Part III, chapters 1–4: God by the appearing of Spirits doth exercise the faithfull; and following chapters

¶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 ye 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 reuelatiōs, 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 ye Lord thrice, that it mighte depart from me. And he sayd vnto me: My grace is sufficiēt for thée, for my strength is made perfect through weakenesse. Except God did shut vp the waye before vs with certaine stops and […]ets, we shold not know our selues, we shoulde not vnderstande wherof we stand in néed, we shold not so earnestly pray vnto God, 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: hearkē 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 cōmoditie 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 shalbe 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 ha[…]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 frō the dead, yt he might now vse his aduise, whō 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 parēts, contemne their counsel, & wold gladly wishe their death, & at the last grow vnto y[…] point, that they wold willingly take in hād a great iourney on cōdition 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, amōgst whō Elias was a man indued with the gif[…]e of shewing & working miracles. But they did not only contēne those prophets, but also cruelly murdered so many of them as they could catche. Yet amongst the rest, they especially laboured to intrap Elias, who was exceading zelouse. The Baalamites were in greate fauoure with the king: but especially with the Quéene, as hir chief dearlings. And when the time approched, that Achab shoulde suffer due and worthye punishement for his Idolatrie and wickednesse, wherein he had long time liued, he entred councell with his kinsman Iosaphat, that they ioyning their powers togither might recouer agayne the citie of Ramoth Gilead, whiche the Assirians had taken from hym. Iosaphat allowed well this deuise, notwythstanding hée woulde in any wyse aske counsayle herein of GOD. Achab therefore gathereth togither a councell of .400. priests of Baall, who all with one voice, exhorted him to goe on with his enterprise, assuring him of most certeyne victorie. One of them named Sedechias, was so vainly bold, that putting hornes of yron on his head, he sayde: with these hornes shalt thou pushe the Assirians. But Iosaphat suspecting the matter, asked if there were any one Prophet of God to be found, of whom they might séeke councell. Achab answeared: There is (quoth he) yet a certeine man by whom we might enquire of the Lorde, but I hate him, for he doth not prophecie good vnto me, but euill, his name is Micheas. Iosaphat thought good in any wise to heare him. Wherfore the king presently sent for him by one of his chamberlaines. And thus the messanger spake vnto him. All the Prophets with one voice, prophecie good lucke vnto the king, I pray thée therfore, that thou speake nothing to the contrary. When he was nowe brought before the two kings sitting in their thrones, clad with sumptuous apparell, and before the other Prophets, which stoode in their presence, king Achab asked him, whether they should make warres against Ramoth Gilead, or no? Unto whom he scoffingly answered: go (saith he) thou shalt haue prosperous successe. The king who by the manner of his vtterance, vnderstoode he spake not in earnest, instantly required hym to tell hym the truth. Whervppon he sayde: that he had séene all Israell dispersed in the mountaines, as shepe without a shepherd, and that the Lorde had sayde: These men haue no Lord, let euery one returne home to his owne house in safetie. Then sayde Achab, did I not tell thée, that this fellowe doth prophecie me no good? The Prophete went on, saying: heare the word of God: I sawe the Lord sitting in his seate of maiestie, and all the host of Heauen stand about him on his righte hande, and on his lefte hande. And the Lorde sayde, who shall entice Achab that he may go and fall at Ramoth Gilead. And one sayde on this manner, and an other sayde on that manner. Then there came foorth a spirit, and stoode before the Lorde and sayde, I will entice him. And the Lorde sayde vnto him, wherewith? And he sayde, I will go out and be a false Spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets. Then he sayde, thou shalt entise him, and shalt also preuaile: go foorth and do so. Nowe therefore behold, the Lorde hath put a lying Spirit in the mouth of all these thy Prophets, and the Lorde hathe appointed euill agaynst thée. Then Sedechias came nere and smote Micheas on the chéeke, and sayde: when went the spirit of the Lorde from me, to speake vnto thée? And Micheas prophecied what should happen also vnto him. So the king commaunded him to be cast into prison, and to be fed with bread and water vntil he returned frō ye warres. Then sayde Micheas, if thou returne in peace, the Lorde hathe not spoken by me: and therewith he willed all the people to hearken what he spake. Notwithstanding the kings went forewarde with their enterprise, and prepared themselues, and led foorth their armes against their enimies. Achab was slayne in the battaile: Iosaphat because he ioyned him selfe with the wicked was in very great daunger &c.

I haue handled thys historie somewhat at large, that we might vnderstand, howe God by his iust iudgement sendeth spirits vnto those which despise his word, whereby they may be beguiled and deceyued.

The very same happened vnto the Christians after the Apostles tyme. For when the word of God began to be lesse estemed than it shoulde haue bin, and men preferred their owne affections before the hearing thereof: and when as they would incurre no manner of daunger, for the defence of their faith, and of the truth, but accounted of all religions alike, God so punished them that nowe they began to giue eare vnto false teachers, whiche framed them selues vnto theyr veine affections, they learned of images, whom they called lay mennes bookes, they kissed these mens boanes, and shrined them in golde (if happely they were their boanes) whose doctrine before they disdained to receyue: they gaue credite vnto false apparitions and diuelishe visions: and so suffered they worthy punishment for their greate ingratitude. Euen as yong men, which will not be ruled by their maisters, are after compelled to obey other men with great shame: so also happened it vnto those men: for they fell dayly more and more from the word of God, in so muche that when they had once lost the truthe, some ranne one waye, and some an other to fynde a meanes for the remission of their sins: and one man beleued this spirite, an other that, which no man can deny.

The like chaunced vnto the Gentiles in times past, as it appereth by the first chap. to the Romans, & also by their own writings. They worshipped many gods, many miracles were shewed amongst them: they had many visiōs of gods, and many oracles: which when ye Apostles began to preach, al cessed. S. Athanasius in his booke De humanitate verbi. Fol. 55. & 64. writeth, that in auncient time ther were oracles at Delphos in Beeotta, Lycia, & other places whiche he nameth: but nowe since Chryste is preached euery where vnto all men, this madnesse hath ceassed &c. In the like manner writeth Lactantius and others. But in these our daies, since we haue refused mens traditions and willingly imbraced the doctrine of the Gospell, all appearings of Soules and Spirites haue quite vanished away.

Who (I pray you) heareth now of any soule or Spirit, which doth wander, and as they call it, craue mens deuotions? Those rumblings of Spirits in the night are now muche more seldome heard than they haue bin in times past.

CHAP. II. VVhat the cause is that in these our dayes so fevve spirits are seen or heard.

THe clere light of Gods worde driueth away al such spirits, which vse to worke their feates in the darke. The cleare light approching, the shaddowe and darknes vanisheth. The prince of darknesse shunneth light, and hath nothing to do where men worship God the father, only through Iesu Christ, beleuing only on him, and committing them selues wholy vnto his protection. If men esteme the word of God, and haue it in price, he will in no wise suffer them to be so ouerséene and deceyued, as they are whiche do all things without the warrant of his word.

Here I cannot ouerpasse with silence a certeine merry iest: when once there chanced to bée talke in a certayne place of visions and Spirits, a certayne professor of the Gospell sayd vnto a Papist in this maner: You ought (quoth he) euen by thys to gather, that our religion is true and youres false, for that since the Gospell was preached vnto vs, very fewe spirits haue ben sene of any man. To whome the other made aunswere by waye of reasoning called violentum: Nay (sayth hée) hereby ye may gather, that your religion is naught, and oures good: for the diuell assaulteth those, whome he feareth will shortly reuolte from him.

It is not much vnlike which Aeneas Siluius (who was afterwardes made Pope, called Pius. 2.) reciteth in his Historie of the Councell of Basill, out of the lyfe of holy Benedict, father of the Monkes called after his name. Hée sometymes visityng a certayne Monasterie of holy men, espyed an infinite route of diuels, who as it were fighting with the holy fathers, labored to disturbe the good workes which they went about. And he foorthwith going to a faire full of marchandise and buying and selling, saw there but one diuell, and he also idle and sad, sitting vppon a watchtoure, wherat saint Benedict maruelling, that he saw the place whiche was holy and dedicate to prayer, full of dyuels, and that he founde the prophane place which was occupied with periurie and other offences, garded but with one Diuell: hée coniures the same Diuell to declare and shewe vnto him the true cause therof: who streight answered him, that it was néedefull the holy place shoulde be assaulted by many diuels, but those whiche sinned of their voluntarie accorde, had no néede to bée deceyued by the Diuell.

But I aske thée thys question O thou Papist, myghte not the Gentils in ancient tyme haue obiected the same to the Christians, when they demaunded of them why their Oracles ceassed? and why there were so fewe Uisions? If those Spirites or bugges be Diuels, why doe you then saye and beléeue that they are the soules of dead menne, whiche desyre helpe of you? I wyll shewe you the verye true cause why those visyons are nowe so seldome tymes séene: forsoothe bycause the Dyuell perceyueth, that wée vnderstande hys subtleties and craft, therefore hée hunteth after other men, and seeketh to deceyue them. As for example, when thou wilt cramp some man by the toes in the night time (as sometimes pleasant fellowes vse to do, to recreate themselues when they trauel) and so draw him out of his bed, if thou perceyue he be acquainted with thy sleyght, by and by thou leauest him, and goest vnto an other which is fast asleep, and cannot perceiue the deceyt.

There be other causes also why these things happen nowe more seldome. If any man deceiue thée once, twice, or thrice, afterwardes thou openest thy eyes, and espiest what he doth and what he goeth about: so when we haue béene often beguiled with false apparations, we will not easily be persuaded, if any man tel vs that a soule, or spirit hath appeared (as the prouerb saith.) Moreouer whereas nowe adayes fewe stand in feare of spirites, many might be easily found, who would séeke them, feele them, yea and also handle them. This is wel known, & therfore no man will gladly put on a visour, or otherwise counterfeit himselfe to be a ghost. A man may soone persuade a childe that ther is is a black man, a tall woman, which wil put chyldren that crie in their budget. &c. but after they are come to maturitie of yeares, they will no more be feared with visours and such like persuasions: they will laugh at thy follie, if afterwards thou go about to make them so afraid. Euen so when we were children in the Scriptures, that is, when we vnderstood them not, we might be easily seduced to beleeue many things: But nowe that we reade them in all manner of tongs, and do dayly profit in them, we do not suffer our selues to be so mocked, neither do we beléeue euery vaine apparition. How many sightes of spirites did the knauerie of the Monkes of Berna driue away, after it was once detected? Things are set vp in the fieldes to feare awaye the birdes, whiche at the last also they perceyue to be but trifles, and are not dryuen away any longer with suche toyes. What maruel is it then, if after so great a shipwracke of godlynesse and truth, men albeit they are simple, do at the last open their eyes.

CHAP. III. VVhy God doth suffer straunge noyses, or extraordinarie rumblings to be heard before some notable alterations or othervvise.

IN that there happeneth certayne straunge things before the death of men, and also before notable alterations, and destructions of countries, as maruellous crackes, & terrible roaring, surely it turneth to good vnto the iust, & to further damnation to the wicked. For by these means God sheweth that nothing commeth to passe by chaūce, or by aduenture, but that the life and deth, the prosperous or vnfortunate estate of al men, is in the power and hand of God. It is nothing so as the Epicures affirme, that God hath no regard whether any man lyue, or be borne, or do well or euill, or otherwise, or whether common welthes do florish, or be made wast. Chryst himselfe techeth vs, that not so much as a sparrow falleth vnto the ground without the wil of God. Salomon & Daniel say, that the hearts of kings are in Gods hands, and that he appoynteth or deposeth kings at his pleasure. Wherfore if we happely do heare any noises or such like, they ought rather to put vs in good comfort, than to make vs afrayd. And againe, God héereby admonisheth vs, that we be not idle and secure, for he hath in al ages stirred vp his seruants not only with words, but also with rare and strange apparitions. The very Gentiles accounted these myraculous things, as the admonitions and warnings of their gods, as it may be séen euery wher, in ther histories. And albeit it be very likely, that most of these things happen by the deuils procuremēt, yet neuerthelesse, we héerin perceiue Almightie God his fatherly care, loue, & preseruation of vs against ye deuises of the deuil. For albeit ye deuil take no rest, but is alwayes in redynesse to destroy vs, yet can he not hurt vs, so long as God kepeth watch & defendeth vs. The wicked who despise the preaching of Gods worde, are sore terrified with these things, in so much that they not knowing whether to turne thēselues, are constrained to confesse, that god doth gouern al mens actions, & that there are good and euil spirites. Otherwise they coulde in no case be repressed, but that they woulde do greater mischiefe vnto the faithful, except God by these meanes dyd cast feare vppon them, and as it were with a snaffle or brydle, did hale and drawe them backe.

CHAP. IIII. After vvhat sort they should behaue themselues, vvhiche se good or euil spirits, or mete vvith other strange aduentures: and first hovve Ievves and Gentiles behaued themselues in the like cases.

THat we may rightly vnderstand how we ought to behaue our selues, if any thing eyther good or euill, appeare vnto vs, we wil first declare how the gentiles and Iewes vsed themselues in like cases. Amongest the Gentiles, not only those wandring spirits beare men in hande yt they were mens soules, but also shewed what were good and expedient for them to doe for their sake, to wit, that they should do sacrifices for their soules, obserue their obsequies, burie their bodies, erect Temples, make holydayes, and such like stuffe. Suetonius writeth, that the Emperor Caligule his body was priuily cōueyed into the gardens called Lamiam, and there with a hastie fire being but halfe consumed, was cast into a pit, and couered with a little earth. But afterwards, whē his sisters returned frō exile, it was taken vp, & thorowly burnt, & afterward solemnly buried. But before they had so doon, the gardē kéepers were very much troubled with appearing of spirits. And moreouer, no man could passe any night in the same house where he was slayne, without some great feare vntil such time as the house was vtterly destroyed with fire.

We read also in other writers, that the ghostes of them which wer not orderly buried, or whose accustomed rites and ceremonies in the time of warres were omitted, dyd appeare eyther to their friendes or vnto others, complayning & intreating that their funerals, & all other ceremonies mighte be obserued for their sake: whereof came the hearses, wéekemyndes, monthmindes, and anniuersaries, whereof we reade many things in the Ethnike writers, and many things are recyted out of the olde Poets, and in Lilius Giraldus, in his booke De sepultura, and also in Polid. Virgilius de Inuentione rerum. lib. 6 cap. 10. We haue shewed before in the seconde parte and first Chapter, that some haue desired others, that they might be buried after that they were dead. Cicero writeth in his 1. boke De legibus, that Romulus the first founder of Rome, walking after his death not farre from Atticus house, appeared vnto Iulius Proculus, and tolde him that hée was nowe a god, and that his name was Quirinus, and therewith commaunded that there shoulde be a Temple erected and dedicated vnto him in the same place.

Ouide writeth lib. 4. Fastorum, that Remus apeared in the night time vnto Faustulus, and to his wife Accia Laurentia, somtime his Nurse, complayning vnto them of his miserable death, and desiring them to make laboure that the same day wherein he was slayne, might be accounted amongst their holydayes. The people of Rome (as Ouide witnesseth lib. 2. Fastorum) kept a feast in the moneth of Februarie called Feralia, in the whiche they did sacrifice vnto the infernall Goddes, and those whose duties it was to celebrate the funerals of their Auncesters, carried dishes of meat to their sepulchers. Wherof Festus and Varro called the same feast by the name of Feralia. These dishes of meate were set vpon a stone, at the time of these sacrifices: for the which cause, as Seruius sayth, they were called Silicernium, by the whiche worde some will haue a certaine feast signified, which is bestowed vpon old men. Donatus sayth, that Silicernium is a supper, which is made to the infernall Gods, bycause Eam silentes cernant, that is, the deade soules do receyue it, or bycause those that doe serue it, do onely cernere, see it, and not tast thereof. &c. There were also certaine holie feastes called Par[…]ntalia, in the which meate was caried to the Sepulchers, for the soules of Parents and Auncestours before deceased And albeit they suppose, that soules were pleased with small gyftes, as of mylke, wyne, and suche like, whereof mention is made in Ouid, yet notwithstanding they also kylled sacrifices, wherof some suppose that Feralia toke their name à feriendis pecudibus, of killing shéepe. Unto their sacrifices they also added prayers, and kindled lights. Whē in tymes past the Romains being troubled with warres, had let passe the feast of Parentalia, they therefore supposed (that the infernall Goddes being for the same cause angrie) there arose storms and pestilence, and that soules rysing out of their graues, did wander with pittifull complaintes about the graues, and by the highway sides, and in the fieldes. This feaste endured by the space of fiftéene dayes, in the whiche maried women lay not with their husbandes, neyther those whiche were mariageable dyd marrie, and the Images of their Goddes were couered. The soules of them that were deade, when they came too the meate, they wandred about the graues, and were fed (as they thought) with the banquet.

In the Moneth of May, there was holden a feast in the night time, which at the beginning they called Remuria, and afterwardes Lemuria. This did not differ much from the feast called Feralia, whiche was instituted to pacifie soules. Touching the originall of them, and the rytes belonging therto, looke Ouid in his lib. 5. fastorum. One who tooke on him to pacifie the soules arose in the night verie late, he went barefooted, and washed himselfe ouer wyth fresh springing water, and then taking beanes whiche he had rolled in his mouth, he threw them behind his backe, and saide, that with them he dyd redéeme himselfe, and after beating on a péece of brasse, he prayed the soules to depart from thence: which thing if they had done nine times, they thought they hadde ended their holie seruice. These were celebrated by the space of thrée dayes. The sacrifices which are done for the infernall Gods are called Jnferiae.

We read in Lucan of the soules of Sylla and Marius, which were purged by sacrifice. We shewed before how Athanagoras cōmaunded the bones which wer digged vp in the entrie of his house at Athens, to be orderly buried agayne. &c.

The auncient Iewes had an expresse commaundemēt of God, not to be any thing moued with the miracles of false Prophetes, and God in plaine wordes forbad them, not to seeke coūcel of dead bodies. Saule in the beginning of hys raigne, while he yet gaue himself vnto godlinesse, vtterly destroyed all coniurers and witches. I doe not remember that I haue euer heard or read, howe the Iewes behaued themselues when any spirits appeared vnto thē: yet I doubt not but that they are supersticious aswell in these things, as in all others.