chosen into their order who séemed to be very fitte for their purpose They tried him by throwing stones into his chamber in the night tyme making a great noise and faining them selues to be Spirits The matter séemed vnto them euen from the beginning that it woulde take good successe â–ª On a certeine day béeing Fryday the supprior shrouding himself in a shéete together with other Spirites whom he had coniured vp for this purpose brake into the Friers cel with great force and noyse faining with many teares that he desired his ayde help Now had they priuely conueyed Holy water and the Reliques of Saints into his Cell before The poore Frier half dead with feare denied that he coulde by any meanes helpe him recommending himselfe to Christ our sauior and to his holy mother The Spirite aunswered that it was in his and his brethrens power to deliuer him out of this miserie if he would suffer hymself for the space of .viij. days euery day to be whipped vntil the bloud folowed and moreouer cause .viij. Masses to be soong for his sake in S. Iohns chappell himselfe while they were soong lying in the floore with his armes spread abroade After he tolde him that the next Fryday before midnight he wold come again with greater noyse willing him in any wise not to be afrayd for the Diuels could nothing hurt him bicause he was an holy man The next day this foolish Frier openeth al the matter to the ringleaders of this deuise beséeching theÌ„ to assist him that the miserable soule might be deliuered The matter was out of hand rumored aboute the citie The Monkes preached openly hereof in the pulpit coÌ„meÌ„ding highly the holinesse of their order which euen hereby might be séene for that the spirite craued helpe of them and not of the wicked dronken Franciscans â–ª At the tyme appoynted the spirite accompanied with other euil spirits came again with greate noyse to the Friers cell who adiuring and coniuring him questioned with him touching certain points The spirite shewed him who he was and for what cause he was so miserably vexed and withal gaue great thanks both vnto him and also to his fathers for being touched with remorse of him adding that in case there were yet .xxx. Masses soong and â—our Uigiles obserued that he wold yet once ageyn whip himself vntil he bled then he shoulde be cleane deliuered out of most cruell torments which he had continually endured a hundred and sixtie yeares He had confereÌ„ce with him also of other maruellous matters whiche we néed not here to rehearse Afterwards the same spirit appeared againe vnto the Frier and preferred the order of preachers before al others bearing him in hand that many of them which had bin aduersaries vnto this order suffered most horrible torment in purgatory that the citie of Berna should be vtterly ouerthrowne except they banished the Franciscans refused the yearly stipends which they receyued at the french kings hands He also talked of sundry things which had hapned to the Friar which thing they had learned before of him by meanes of auricular confession Moreouer he hartely thanketh the Frier for the great benefite of his deliueraÌ„ce giuing him to vnderstande that he was nowe admitted into the .vij. degrée of Angels and that he should say Masse there for his benefactors After these things thus done an other night one comming vnto him in the apparell of a woman sayde he was S. Barbara whome he deuoutly serued and tolde him that the blessed virgin would shortly appeare vnto him and make full answere vnto those questions which one of the Monks had written in a paper for him This paper Barbara promised that she hir selfe wold deliuer vnto our Lady which they shoulde shortly after finde in a hollie place sealed and signed miraculously The Frier vppon this reuealeth the whole matter vnto his fathers desiring to bée confessed of his sinnes wherby he might be found worthy the apparition or séeing of our Lady He willed them to serche in the halowed place for the scroule which at the last they found in the Fratry as they term it where they had laide it before Then they caried it with great reuerence vnto the high alter affirming that it was sealed with christes bloud and that the tapers lightned of their owne accord In y morning the virgine Mary appeared vnto him agayne rehersing many things whiche hir sonne Iesus commaunded hir to tell vnto him to wit that Pope Iulius was that holie man which shoulde reconcile the two orders in frendship againe and institute ordayne the feast of the defiled conception of our Lady for she woulde sende vnto the Pope a crosse marked with foure droppes of hir sonnes bloud in signe that she was conceiued in originall sinne and that they shoulde finde an other crosse marked with fiue droppes of bloud in their fratrie which they must conuey to Rome â–ª for the Pope would allowe and confirme it with large indulgences and after returne it to Berna agayne other things likewise she sayde whereof many things were both reported and written to and fro But in witnesse of the foresayde things the same Mary droue an yron nayle through the hand of the poore Frier saying this wounde shal be renewed in the day wherein my sonne was crucified and in the feast of my sonnes bodie After they toke a burning water made by Necromancie by the which they taking away his senses made foure other woundes in his body And after that he came againe vnto him selfe they bare him in hand that there was a certeine holie thing I wote not what which appeared aboute him And when they sawe that many men came flocking about him to sée this newe Christ they taught him for hée was of rude condicions howe to behaue hym selfe And when they had giuen him a drinke beréeâ—ing him of hys senses and causing him to some at the mouth then he saide be striued and wrestled with death euen as Christ dyd in the mount Oliuet After al this another of them appeared vnto him telling him many things but the Frier knowing him by his voice began to suspecte and mislike the whole matter and with violence thrust him from him The next night the Frier himself appeared vnto him saying that he was Mary of whom he had ben in doubt and to the ende he shoulde bée out of all suspicion she had brought him the host of hir sonnes body for he brought him an host stiped in poyson to the ende he shoulde no more thinke he sawe an euil spirite he also affirmed that he had brought a vessel of glasse full of hir sonnes bloud which he would giue vnto him and to his Monasterie But the Frier who also had this vision in suspition answered If sayde he thou be not an euil spirit reherse thy Pater noster and thy Aue Maria with me The Priour sayde the Pater noster and afterward sayd in the person of our Lady Hayled am I
some are onely fabulous or false yet notwithstandyng it maye bée that the Dyuell doothe deceyue men vnder the formes of them Thus muche concerning tearmes whiche wée muste vse in this oure Treatyse of Spirites or Uisions Herevntoo haue I adioyned straunge happes and foretokens whyche for the moste parte chaunce before greate matters And therefore I knitte them vnto these bycause they haue greate resemblaunce vnto them For vayne imaginations also appéere vnto our sights armed men as it were are séene on earth or in the aire and other suche lyke shapes voyces noyses crackes and suche lyke But as touching the very wordes Portentum is that which forsheweth some thing to come as when straunge bodies appere in the ayre or blazing starres or thunder in fayre weather or whirlewindes do chaunce Festus sayth that albeit Portentum be a naturall thing yet it happeneth seldome and doth betoken some thing to come to passe after a certaine season Ostentum is some straunge thing whiche sheweth some thing to come to effecte spéedily They giue the lyke examples of them bothe Prodigium is a thing which albeit it often chaunce by course of nature yet notwithstanding it doth always betoken some euill thing being called Prodigium as it were of porro agendum to bée doone afterwarde Monstrum is that whiche hapneth agaynst nature as when any thing is brought foorthe hauyng membres béelonging to an other kynde the whiche is also called Promonstrum as who should saye Porro aliquid monstrans siue monens that is shewing or warnyng some thyng to happen afterward NotwithstaÌ„ding these termes are many tymes confounded togither taken in one signification and that bicause they respect one ende that is to tell before or giue warning of things to come The vayne visions wheron we here intreate appertayne nothing to natural philosophers neyther yet these things which we haue ioyned with them For if a sodaine cracke or sound or groning or rumbling as though the house would fall or if any other thing chauÌ„ce whiche standeth by natural reason it doth not proprely belong vnto this matter which we haue in hand But letting these things passe we will by Gods helpe and ayde come néerer to the matter it selfe â–ª CHAP. II. Melancholike persons and madde men imagin many things vvhich in verie deede are not THere haue ben very many in al ages which haue vtterly denied that there be any spirites or straunge sightes The Philosophers of Epicurus sect did iest and laugh at al those things whiche were reported of them and counted them as fayned and counterfeat by the whiche only children and fooles and playne simple men were made afrayd When Cassius who was an Epicurian vnderstoode by Brutus that he had séene a certain vision he as Plutarche doth testifie indeuored to attribute the matter vnto naturall causes We reade in the .23 chap. of the Actes of the Apostles that the Sadduceys did not beléeue there shoulde be any Resurrection of the dead and that they denyed there were any spirites or angels Yea and at thys day many good and godly men beleue those things to be but tales which are talked of â—o and fro concerning those imagined visions partly bicause in all their lyfe they neuer sawe any suche and partly or rather especially bicause in time past men haue bin so often deceiued with apparitioÌ„s visions and false miracles done by Monkes and Priests that nowe they take things that are true to bée as vtterly false What soeuer the cause is it may be proued by witnesse oâ— many writers by dayly experience also that spirites and straunge sightes doo sometyme appeare and that in verye déede many straunge and maruellous things doo happen True it is that many men doo falsly perâ—uade themselues that they sée or heare ghostes for that which they imagin they see or heare procéedeth eyther of melancholie madnesse weaknesse of the senses feare or of some other perturbation or else when they sée or heare beasts vapors or some other naturall things then they vaynly suppose they haue séene sightes I wote not what as héereafter I will shewe particularly by many and notable examples There is no doute but that almost al those things which the common people iudge to be wonderfull sightes are nothing lesse than so But in the meane season it can not be denied but that straunge sightes and many other suche lyke things are sometymes hearde and also séene And fyrste it can not be denyed but that some menne whiche eyther by dispositions of nature or for that they haue susteyned greate miserie are nowe become heauie and full of melancholie imagine many tymes with them selues being alone miraculous and straunge things Sometimes they affirme in greate soothe that they verily heare and sée this or that thing whiche notwithstanding neyther they nor yet any other man dyd once sée or heare Which thing we sometimes sée by experience to bâ—e true in those men whiche be troubled with greate headache or subiect to other diseases of the body or cannot take rest in the night or are distraughted of their wittes Those whiche dwell with suche kinde of men when they héere them tell such obsurde tales such straunge things and suche maruelous visions albeit they pittie their vnfortunate estate yet can they not many tymes conteyn themselues from laughing Aristotle in his booke de rebuâ— mirandis writeth of a certaine man distraught of his wittes who going into the Theatre of Abydos a Citie of Asia when no man was therein and there setting alone by clapping of his handes signified that he liked as well euery thing there as if some commedie or tragedie had ben notablie sette forth on stage The verie like Historie hath Horace in his seconde booke of Epistles of a certain man who comming into the Theatre at Argos behaued him selfe euen as the other man did And when his Kinsfolke through the helpe of good Phisitians hadde restored him to his ryght wittes againe he was verie angrie with them saying that he neuer liued more pleasantly than while he was beside him selfe Atheneus lib. 12. writeth of one Tresilaus whose braines were so distempered that he verily supposed all the ships whiche aryued at Porte Piraeus to be his owne he would numbre them he commaunded the Mariners to launch from shore and when they returned after their voyage home againe he as much reioyced as if he had ben owner of all wherewith they were laden The same man affirmed that in al the time of his madnesse he liued a verie pleasant life vntill the Phisitian hadde cured him of his disease I my selfe haue séene a man Iohannes Leonardus Sertorius by name whom verie honest and graue men which knewe him wel would testifie to be a godly man which was throughly perswaded with him selfe that he coulde proue our Religion which we nowe professe to be true and catholicke euen by a miracle from heauen as somtime Helias did He
holly water and satisfaction For that wée let passe many things it is clerer then the day light euen by this history that many things haue bin beaten into the peoples heads touching these foresayde matters which were only deuised and inuented by these idle bellies CHAP. VIII Of a counterfaite and deceiuing spirit at Orleaunce in Fraunce ANd that no man thinke the Friers preachers alone to haue bin so bolde and wicked and so ready in deuising so many monsters let vs harken a while to a notable history of the Franciscan Friers reported by Sleidane in the ninth booke of his commentaries coÌ„cerning the state of religion and the common welth in the tyme of Charles the fifth In the yeare sayth he of our Lord 1534. the Franciscan Monks played a bloudy and deadly pageant at Orleaunce in Fraunce The Maiors wife of the same citie when she died commaunded in hir will that she shoulde be buried without any pompe or noise solemnly vsed at that time So also VVilliam Bude a rare and singular ornament of Fraunce lying on his death bed at Paris in the yeare of our Lord 1540. in the month of August lefte commaundement with his frends to bury him without any great solemnitie and pompe The womans husbande who reuerenced the memoriall of his wyfe did euen as she had willed him and because she was buried in the Churche of the Franciscans besides hir father and grandfather gaue them in rewarde only sixe crownes whereas they hoped for a farre greater pray Shortly after it chaunced that as he felled certeine wooddes and sold them they desired him to giue vnto them some parte of it fréely without money whiche he flatly denied This they tooke very gréeuously and whereas before they misliked him they deuised thys meanes to be reuenged forsooth to reporte that his wife was damned for euer The chiefe workemen and framers of this tragedy were Colimannus and Stephanus Atrebatensij both doctors of diuinitie and Colimannus a great coÌ„iurer hauing all his implements in a redinesse which he woonted to vse in such businesse and thus they handled the matter They place ouer the arche of the church a yong nouice he about midnight when they came to mumble their prayers as they were wont to do maketh a great ruÌ„bling noise out of hand the Monks began to coniure charme but he answereth nothing then béeing required to giue a signe whether he were a dumbe Spirit or no he begins to rumble stirre again which thing they toke as a certaine signe Hauing layde this fouÌ„dacion they go vnto certain citizens chief men such as fauored them declaring that a heauy chance had hapned at home in their monasterie â–ª not shewing what the matter was but desiring them to come to their mattens at midnight WheÌ„ those citizens were come that prayers wer now begun the counterfet Spirite beginneth to make a maruellous noise in the top of the church and being asked what he ment and who he was he giueth theÌ„ signes that it is not lawful for him to speak Therfore they commaunde him to make answer by tokens and signes to certeine thinges they woulde demaunde of him Nowe was there a hole made in the vaute through the which he might heare and vnderstande the voice of the coÌ„iurer and then had he in his hande a little boorde which at euery question he strake in suche sorte as he might easyly â—e heard beneath First therefore they aske him whether he were one of them that had bin buried in the same place afterwards they reckning vp many by name which hadde bin buried there at the laste also name the maiors wife there by and by the Spirite gaue the signe that he was hir soule He was further asked whether he were damned or no and if he were for what deserte or faute Whether for couetousenesse or wanton lust for pride or want of charitie or whether it were for heresie and for the secte of Luther newly sprong vp Also what he meante by that noise and sturre he kept there Whether it were to haue the body nowe buried in holy grounde to be digged vp agayn to be layd in some other place To al the which points he answered by signes as he was coÌ„maunded by the which he affirmed or denyed any thing according as he strake the boorde twise or thrise together And when he had thus geuen theÌ„ to vnderstande that the very cause of his damnation was Luthers heresie and that the body must néeds be digged vp againe the monks request the citizens whose presence they had vsed that they would beare witnesse of those things which they had séene with their eyes and that they would subscribe to suche things as were done a fewe dayes before The citizens taking good aduise on the matter least they should offende the maior or bring theÌ„selues in trouble refuse so to do but the Monks notwithstanding take froÌ„ thence the swéete bread which they call the host body of our Lord together with all the reliques of saints cary theÌ„ to an other place there say their Masse The bishops substitute iudge whom they call Officiall vnderstaÌ„ding thys matter coÌ„meth thither accompanied with certain honest meÌ„ to the inteÌ„t he might know the whole circuÌ„stances more exactly therfore he coÌ„mandeth theÌ„ to make coÌ„iuratioÌ„ in his presence also he requireth certain to be chosen to go vp to the top of the vault there to sée whether any gost apered or not That Stephanus AtrebateÌ„sis stiffly denied maruellously persuading the coÌ„trary affirmed that the spirit in no wise ought to be troubled And albeit the Officiall vrged theÌ„ very much that there might be some coniuring of the spirit yet could he nothing preuaile In the meane while that these things were a doing the maior when he had shewed the other iustices of the citie what he would haue theÌ„ do toke his iorney to the king opened the whole matter vnto him And bycause the monks refused iudgemeÌ„t vpon plea of their owne lawes and liberties the king chosing out certein of the Aldermen of Paris giueth them absolute and full authoritie to make inquirie on the matter The like doth the chancelor master Anthonius Pratensis Cardinall and legate for the Pope throughout Fraunce Therefore when they hadde no exception to alleage they were conueyed vnto Paris and there constreyned to make their aunswere but yet coulde nothing be wroong out of them by confession Whervpon they were put a parte into diuers prisons the Nouice béeing kepte in the house of master Fumaeus one of the Aldermen who being oftentimes examined earnestly requested to vtter the truthe woulde notwithstanding confesse nothing because he feared that the Monks would afterwards put him to death for stayning their order and putting it to open shame but wheÌ„ the iudges had made him sure promise that he should escape punishment and that hée should neuer come into their handling he ripped vp vnto them the whole
Siluester the seconde that he gaue him selfe to the Deuill that by his meanes his counsell magical deuises he atteined the great office of papacie Do ye thinke that it is a hard thing for him that is confederat with the enimy of maÌ„kinde to faine spirits soules or to coÌ„iure a Deuill to make meÌ„ beleue he were a sâ—ule do you think such men abhorre to do such mischiefe The Historiographers report that Bonifacius the 8. deceyued his predecessor Celestinus by a voice sent through a cane réede as though it had come froÌ„ Heauen persuading him to gyue ouer hys office of popeship and to institute therin one Bonifacius a woorthier man than he except he woulde be thrust out of the kingdom of heauen The poore simple Pope obeying this voyce ordeyned Bonifacius Pope in his steade in the yeare of our Lord .1254 who first brought in the yeare of Iubile Of this Boniface the common people wold say He came in lyke a Fox he raigned lyke a Wolfe and died lyke a Dog. If the very vicar of Christ who hathe all knowledge as it were fast lockt in the Coffer of his brest could be deceyued lette no man maruel any more if simple credulous husbandmen and citezens haue ben deceyued and that it hath bin sayd to them God spake this This soule did aske helpe and suche like things whiche are most false and vayne Yf this man coulde counterfeite the voice of God coulde he not also faine the voice of dead men Before I procéede any further this is also to be obserued that plesant conceited fellowes may often times deceaue the priests them selues For when the priests dyd brag that they coulde coniure Spirits and deliuer mens soules it may be that other being wrapped in shéets hauing vnderneth them liue coales in an earthen pot appeared vnto priests who by and by were persuaded they sawe soules which required their helpe to be deliuered Erasmus in his Colloquio or talke which he intituled Exorcismus veâ—â—pectrum or a coniuration or vision writeth howe one Polus maruellously deceaued a priest called Faustus But there is nodoubt but that priests being many times deceyued in iest by the lay men for pastimes sake haue on the other side more often times beguiled them in earnest I haue spoken hetherto of men being awake and now I will adde a feaw words of suche as sléepe There be many which haue suche a kinde of disease that they walke in their sléepe which thing we reade to haue bin true in one Theon a Stoicke and in Pericles seruaunt who in theyr sléepe climed vp to the top of the house I haue hearde of some which in their sléepe haue done that which béeing awake they could not do by any meanes If a man sée suche a one walking in the night eyther appareled or naked and after heare him say he was at the same time in his bed he will straight thinke it was his soule that he sawe the like will he do if he heare suche a one at his owne house CHAP. XI That many naturall things are taken to be ghosts THere happen dayly many things by the ordinary course of nature whiche diuers meÌ„ especially they that are timorous and fearfull suppose to be visions or Spirits As for example when they heare the crying of rats cats weasels martins or any other beast or when they heare a horse beate his féete on the plankes in the stable at midnight by by they sweate for feare supposing some buggs to walke in the dead of the night Sometimes a bitter or hearne which birds are seldome séene with vs in Germany or some other straunge birdes make a noyse in the aire many fooles straight wayes dreame they haue hearde I wote not what If a worme whiche fretteth wood or that bréedeth in trées chaunce to gnawe a wall of waynescot or other tymber many will iudge they heare one softly knocking vppon an anduill with a sledge and sometimes they imagine they heare many hammers at one time Simple foolish meÌ„ hearing these things imagine I know not howe that there be certayne elues or fairies of the earth and tell many straunge and maruellous tales of them which they haue heard of their grandmothers and mothers howe they haue appeared vnto those of the house haue done seruice haue rocked the cradell and which is a signe of good lucke do continually tary in the house If suche dwarfes or elues haue bin séene at any time surely they were euill Spirits For we reade that the Gentiles in tyme past had their familiar or houshold gods whome they worshipped with greate deuotion bicause as they thought they toke care of their house and defended their familie and vnto these men euill spirites did somtimes appeare therby to confirme them the more in their blynde superstition Olaus magnus Archbishop of Vpsalia writeth in his historie de Gentibus Septentrionalibus that euen at this day also there are spirites séene in these countries which hauing the shape of men do meÌ„ seruice in the night dressing their horsse and looking to their cattell The wind in the night ouerthroweth some thing or shaketh a casement or lid of the window many by and by thinke they sée a spirite and can very hardly be brought from y vayn opinion This thing is also according to nature that when a maÌ„ either crieth or speaketh in the woods valeys or other hollow places Echo will resound the later word or sillable so playnly many times that a man wold verily thinke some liuing body made him answere agayn Many would be afrayd hereof at al tymes but especially in the night season except he knew very well it were a naturall thing Cardanus in his booke de subtilitate lib. 18 â–ª rehearseth a maruellous historie of one Comensis who very late in the night comming to a riuers side not knowing where he might passe ouer called cut aloude for some body to shewe him the foorde and when the Echo made him answere hée supposing it to be a man asked him if he might passe ouer héere to whom the Echo answered again in the ItaliaÌ„ tong Here here But in the place was a whirlepoole a great roring of the water Therfore the man douting asketh once or twice againe whether the riuer might be past ouer in the same place to which the Echo answered stil y it might In the end when he had escaped the passage without daunger he told his frends how by the persuasion of the diuell he had almost thrown himself hedlong into the riuer and drowned himself In the same place he sayth that the great Hall at Ticinium in Italy dothe render sundry and manyfolde voices if one speak in it and that the voyces as it were die and make an end much lyke a mans voyce when he lyeth a dying in so much that a man can scant be persuaded it is the noyse of Echo There are certayne things whiche shyne
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
died as he sate writing in the tents following the example of Iulius Cesar he saw the image of the publicke Genius or God of the place which was woont to be painted with Amaltheas horne in his hande departing from him more deformed and ill fauoured than when it began to mount vp to the narrowe top of the tent Lucanus as well an excellent historiographer as also a most learned Poet reckneth vp many forwarnings in his first booke of the battaile of Pharsalia which chaunsed before the great conflict betwéen Iulius Cesar and great Pompeius and amongst other things he writeth thus The trumpets blew and looke euen as the battaile ioynd apace â–ª So did the night with silent shaades increase hir darkishe face And then the ghosts of Sylla fierce were plainly sâ—ene in field Therby declaring euill signes of bloud that should be spilde And by the flud of Anien the husbandmen did spye Great Marius out of broken graue his head aduauncing hiye CHAP. XIII A proofe out of the histories of the auncient Churche and of the vvritings of holie Fathers that there are vvalking Spirits YF we reade ouer the Ecclesiasticall histories we shall finde many of these examples Sozomenus writeth in his ecclesiasticall historie the sixt booke and 28. chapter of one Apelles a blacke Smyth by occupation whose name was at that time very famous throughout Egipâ—e for the gifte of working miracles wherewith he was indewed who as he was one night hard at his work had appering vnto him a vision of a Diuel in the likenesse attire of a very beautiful woman mouing intising him to the vice of lechery But he sodenly catching the yron which he wrought on glowing hot out of the fire thrust it in the Diuels face scorched his visage wherat he fretting crying out in al hast fled away Likewise in his 7. booke and 23. chap. writing of the sedition raised at Antioche for the immoderate exactioÌ„ and tribute which Theodosius layd on the citie in the time of warrs wherby the people being offended ouerthrewe the images of the Emperour and his wife dragging them in roapes about the citie and reporting al kinde of villanie and dispite ageinst theÌ„ thus he saith But in the night before assoone as the rebellion began immediatly at the breake of the day it is certainly reported there was a straunge sight séene of a womaÌ„ hauing a huge stature and most horrible looke running vp and downe the cittie through the streats alâ—ft in the aire whisking â—eating the aire with a whip rendring a fearfull sound That as men are wont to prouoke wild beasts to anger whiche serue for publike spectacles euen so it séemed some euil angell by the crafte of the Diuell stirred vp that commotion amongst the people Theodorus Lector in his first booke of collectanies out of the ecclesiasticall historie writeth that as Gennadius patriarch of Constantinople came downe to the high aultar to make prayers and orizons there appeared vnto him a certaine vision or spirit in a most horrible shape and figure which so soone as he had sharplie rebuked straightways he herd a voice crying out aloud that so loÌ„g as he liued he wold giue place cease but wheÌ„ he was once dead he would surely ransack spoyle the Church Which when the good father heard he ernestly prayed for the preseruatioÌ„ of the Church soone after departed this life There are many things to be read in Gregoâ—iê° Nicephorê° â–ª who setteth foorth â—â—clesiasticall matters at larâ—â— Abdias in the liues of the Apostles concerning visions dreames miracles of saints and also appearings of spirites For wise men iudge they were more diligent redie in describing such things than in other maters which might haue beÌ„ to greater purpose and much more profitable for the readers to vnderstand Hée that readeth ouer the Hystories whiche in tymes paste haue ben written and that especially by Monkes shall méete with an innumerable company of these sorte Yet by the waye I must néedes say this that very many things haue bene written by them whych the Readers maye iustly suspecte and stande in greate doubte of Ludouicus Viues Beatus Rhenanus and many other learned men of our tyme in describing other things do fynde greate faulte with the Chronicles written by Monkes for that they were gathered togyther by vnlearned â—â—ltes without any iudgement But let euery man esteme of them as hée lâ—st For albeit there are diuers things in them very foolish ridiculous yet it may be wel thought that many things â—ere so in very déed as they haue committed them to writing A man shall méete with many places concerning visions appearingâ— of Spirits euen in the old fatherâ— also S. Ambrose in his .90 Sermon writeth of a noble Uirgin named Agnes who was crowned with martirdom for the profession of christian religion And as hir pareÌ„ts watched oâ—e night by hir graue they saw about midnight a goodly companiâ— of Uirgins clothed in golden vayles amongst whom also was their â—aughter arayed like vnto the rest who willing the other virgins to stay a while turning hir self towards hir parentes willed them in any case not to bewayle hir as if she were dead but rather to reioyce with hir â–ª for that she had obteined of god eternal life Which as soon as she had spokeÌ„ she immediatly vanisht out of sight S. Augustin deâ—lareth in his booke De cura pro mortuis agenda that when the Citie of Nola was besieged by the Barbaruus the citizens saw Felix the martyr playnly â—ppearing vnto them Touching S. Gregorie who in his Dialogues writeth many suche things we will in 〈◊〉 hereafter when his turne commeth Yée shall reade of many suche lyke in the liues of the auncient fathers which all are not to be reiected as vaine and fabulous for some parte of them were written by graue and learned men whereof letting the rest passe for breuitie sake I will héere rehearse one short historie It is to be séene in the life of Ioannes Chrysostom that Basiliscus Byshoppe of Comane who suffered as a Martir with Lucianus the Priest at Antioch vnder Maximianus the Emperor appéered vnto Sainte Chrysostome when he was in exile and sayde vnto him Brother Iohn be of good comforte for to morrowe we shall be togither But first he appéered to the Priest of that Churche and saide vnto him prepare a place for our deare brother Iohn who wyll shortly come hither Which things the euent proued afterwardes to be true CHAP. XIIII That in the Bookes set foorthe by Monkes are many ridiculous and vaine apparitions WE made mention a litle before of Chronicles written by Monkes Nowe as touching their legendes of Saintes as they terme their storehouses of examples and liues of auncient Fathers in the whiche are many apparitions of Deuils and Spyrits verily there is no cause at all why we shoulde ascribe much vnto them for the most
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.
It hath many times chaunced that those of the house haue verily thought that some body hath ouerthrowne the pots platters tables and trenchers and tumbled theÌ„ downe the stayres but after it waxed day they haue found all things orderly set in their places againe It is reported that some spirits haue throwne the dore of from the hookes and haue troubled and set all things in the house out of order neuer setting theÌ„ in their due place againe and that they haue maruellously disquieted men with rumbling and making a great noise Sometimes there is heard a great noise in Abbeis and in other solitarie places as if it were coupers hooping and stopping vp wine vessels or some other handicraftes men occupied about their labour when it is most certayn that all in the house are gone to bed and haue betaken themselues to rest When houses are in building the neighbours many times heare the carpenters masons and other artificers handling all things in such sorte as if they were busily labouring in the day time And this straunge wonder is ioyfully receiued as a sure token of good lucke There be some which iudge it commeth to passe naturally that we suppose we heare these things in the nighte which we heard before in the day time Which question I leaue to be discussed of better learned than my selfe Pioners or diggers for mettal do affirme that in many mines there appeare straunge shapes and spirites who are apparelled like vnto other laborers in the pit These wander vp and down in caues and vnderminings séeme to besturre them selues in all kinde of labour as to digge after the veine to carrie togither oare to put it into baskets and to turne the winding whele to drawe it vp when in very déede they do nothing lesse They very seldome hurte the laborers as they say except they prouoke them by laughing and rayling at them for then they threw grauel stones at them or hurt them by some other means These are especially haunting in pittes where mettall moste aboundeth A certayn godly and lerned man wrote once vnto me of a siluer mine at Dauosium in the Alpes vpon the which Peter Buol a noble man the Schultish of the same place whom they cal Landammanus had bestowed great cost a fewe yeres before and had gathered therby good store of riches In the same myne was a spirite or Diuell of the mountayne who when the laborers filled the stuffe they had digged into their vessels he séemed for the most parte euery Fryday to be very busie pouring the mettals of his owne accord out of one basket into an other Wherewith the Schultishe was not offended and when he would eyther descende into the pit or come vp agayne blessyng him selfe with the signe of the Crosse he neuer receyued hurt It chaunced on a tyme that whyle the sayde spirit was too busie intermedlyng himselfe with euery thing one of the myners being offended therewith began to rayle at hym very bitterly and with terrible cursing wordes byd him get him thence in the diuels name But the spirit caught him by the pate and so writhed his necke about that his face stoode behynde his backe yet notwithstanding he was not slaine but liued a long time after well knowne vnto diuers of his familiar friends whiche yet liue at this day howbeit he died within a fewe years after Georgius Agricola whose learned works whiche he wrote of mettalles be yet extant in the end of his booke of creatures liuing vnder the earth he maketh two kinds of Diuels haunting in certayne Mynes abroade For hée sayth there are some cruell and terrible to beholde whiche for the moste parte doo very much annoy and hurt the labourers digging for mettall Suche a one was hée whiche was called Annebergius who only with his breath destroyed aboue .xij. laborers at once in the caue called Corona Rosacea The wynde wherewith he slewe them he lette flée out of his mouth for he appéered in the similitude and lykenesse of an horse Suche an other was Snebergius who wearyng a black roll about his necke tooke vp a labourer aloft from the grounde and sette him in the brinke of a certayne excéeding déepe place where had sometyme bene great store of siluer not without gréeuous brusing of his body And againe he saith there be some very milde and gentle whome some of the Germans call Cobali as the Grecians do bycause they be as it were apes and counterfeiters of men for they leaping and skipping for ioy do laughe and séeme as though they did many things when in very déede they doo nothing And some other call them Elues or Dwarfes of the Mountaynes thereby notyng theyr small stature wherein they commonly appeare They séeme to bée hoare wearyng apparayle lyke the mettall fyners that is in a petycote laced and an apron of lether about their loynes These hurte not the laborers excepte they misuse them but do imitate them in all their doings And he sayth they are not much vnlike vnto those whom the Germans call Guteli bycause they séeme to beare good affection towards men for they kéepe horses and do other necessary businesse They are also lyke vnto them whom they cal Trulli who taking on them the fayned shapes of men and women do serue as it is sayd like seruants both amongst other nations specially amongst the Suetians Touching these spirits haunting mynes of mettal ther is somwhat to be read in Olaus Magnus de Gentibus Septentrionalibus the 6. booke and .x. chapter They whiche sayle on the greate Ocean sea make reporte that in certayne places where the Anthropophagi doo inhabite are many spirites whiche doo the people there very muche harme Héere many straunge things might be brought concerning visions appearing vnto men in their sléepe and also of them which being in a traunce haue lyen a whole day and more without mouing lyke vnto dead men and after béeing restored to them selues agayne haue tolde many miraculous things which they haue séene Cicero writeth of maruellous things in his booke of diuination or soothsaying And so do many other men also Augustine himselfe reciteth in many places of his bookes that some after they were dead haue warned many their frendes of diuers matters and haue disclosed vnto them secrete things which were to come and haue shewed sicke folkes good remedies for their diseases and haue done many suche like things Auenzoar Albumaro a physition of Arabia writeth that he receiued an excellent medicine for his sore eyes of a physition lately deceased appering vnto him in his slepe as Marsilius Fâ—cinus doth testifie writing of the immortalitie of the soule Lib. 16. cap. 5. The holy Scriptures also teache vs that God hath reuealed many things vnto men by dreames S. Mathew in his first and second Chapter writeth that the angell of God appered many tymes vnto Ioseph our Sauior Christes foster father in a dreame and coÌ„maunded him to beware
in his book de nobilitate c. 30. that it is to be séen in the historie of Rodulphus king of the Romains that when the sayde Rodulphus had vanquished Othotarus King of Boemia continuing on the place all nyght where tho battell was fought about mydnight certain spirites or Deuils with horrible noyse and tumulte troubled and disordered his whole armie And that those were spirites walkyng by night it appeared hereby that they sodeynly vanyshed away lyke smoake The same Author writeth in his .xxvj. chapter That in the yeare of our Lorde .1280 as one of the Plâ—bans as they call them belonging to the churche of Tigurine preaâ—hed to the people the graue stone of the tumbe or sepulchre of the two martyrs Felix and Regula patrones of the same place violently brake a sunder no man mouyng or touching it giuing a horrible sound lyke vnto thunder so that the people were no lesse astonished and afrayde than yf the vaute of the Churche had fallen downe And he sayth that the same yeare the third day of October the greater part of the citie of Tigurum was brent with fire and more ouer that sedition was moued amongest the Citizens for certaine Ecclesiasticall disciplines and for the Imperiall Banne as they terme it In the yere of our Lord .1440 the twelfth day of December at the dedicatioÌ„ of the foresayd churche about midnight there was the like noyse hearde and immediatly after followed ciuill warres whiche the Tigurins held with vncertaine successe against the other Heluetians for the space of seuen yeares and more The same writer in the .33 Chap. hath that at the same tyme in the yeare of our Lorde .1444 before that valiaunt battayle whiche a fewe Heluetians fought agaynst the innumerable companye of Lewes Dolphine of Fraunce faught by the wall Basill in the tyme of generall the Councell there was hearde certayne nyghtes about those places the alarme of Souldiours the clattering of harneys and the noyse of menne encountring togyther c. Here I purposely omitte many suche lyke examples for there are many Bookes bothe of auncient and also of newe writers touchyng straunge signes and wonders wherin these may be redde CHAP. XVIII It is proued by testimonies of holy scripture that spirits are sometime seene and heard and that other straunge matters do often chaunce YEt perchaunce it wil be obiected vnto vs that wée bring no testimonie oute of holy Scripture touchyng this matter especially to proue that Spirites doo oftentymes appeare vnto menne I aunswere that truthe it is There are fewe things hereof in the Scriptures and yet notwithstanding somewhat is to be redde in them It is read in Saincte Mathewe his fourtéenth chapter of Christes Disciples that when in the night season by reason of a contrary wind they were in greate daunger of drownyng in the lake of Genazareth and that in the dawnyng of the daye the Lorde walked on the water they béeyng afrayde cryed out supposyng they sawe a Spirite Héereof we gather that they knewe well ynoughe that Spirites appeared vnto men vpon sea and lande Lykewise when the Lorde being rysen from death appeared vnto his disciples meaning to assure them of his Resurrection they thought at the firste that they sawe a Spirit In the which place Chryst denieth not but there are Spirits and straunge sightes and that they are sometimes séene but he rather confirmeth the same by putting a difference betwene him selfe spirits or vaine apparitions But as touching these two testimonies we wil speake more in another place It is a notable historie whiche we reade in the seconde Booke of Samuel concerning Saule who at what tyme the Philistians warred vpon hym and that he was in very great daunger of them he came to a woman who was a witche and desired hir to rayse Samuel from deathe that he might knowe his counsell touching the successe of the warres Shée raysed hym vp one whome Saule tooke to be Samuel in déede who also tolde him what euents shoulde come of the warres But whether hée were a true Samuel or a counterfait wée will dispute the matter more at large in his conuenient place As concerning other maruellous things there is somewhat to be read in the Scriptures In the seconde of Samuel the fifth chap. Also in the first of Paralipomenon and the .xiiij â–ª chap. we reade that the Philistins wente vp the seconde tyme into Iurie to make warres on Dauid Hée went vnto the Lord and shewed him the matter who commaunded him that he shoulde embushe himselfe behynde the wood with his armie and when he heard a rustling or noyse in the toppes of the trées he should immediatly sette vpon them This sounde they say was a strange and supernaturall sounde It is written in the second book of the Kings the .vj. and vij chapters that God deliuered the citie of Samariâ— from great famine when it was fiercely besieged by Benhadad king of the Assyrians â–ª for in the night season their enimies dyd heare the noyse of chariots the neyghing of horsses and shréeching of a huge armie as it were in their owne pauillions and tentes supposing therefore that the kyng of Israel had gathered togyther his footemen and horssemen and had nowe sette vpon them they soughte to saue themselues by â—lyghte leauyng theyr victuall and other prouision behynde them in their tentes In the fyrst of Samuel and the seuenth chapter God caused a wonderfull greate noyse to sounde ouer the Philistians and so destroyed them I meane they were so affrighted with a kynde of straunge feare that it was an easy matter to vanquishe them In the fifthe Chapter of Daniell yée may reade that king Balthasar in his roisting banquet espyed ryghte agaynste the candle a hande wryting vpon the wall what his ende shoulde bée It is read in the thirde Chapter of the seconde of the Machabées that there appeared a horsse vnto Heliodorus seruaunt vnto Seleucus Kyng of Asia as hee was aboute to destroye the temple at Hierusalem and vppon the horsse séemed to sitte a terrible man whiche made towardes him to ouerrunne hym On eche syde of hym were two yong men of excellent beautie whyche wyth whippes scourged Heliodorus The seconde of the Machabées and tenth chapter Iudas Machabeus encountred wyth hys enimies and when the battayle was hotte there appeared vnto the enimie oute of heauen fyue men sytting on horsses rayned with notable brydles of golde who ledde the Iewes hoste and two of them defended Machabeus from all his enimies And vnto Machabeus appeared a horsseman in a shinyng garment his Armour all of gold and shaking his speare Whereby it was signified that he shoulde obtayne a notable and famous victorie .2 Macha 11. I alleage not these examples for that I adiudge the bookes of Machabées of as good authoritie as the Canonicall Bookes of the newe and olde Testament but only for that they are ioyned together with them and may be read of euery
one and they were always read of the auncient people For albéeit they neuer wente aboute to approue any doctrine by them yet were they of great authoritie amongst them CHAP. XIX To vvhome vvhen vvhere and after vvhat sort spirits do appeare and vvhat they do vvorke BY all these examples we may plainly perceiue that many straunge things are obiected to mens senses that sometimes spirits are séene and heard not only as some haue thought as Plutarke witnesseth in the life of Dion of children women sicke folkes dottards otherwise very plaine and simple creatures but also to mē of good corage and such as haue bin perfectly in their wits Yet it may not bée denied but that there appeare many more vnto some that vnto other some as vnto trauellers watchemen hunters carters and marriners who leade all their life not only in the day time but also in night in iorneying in the water woods hills and vallies You shal mete with some one who neuer sawe nor heard any of this geare in all his life time and contrariwise there be other some whyche haue séene and hearde very man suche things So there are some which very seldom chaunce vpō serpents agayne many there are which oftentimes méets with them in their iorney The common people say that those whose natiuities chaunce vppon the Auguries for so they terme the foure seasons of the yeare do sée more store of Spirites than those whiche are borne at other tymes but these are méere trifles Those whiche are stedfaste in true faithe see or heare suche thiyngs more seldome than superstitiouse people as in all other things Hée that is superstitiouse vseth some blessing as they call it to heale hys horses disease and it taketh good effecte he inchaunteth a Serpente and it can not once moue out of the place He applyeth a blessyng to straunge bleedyng and it stoppeth presentely He taketh a hollie rod or twisted wand inchāted it wil moue where a mettle mine is but he that is of a sounde fayth and doth despise these things for he knoweth well they are contrary to the word of god also to the Popes decrées albeit perchaunce he practise such things yet notwithstanding he can bring nothing to passe And so also it chaunceth that he séeth spirites and vaine visions a great deale more seldome than superstitious men do for hée knoweth wel what hée ought to déeme and iudge of them There are some kinde of men who thinke it a gay thing if many suche straunge sightes appeare vnto them There were farre many more of these kindes of apparitions and myracles séene amongest vs at suche tyme as we were giuen vnto blindnesse and superstition than since that the Gospell was purely preached amongest vs the cause whereof I will shewe heareafter And moreouer it commeth often times to passe that some one man doth heare or sée some thing most plainly when an other which standeth by him or walketh wyth him neyther séeth nor heareth any such matter We reade in the Historie of Heliseus that he saw chariottes of fire and many horsemen vpon the toppe of the Mountaine and yet hys seruaunt sawe nothing vntil the Prophet prayed vnto the Lord that he woulde voutsafe for hys confirmation and consolation to open hys eyes that he might also beholde this notable miracle So likewise we reade in the 9. chapter of the Actes of the Apostles that Christ ouerthew Paule before Damascus and that he spake vnto hym and his companions also hearde the voyce Afterwardes in the 22. chapter Paule himselfe shewing vnto the people in the presence of Lycias in the Castle at Hierusalem what had hapened vnto them sayth that they heard not the voice of him that talked with him which two places are not repugnant for the meaning is that they heard a voyce or sounde in deede but they vnderstood not what the Lord had sayd vnto him Plato writeth in his Dialogue called Theages that Socrates had a familiar spirit who was woonte to put him in mynde to cease from labouring when that whiche he attempted shuld haue no happie successe This spirit he himselfe sawe not and other men hearde not They say that sometimes Children doe sée certaine things whiche other men sée not and by a certain peculiar operation of nature some men behold that which others in no wise can perceiue As touching the tyme when spirits appeare we reade in hystories that it shall be after a thousand yeares which God hath appoynted in the whiche tyme Sainte Iohn prophesied in the Apocalips that Sathan shoulde be lette loose that is to saye errours and supersticion and al kynd of mischéefe should abound many spirits appeare euery where for men gaue them more creditte than the Scriptures If a spirit apeared or was heard to say in case these or those things be decréed to wit vowed Pilgrimage and erecting Chappelles and that this shall be an acceptable kynde of worship vnto God the Bishoppes and paryshe Priestes weighed not whither those things were agréeable to the word of God or no. c. Spirits appeared in old time and do appeare still in these dayes both day night but especially in the night and before midnighte in our first sléep Moreouer on the frydayes saterdayes fasting daies to confirme superstition Neither may we maruel that they are heard more in the night thā in the day time For he who is the author of these things is called in the holie Scriptures the Prince of darkenesse and therefore hée shunneth the light of Gods worde And albeit these are heard or séene in al places yet are they most especially conuersant in the fieldes where battels haue ben fought or in places where slaughters haue ben made in places of execution in woods into the which they haue coniured deuils being cast out of men in Churches Monasteries and about Sepulchers in the boundes of countries buts of lands in prysons houses towers and somtime also in the ruines and rubbish of Castles God thretneth the Babilonians in the 13. chap. of Esaie that spirits and Satyrs shal daunce where their magnificent houses Pallaces were where they were wont to lead their daūces And in his 34. chap. wher he threatneth destruction vnto al nations enimies of God he saith In the ruinous tottering Pallaces Castles houses horrible spirits shal apeare with terrible cries and the Satyre shal cal vnto hir mate yea the night hags shal take their rest there For by the sufferance of God wicked Deuils worke strange things in those places where men haue exercised pride and crueltie The maner of apearing of spirits is diuers manyfold as it apereth by those things which I haue aleaged before For they shew themselues in sundry sorte sometymes in the shape of a man whome we know who is yet alyue or lately departed otherwhile in the likenesse of one whom we knowe not I heard of a
mountaine floud or valley where it hath committed the offence that these are particuler Purgatories assigned vnto them for some special cause before the day of Iudgement after which time all maner of Purgatories aswell general as particuler shal cease Some of them say that the paine of Purgatorie is al one with the punishment of hel that they differ only in this that the on hath an end the other no ende and that it is far more easie to endure all the paynes of this worlde which al men since Adams time haue susteined euen vnto the day of the last Iudgement than to beare one dayes space the least of those two punishmentes Further they holde that our fire if it be compared with the fire of Purgatorie doth resemble only a painted fire Séeke their Doctours in this poynte on the fourth booke of Sentences the â—0 distinction This question also they moue by whome the Soules in Purgatorie are tormented Wherefore their opinion are very diuers and disagréeable among themselues Richardus de Media villa a Franciscan frier writeth vpon the Maister of Sentences sayth he verily beléeueth that soules are caried by good Angels into the places of torment but yet that they themselues do not torment them bycause they shall become at length fellow citizens with them Neyther yet are they punished by Deuils who after this life do no longer tempte men but only by the méere iustice of god And yet saith he it may so come to passe that the Deuils be present at the doing thereof and reioyce at their tortures I thought good to repeate these things of Purgatorie somewhat at large the rather for that the reader might sée that their Doctours do disagrée in a matter of great weight by which they haue both robbed men of their wealth and plunged them into very great myserie Héervnto they adde that the spirites aswel of the good as the yl do come and are sent vnto men lyuing from hel And that by the common lawe of iustice all men at the day of Iudgement shall come to their trial from hell and that none before that time can come from thence Farther they teach that by Gods licence dispensation certaine yea before the day of Iudgement are permitted to come out of hell and that not for euer but only for a season for the instructing and terrifying of the lyuing Héervppon they recite diuers kinde of visions that certaine Clarkes and Laye persons being damned bothe men and women haue appeared to their ghostly fathers and others and haue opened vnto them the causes of their daÌ„nation all which to rehearse héere were lost laboure And that the soules which be in euerlasting ioye or in Purgatorie do often appeare it may be séene in Gregories Homelies Gregories Dialogues who writeth that Peter and Paule and other Saintes dyd not onely appeare vnto holie men but dyd also conducte theyr Soules vnto Celestiall ioye Moreouer that God dothe licencâ— soules to returne from those two places partely for the comfort and warning of the liuing and partly to pray aide of them And yet that those soules doo not here represent themselues to be séene of men when and how often soeuer they list themselues No doubt these men shew them selues to haue a sharpe wit and profounde knowledge These doctours moreouer moue this question whether we may request without offence that the soules of suche as are departed may shewe themselues to be behelde and séene of the liuing To ryue asunder this crabbed knotte they bring thys wedge that if this request procéede of some good intent without the spot of lightnesse and vanitie that a maÌ„ might vnderstand the state of some frend neighbor benefactour or of his parents or some other therby to help relieue them spéedily of their torments it is no offence at all bicause dead mens soules doo of their owne accorde shewe themselues vnto the lyuyng to receyue helpe of them and therfore nothing can let vs to aske this thing at gods hande Of this opinion is Thomas of Aquine But as concernyng the tyme and place when and where Spirites doe proffer them selues to bée séene they saye no certayne rule can be giuen for this standeth wholly in Gods pleasure who if he list to deliuer any suffereth him to make his appearaunce foorthwith euen in such places as he may be well heard in And that spirits do not alwaies appeare vnder a visible shape but sometimes inuisibly in so much that sometime nothing els is heard of them but snéesing spitting syghing clapping of hands c. Of which point I haue noted somewhat before when I spake generally of ghosts bycause they appeare in sundry sorts And whersoeuer these spirits be they say that they endure punishment Besides that soules do not appeare nor answeare vnto euery mans interrogatories but that of a great number they scantlie appeare vnto one And therefore they teache Whensoeuer suche visions of spirits are shewed men should vse fasting and prayer or euer they demaund any question of them which say they in the x. and xj chapters of Daniell is read to haue ben done by Daniell him selfe Besides this shrift and massing shoulde bée vsed ere we question with them farther that we should not giue credite assoone as we heare but one signe but waite to heare the same thrice repeated whiche in the first booke of Samuel and 3. chapter is reade to haue bin done by Samuell being yet a childe for otherwise the Diuell may delude and deceyue vs as he doth very often And so soone as these things are dispatched and performed that foure or fiue deuoute priests are to be sent for whych should come to the place where the spirite was woont to shewe him selfe and that they should vse certeine ceremonies as to take a candle that hath bin halowed on Candlemasse day light it also holy water the signe of the crosse a censor in their hande and when they light their candle should pray ouer it as I remember the seuen penitential psalmes or reade the gospell of S. Iohn And when they come to the place they shoulde sprinkle it with holy water pâ—rfume it with Frankincense casting about their neckes a holy stoale and then that one of them knéelyng on his knées should reherse this prayer folowing O Lord Iesu Christ the sercher of al secrets which art always woont to reueale healthfull and profitable things vnto thy faithful people little ones which haste permitted some certain spirite to shew himselfe in this place wée humbly beséech thée of thy great mercy by thy death passion and by the sheding of thy most precious bloud for our sinnes that thou wilt vouchesafe to giue in charge to this spirite that he may declare and open what he is without any fraying or hurting of vs or of any other creature besides shewing vnto vs thy seruaunts or to other sinners as we be who he is why he is come and
what he desireth so that hereby thou mayst be honored he comforted and thy faithfull people also holpen and succored In the name of the father the sonne and the holy ghost Amen Yet do they teache that a man may choose to vse this or some other forme of prayer and ceremonies bicause that without these spirites haue often appeared shewed what they required This doon we shold as they teach fall to questioning with them and say Thou spirite we beséech thée by Christ Iesus tell vs what thou art and if there be any amongst vs to whom thou wouldest gladly make answere name him or by some signe declare so much After this the question is to be moued eche man there presente being recited whether he wold aunswere vnto this or that man And if at the name of any hée speake or make a noyse al other demaunds remayning should be made vnto him As these and suche lyke What mans soule he is for what cause he is come and what he doth desire Whether he require any ayde by prayers and suffrages Whether by Massing or almes giuing he may be released Farther by how many Masses that may be compassed by iij. vj.x.xx.xxx c. Furthermore what maner of priests should say Masse for him Monks or secular Priests Then if he aske for any Fasting by what persons howe long and in what sorte he woulde haue it doone If he require almes déedes what almes déedes they should be how many and on what persons bestowed whether on him that lacketh harbour or that is diseased of the leprosie or on some other sort of people Furthermore by what signe it may be perfectly known that he is released and for what cause he was firste shut vp in Purgatorie And yet they hold that no curious vnprofitable or superstitious questiōs shold be demaūded of the spirit except he wold of his own accord reuele open them And that it wer best that sober persons shold thus questiō with him on som holyday before diner or in the night seson as is cōmōly accustomed And if the spirite will shewe no signe at that tyme the matter should be deferred vnto some other season vntill the spirite woulde shewe hymselfe agayne and yet that the crosse and holy water should be left there for that by the secret iudgement of God it was ordeyned that they shold appeare at certeine houres and to certeine persons and not vnto all men And farther they say that we néede not to feare that the spirit would do any bodily hurte vnto that persone vnto whome it doth appeare For if such a spirit would hurte any he might iustlie be suspected that he were no good spirit Moreouer popishe writers teache vs to discerne good spirits from euill by foure meanes First they say that if he be a good spirit he will at the beginning somewhat terrifie men but againe soone reuiue and comforte them So Gabriel with comfortable words did lifte vp the blessed virgin which before was sore troubled by this salutation They also alleage other examples Their second note is to discry them by their outward and visible shape For if they appeare vnder the forme of a Lyon beare dog tode serpent catte or blacke ghoste it may easly be gathered that it is an euill spirit And that on the other side good spirits do appeare vnder the shape of a doue a man a lambe or in the brightnesse and clere light of the sunne We must also consider whether the voice whiche we heare be swéete lowly sober sorowfull or otherwise terrible and full of reproch for so they terme it Thirdly we must note whether the spirit teache ought that doth varie from the doctrine of the apostles and other doctoures approued by the Churches censure or whether he vtter any thing that dothe dissent from the faith good maners and ceremonies of the church according to the canonicall rites or decrées of councels against the lawes of the holy Church of Rome Fourthly we must take diligent héede whether in hys words déeds and gestures he do shew forth any humilitie acknowledging or confessing of his sinnes punishments or whether we heare of him any groning wéeping complaint boasting threatning slaunder or blasphemie For as the begger doth reherse his owne miserie so likewyse doo good spirits that desire any helpe or deliuerance Other signes also they haue to trie the good angels from the bad but these are the chéefe Now touching the suffrages or ways of succour wherby soules are dispatched out of Purgatorie Popishe doctours appoynt foure meanes That is the healthfull offering of the sacrifice in the sacrament of the aultar almose giuing prayer fasting And vnder these membres they comprise al other as vowed pilgrimages visiting of churches helping of the poore and the furthering of Gods worship and glorie c. But aboue all they extoll their masse as a thing of greatest force to redéeme soules out of miserie of whose wonderfull effect and of the rest euen nowe recited by vs they alleage many straunge examples Of these things they moue many questions the whiche who so lust to sée let him search their bookes whiche haue bin written and published of this matter Neither only in their writings but in open pulpit also they haue taught how excellent and noble an acte it is for men touched with compassion with these foresaid works to ridde the soule that appeareth vnto them and craueth their help out of the payns of purgatorie or if they cannot so do yet to ease and assuage their torture For say they the soules after their deliuerance ceasse not in moste earnest maner to pray for their benefactors and helpers On the other side they teach that it is an horrible and heynous offence if a man giue no succoure to suche as séeke it at his hands especially if it be the soule of his parents brethren and sisters For except by them they mighte conueniently be released of so manyfolde miseries they woulde not so earnestly craue their helpe Wherefore say they no man should be so voyde of naturall affection so cruell and outragious that he should at any tyme denie to bestow some small wealth to benefite those by whome hée hath before by diuers and sundry wayes ben pleasured If they were not the soules of the deade whiche craue helpe and succour but diuelishe spirites they woulde not will them to pray fast or giue almes for their sakes for that the diuels doo hate those as also al other good works CHAP. III. VVhat hath follovved this doctrine of the Papists concerning the appearing of mens soules BY these meanes it came to passe that the common sorte were of opinion that those spirites which were séene and heard were the soules of the dead and that whatsoeuer they did say was withoute gaynsaying to be beléeued And so the true simple and sincere doctrine of the calling vpon God in the name of Christe Iesus only of the confidence in Christes merites and redemption
graunteth that by the dispensation of Gods will it might so come to passe that the spirit of some holie Prophete shoulde consent to present it selfe in the sight of the King to come out of his owne place to speake with him but not to do this by constrainte or by the vertue of Arte Magike which might haue any power ouer it but therby to shew it self obedient to the secret dispensation of God yet he doth not dissemble â–ª that a better answere may bée giuen to wit that the spirit of Samuel was not truely in déed raysed vp from his rest but rather some vayne vision counterfet illusion that should be brought to passe by the deuils practise which the Scripture therefore doth terme by the name of Samuel bycause the same is woont to call the Images similitudes of things by the names of the things themselues For who is he saith Augustine that wil be afraid to cal a man painted a man considering that without staggering we are acustomed to giue eache thing his proper name as soon as we behold the picture of the same as when we take the viewe of a painted table or wall we say straight waye this is Tullie this is Salust hée Achilles that other Hector thys is the floude called Symois that place tearmed Rome whereof these things be ended no other than painted Images of those things whose names they beare Sith thys is so he sayth it is not to be maruelled that Scripture sayth Samuell was séene when perchaunce Samuels Image séemed to appeare thorow the crafty pollicie of hym that transformed himselfe into an Angell of lyght and fashioneth hys Ministers like vnto the Ministers of righteousnesse In his booke De octo Dulcitij questionibuâ— the 6. question therof he vttereth al this in as many words in his booke De cura pro mortuis gerenda he writeth that some are sent from the deade to the lyuing as on the other side Paule was rapt vp from the lyuing vnto Paradise he addeth ther the example of Samuel being dead which dyd foreshewe to Saule things that afterwardes should come to passe He sayth further that this place may otherwise be vnderstanded and that certaine faythful men haue ben of this Iudgement that it was not Samuel but that some spirit fit for such wicked practises had taken vpon him his shape and similitude And in other places as we wil shew héereafter he affirmeth that there is a fygure contayned in those wordes bycause the name of the thing is giuen vnto the Image that dothe but represent the same and that it was not Samuel that appeared but some deuilysh spirit Other Fathers of the Church haue written nothing particularly of this storie so far as I know but in certen places of their workes they teache generally that good spirites are not pulled backe into the earth by Magicall Art. Of Iustine and Gregorie I wil speake anone In the very Papall decrées 26. question 5. chapter Nec mirum it is written that it was not Samuell but rather some wicked spirit that appeared to Saule And that it were a great offence that a man should beléeue the playne words of the storie without some farther meaning for how saith he could it come to passe that a man from his byrth holie and iust in conuersation of life should by Art Magicke be pulled out of his place And if he were not so drawen against his will then he must needes agree thereto bothe whiche are alike absurde to be imagined of a iust man This is the Diuells legerdâ—mayne to make shewe as though he had power ouer good men thereby the rather to deceyue many He there farther addeth that the Hystoriographers do sette foorth both Saules mynde and Samuels state and also those things whiche were sayde and séene omytting this whether they were true or false And other wordes followe whiche who so lyst to sée more of that matter may there reade But héer Nicolas Lyras iudgement which in his commentaries on the books of the Kings mainteineth the contrarie opinion shoulde be little weighed and regarded of vs Where he noteth that the place by vs euen now alleged is not written according to the censure of the Church though it be found in the Popes lawe for otherwise saith he they whiche ensued in latter tymes woulde not haue written contrary to the same for many of those thyngs concerning which men haue written otherwise in latter tymes were neuerthelesse set foorth to the worlde to be beléeued as the very expresse and sound iudgement of the whole Christian Churche bycause they were put in the Popes booke of Decretals CHAP. VIII A Confutation of their argumentes vvhich vvould haue Samuell himselfe to appeare WE wil now come to the Confutation of their Arguments which mainteine that very Samuel himselfe appeared to the Sorcersse for he that rightly ouerthroweth his aduersaries arguments is supposed by the same meanes to confirme his own cause The chéefest arguments which our aduersaries vse is taken out of the 46. chapter of Ecclesiasticus where these words are fouÌ„d Samuel before his death made protestation before God before his anoynted that he tooke from no man his substance no not so much as the value of a shoe and no man could then reproue him And after his deth he Prophesied and tolde the King of his ende From the earth he lifte vp his voyce and shewed that the wickednesse of the people should perish This place somewhat troubled S. Augustine and other Godly Fathers For if the Deuill onely appeared and not Samuell howe is it there sayde that he slept that is dyed for the Deuill neyther sléepeth nor dieth Héerevnto I maye shape thys aunswere that this booke is not to be numbred among the Canonical bokes of the olde Testament and that Doctrine in controuersies cannot bée proued by the authoritie thereof the whych Saincte Augustine also confesseth in hys booke De cura pro mortuis agenda But howesoeuer that be credited as true or false I answere them playnly that Iesus the Sonne of Syraches intente was to alleage the Storie literally as the woordes lye and not by reason to debate the matter whether Samuell truely appeared or no. Hée speaketh there according too the opynion of Saule and the Witche whiche thought that Samuell hymselfe was raysed Further they say that hée whiche appeared vnto Saule is sometymes expresly and in playne woordes called Samuell And an vnséemely matter it were making muche for the reproche of so greate a Prophete if hys name hadde béene applyed vnto the Deuill If say they it hadde not béene Samuell but some wicked Spirite the Scripture woulde in some one woorde or other haue noted the same To this Argument fyrst I aunswere that euen in our common speache it is an vsuall phrase by the figure Metonymia to terme the Image by the name of the thyng that it presenteth So wée terme the Armes and Ensigne of a Noble man by
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
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
any allowed authors that in the time of the apostles and many dayes after this gréeting was accounted as a prayer or that any godly men did salute and call vpon the holy virgin Which thing I write not bicause I would bereue the holy Uirgin of hir honor but least that against hir will wée giue hir that honour which is only due to God the Father and to his sonne Iesu christ For he is our onely mediatour and redéemer 1. Timoth. 2. Otherwise the Aue Marie and other such places of holy Scripture full of consolation and comfort touching the humanitie of Christ his punishment death and merites are to be often read and diligentely considered neither are the Scriptures to be pulled out of the handes of the laye people in whiche they may sée all these things with their owne eyes In déede I denie not but Spirites haue many tymes vanished away vpon the saying of Aue Marie but it was so doone that men myght therby be confirmed in their superstition But these men procéeding further did coniure or consecrate water with certain peculiar ceremonies and kept it in vessels in their churches houses and elsewhere amongest many other vertues ascribing this force vnto it that it chaseth away spirites and vayne sights They also consecrated salte and taught that whether soeuer it were cast it draue away spirits and all deceytes of the diuel yea and the diuel himselfe also Moreouer they coniured with certain ceremonies and words candles palme herbs and other creatures to driue awaye fantasies as they terme them They layde these and such lyke things as also the relikes of Saintes in those places wheras Spirits had ben séene or heard They also beare men in hande that greate belles and sancebelles by their noyse frayed spirites out of the ayre All these things are founde more at large in the Papists bookes whiche are written of the consecration of suche things and are publikely extant If belles be roong on S. Iohns day or S. Agathes day they say it is a most excellent remedie against spirits Some vsed to burn a buÌ„dell of consecrated herbes that with the smoke therof they mighte thase away diuels Many haue their peculiar and straunge blessings agaynst spirites There haue bene also many holy rites instituted by the coÌ„maundement of wandring soules as Masses for the dead vigils prayers and twelue months minds as though the soules of godly men being deliuered from all trouble were not immediately translated into eternall rest And it is also plain by reding the Poets and Historiographers that the Gentiles had their sacrifices for the dead as their rites called Nouendialia which were obserued the ninth day and their yearely feastes c. Howbeit those counterfait ghostes craued nothing so earnestly as that many Masses might be song for their sakes for they bare men in hand that those had great and maruellous force to redeme them out of Purgatorie Iohn Tritenhemius writeth in his Chronicles of the Monasterie of Hirsgauium about the yeare of our Lorde 1098. Henricus the fourth then being Emperoure that at such tyme as the order of the Cistertians first began there appeared many dayes and nights not far from the citie of Wormes great troupes of horsmen and footmen as if they were now going foorth to battail running now here now there in troupes that about .ix. of the clock at night they returned again to the hill nere at hand out of the which they vsed to come forth At last a certain monke of the abbey of Limpurge which stode not far from the hil wheÌ„ce they issued associating certain other vnto him came on a certain night to the place of the hil blissing himself with the sign of the holy crosse adiured them in the name of the holy and vnseparable Trinitie as they came out of the hill to declare vnto him who they were vnto whom one of the company made answer we ar quod he no vain things neither yet liuing souldiers but the soules of earthly meÌ„ seruing in this world vnder our prince who not loÌ„g since was slain in this place The armour furniture horses whiche were vnto vs instrumentes of sinne while we liued are euen nowe after oure death certayne signes and tokens of tormentes Whatsoeuer ye sée aboute vs is all firie vnto vs although you nothing discerne our fyre When the Monks enquired whether they might be holpen by men the spirit aunswered we may saith he be holpen by fasting and prayers but chiefly by the oblation of the body and bloud of Christ which thing we beseche you to do for vs As soone as he had so sayd all the whole route of spirits cried thrée times with one voice pray for vs pray for vs pray for vs And sodainly withall they séemed to be all resolued into fyre yea and the hill it selfe as if it had bin on fyre â—ast forth as it were a great crashing and rushing of trées They had in Churches a peculiar order of them whome they called Exorcistes or coniurers whose duetie was to coniure and driue awaye Diuels but they were not so indued with that gifte as the auncient Christians were and therefore they did but vaunt and boast of themselues Afterwards certaine Monks and priests well séene in Magicall sciences for they were neuer without such trim men toke vpon them to coniure and driue away euill spirits out of houses into wods desert places They wroght maruellouse straunge things and they sayd that a spirit in the name of saincts and by the vertue of their coniuring and charecters was constrayned to giue place whether he would or not In dede the Diuel giueth place but he doth it as enimies do which by flying chuse a more fitte place to fight in or more apte to embushe them selues That which Sathan doth he doth it willingly and of his owne accorde that he might withdrawe men from trusting in God only and driue them hedlong into Idolatrie Christ and his disciples cast out Diuels but they were loth and vnwilling to departe Moreouer they vsed to hang saincte Iohns Gospell about their necks and caried about wyth them hallowed waxe inclosed in a purse which they call an Agnus Dei. There are certaine bookes abroade especially one written by Iacobus de Clusa a Carthusian concerning the appearing of soules separated from their bodies wherin amongst other things we reade after what sorte men should prepare them selues when any Spirits appeare how they shall behaue them selues in comming to them in departing from them in the place where they appeare and what questions are to be proposed vnto theÌ„ touching whiche things I spake before in the second parte of this booke and second chapter where if you list you may finde them I haue heard men which haue confessed themselues to haue bin so superstitious that when the priest lifted vp the host as they call it in saying masse they woulde presently wipe their face with their hands bycause they
were persuaded that it was good to stop all spirits from méeting with them in a visible forme But tell me I pray thée who soeuer thou art which doest so by what places of scripture canst thou coÌ„firme those ceremonies Where doth Christ and his disciples teache vs to expell the Diuell which is a Spirit and therefore without any body by bodyly things shewe but one example that they haue cast forthe the Diuell by this way or meanes If you bring out of the bookes of Tobie that the harte and liuer of the fish being layed on the coales droue away the Diuell with the smell we say that the same booke is not accounted amongst the canonicall scriptures and moreouer that the same Diuell was rather vanquished by the prayers of Tobias and his wife than by any fumigation Did Chryste ordayne the holye Supper to thys ende that thereby Deuils shoulde be caste out Albeit that an euill Spirite doo fayne to giue place bycause of these thynges yet he bringeth to passe in the meane season that Superstition is more déepely rooted in the heartes of menne CHAP. XI That spirits are not to be driuen avvay by cursing and banning HEre I cannot ouerpasse that certeine doo vainly persuade them selues that Spirits may easily be driuen away with cursing banning for that as they say Spirits approche néere vnto such as pray and do more egerly disturbe and vexe them Our Lord Iesus Chryste who can best tell how we should fight against the crafte and subtiltie of the Diuell teacheth vs in many places to pray continually he biddeth vs to pray in the Lords prayer that we may be deliuered from euil calling Sathan by the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euill it selfe bicause he excelleth therein Nothing can be more acceptable and pleasing to the Diuel than when any man vseth cursing and banning He feyneth that he is hereby driuen away but in the meane season he crepeth inuisibly into their bosoms If you liste ye may driue away the Diuel in saying that he hathe no place with you but his place is in Hell and that he hathe nothing to do with those whiche put their only trust and confidence in Christ Iesus For in the eyght chapter to the Romans in the beginning it is sayde Nowe there is no condemnaâ—ion vnto them that are grafted in Christe Iesu who walke not according to the fleshe but according to the spirit A man may commaund the diuel to departe from him without any cursing or banning And that is also to be blamed that certaine wicked and rashe men talke very beastly and filthily with spirits if they appere at any time vnto them Some others when spirits appeare vnto them will by and by set on theÌ„ driue them away with naked swords and sometimes throwe them out of the windowes not coÌ„sidering with themselues that spirites are nothing hurte with weapons In the Grecian histories we reade that a certayne Lacedemonian passing by a sepulchre in the night season when a spirit séemed to appeare vnto him ran towardes it thinking to run it through with his speare saying whether flyest thou O thou soul wich shalt twice dye Surely it is praise worthy when a maÌ„ meâ—ing with a spirite is not afrayde but yet boldnesse and rashnesse can not be commended If thy enimy albeit he be very weake be not to be despised muche lesse ought an enimy so mighty so crafty to be neglected There haue bin some who when they would haue striken a Spirit with their sword haue thought they haue striken the fetherbed the Diuel so mocked them Others supposing they had throwen a spirit out of the window by and by thought they heard shingles falling and ratling amongst the trées It is reported that there haue bin some who supposing with their weapons to hurte spirites haue wounded them selues for their armes and other members of theyr body haue neuer serued theÌ„ after We must not vse a materiall sword against spirits and vayne shewes for it profyteth nothing but we must vse the sword of the Spirit They which will strike spirits and ghosts with a sword in dede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is fight with their owne shadow In the booke of Iob the diuell is signified by Leuiathan which careth not for the speare for he apeareth in diuers shapes caÌ„ not be put to flight with pikes The diuel is a spirit he hath not boanes fleshe but he only taketh on him a shape for a time But in case spirits which haue bodies do waÌ„der that is coÌ„iurers priests whores whoremoÌ„gers which faine theÌ„ selues to be spirits â–ª there caÌ„ be no better coÌ„iuratioÌ„ inueÌ„ted thaÌ„ to bang theÌ„ wel with a cudgel For thou shalt not so much preuaile with this kind of diuels with words as with stripes Hytherto I haue shewed howe they ought to behaue themselues which méete with spirits As touching them which neuer heard or sawe any thing for there be many which neuer chaunced on such things let them be thankfull vnto God for so greate a benefite let them not be rash and bolde nor desirous to sée suche thyngs but rather let them praye vnto God for them whyche are vexed wyth suche euyls Let them not doo as they many tymes vse whiche were neuer greatly sicke for they féele not other mens griefes and therfore they thinke they are little sick or that they counterfaite their sicknesse vntill suche tyme as they them selues fall into some greate and dangerous disease euen so God can cause them to see spirites which neuer sawe any before that afterwardes they may be the more touched with other mens gréefs and diligently pray for them CHAP. XII After vvhat sort vve ought to behaue oure selues vvhen vve heare straunge crackes or vvhen other forevvarnings happen BUt nowe as concernyng other matters as in case any straunge crackes and noyses be heard or any rare and maruellous things happen before the alteration of kingdomes whiche wée spake of before what shall we then doo Surely we must not attribute too much vnto such things for they somtimes yea and most commonly chaunce by the disceyte of the diuell who hath a great pleasure to haue men muse nighte and daye on suche matters and to imagine before theyr eyes and myndes many horrible things that therby they may fall into some gréeuous sickenesse and neuer bée at rest When such things happen in déede they ought to put vs in mynd that we casting from vs al these things which displease God should wholly consecrate oure selues vnto God and so frame our selues that at what houre soeuer he come and please to call vs out of this lyfe we shoulde be ready for him euen as he himselfe teacheth vs and also endure patiently all vnfortunate chaunces howe many soeuer happen vnto vs knowing that they come not by chaunce but by the prouidence of God. Plutarch albeit he be an Heathen writer is of a sounde iudgement as me séemeth coÌ„cerning Monsters and wonders
Of ghostes and spirites walking by nyght and of strange noyses crackes and sundry forewarnynges whiche commonly happen before the death of menne great slaughters alterations of kyngdomes One Booke Written by Lewes Lauaterus of Tigurine And translated into Englyshe by R. H. Printed at London by Henry Benneyman for Richard VVatkyns 1572. To the Reader BEyng desirous gentle Reader to exercise my selfâ— with some translation at vacant tymes and seeyng that since the Gospel hath benne preached this one question touchyng the appearyng of spirites and soules departed hath not ben much handled amongst vs and therefore many otherwise wel affected in religion vtterly ignoraunt herein I thought it not amisse to take in hande some good and learned treatise concerning this matter VVherin as many haue both learnedly paynfully religiously traueyled so amongst others none in my iudgement hath more handsomely and eloquently with more iudgement and better methode discoursed the same then Lewes Lauaterus minister of Tigurine Others haue handled it in dede wel but yet nihil ad nostrum hunc beyng eyther to short or to long or to darke or to doubtful or otherwyse so confused that they leaue the reader more in suspeÌ„ce in the end then they founde hym in the begynnyng As for maister Lauaterus his discretion herein I wyll no otherwise commend it then to desire the reader to view iudge hym selfe For thus much at the first syght he shal see A cleare methode with a familier and easie style the matter throughly handled pro and con on both sides so that nothyng seemeth to be wantyng nor any thyng redoundyng And if it be true that Horace saith omne â—ulit punctum qui miscuit vtile dulci that is He wynneth the price that ioyneth pleasure with profite I thinke this author may also in this respect be pronounced victor adiudged to the best game For he so intreateth this serious and terrible matter of spitites that he now and then insertyng some strange story of Monkes Priestes Fryers such like counterfeyts doth both very lyuely display their falsehood and also not a litle recreate his reader and yet in the ende he so aptly concludeth to the purpose that his hystories seeme not idle tales or impertinent vagaries but very truethes naturally falling vnder the compasse of his matter And howe profitable this his work is those may best iudge which are most ignorant in this question some thinking euery small motion and noyse to be spirites and some so fondely perswaded that there are no spirites who being better enfourmed herein by this author I suppose wyl confesse his worke to haue done them some profite if knowledge be profitable and ignorance discommodious And agayne those which beyng hytherto borne in hande that mens soules returne agayne on earth crauyng helpe of the lyuyng and haue spent much of their substance on idle Monkes Fryers to relieue them wyll confesse the lyke For when they shall see they haue ben falsly taught that they were not the soules of men whiche appeared but eyther falsehood of Monkes or illusions of deuyls franticke imaginations or some other friuolous vaine perswasions they wil thinke it profitable to haue knowen the trueth aswel to auoyde error hereafter as to saue their money from such greedy caterpillers Some also whiche be otherwise well trayned vp in religion and yet not knowyng what to thynke of these matters wil not iudge their labour euyl imployed nor the worke vnprofitable wherby thei may be brought out of doubt and knowe certainly what to beleue There be many also euen nowe a dayes which are haunted and troubled with spirites and knowe not howe to vse them selues who when they shall learne howe a Christian man ought to gouerne hym selfe beyng vexed with euyl spirites wyl thynke it a very profitable poynt of doctrine that shal teache them to direct them selues Profitable therefore it is and shal be no doubt vnto many and disprofitable vnto none except perchaunce vnto popishe Monkes and Priestes who are like hereby to lose a great part of their gaynes which somtimes they gathered together in great abundance by their deceiptfull doctrine of the appearyng of dead mens soules But this their wicked and deuyllishe doctrine together with all the patches and appendices therto belongyng he so notably teareth and cutteth in peeces that I am well assured they shal neuer be hable to cobble and cloute them vp agayne And this doth he with suche a moderation of breuitie and tediousnes that I may rightly say He hath sayde well and not to much and written truely and not to litle Nowe as touchyng my translation although I haue not made hym speake with like grace in Englishe as he doth in Latine yet haue I nor changed his meanyng nor altered his matter endeuouring my selfe rather to make thee vnderstande what thou readest then to smoothe and pollishe it with fine and picked wordes which I graunt others myght haue done more exquisitely and perchaunce I my selfe also somewhat better yf I would haue made therof a study and labour and not a recreatioÌ„ exercise But howsoeuer I haue done herein verily good reader I trust thou wylt take it in good part which is al that I esteeme yf any man shal mislike therof let hym amende it I trust it be sufficient to testifie my good wil to do thee good and to let thee vnderstande the authors meanyng Fare well An aduertisement to the Reader GEntle Reader before thou enter any further I haue thought good to aduertise thee of certayne faultes escaped in the Printing whyche are sette forthe in the Page afore going desiring thee to beare with them and to pardon the Printer For thou knowest Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus Although some of our Printers be not Homers neyther seene in Greeke nor Latine nor sometime exactly in Englishe yet can they nod and take a nap as well as any Homer Howebeit in deede they are herein pardonable bycause the Copie was somewhat obscurely written as being the first originall Fare well Faultes escaped in the Print Note that the first number signifieth the Page â—he seconde the Line Pag. 2. Lin. 24. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 .6.23 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 .15.14 for austerne austere .32.25 for he sayde they sayde .37.33 for Atirebatensâ—â— Atrebatensis .49.6 for bitter read bittour .60.27 for wandring read wauering .61 â— for Campana Campania eadem .23 for common reade Romaine .67.15 for talke reade taske .68.6 for Alexandria Alexandro mergine Alexander ab Alexandro .70.35 for not that reade not .84.32 for â—aught by the wall Basill reade fast by the wals of Basil. eadem for general the reade the general .88 â–ª 23. for Auguries Angaries â–ª eadem vlt. for straunge reade slaunch .93.8 for companions companies .95.9 for Tiberius by Tiberius 99.7 for mortal read immortall eadem .29 for horse reade hearse eadem .33 for horse hearse .101.3 for
last reade least .102.27 for other in reade other name in .103.7 for made full reade made not ful â–ª 128.30 for certifie reade terrifie .130.31 for beate reade chyde .132.1 for ended reade in déede .136.16 for this is that is reade that is this is .143.33 for Delphis reade â—i Delphis .147.24 for was in vayne reade was not in vayne 1â—2.15 for haue lent reade lent .153.7 for late reade later .185 â–ª 14. for prouerb sayth reade prouerb sayth burnt childe dreads fire ¶ To the right excellent and moste wise and vertuous lorde Iohn Steigerus CoÌ„sul of the noble coÌ„mon welth of Berna his good lorde and patron Lewâ—s Lauaterus of Tigurin wisheth health MAny and diuers thinges are resoned vpon both of the learned and vnlearned as well of other matters as also of Spirites which are séene and heard and make men afrayde in the night season and in the daye tyme by sea and by lande in the fieldes woods and houses And lykewise concerning suche straunge things whiche for the most parte happen before the death of certayne men especially greate Princes and before notable innouations of kingdomes and empires Many which neuer sawe or hearde any of these thinges suppose all that is reported of them to be méere trifles and olde wyues tales for so muche as simple men and suche as are fearefull and superstitioâ—s persuade themselues they haue séene this or that when in déede the matter is far otherwise Againe there are some which as soone as they heare of any thing especially if it happen in the nighte they by and by thinke some spirite doth walke and are maruellously troubled in mynde bycause they can not discerne naturall things from spirites And some chéefly those which hunt after gaynes by the soules of dead men affirme that the moste parte of suche things which are hard or séene are the soules of dead men whych craue helpe of them that are liuing to be deliuered out of the tormentes of most cruell payne in Purgatorie Many not only of the common sorte but also menne of excellent knowledge do maruayle whether there bée any spirits or no and what maner of things they are Yea some of my familiar friends haue many times requested me to shewe them my opinion concerning these matters Wherefore me séemeth it shall be worth my laboure if I declare briefly and playnly out of the word of God what we ought to iudge concerning these things For the ministers of Gods Churche can take nothing more profitable in hande than to instructe the people of God purely and plainly in suche necessary matters as come in question out of the word of God whiche is a lanterne as the psalmist saith vnto our féete and a light vnto our pathes and to deliuer them from all erroure and superstition and bring them out of all wauering and dout And verily their study and diligence is to be highly commended who for these fewe yeares ago haue set foorth certayne bookes drawen out of the scriptures writteÌ„ in the Germayne tong against sundry errours theirs likewise who in these our dayes by writing of bookes do teache instructe and confirme the rude and vnlearned people For amongst many other excellent benefits which God our heauenly Father hath bestowed vppon mankinde this also is a great and most liberall gifte that in this latter and as it were olde age of the world he hath brought to light by the arte of imprinting as well many other good authors as also the holy scriptures of the olâ—e and newe testament written in diuers languages wherby he dothe not only teache vs amply and fully what to beléeue and what to doe but also mightyly subuerteth and quite ouerthroweth diuers and sundry errours which by little and little haue crept into the Church Truly all suche are very vngrateful towards God which doe not willingly acknowleage this so notabel a benefite As touching this my treatise concerning Spirits and straunge wonders I haue deuided it into three partes for the more clere vnderstanding therof In the first parte I shewe that there are visions and spirits and that they appeare vnto men sometimes and that many and maruellous things happen besides the ordinarie course of nature In the second I discusse what manner of things they are that is not the souls of dead meÌ„ as some meÌ„ haue thought but either good or euill Angels or else some secrete and hid operations of god In the third I declare why God doth sometime suffer Spirits to appeare and diuers forewarnings to happen and also howe men ought to behaue them selues when they happen to méete with such things In these points or partes the chiefest thing whereon men vse to reason touching this matter are conteined Nowe I meane to handle this matter being very obscure and intricate with many questions I trust so plainly clerely out of the holy scriptures wheron we may surely stay our selues out of the auncieÌ„t fathers allowed historiographers and other good writers that those which are studious and louers of gods truth may well vnderstand what may be denied and thought of those apparitions and other straunge and maruellous matters And I also trust that euen our aduersaries also in case they will lay their affections aside but a litle while will say that I haue truly alleaged all their arguments and confuted them without any rayling or bitternesse For my purposed ende is according to the doctrine of saincte Paule to edifie and not to destroy As touching diuinatioÌ„s blessings iugglings coÌ„iurings and diuers kinds of sorcerie and generally of all other diuelishe practises certayne learned men of our time haue written bookes as Gasper Peâ—cerus Ioannes Viera Ludouicus Mellichius and perchaunce some others also whose works I haue not yet séene It is not long ago since Ioannes Riuius a man learned and eloquent published a booke in the latine tong entreating of spirites and superstition In the which booke albeit very briefly yet doth he as he is wont in all things very finely and eloquently intreat of this matter and of other foolishe superstitions And albeit that I doo write more largely of this yet was it not my minde to gather togither all those things whiche I coulde haue spoken and alleaged touching the same matter but only suche as séeme the chiefest and most especial points partly because I wold not be tedious to the reader partly also least my bookes should growe vnto an ouer greate quantitie I haue great hope that Ioachimus Camerarius that excellent man who readeth the auncient writers both gréeks and latins with exquisite iudgemeÌ„t and hath great experience in all things will shortly write learnedly and at large of this matter and also of others like vnto it For so much he séemeth to promise in his preface to Plutarches booke De defectu oraculorum figura consâ—crata Delphis wherin he handleth the nature and operations of diuels and also in other of his writings I for my parte had once
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
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
companie are so troubled in minde that they thinke their friends enimies and cannot tell in the world where they are and whether they go all the which commeth by feare Plutarche in his booke De sera numinis vindicta reporteth a maruellous and notable historie of one called Bessus who after he had murdered his father hid him selfe a long season But on a time as he went to supper espying a swalowes nest with his speare he thrust it downe and when those which supped togither with him misliked and abhorred his crueltie for we like not those men that trouble litle birdes and other beasts bicause we iudge them austerne and cruell he aunswered haue they not saith he falsly accused me a greate while crying out on me that I haue slayne and murdered my father Those which wer◠present being striken with greate admiration reported these his words to the king who immediatly caused hym to be tormented and examining the matter diligently at the last founde him giltie and punished him as a manquiller of his owne father Hereof ye may gather what fear◠can do the swalowes coulde not speake and yet he perswaded him selfe that they vpbrayed him with murdering his father Euen so many through feare imagine that they heare and sée many thinges whiche in deede are méer◠trifles Procopius in the beginning of the warres of Italie declareth that as Theodoricus sate at meate after he had put to death Boethius and Symmachus his sonne in lawe a fishes head being brought before him he sawe in it the countenance of Symmachus looking horribly which biting the nether lip with lowring eyes séemed to threaten him wherewith the King béeing sore abashed fell into a gréeuous sicknesse wherof he afterwards died Yea feare if it be vnmeasurable maketh vs to abhorre those things whiche otherwise should be comfortable vnto vs The apostles of our lorde Jesu Christ may be examples hereof Who in the night season being in greate daunger in the Sea when they sawe Christe walking on the water approching towards them wer maruelously appalled For they supposed they sawe a Spirit and cried out for feare But the Lorde came to deliuer them out of that present daunger wherein they were After his resurrection they were maruellously affrayde and as S. Luke saith they verily supposed they saw a Spirit when in deede he appeared vnto them in his owne body Therfore the lord comforteth hartneth them saying Behold my hands my féet for I am euē he hādle me and sée for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye sée I haue They through great ioy could not beleue it but maruelled at it Héere thou séest by feare it came to passe that the Disciples supposed the lord him self to haue ben a ghost And therefore no man ought to maruell if we hindered by feare mistake one man for an other and perswade our selues that we haue séene spirits whereas no suche were They whiche are of stout and hautie corage frée from all feare seldome tymes sée any spirits It is reported of the Scythiās a warlike natiō dwelling in mountaynes from whom it is thought the Turkes take their originall that they neuer sée any vayne sightes of spirits Authors write that Lions are not feared with any bugs for they are full of stomacke and deuoide of feare CHAP. IIII. Men vvhich are dull of seing and hearing imagine many things vvhich in very deed are not so THey which are weake of sight are many tymes in suche sorte deceyued that they beholde one man in stede of an other Poare blynded men whom the Gréekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which can not sée any thing except it be very néere their eyes as for the most parte students are which night and daye turne ouer their bookes are so muche deceiued in their sight that they are many times ashamed to vtter what they haue thought they haue séene And it standeth by naturall reason that an ore séemeth to be broken in the water and a tower foure cornered a farre off sheweth to be rounde Those whiche drinke wine immoderately in suche sorte that their eyes beginne to waxe dimme and stare out of their heads like hares whiche haue bene caried hanging on a staffe a mile or twaine sée things farre otherwise than sober men doe They suppose they sée two candles on the table whē there is but one desiring to reache the potte they put their hand amisse In Euripides tragedie named Bacchis Pentheus affirmeth that he séeth two sunnes and two cities of Thebes For his braines were maruellously distempered It is a common saying that if wine haue the victorie all things seeme to bée turned vpside downe trées to walke mountaines to be moued riuers to runne against the head c. Salomon exhorteth all men from dronkennesse in his prouerbes cap. 23. shewing what discommodities ensue therof and amongst other things he sayeth thus Thy eyes shall sée straunge to witt visions and maruellous apparitions For as timorous men imagin miraculous things euen so do dronken men who of purpose corrupt and spoile their sight And albeit God shew many wonders in the aire and in the earth to the ende he may stir men vp from idlenesse and bring them to true repentaunce yet notwithstanding we must thinke that dronken men which sit vp vntill midnight do often say they haue séene this or that vision they haue behold this or that wonder when as in déed they are vtterly deceyued For in case they had retourned home in due season and not ouercharged themselues with too much wine no suche thing had appeared vnto them For in dede their eyesight had not bin blinded Doth it not often come to passe that when men are once throughly warmed wyth wine they mistake one for another of whom they thought they were abused in worde or déede and violentlye flye on them with weapon The place before alleaged out of Salomon maye also bée vnderstood to thys purpose Thy eyes shall sée straunge to witte women to luste after them For experience teacheth vs that men being dronk assaie to rauishe matrones and maydens which béeing sober they would neuer once thinke vppon Wine immoderately taken is the nurse of rashe boldnesse and filthy lust Aristotle writeth that some menne through the féeblenesse of their sight beholding in the aire néere vnto them as it were in a glasse a certaine image of them selues suppose they see their owne angels or soules and so as the Prouerbe is they feare their owne shadowe Although men in obscure and darke places can sée nothing yet doo they not I pray you imagine they sée diuers kindes of shapes colors And we many times suppose those things which we sée to be farre otherwise than in déede they are It is well knowne a mans sight maye be so deceiued that he verily thinkes that one deuoureth a sword spitteth out money coales and suche like that one eateth breade and spitteth foorth meale
one drinketh wine which after runneth out of his forehead that one cutteth of his felowes head which afterwardes he setteth on agayne and that a cocke séemeth to drawe after hym a huge beame of tymber c. Moreouer it may be brought to passe by naturall things as by perfumes and suche like that a man woulde sweare in earnest that all men â—itting at the table wyth him haue no heds at al or else that they are like the heads of asses that somtimes a vine spreadeth it self as it were ouer al the house wheÌ„ in deed it is a mere deceit or a plain iuggling cast Of whiche matter there be bookes coÌ„monly set abrode The like reson is in hearing in the other senses Those men whoâ—e hearing is somwhat decayed many tymes séem in their owne imagination to heare the noyse of boystrous winde or violent tempeste the sparkling of fyre the roaring of waters sodenly increased singing and sounding of instruments and also the iangling of belles when as in deede these things are not so but only chaunce by default of hearing for others whiche are conuersant with them hauing the right vse of hearing doo not heare any suche thing at all Somtimes in very deede such things are heard as the crackling of waynscot walles and suche lyke whiche are naturall signes of some tempeste shortly after ensuing There are also certaine hollowe places thorough the whiche the winde whiszing giueth a pleasant sound as it were through a pipe much lyke vnto singing so that men wonder very much therat We reade in writers of Philosophie that the very same also chaunceth in banks of riuers whiche bend a little in compasse Hearing is also deceyued when we thinke we heare thunder and it is in déed but the rumblyng of some carte There be many which thinke they handle some thing and yet are deceyued If men sicke of the ague drinke wine of the â—est and swéetest sorte yet they thinke it is more bitter than Gaâ—l if they eate pottage neuer so good yet they iudge it vnsauorie whiche thyng commeth not of any faulte in the Cooke but of the mouth and stomack which is distempered with sicknesse For vnto them whiche haue abundance of choller all things séeme bitter And euen so it commeth to passe that a man supposeth hée seeth heareth féeleth or is felte of some spirite when in déede it is not so and yet no man can persuade him the contrarie If feare and weaknesse of the syghte and of other sensâ—s méete togyther then men fall into straunge and maruellous imaginations beléeuyng thyngs vtterly false to be very true Neyther wil they bée brought from theyr owne opinions by any meanes or reason We reade that not only perticular and priuate men but also whole armies of soldiours generally haue bin so deceyued that they haue verilye thought their enymies hard at their héeles when as no man followed And hereof haue procéeded many horrible flightes in battaile Cominaeus a knight and diligent writer of hystories in the ende of his firste booke of the Actes of Lewes the .11 King of Fraunce writeth that when Charles Duke of Burgundie with other Princes hadde remoued their armie to Paris they vnderstood by their espials that the next day the king had determined to sette on them with all his power of men Wherfore the next daye Charles sent out certaine horsemen to vewe his enimies who comming foorth by reason that the elemente was somewhat â—arke supposed they sawe a huge number of pikes and speares but when they had passed a little further and that the aire was a little clearer they vnderstood the same place wherein they iudged the king to be with all his armie to be planted and ouergrowne with many high thistles whiche a farre off shewed as it had bin long speares For the night beguileth mens eyes And therefore none ought to maruell if trauellers towardes night or at midnight mistake stones trées stubbes or such like to be sprites or elues We reade in the last booke of the kings the 3. chap. that after the death of king Achab the Moabites reuolted from Ioram hys sonne wherefore he desired Iosaphat to aide him and with all his power he determined to make warre on the Moabites to reduce them to obedience and subiection Which thing when the Moabites heard they prepared to defend themselues so many as were able to beare armoure But when they hadde set foreward verie early in the morning against their enimies supposing in the rising of the sunne the waters whiche GOD had miraculously brought out to bée redde they sayd amongst themselues Surely the two Kings haue encountred togither and each haue destroyed other wherevppon they running on heapes without order to spoile the Israelites Tents were by them vanquished and slaine here you sée all the Armie mistooke water in steade of bloude CHAP. V. Many are so feared by other men that they suppose they haue heard or seene Spirites FUrthermore it commeth to passe many tymes that not only pleasant and merrie conceyted men but also spiteful and malitious men chaunging their apparell make others extreamelie afrayd It is a common custome in many places that at a certaine time of the yeare one with a nette or visarde on his face maketh Children afrayde to the ende that euer after they shoulde laboure and be obedient to their Parentes afterward they tel them that those which they saw were Bugs Witches and Hagges which thing they verily beléeue and are commonly miserablie afrayde Howbeit it is not expedient alwayes so to terrifie Children For sometimes through great feare they fall into dangerous diseases and in the nyght crye out when they are fast asléepe Salomon teacheth vs to chasten children with the rod and so to make them stand in awe he doth not say we must beare them in hande they shal be deuoured of Bugges Hags of the night and such lyke monsters Many times pleasant merrie yong men disguise theÌ„selues like vnto Deuils or else shroud themselues in white shéetes to make other men afrayde with whome if simple men chaunce to meete they make no doubt of the matter but verily thinke they haue séene spirites and straunge sightes And yet it is not alwayes the safest way so to deceyue men with iests and toyes for many examples might be brought to shew how euill some men haue sped hereby It is an vsuall and common thing that yong men merily disposed when they trauell by the way comming to theyr Inne at night tye roapes to the bed side or to the couerlet or garments or else hide them selues vnder the bed and so counterfeating them selues to bee Spirits deceyue and mocke their fellows It chaunced once at Tigurinâ— where we dwell that certayne plesaunt yong men disguising theÌ„selues daunced aboute the Churcheyarde one of them playing on a beere with two bones as it were on a druÌ„me Wich thing when certaine men had espied they noysed it about the
worshipping their gods thei gaue theÌ„selues to wicked deuises For how often may we wel think they coÌ„mitted abhominable mischief although in déed the matter it self neuer cam to light If they brought it to passe y Mundus by their means enioyed his desired loue surely there is no doubt but that they theÌ„selues vnder the color of holinesse defloured other meÌ„â— daughters wiues for otherwise this deuise coulde neuer haue bin so redy in mind This matron would neuer hauâ— bin so wel coÌ„tent vnlesse y very same had bin practised with other dames before Neither yet wold hir husbaÌ„d haue suffered hir tâ— lodge in the Church al night What néed was ther for the gods to haue beds prepared for theÌ„ in the Church wheÌ„ it was most aparaÌ„t they neuer lodged in theÌ„ Princes also may lern by the exaÌ„ple of Tiberius although he were a wicked tyrant how such varlets are to be restrained Tâ— thys purpose maketh the historie which Ruffinus a priest of Aquilia reporteth in Li. 11. ca. 25. of his ecclesiastical history There was a priest in AlexaÌ„dria in Egipt vowed to Saturn whose name was TyraÌ„nus This maÌ„ as it had bin froÌ„ the mouth of god vsed to say vnto al such noble principal meÌ„ whose ladies he liked lusted after that Saturne had coÌ„maunded that such a ones wife shuld lie al night in the teÌ„ple Then he which herd the message reioycing much that the god vouchsafed to cal for his wife decking hir vp brauely giuing hir great gifts forsooth lest she shuld be refused bicause she came emptie sent hir foorth vnto the temple wherâ— the woman being shut vp in the presence of al men â–ª Tirannus wheÌ„ he had fast locked the dores surreÌ„dring the keys departed his wayes Afterwards in great silence passing through priuie caues vnder the grounde he issued foorthe out of the open holes into the image of Saturne whiche image was made hollow in the backe and cunningly fastned to the wall And as the candles burned within the Church be spake sodeinly vnto the woman giuing great â—are praying deuoutly through the image made of hollowe brasse in such sorte that the vnhappy woman trembled betwene feare and ioy because she thought hir selfe worthy of the speach of so great a god Now after the â—audy god had talked his pleasure to bring hir in great feare or to prouoke hir to lust and wantonnesse sodeynly all the lightes were put out with the spreading abrode of shéets by a certein cunning deuise And then desceÌ„ding out of the image he committed adulterie with the woman muche abashed and afrayde vsing most profane and wicked gloses vnto hir WheÌ„ he had thus delt a long season almost with al the wiues of these sely gentlemeÌ„ it chaunced in the ende that a certein chast geÌ„tlewoman began to abhorre loath the déede marking the matter more héedfully knew it to be Tyrannus voice thervpoÌ„ returning home agayne declared the â—lye conueyance of this horrible déede vnto hir husbande He being set on fier with rage for the iniurie done vnto his wife or rather vnto himself appreheÌ„ded Tyrannus brought him to the place of tormeÌ„ts where being conuicted he coÌ„fessed al the mater theÌ„ other deceits being likewise detected al shame dishonor was spred throughout the houses of the PagaÌ„s the mothers were founde adulterers fathers incestuous persoÌ„s their childreÌ„ illegittimate and bastards Which thing so soone as it was brought to light and noysed abrode togither both Church and image and wickednesse and all was vtterly subuerted and destroyed We reade that Numa Pompilius bare the people of Rome in hande that he hadde familiar companye with Egeria a Goddesse of the waters to the ende he might purchase credite and authoritie to his lawes CHAP. VII Timotheus Aelurus counterfeating him selfe to be an Angell obteined a bissopricke foure Monkes of the order of Preachers made many vayne apparitions at Berna IT might bée somewhat borne withall if these things had only chaunced among the Gentiles which were without the word of God if we dyd not euidentlye sée the like happen often times amongst christians and in case it were not to be feared least many suche things shoulde happen euen at this day also For it is well knowne to all men that there haue bin many magiciens sosserers coniurers those especially Monkes and priests who could easelye counterfeit visions and miracles and familiar talking with soules Theodorus Lector collectaneorum ex historia ecclesiastica li. 1. writeth of Timotheus Aelurus that he before Proterius bishop of Alexandria was put to death gaping for the bisshopprike in the night cladde in blacke apparell walked about the celles of the monkes and calling eche man by his name they answering sayde vnto them that he a spirit one of gods seruants came to warne them that euery one reuolting from Proterius should ioyne him selfe vnto Timotheus And by this craft and deceyte obteyning the bisshopprike he made greate vproares in the Churche of god Heere I cannot refraine my selfe as touching this present matter but that I rehearse a famous historie of foure monkes of the order of preachers who were brent at Berna in Heluetia in the yeare of our Lord 1509. the last daye of May by what subtilties they deceyued a poore simple Frier whoÌ„ they had lately reteined into their monasterie concerning which thing many bookes were written at the same time when these things were done which are yet extant both in the latine and in the germaine tong There was great contention betwene the monkes of the order of preachers and the friers Minorites or Franciscans touching the coÌ„ceptioÌ„ of the virgin Mary The Friers preachers affirmed that she euen as other men also was conceiued in originall sinne that the Franciscans denied and stoutly denied At the last the matter came to that issue that the preachers determined to auouche and proue their opinion by false and fayned miracles taking aduisement in a certeine Synode which they call a chapter holdeÌ„ at Vimpenium a citie of Germanie where the most conuenient and fittest place for this matter might be founde and at the last they chose out Berna in Heluetia bycause the people there were playne and simple and giuen to the warres Foure therefore of the chéefest in the Abbay of the order of preachers began the pageant at Berna and bycause the Supprier one of the foure was wel séene in coniuring he bounde the Diuell to ioyne in councell with theÌ„ by what meanes they might best bring their purpose to passe He appearing vnto them in the likenesse of a Negro or blacke Morian promised them all that he coulde doo vnder thys condition that they shoulde yeld and giue them selues vnto him whiche thing they willingly did deliuering vnto him a writing written with their owne hande and bloud And it chaunced at the same time very â—itlye that one Iohn Iezerus a plaine fellowe a Tayloure by occupation was
matter as it was done and being brought before his felowes aduouched the same to their faces The Monks albeit they were by these meanes conuicted and almost taken tardy with the déede doing yet did they refuse the Iudges bragging and vaunting them selues on their priuileages but al in vaine for sentence passed on them and they were condemned that they being caried backe againe to Orleaunce and there cast in prison shoulde finally be broughte foorth to the chiefe Church of the citie openly and from thence to the place of execution where they should make open coÌ„fession of their trespasses But there chaunced at the very same time a greuouse persecution against the Lutherans which was the cause why that sentence albeit it was too gentle for so great an offence was neuer put in executioÌ„ For they feared much because Luthers name was odious euery where least if any sharpe iudgement hadde passed they should not so muche haue punished the offenders as shamed their order and many supposed that whatsoeuer had hapned vnto them would haue bin a pleasant and ioyful pageaunt and spectacle for the Lutherans Now the order of the Franciscane Friers hath the opinion of greate holinesse with the common people insomuche that when they being condemned were caried to Orleaunce certeine fonde women moued with foolish pittie followed them to the very gates of the citie wâ—ping and sighing abundantly When they were come to Orleaunce and were there cast into diuers prisons agayne they vaunted and bare them selues very brag on their priuileages and liberties and so at the last when they had lien long in prison they were in the ende deliuered without any greater punishment Al the while they were in prison they wanted nothing for there was bestowed vpon them especially by women very largelie for to serue for their liuing and to purchase to them helpe and fauoure Except these persecutions troubles which we spake of before had hindred the matter the king as many reported was fully determined to haue ouerthrowne their house and made it euen with the ground This history also dothe demonstrate and shewâ— that Spirits are not alwayes heard when some men affirmâ— they are CHAP. IX Of a certaine parishe Priest at Clauenna vvhiche fayned him selfe to be our Lady and of an other that counterfeited him selfe to be a soule as also of a certeine disguised Iesuite Frier TO the ende we may the better vnderstandâ— this matter I wil yet rehearse an other history of a certeine parish priest which chanâ—â—d a yeare before the other I spake of whiche is set forth bréefly but yet truly by loannes Stumpfius in the German Chronicles of the Heluetians the 20. booke 8. chapter wherof also many notable men at this daye beare sufficient witnesse A certaine parishe priest of Claeuenna whiche is a Citie néere the Laake or water Larius in the countrey of Rhetia béeing farre in loue with an honest and faire mayden the daughter of a citizen in the same town oftentimes followed hir as she went vnto hir fathers barne and attempted to haue defloured hir but she euer resisted put him backe In the ende when he saw he could not obteyn his purpose he priuily stole out of the church a blew cloth beset with sundry starres therewith couering himselfe saue only that he left his armes féete naked whiche he also berayed with blood he hideth himselfe without the towne and there muffling his face with a thinne linnen cloath méeteth again with the mayd fayning himself with a couÌ„terfait voyce to be the blessed virgin Mary Then in many words he declareth vnto hir diuers plages which were shortely like to fall on the citie for the heresies of Luther for at other times also he had bitterly inueyed againste Luther in his open Sermons he also commaunded the mayd to shew many things vnto the citizens touching holydays fastings generall processions c. And amongst other things he added that there was a certain holy and religious maÌ„ which had heretofore asked a thing at hir handes in the very same place which she had hitherto denyed him but now it was hir pleasure if he required the same againe she should in any wise graunt it if she wold atteyn euerlasting life and y aboue al thing she must concele and kéepe close this latter point vnto hir self The maydeÌ„ by by blazed it about all the citie that our Lady had visibly appeared vnto hir foretold hir of sundry plages likely to happeÌ„ vnto the citie The inhabitantes taking good aduise on this matter at the laste for feare of these imminent dangers plages gaue coÌ„mandement that thrée days should bée kept holy In the which time the maid supposing she should do high seruice to the uirgin Mary fulfilleth the lust of that wicked knaue This trecherie deceyt being shortly after detected by the wonderfull prouidence of God the varlet was first beheaded and afterward brent in fire Erasmus Roterodamus writeth in his .xxij. booke of Epistles vnto a certain bishop excusing himself touching certain points which he had moued vnto him to the ende he should be very circumspect and amongst other things making mention there of spirites or wandring soules he reporteth this historie There was sayth he a certain parish priest who had dwelling with him in his house a néece of his a woman wel stored with money Into whose chamber he would oftentymes priuily conuey himselfe being disguysed in a shéete like vnto a Spirit And then he cast forth a doubtfull voice hoping that the woman woulde either procure a coniurer for hir helpe or els hir selfe make him aunswere But she hauing a manlike courage priuily requesteth one of hir friends to lodge in hir chamber secretely all night The man being armed with a club in sted of other coniuring tooles and being well tippled with drinke to auoide feare hideth him self in the bed Sodaynly coÌ„meth the spirit roring very miserably The coniurer with his club awaketh leapeth out of his bed scant sober and setteth vpon him Then the spirite with his voyce and gesture beginneth to make him afrayd But the drunken coniurer soone answered him If quod he thou be the diuel I am thy mother therwith catching hold on him all to be beat him with his club would also haue slayn him if he had not chaunged his voyce and cried O spare me for Gods sake I am no soule but I am sir Iohn Which voice when the woman heard and knewe she leapes out of hir bed and partes the fraye c. The same Erasmus writeth in the forsayd â—pistle that this Priest vpon Ester eue put lyue crabs priuely into the churchyard hauing wax candles on light cleauing to their sides whiche when they crauled amongst the graues séemed to be suche a terrible sighte that no man durst approch néere them Hereof rose a fearfull reporte wherewith all men béeing amazed the priest declareth to the people in the pulpit that they were the
while the carkas lyeth on the ground dooth send out bloud against him whiche wounded him if hée stand nere looking on his wounde Whiche thing bothe Lucretius affirmeth to come to passe and also Iustices haue diligently obserued Dido in Vergile thus threatneth Aeneas And when the cold of death is come and body voyde remayns Eche where my haunting spirite shal pursue thee to thy payns The like place is in Horace in other Poets As a théef sitteth at the Table a cuppe béeing ouerthrowne the wyne perceth through the whole and sounde wodde of the table to all mens admiration Touching these and other such maruellous things there might be many histories and testimonies alleaged But whosoeuer readeth this booke may call to their remembraunce that they haue séene these and suche like things them selues or that they haue heard them of their friends and acquaintaunce and of such as deserue sufficient credit Before the alterations and chaunges of kingdomes and in the time of warres seditions and other daungerous seasons ther most coÌ„monly happeÌ„ very straÌ„ge things in the aire in the earth amoÌ„gst liuing creatures clean coÌ„trary to the vsuall course of nature Which things meÌ„ cal wonders signes monsters and forewarnings of matters to come There are séene in the aire swords speares suche like innumerable there are heard and séene in the aire or vppon the earth whole armies of men encountring togither and wheÌ„ one part is forced to flye there is heard horrible cries and great clattering of armour Gunnes launces and halberdes with other kindes of weapons and artillerie do often times moue of their owne accord as they lye in the armories When as souldiers marche towards their enimies and their ensignes will not displaie abroade but folde about the stander bearers heads if the souldiours be therewith amazed they surely persuade themselues there is some greate slaughter towards It is sayde also that horses will be very sad and heauie and will not lette their masters sit on their backs before they go to the battaile wherin they shall haue the ouerthrowe but wheÌ„ they are coragious and iustilie neighing it is a sure token of victorie Suetonius writeth that the company of horses which Iulius Cesar let run at libertie neuer to be put to labour againe did wéepe aboundantly when Cesar was slayne When Miltiades addressed his people against the Persians there were heard terrible noises before the battaile and certaine spirits were séene which the Athenians afterwards affirmed to be the shaddowâ— of Pan who cast suche a feare on the Persians that they turned their backs and fled Therof Terrores Panici tooke their name being spoken of sodayn feares vnloked for and terrours suche as Lymphatici metus are which driue men out of their wits being taken therwith Before the Lacedemonians were ouerthrowne in the battaile at Leuctâ—â—s the armour moued made a great noise in the teÌ„ple of Hector At the same time the dores of Hercules temple at Thebes being fast shut with barres opened sodainly of their owne accord and the weapons and armour which hoong fastned on the wall were found lying vppon the grounde These things are to be read in Cicero his firste booke De diuinatione In the second warres of Carthage the standerd bearer of the first battaile of pykemen coulde not remoue his ensigne out of his place neither yet wheÌ„ many came to helpe they could any thing preuayle These and suche other signes of euill lucke Caius Flaminius the Consul nothing regarded but soone after his army was discomfited and he him selfe slayn Concerning which matter Titus Liuius writeth at large In the beginning of the warres waged with the people called Marsi there was heard out of secrete places certaine voices and noyse of harnesse whiche foreshewed the daunger of the warres to come Plinie writeth in his .2 booke and 59. chapter that in the warrs with the Danes and many times before there was heard the clashing of armour and the sound of trumpets out of Heauen Appianus declareth what signes and wonders went before the ciuill warres at Rome what miserable cries of men clashing of armoure running of horses were heard no man séeing any thing Valerius Maximus in his firste booke and .6 chapter of straunge wonders writeth how Câ—â—eius Pompeius hadde warning before not to fight the fielde with Iulius Cesar for as he launced off at Dirrachium his souldiours were taken with a sodayne feare and in the night likewise before the battaile their harts and courages sodaynly failed them And after the same author addeth that which Cesar him selfe reherseth in his 3. booke De bello ciuili how that the very same day wherin Cesar faught his fortunate battaile the crying of the armie and the sound of trumpets was herd at Antioche in Syria so sensibly that the whole city ranne in armour to defende their walles The very same thing he sayth happened at Ptolemais and that at Pergamus in the most priuie and secret parts of the temple where none may enter saue only priests which place the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were hearde the sounde of drummes and timbrels The historiographers reporte that Castor and Pollux haue bin often séene in battailes sitting on white horses valiaÌ„tly fighting against the enimies campe Plutarch writeth in Coriolanus life that they were seene in the battaile against Tarquinius and that immediatly after they bare tidings to Rome of the victorie The selfe same writeth Titus Liuius also in his 8. booke of his first decade We may read in the history of the siege of the noble citie of Magdâ—burge in Saxonie that the enimie which laide siege to the towne so often as the citizens issued out to skirmish with them supposed that one vpoÌ„ a white horse came riding before the citizens battaile when as the citizens them selues saw no such man. Iosephus in his bookes of the warres in Iurie recordeth what strange signes hapned before the destructioÌ„ of Ieâ—usalem which were that a brasen gate being fast rampierd with barres opened in the night time of his owne accord And that before the sunne sette there were séene chariots in the aire and armies of men well furnished enuironing the citie round about And that at Whitsontide as the priests entred the temple to celebrate diuine seruice â–ª they heard a great noise by and by a voice crying Migremus hinc Let vs departe hence He reckeneth vp â—ther like things which we neede not repeate in this place The same night that Leo of CoÌ„stantinople was slayne in the teÌ„ple the trauelers by sea heard a voice in the aire which saide that Leo had roared out euen to the same place Felix Malleolus doctor of both the laws master of Sclodor canon at TiguruÌ„ a maÌ„ of great reding as it may easily apere by his lerned writings which ar yet extaÌ„t For he liued about y time wheÌ„ the couÌ„cel of Basil was holdâ— writeth
graue and wise man which was a Magistrate in the Territorie of Tigurie who affirmed that as he his seruant went through the pastures in the Sommer very early he espied one whome he knew very wel wickedly defiling himselfe with a Mare wherwith being amazed he returned backe again knocked at his house whom he supposed he had séen ther vnderstood for a certentie that he went not one foote out of his chamber that morning And in case he had not diligently serched out that matter the good honest man had surely ben cast in pryson put on the rack I reherse this history for this end y Iudges should be very circuÌ„spect in these cases for y Deuil by these means doth ofteÌ„times circumuent the inoceÌ„t Chunâ—gunda wife vnto Henry the â— Emperor of the name was greatly suspected of adulterie and thereuppon many false rumors scattered that she was too familiar with a certain yong man in the Court for the Deuill in the likenesse of the same yong man was often times séene come out of the Empresse Chamber But she afterwardes declared hir innocencie by treading vppon hote glowing plow-shares as the custome was then without any hurting hir féete as witnesseth Albertus Cranzius in his fourthe booke and first chapter of his Metropolis We reade that many spirites haue appeared vnto certaine Hermites and Monkes in the shape of a woman alluring and intising them to filthie lust They appeare also in the fourme of brute beastes sometime fourefooted as of a Dogge a Swine a Horse a Goate a Catte or a Hare and sometimes of foules and créeping wormes as of a Crow a night Owle aschritche Owle a Snake or Dragon whereof the Gentiles had great plentie in their Temples and houses and nourished them as we maye reade euery where in the Poets Spirits haue somtimes appeared in a pleasant fourme and somtimes in a horrible shape At one time some hath bene séene riding on horsebacke or going on foote or crawling vppon al foure At another time hath appeared a man al burning in fire or berayde with bloud and some while his bowells haue séemed to traile out his belly being as it were rypped vp Sometimes a shadowe hath only appeared sometimes a hand sometimes an instrument as a staffe a sworde or some such like thing which the spirite helde in his hande Somtimes he appeared in maner of a bundle of hey burning on fire another while onely a hoarse kinde of voyce was heard Sometimes a spirit hath bene heard walking in the inner parte of the house turning the leaues of a booke or telling money or playing at dice or bounsing against the wall And sometimes there is heard a terrible noyse or clap as if a peale of Gunnes were discharged hard at hand And spirits sometimes taking a man by the arme or by the haire of the head haue walked with them Olaus Magnus in his third booke and eleuenth chapter De Gentibus Septentrionalibus wryteth that euen in these our dayes in many places in the North partes there are certaine monsters or spirites whiche taking on them some shape or figure vse chéefly in the night season to daunce after the sounde of all manner of instrumentes of musicke whome the inhabitants call companions or daunces of Elues or Fairies Somewhat also is to be reade touching this matter in Saxo Grammaticus in his historie of Denmarck Such like things are those which Pomponius Mela reporteth in his thirde booke of the description of Aethiopia that in Mauritania beyonde the Mount Atlas many times in the nighte season are séene great lightes and that tinkling of Cymbals and noyses of Pypes are also heard and when it is daylight no man appeareth Solinus writeth in his 38. and 44. chapters that in this same Mountaine Aegipanes vse euerie where to leade their 〈◊〉 of whome also Plinie maketh mention in his first booke and first chapter Men holde opinion that they are Panes Faunes and Satyres of whom the olde wryters haue mentioned many things S. Hierome writeth in the lyfe of Paule the Hermite that an Hippocentaure appeared vnto S. Anthonie in the same shape whiche is described of the Poets In a stonie valley saith he he espied a Dwarffe of a smal stature hauing a croked nose and his foreheade rough with hornes the hinder part of his bodie and his féete like vnto a Gote Anthony nothing amazed with this sighte taketh vnto him the shield of fayth and the brestplate of hope like a good warrior â–ª Notwithstanding the foresayde creature presented him with Dates to refresh him in his iourney as witnesses of peace and friendship Which when Anthonius vnderstoode he stayd and enquiring of him what he was receyued this aunswere I am quod he a mortal â—reature and one of the inhabitants of this desert whom the Gentiles being deceyued with many erroures doth worship calling vs Faunes Satyrs and night Mares And I am sent as Embassadoure from our companie who earnestly beséech thée that thou wilte pray vnto the God of al creatures for vs whom we acknowledge to be come into the world to saue the same c. And héere we may in no wise ouerpasse in silence that notable hystorie which Plutarch in his booke De fectu oraculorum translated by that learned man Adâ—ianus Turnebus reciteth in these words Touching the death of deuils I haue heard a certain hystorie of one who was neither foolysh nor accustomed to lye For it was Epitherces my countreyman a professour of Grammer father vnto Aemilianus the Rethoritian of whome some of you also haue heard the same He told me that when he once tooke ship meaning to go into Jtalie bicause he caryed with him not only great store of marchandise but also very many passengers in the euening when they were about the Ilands Echinadae the wind quite ceased and that the shippe dryuing in the Sea being brought at the last vnto Paxe many then waking many also quaffing after they had sâ—pped sodenly there was heard a voyce of one which called Thamus in such sort that euery man maruelled This Thamus was a Pilot borne in Aegipt vnknowen vnto many which were in the ship Wherfore being twice called he held his peace and the third time answered then the othâ—r with a louder voice commaunded hym that when he came vnto Palodes he should tell them that the greate God Pan was departed When this was heard euery maÌ„ was amazed with feare as Epitherces affirmed vnto vs And being in consultation whether they shuld do as was commaunded or not Thamus thus iudged of the matter that if the winde dyd blowe they must passe by with silence but if it were calme without winde he must vtter that which he had heard When therfore they were come to Palodes and no wind stirred nor waue moued â—hamê° looking out of the stern towards the land cryed out as he had heard that the gret god Pan was deceased He had skant ended those
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
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
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
that life and deathe peace and warre the alteration of Religion the exchaunge of Empires and of other things are in his power that we might thereby learne to feare him and to call vppon his name In the meane season Sathan also fayneth and worketh many thyngs to terryfie men and to plant superstition in their hartes But that all thyngs are not doone by Sathan héereby we maye vnderstande It chaunceth that one is thrust thorowe and slayne by one wyth whome hée neuer was at variance but hath euer vsed him as hys friende some man is drowned or falleth down from some highe place or otherwise is miserably slayne an euill spirite can haue no foreknowledge héereof for there are no naturall signes or coniectures going before them as there are in diseases yet notwithstanding some signes and rare casualties fall out before Héereof doe I gather that these things are wrought by God who onely knoweth that they shal come to passe and they are not onely admonishmentes vnto them whome they especially concerne but also vnto them whiche heare them and are present at the doing of them There was a certayne Magistrate within the liberties of Tigurine not long before I wrote this whom certaine of his friendes taried for to breake their fast with him before he tooke his iourney and thus waighting they supposed they heard a knyfe falling from the vpper parte or floore of the stewe wherein they were yet sawe they nothing and sodenly as they coÌ„muned togither of this straunge wonder they thought they heard it agayne In the meane while commeth the Magistrate vnto whome they declare what had happened and as they had skant ended their talke the knyfe fell agayne the thirde time in the hearing of the Magistrate who before doubted very much of the matter And therefore taking occasion héereby hée began to exhorte them that whereas within fewe dayes after a greate mariage shoulde be kepte in the same place they should all endeuoure to maintayne peace obserue sobrietie least perchaunce through quarelling murther it should be a bloudy mariage After he taking his iourney within a day or twayne dispatching his businesse as he was returning towards his Castle his horsse falling into a ryuer which was sodenly encreased with rayne after hée had long striued with the water at the last died myserably And that the Deuill dothe delude men wyth straunge happes héereof I gather that if any be taken with gréeuous sickenesse so that not onely the Phisition but also the sicke themselues dispaire of their owne healthe in the nighte tymâ— there is heard a noyse as if one were making a coffin or chest to lay one in or were burying a dead body that suppose I to be an illusion of the Deuil for hée thinketh verily the diseased wil die whom God by means of godly and earnest prayers dothe restore agayne to his former health Where as Plinie writeth that rauens are of such sharp senses that they wil flye thrée or foure dayes before vnto the place where carryon wil afterwardes be it is altogyther vaine fabulous If this were graunted it were no obsurditie to say that the deuil hath a knowledge of things to come yea euen where there are no naturall causes c. Moreouer he may by Gods permission if warres and mutinies be towardes stirre the instrumentes of warre and al other kynde of munition as it lyeth in the Armorie he can make a noyse reare a clamour crie as it were of a great Armie in the ayre and play as it were on a Drum and do other such things whiche al Hystoriographers affirme with one voyce haue oftentimes chaunced CHAP. XVII That it is no hard thing for the Deuill to appeare in diuers shapes and to bring to passe straunge things BUt it is no difficult matter for the deuil to appeare in diuers shapes not only of those which are aliue but also of deade mâ—nne whereof I spake also before when I entreated of Samuels appearing yea and whiche is a lesse matter in the fourme of beastes and birdes c. as to appeare in the likenesse of a blacke Dog a horsse an Owle and also to bring incredible things to passe it is a thing most manifest for he may through long and great experience vnderstande the effectes force of naturall things as of herbes stones c. and by meanes héereof woorke maruellous matters And then he is a suttle and quick spirit which can redyly take things in hande whiche in eache thing is of no small weight By his quicknesse by his knowledge in naturall things he may easily deceyue the eye sight and other senses of man and hide those things which are before our face and conuey other things into their places Whereof the holy Scriptures and histories continual experience beareth record Howe dyd the wicked spirit handle Iob what dyd he not bring to passe in shorte space What strange workes of an euil spirit did Bileam bring to passe did he not purchase a famouse name by his Magical arts what wonderful great miracles dyd Pharaos Sorcerers Did not Simon Magus so be witch the Samaritanes wyth his vnlawfull Artes that he would say he was the great vertue of God Touching this coniurer the olde Fathers write many things as Iereneus in his first book and tenth chapter Eusebius in his second booke thirtéenth chapter Egesipppus writeth in his third booke and second chapter of the destruction of Hierusalem that this Symon came to Rome and there set himselfe against Peter boasting that he could flye vp into Heauen and that hée came at the day appoynted vnto the Mounte Capitoline where leaping from the rocke he flew a good while not without the gret admiration of the people who nowe began to credite his wordes but sodenly he fell downe and brake his leg and after being carried vnto Aritia there died Iohannes Tritenhemius Abbot of Spanheimium writeth in his Cronicles concerning the Monasterie of Hirsgraue of the order of S. Bennet in the yeare of our Lorde .970 that Peter and Baianus the two Sonnes of one Simon a Monke ruled ouer the Bulgarians wherof the one namely Baianus was throughly séen in the Arte of Necromancie and thereby wrought many myracles He chaunged himselfe into a Wolfe so often as he list or into the likenesse of an other beast or in such sorte as he could not be discerned of any man and many other straunge things he could do and dyd whereby he brought men into great admiration And after in the yeare .876 he writeth that there was a certaine Iewe named Sedechias sometimes philosopher and physition vnto Lewes the Emperour who being very cunning in sorcerie did straunge miracles and wonderfull sleyghts before the Princes and before all other men For he brought it to passe by his cunning that he séemed to deuoure an armed man with his horsse and all his harnesse and also a carte loaden with hay together with the horsse and carter
to deliuer vs from euill to strengthen our fayth and to giue vs pacience and other necessarie things Neither should we be touched with compassion of other mennes miserie which are vexed with spirits but we woulde rather say that they can not tell what they speake and that they imagine many vayne feares Moreouer if other vnderstande that godly men are for their exercise vexed by spirits they become more pacient when soeuer they are sicke or otherwise troubled acknowledging theyr owne harmes to be but small in comparison of other mens For nothing is more greuouse than when a manne is tormented by the Diuel Nowe as touching infidells they are constrayned will they or nill they to confesse that there are diuels for there are many which would neuer be persuaded there are good or euill Angels or spirits except sometimes they had experience therof in déede God suffreth these things to chasten them For so muche as they will giue no place vnto truth but are wilfully deceyued it is good reason they be taught by diuelishe illusions what they must do or leaue vndone and that they be illuded by euill spirits after some other meanes Thus we reade in the .13 chapter of Deuteronomie if there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreames and giue thée a signe and wonder and that signe or wonder that he hath saide come to passe and then say let vs go after straunge Gods which thou hast not knowne and lette vs serue them hearkeÌ„ not thou vnto the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreames For the Lorde thy God proueth you to wit whether ye loue the Lord your God with all your soule Ye shall walke after the Lorde your God and feare him kepe his commandements and hearken vnto his voice serue him and cleaue vnto him And he addeth further that the same Prophete or dreamer shall dye the death By these words we do not only sée that God doth suffer suche leude fellowes to worke maruellous things but also to what ende and purpose he permitteth it that is to trye his faithfull how constant they be and how faithfully they would beleue in him if at any time spirits do come and foretell things to happen hereafter Our sauioure Christ saith in the thirde chapter of Saincte Iohn This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loued darknesse more than light bicause their déedes were euill for euery one that doth euill hateth the light neyther commeth he to the light least his déedes shoulde be reproued c. By the which woordes our Sauiour sheweth the cause why the worlde is condemned whiche is bycause they receyue not the lyght of the woorde of God or Christe himselfe who is the light of the worlde sette foorth vnto vs in his woorde but rather shut their eyes agaynst the cleare light preferring darkenesse that is errours superstition and wickednesse before the woord of god If God then condemne and reiecte the vnthankfull worlde what maruell is it if he vexe them with spirites and vayne apparitions Chryst sayth in the fyfth of Iohn I come in my Fathers name and you receyue me not yf an other come in his owne name you receyue him Christe laboured for their health and saluation this they woulde not acknowledge but refused him therfore was it the iust iudgement of God that they shold receyue others that hunted after their owne coÌ„moditie and profite suche as were Theudas Iudas of Galilee and many other false doctours and seditious seducers Wherefore if any refuse to giue eare to Christe and his ministers it is by the iust iudgemente of God that they hearken vnto Spirites and suche like things Saincte Paule in the seconde to the Thessalonians and seconde chapter writeth of Antichrist that he shoulde exercise greate tyrannie in the Churche of God and sheweth agaynst whome and for what cause God will suffer him so to do saying Among them that perishe bicause they recyued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued And therefore God shall sende them strong delusions that they shoulde beléeue lyes that all they myght be damned whiche beléeue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse And in the fourth chapter of his seconde Epistle to Timothe he earnestly beséecheth his scholer to be diligent in preaching dayly He giueth this reason for the tyme will come when they shall not suffer holsome doctrine but after their owne lustes shall they whose eares itche get them an heape of teachers and shall withdraw their eares from the truth and shal be turned vnto fables Now we sée the cause why god dothe suffer seducers false teachers and wicked spirites to deceyue men in the place of true doctours which is for that eyther they vtterly despise his woorde or little esteme it and can not abide godly and constant preachers Touching which matter wée will alleage a fewe examples Pharao contemned God and his seruants Moyses and Aaron wherfore God blynded his eyes that he gaue himself to be ruled by his Magi or wyse men and at the last perished miserably in the red Sea. Saule woulde not giue eare vnto Samuell who bare a ryght hart and good affection towardes his king he loued him not as by reason he shoulde haue done but haâ—ed him and all other that loued him right wel for he contemned the woord of god Wherfore it came to passe that being in extreme daunger he sought help of a witch to reare Samuel froÌ„ the dead that he might now vse his aduise whoÌ„ he despised béeing aliue disdayned to heare him This woman reareth one who is no otherwise called Samuel than when false gods are called gods when in very déede they are not gods but wood and stones or rather as Paul sayth .1 Corin. 10. very diuels This counterfait Samuel giueth him neither comforte nor counsell but driueth him to vtter desperation The same hapned vnto Saul whiche chaunceth vnto those stubborne children whiche despise their pareÌ„ts contemne their counsel wold gladly wishe their death at the last grow vnto y point that they wold willingly take in haÌ„d a great iourney on coÌ„dition it might be graunted them to heare them giue their last counsell An other example herof Achab king of Israel Iezabel his wife had many godly prophets amoÌ„gst whoÌ„ Elias was a man indued with the gifâ—e of shewing working miracles But they did not only conteÌ„ne those prophets but also cruelly murdered so many of them as they could catche Yet amongst the rest they especially laboured to intrap Elias who was exceading zelouse The Baalamites were in greate fauoure with the king but especially with the Quéene as hir chief dearlings And when the time approched that Achab shoulde suffer due and worthye punishement for his Idolatrie and wickednesse wherein he had long time liued he entred councell with his kinsman Iosaphat that they ioyning their powers togither might recouer agayne the
citie of Ramoth Gilead whiche the Assirians had taken from hym Iosaphat allowed well this deuise notwythstanding hée woulde in any wyse aske counsayle herein of god Achab therefore gathereth togither a councell of .400 priests of Baall who all with one voice exhorted him to goe on with his enterprise assuring him of most certeyne victorie One of them named Sedechias was so vainly bold that putting hornes of yron on his head he sayde with these hornes shalt thou pushe the Assirians But Iosaphat suspecting the matter asked if there were any one Prophet of God to be found of whom they might séeke councell Achab answeared There is quoth he yet a certeine man by whom we might enquire of the Lorde but I hate him for he doth not prophecie good vnto me but euill his name is Micheas Iosaphat thought good in any wise to heare him Wherfore the king presently sent for him by one of his chamberlaines And thus the messanger spake vnto him All the Prophets with one voice prophecie good lucke vnto the king I pray thée therfore that thou speake nothing to the contrary When he was nowe brought before the two kings sitting in their thrones clad with sumptuous apparell and before the other Prophets which stoode in their presence king Achab asked him whether they should make warres against Ramoth Gilead or no Unto whom he scoffingly answered go saith he thou shalt haue prosperous successe The king who by the manner of his vtterance vnderstoode he spake not in earnest instantly required hym to tell hym the truth Whervppon he sayde that he had séene all Israell dispersed in the mountaines as shepe without a shepherd and that the Lorde had sayde These men haue no Lord let euery one returne home to his owne house in safetie Then sayde Achab did I not tell thée that this fellowe doth prophecie me no good The Prophete went on saying heare the word of God I sawe the Lord sitting in his seate of maiestie and all the host of Heauen stand about him on his righte hande and on his lefte hande And the Lorde sayde who shall entice Achab that he may go and fall at Ramoth Gilead And one sayde on this manner and an other sayde on that manner Then there came foorth a spirit and stoode before the Lorde and sayde I will entice him And the Lorde sayde vnto him wherewith And he sayde I will go out and be a false Spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets Then he sayde thou shalt entise him and shalt also preuaile go foorth and do so Nowe therefore behold the Lorde hath put a lying Spirit in the mouth of all these thy Prophets and the Lorde hathe appointed euill agaynst thée Then Sedechias came nere and smote Micheas on the chéeke and sayde when went the spirit of the Lorde from me to speake vnto thée And Micheas prophecied what should happen also vnto him So the king commaunded him to be cast into prison and to be fed with bread and water vntil he returned frō the warres Then sayde Micheas if thou returne in peace the Lorde hathe not spoken by me and therewith he willed all the people to hearken what he spake Notwithstanding the kings went forewarde with their enterprise and prepared themselues and led foorth their armes against their enimies Achab was slayne in the battaile Iosaphat because he ioyned him selfe with the wicked was in very great daunger c. I haue handled thys historie somewhat at large that we might vnderstand howe God by his iust iudgement sendeth spirits vnto those which despise his word whereby they may be beguiled and deceyued The very same happened vnto the Christians after the Apostles tyme For when the word of God began to be lesse estemed than it shoulde haue bin and men preferred their owne affections before the hearing thereof and when as they would incurre no manner of daunger for the defence of their faith and of the truth but accounted of all religions alike God so punished them that nowe they began to giue eare vnto false teachers whiche framed them selues vnto theyr veine affections they learned of images whom they called lay mennes bookes they kissed these mens boanes and shrined them in golde if happely they were their boanes whose doctrine before they disdained to receyue they gaue credite vnto false apparitions and diuelishe visions and so suffered they worthy punishment for their greate ingratitude Euen as yong men which will not be ruled by their maisters are after compelled to obey other men with great shame so also happened it vnto those men for they fell dayly more and more from the word of God in so muche that when they had once lost the truthe some ranne one waye and some an other to fynde a meanes for the remission of their sins and one man beleued this spirite an other that which no man can deny The like chaunced vnto the Gentiles in times past as it appereth by the first chap. to the Romans also by their own writings They worshipped many gods many miracles were shewed amongst them they had many visiōs of gods and many oracles which when the Apostles began to preach al cessed S. Athanasius in his booke De humanitate verbi Fol. 55. 64. writeth that in auncient time ther were oracles at Delphos in Beeotta Lycia other places whiche he nameth but nowe since Chryste is preached euery where vnto all men this madnesse hath ceassed c. In the like manner writeth Lactantius and others But in these our daies since we haue refused mens traditions and willingly imbraced the doctrine of the Gospell all appearings of Soules and Spirites haue quite vanished away Who I pray you heareth now of any soule or Spirit which doth wander and as they call it craue mens deuotions Those rumblings of Spirits in the night are now muche more seldome heard than they haue bin in times past CHAP. II. VVhat the cause is that in these our dayes so fevve spirits are seen or heard THe clere light of Gods worde driueth away al such spirits which vse to worke their feates in the darke The cleare light approching the shaddowe and darknes vanisheth The prince of darknesse shunneth light and hath nothing to do where men worship God the father only through Iesu Christ beleuing only on him and committing them selues wholy vnto his protection If men esteme the word of God and haue it in price he will in no wise suffer them to be so ouerséene and deceyued as they are whiche do all things without the warrant of his word Here I cannot ouerpasse with silence a certeine merry iest when once there chanced to bée talke in a certayne place of visions and Spirits a certayne professor of the Gospell sayd vnto a Papist in this maner You ought quoth he euen by thys to gather that our religion is true and youres false for that since the Gospell was preached vnto vs very fewe spirits haue ben sene of any man. To whome
the other made aunswere by waye of reasoning called violentum Nay sayth hée hereby ye may gather that your religion is naught and oures good for the diuell assaulteth those whome he feareth will shortly reuolte from him It is not much vnlike which Aeneas Siluius who was afterwardes made Pope called Pius 2. reciteth in his Historie of the Councell of Basill out of the lyfe of holy Benedict father of the Monkes called after his name Hée sometymes visityng a certayne Monasterie of holy men espyed an infinite route of diuels who as it were fighting with the holy fathers labored to disturbe the good workes which they went about And he foorthwith going to a faire full of marchandise and buying and selling saw there but one diuell and he also idle and sad sitting vppon a watchtoure wherat saint Benedict maruelling that he saw the place whiche was holy and dedicate to prayer full of dyuels and that he founde the prophane place which was occupied with periurie and other offences garded but with one Diuell hée coniures the same Diuell to declare and shewe vnto him the true cause therof who streight answered him that it was néedefull the holy place shoulde be assaulted by many diuels but those whiche sinned of their voluntarie accorde had no néede to bée deceyued by the Diuell But I aske thée thys question O thou Papist myghte not the Gentils in ancient tyme haue obiected the same to the Christians when they demaunded of them why their Oracles ceassed and why there were so fewe Uisions If those Spirites or bugges be Diuels why doe you then saye and beléeue that they are the soules of dead menne whiche desyre helpe of you I wyll shewe you the verye true cause why those visyons are nowe so seldome tymes séene forsoothe bycause the Dyuell perceyueth that wée vnderstande hys subtleties and craft therefore hée hunteth after other men and seeketh to deceyue them As for example when thou wilt cramp some man by the toes in the night time as sometimes pleasant fellowes vse to do to recreate themselues when they trauel and so draw him out of his bed if thou perceyue he be acquainted with thy sleyght by and by thou leauest him and goest vnto an other which is fast asleep and cannot perceiue the deceyt There be other causes also why these things happen nowe more seldome If any man deceiue thée once twice or thrice afterwardes thou openest thy eyes and espiest what he doth and what he goeth about so when we haue béene often beguiled with false apparations we will not easily be persuaded if any man tel vs that a soule or spirit hath appeared as the prouerb saith Moreouer whereas nowe adayes fewe stand in feare of spirites many might be easily found who would séeke them feele them yea and also handle them This is wel known therfore no man will gladly put on a visour or otherwise counterfeit himselfe to be a ghost A man may soone persuade a childe that ther is is a black man a tall woman which wil put chyldren that crie in their budget c. but after they are come to maturitie of yeares they will no more be feared with visours and such like persuasions they will laugh at thy follie if afterwards thou go about to make them so afraid Euen so when we were children in the Scriptures that is when we vnderstood them not we might be easily seduced to beleeue many things But nowe that we reade them in all manner of tongs and do dayly profit in them we do not suffer our selues to be so mocked neither do we beléeue euery vaine apparition How many sightes of spirites did the knauerie of the Monkes of Berna driue away after it was once detected Things are set vp in the fieldes to feare awaye the birdes whiche at the last also they perceyue to be but trifles and are not dryuen away any longer with suche toyes What maruel is it then if after so great a shipwracke of godlynesse and truth men albeit they are simple do at the last open their eyes CHAP. III. VVhy God doth suffer straunge noyses or extraordinarie rumblings to be heard before some notable alterations or othervvise IN that there happeneth certayne straunge things before the death of men and also before notable alterations and destructions of countries as maruellous crackes terrible roaring surely it turneth to good vnto the iust to further damnation to the wicked For by these means God sheweth that nothing commeth to passe by chaūce or by aduenture but that the life and deth the prosperous or vnfortunate estate of al men is in the power and hand of god It is nothing so as the Epicures affirme that God hath no regard whether any man lyue or be borne or do well or euill or otherwise or whether common welthes do florish or be made wast Chryst himselfe techeth vs that not so much as a sparrow falleth vnto the ground without the wil of god Salomon Daniel say that the hearts of kings are in Gods hands and that he appoynteth or deposeth kings at his pleasure Wherfore if we happely do heare any noises or such like they ought rather to put vs in good comfort than to make vs afrayd And againe God héereby admonisheth vs that we be not idle and secure for he hath in al ages stirred vp his seruants not only with words but also with rare and strange apparitions The very Gentiles accounted these myraculous things as the admonitions and warnings of their gods as it may be séen euery wher in ther histories And albeit it be very likely that most of these things happen by the deuils procuremēt yet neuerthelesse we héerin perceiue Almightie God his fatherly care loue preseruation of vs against the deuises of the deuil For albeit the deuil take no rest but is alwayes in redynesse to destroy vs yet can he not hurt vs so long as God kepeth watch defendeth vs The wicked who despise the preaching of Gods worde are sore terrified with these things in so much that they not knowing whether to turne thēselues are constrained to confesse that god doth gouern al mens actions that there are good and euil spirites Otherwise they coulde in no case be repressed but that they woulde do greater mischiefe vnto the faithful except God by these meanes dyd cast feare vppon them and as it were with a snaffle or brydle did hale and drawe them backe CHAP. IIII. After vvhat sort they should behaue themselues vvhiche se good or euil spirits or mete vvith other strange aduentures and first hovve Ievves and Gentiles behaued themselues in the like cases THat we may rightly vnderstand how we ought to behaue our selues if any thing eyther good or euill appeare vnto vs we wil first declare how the gentiles and Iewes vsed themselues in like cases Amongest the Gentiles not only those wandring spirits beare men in hande that they were mens soules but also shewed what were good and
expedient for them to doe for their sake to wit that they should do sacrifices for their soules obserue their obsequies burie their bodies erect Temples make holydayes and such like stuffe Suetonius writeth that the Emperor Caligule his body was priuily coÌ„ueyed into the gardens called Lamiam and there with a hastie fire being but halfe consumed was cast into a pit and couered with a little earth But afterwards wheÌ„ his sisters returned froÌ„ exile it was taken vp thorowly burnt afterward solemnly buried But before they had so doon the gardeÌ„ kéepers were very much troubled with appearing of spirits And moreouer no man could passe any night in the same house where he was slayne without some great feare vntil such time as the house was vtterly destroyed with fire We read also in other writers that the ghostes of them which wer not orderly buried or whose accustomed rites and ceremonies in the time of warres were omitted dyd appeare eyther to their friendes or vnto others complayning intreating that their funerals all other ceremonies mighte be obserued for their sake whereof came the hearses wéekemyndes monthmindes and anniuersaries whereof we reade many things in the Ethnike writers and many things are recyted out of the olde Poets and in Lilius Giraldus in his booke De sepultura and also in Polid. Virgilius de Inuentione rerum lib. 6 cap. 10. We haue shewed before in the seconde parte and first Chapter that some haue desired others that they might be buried after that they were dead Cicero writeth in his 1. boke De legibus that Romulus the first founder of Rome walking after his death not farre from Atticus house appeared vnto Iulius Proculus and tolde him that hée was nowe a god and that his name was Quirinus and therewith commaunded that there shoulde be a Temple erected and dedicated vnto him in the same place Ouide writeth lib. 4. Fastorum that Remus apeared in the night time vnto Faustulus and to his wife Accia Laurentia somtime his Nurse complayning vnto them of his miserable death and desiring them to make laboure that the same day wherein he was slayne might be accounted amongst their holydayes The people of Rome as Ouide witnesseth lib. 2. Fastorum kept a feast in the moneth of Februarie called Feralia in the whiche they did sacrifice vnto the infernall Goddes and those whose duties it was to celebrate the funerals of their Auncesters carried dishes of meat to their sepulchers Wherof Festus and Varro called the same feast by the name of Feralia These dishes of meate were set vpon a stone at the time of these sacrifices for the which cause as Seruius sayth they were called Silicernium by the whiche worde some will haue a certaine feast signified which is bestowed vpon old men Donatus sayth that Silicernium is a supper which is made to the infernall Gods bycause Eam silentes cernant that is the deade soules do receyue it or bycause those that doe serue it do onely cernere see it and not tast thereof c. There were also certaine holie feastes called Parâ—ntalia in the which meate was caried to the Sepulchers for the soules of Parents and Auncestours before deceased And albeit they suppose that soules were pleased with small gyftes as of mylke wyne and suche like whereof mention is made in Ouid yet notwithstanding they also kylled sacrifices wherof some suppose that Feralia toke their name à feriendis pecudibus of killing shéepe Unto their sacrifices they also added prayers and kindled lights WheÌ„ in tymes past the Romains being troubled with warres had let passe the feast of Parentalia they therefore supposed that the infernall Goddes being for the same cause angrie there arose storms and pestilence and that soules rysing out of their graues did wander with pittifull complaintes about the graues and by the highway sides and in the fieldes This feaste endured by the space of fiftéene dayes in the whiche maried women lay not with their husbandes neyther those whiche were mariageable dyd marrie and the Images of their Goddes were couered The soules of them that were deade when they came too the meate they wandred about the graues and were fed as they thought with the banquet In the Moneth of May there was holden a feast in the night time which at the beginning they called Remuria and afterwardes Lemuria This did not differ much from the feast called Feralia whiche was instituted to pacifie soules Touching the originall of them and the rytes belonging therto looke Ouid in his lib. 5. fastorum One who tooke on him to pacifie the soules arose in the night verie late he went barefooted and washed himselfe ouer wyth fresh springing water and then taking beanes whiche he had rolled in his mouth he threw them behind his backe and saide that with them he dyd redéeme himselfe and after beating on a péece of brasse he prayed the soules to depart from thence which thing if they had done nine times they thought they hadde ended their holie seruice These were celebrated by the space of thrée dayes The sacrifices which are done for the infernall Gods are called Jnferiae We read in Lucan of the soules of Sylla and Marius which were purged by sacrifice We shewed before how Athanagoras coÌ„maunded the bones which wer digged vp in the entrie of his house at Athens to be orderly buried agayne c. The auncient Iewes had an expresse commaundemeÌ„t of God not to be any thing moued with the miracles of false Prophetes and God in plaine wordes forbad them not to seeke couÌ„cel of dead bodies Saule in the beginning of hys raigne while he yet gaue himself vnto godlinesse vtterly destroyed all coniurers and witches I doe not remember that I haue euer heard or read howe the Iewes behaued themselues when any spirits appeared vnto theÌ„ yet I doubt not but that they are supersticious aswell in these things as in all others CHAP. V. Hovv Christian men ought to behaue themselues vvhen they see spirites and first that they ought to haue a good courage and to be stedfast in fayth HOwe Christian men oughte to behaue themselues in this behalfe it is fully and amply declared in the holie Scriptures in like manner as all other things are which appertaine vnto our saluation To wit that first we ought to be of good courage without feare being assured constante in true faith For if they be good Angels which shew themselues vnto vs then are they sent vnto vs from God to a good ende and purpose But if they be wycked and euyll they can do vs no harme be they neuer so desirous excepte God giue them leaue thereto If it be nothing but a vayne imagination that we haue or an idle sight obiected vnto our eyes surely it is great follie to be any thing afraid In déed it is naturall vnto vs to be amazed with feare when we sée suche things for
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
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
of the resurrection of the dead into doubt and question Moreouer we reade that the olde Fathers haue caste Deuils out of menne and out of suche places wherein by their rumbling they haue put many in horrible feare Such an historie of S. Iohn is in Abdias Babylonius for the holy Apostles and many godly menne after them were indued with this grace from God that they coulde cast out vncleane spirites whiche gyft continued a long season in the Church to the great profite of the faythfull but afterwardes it ceased as other miracles dyd also It maketh vnto this purpose that Tertullian writeth hys Apologetico fol. 858. and 159. Thus we haue sufficiently séene after what sorte the holy fathers and auncient christians behaued themselues when any spirits appeared vnto them CHAP. X. That sundrie kyndes of superstition haue crept in vvhere by men haue attempted to driue avvay spirites IN proces of tyme Supersticions encreased more and more Paule complayneth that in his time Antechrist began to practise his misterie of iniquitie and that many opinions and sectes began to spring vp Saint Iohn writeth that in his time there were many Antechristes What maruel is it then if afterwards yea and that verie quickly diuers errours croape into the Churche and multiplyed excéedingly Sainte Augustine in his 22. booke De ciuitate Dei and eyghte Chapter after that he hadde recited certayne myracles which were therefore shewed that men might beleeue in Chryst he seâ—teth foorthe thys historie Hesperius a man of good worshippe and calling amongest vs hath a piece of land in the territorie of Fussalum called Cubedi in the whiche perceyuing by the languishing of his cattell and seruantes that his house was infected with the force and rage of euyll spirites he desired our fellow Priestes I being then absent that some one of them would take the paines to go thither that the spirit by his good prayers might giue place one of them went thither and there offred the sacrifice of the body of Chryst praying very earnestly that the same disquieting of spirites myght cease and by and by God had compassion and it ceased He had giuen him of a friende of his some parte of holie lande brought from Hierusalem where Chryste being buried rose againe the thirde daye that earth he hung vp in hys chamber least any euil might happeÌ„ vnto him But when his house was deliuered froÌ„ that trouble he deuised wyth himselfe what he might do with the saide earth which for reuerence sake he woulde not kéepe any longer in his chamber c. Héereby it is manyfest that superstition began immediatly and as it hapneth always grewe bigger with great increase as if one shoulde roll foorthe snowe clodded togyther or as when huge lumpes of snow begin to fal down from the Alpes â–ª al things on euery side are filled with snowe Shortly after menne began to praye and offer sacrifice for dead mennes soules yea and that wyth a good intention as it may euidently appeare in many of the auncient fathers Afterwards when Byshops parish Priestes did not onely not correct olde supersticions but also vppon a good meaning increase theÌ„ at the last they grew to an infinite number For when spirits appeared men called not vpon God through Chryst only but also vpon Saintes forgetting that which Saint Paule saithe to the Romaines the tenth For I will let passe at this tyme all other argumentes how shall they call vppon him in whome they haue not beléeued The Papistes themselues cannot deny but that we must beleeue onely in God and therefore he only is to be worshipped through his Sonne Some write that it is a soueraigne remedie to driue away deuils if we praye Aue Maria. Where by the way it is to be noted that the same salutation of the Angell is no prayer but onely a gréeting and hystoricall narration to wit howe the Archangell Gabriell tolde the Uirgin Marie before of the Incarnation of Chryst. But I praye thée weigh the sense of the words and whether thou wilt or no thou must néedes say that these wordes conteine in them neither asking nor thankesgiuing whiche are the partes of prayer WheÌ„ the Angell came vnto hir he saluted hir saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. salue that is God spéede or reioyce for as Festus sayth the Gréeke and the Latin word haue one signification Then he addeth further full of grace which is to be vnderstoode passiuely as they terme it in the scholes for bycause God bestowed his grace vpon hir for so the Angell himselfe expoundeth it when hee saythe afterwardes that she had found grace that is that God is mercifull and louing towardes hir Those words may not be so vnderstood as if she were the fountayne of grace as some haue expounded it and that she hath grace of hir selfe and bestoweth it vpon such as call vppon hir or speake vnto hir with the salutation of the Angel. For neyther the Gréeke worde nor any other places of the Scriptures admit this sense The Apostle saythe to the Ephesians the firste chapter that God hath made vs hys faithfull seruants deare by his grace through his beloued that is through Iesus christ In the whiche saying the same word is put whiche the Angell vsed in saluting the holy virgine It is written in the firste chapter of saincte Iohns Gospell in playne words that Iohn Baptiste bare witnesse of Christ with a loude voice and saide that we all haue receiued of his fulnesse grace for grace For the lawe was giuen by Moses but grace and truth sprang vp by christ Many other suche places I omitte for breuities sake The virgin Mary hir selfe saith the Lord hath done maruellous things vnto me She setteth foorth the grace of God giuen vnto hir from God without any of hir deserts For he neuer bestowed greater grace on any womaÌ„ And there is a very great difference betwene him that coÌ„ferreth grace and them whiche receiue or obteine grace Grace is only to be sought at his hands who giueth grace and not of them which them selues receiue grace A fewe yeares past all men besought the virgin for helpe hoping for more grace and succour of hir than of Christ him selfe The Angell addeth further Blessed art thou amoÌ„gst women that is God hathe conferred more grace vnto thee than vnto any other woman The words which are ioyned herevnto Blessed is the frute of thy wombe are not the words of the Angell but of hir cousin Elizabeth who also saluted hir Unto these words some religious men added Iesus Christ amen Therefore the Angell vttered not all those words of the Aue Marie as it may manifestly be gathered out of the very text of Saincte Luke chapter .1 not bycause we deny these words to be good and holy for the text saith of Elizabeth that she was full of the holy ghost but that which the Angell spake not is not to be attributed vnto hir You shall not finde in
For wryting of Alexander the great in his booke De vitis he saythe that there happened certaine prognostications before his death which sometimes Alexander â—ared not for but contemned them and contrariwise somtimes hée tooke smal and tryfling things as signes of euil lucke He addeth further howe daungerous a thing it is to dispise tokens and signes sente from God vnto men and on the other side howe pernitious and hurtfull it is to be afrayde of euery trifle for as in all other things so is ther a measure to be obserued herein The same opinion is he of touching other wonders and miracles For ye maye read in the life of Camillus that when he being Captaine had taken and destroyed the Veians he made a solemne vowe to translate the Image of Iuno vnto Rome And therefore hée commaunded certayne men to take vppe the Image he offred sacrifice vnto the Goddesse and besought hir that shée would voutsafe to followe him and to be fauorable vnto the Romaines as other Goddes were which nowe dwelt at Rome The Image made hym answere that she would go with him He also wryteth that those men which noted and recorded these things reporte other such straunge matters as that Images dyd sweat that they gaue great groanes that they turned away their faces or hanged downe their heades he sayth that men which lyued before his time gathered many suche examples togyther and that he himselfe hath heard many maruellous things of men lyuing in his time which were not by and by to be neglected and contemned and yet mannes infirmitie is suche that it cannot attribute eyther too muche or to little vnto those things without great daunger for men obserue no mesure but are either too supersticious and attribute ouer much to suche matters or else do vtterly reiect and contemne them And therefore the safest waye is to be aduised and to kéepe a meane in suche affaires Valerius Maximus confesseth in his firste booke that the verie Gentiles themselues hadde many miracles and wonders happening among them in great suspition and that not without iust cause True wonders ought to stirre vs vp from sléepe A couragious horsse goeth well inoughe of his owne accorde and yet if you doe but make signe vnto him with a wande or put spurre vnto him hée wil be more redyer quicker Euen so must we go in the way that leadeth vnto Heauen so long as we liue but in case we sée any foretokens or some great alteration sâ—eme to hang ouer vs we ought to be the more stirred vppe to giue our selues to prayer and to exercise godlynesse The Gentiles if at any tyme such forewarnings were shewed vnto them from Heauen dyd institute certayne solemne prayers and processions to pacifie their Gods howe much rather oughte all Christian Princes and Magistrates Doctoures and Preachers of our tyme to bende themselues wholly herein when so euer plagues hang ouer our heades that all men generally and particularly shew forth true repentance Hitherto I truste we haue sufficiently shewed what we maye thinke concerning visions and appearing of spirites and other straunge things which haue greate affinitie and likenesse vnto them And that in tymes past Doctours wrote and taught farre otherwise concerning them than the verie truth it selfe was we haue also shewed the causes thereof It might be also declared in many words that the like hath happened in other poyntes of Christian doctrine yea and many excellent learned and godly men haue at large opened the same in their bookes whiche are nowe extant concerning such matters And that I maye conclude this my booke I shall beséeche all those for the glorie of God that shall happen to reade it that in case they thinke I haue strayed from the rule of the worde of God they woulde fréely and friendly admonishe me thereof but if they knowe it be agreeable to the worde of God as I trust it is that then they suffer not themselues to be ruled and mocked of iugling Monkes and Priestes but rather gyue God thankes for that greate and vnspeakable benefite whereby he dothe dayly delyuer them out of greate errours and feares and dothe continually more and more bring his truthe to lyght leâ— them not so lose the raignes to their affections that they reiect the truth which they haue once acknowledged The Senate and people of Rome as stories witnesse graunted libertie to the people of Cappadocia when the stocke and issue of their Kings was vtterly extincte to be frée and Lordes of themselues for euer after But the Nobilitie consulting on the matter refusing libertie whiche they coulde in no wise disgest desired to haue a king The Romaines wondering heereat gaue them leaue to choose whome they would to be their king Let not vs bée suche fooles but rather let vs embrace the libertie of our soules whych God doth dayly offer vnto vs by hys worde Many Noble nations fighting couragiously haue put themselues in present daunger of life to obtayne and kéepe this sweete externall libertie Howe muche more ought we Christians to fight agaynst the suttletie and deceyt of the Deuill least the libertie of our soules whyche is muche more precious than the other shoulde be oppressed by diuers errours and supersticions Men setting in darkenesse desire the light verie earnestly Let not vs therefore cast away light fréely offered vnto vs by God in his Scriptures We haue nothing here in earth more deare vnto vs than the libertie of our soules and consciences Let vs not then as Paule sayth with holâ—â— truth in vnrighteousnesse lette euery man of what age soeuer he be weigh with hymselfe howe fraile and brittle this lyfe is which God hath giuen vnto vs and that we muste depart from hence sooner then wée thinke for and render an account to the iust Iudge of our fayth wâ—rdes and déedes Glorie and prayse be vnto Almightie God for euer and euer and I beséech him to voutsafe to stretche forthe hys hande to deliuer all suche as are still entangled in superstition and errours and to graunt those whome he hath delyuered hys Heauenly grace that they be always thankful for so great a benefite least they be wrapped againe in the same mischiefe FINIS The diuision or partes of this booke â–ª The dedicaâ—â—on Spectrum Visum Visio Terriculamenta Phantasma Matth. 24. Mark. 6. Phasma Pneuma Luk. 24. Lares Praestites Hostilij Genius Penates Vmbrâ—â— Lemures Laruae Ceriti Maneâ— Maniae Mormo Lamiae Lameâ— â–ª of Hieremie â–ª chap. 4. Striges Gorgones Incubi Succubi Empusa â–ª Dicelon Hecataea Acco Alphito Telchinnes Pan. Faunuâ— Satyri Sileni Onocentaurus Onosceli Hyppocentaurus Sphinx Scilla Harpyae Triton Nereides Syrenes Portentum Ostentum Prodigium Monstrum Some men denie there are Spirits Acts. 3â— Sundrie imaginations of malancholicke persons TheatruÌ„ a place to behold plaies and paâ—â—imes in Ioannes Sertorius * See Ludouiâ— Caeliu li. 17. câ— â— antiquitat Galen de lociâ— affectis Libro de Simtomatum diff chap.
citie how they had séene dead men daunce and that there was greate daunger least there should shortly ensue some plague or pestilence Moreouer it is well knowen to all men that harlots and whooremongers haue practised their wickednesse a long season vnder this cloake and pretence persuading their family that walking Spirites haunt the house least they shoulde be taken with the déede dooing and that they might enioy their desired loue Many times such bugges haue ben caught by the magistrats and put to open shame Theues likewise vnder this colour haue many times robbed their neighboures in the night time who supposing they heard the noyse of walking Spirites neuer went about to driue the théeues away Touching this point that an euill Spirit by meanes of naturall things which haue straunge vertues can do maruellous things by deceyuing mens senses I will at this present speake nothing CHAP. VI. Preestes and Monckes fained themselues to be Spirites also hovve Mundus vnder this colour defiled Paulina and Tyrannus abused many noble and honest matrones TO these things may be added that ther haue bene in al ages certain priests which practising straunge deuises giuing themselues to Necromancie haue bewitched foolishe men that highlie estéemed them to the ende they might thereby encrease their riches and followe their lustful pleasures Touching which matter to the ende godly disposed men may be the more heedfull I will rehearse a fewe histories Iosephus a writer of histories in his 18 booke and 4. chap. of Antiquities remembreth a notorious déede which hapned at Rome in the tyme of Tyberius Cesaâ— vnder the pretence of sacrificing to the goddesse Isis. I will recorde the historie as it is translated by Galenius a very learned maÌ„ There dwelled at Rome a woman named Paulina no lesse renoumed for honestie of lyfe than for the nobilitie of parentage She was also very riche and excéeding beautiful as one that was now in the floure of hir age especially adorned with the great vertue of chastitie and maried she was to one Saturnius a man worthie of such a wyfe It chaunced that Decius Mundus a famous yong knight became very muche enamored with hir bicause she was a woman of greater welth thaÌ„ that she might be won with rewardes and money so muche the more was this louers madnesse inflamed in so much that he stuck not to proffer hir for one night .200000 groates The Atticke groate the Romain penie are by coÌ„mon valuation all one â—udeus accouÌ„teth one of them worth .viij Crusados so this summe according to his reckening amounteth to .26000 Florens And yet not being able by these meanes to moue hir coÌ„stant mind bicause he could not endure the rage of his loue he determined by abstinence and hunger to make an ende both of lyfe and loue together This determination was not vnknowen to Ide Mundus Fathers bondseruant a mayde cunning in many artes but suche as were not to bée lyked She maruellously gréeued with the yong mans wilfulnesse in absteining froÌ„ meat talking with hym by swéet flattering words began to encourage him assuring him that she would bring to passe that he should at his pleasure embrace Paulina After that he had gladly condiscended to hir entreatie she telleth him she must néedes haue fiftie thousande groates to ouerthrowe the Gentlewomans chastitie So putting the yong man in good hope and receyuing asmuch money as she required bycause she well knewe Paulina coulde not be wonne with money she deuiseth a newe way to deceiue hir Understanding therfore that she was maruellously addicted to the worshipping of Isis she inuenteth these meanes She talketh with some of Isis Priestes and hauing receyued sure promise of them to kéepe all things secrete and which is most effectuall hauing shewed their rewarde promising presentlye 25000. groats and when they had done the déede other 25000. she openeth vnto them the yong mans loue beséeching them to helpe by all meanes possible that she mighte enioy the same They touched at the harte with desire of the money gently promised their helpe Wherefore the eldest of them speedelie goeth to Paulina and being admitted to hir spéech after he had obtained to talke with hir in secrete he declareth that he is come vnto hir being sent by the greate God Anubis this Anubis hauing a heade lyke to a Dogge was worshipped togither in one Temple with Isis who is maruellously in loue with hir beautie and doth coÌ„maund hir to repaire vnto him She ioyfully receyued the message and forthwith vaunteth among hir familiar acquainâ—aunce that the God Anubis hath vouchsaued to loue hir And she telleth hir husbande that she must suppe and lye with him Which thing was so muche the more easelye graunted vnto hir for that hir husbande had had good experience and knowledge of hir chastitie Whervpon she goeth to the temple and after supper when time of rest drew néere being shut in by the priest she méeteth with Mundus who had priuilye hidden himselfe there the darkenesse bringing them together without any suspition And so all that night she satisfied the yong mans desire supposing she had done pleasure vnto the god Afterwards he departing from hir Paulina early in the morning before the priests who were priuie to this deceyt were stirring returned home to hir husband to whome she recounteth hir méeting with Anubis also with great words setteth out the same amongst hir gossips and friends They could not beléeue hir considering the nature of the thing and yet could they not chuse but maruell waying the greate chastitie of the woman Thrée dayes after the déede done Mundus méeting by chaunce with his beloued saide vnto hir O well done Paulina thou hast saued me 200000 groats wherewith thou mightest haue encreased thy riches and yet notwithstanding thou hast fulfilled my desire for I way it not that thou hast despised Mundus sith vnder the title of Anubis â–ª I haue enioyed my disired lust which words sayde he departed But the woman then first perceiuing this villany began to teare hir garments and opening the whole matter vnto hir husband beséecheth him that he suffer not such a notorious mockerie to go vnpunished Hir husbande then declareth the whole matter to the Emperoure Tiberius who after he had learned all things by diligent examination trusseth vp these iugling priests on the gallowes togither with Ide the authour of al this mischiefe by whose meanes chiefly the chastitie of this noble gentlewoman was defiled and ouerthrowing their temple he commaunded the Image of Isis to be sunk in the riuer Tibris But iâ— pleased him to chasten Mundus with banishment a more gentle kynd of punishmeÌ„t ascribing his fault to the weaknes of his immoderat loue By this history it may easily be gathered how Sathan in times past be witcht the Gentils how their priests persuaded them that their Gods appearing in visible form spake this or that vnto them which notwithstaÌ„ding were very false Under the preteÌ„ce of
parte of such stuffe as is sette foorth in them haue no shewe nor likelyhoode of truthâ— perchaunce their mynde was to bring men to great feare and Religion by those their counterfeited and imagined histories But concerning these this place now serueth not to intreate The like may be saide of many supersticious Popishe wryters who following these mens steppes haue writteÌ„ many vpon other mens credit and reportes which least any man think I write being moued with enuie or hatred of the persones I wil shewe you one onely historie or fable amongst so many that you may thereby haue as it were a tast of that which I sayde euen now Petrus Damanus who first was a Monke after the order of S. Benedict and afterward byshop of Hostia a man of great estimation among Papistes as well for the opinion they had of his learning as for the shewe of his vpright lyuing telleth a storie of a certain Monke of Colein who on a time passing ouer a Riuer on horseback espied Saint Seuerinus sometime Bishop of Colein on the riuer who not long before was departed this life being buried at that time was muche renoumed for doing sundrie miracles This Byshop catcheth holde on the Monkes bridle and would not lette him passe any further wherwith the Monke was sore afraide and dilygently enquired of him why he béeing so notable a man was there withholden in that place The Bishop then required him to lend him his hande that he might vnderstande by féeling howe it was with him whiche when he haddoone that the Bishoppe had dipped the Monkes hande downe into the water sodenly in one moment al the flesh of hys hand by reason of the extreame heate was scalded off so that the bones only remained albare Unto whom then the Monke sith quod he thou art so famous a man in the Church how coÌ„meth it to passe that thou art so gréeuously tormented The Bishop aunswered only sayde he for this cause for that I haue not sayde ouer my Canonicall houres in due time distinctly as I shoulde haue done for I was in the Emperors Court busied and occupied with matters of his priuie Counsell in the morning hudling vp all my prayers at once all the rest of the daye I was troubled with other busines and for that cause do I now suffer this punishment of miserable heat But let vs both togither call vnto Almightie God that it may please him to restore thy hand againe which came presently to passe assoone as they had thus sayde And then spake he to the Monke saying Go my sonne and desire the brethren of our Church as also al other of the Clergie ther to poure out their prayers for mée to giue almes to the poore and néedie and to perseuer incessantly in offring vp continual sacrifice for me for so sone as these things shal be fulfilled â–ª I shall be deliuered out of these my torments and shal be ioyfully translated to the fellowship of those blessed Citizens of heauen which do earnestly desire my company Out of this historie this argument or reason they make Yf that good and Godly Byshop who being ouercharged with affaires of the Emperor leading to publike wealth could not dispatche his talke of prayers in due time and therefore is so miserably vexed and tormented what punishment may they looke for which hauing no necessarie businesse say ouer the Canonicall houres very coldely or else leaue them cleane vnsayde that they maye the better followe there owne lustes and vaine deuises And héerâ— note by the waye they make no mention at all of omytting those things which God hath expresly coÌ„manded vs But in case the Popishe Bishoppes do verily beléeue this storie to be true let them thinke with themselues howe they can be able to excuse themselues before the Iudgement seate of Almightie God for that they are content to be created Bishoppes of those Churches wherof notwithstanding they haue no care nor regarde but eyther wholy intangle themselues with worldly matters or if they do deale in matters of the church their whole study is directed to this end to stop the sincere preaching of Gods word and to tread those vnderfoote whose minds are occupied day night to the aduauÌ„cing setting forth of gods glory Of this stampe and sorte are most of those things wherwith the Monkes inferced and stuffed their bookes CHAP. XV. A proofe by other sufficient vvriters that Spirits doe sometime appeare AS touching other notable wryters they also make mention of spirits whiche doe often times appeare Alexander ab Alexandria an excellent Lawier born at Naples in his second booke Gemaliuns â—ierum and ninth chapter writeth that a certaine familiar friend of his of good credite dyd celebrate the funeral of one of his acquaintance and as he returned towardes Rome he entred into an Inne fast by the waye bicause it was nyght and there layde himselfe downe to rest As he laye there alone broade awake sodenly the Image of hys friende lately deceased came before him maruellous pale and leane euen as he was when he saw him last on his death bed whome when he behelde being almost besides himselfe with feare he demaunded of him who he was But the gost making no answere but slipping of his clothes layde him downe in the same bed and drewe neare as if he woulde haue embraced him The other gaue him place and kéeping him of from him by chaunce touched his fote which séemed so extreamly cold as no ice in the world might be compared vnto it Wherat the other looking very lowringly vppon him tooke vp his clothes againe and rose out of the bed and was neuer afterwardes séene He reporteth other histories in the same place whiche hapned in his time He liued aboue foure score yeares ago or neare that time Baptista Fulgosus Duke of Genua in his booke of worthy sayings doings of Emperors Princes Dukes c. which he wrote being in exile to auoyde idlenesse Touching straunge and monstrous things wryteth that in the Courte of Mattheus surnamed the great Shyrife of the Citie in the Euening after sunne sette there was séene a man farre excéeding common stature sitting on a horse in complete armour who when he had ben ther seen of many by the space of an hour in the end vanished away to the great terrour of those that beheld hym About thrée dayes after in like maner two men on horsebacke of the same stature were séene in the same place about thrée houres within night fighting togither a long season and in the ende vanished away as the other dydde before Not long after Henry the seuenth Emperor departed this life to the vtter vndoing of all the Shirifes Immediatly after this Hystorie he putteth an other more worthie memorie than the formost Lodouicus father to Alodisius ruler of Immola not long after he died appeared vnto a Secretarie whom Ludouicus had sente to Ferraria as he was on his iourney ryding on a