Part II, chapters 9–12: VVhether the Diuell haue povver to appeare vnder the shape of a faithfull man?; and following chapters

CHAP. IX. VVhether the Diuell haue povver to appeare vnder the shape of a faithfull man?

BUt thou doest demaund whether the Diuell can represente the lykenesse of some faithfull man deceased? Hereof we néede not doubt at all. For in the seconde Corin. 11. Saincte Paule witnesseth, that Sathan transformeth hym selfe into the shape and fashion of an Angell of light. Sathan by nature is a spirit, and is therefore tearmed an Angel, bicause God vseth to send him to bring that thing to passe which he thinketh best. So in the second of kings .22. chapter an euill Angell was sent forth to Ahabs destruction to be a lying spirit in the monthe of 400. false prophets. Thys was an Angell of erroure and darknesse: who yet in outward shewe could resemble a good Angell, that he mighte so guide the councell of Baals worshippers, who no doubt vaunted thē selues, as if they had bin gathered togither by Gods holy spirit. If Sathan be then so skilfull, can he not counterfaite and fayne him selfe to be some holy mā, by resembling his words, voice, gesture, and suche other things?

Amongst the Gentiles he hath done miraculous Actes, persuading them to thinke, that soules by arte Magike were called vp, and compelled to giue answere of secrete and hidden things that were to come. And therefore not only in publike, but also priuate affayres, if they semed to be any thing hard vnto them, they consulted with Magitians and sorcerers, and had moreouer recourse somtimes vnto oracles.

Tertullian in hys booke De Anima mentioneth, that there were some euen in his dayes, whiche professed they could raise vp and reclaime soules from the hellishe habitation. And he calleth arte Magike, the second Idolatrie, in the which the Diuells do as well fayne them selues to be dead men, as they do in the other to be Gods. So do these suttle spirites lurke, and do many straunge things vnder the pretence of deade men. He addeth that Magike is thought to conuey soules out of Hell whiche lye there in rest, and to represent them vnto our sighte, by reason that it sheweth a vaine vision, and counterfeiteth the shape of a bodie. Neyther is it a harde matter for him to bleare and beguyle the outward eyes, who can easily darken and dazell the inwarde sight of the mynde. The serpents that were brought foorth by the inchaunters rods, séemed to the Egiptians to be bodies, but the truth of Moyses deuoured vp the Magitians lye. Simon also and Elimas the Magitians did many signes and wonders against the Apostles &c. Hée addeth, that euen in hys tyme those heretikes named properly Symonistes of Symon the Magitian, the first author of that sect, did with suche greate presumption aduaunce their arte, that they professed they coulde rayse from the dead, euen the soules of the Prophets. &c.

Lactantius in the .2. booke & .17. chapt. De origine erroris, writeth, that euill angels lurking vnder the names of the dead, did wound and hurt the liuing, that is, they tooke vnto themselues the names of Iupiter and Iuno, whome the heathēs tooke to be gods, or as we now say, they tooke vnto them the names of S. Sebastian, Barbara, and others.

In the .7. boke and .13. chap. he sayth, that the Magitians with certayne inchauntmentes did call soules out of hell. But this may not so be vnderstode, that Lactantius was of this iudgement, that they by their wicked artes did bring the soules back again into their dead bodies: but that they did so vaunt and boast that they had raysed vp this & that soule. He also confuteth the opinion of the Ethnikes, prouing by the testimonie of the very Magitians, whom they highly reuerenced, yt 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 yt affirm they haue ben vexed with spirits of dead men, which persons the cōmon people term furious & frantike bodies. In Augustin de ciuitate dei, many such things be cōteined.

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, sh[…]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. [non-Latin script]. 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, sette on him, and chased him out of Thracia. And thus hauyng lost the citie of Biz[…]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 ye 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. Whē 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 cōmuned with him, to wit of his deth, yt is ye deth of ye crosse Thereupon they gather, that the soules of dead men may come againe into the earth & appeare vnto men: we haue graūted before ye 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 cōmaunded 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, yt they which shuld be Christes witnesses, shuld very wel vnderstand, that both ye Law & the Prophets, do bear record vnto our Sauiour Chryst, yt he shuld die for the world, & come again in the latter day, to raise vp the dead bodies, to glorifie them, & to carrie thē 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, ye 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 cōmaund them to do this or that for ye deads sake, to wit, either to pray for thē, or to go on pilgrimage to saints &c. But ye 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 th[…]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 ye 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 whō 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 cōmeth this man yt owed ye apparel, & hearing say ye maidē was dead, goeth to hir father whom somtimes he accuseth, & somtimes intreateth. The old father supposing this mās losse to be his own calamitie, cōmeth to his daughters graue, & ther calleth vpō god, beseching him yt he would shew him before the time, ye resurrection which is promised. And his hope was in vaine, for ye 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 ye like historie hath Augustine in his 137. epist. A certain yong man which had an euil name accused Boniface, Augustines priest, yt he inticed him to filthinesse. Now whē ye matter could neither be proued, nor disproued by sufficient resons: both of them were bid to goe to ye 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 mā, sitting and his sonne comming vnto him and receyuing all power of him.

Tertulliā and other holy fathers do teache, that ye 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, & many others.

In the 12. of ye Acts, we reade, that Herode killed Iames the Apostle with the sword, and whē he sawe that it pleased the Iewes, he caught Peter also, and when he hadde put him in pryson, hée deliuered him to .16. Souldioures to be kepte, entending after the feast of Passeouer to kyll him. But the Angell of the Lorde led S. Peter out of the prison by night through the Souldiours watch, and sette him in the right way to the house of Mary, the mother of Iohn, whose surname was Marke (where many were gathered togither and prayed.) And when he had knocked at ye entrie doore, a maid came forth to harken, named Rhode. But when she knew Peters voice, she opened not the entrie doore for gladnesse, but ran in and tolde howe Peter stood before the entrie, but they said vnto hir thou art mad: yet she affirmed constantly that it was so. Then said they it is his Angel, but Peter continued knocking, and when they had opened and saw him, they were astonied. In like maner, now also when the Apostles saw Christ, peraduē ture they thought they sawe a good Angel. For there are Angels giuen of God vnto men to keepe them. Of this matter ther is somwhat red in the .18. of S. Matthew, & in the 19. Psal. & we wil note somwhat more of it hereafter.

The Gentiles also beléeued (as maye be gathered by their writings) that euery mā had a good & an euil Angel, and that the good Angel did stir men vp to vertue, & defend them, but that the euil Angell did hurt men wheresoeuer he could, and did prouoke them to wickednesse.

If our Elders, when they haue séen or heard any thing of one that hath ben traueling or dead, did say it is his spirit, it may be, they ment not his soule, but his Angel: for if when as spirits were seen now in this place, and by and by in an other place, they did thinke them to be soules (as in these latter tymes all men haue beléeued:) in this they were deceiued, as they haue ben in many other things also, for soules are by & by receyued, eyther into euerlasting ioye, or into eternall damnation.

If the Preachers and Teachers had done their duties, and had in this and other pointes of Christian Doctrine, rightly instructed the people committed to their charge, or at the least, if they had not forbidden them to reade the holy Scriptures, they would haue thought a right both of this, & other things which at this day are in controuersie.

CHAP XII. Concerning the holie Fathers, Councels, Bishops and cō mon people, vvhich say that soules do visibly appere.

THe authoritie of the holy fathers is obiected against vs, as that which S. Ambrose wryteth of S. Agnes, & S. Augustine of S. Felix, of which we haue spoken before. And that whiche Abdias hath in the life of the Apostles, that Thomas appeared after his deth & preched. S. Gregorie in his Dialogues, doth write diuers and wonderous things, among others he rehearseth many examples of the beade whiche appeared, and desired helpe of certayne Saintes, yea and of the Apostles themselues, which haue visited some vpon their death beddes, a little before they departed, and many other suche like matters, which they that lyst may reade themselues. It is sayde that Hierome appeared to S. Augustine.

I will not in this place accuse the holie Fathers of vanitie, yet this we must note, they say not they haue beléeued that they whiche appeared, were the soules of deade men, but they spake after the common manner. As touching S. Gregories Dialogues, I can not hyde, this (which many haue noted before me (that many things are conteined in them that ar nothing tru, but altogether like old wiues tales. Not bicause ye holy father hath written these things of malice, but for that he being too too credulous, hath put many things into his bookes, rather vpon other mens report, than that he himselfe knew them certainely to be true.

At this day also there are many honest and godlie men which haue this faulte, that they are too quicke of beléefe, and altogither ruled by others. They iudge other men by themselues, they would be ashamed to reporte any thing that were false, and thinke suche men in like manner to be affectioned, which doe abuse their simplicitie and goodnesse. Often times these men, through their too muche lightnesse of beleefe, fall into great daungers.

Moreouer, in that age wherin Gregorie liued, men began to attribute muche to those apparances and visions. And at that time the true and sincere Doctrine began greatly to decay. Truly the time in which a man happens to lyue, is much to be regarded: he himselfe confessed that hys time was the latter tymes. Therefore the Scriptures shoulde haue béene more diligently haue lent vnto, neither should any thing haue béen retained that was not agreable vnto them. Some going about to excuse him, for that he hath stuffed his Dialogues full of myracles and wonders, say he dyd it to mollifie by those examples, the peruerse and hard heartes of the Longobardes, to the end they might embrace the true Religion, which they had so gréeuously persecuted. But that it is in no wise profitable to make knowen the true fayth, by these helpes, which are nothyng else but vayne tales, euen Viues himselfe, in his first booke De tradendis disciplinis doth acknowledge.

Some vrge vs with the authoritie of counsels, whiche haue allowed certain apparances of soules, and haue suffered some bookes, whiche are extant of such apparitions, to be read for the edifying of the simple, and some agayne together with their visions, they haue cleane reiected.

It is reported that the Counsell of Constance, hath allowed this vision:

A certaine Deane when he had giuen ouer his Deanrie, went into the Wildernesse to doe penaunce: after his deathe he appeared to his Byshop, and tolde him that the same houre in which he departed this life, there dyed thirty thousande men, among whome only his soule and S. Bernarde were made partakers of eternall saluation, and three went into purgatorie, and all the rest into endlesse damnation. &c. They say that Councels & the churche cannot erre, bycause they are guided by the holy Ghost. Also in the 24. of Matthew, the Lord doth saye in the late dayes there shalbe signes and wonders that the very elect if it were possible might be seduced, therefore they cōclude those things which councels do say of suche apparitions, are to be beleued. Christs words ar not so to be vnderstode that the chosen can neuer be broughte into errors (for the contrary may be shewed by many examples) but that they do not abide in erroure, albeit some do very hardly get out of the same agayne. Tell me, I pray you, who they were that came togither in auncient Councels? were they not holy fathers? It is manifest that in many points they were at variaunce among themselues, and that they haue shewed by their contrary writings: yea and many times they ar cōtrary 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 Car[…]hage, which Cipriā gathered, pronoūced 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 vpō 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 ye shapes and formes of them whose soules are not yet sundred from their bodies by death (as when one lieth vpō his death bed) are no lesse séene than theirs which are already dead. Therfore it is not necessary that we beleue ye ghosts which are séene, to be soules. By these things you vnderstād what is to be thought of the tale of Platina, Nauclerus, & others, which write yt 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 ye vse of the pore (but nowe wickedly kept to other purposes) vnto those pore folks to whome of right it belōged. Other tales of like stampe are ryfe euery where.