Part III, chapters 10–12: That sundrie kyndes of superstition haue crept in; and following chapters

CHAP. X. That sundrie kyndes of superstition haue crept in, vvhere by men haue attempted to driue avvay spirites.

IN proces of tyme, Supersticions encreased more and more. Paule complayneth, that in his time Antechrist began to practise his misterie of iniquitie, and that many opinions and sectes began to spring vp. Saint Iohn writeth that in his time, there were many Antechristes. What maruel is it then, if afterwards, yea and that verie quickly diuers errours croape into the Churche, and multiplyed excéedingly?

Sainte Augustine in his 22. booke De ciuitate Dei, and eyghte Chapter, after that he hadde recited certayne myracles, which were therefore shewed that men might beleeue in Chryst, he se[…]teth foorthe thys historie. Hesperius a man of good worshippe and calling amongest vs, hath a piece of land in the territorie of Fussalum called Cubedi, in the whiche perceyuing by the languishing of his cattell and seruantes, that his house was infected with the force and rage of euyll spirites, he desired our fellow Priestes, (I being then absent,) that some one of them would take the paines to go thither, that the spirit by his good prayers might giue place: one of them went thither, and there offred the sacrifice of the body of Chryst, praying very earnestly, that the same disquieting of spirites myght cease, and by and by God had compassion, and it ceased. He had giuen him of a friende of his, some parte of holie lande brought from Hierusalem, where Chryste being buried, rose againe the thirde daye: that earth he hung vp in hys chamber, least any euil might happē vnto him. But when his house was deliuered frō that trouble, he deuised wyth himselfe what he might do with the saide earth, which for reuerence sake, he woulde not kéepe any longer in his chamber. &c. Héereby it is manyfest, that superstition began immediatly, and (as it hapneth always) grewe bigger with great increase, as if one shoulde roll foorthe snowe clodded togyther, or as when huge lumpes of snow begin to fal down from the Alpes, al things on euery side are filled with snowe. Shortly after menne began to praye, and offer sacrifice for dead mennes soules, yea and that wyth a good intention, as it may euidently appeare in many of the auncient fathers.

Afterwards when Byshops & parish Priestes, did not onely not correct olde supersticions, but also vppon a good meaning increase thē, at the last they grew to an infinite number. For when spirits appeared, men called not vpon God through Chryst only, but also vpon Saintes, forgetting that which Saint Paule saithe to the Romaines the tenth. (For I will let passe at this tyme all other argumentes,) how shall they call vppon him in whome they haue not beléeued? The Papistes themselues cannot deny, but that we must beleeue onely in God, and therefore he only is to be worshipped through his Sonne.

Some write that it is a soueraigne remedie to driue away deuils, if we praye Aue Maria. Where by the way it is to be noted, that the same salutation of the Angell is no prayer, but onely a gréeting, and hystoricall narration, to wit, howe the Archangell Gabriell tolde the Uirgin Marie before of the Incarnation of Chryst. But I praye thée weigh the sense of the words, and whether thou wilt or no, thou must néedes say that these wordes conteine in them neither asking, nor thankesgiuing, whiche are the partes of prayer. Whē the Angell came vnto hir, he saluted hir saying, [non-Latin script]. i. salue, that is, God spéede, or reioyce (for as Festus sayth, the Gréeke and the Latin word haue one signification.) Then he addeth further, full of grace, which is to be vnderstoode passiuely, as they terme it in the scholes) for bycause God bestowed his grace vpon hir: for so the Angell himselfe expoundeth it, when hee saythe afterwardes, that she had found grace, that is, that God is mercifull and louing towardes hir. Those words may not be so vnderstood, as if she were the fountayne of grace (as some haue expounded it) and that she hath grace of hir selfe, and bestoweth it vpon such as call vppon hir, or speake vnto hir with the salutation of the Angel. For neyther the Gréeke worde, nor any other places of the Scriptures admit this sense. The Apostle saythe to the Ephesians the firste chapter, that God hath made vs hys faithfull seruants deare by his grace through his beloued, that is, through Iesus Christ. In the whiche saying, the same word is put, whiche the Angell vsed in saluting the holy virgine. It is written in the firste chapter of saincte Iohns Gospell in playne words, that Iohn Baptiste bare witnesse of Christ with a loude voice, and saide, that we all haue receiued of his fulnesse, grace for grace. For the lawe was giuen by Moses, but grace and truth sprang vp by Christ. Many other suche places I omitte for breuities sake. The virgin Mary hir selfe saith, the Lord hath done maruellous things vnto me. She setteth foorth the grace of God, giuen vnto hir from God, without any of hir deserts. For he neuer bestowed greater grace on any womā. And there is a very great difference betwene him that cō ferreth grace, and them whiche receiue or obteine grace. Grace is only to be sought at his hands, who giueth grace, and not of them which them selues receiue grace. A fewe yeares past, all men besought the virgin for helpe, hoping for more grace and succour of hir than of Christ him selfe. The Angell addeth further: Blessed art thou amōgst women, that is, God hathe conferred more grace vnto thee, than vnto any other woman. The words which are ioyned herevnto, Blessed is the frute of thy wombe, are not the words of the Angell, but of hir cousin Elizabeth, who also saluted hir. Unto these words some religious men added, Iesus Christ amen. Therefore the Angell vttered not all those words of the Aue Marie (as it may manifestly be gathered out of the very text of Saincte Luke chapter .1.) not bycause we deny these words to be good and holy, for the text saith of Elizabeth, that she was full of the holy ghost: but that which the Angell spake not, is not to be attributed vnto hir. You shall not finde in any allowed authors that in the time of the apostles and many dayes after, this gréeting was accounted as a prayer, or that any godly men did salute, and call vpon the holy virgin. Which thing I write not, bicause I would bereue the holy Uirgin of hir honor, but least that against hir will, wée giue hir that honour which is only due to God the Father, and to his sonne Iesu Christ. For he is our onely mediatour and redéemer. 1. Timoth. 2. Otherwise the Aue Marie, and other such places of holy Scripture full of consolation and comfort, touching the humanitie of Christ, his punishment, death, and merites are to be often read, and diligentely considered: neither are the Scriptures to be pulled out of the handes of the laye people, in whiche they may sée all these things with their owne eyes. In déede I denie not but Spirites haue many tymes vanished away vpon the saying of Aue Marie, but it was so doone, that men myght therby be confirmed in their superstition.

But these men procéeding further, did coniure or consecrate water with certain peculiar ceremonies, and kept it in vessels in their churches, houses, and elsewhere: amongest many other vertues, ascribing this force vnto it, that it chaseth away spirites and vayne sights. They also consecrated salte, and taught, that whether soeuer it were cast, it draue away spirits, and all deceytes of the diuel, yea and the diuel himselfe also. Moreouer, they coniured with certain ceremonies and words, candles, palme, herbs, and other creatures, to driue awaye fantasies (as they terme them.) They layde these and such lyke things, as also the relikes of Saintes, in those places wheras Spirits had ben séene or heard. They also beare men in hande, that greate belles and sancebelles by their noyse frayed spirites out of the ayre. All these things are founde more at large in the Papists bookes whiche are written of the consecration of suche things, and are publikely extant. If belles be roong on S. Iohns day, or S. Agathes day, they say it is a most excellent remedie against spirits. Some vsed to burn a bū dell of consecrated herbes, that with the smoke therof they mighte thase away diuels. Many haue their peculiar and straunge blessings agaynst spirites. There haue bene also many holy rites instituted by the cōmaundement of wandring soules, as Masses for the dead, vigils, prayers, and twelue months minds: as though the soules of godly men, being deliuered from all trouble, were not immediately translated into eternall rest. And it is also plain by reding the Poets and Historiographers, that the Gentiles had their sacrifices for the dead, as their rites called Nouendialia, which were obserued the ninth day, and their yearely feastes. &c. Howbeit those counterfait ghostes craued nothing so earnestly, as that many Masses might be song for their sakes, for they bare men in hand, that those had great and maruellous force to redeme them out of Purgatorie.

Iohn Tritenhemius writeth in his Chronicles of the Monasterie of Hirsgauium, about the yeare of our Lorde 1098. Henricus the fourth then being Emperoure, that at such tyme as the order of the Cistertians first began, there appeared many dayes and nights, not far from the citie of Wormes, great troupes of horsmen and footmen, as if they were now going foorth to battail, running now here & now there in troupes, & that about .ix. of the clock at night they returned again to the hill nere at hand, out of ye which they vsed to come forth. At last a certain monke of the abbey of Limpurge which stode not far from ye hil whēce they issued associating certain other vnto him, came on a certain night to ye place of the hil, & blissing himself wt the sign of the holy crosse, adiured them in ye name of the holy and vnseparable Trinitie, as they came out of the hill, to declare vnto him who they were: vnto whom one of the company made answer: we ar (quod he) no vain things, neither yet liuing souldiers, but ye soules of earthly mē, seruing in this world vnder our prince, who not lōg since was slain in this place. The armour, furniture, & horses whiche were vnto vs instrumentes of sinne while we liued, are euen nowe after oure death, certayne signes and tokens of tormentes. Whatsoeuer ye sée aboute vs, is all firie vnto vs, although you nothing discerne our fyre. When the Monks enquired whether they might be holpen by men, the spirit aunswered: we may (saith he) be holpen by fasting and prayers: but chiefly by the oblation of the body and bloud of Christ, which thing we beseche you to do for vs. As soone as he had so sayd, all the whole route of spirits cried thrée times with one voice: pray for vs, pray for vs, pray for vs. And sodainly withall, they séemed to be all resolued into fyre, yea and the hill it selfe, as if it had bin on fyre […]ast forth as it were a great crashing and rushing of trées. They had in Churches a peculiar order of them whome they called Exorcistes, or coniurers, whose duetie was to coniure and driue awaye Diuels, but they were not so indued with that gifte, as the auncient Christians were, and therefore they did but vaunt and boast of themselues.

Afterwards certaine Monks and priests well séene in Magicall sciences (for they were neuer without such trim men) toke vpon them to coniure and driue away euill spirits out of houses into wods & desert places. They wroght maruellouse & straunge things, and they sayd that a spirit in the name of saincts, and by the vertue of their coniuring and charecters, was constrayned to giue place whether he would or not. In dede the Diuel giueth place, but he doth it as enimies do, which by flying chuse a more fitte place to fight in, or more apte to embushe them selues. That which Sathan doth, he doth it willingly and of his owne accorde, that he might withdrawe men from trusting in God only, and driue them hedlong into Idolatrie. Christ and his disciples cast out Diuels, but they were loth and vnwilling to departe. Moreouer they vsed to hang saincte Iohns Gospell about their necks, and caried about wyth them hallowed waxe inclosed in a purse, which they call an Agnus Dei. There are certaine bookes abroade, especially one written by Iacobus de Clusa a Carthusian, concerning the appearing of soules separated from their bodies, wherin amongst other things we reade, after what sorte men should prepare them selues, when any Spirits appeare, how they shall behaue them selues in comming to them, in departing from them, in the place where they appeare, and what questions are to be proposed vnto thē: touching whiche things I spake before, in the second parte of this booke and second chapter, where if you list you may finde them.

I haue heard men which haue confessed themselues to haue bin so superstitious, that when the priest lifted vp the host (as they call it) in saying masse, they woulde presently wipe their face with their hands, bycause they were persuaded, that it was good to stop all spirits from méeting with them in a visible forme.

But tell me I pray thée who soeuer thou art which doest so, by what places of scripture canst thou cōfirme those ceremonies? Where doth Christ and his disciples teache vs to expell the Diuell (which is a Spirit, and therefore without any body) by bodyly things? shewe but one example, that they haue cast forthe the Diuell by this way or meanes. If you bring out of the bookes of Tobie, that the harte and liuer of the fish being layed on the coales, droue away the Diuell with the smell, we say that the same booke is not accounted amongst the canonicall scriptures: and moreouer that the same Diuell was rather vanquished by the prayers of Tobias and his wife, than by any fumigation. Did Chryste ordayne the holye Supper to thys ende, that thereby Deuils shoulde be caste out? Albeit that an euill Spirite doo fayne to giue place, bycause of these thynges, yet he bringeth to passe in the meane season, that Superstition is more déepely rooted in the heartes of menne.

CHAP. XI. That spirits are not to be driuen avvay by cursing and banning.

HEre I cannot ouerpasse, that certeine doo vainly persuade them selues, that Spirits may easily be driuen away with cursing & banning, for that (as they say) Spirits approche néere vnto such as pray, and do more egerly disturbe and vexe them. Our Lord Iesus Chryste who can best tell how we should fight against the crafte and subtiltie of the Diuell, teacheth vs in many places to pray continually, he biddeth vs to pray in the Lords prayer, that we may be deliuered from euil, calling Sathan by the figure [non-Latin script]: Euill it selfe, bicause he excelleth therein. Nothing can be more acceptable and pleasing to the Diuel, than when any man vseth cursing and banning. He feyneth that he is hereby driuen away, but in ye meane season he crepeth inuisibly into their bosoms. If you liste ye may driue away the Diuel, in saying that he hathe no place with you, but his place is in Hell, and that he hathe nothing to do with those whiche put their only trust and confidence in Christ Iesus. For in the eyght chapter to the Romans in the beginning, it is sayde: Nowe there is no condemna[…]ion vnto them, that are grafted in Christe Iesu, who walke not according to the fleshe, but according to the spirit. A man may commaund the diuel to departe from him without any cursing or banning. And that is also to be blamed that certaine wicked and rashe men talke very beastly, and filthily with spirits, if they appere at any time vnto them.

Some others, when spirits appeare vnto them, will by and by set on thē, & driue them away with naked swords: and sometimes throwe them out of the windowes, not cō sidering with themselues, that spirites are nothing hurte with weapons. In the Grecian histories we reade, that a certayne Lacedemonian passing by a sepulchre in the night season, when a spirit séemed to appeare vnto him, ran towardes it thinking to run it through with his speare: saying: whether flyest thou O thou soul wich shalt twice dye? Surely it is praise worthy when a mā me[…]ing with a spirite is not afrayde, but yet boldnesse and rashnesse can not be commended. If thy enimy, albeit he be very weake be not to be despised, muche lesse ought an enimy so mighty & so crafty, to be neglected. There haue bin some who when they would haue striken a Spirit with their sword, haue thought they haue striken the fetherbed, the Diuel so mocked them. Others supposing they had throwen a spirit out of the window, by and by thought they heard shingles falling and ratling amongst the trées.

It is reported that there haue bin some, who supposing with their weapons to hurte spirites, haue wounded them selues, for their armes and other members of theyr body haue neuer serued thē after. We must not vse a materiall sword against spirits and vayne shewes (for it profyteth nothing) but we must vse the sword of the Spirit. They which will strike spirits and ghosts with a sword, in dede [non-Latin script], that is, fight with their owne shadow. In the booke of Iob the diuell is signified by Leuiathan, which careth not for ye speare, for he apeareth in diuers shapes, & cā not be put to flight with pikes. The diuel is a spirit, he hath not boanes & fleshe, but he only taketh on him a shape for a time. But in case spirits which haue bodies do wāder (yt is, cōiurers, priests, whores & whoremōgers, which faine thē selues to be spirits[…]) there cā be no better cōiuratiō inuēted thā to bang thē wel wt a cudgel. For thou shalt not so much preuaile wt this kind of diuels with words as with stripes.

Hytherto I haue shewed howe they ought to behaue themselues which méete with spirits. As touching them which neuer heard or sawe any thing (for there be many which neuer chaunced on such things) let them be thankfull vnto God for so greate a benefite, let them not be rash and bolde, nor desirous to sée suche thyngs, but rather let them praye vnto God for them whyche are vexed wyth suche euyls. Let them not doo, as they many tymes vse whiche were neuer greatly sicke: for they féele not other mens griefes, and therfore they thinke they are little sick, or that they counterfaite their sicknesse, vntill suche tyme as they them selues fall into some greate and dangerous disease: euen so God can cause them to see spirites, which neuer sawe any before, that afterwardes they may be the more touched with other mens gréefs, and diligently pray for them.

CHAP. XII. After vvhat sort vve ought to behaue oure selues, vvhen vve heare straunge crackes, or vvhen other forevvarnings happen.

BUt nowe as concernyng other matters, as in case any straunge crackes and noyses be heard, or any rare and maruellous things happen before the alteration of kingdomes (whiche wée spake of before) what shall we then doo? Surely we must not attribute too much vnto such things, for they somtimes yea and most commonly chaunce by the disceyte of the diuell, who hath a great pleasure to haue men muse nighte and daye on suche matters, and to imagine before theyr eyes and myndes many horrible things, that therby they may fall into some gréeuous sickenesse, and neuer bée at rest. When such things happen in déede, they ought to put vs in mynd, that we casting from vs al these things which displease God, should wholly consecrate oure selues vnto God, and so frame our selues, that at what houre soeuer he come, and please to call vs out of this lyfe, we shoulde be ready for him euen as he himselfe teacheth vs, and also endure patiently all vnfortunate chaunces, howe many soeuer happen vnto vs, knowing that they come not by chaunce, but by the prouidence of God.

Plutarch, albeit he be an Heathen writer, is of a sounde iudgement (as me séemeth) cōcerning Monsters and wonders. For wryting of Alexander the great, in his booke De vitis he saythe, that there happened certaine prognostications before his death, which sometimes Alexander […]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 s[…]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: le[…] 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 hol[…] 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, w[…]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.