke on him to pacifie the soules arose in the night verie late he went barefooted and washed himselfe ouer wyth fresh springing water and then taking beanes whiche he had rolled in his mouth he threw them behind his backe and saide that with them he dyd redéeme himselfe and after beating on a péece of brasse he prayed the soules to depart from thence which thing if they had done nine times they thought they hadde ended their holie seruice These were celebrated by the space of thrée dayes The sacrifices which are done for the infernall Gods are called Jnferiae We read in Lucan of the soules of Sylla and Marius which were purged by sacrifice We shewed before how Athanagoras coÌ„maunded the bones which wer digged vp in the entrie of his house at Athens to be orderly buried agayne c. The auncient Iewes had an expresse commaundemeÌ„t of God not to be any thing moued with the miracles of false Prophetes and God in plaine wordes forbad them not to seeke couÌ„cel of dead bodies Saule in the beginning of hys raigne while he yet gaue himself vnto godlinesse vtterly destroyed all coniurers and witches I doe not remember that I haue euer heard or read howe the Iewes behaued themselues when any spirits appeared vnto theÌ„ yet I doubt not but that they are supersticious aswell in these things as in all others CHAP. V. Hovv Christian men ought to behaue themselues vvhen they see spirites and first that they ought to haue a good courage and to be stedfast in fayth HOwe Christian men oughte to behaue themselues in this behalfe it is fully and amply declared in the holie Scriptures in like manner as all other things are which appertaine vnto our saluation To wit that first we ought to be of good courage without feare being assured constante in true faith For if they be good Angels which shew themselues vnto vs then are they sent vnto vs from God to a good ende and purpose But if they be wycked and euyll they can do vs no harme be they neuer so desirous excepte God giue them leaue thereto If it be nothing but a vayne imagination that we haue or an idle sight obiected vnto our eyes surely it is great follie to be any thing afraid In déed it is naturall vnto vs to be amazed with feare when we sée suche things for
of the resurrection of the dead into doubt and question Moreouer we reade that the olde Fathers haue caste Deuils out of menne and out of suche places wherein by their rumbling they haue put many in horrible feare Such an historie of S. Iohn is in Abdias Babylonius for the holy Apostles and many godly menne after them were indued with this grace from God that they coulde cast out vncleane spirites whiche gyft continued a long season in the Church to the great profite of the faythfull but afterwardes it ceased as other miracles dyd also It maketh vnto this purpose that Tertullian writeth hys Apologetico fol. 858. and 159. Thus we haue sufficiently séene after what sorte the holy fathers and auncient christians behaued themselues when any spirits appeared vnto them CHAP. X. That sundrie kyndes of superstition haue crept in vvhere by men haue attempted to driue avvay spirites IN proces of tyme Supersticions encreased more and more Paule complayneth that in his time Antechrist began to practise his misterie of iniquitie and that many opinions and sectes began to spring vp Saint Iohn writeth that in his time there were many Antechristes What maruel is it then if afterwards yea and that verie quickly diuers errours croape into the Churche and multiplyed excéedingly Sainte Augustine in his 22. booke De ciuitate Dei and eyghte Chapter after that he hadde recited certayne myracles which were therefore shewed that men might beleeue in Chryst he seâ—teth foorthe thys historie Hesperius a man of good worshippe and calling amongest vs hath a piece of land in the territorie of Fussalum called Cubedi in the whiche perceyuing by the languishing of his cattell and seruantes that his house was infected with the force and rage of euyll spirites he desired our fellow Priestes I being then absent that some one of them would take the paines to go thither that the spirit by his good prayers might giue place one of them went thither and there offred the sacrifice of the body of Chryst praying very earnestly that the same disquieting of spirites myght cease and by and by God had compassion and it ceased He had giuen him of a friende of his some parte of holie lande brought from Hierusalem where Chryste being buried rose againe the thirde daye that earth he hung vp in hys chamber least any euil might happeÌ„ vnto him But when his house was deliuered froÌ„ that trouble he deuised wyth himselfe what he might do with the saide earth which for reuerence sake he woulde not kéepe any longer in his chamber c. Héereby it is manyfest that superstition began immediatly and as it hapneth always grewe bigger with great increase as if one shoulde roll foorthe snowe clodded togyther or as when huge lumpes of snow begin to fal down from the Alpes â–ª al things on euery side are filled with snowe Shortly after menne began to praye and offer sacrifice for dead mennes soules yea and that wyth a good intention as it may euidently appeare in many of the auncient fathers Afterwards when Byshops parish Priestes did not onely not correct olde supersticions but also vppon a good meaning increase theÌ„ at the last they grew to an infinite number For when spirits appeared men called not vpon God through Chryst only but also vpon Saintes forgetting that which Saint Paule saithe to the Romaines the tenth For I will let passe at this tyme all other argumentes how shall they call vppon him in whome they haue not beléeued The Papistes themselues cannot deny but that we must beleeue onely in God and therefore he only is to be worshipped through his Sonne Some write that it is a soueraigne remedie to driue away deuils if we praye Aue Maria. Where by the way it is to be noted that the same salutation of the Angell is no prayer but onely a gréeting and hystoricall narration to wit howe the Archangell Gabriell tolde the Uirgin Marie before of the Incarnation of Chryst. But I praye thée weigh the sense of the words and whether thou wilt or no thou must néedes say that these wordes conteine in them neither asking nor thankesgiuing whiche are the partes of prayer WheÌ„ the Angell came vnto hir he saluted hir saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. salue that is God spéede or reioyce for as Festus sayth the Gréeke and the Latin word haue one signification Then he addeth further full of grace which is to be vnderstoode passiuely as they terme it in the scholes for bycause God bestowed his grace vpon hir for so the Angell himselfe expoundeth it when hee saythe afterwardes that she had found grace that is that God is mercifull and louing towardes hir Those words may not be so vnderstood as if she were the fountayne of grace as some haue expounded it and that she hath grace of hir selfe and bestoweth it vpon such as call vppon hir or speake vnto hir with the salutation of the Angel. For neyther the Gréeke worde nor any other places of the Scriptures admit this sense The Apostle saythe to the Ephesians the firste chapter that God hath made vs hys faithfull seruants deare by his grace through his beloued that is through Iesus christ In the whiche saying the same word is put whiche the Angell vsed in saluting the holy virgine It is written in the firste chapter of saincte Iohns Gospell in playne words that Iohn Baptiste bare witnesse of Christ with a loude voice and saide that we all haue receiued of his fulnesse grace for grace For the lawe was giuen by Moses but grace and truth sprang vp by christ Many other suche places I omitte for breuities sake The virgin Mary hir selfe saith the Lord hath done maruellous things vnto me She setteth foorth the grace of God giuen vnto hir from God without any of hir deserts For he neuer bestowed greater grace on any womaÌ„ And there is a very great difference betwene him that coÌ„ferreth grace and them whiche receiue or obteine grace Grace is only to be sought at his hands who giueth grace and not of them which them selues receiue grace A fewe yeares past all men besought the virgin for helpe hoping for more grace and succour of hir than of Christ him selfe The Angell addeth further Blessed art thou amoÌ„gst women that is God hathe conferred more grace vnto thee than vnto any other woman The words which are ioyned herevnto Blessed is the frute of thy wombe are not the words of the Angell but of hir cousin Elizabeth who also saluted hir Unto these words some religious men added Iesus Christ amen Therefore the Angell vttered not all those words of the Aue Marie as it may manifestly be gathered out of the very text of Saincte Luke chapter .1 not bycause we deny these words to be good and holy for the text saith of Elizabeth that she was full of the holy ghost but that which the Angell spake not is not to be attributed vnto hir You shall not finde in
were persuaded that it was good to stop all spirits from méeting with them in a visible forme But tell me I pray thée who soeuer thou art which doest so by what places of scripture canst thou coÌ„firme those ceremonies Where doth Christ and his disciples teache vs to expell the Diuell which is a Spirit and therefore without any body by bodyly things shewe but one example that they haue cast forthe the Diuell by this way or meanes If you bring out of the bookes of Tobie that the harte and liuer of the fish being layed on the coales droue away the Diuell with the smell we say that the same booke is not accounted amongst the canonicall scriptures and moreouer that the same Diuell was rather vanquished by the prayers of Tobias and his wife than by any fumigation Did Chryste ordayne the holye Supper to thys ende that thereby Deuils shoulde be caste out Albeit that an euill Spirite doo fayne to giue place bycause of these thynges yet he bringeth to passe in the meane season that Superstition is more déepely rooted in the heartes of menne CHAP. XI That spirits are not to be driuen avvay by cursing and banning HEre I cannot ouerpasse that certeine doo vainly persuade them selues that Spirits may easily be driuen away with cursing banning for that as they say Spirits approche néere vnto such as pray and do more egerly disturbe and vexe them Our Lord Iesus Chryste who can best tell how we should fight against the crafte and subtiltie of the Diuell teacheth vs in many places to pray continually he biddeth vs to pray in the Lords prayer that we may be deliuered from euil calling Sathan by the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euill it selfe bicause he excelleth therein Nothing can be more acceptable and pleasing to the Diuel than when any man vseth cursing and banning He feyneth that he is hereby driuen away but in the meane season he crepeth inuisibly into their bosoms If you liste ye may driue away the Diuel in saying that he hathe no place with you but his place is in Hell and that he hathe nothing to do with those whiche put their only trust and confidence in Christ Iesus For in the eyght chapter to the Romans in the beginning it is sayde Nowe there is no condemnaâ—ion vnto them that are grafted in Christe Iesu who walke not according to the fleshe but according to the spirit A man may commaund the diuel to departe from him without any cursing or banning And that is also to be blamed that certaine wicked and rashe men talke very beastly and filthily with spirits if they appere at any time vnto them Some others when spirits appeare vnto them will by and by set on theÌ„ driue them away with naked swords and sometimes throwe them out of the windowes not coÌ„sidering with themselues that spirites are nothing hurte with weapons In the Grecian histories we reade that a certayne Lacedemonian passing by a sepulchre in the night season when a spirit séemed to appeare vnto him ran towardes it thinking to run it through with his speare saying whether flyest thou O thou soul wich shalt twice dye Surely it is praise worthy when a maÌ„ meâ—ing with a spirite is not afrayde but yet boldnesse and rashnesse can not be commended If thy enimy albeit he be very weake be not to be despised muche lesse ought an enimy so mighty so crafty to be neglected There haue bin some who when they would haue striken a Spirit with their sword haue thought they haue striken the fetherbed the Diuel so mocked them Others supposing they had throwen a spirit out of the window by and by thought they heard shingles falling and ratling amongst the trées It is reported that there haue bin some who supposing with their weapons to hurte spirites haue wounded them selues for their armes and other members of theyr body haue neuer serued theÌ„ after We must not vse a materiall sword against spirits and vayne shewes for it profyteth nothing but we must vse the sword of the Spirit They which will strike spirits and ghosts with a sword in dede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is fight with their owne shadow In the booke of Iob the diuell is signified by Leuiathan which careth not for the speare for he apeareth in diuers shapes caÌ„ not be put to flight with pikes The diuel is a spirit he hath not boanes fleshe but he only taketh on him a shape for a time But in case spirits which haue bodies do waÌ„der that is coÌ„iurers priests whores whoremoÌ„gers which faine theÌ„ selues to be spirits â–ª there caÌ„ be no better coÌ„iuratioÌ„ inueÌ„ted thaÌ„ to bang theÌ„ wel with a cudgel For thou shalt not so much preuaile with this kind of diuels with words as with stripes Hytherto I haue shewed howe they ought to behaue themselues which méete with spirits As touching them which neuer heard or sawe any thing for there be many which neuer chaunced on such things let them be thankfull vnto God for so greate a benefite let them not be rash and bolde nor desirous to sée suche thyngs but rather let them praye vnto God for them whyche are vexed wyth suche euyls Let them not doo as they many tymes vse whiche were neuer greatly sicke for they féele not other mens griefes and therfore they thinke they are little sick or that they counterfaite their sicknesse vntill suche tyme as they them selues fall into some greate and dangerous disease euen so God can cause them to see spirites which neuer sawe any before that afterwardes they may be the more touched with other mens gréefs and diligently pray for them CHAP. XII After vvhat sort vve ought to behaue oure selues vvhen vve heare straunge crackes or vvhen other forevvarnings happen BUt nowe as concernyng other matters as in case any straunge crackes and noyses be heard or any rare and maruellous things happen before the alteration of kingdomes whiche wée spake of before what shall we then doo Surely we must not attribute too much vnto such things for they somtimes yea and most commonly chaunce by the disceyte of the diuell who hath a great pleasure to haue men muse nighte and daye on suche matters and to imagine before theyr eyes and myndes many horrible things that therby they may fall into some gréeuous sickenesse and neuer bée at rest When such things happen in déede they ought to put vs in mynd that we casting from vs al these things which displease God should wholly consecrate oure selues vnto God and so frame our selues that at what houre soeuer he come and please to call vs out of this lyfe we shoulde be ready for him euen as he himselfe teacheth vs and also endure patiently all vnfortunate chaunces howe many soeuer happen vnto vs knowing that they come not by chaunce but by the prouidence of God. Plutarch albeit he be an Heathen writer is of a sounde iudgement as me séemeth coÌ„cerning Monsters and wonders