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
learne by the riche mans words if we will wey and consider with our selues what he demaunded coulde not obteine For if after death mens soules might any longer haue their conuersation here on earth no doubte the riche man him selfe woulde haue retourned as his desire was and certified his friends of hell torments Out of which place of scripture it is most cleare that soules immediatly vpon their departure from their body are caried vnto a certein place whence they cannot of themselues returne but néeds must wait there for that terrible daye of iudgement Also in his secōd homily of Lazarus amōg other things he saith It is most playne not only by that we haue before rehearsed but also by this parable that soules parted from the body haue their abiding here no longer but are forthwith lead away For it came to passe saith he that he died and was caried away by the Angels And not only the soules of the iust but of the vniust and wicked are hence lead away caried to their proper places which doth euidently appeare by another rich man of which mētion is made in the 12. of Luke to whome the Lorde said Thou foole this night will they take thy soule from thée And in hys fourthe homily of Lazarus he plainly teacheth that we should giue more credite to holy Scripture than to one that came from the dead or an Angell from Heauen Herewithall he also sheweth that the dead do not only make no apperance vnto men liuing but yeldeth reasons wherfore they do not returne hither in these words If god had knowen that the dead being raised might haue profited the liuing he would neuer haue let passe so great a benefite who otherwise dothe giue and prouide vs all things profitable Furthermore he addeth that if it were requisite still to raise vp dead men to make relation vnto vs of such things as there are done this no doubt in continuaunce of time would haue bin neglected and so the Diuell very easily would haue broched and brought in damnable opinions into the world For he might often haue made counterfeit sights or suborne suche as should fayne their selues to be dead and buried and by by to present themselues before men as if they had bin in déede raised from death and by suche manner of persons might so haue bewitched simple soules that they would beleue whatsoeuer he would haue For if now when there is in déede no such thing the vayn dreames as it were of men decessed that haue bin shewed to mē in sleep haue deceyued peruerted destroyed many surely much sooner wold the same haue fallen out if it had bin a thing truly done this opiniō had preuailed in mens heads For if many dead persons had retourned backe again into this life the wicked spirit the diuell would easily haue deuised many sleights wiles brought in much deceit into the life of mā And therfore god hath cleane shut vp this dore of deceit not permitted any dead mā to returne hither shewe what things be done in the other life least the diuell might gredely catch this occasion to plant his fraudulēt policies For whē the prophets were he raised vp false prophets when the Apostles were he stirred vp false Apostles and whē Christ appeared in flesh he sent hither false Christs or Antechrists And when sincere sound doctrin was taught he brought into the world corrupt damnable opiniōs sowing tares whersoeuer he came And therfore although it had come to passe that dead mē shold return again yet wold he haue counterfeited the same also by his instruments by some fained raising of the dead through the blinding bewitching of mens eyes or otherwise by suborning of some whiche should feine themselues to be dead as I said before he would haue turned al things topsituruie and vtterly haue confounded them But god who knoweth all things hath stopped his way that he should not thus deceyue vs and of his great mercy towards vs hath not permitted that at any time any shold returne frō thēce tel vnto mē liuing such things as there are done héerby to instruct vs that we shold be of this opinion iudgemēt that the scriptures oughte to be beleued before other things whatsoeuer bycause that God in them hath most clerely taught vs the doctrine of the last resurrection Further by them he hath conuerted the whole world banished error brought in truth and cōpassed al these things by vile base fishers and finally in them hath giuē vs euery where plentifull argumentes of his diuine prouidence c. S. Cyril in his .xi. booke .36 chap. vpon S. Iohns gospell saith We ought to beleue that when the soules of holy men are gone away from the bodies they are commended vnto the goodnesse of God as into the handes of a most déere father that they do not abide in the earth as some of the heathens beleued vntil such time as they abhorred their graues neither that they are caried as the soules of wycked men vnto a place of excéeding tormēt which is hel Christ hauing first prepared this iorney for vs but that they rather mount vp aloft into their heauenly fathers hands c. And in the Popes canon law causa 13. quaest 2. Fatendū we read that many do beleue that some come from the dead to the liuing euen as on the other side holy Scripture doth witnesse that Paule was caught vp from the liuing into paradise Uppon these words the glose saith that some doe in dede so beleue but falsly sith they be but fansies vayne imaginations as it is in causa 26. quaestione 5. Episcopi What farther may be saide to those men that knowe these things and neuerthelesse do beleue that soules stray in the earth I knowe not yet that I may lay out al things plainly I wil here confute their chiefest arguments CHAP. VI. A confutation of those mennes argumentes or reasons vvhiche affirme that dead mens soules do appeare And firste that is aunsvvered vvhiche certaine doe alleage to vvitte that God is omnipotent and therfore that he can vvoorke contrary to the ordinary course of nature FIrst our aduersaries do lay against vs that by the vsual cōmon course of things the souls of the godly abide in heauē the soules of the wicked in hell vntil the last day do not walk at all but yet that god may dispence with them to appere here somtimes therby to instruct admonish vs And then Samuel did appere after his death vnto king Saule Moses also which forsooke this life many yeres before Likewise Elias who was taken vp into heauen in a fyrie charet appered vnto Christ our sauior his iij. disciples whō he toke with him at his transfiguratiō in the mount Lazarus also of Bethanie returned from death into the earth and many other also wer raysed from death by Christ his apostles and prophets Farther
that soule He also confuteth the opinion of the Ethnikes prouing by the testimonie of the very Magitians whom they highly reuerenced that the soule was immortall These men affirmed and taught that they did call vp soules from the dead the which poynt euen those of the Gentiles beleeued who notwithstanding thought that the soule did streightway die with the bodie Iustine the Martyr in the seconde Apologie whiche he wrote in the defence of Christians hath these wordes I will sayth he say the truth In times past wicked angels through vayn visions deceyued women and children and with straunge and monstrous sightes made men afrayde by whiche meanes they often wroong that oute of foolishe and rude persons whiche by reason they coulde neuer get of them And therefore not knowyng that these were the Diuels engins and policies tendyng to delude them they by one consente termed the workers of these slye conueyances by the name of Gods assignyng to eache of them their propre names as best pleased themselues c. Afterwardes in the same Apologie hée exhorteth the heathens that they would not deny mens soules after this lyfe to be indued with sense but at the least way woulde giue credite to their owne Necromancers who teach that they call vp mens soules Also let them beléeue those that affirm they haue ben vexed with spirits of dead men which persons the coÌ„mon people term furious frantike bodies In Augustin de ciuitate dei many such things be coÌ„teined Now what dreadfull strange and maruellous ceremonies they vsed when they went aboute by their Magicall artes to call vp the soules of the deade a man may sée in the first booke of Lucan the Poet where he setteth foorth howe Erictho a famous Wytche in Thessalye reuiued and restored a souldioure to lyfe againe who was lately slayne before Whiche acte he did at the requeste of Sextus Pompeius that so he myght by him learne what wold be the issue of the battayle fought at Pharsalia This kind of Magike they proprely terme Necromancie or Psycomancie which is wrought by raising vp the spirites and soules of the dead Of whiche there were dyuerse sortes For sometyme appeared vnto menne the whole bodies of the dead but at an other time onely ghostes and spirites and often nothing was hearde sauyng onely a certayne obscure voyce Plutarche in the lyfe of Cimon as hée is translated by Ioachimus Camerarius in the Preface on Plutarches bookes De oraculis quae defecerint de conseruata figura Delphis writeth that Pausanias when he had taken the Citie of Bizance sente for Cleonice a mayden of noble parentage to haue vnhoneste companie with hir Whome hir parentes partely by necessitie and partely for feare sente vnto him But after that the Uirgin had once obtayned so muche of his wayghters in hys priuie chamber that they shoulde at hir fyrst entraunce put out the lyghtes shâ—e in the darke goyng softly towards Pausanias bedde by the waye stumbled on the candlesticke and ouerthrew it agaynste hir will as hée laye asléepe in his bedde who béeing troubled wyth the sodayne noyse drewe a swoorde that laye by hym and therewith slewe the virgin as she had bin his enimie whiche went priuily to sette vppon hym But shée béeing thus slayne wyth that deadly stroake woulde neuer after suffer Pausanias to take his quiet reste but in a vision appearing vnto him in the nyghte season denounced sentence of hatred against this noble captayn in these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Answere to the lawe for wrong is an euill thing vntoo all men This heynous déede of Pausanias was very gréeuously taken of all his companions who therfore vnder the conduction of captayne Cymo â–ª sette on him and chased him out of Thracia And thus hauyng lost the citie of Bizâ—nce when as it is reported the sight continued in troubling him hée fledde vnto Necyomantium at Heraclea where the soule of Cleonices béeing called vp hée by intreatie pacified hir displeasure Shée didde there bothe present hir self vntoo hys syght and also told hym it shold shortly come to passe that the euill towards him shold cease as soone as he came to Sparta Héereby priuily intimating his death c. This Pausanias did at the first soberly and discreatly demeane him selfe but afterwardes béeing puffed vp with such victories as he had obteined he ruled and raigned lyke a very Tyraunt Wherefore when the Magistrates called Ephori would haue committed him to pryson he tooke Sanctuarie in a Temple where he was shutte vp vntill he famished through hunger I might héere heap togither many such like Hystories to proue euidently what this Samuel was In other matters also if God licence him the Deuill is not destitute of power and howe craftie and ready he is for all assayes experience doth well declare Furthermore graunt that wherein the pith strength of the question doth consist which can neuer be proued by Scripture that God did permit Samuel to return and to Prophesie of things to come after hys death yet will it not thereof followe that suche visions shoulde nowe be shewed also or that those thyngs shoulde be out of hande credited and done which they commaund God in tymes past did often in visible shape sende his Angels vnto men but nowe we heare not that many are sent vnto men neither in déed is the same necessarie WheÌ„ the Apostles lyued héere many notable miracles were doone but nowe for certaine good causes they cease and fal away for whatsoeuer is necessarie for our Saluation is expresly conteyned in the worde of god These notes touching Samuels appearing may suffise CHAP. X. Moyses and Elias appeared in the Mounte vnto Chryst our Lorde many haue ben raised from the dead both in body and soule and therefore Soules after they are departed may returne on earth againe IN like manner they obiecte vnto vs out of the 17. of Matthew that Moses and Helias were séene in the Mount whiche is called by the olde Wryters Tabor with our Lord Iesus by the Apostles whom he had chosen for the same purpose and that they dyd speake with him Luke telleth of what matters they coÌ„muned with him to wit of his deth that is the deth of the crosse Thereupon they gather that the soules of dead men may come againe into the earth appeare vnto men we haue grauÌ„ted before the God is able to send soules again into the earth but that it is his will so to do or that it is necessary especially at these days is not yet proued Moses Helias apered not to al the Apostles but only to thrée neither did they speake to those thrée they brought no new Doctrine they coÌ„maunded them not to build Churches in their honor or to do any such like thing whether that their soules came alone or their bodies also sure it is they were not sente to the Apostles but to Chryst only It was very necessarie that they which shuld be
and many times they ar coÌ„trary to themselues and therfore they haue not alwayes thought aright Sometime they send vs to the word of God as to the most certayne rule and leauell of faith There are examples ynow by whiche it may be shewed that the olde Councelles haue erred in some of their determinations The Councell of Ariminum hath allowed the Arrians doctrine The second Ephesin councell did subscribe to Eutiches The Councell holden at Carâ—hage which CipriaÌ„ gathered pronouÌ„ced flatly against the scriptures c. What shall we say was done in later times It is well ynough knowen by histories who hathe resisted Councels and ruled them and what hath bene chiefly handled in them for certayne hundred yeares And what for the most parte hathe by and by followed after them euen cruel warres and bloudy slaughters If nowe those auncient Councels coulde erre who will maruayle that they which haue assembled since haue erred But as touching the apparitions that I may all other things omitted talke only of them tell me I pray you who should certifie the Councles whether this or that vision were true or false Certaynly no Councels can bring to passe that the lyes whiche haue bin scatred abroade shall nowe begin to be true tales although they of the Councel haue saide they are true It is euen as foolishe to say the Pope who wil be counted aboue all Councels hath confirmed this or that miracle to be true which they say was wrought in some one monastery or other How can the bishop of Rome being so far off knowe any thing better than they which dwell in the same places If the bishop hauing no other assuraunce than out of their words or writings which perhaps go about to erecte newe pilgrimages and newe deuises to get money confirme once that this or that soule was séene it must straight way without any gaynsaying be beleued But if any other men who haue with diligence sought out the truth of the matter do testifie the contrary al that they say must not be regarded Consider I beséeche you of this matter Before all haue doubted whether the thing were so or no but assoone as the Pope doth giue his verdicte or some Church man do in his dreame sée it to be so it is a heynouse matter afterwards to doubt of it O tyme O manners As touching other common and laye men as they terme them which say they haue séene one after his death and haue heard and knowne him and haue spoken with him I easyly graunt they haue séene and heard some thing and haue thought verily they were soules and that they dyd speake with them But it foloweth not therfore that they were soules indéede much lesse that any dead man hath appered in body and soul vnto them For at Domes day only the soules shall returne to their bodies agayne Soules are spirits but spirits are inuisible wherefore they cannot so be séene vnlesse they take some outward shape vpoÌ„ them But it can neuer be proued by the testimony of holy scripture that as good euil Angels so soules take some shapes vpon them Besides this it is most true that oftentimes the shapes and formes of them whose soules are not yet sundred from their bodies by death as when one lieth vpoÌ„ his death bed are no lesse séene than theirs which are already dead Therfore it is not necessary that we beleue the ghosts which are séene to be soules By these things you vnderstaÌ„d what is to be thought of the tale of Platina Nauclerus others which write that a certeine Bishop sawe Pope Benedict the eyght lately dead in a solitary place sitting vpon a blacke horse being demaunded why he was so caried about with the blacke horse he warned the bishop that he shold distribute the money which was giuen to the vse of the pore but nowe wickedly kept to other purposes vnto those pore folks to whome of right it beloÌ„ged Other tales of like stampe are ryfe euery where CHAP. XIII VVhether soules do returne agayne out of Purgatorie and the place vvhich they call Limbus puerorum THat soules whiche are gon either to Heauen or to Hell returne not thence nor appeare agayne before the latter daye perchaunce some menne woulde easely graunte but they imagine there is a thirde place whych is Purgatorie oute of the whiche soules doe retourne vppon earthe For as yet the laste sentence hath not passed on them and therfore as yet they maye bée helped and therefore also they doe craue helpe and shewe themselues vnto men But wée haue proued before at large bothe out of the scriptures and also out of the writings of the auncient fathers that the soules of the faithful are saued and that the soules of the vnbeleeuers are damned immediatly without delay and therefore there is no Purgatorie Agaynst this they alledge sundry argumentes amongst the whiche thys albeit it be very common yet is it the chéefest when they say that no man is saued excepte he be purged from all his sinnes and that sinne cleaueth vnto vs euen vnto the graue If wée saye that puritie and cleannesse consisteth not in our woorkes or in the paynes which we endure but that God through faith in his sonne Iesus Christe who is our only redemption iustification satisfaction and raunsom for our sinnes doth iustifie vs they streyght aunsweare that our faith is vnperfecte and that the moste godly men complayne when they departe hence of the weakenesse of their fayth And therefore that God dothe not take vp suche kynde of men straightwayes into heauen nor yet bycause they are not vtterly voyde of fayth thrust them presently downe into hell And therfore that there is a middle place betwene bothe whiche is called Purgatorie in which the soules are purified from the imperfection whiche remayned in them at the time of their death and out of the which they are deliuered by the merits of the liuing and by large pardons Is not this as muche as to attribute that vnto our owne paines and to external fyre whiche ought only to be ascribed vnto the death of Christ Doth not Christe teache vs that if at any time we féele any weakenesse of faith we shold crye out with the Apostles Lorde increase our faith Doth God disdaine to heare the prayers of his faithfull people in the extremitie of death Christ sayth he that is washed hath no néede saue to washe his féete but he is cleane euery whitte Hée wyll saue vs not for the woorthinesse of our faythe but by his méere grace onely He dooth bestow these things amongst vs as if some ryche man did fréely giue meate and drinke vnto others wherof some of them receyueth it in woodden some in earthen and some in siluer or golden vessels or as if a Prince did distribute vnto euery one a piece of golde and some receyue it with a féeble hande and some with a strong and lustie hande He that hath the weake hande receyueth
he may intermedle euil things therwith he speaketh truth that he may scatter abroade lyes and roote them in mens hearts So Sinon in Vergill mingled falsehode with truth that he might the better entrap the Troians Sathan dothe imitate craftie gamsters who suffer a plaine and simple yong man to winne a while of them that afterwards being gréedy to play they may lurche him of all his golde and siluer He followeth them which once or twise iustly repay vnto their creditoures suche money as they haue borowed kéeping their promise duely that afterwards they may obteine a great summe of them and then deceyue them The diuell sometimes vttereth the truth that his words may haue the more credite and that he may the more easely beguile them He that woulde vtter euill wares doth not only sette them foorth in wordes but doth also so trim and decke them that they seeme excellent good wherby they are the more salable this arte also the diuell knoweth for he painteth out his stuffe that he may obtâ—â—de it vnto other men in the stead of good ware S. Ambrose writeth in his CoÌ„mentaries vpon the first epistle to the Thessalonians and fift chap. expounding these words Quâ—nâ—he not the Spirit Despise not prophecying Examin all things and kepe that which is good Euill spirits are wont to speake good things craftely as it were by imitation and amongst those they priuily insinuate wicked things that by means of those things which are good euill things may be admitted and bycause they are supposed the words of one spirit they may not be discerned a sunder but by that whych is lawfull an vnlawfull thing may be commended by authoritie of the name and not by reason of vertue c. Herevnto apperteine those words whiche we reade in S. Chrisostomes second sermon De Lazara There he sheweth that many simple men haue bin in this erroure that they haue thought the soules of those which were slayne by some violent death did become Diuels He sayth further that the Diuell hathe persuaded many witches and such as serue him being in this erroure that they shoulde kill the teÌ„der bodies of many yong men hoping they shold become Diuels and do them seruice And by and by he addeth But these things are not true no I say they are not What is it then that Diuels say I am the soule of suche a Monke Uerely I beleue it not euen for thys that Diuells do aduoutche it for they deceyue their auditours Wherefore Paule also commaundeth them to silence albeit they speake truth lest taking occasion by truth they mingle lyes therwith and so purchase them selues credite For when they had sayd These men are the seruants of the most high God shewing vnto you the way of saluation The Apostle not content herewith coÌ„maunded the prophecying spirite vnto silence and to come foorth of the mayd And yet what harme speake they These men are the seruantes of the moste high god But bycause the most parte of simple men haue not vnderstanding alwayes to iudge of those things whiche are vttered by Diuels he at once excludeth them from all credite Thou art saith he of the number of infamous spirites it belongeth not to thee to speake fréely hold thy peace kepe silence it is not thy office to preache This is the authoritie of the Apostles why takest thou vppon thée that which appertayneth not vnto thee hold thy peace be thou infamous So also did Christe sharply rebuke the diuels saying vnto him we knowe thée who thou art therein prescribing vnto vs a lawe that we shoulde in no wise trust the diuell albeit he tell the truth Sith we know these things let vs in no wise beléeue the diuell nay rather if he say any thyng that is truth let vs flâ—e from him and shunne him For it is not lawful exactly to learne sounde and holsome doctrine of diuels but out of the holy Scriptures That you may therfore know that it can in no wise be that a soule once departed out of the body can come vnder the tyrannie of the diuell heare what sainct Paule sayth For he that is dead is iustified from sinne that is he sinneth no more For if the diuel can do no hurt vnto the soule whyle it is in the body it is euidente hée can not hurt it when it is departed out of the body c. By all these things it is playne what manner of things those are which are heard séene ¶ The thirde part of this Booke in which is shewed why or to vvhat end God suffereth Spirits to appeare and other strange things to happen as also howe men ought to behaue them selues when they méete with any suche things CHAP. 1. God by the appearing of Spirits doth exercise the faithfull and punishe the vnbeleeuers IT followeth nowe hereafter to be intreated of why God suffreth spirites ghostes and horrible sightes to appeare c. also why he dothe permitte other straunge and miraculous thynges to happen And furthermore howe men oughte to behaue them selues when they sée any suche thyngs GOD doth suffer Spirites to appeare vnto his electe vnto a good ende but vnto the reprobate they appeare as a punishemente And as all other things tourne to the beste vntoo the Faythefull euen so doo these also for yf they bée good Spirites whiche appeare vnto menne warnyng and defendyng them thereby do they gather the care prouidence and Fatherly affection of GOD towardes them But in case they bée euyll Spyrites as for the most part they are the faithfull are moued by occasion of them vnto true repentaunce They looke diligently vnto themselues so long as they liue least the enimie of mankynde who is ready at all assayes and lyeth always in waight should bring them into mischiefe and take further vauntage to vexe and hurte them God also by these meanes dothe exercise and trie their faith and pacience to the end they continue in his woord receyue nothing contrary to the same haue it neuer so fayre a shewe nor do any manner of thing agaynst his worde although those spirites doe not streightwayes cease to vexe them God dothe also suffer them to be exercised with haunting of spirites for this cause that they shold be the more humble and lowely For in the second Epistle to the Corinth and .xij. chap. Paul sayth And least I shold be exalted out of measure through the excellencie of reuelatioÌ„s ther was giuen vnto mée vnquietnesse through the fleshe euen the messanger of Sathan to buffet me bicause I shold not be exalted out of measure For this thing besought I the Lord thrice that it mighte depart from me And he sayd vnto me My grace is sufficieÌ„t for thée for my strength is made perfect through weakenesse Except God did shut vp the waye before vs with certaine stops and â—ets we shold not know our selues we shoulde not vnderstande wherof we stand in néed we shold not so earnestly pray vnto God
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.
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
and knowe the truth c. By the woorde spirite are vnderstoode false teachers whiche vaunt themselues of the spirite of God But what cause is there why it maye not be vnderstoode of suche wandring spirites whiche haue induced men to take in hande many things In the seconde Epistle to the Thessalonians and the seconde Chapter when certayne affirmed the latter daye to be presente at hande Paule foretelleth them that there shall be a defection and that Antichrist shall first come saying Nowe we beséech you brethren by the comming of our Lorde Iesus Chryste by our assembling vnto hym that yée be not sodenly moued from your intent nor troubled neyther by spirite nor by word nor by letter as it were from vs as though the day of Christ were at hande Let no man deceyue you by any meanes c. Which wordes truely in my iudgement may also be verie aptly vnderstood of those wandering spirits Saint Iohn sayth in hys first Epistle and fourth chapter Dearly béeloued beléeue not euery spirit but trie the spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophetes are gone out into the world Héereby shall yée knowe the spirit of god Euery spirit that cōfesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and euery spirite whiche confesseth not that Iesus Chryst is come in the flesh is not of god c. Héere he speaketh not of spirites which falsly affirme themselues to be mens soules but of those teachers whiche boaste of themselues that they haue the spirite of god But in case we must not beléeue them being aliue much lesse ought we to credite them when they are dead And albeit that neyther Chryste nor hys Apostles had so diligently giuen vs warning not to suffer our selues to be seduced with myracles and with the talke of spirites yet notwithstanding dayly experience teacheth vs to be circumspect and warie in these cases For as soone as false teachers sée that they haue no testimonie of Scripture to defende themselues withall by and by they turne themselues to spirits and visions whereby they may confirme their Doctrine which thing hath opened a large window to many erroures To what inconuenience Ambition couetounesse enuie hath brought many of the clergie it is both well knowne by many examples and it hath also as it were by the waye béene before declared Haue not the orders of Monkes striued amongest themselues for the preheminence haue not they inuented newe miracles haue they not counterfeited Gods Pilgrimages Saintes spirits The holy Uirgin is a famouse notable exāple that we shuld not rashly beléeue euery spirit For at what time the Angel Gabriel apeared vnto hir in a visible shape saluted hir shewing hir before of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God she thought with hir selfe what maner of salutation that shuld be how this thing could come to passe séeing she had knowen no man Then at the last being enfourmed of the means by the Angel she sayd Behold the handmayde of the Lorde be it vnto me according to thy word Why then should we beléeue euery spirite especially those which teach things quite contrarie to the word of God. CHAP. IX After vvhat sorte the faithfull in the primitiue Churche vsed themselues vvhen they mette vvith spirites I Haue declared out of the word of God how good and godly men ought to behaue themselues when soeuer any spirites appeare vnto thē And truely the auncient Christians behaued themselues after this sorte For they were couragious without feare they gaue themselues to godlynesse and all good workes they diligently auoyded all things which were displeasing vnto God and they were also verie circumspect not to attribute too much vnto spirites and visions It was a cōmon custome amongst thē to blesse themselues with the signe of the Crosse when they met with these things which many also vse at this day Tertullian writeth in his booke De corona militis that the auncient Christians did many times marke their foreheades with the signe of the Crosse. S. Hierom exhorteth Demetriades that he often crosse his foreheade least that the destroyer of Egipt finde any place therein Origen also Epiphanius Chrisostome and Augustine write many things of the vertue of the holie Crosse. S. Athanasius writeth in hys booke de Humanitate verbi eiusque corporali aduentu fol. 67. In times past sayth he the deuils by vaine shewes and mockerie ensnared men abiding somtimes in wels somtime in ryuers in stones and woods and so by craftie deceytes brought vnwise men into sottishnesse But nowe since Gods worde hath appeared vnto vs suche sightes and vaine fantasies haue surceased Fol. 56. and .72 and in other places also he handleth the same matter Lanctantius writeth of the same in his fourth boke Diuinarum Institutionum 26. chapter and also thorowout the 27. Chapter He saythe that the deuill can haue no accesse vnto those nor any wayes hurte them whiche signe their foreheades with the crosse He addeth moreouer that the Christians vsed this ceremonie in olde time in casting out deuils and healing diseases Not for that they ascribed such efficacie and force to the externall signe of the crosse for that were supersticious but vnto the crosse that is to the merytes of Chryste whose worthinesse and excellencie they called withall to their remembrance Touching the holy Apostles or Apostolike Churches we reade not that they euer vsed the signe of the crosse in expelling deuils in curing diseases or in any other thing God spared the Iewes in Egipt whiche marked the doore postes with the bloude of the Lambe not that Lambes bloude is able to deliuer men from death but it was a figure of the bloud and passion of Christ Iesus And the Iewes sprinkled not bloud of their owne good deuotion as they terme it but by the commaūdement of god The holy fathers by the ceremonie that they signed themselues wyth the crosse mente to testifie their confidence in the crosse that is in the deth of Christ Iesus which abandoneth all euill and mischiefe The deuill neuer a whit feareth the crosse wherewith we signe our selues nor yet those pieces fragmentes of Christes crosse which are shewed for reliques but he trembleth at the power and force of Chrystes death by the whiche he was conquered and ouerthrowen If any man attribute too muche vnto ceremonies he cannot be excused from supersticion which worthily deserueth blame We read more in the auncient wryters that they vsed exorcismes or coniurations in the primatiu◠Churche against Deuils You may read in Tertullian in his booke De anima that vncleane spirites haue often times deceyued men haue taken on them the persones of others and haue fayned themselues to be the soules of dead men that men should not beléeue that all soules descended into Hell what is to be vnderstood by the worde Hell I haue shewed before and so to bring the beleefe of the latter Iudgemente