Part I, chapters 18–19: It is proued by testimonies of holy scripture; and following chapters

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, 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 Samari[…] from great famine, when it was fiercely besieged by Benhadad king of the Assyrians, 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 […]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 yt 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 ye 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 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, yt he went not one foote out of his chamber yt morning. And in case he had not diligently serched out yt 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 circūspect in these cases, for y[…] Deuil by these means doth oftētimes circumuent ye inocēt. Chun[…] gunda wife vnto Henry the […]. Emperor of ye 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 plowshares, (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, 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 […]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 Ad[…]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 s[…]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 ye oth[…]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 mā 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, […]hamꝰ looking out of the stern towards the land, cryed out as he had heard, yt 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 admi[…]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, yt 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 Mercuri[…] and Penelope, &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 thē. 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 […]9. yeare of Tiberius, whiche was the same yeare that Chryst was crucif[…]ed in: by the whiche voi[…]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 Archadi[…]s do worship this God, calling him [non-Latin script], 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 Hann[…]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 yt 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 impud[…]ntely contemne all things which are aduouched, of so many, and so credible Historiographers, and aunciente fathers, and other graue men of great authoritie.