To the reader; dedication to Johann Steiger

To the Reader.

BEyng desirous (gentle Reader) to exercise my self[…] with some translation, at vacant tymes, and seeyng, that since the Gospel hath benne preached, this one question, touchyng the appearyng of spirites and soules departed, hath not ben much handled amongst vs, and therefore many, otherwise wel affected in religion, vtterly ignoraunt herein, I thought it not amisse to take in hande some good and learned treatise concerning this matter. VVherin as many haue both learnedly, paynfully, & religiously traueyled: so amongst others, none in my iudgement hath more handsomely and eloquently, with more iudgement and better methode discoursed the same, then Lewes Lauaterus, minister of Tigurine. Others haue handled it in dede wel, but yet nihil ad nostrum hunc, beyng eyther to short, or to long, or to darke, or to doubtful, or otherwyse so confused, that they leaue the reader more in suspēce in the end, then they founde hym in the begynnyng. As for maister Lauaterus his discretion herein, I wyll no otherwise commend it, then to desire the reader to view, & iudge hym selfe. For thus much at the first syght he shal see: A cleare methode, with a familier and easie style, the matter throughly handled pro and con, on both sides, so that nothyng seemeth to be wantyng, nor any thyng redoundyng. And if it be true that Horace saith, omne […]ulit punctum, qui miscuit vtile dulci, that is, He wynneth the price, that ioyneth pleasure with profite: I thinke this author may also in this respect be pronounced victor, & adiudged to the best game. For he so intreateth this serious and terrible matter of spitites, that he now and then insertyng some strange story of Monkes, Priestes, Fryers, & such like counterfeyts, doth both very lyuely display their falsehood, and also not a litle recreate his reader: and yet in the ende he so aptly concludeth to the purpose, that his hystories seeme not idle tales, or impertinent vagaries, but very truethes, naturally falling vnder the compasse of his matter. And howe profitable this his work is, those may best iudge, which are most ignorant in this question, some thinking euery small motion and noyse to be spirites, and some so fondely perswaded that there are no spirites, who being better enfourmed herein by this author, I suppose wyl confesse his worke to haue done them some profite: if knowledge be profitable, and ignorance discommodious. And agayne, those which beyng hytherto borne in hande that mens soules returne agayne on earth, crauyng helpe of the lyuyng, and haue spent much of their substance on idle Monkes & Fryers, to relieue them, wyll confesse the lyke. For when they shall see they haue ben falsly taught, & that they were not the soules of men whiche appeared, but eyther falsehood of Monkes, or illusions of deuyls, franticke imaginations, or some other friuolous & vaine perswasions, they wil thinke it profitable to haue knowen the trueth, aswel to auoyde error hereafter, as to saue their money from such greedy caterpillers. Some also whiche be otherwise well trayned vp in religion, and yet not knowyng what to thynke of these matters, wil not iudge their labour euyl imployed, nor the worke vnprofitable, wherby thei may be brought out of doubt, and knowe certainly what to beleue. There be many also, euen nowe a dayes, which are haunted and troubled with spirites, and knowe not howe to vse them selues, who when they shall learne howe a Christian man ought to gouerne hym selfe, beyng vexed with euyl spirites, wyl thynke it a very profitable poynt of doctrine, that shal teache them to direct them selues. Profitable therefore it is, and shalbe, no doubt, vnto many, and disprofitable vnto none, except perchaunce vnto popishe Monkes and Priestes, who are like hereby to lose a great part of their gaynes, which somtimes they gathered together in great abundance, by their deceiptfull doctrine of the appearyng of dead mens soules. But this their wicked and deuyllishe doctrine, together with all the patches and appendices therto belongyng, he so notably teareth and cutteth in peeces, that I am well assured they shal neuer be hable to cobble and cloute them vp agayne. And this doth he with suche a moderation of breuitie and tediousnes, that I may rightly say: He hath sayde well, and not to much, and written truely, and not to litle.

Nowe as touchyng my translation, although I haue not made hym speake with like grace in Englishe, as he doth in Latine: yet haue I nor changed his meanyng, nor altered his matter, endeuouring my selfe rather to make thee vnderstande what thou readest, then to smoothe and pollishe it with fine and picked wordes, which I graunt others myght haue done more exquisitely, and perchaunce I my selfe also somewhat better, yf I would haue made therof a study and labour, and not a recreatiō & exercise. But howsoeuer I haue done herein, verily good reader, I trust thou wylt take it in good part, which is al that I esteeme: yf any man shal mislike therof, let hym amende it. I trust it be sufficient to testifie my good wil to do thee good, and to let thee vnderstande the authors meanyng.

Fare well.

¶To the right excellent and moste wise and vertuous lorde Iohn Steigerus Cōsul of the noble cōmon welth of Berna, his good lorde and patron, Lew[…]s Lauaterus of Tigurin wisheth health.

MAny and diuers thinges are resoned vpon, both of the learned and vnlearned, as well of other matters, as also of Spirites, which are séene and heard, and make men afrayde in the night season, and in the daye tyme, by sea and by lande, in the fieldes, woods, and houses: And lykewise concerning suche straunge things whiche for the most parte happen before the death of certayne men, especially greate Princes, and before notable innouations of kingdomes and empires. Many which neuer sawe or hearde any of these thinges, suppose all that is reported of them, to be méere trifles and olde wyues tales: for so muche as simple men, and suche as are fearefull and superstitio[…]s, persuade themselues they haue séene this or that, when in déede the matter is far otherwise. Againe, there are some which as soone as they heare of any thing, especially if it happen in the nighte, they by and by thinke some spirite doth walke, and are maruellously troubled in mynde, bycause they can not discerne naturall things from spirites. And some (chéefly those which hunt after gaynes, by the soules of dead men) affirme that the moste parte of suche things which are hard or séene, are the soules of dead men, whych craue helpe of them that are liuing, to be deliuered out of the tormentes of most cruell payne in Purgatorie. Many not only of the common sorte, but also menne of excellent knowledge, do maruayle whether there bée any spirits or no, and what maner of things they are. Yea & some of my familiar friends haue many times requested me, to shewe them my opinion concerning these matters. Wherefore me séemeth it shall be worth my laboure, if I declare briefly and playnly out of the word of God, what we ought to iudge concerning these things. For the ministers of Gods Churche can take nothing more profitable in hande, than to instructe the people of God purely and plainly, in suche necessary matters as come in question out of the word of God, whiche is a lanterne (as the psalmist saith) vnto our féete, and a light vnto our pathes: and to deliuer them from all erroure and superstition, and bring them out of all wauering and dout. And verily their study and diligence is to be highly commended, who for these fewe yeares ago, haue set foorth certayne bookes drawen out of the scriptures writtē in the Germayne tong against sundry errours: & theirs likewise who in these our dayes by writing of bookes do teache, instructe, and confirme the rude and vnlearned people. For amongst many other excellent benefits, which God our heauenly Father hath bestowed vppon mankinde, this also is a great and most liberall gifte, that in this latter, and as it were olde age of the world, he hath brought to light by the arte of imprinting, as well many other good authors, as also the holy scriptures of the ol[…]e and newe testament, written in diuers languages: wherby he dothe not only teache vs amply and fully what to beléeue, and what to doe, but also mightyly subuerteth and quite ouerthroweth diuers and sundry errours, which by little and little haue crept into the Church. Truly all suche are very vngrateful towards God, which doe not willingly acknowleage this so notabel a benefite.

As touching this my treatise concerning Spirits, and straunge wonders, I haue deuided it into three partes for the more clere vnderstanding therof. In the first parte I shewe, that there are visions and spirits, and that they appeare vnto men sometimes, and that many and maruellous things happen besides the ordinarie course of nature. In the second I discusse what manner of things they are, that is, not the souls of dead mē, as some mē haue thought, but either good or euill Angels, or else some secrete and hid operations of God. In the third I declare why God doth sometime suffer Spirits to appeare, and diuers forewarnings to happen: and also howe men ought to behaue them selues when they happen to méete with such things. In these points or partes, the chiefest thing whereon men vse to reason touching this matter, are conteined. Nowe I meane to handle this matter, being very obscure and intricate, with many questions, (I trust) so plainly, & clerely out of the holy scriptures, wheron we may surely stay our selues, out of the aunciēt fathers, allowed historiographers, and other good writers, that those which are studious and louers of gods truth, may well vnderstand what may be denied and thought of those apparitions, and other straunge and maruellous matters. And I also trust yt euen our aduersaries also, (in case they will lay their affections aside, but a litle while) will say that I haue truly alleaged all their arguments, and confuted them without any rayling or bitternesse. For my purposed ende is according to the doctrine of saincte Paule, to edifie and not to destroy.

As touching diuinatiōs, blessings, iugglings, cōiurings, and diuers kinds of sorcerie, and generally of all other diuelishe practises, certayne learned men of our time haue written bookes, as Gasper Pe[…]cerus, Ioannes Viera, Ludouicus Mellichius, and perchaunce some others also, whose works I haue not yet séene. It is not long ago since Ioannes Riuius, a man learned and eloquent, published a booke in the latine tong, entreating of spirites and superstition. In the which booke albeit very briefly, yet doth he as he is wont in all things, very finely and eloquently intreat of this matter, and of other foolishe superstitions. And albeit that I doo write more largely of this, yet was it not my minde to gather togither all those things whiche I coulde haue spoken and alleaged touching the same matter: but only suche as séeme the chiefest and most especial points, partly because I wold not be tedious to the reader, & partly also least my bookes should growe vnto an ouer greate quantitie. I haue great hope that Ioachimus Camerarius, that excellent man, who readeth the auncient writers both gréeks and latins, with exquisite iudgemēt, and hath great experience in all things, will shortly write learnedly and at large of this matter and also of others like vnto it. For so much he séemeth to promise in his preface to Plutarches booke, De defectu oraculorum, & figura, & cons[…]crata Delphis (wherin he handleth the nature and operations of diuels) and also in other of his writings. I for my parte had once written thys my treatise in the vulgar tong, and now bicause I trust it shal be also profitable to other men, I haue translated it into latine, adding certayne things thereto.

This my booke which I haue with greate laboure and study gathered out of many mens writings I present and offer vnto you (most noble consul) according to the ancient fashion and custome: not for that I suppose you haue any néed of my teaching, touching these things which are herein hādled. (For I am not ignoraunt, vnder what teachers you haue attained vnto true learning, and how you haue and do continually reade ouer sundry good authors with perfecte knowledge in many tongs.) But partely that I might purchase credite and authoritie vnto this my booke with those men, vnto whome your goodnesse, godlines and constancie (whche you haue alwayes hitherto euermore shewed, and yet do shewe, in setting foorth true religion, and mainteyning good lawes) is throughly knowen: and partly that I might shewe my selfe in some respecte thākfull vnto you. For your honour hath bestowed many benefits on me, whom you only knowe by sight, and vppon other ministers of ye Church, wherby ye haue so boūd me vnto you, yt I shall neuer be able to make any recōpence.

Wherefore I most earnestly beséech you, not to refuse this signe and token of my good will, be it neuer so simple: but rather to voutchsafe, when ye haue leisure from the laboure and toile of the common welth, to reade ouer this my booke: for I haue good hope it will not séeme vnpleasaunt vnto you and others in the reading, as well for the playne order I vse therin, as also for the sundry and manyfold histories in it recited.

Almightie God, who hath so blessed you with his heauenly gifts, that for them, (albeit very yong) you haue a[…] pired vnto the highest degrée in your noble citie and dominiō of Berna, voutchesafe to preserue you in health, and increase and multiply his good gifts in you. My Lords and brethrē the ministers of Tigurine and also your olde cōpanion master George Grebelius that excellent man in lerning, vertue, and nobilitie, hartily salute your Lordship.

From Tigurine in the month of Ianuary the yeare of Christs Natiuitie. 1570.