written thys my treatise in the vulgar tong and now bicause I trust it shal be also profitable to other men I haue translated it into latine adding certayne things thereto This my booke which I haue with greate laboure and study gathered out of many mens writings I present and offer vnto you most noble consul according to the ancient fashion and custome not for that I suppose you haue any néed of my teaching touching these things which are herein haÌ„dled For I am not ignoraunt vnder what teachers you haue attained vnto true learning and how you haue and do continually reade ouer sundry good authors with perfecte knowledge in many tongs But partely that I might purchase credite and authoritie vnto this my booke with those men vnto whome your goodnesse godlines and constancie whche you haue alwayes hitherto euermore shewed and yet do shewe in setting foorth true religion and mainteyning good lawes is throughly knowen and partly that I might shewe my selfe in some respecte thaÌ„kfull vnto you For your honour hath bestowed many benefits on me whom you only knowe by sight and vppon other ministers of the Church wherby ye haue so bouÌ„d me vnto you that I shall neuer be able to make any recoÌ„pence Wherefore I most earnestly beséech you not to refuse this signe and token of my good will be it neuer so simple but rather to voutchsafe when ye haue leisure from the laboure and toile of the common welth to reade ouer this my booke for I haue good hope it will not séeme vnpleasaunt vnto you and others in the reading as well for the playne order I vse therin as also for the sundry and manyfold histories in it recited Almightie God who hath so blessed you with his heauenly gifts that for them albeit very yong you haue aâ—pired vnto the highest degrée in your noble citie and dominioÌ„ of Berna voutchesafe to preserue you in health and increase and multiply his good gifts in you My Lords and brethreÌ„ the ministers of Tigurine and also your olde coÌ„panion master George Grebelius that excellent man in lerning vertue and nobilitie hartily salute your Lordship From Tigurine in the month of Ianuary the yeare of Christs Natiuitie 1570. A TABLE OF the Chapters of the three principall partes touchyng Spirites walking by nyght Of the fyrste parte COncerning certain words which are often vsed in this Treatise of Spirites and diuers other diuinations of things to come Chapter 1. Folio 1. Melancholike persones and madde men imagining things whiche in very deede are not Chapter 2. Folio 9. Fearefull menne imagine that they see and heare straunge things Chapter 3. Fol. 14. Men whiche are dull of seing and hearing imagine many things which in very dede are not so Chapter 4. Fol. 16. Many are so feared by other menne that they suppose they haue heard or seene Spirites Chapter 5. Fol. 21. Priests and Monkes fayned themselues to be Spirites also howe Mundus vnder this coloure defiled Paulina and Tyrannus abused many noble and honest matrons Cha. 6. Fo. 23. Timotheus Aelurus counterfeating himselfe to bee an Angell obteyned a Bishoprike foure Monks of the order of prechers made many vayn apparitions at Berna Cha. 7. Fol. 28. Of a counterfaite and deceyuing spirite at Orleaunce in Fraunce Chapter 8. Fol. 37. Of a certâ—ine parish priest at Clauenna which fayned him selfe to be our Lady and of an other that counterfaited himself to be a Soule as also of a certayne disguised Jesuite Fryer Chapter 9. Fol â–ª 41. That it is no maruell if vayne sights haue ben in olde tyme neyther yet that it is to be maruelled at yf there be any at this day Chapter 10. Fol. 45. That manye naturall thyngs are taken to bee ghostes Chapter 11. Fol 49. A proofe out of the Gentiles histories that ghostes doe oftentymes appeare Chapter 12. Fol. 53. A proofe oute of the histories of the auncient Churche and of the writings of holy Fathers that there are walking Spirites Chapter 13. Fol. 62. That in the Bookes set foorth by Monkes are many ridiculous and vaine apparitions Chapter 14. Fol. 65 A profe by other sufficient writers that Spirits do sometime appeare Chapter 15. Fol. 68. Daily experience teacheth vs that Spirites do appeare to men Chapter 16. Fol. 7â— That there happen straunge wonders and prognostications and that sodayne noises and cracks and suche like are hard before the death of men before battaile and before some notable altâ—rations and chaunges Chapter â–ª 17. Fol. 77. It is proued by testimonies of holy scripture that Spirits are sometime seene and heard and that other strange matters doâ— often chaunce Chapter 18. Fol. 85 To whome when where and after what sort Spirits do appeare and what they do worke Chapter 19. Fol. 88. The Chapters of the second parte The opinion or beleefe of the Gentiles Iewes and Turkes concerning the estate of soules seperated from their bodies Chapter 1. Fol. 92. The Papists doctrine touching the soules of dead men and the appearing of them Chapter 2. Fol. 102. What hath followed this doctrine of the Papists concerning the appering of mens soules Chapter 3. Fol. 110. Testimonies out of the word of God that neither the soules of the faithfull nor of infidels do walke vppon the earth after they are once parted from their bodies Chapter 4. Fol. 114. Testimonies of the auncient Fathers that dead mens soules parted from their bodies doe not wander here vppon earthe Chapter 5. 116 A confutation of those mennes arguments or reasons which affirme that dead mens soules doo appeare And first that is answeared whiche certaine doo alleage to wit that God is omnipotent and therfore that he can worke contrary to the ordinarie course of nature Chapter 6. Fol. 123. That the true Samuell did not appeare to the witche in Endor Chapter 7. Fol. 127. A confutation of their arguments which would haue Samuell himselfe to appeare Chapter 8. Fol. 133. Whether the Diuell haue power to appeare vnder the shape of a faithfull man Chapter 9. Fol. 140. Moses and Elias appeared in the Mount vnto Chryst our Lorde many haue ben raysed from the dead both in body and soule and therfore soules after they are departed may returne on earth againe Chapter 10. Fol. 145. Whether the holy Apostles thought they sawe a mans soule when Chryste sodeynlye appeared vnto them after his Resurrection Chapter 11. Fol. 148. Concerning the holy Fathers Councels Bishops and coÌ„mon people which say that soules do visibly appeare Cha. 12. Fo. 151. Whether soules do returne agayne out of Purgatorie and the place which they call Limbus puerorum Cha. 13. Fol. 155. What those things are whiche men see and heare and firste that good angels 〈◊〉 sometimes appeare Chap. 14. Fol. 159. That sometymes yea and for the moste part euill Angels doâ— appeare Chapter 15. Fol. 163. Of wondrous monsters and suche lyke Chap. 16. Fol. 164. That it is no harde thing for the diuell to appeare in diuers shapes and to bring
possessioÌ„ of life euerlasting they that depart in vnbeléef do streight way becoÌ„ partakers of eternal damnation The souls do not vanish away die with the body as the Epicures opinion is neither yet be in euery place as som do imagin touching this matter I wil allege pithie manifold testimonies out of the holy scripture out of which alone this question may ought to be tried discussed Our sauior Christ Iesus which could well iudge of these misteries in the .3 of Iohn saith So God loued the world that he wold giue his only begotteÌ„ son that who so beleueth on him shold not perish but haue life euerlastiÌ„g For god seÌ„t not his son into the world to coÌ„demn the world but that the world by him might be saued He that beleueth in him is not coÌ„demned he that beleueth not is coÌ„demned alredy bicause he beleued not in the name of the only begotteÌ„ son of god And in the .5 of Iohn he saith Uerily verily I say vnto you he that heareth my word beleueth on him that sent me hath euerlasting life shal not come into iugemeÌ„t or coÌ„demnation but hath passed alredy froÌ„ deth to life he doth not say that his sins shold first be purged in purgatorie And in the .6 cha he saith This is the wil of him that sent me that euery one that séeth the son and beléeueth on him should haue life euerlasting and I will raise him vp at the last day againe verily I say vnto you he that beleueth on me hathe life euerlasting In the .14 of Iohn also our Lord sauior Christ Iesus saith that he wil take vs vp to himself that where he is there shuld we be also c. When Christe sent forth his disciples to publish his gospel in the .x. of Math. he said vnto theÌ„ Go ye into the whole world preach the gospel to euery creature he that beleueth is baptized shal be saued and he that beleueth not shal be coÌ„demned in the 5. ch of the 2. to the Corin. the apostle S. Paule saith we knowe that if the earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed we haue a building of god that is a house not made with haÌ„ds but eternal in the heaueÌ„s c. By these places it may be euidently gathered that the soules of the faithfull are taken vp into eternall ioy the soules of the vnfaithfull assoone as they are departed froÌ„ their bodies are condeÌ„ned to perpetual tormeÌ„t And that this is done streightway after death may be perceyued by the words that Christ spake to the théefe on the crosse when he hoong on his right hand This day shalt thou be with me in paradise And in the 14 chap. of the apocalips it is writteÌ„ I hard a voice that said vnto me write blessed are the dead that dye in the lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 .i. amodo as the old traÌ„slatioÌ„ redeth that is by by out of haÌ„d without delay SteueÌ„ in the very point wheÌ„ he loked to be stoned cried lord Iesu receiue my spirit He douted nothing but was assuredly persuaded that his soul shold straightway be traÌ„slated to eternal ioy Paule in the .j. chap. of his epist. to the Philip. sayth I desire to be losed or I couet to depart hence to be with christ Here is no meÌ„tioÌ„ at al made of purgatory in which the soules shold be first purged If thou wilt here obiect that the persons afore aleged wer saints martirs we say farther the Paradyse was opened also to the théef assoone as he became repentant And that the soules both of the faithfull vnfaithful which presently after their death are translated to heaueÌ„ or hel do not returne thence into the earth before the day of the last iudgement may wel be perceiued by the parable of the rich man clothed in purple Lazarus as we read in the .xvj. of Luke For wheÌ„ the rich man prayed Abraham that he would sende Lazarus vnto him to cooâ—e his tong Abraham gaue him this aunswer Betwixt thée and vs there is a great gulfe set so that they which wold goe hence from Abrahams bosome to you in Hell can not neyther can they come from thence to vs And when he be sought him that he would sende Lazarus to his fathers house to admonishe his fiue brethren least they also should come into that place of torment he sayd vnto him They haue Moses and the Prophets let them hear them And again If they heare not Moyses the Prophets neither wil they beleue though one rose agayne froÌ„ the dead CHAP. V. Testimonies of the auncient fathers that deade mens soules parted from theyr bodyes dooe not vvander here vpon earth THis matter was also thus vnderstoode by the holy and auncient Fathers For Augustine in his .xviij. Sermon De verbis Apostoli hathe that there bée two mansions the one in euerlasting fyre the other in the euerlasting kyngdome And in his .xxviij. chapter of his first booke De peccatorum meriâ—is remissione contra Pelagianos in the seueÌ„th tome of his works he sayth Neyther can any man haue any middle or meane place so that he maye be any other where than with the diuell who is not with Christ. And in his notable worke de ciuitate Dei the .xiij. booke and .viij. chapter he sayth The soules of the godly so soone as they be seuered from their bodies be in rest the soules of the wicked in torment vntill the bodies of the one bée raysed vnto lyfe and the other vnto euerlastyng deathe which in scripture is called the second death Iustine also an auncient father writeth in Responsione ad Orthodoxos quest 75. that the difference of the iust vniust doth appeare euen as soone as the soule is departed from the body For they are caried by the angels into such places as are fit for them that is the soules of the iust are brought vnto Paradyse where they haue the fruition of the sighte and presence of Angels and Archangels and moreouer the â—ight of our sauior Christ as it is conteined in that saying whiles we are straungers from the body we are at home with god And the soules of the vnrighteous on the other side are caried to Hell as it is sayde of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon Hell is troubled vnder thée being ready to méete thée c. And so till the day of resurrection and rewarde are ethy reserued in suche places as are méetest for them Saint Hillarie in the ende of his exposition of the second Psalme writeth that mens soules are straight way after death made partakers of rewards or punishments And touching the soules of the old Patriarks that dyed before the natiuitie of Christ Austin Hierom Nazianzen and other holy Fathers teache that God in certain places by him chosen out for that purpose hath preserued the soules of all
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
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
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
soules of dead men which desired to be deliuered out of their torments by Masses almes déeds This deceyte was espied by these means that at the last one or two of the crabbes were found amongst the rubbish hauing the candles done out cleauing on their backs which the priest had not takeÌ„ vp Georgius Buchananus prince of all Poets in this â—ur age reporteth an historie in his Comedie called Franciscanus of one Langus a priest who falsly affirming that in a field of ScotlaÌ„de full of Brimstone there were soules miserablie tormented which continually cried for helpe anâ— succor suborned a countrye clowne whom he would coniure as if he had bin one of those soules Which disceyte of his y husbandmaÌ„ afterward discouered wheÌ„ he was druÌ„k I woulde heare repeate his verses but that his bookes are nowe in euery mans hands While I was writing these things it was reported vnto me by credible persons that in Augustâ— a noble citie of Germanye this present yeare 1569. there was a mayde and certeine other men seruants in a great mans family which litle regarded the sect of the Iesuite Friers that one of the sayd order made promise to their master that he would easyly bring theÌ„ to an other opinion so disguising him selfe like vnto a Dyuell was hid in a priuie corner of the house vnto the which place one of the maides going either of hir owne accorde to fetchâ— some thing or being sente by hir master was by the disguised Iesuite made maruellously afrayde whiche thing she presently declared vnto one of the meÌ„ seruants exhorting him in any wise to take héede of the place Who shortly after going to the samâ— place laying hold on his dagger sodeynly stabbed in the counterfeit diuell as he came rushing on him This history is written in dutche verses and put in print and nowe almost in euery mans hands CHAP. X. That it is no maruell if vayne sightes haue bene in olde time neither yet that it is to be maruelled at if there be any at this day MAny other like examples might be brought but these may suffize to proue euidently to what point ambition couetousnesse enuy hatrede stubburnÌ„esse idlenesse and loue do most commonly driue men We sée by common experience that proude ambitious men dare aduenture any thing If they may hurt or hinder other men by accusations slanders or any other ways or meanes whom they suppose may preiudice or let their exalting to honor they sticke not at all to doo it What maruell is it then that Monkes and Priests which desire to be aloft indeuor now a days to purchase vnto themselues authoritie by false miracles vayne apparitions and suche other lyke trumperie All men knowe what a pernitious thing couetousnesse is For they which are not contented to liue with a little but will néedes be rich neyther care for any man nor yet spare any man Hungry guttes séeke sundry wayes to fill themselues fewe willingly endure hunger Wherefore it is not to be maruelled at if amongst Monkes priests at these our dayes who haue bâ—n euer reported to be couetous there be some found which by false apparitions of soules séeke their gaines inuenting holy pilgrimages and other baytes to get money For what wil not idle slouthfull lubbers attempt to purchase riches Doth not Saint Paule say that those whiche wil waxe ryche by idlenesse fall into the snares of the Diuell Emulation wilfulnesse enuie hatred contention desire to ouercome what they may do what they may bring to passe dayly experience teacheth vs The preachers of Berna wheÌ„ they perceiued thei could not ouercom their aduersaries by any other meanes yelded theÌ„selues which is horrible to be spoken vnto the Deuil making him one of their counsel And who can deny but the priests now adayes are also for the most part stubborn and full of contention Idlenesse is the nurse and mother of all mischiefe what goodnesse then may ye looke for of them which not only exercise theÌ„ selues in no labours prescribed by God neyther yet apply them selues to good learning but day and night play the gluttons Tell me I pray thee whether the laboring husbandman or the idle man who alwayes spent his time in inuenting pernitioâ—s mischieues firste found out those cruel instruments of warre which they call gunnes It might be declared in many words what loue is able to do Now bicause Monks and priests liue idlely abounding in all wantonnesse and yet are restrayned from holy mariage what maruell is it if at this time also they faine and counterfeite many visions that they might therby the easâ—er enioy their loue And here I will not say it is to be feared that there are many amongst them so wicked and villanous as to exercise and practise magicall artes such like which are vtterly forbidden Who can then maruell hereafter if it be sayd they counterfaite spirits affirming they haue let men sée this or that soule For in what men soeuer these vices bée whiche we haue rehearsed surely those dare boldely aduenture any thing No kinde of men are more obnoxious to these kinde of things than those whiche leade their life in monasteries and colleges therfore no maÌ„ ought to maruell or thinke it a straunge thing if we say that in times past many false visions haue bin practised and may also at this daye likewise happen For the world as all men iustly complayne waxeth worse and worse Men are now more impudent more bould more couetous and more wicked than euer they were in times past Moreouer the cleargie of Rome haue in many places this prerogatiue aboue others that most men especially such as are led by superstition make much of them worshipping them with great reuerence no man so muche as suspecteth them to apply their minds to euill matters to subtiltie crafte and disceyte al men looke for other things at theyr handes If therefore they addict them selues to euill deuises they may easily deceyue men excepte God miraculously reuele their wickednesse bring it to light as we declared in a fewe examples rehearsed before And perchaunce for this cause also priests and Monks could not be so well blamed for their so often deceyuing plaine meaning folks with crafte and subtiltie in so much as some of theyr most holy fathers I meane Popes of Rome haue bin very cunning in magicall sciences as their owne historiographers affirme and by meanes of those artes haue aspired to the high top of Popedome â–ª Beno or rather Bruno for so I iudge his name is who was also a Cardinall set foorth the life of Pope Gregorie the seuenth in writing in the whiche he sheweth the sayde bishop to haue bin a proude arrogante malitious and couetous Monke and that he was thoroughly séene in the blacke arte of Negromancie Bartholomeus Platina who béeing a sworne seruaunt with the Pope excusing their faults as much as he can writeth of
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
horse with a Hauke on his fist as he was wonte when he liued and willed the secretarie albeit wonderfully afraid to bid his Sonne the nexte daye to repaire vnto the same place for he had matter of greate importance to declare vnto him Which when Ludouicus heard partly bycause he could not beléeue it partly for that he douted som body laye in waight for him he sent an other to answere in his roome With whome the same soule méeting as it did before lamented very much that his Sonne was not come thither for if he had so doone he saide he would haue opened many other things vnto him But as then he willed the messanger to tell him that twentie two yeares one month and one day being passed he should loose the rule gouernment whiche he nowe possessed As soone as the time forshewed by the ghost was expired albeit he were very circumspect and careful yet the same night the souldiours of Phillip Duke of Millen with whom he was in league therfore stood in no féare of him came ouer the ditches hard frosen with ice vnto the walles and raysing vp ladders toke both Citie and Prince togither Phillip Malancthon writeth in his booke de anima that he himselfe hathe seene some spirites and that he hath knowne many men of good credite whiche haue auoutched not only to haue séene ghostes them selues but also that they haue talked a great while with them In his booke which he intituleth Examen Theologicum he reherseth this historie Which was that he had an aunt who as she sat very heauily by the fire after hir husband was deade two men came into hir house whereof the one being verie like saide he was hir husband deceased the other being very tall had the shape of a Franciscan Frier This that séemed to be the husband came néere the chimney saluting his heauie wife bidding hir not to be afrayde for as he saide he came to commaunde hir certaine things then he bid the long Monke to goe aside a while into the stoue hard by And there beginning his talke after many wordes at the last he earnestly beséecheth and most hartily desireth hir to hire a Priest to say Masse for hys soule and so being readie to departe he biddeth hir giue him hir right hande which thing she being sore afraide abhorring to do after he hadde faythfully promysed she shoulde haue no harme she giueth hir hande which albeit in déede it had no hurte yet did it seeme to be so scortched that euer after it remained blacke This being doone hée calleth foorth the Franciscane and hastily going foorth togither they vanysh away Ioannes Manlius in his collectanies of common places wryteth concerning other spirits which he and other men also did sée the first tome in the chapter De malis spiritibus et ipsorum operibus and also in the chapter De satisfactione Ludouicus Viues saythe in his firste booke De veritate fidei that in the newe world lately found out ther is nothing more common than not that only in the night time but also at noone in the midday to sée spirits aparaÌ„tly in the cities fields which speake coÌ„maund forbyd assault men feare them strike theÌ„ The very same do other report which describe those nauigations of the gret Ocean Hieronimus Cardanus of Millen excellently séene in philosophie phisicke remembreth a great many of these apparitions in his bookes De subtilitate et varietate rerum which who so lysteth to reade I refer hym to his bookes for I am desirous to be bréefe Olaus Magnus Archbishoppe of Vpsalia in Sueuelande declareth in his historie De Gentibus Septentrionalibus the 2. booke and 3. chap that spirits apeare in Iseland in the shape likenesse of such as men are acquainted withall whom the inhabitants take by the hande in stead of their acquaintance before they haue heard any worde of those their acquaintance death whose similitude and likenesse they take on theÌ„ neither do they vnderstand that they are deceiued before they shrink vanish away These things haue I brought togither both out of the olde also newe wryters that it myght plainly apeare that spirits do often times walke and shewe themselues vnto men CHAP. XVI Daily experience techeth vs that spirits do appear to meÌ„ TO al the premisses before handled this also is to be added which no man caÌ„ deny but the many honest credible persons of both kinds aswel men as women of whom som ar liuing some alredy departed which haue do affirm that they haue somtimes in the day somtimes in the night séen hard spirits Some maÌ„ walketh alone in his house behold a spirit apéereth in his sight yea somtimes the dogs also perceue theÌ„ fal down at their masters fete wil by no means depart fro theÌ„ for they ar sore afraid theÌ„selues too Some man goeth to bed and laieth him down to rest and by and by there is some thing pinching him or pulling off the clothes sometimes it sitteth on him or lyeth downe in the bed with him and many times it walketh vp and downe in the Chamber There haue bene many times men séen walking on foote or riding on horseback being of a fierie shape knowen vnto diuers men suche as died not long before And it hath come to passe lykewise that some eyther slayn in the warres or otherwise deade naturally haue called vnto their acquaintance béeing aliue and haue bene knowen by their voice Many times in the nyght season there haue béene certaine spirits hearde softely going or spitting or groning who being asked what they were haue made aunswere that they were the soules of this or that man that they nowe endure extreame tormentes Yf by chaunce any man did aske of them by what meanes they might be deliuered out of those tortures they haue aunswered that in case a certaine numbre of Masses werâ— soong for them or Pilgrimages vowed to some Saintes or some other such like déedes doone for their sake that then surely they shoulde be deliuered Afterwardes appearing in greate lyght and glorie they haue said that they were deliuered and haue therefore rendred greate thankes to their good benefactours and haue in like manner promised that they will make intercession to God and our Ladye for them And hereby it may be well proued that they were not alwayes Priestes or other bolde and wicked men whiche haue fayned themselues to be soules of men deceased as I haue before saide in so muche that euen in those mennes chambers when they haue bene shut there haue appeared such things when they haue with a candle diligently searched before whither any thing haue lurked in som corner or no. Many vse at this day to serch and sifte euery corner of the house before they go to bed that they may sléep more soundly yet neuerthelesse they heare some sâ—rying out and making a lameÌ„table noise c.
of those which lay in wayt to destroy Christ Iesus Wée reade in the tenth chapter of the Acts of the apostles that saint Peter fell into a traunce saw the heauens open and saw a vessel as it were a greate shéete descende downe vnto him from heauen knit togither at the foure corners wherin were all maner of foure footed beasts of the earth and wylde beasts and créeping things and foules of the heauen And there came a voyce vnto him Rise Peter kill and eate And in the .xvj. chapter as S. Paule was yet in Asia coÌ„ming downe towardes Troada this vision appeared vnto him There stode a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying Come into Macedonia and help vs Hereby Paul gathered it was the will of God that he should passe the sea and should preache the Gospell in Macedonia But I purpose not to write of Spirites and visions appearing vnto men in their sléepe least my Booke growe vnto an huge volume but only of those which we sensibly sée when we are awake CHAP. XVII That there happen straunge vvonders and prognostications and that sodeyn noises and cracks and such like are hearde before the death of men before battaile and before some notable alterations and chaunges IT happeneth many times that when men lye sicke of some deadly disease there is some thing heard going in the chamber like as the sicke men were wonte when they were in good health yea the sicke parties them selues do many times hear the same and by and by gesse what wil come to passe Oftentimes a litle before they yeld vp the ghost and some time a little after their death or a good while after either their owne shapes or some other shaddowes of men are apparantly séene And diuers times it commeth to passe that wheÌ„ some of our acquaintaunce or friends lye a dying albeit they are many miles off yet there are some great stirrings or noises heard Sometimes we thinke the house will fall on our heads or that some massie and waightie thing falleth downe throughout all the house rendring and making a disordered noise and shortlie within fewe monthes after we vnderstande that those things happened the very same houre that our friends departed in There be some men of whose stocke none doth dye but that they obserue and marke some signes and tokens going before as that they heare the dores and windowes open and shut that some thing runneth vp the staires or walketh vp and downe the house or doth some one or other such like thing But here I cannot passe this in silence that there are many superstitious men which vainly persuade theÌ„selues that this cousin and this or that friend of theirs wil shortly dye For in the end the falling out of the matter it selfe sheweth it was a vayne and folishe persuasion that they vnderstod suche things by any signes Cardanus in his booke De veriâ—ate rerum writeth that there was a certeine noble familie at Parma in Jtaly out of the which so often as any one died there was séene an olde woman in the chimney corner On a certaine tyme shée appeared when a mayden of the same familie laye very sicke and therefore they cleane dispayred of hir life but soone after she recouered againe and in the meane while an other which was theÌ„ in good helth sodainly dyed There was a certaine parishe priest a very honest and godly man whom I knewe well who in the plague time could tell before hand when any of his parishe should dye For in the night time he heard a noise ouer his bed like as if one had throwne downe a sacke full of corne from his shoulders which when he heard he would say Nowe an other biddeth me farewell After it was day he vsed to inquire who died that night or who was taken with the plague to the end he might comfort and strengthen them according to the duty of a good pastour It hath bin often obserued in Guilde halles where Aldermen sit that when one of those Aldermen was at the point of death there was hearde some ratling about hys seate or some other certeine signe of death The same thing happeneth beside pewes and stalles in Churches or in other places where men are often conuersaunt or accustomed to exercise their handy labour In Abbeys the Monks seruaunts or any other falling sicke many haue heard in the night preparation of chests for them in such sorte as the coffinmakers did afterwards prepare in déede In some country villages when one is at deaths dore many times there are some heard in the Euening or in the night digging a graue in the Churcheyarde and the same the next day is so found digged as these meÌ„ did heare before There haue bin séene some in the night wheÌ„ the moone shined going solemnlie with the corps according to the custome of the people or staÌ„ding before the dores as if some bodie were to be caried to the Church to burying Many suppose they sée their owne image or as they saye theyr owne soule and of them diuers are verily persuaded that except they dye shortlie after they haue séene them selues they shall liue a very great time after But these things are superstitious Let euery man so prepare him selfe as if he shoulde dye to morrowe left by being too secure he purchase himselfe harme There happen other straunge things also For when some lye in the prison in chaynes readie to suffer punishmeÌ„t for their offeÌ„ces many times in the night season there is heard a great noise and rumbling as if some body were breaking into the gayle to deliuer the prisoners When meÌ„ come to vnderstand the matter they can neither heare nor sée any body and the prisoners likewise say they heard no manner thing Some executioners or haÌ„gmen do report that for the most part they knowe before hand whether any maÌ„ shall shortly be deliuered into their hands to suffer for their swords will moue of their owne accord And there are other that saie they can tell before after what sorte the prisoners shall suffer Many wonderfull and straunge things happen about those which wilfully cast away theÌ„selues Somtime their corpses must be caryed a great way off before they béeing thrust in a sacke can be throwne into the sea and béeing layd in a waggon or cart the horse could scant draw them downe the hill but vp the hill they néed not labour at all for the carte woulde runne very fast of his owne accorde Some men béeing slayne by théeues when the théeues come to the dead body by and by there gusheth out freshe blood or else there is declaration by other tokens that the théefe is there present Plato writeth in the firste booke of his lawes that the soules of suche as haue ben slayne doo oftentymes cruelly molest and trouble the soules of those whiche slewe them For whiche cause Marsilius Fiscinus doth thinke it chaunceth that the wounde of a man being slayn
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
from sinne and damnation of the true déedes of christian charitie was dayly more and more impugned and oppressed So that when men by little and little forsooke holy Scripture and cast it asyde mens traditions and preceptes began streight way to be had in great price and estimation yea they were more regarded thaÌ„ gods owne worde A great offence was it taken to be if any would presume once to breake mens traditions On those apparitions of spirits as on a sure foundation their Purgatorie is chiefly builded For by talke hadde with them Popishe writers taught that men atteined vnto saluation by their owne and by other mens merits which opinion so blinded them that they became retchlesse secure and sluggishe For if any dyd so persuade him selfe that he coulde hyre one for mony which could worke one feate or other to deliuer the dead from torments then woulde he either delay the amendment of his life or vtterly neglect it Wherfore vnto suche fellowes that happened whiche chaunced vnto the fiue foolish virgins of whom mention is made in the â—5 of Matthew By these apparitions of spirits masses images satisfactioÌ„ pilgrimages for religion sake relikes of saints monasticall vowes holidaies auricular confession and other kinds of worshippings and rites and to be shorte al things whiche haue no grounde in holy scripture by little and little grewe into authoritie and estimation So that the matter came at the last to that extremitie and excesse that many deuoute and simple soules pinched and nipped their owne bellies that they might the better haue by these meanes wherwithall to finde and mainteine idle monks and priests and to offer vnto images They founded chappels alters monasteries perpetuall lights anniuersaries frieries and suche like to release their friends out of the torments of Purgatorie And this did the walking spirits will theÌ„ to do And sometyme also by their councell mens last willes and testaments were altered Hereby priests monks increased daily their parishes colleges monasteries with yerely reuenewes got into their hands the best farmes vineyards lands medowes pondes parkes bond meÌ„ iurisdictions great lordships and the authoritie of the sword For after that this opinioÌ„ once toke firme roote in meÌ„s harts the mens soules did walke after their death appeare on the earth the greatest part did whatsoeuer they commaunded theÌ„ And that it may more plainly be perceiued how much meÌ„ estemed those visioÌ„s such like pelfe how in memorial of theÌ„ they deuised framed to theÌ„selues new kinds of worshippings I will recite vnto you one or two histories Martinus Polonus Archebishop of Consentine and the Popes PeniteÌ„tiarie writeth in his Chronicles tha Pope Clement the fourth did canonize for a saint at Viterbe one Eduergia duchesse of Polonia a widdow of great holinesse who among many notable things that are written of hir when hir canonization had bin many yeares delayed at length appeared hir selfe in a vision to hir Proctour in the courte of Rome being heauie and pensiue about this matter and certified him both of the spedy dispatching of this businesse also of the day wherin it should be dispatched Canonization amongst the Ethniks from whence it toke his originall is named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is deification or making of a God. Ioannes Triâ—enhemius Abbot of Spanheim a man of great authoritie in his booke of Chronicles teacheth that the memorie of all faithfull soules termed All soules day had his originall obseruation by this meanes that when a certeine Monke returned from Ierusalem and lodged in a certeine Hermits house in Sicill about the mount Aetna which flasheth forth fyre he learned of the saide Hermit that many soules of the dead were tormeÌ„ted there by fyre out of which again through the praiers of the faithful they were released as it was taught him by the testimonie euen of the spirites themselues Hereof also writeth Polydorâ— Virgill in his vj. booke and ix chapter De inuentione rerum that the feast of All hallowes had the very same originall whiche they shall finde in Petrus de natalibus his tenth booke and first chapter Wherby thou maist gather that Feastes were first ordeyned by the tales of spirites appearing vnto men The lyke fable is found in Damascene who writeth of Macharius thus When according to his maner he prayed for the dead and was desirous to vnderstande whether his prayers did profite them oughte and whether they receyued any comfort therby God willing to reueale so muche to his seruaunt inspired a drye scull with the worde of truth so that the deade scull brake foorth into these words When thou prayest for the dead we receyue comfort by thy prayers Of the like roote sproong the order of the Carthusian Monks which of the commoÌ„ sorte is iudged to be the most holiest and streightest order of the which the Monks them selues of this broode haue put foorth a booke For as Polydore Virgil recordeth they began vpon this occasion in the vniuersitie of Paris in the yeare of our Lord .1080 A certeine doctoure which for his learning and integritie of life was very famous chaunced to dye when he shoulde haue bin buried in a certaine Churche he cried out with an horrible voice I am by the iust iudgement of God accused Whervppon they lefte the coffin in the Churche by the space of thrée daies during which time the people flocked togither out of sundry places to behold this straunge sight The second day he cried againe By the iuste iudgement of God I am iudged The thirde day likewise he cried I am by the iust iudgement of god condemned And as Vincentius Bellonacensis saith some adde herevnto that he rose vp thrice vppon the béere which perchaunce they faine of their owne heads Now bycause no man suspected that so notable and famous a man was vtterly condemned for euer euery man was sore astonished thereat Wherfore Bruno a doctor of diuinitie borne in Coleine foorthwith forsooke all that he had and taking to him sixe other godly companions gat him into a desert called Carthusia in the diocesse of Gratianopolis where he erected the first monasterie of that order which drawing his name of the place was called the Carthusian order For this cause also or for the like many other monasteries at the firste beginning were bothe founded and indowed with greate liuelyhode CHAP. IIII. Testimonies out of the vvorde of God that neither the soules of the faithfull nor of infidels do vvalke vppon the earth after they are once parâ—ed from their bodies NOw that the soules neither of the faithful nor of infidels do waÌ„der any loÌ„ger on the earth wheÌ„ they be once seuered from the bodies I wil make it plain euident vnto you by these reasons folowing First certain it is that such as depart heÌ„ce either die in faith or in vnbeléef Touching those that go heÌ„ce in a right beléef their soules ar by by in
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
learne by the riche mans words if we will wey and consider with our selues what he demaunded coulde not obteine For if after death mens soules might any longer haue their conuersation here on earth no doubte the riche man him selfe woulde haue retourned as his desire was and certified his friends of hell torments Out of which place of scripture it is most cleare that soules immediatly vpon their departure from their body are caried vnto a certein place whence they cannot of themselues returne but néeds must wait there for that terrible daye of iudgement Also in his secōd homily of Lazarus amōg other things he saith It is most playne not only by that we haue before rehearsed but also by this parable that soules parted from the body haue their abiding here no longer but are forthwith lead away For it came to passe saith he that he died and was caried away by the Angels And not only the soules of the iust but of the vniust and wicked are hence lead away caried to their proper places which doth euidently appeare by another rich man of which mētion is made in the 12. of Luke to whome the Lorde said Thou foole this night will they take thy soule from thée And in hys fourthe homily of Lazarus he plainly teacheth that we should giue more credite to holy Scripture than to one that came from the dead or an Angell from Heauen Herewithall he also sheweth that the dead do not only make no apperance vnto men liuing but yeldeth reasons wherfore they do not returne hither in these words If god had knowen that the dead being raised might haue profited the liuing he would neuer haue let passe so great a benefite who otherwise dothe giue and prouide vs all things profitable Furthermore he addeth that if it were requisite still to raise vp dead men to make relation vnto vs of such things as there are done this no doubt in continuaunce of time would haue bin neglected and so the Diuell very easily would haue broched and brought in damnable opinions into the world For he might often haue made counterfeit sights or suborne suche as should fayne their selues to be dead and buried and by by to present themselues before men as if they had bin in déede raised from death and by suche manner of persons might so haue bewitched simple soules that they would beleue whatsoeuer he would haue For if now when there is in déede no such thing the vayn dreames as it were of men decessed that haue bin shewed to mē in sleep haue deceyued peruerted destroyed many surely much sooner wold the same haue fallen out if it had bin a thing truly done this opiniō had preuailed in mens heads For if many dead persons had retourned backe again into this life the wicked spirit the diuell would easily haue deuised many sleights wiles brought in much deceit into the life of mā And therfore god hath cleane shut vp this dore of deceit not permitted any dead mā to returne hither shewe what things be done in the other life least the diuell might gredely catch this occasion to plant his fraudulēt policies For whē the prophets were he raised vp false prophets when the Apostles were he stirred vp false Apostles and whē Christ appeared in flesh he sent hither false Christs or Antechrists And when sincere sound doctrin was taught he brought into the world corrupt damnable opiniōs sowing tares whersoeuer he came And therfore although it had come to passe that dead mē shold return again yet wold he haue counterfeited the same also by his instruments by some fained raising of the dead through the blinding bewitching of mens eyes or otherwise by suborning of some whiche should feine themselues to be dead as I said before he would haue turned al things topsituruie and vtterly haue confounded them But god who knoweth all things hath stopped his way that he should not thus deceyue vs and of his great mercy towards vs hath not permitted that at any time any shold returne frō thēce tel vnto mē liuing such things as there are done héerby to instruct vs that we shold be of this opinion iudgemēt that the scriptures oughte to be beleued before other things whatsoeuer bycause that God in them hath most clerely taught vs the doctrine of the last resurrection Further by them he hath conuerted the whole world banished error brought in truth and cōpassed al these things by vile base fishers and finally in them hath giuē vs euery where plentifull argumentes of his diuine prouidence c. S. Cyril in his .xi. booke .36 chap. vpon S. Iohns gospell saith We ought to beleue that when the soules of holy men are gone away from the bodies they are commended vnto the goodnesse of God as into the handes of a most déere father that they do not abide in the earth as some of the heathens beleued vntil such time as they abhorred their graues neither that they are caried as the soules of wycked men vnto a place of excéeding tormēt which is hel Christ hauing first prepared this iorney for vs but that they rather mount vp aloft into their heauenly fathers hands c. And in the Popes canon law causa 13. quaest 2. Fatendū we read that many do beleue that some come from the dead to the liuing euen as on the other side holy Scripture doth witnesse that Paule was caught vp from the liuing into paradise Uppon these words the glose saith that some doe in dede so beleue but falsly sith they be but fansies vayne imaginations as it is in causa 26. quaestione 5. Episcopi What farther may be saide to those men that knowe these things and neuerthelesse do beleue that soules stray in the earth I knowe not yet that I may lay out al things plainly I wil here confute their chiefest arguments CHAP. VI. A confutation of those mennes argumentes or reasons vvhiche affirme that dead mens soules do appeare And firste that is aunsvvered vvhiche certaine doe alleage to vvitte that God is omnipotent and therfore that he can vvoorke contrary to the ordinary course of nature FIrst our aduersaries do lay against vs that by the vsual cōmon course of things the souls of the godly abide in heauē the soules of the wicked in hell vntil the last day do not walk at all but yet that god may dispence with them to appere here somtimes therby to instruct admonish vs And then Samuel did appere after his death vnto king Saule Moses also which forsooke this life many yeres before Likewise Elias who was taken vp into heauen in a fyrie charet appered vnto Christ our sauior his iij. disciples whō he toke with him at his transfiguratiō in the mount Lazarus also of Bethanie returned from death into the earth and many other also wer raysed from death by Christ his apostles and prophets Farther
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
of necessitie haue come to passe eyther by the will of God or by the worke of arte Magike But Gods will was not that Samuel should retourne For he hath condemned Necromancie and would not haue vs to aske counsell at the dead that the spirit of God did that which was contrary herevnto or did permitte the saints to do it or was present with them that did ought contrary thereto it may not be graunted And that those things were done by the force and operation of Arte Magike wée can not affirme For the wicked spirit hath no rule or power ouer the soules of the faithfull to bring them out of their places when he lust sith they be in the hand of God and the bosome of Abraham nay which is lesse he hath no power ouer filthy and vncleane swine for he was driuen as we reade in the viij chapter of Matthew to beg leaue before he could enter into the heard of swine and how thē should he haue any power ouer the soule of mā yet can it not be denied that God somtimes for certein causes doth giue the Diuell and his seruants Magitians Necromancers power to do many things as to hurte and lame man beast and to worke other straunge things But that God dothe giue the Diuell leaue to raise dead bodies or to call bring forth or driue away soules especially out of Heauen it hathe no grounde at all in Scripture neither can there be any reasonable cause alledged wherefore God would or should giue the Diuell licence to do these things contrary to the vsuall and common order yea and against his owne expresse commaundement For vayne and childishe is the cause hereof that is giuen of some men that Samuell shoulde appeare to certifie and astonishe Saule as if God coulde not haue feared hym by other wayes and meanes Was he not before vtterly abashed dismayed Thirdly if Samuel were brought backe the same was done either by his will and consent or without the same but that he did fréely and of his owne accorde obey the sorcerers no man I thinke is so blinde to imagin For that were vtterly repugnaunt to the Lawe of God that he should confirme Witchcraft and Sorcerie by hys example If the Witch had called for Samuell whilest he liued doutles he would not haue approched vnto hir And how then can we beléeue that he came to hir after his death We may not so say that the Witch compelled him to resort to hir agaynst his wil for the Deuil hath no power ouer the Soules of the godly and Magike of it self is of no force Heathnish superstition no doute it is that wordes vttered by Magitians after their peculiar manner or figures drawne should haue such a secret and hidden operation For the Hethens beléeued that they could with a certen set stile number of words bring and draw down Iupiter out of Heauen Wherfore they termed him Iupiter Elycius There are also certain superstitious persons in these our dayes which go about to cure diseases by certaine rites of blessings and by coniurings Some hang aboute their neckes certayne scrolles of Paper in which ther are written diuers straunge words but whether wordes of themselues haue any force at al reade Plinie in his 28. booke and 2. chapter and Caelius Rhodiginus in his 16. booke and 16. chapter of Antiquities Fourthely if very Samuel himselfe had appeared hée would not haue ben worshipped of Saule For we reade in the 19. and 22. chapter of the Reuelation that Iohn woulde haue worshipped the Angell whiche had opened vnto him great mysteries but the Angell of God forbad him so to do Some héere aunswere that Saule ment not to giue vnto the Prophet the honor that was due vnto God but onely a certaine outward and ciuil worship such as we are wonte to yéeld vnto honest men and suche as haue well deserued of the Churche and common weale For they say that the Hebrue word Schachah there vsed doth signifie to bend the knée and to fall down at a mans féete which kynd of worship we reade that Abigael and Nathan the the Prophet gaue vnto King Dauid And Paule also in the 12. chapter of his Epistle to the Rom. teacheth that we should honour one another Thomas of Aquine entreating of those two places that I euen nowe recited out of the Reuelation sayth that Iohn meant not to worship the Angell with the worship properly called Latria but with an other kynd of worship termed Dulia that is to say that Iohns wil was not to withdraw from God the honor due vnto him but to worship the Angell that was sent from God only with a ciuil outward homage and yet the Angell would not so far condiscend vnto him In the new Testament the 10. chap of the Acts of the Apostles we read that Cornelius met with Peter fel down at his féet worshipped him yet so as he had ben an Embassadour from God not God himselfe yet Peter lifted him vp said arise for I my self am a man also He said not to Cornelius thou dost wel herein nor as his worthie Uicare with a mischiefe is wont to do proffered hys foote vnto him to kysse We may read also that Elias disciples worshipped Elizeus that succeded into his office in which place the worde to bowe the knée or fal downe is vsed But whether the Prophet did accepte and alowe this kinde of reuerence or no there is no expresse mention Bréefly it is not lykely that the Prophet would haue suffered the King to fall downe at his féete Fiftly if he had ben the true Samuel he would no dout haue exhorted Saule to repentance willed him to wayt for ayde from God to put his whole confidence in him or at least way to haue giuen him some comforte or counselled him to fight againste his enimies with more courage For though the Prophetes do often beat threaten men yet do they agayne reuiue solace them Nowe bycause this Samuel doth beat no other thing into his heade but that God was displeased with him had alredy forsaken him we may not beleue that he was the true but a méere counterfet Samuel Sixtly the auncient Fathers write that the true Samuel was not seene Tertullian in his booke De anima sayth that the Deuill dyd there represent Samuels soule God forbid sayth hée that we should beléeue that the deuil can drawe the soule of any Saint muche lesse a Prophete out of his proper place syth we are taught that Sathan doth transfourme himselfe into an Angel of lyght much soner into a man of lyght who also will auouch himselfe to be God and do notable signes and wonders to seduce if it were possible the very elect S. Augustine is not alwayes of one iudgement touching this apparition in his second boke to Simplician Byshop of Millane and the third question therof he
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
Christes witnesses shuld very wel vnderstand that both the Law the Prophets do bear record vnto our Sauiour Chryst that he shuld die for the world come again in the latter day to raise vp the dead bodies to glorifie them to carrie theÌ„ with him into eternal blisse And for this cause God wold haue these two excellent Prophets séene of the Apostles Lazarus soule did not only appeare but he came againe both in bodie soule as Iohn witnesseth in his 11. chap. he is as it were a sure token of our true resurrection which shall be in the last day as also others which our Sauiour Christ the Apostles in auncient time the Prophets haue raysed from the dead You shal neuer read that either Lazarus or any other haue told wher they were while they were deade or what kynde of being there is in the other world for these things are not to be learned and knowen of the dead but out of the word of God. The like may be said to that which is in the 27. chap. of S. Matthew that when Christ suffered on the Crosse the graues wer opened afterwards on the day of his resurrection many dead bodies did arise appeared to many at Hierusalem The soules of the dead did not only appeare neither did they warne the liuing or coÌ„maund them to do this or that for the deads sake to wit either to pray for theÌ„ or to go on pilgrimage to saints c. But the dead with their souls bodies togither came into the earth for héerby god would shew that he by his death hath ouercom destroyed death to the faithful that at the last day their soules bodies shall be knit togither and liue with God for euer Now what thâ—se holy men were that rose again whether they remained any time in this present life or died again or went with Christ into heauen loke the iudgement of S. Augustine in his .99 Epist. to Euodius his 3. booke De mirabilibus scrip ca. 13. To these we may ioyn that which Ruffinus writeth in his ecclesiastical historie .1 boke 5. chap. and which Socrates repeteth in his first boke 12. chap. touching Spiridion byshop of Cyprus He had a daughter called Irene with whoÌ„ a certaine friend of hirs left gorgeous apparel she being more wary than néeded hyd it in the ground within a while died Not long after coÌ„meth this man that owed the apparel hearing say the maideÌ„ was dead goeth to hir father whom somtimes he accuseth somtimes intreateth The old father supposing this maÌ„s losse to be his own calamitie coÌ„meth to his daughters graue ther calleth vpoÌ„ god beseching him that he would shew him before the time the resurrection which is promised And his hope was in vaine for the virgin being reuiued apeared to hir father shewed the place wher she had hid the aparel so departed again I will not deny this thing to be true For the like historie hath Augustine in his 137. epist. A certain yong man which had an euil name accused Boniface Augustines priest that he inticed him to filthinesse Now wheÌ„ the matter could neither be proued nor disproued by sufficient resons both of them were bid to goe to the graue of one Felix a Martyr that by a miracle the truth might be known They had not bin sent vnlesse before this time also some secrete matters had bin knowne by this meanes it may be well answeared that they were good or rather euill Angels which did appeare CHAP. XI VVhether the holy Apostles thought they savve a mans Soule vvhen Chryst sodenly appeared vnto them after his Resurrection WE reade in the 24. Chapter of S. Lukes Gospell that two Disciples which returned from Emaus to Hierusalem tolde the Apostles that they had séene Chryst aliue againe and whyles they yet spake the Lord stoode in the myddest of them and sayd vnto them peace be vnto you but they being amased and afrayd thought they sawe a spirit c. Out of this some go about to proue that the Apostles beléeued that spirits or soules did walke and appeare vnto men and that they themselues did thinke they sawe the spirite of Chryst as certaine of the olde Wryters doe expounde it or else some other mannes spirit This Argument may be answered two wayes First if they thought they sawe a Soule they thought a mysse But they were no lesse deceyued with the common sorte nowe than when they thought Chryst would rayse vppe an outward and earthly kingdome in which they shoulde be chiefe Secondly it may be that they supposed they sawe an euil or good Angell for there are more kyndes of spirites than one There is a spirit that created al thyngs to wit God the Father the Sonne and the Holie Ghost Agayne there be spirites that be created as good and euill Angels as also the soules of men which eyther are in the body or by death seuered from the body and abyde either in euerlasting lyfe or in eternal damnation As touching the state of Soules in Purgatorie where they are prepared to the Heauenly iourney and of Limbus puerorum there is nothing extant in holie Scripture It is manifest in scripture that God appeared vnto the holy patriarches to the prophets to kings and others in diuers visions and formes and that he shewed hym selfe vnto them and spake with them Iacob sawe a ladder reache from the earth vp to Heauen and God leaning on it Isaias sawe the Lord sitting vppon an high throne Daniell sawe an olde maÌ„ sitting and his sonne comming vnto him and receyuing all power of him TertulliaÌ„ and other holy fathers do teache that the sonne of God which at the appointed time shoulde take vppon him humaine fleshe didde appeare vnto the Patriarches in an angelicall shape When Iohn Baptist did baptise our sauioure in Iordan the Holy ghost was séene in the shape of a doue The holy scriptures in many places do testifie that good Angells haue oftentimes appeared to Gods ministers That euill spirits are often séene and that at this day they shewe themselues in diuers formes to inchaunters and coniurers and to other men also as well godly as wicked both histories and daily experience doth witnesse Truely we reade not that soules haue appered on this fashion By these we may easly gather that the Apostles when they thought they sawe a spirit did not beléeue they sawe a soule Could they not thinke I pray you they sawe an euill spirit Or rather that they sawe a good spirit or a good angel For it may be shewed by many examples that euen the faithfull haue bin troubled and feared at the appearing of good Angels In the eyght and tenth chapter of Daniel we read that the Prophet fel into a sicknesse at the sight of Angels The virgin Mary hirselfe was afrayde when she sawe the Angell Gabriel So was Zachary the priest
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
prest and ready to serue god Esay the 63. The Angell of his face that is whiche standeth ready in his sight preserued them And further they which often stand in presence of their lorde are acceptable vnto them and priuy to their secrets Out of this place of Math. Saincte Herome in his CoÌ„mentaries and other fathers do conclude that God doth assigne vnto euery soule assoone as he createth him his peculiar Angell which taketh care of him But whether that euery one of the elect haue hys proper Angell or many Angels be appoynted vnto him it is not expresly sette foorth yet this is most sure and certayne that God hath giuen his Angels in charge to haue regard and care ouer vs Daniel witnesseth in his tenth chapter that Angels haue also charge of Kingdomes by whom God kéepeth and protecteth them and hindreth the wicked counsels of the deuill It may be proued by many places of the Scripture that all Christian men haue not only one Angell but also many whome God imployeth to their seruice In the .34 Psalm it is sayde the Angell of the Lorde pitcheth his tentes rounde about them whiche feare the Lorde and helpeth them which ought not to be doubted but that it is also at this daye albeit we sée them not We reade that they appearing in sundrye shapes haue admonished menne haue comforted them defended them deliuered them from daunger and also punished the wicked Touching this matter there are plentifull examples whiche are not néedefull to be repeated in this place Somtimes they haue eyther appeared in sléep or in manner of visions and sometimes they haue perfourmed their office by some internall operations as when a mans mynde foresheweth him that a thing shall so happen and after it happeneth so in dâ—ede which thyng I suppose is doone by God through the ministerie of Angels Angels for the most part take vpon them the shapes of men wherein they appeare And so it may be that saint Felix and Sainte Agnes and other whiche haue appeared vnto honest and godly men were the Angels of god Angels haue appeared not only one at a time but also whole Armies Hostes of them as vnto Iacob the Patriarch and Heliseus the Prophete It is read in the Ecclesiasticall historie written by Socrates and Sozomenus that Archadius the Emperor receyued Gaina with all his Armie of Souldiours into the Citie of Constantinople to defende it but this traitour went about to get the rule of the Citie into his owne handes and therefore he sente a bande of men to fire the Emperours Pallace whiche sodenly espied a great Host of Angels of large stature armed like vnto Souldiours wherevppon they gaue ouer their enterpryse offiering Then sent he others who reported the verie same At the last he went himself saw it to be so and so left his purpose and thus God by a miraculous meanes preserued the Citie and Churche of Constantinople from the craftie suttletie of the tyrant Whereas Saynte Augustine in hys booke De cura pro mortuis agenda Chapter .10 writeth that deade men haue appeared vnto the lyuing in dreames or any other meanes whatsoeuer shewing them where their bodies lay vnburied and requiring them to burie them There hée supposeth that these are the woorkes of Angels by the dispensation of Goddes prouidence vsing vnto good purpose bothe good and euill Angels according to the vnsearchable depthe of his iudgementes He saythe not that soules appeare in sléepe but the similitude of soules Hée addeth further if the soules of the deade had any thing to do with matters of the lyuing that we myght talke with them as often as wée lyst in our sléepe hys mother no nyght woulde leaue him who to lyue with him followed him both by Sea and by land suche loue bare she towards hir Sonne CHAP. XV. That sometimes yea and for the most part euill Angels do appeare COntrarywise euil Angels are hurtful and enimies vnto men they follow them euerie where to the ende they may withdraw them from true worshipping of God and from faythe in hys onely Sonne Iesu Chryst vnto sundrie other thyngs These appeare in diuers shapes for if the Deuill as Paule doth witnesse transfourmeth hymselfe into an Angel of light no lesse may he take the shape of a Prophete an Apostle Euangeliste Byshoppe and Martyr and appeare in their lykenesse or so bewitche vs that wée verily suppose we heare or sée them in verie déede Hée taketh on hym to tell of things to come whether hée hit them ryghte or wrong Hée affirmeth that he is this or that soule that he maye be delyuered by this or that meanes that by these means he may purchase credite and authoritie vnto those things whiche haue no grounde of Scripture By meanes of false myracles he decréeth newe Hollydayes Pilgrimages Chappels and Aulters by coniurations blessings and enchauntmentes he attempteth to cure the Sicke to make his dooings haue authoritie You shal reade maruellous straunge things in Arnobius Lactantius and other holie Fathers who wrote agaynst the Gentiles and their supersticion after what sorte Deuils haue deluded the myserable Gentiles and haue entrapped them in many errors He ioyned and hid himselfe in their Idols he spake thorough them from one place to an other he made them to moue and dyd such straunge miracles that verie lame menne leauing their stilts wheron they leaned in the Temples of their Idols returned home to their houses without any helpe or stay of them but especially in the Temple of Aesculapius who was counted the Patron of Phisicke many of these kynd of myracles are reported to haue happened Wherfore there is no cause why the Papistes at thys daye shoulde so insolently glorie of the lyke myracles by the which they go about to proue their intercessioÌ„ of Saints and such like trumperie CHAP. XVI Of vvondrous Monsters and suche like NOw as concerning other straunge things wée must hereafter searche what nature they are of as when one dieth that ther is somewhat séene or some great noyse is sodenly hearde but especially the many signes and wonders happen before the deathe of greate Princes It is wel knowen by histories what signes went before the deathe of Iulius Caesar amongest the whiche a greate noyse was hearde in the night time in very many places farre and néere As concerning other Emperors and Kings and other great mennes deathes we reade that some certaine forewarnings were hearde or séene wée must also consider what those straunge things are which for the most parte happen before the innouations of kingdomes before battailes seditions and subuersions of Cities I say flatly euen as I sayde before concerning spirits if they be not vayne persuasions or naturall thyngs then are they forewarnings of God whiche are sent eyther by good Angels or by some other meanes vnknowen vnto vs that we might vnderstande that all these things happen not by aduenture without the wil pleasure of God but
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
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 crafte and subtiltie of the Diuel by this meanes Saincte Paule to the Ephesians the 6. chapter and Peter in hys firste Epistle and fifthe chapter saythe Be ye sober and watche for your aduersarie the Diuel as a roaring Lyon walketh about séeking whome he may deuoure whom resiste stedfast in faith c. When men are secure and negligente wholly giuen vnto pleasures and as it were drowned in drunkennesse in surfettyng couetousnesse adulterie and suche other wickednesse then hathe the Diuell place to shewe him selfe Wherefore we ought to giue our selues to watching praying fasting and godly liuyng we must heare the worde of God often and gladly we must desire too reade and talke of hym contynually that wée may thereby put from vs those diuelishe illusions and sightes If thou haue any publike office or charge do it faithfully restore thy goodes euill gotten either vnto their true owners or else imploy them to some good and godly ende If men care neither for God nor his worde it is no maruell if vayne sightes appeare vnto them For God suffereth such things to happen vnto them to humble them and to make them knowe themselues It is an horrible thing that there are some which giue ouer themselues to the diuel bicause he shold not tormeÌ„t them they ought rather to waigh with them selues that if they so do they shall be perpetually tormented of euil spirits except they truely repent and turne agayn vnto God. CHAP. VII That spirits vvhich vse to appeare ought to be iustly suspected and that vve maye not talke vvith them nor enquire any thing of them WE ought not without greate cause to suspecte all Spirites and other apparitions For albeit God dothe vse the helpe and seruice of good Angels for the preseruation of his electe yet notwithstanding in these our dayes they appeare vnto vs very seldome For things are nowe farre otherwyse since Christes comming into the worlde than they were before in auncient tyme Although perchaunce thou thinke thou haste séene a good aungell yet doo not easily and vnaduisedly giue him credite If the euent of the matter declare afterwarde that it was a good aungell whiche gaue thée notable warning of some matter or deliuered thée oute of some greate daungers giue God thankes that he hath delte so fatherly and mercyfully with thée and hathe suche care ouer thée and endeuour to frame thy selfe to his good will and pleasure But if thou sée an angell whiche flattereth and speaketh thée faire suche a one as thâ—se are whiche craue thy helpe as thou hast heard before in no wise credite their words Men which blaunche and flatter with vs are always suspicious why then shoulde not suche spirites be suspected Enter into no communication with suche spirites neither aske them what thou must giue or what thou must doo or what shal happen hereafter Aske them not who they are or why they haue presented them selues to bée séene or hearde For if they be good they will lyke it well that thou wilte heare nothing but the woorde of God but yf they be wicked they wyll endeuour to deceyue thée with lying When the Angell in the first chapter of Matthew instructed Ioseph in a dreame he by and by alleaged testimonie out of the Prophet If it be so that we must not beléeue an angell comming from Heauen who can iustly blame vs if we giue no credite to spirites and suspitious dreames Althoughe Chryste and his Apostles had the full power to shewe miracles yet did they establishe and confirme their doctrine by the holy Scriptures When Almightie God himselfe had enquired of Adam in Paradyse touching the breaking of his commaundement and that he had layd the fault vppon his wyfe Eua and she had put it ouer to the Serpente whiche caused hir to eate of the forbidden fruite God woulde not demaund of the Serpente that is of the Dyuell whiche had vsed him as instrument why he had so doone for he knew right well that he was a lyer Except Eue had talked with the Serpent she had neuer transgressed Gods commaundement If Spirites of their owne accorde woulde gladly tell vs many thinges yet wée must not giue eare vnto them muche lesse ought we to coniure them to tell vs the truth God commaunded in his lawe as we haue oftentymes sayde before that no man shoulde enquire any thing of the dead God himselfe sent his faithfull seruants the Prophets Apostles Euangelists and especially his only begotten sonne Christ Iesu our Lord and sauioure into the worlde by whome he truly plentifully taught his faithfull seruants what they ought to beleue to do to leaue vndone what kind of worshipping did best please him with many other suche things By them he enformed vs concerning great and weightie affaires whiche should happen in his Churche and in kingdomes euen vnto that blessed day wherin Christ shall iudge the world and shall call togither hys generall councell and shall pronounce finall sentence vppon them who haue done well or yll and wherein he shall make a diuision and separation betwene the good and euill Christe himselfe after his Resurrection did not immediatly ascende into heauen but aboade a whyâ—e in earth appearyng vnto his Disciples and others least we should at any tyme say Who euer came agayne to tell vs what estate is to be looked for in the other worlde Moreouer God among suche greate and long persecutions wherin many profytable bookes haue perished hath miraculously preserued the holy Scriptures for oure profite euen vnto this day and hereafter will preserue them in despite of all impious and wicked men He hath also ordeyned the ministerie of the worde that vnto the ende of the worlde there shoulde be some men whiche bothe by lyuely voyce and also by their writings shoulde interprete his woorde and enfourme others of his will and pleasure His woorde is a shining lanterne whiche shineth in this darke worlde whiche is full of errours as we reade Psalm 119. And our sauiour sayth in the eyght chapter of saint Iohn that he is the light of the worlde whome if any man follow he walketh not in darknesse This standeth as a sure grounde wherfore no other reuelations are to be looked for neyther by miracles from heauen nor by wandring spirites or soules as the common people mysterme them But lette vs imagine that they are the wandring spirites of deade bodies then is it necessarie that they be the soules eyther of faithful men or of infidels If they be the soules of the faithful they will say with God the father concerning his sonne Christe Iesus Heare him But if they be the soules of Infidels and of wicked men who I pray you will vouchsafe to heare them or beléeue any thing they say Morâ—ouer those things whiche these counterfayte soules doo speake eyther agrée with the holy Scriptures or else are contrary vnto them If they are agréeable then are they to be receyued not bicause
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
make for them whyche affirme that true Samuell appeared vnto Saule But these places wée haue béefore for the moste parte aunsweared For albeit Augustine in some places moue a doubte whether it were the true Samuell or no yet in certeine other places he lyketh and beste alloweth their opinion who denye Samuell to haue appeared at all takyng rather that kinde of speache for tropicall and figuratiue Iustine the Martir who is one of the most aunciente fathers reasoning against Trypho a Iewe writeth in his colloquio that the couetouse sorceresse at Saules commaundement raysed vp Samuels soule And no man shoulde maruaile hereat sith that the selfe same author dothe by and by adde that he is of this iudgemente that all the soules of Prophetes and iust menne are subiecte vnto suche power as a man may in very déede beléeue to haue bin on thys gréedy and subtile Witche But this none of the fathers will graunt him Other Gréeke writers also whyche in their tender yeares applyed theyr mindes to Philosophie and not to the studie of holy Scriptures and afterwardes were conuerted to Christianitie do sette foorthe in their writings certaine opinions whyche are not agreable to the word of god Wherefore it néede not séeme a straunge thing to any manne that Iustine the Martire in some pointes hadde hys erroures The same author in Responsionibus ad Orthodoxos quest 52. mainteineth the contrary assertion For sayth he what soeuer things were done by that hungry witche were in déede the workes of the Diuell who dyd so dasell the eyes of suche as beheld him that it séemed vnto them they sawe Samuell him selfe when in very déede he was not there But the truth of his words procéeded from God who gaue the Diuell power to appeare vnto the sorceresse and to declare vnto hir that which shoulde afterwards come to passe c. If any manne obiect that thys woorke is not ryghtly ascribed vnto Iustine for so muche as he dothe make mention of Origen and Ireneus the Martire whereas notwithstanding he hym selfe was martired before them And further speaketh of the Manichees who were in their ruffe long after this tyme Herevnto wee answere that yf this booke were not written by Iustine â–ª yet as maye appeare some other learned clerke wrote that woorke whose authoritie might carie away as great credite as Iustines â—ith that the same doth fully agrée with holy Scripture Furthermore we may set agaynste Iustine other holy fathers as Tertullian and Chrysostom of whom wée haue before spoken who haue by holy scripture instructed vs that it was not Samuel in deede which appeared vnto Saule We will héereafter say somewhat of Gregorie who no doubte was a learned and godly father but yet too simple and light of beléefe And the fathers themselues denye that a man shoulde subscribe vnto their opinion in oughte that they doo mayntaine and aduouche without the warrant of Gods worde The Popes out of Augustine haue written in their Decrées Quest. 9. ca Noli that a man should credite none of the fathers except he proued his saying out of holy scriptures But in these days many cull nothing out of their bookes but erroures and whatsoeuer they maynteyn by good testimonie of the holy scriptures that they reiecte and disanull in whiche poynt they doo fitly resemble those chyldren who onely in things wicked and euill imitate their good parentes for good men also haue their faultes CHAP. IX VVhether the Diuell haue povver to appeare vnder the shape of a faithfull man BUt thou doest demaund whether the Diuell can represente the lykenesse of some faithfull man deceased Hereof we néede not doubt at all For in the seconde Corin. 11. Saincte Paule witnesseth that Sathan transformeth hym selfe into the shape and fashion of an Angell of light Sathan by nature is a spirit and is therefore tearmed an Angel bicause God vseth to send him to bring that thing to passe which he thinketh best So in the second of kings .22 chapter an euill Angell was sent forth to Ahabs destruction to be a lying spirit in the monthe of 400. false prophets Thys was an Angell of erroure and darknesse who yet in outward shewe could resemble a good Angell that he mighte so guide the councell of Baals worshippers who no doubt vaunted theÌ„ selues as if they had bin gathered togither by Gods holy spirit If Sathan be then so skilfull can he not counterfaite and fayne him selfe to be some holy maÌ„ by resembling his words voice gesture and suche other things Amongst the Gentiles he hath done miraculous Actes persuading them to thinke that soules by arte Magike were called vp and compelled to giue answere of secrete and hidden things that were to come And therefore not only in publike but also priuate affayres if they semed to be any thing hard vnto them they consulted with Magitians and sorcerers and had moreouer recourse somtimes vnto oracles Tertullian in hys booke De Anima mentioneth that there were some euen in his dayes whiche professed they could raise vp and reclaime soules from the hellishe habitation And he calleth arte Magike the second Idolatrie in the which the Diuells do as well fayne them selues to be dead men as they do in the other to be Gods. So do these suttle spirites lurke and do many straunge things vnder the pretence of deade men He addeth that Magike is thought to conuey soules out of Hell whiche lye there in rest and to represent them vnto our sighte by reason that it sheweth a vaine vision and counterfeiteth the shape of a bodie Neyther is it a harde matter for him to bleare and beguyle the outward eyes who can easily darken and dazell the inwarde sight of the mynde The serpents that were brought foorth by the inchaunters rods séemed to the Egiptians to be bodies but the truth of Moyses deuoured vp the Magitians lye Simon also and Elimas the Magitians did many signes and wonders against the Apostles c. Hée addeth that euen in hys tyme those heretikes named properly Symonistes of Symon the Magitian the first author of that sect did with suche greate presumption aduaunce their arte that they professed they coulde rayse from the dead euen the soules of the Prophets c. Lactantius in the .2 booke .17 chapt De origine erroris writeth that euill angels lurking vnder the names of the dead did wound and hurt the liuing that is they tooke vnto themselues the names of Iupiter and Iuno whome the heatheÌ„s tooke to be gods or as we now say they tooke vnto them the names of S. Sebastian Barbara and others In the .7 boke and .13 chap. he sayth that the Magitians with certayne inchauntmentes did call soules out of hell But this may not so be vnderstode that Lactantius was of this iudgement that they by their wicked artes did bring the soules back again into their dead bodies but that they did so vaunt and boast that they had raysed vp this