Part 12

Wherefore sith holy scriptures, as the Fathers vnderstand and interpret them, teache that the soules of men, as soone as they departe from the bodies, do ascende vp into heauen if they were godly, descende into hell if they were wicked and faithlesse, and that their is no thirde place in which soules should be deliuered, as it were out of prison, & that soules can neither be reclaimed out of heauen or hel. Hereby it is made euident, that they cannot wander on the earth, and desire aide of men. For first the soules of the blessed néed no aid or help that men cā giue them: & on the other side, the damned sort can no way be reléeued: the which S. =Ciprian= the martir in his oration against =Demetrian=, doth plainly witnesse in these words: when we be once departed out of this world, there is afterward no place left for repentance, no way to make satisfactiō: here life is either woon or lost, & so forth. Albeit the testimonies alredy alleged on this point of doctrine, may well suffise those that loue the truth, and are desirous to come to the knowledge thereof: yet to increase the number, I wil recite other testimonies also out of yͤ fathers, to proue manifestly, yͭ the soules departed, do not againe return & wander on the earth, so that all they which haue not yet stopped their eares that the truth might not pierce & enter into them, may euidently perceiue, that those anciēt times taught a far better doctrine of those spirits and ghosts, than other latter times vnder poperie haue cōmended and allowed. =Tertullian= a very auncient writer, in the end of his booke =De anima=, saith, the soules do not any longer abide on the earth, after they be once loosed from their bodies: & that neither by their owne accord, nor other mens cōmandement, they do wander at all after they haue descended into hell, but he saith, that euil spirits do vse this kinde of deceyt, to faine themselues to be the soules of suche as are deceased. And that Hell is not open to any soule, that it should afterward at any time depart thence, Christ our Lorde in the parable of the poore man that was in rest, and the rich glutton that was in torment, doth plainely ratifie vnder the person of =Abraham=, that there can be no man sent backe to shewe or tel ought of the state of hel. And albeit the fathers haue noted certaine errours and scapes in =Tertullian=, yet there was neuer any that reproued him for this opinion. =Athanasius= in his booke of questions, the xiii. questiō, doth giue a reason wherfore God will not suffer that any soule deceased, shuld returne vnto vs, and declare what the state of things is in hel, and what great misery is there: hereby (saith he) many errors wold easily spring vp among vs: for many diuels might so take on thē the shape of men, and be transformed into yͤ likenesse of the dead, and say, that they arose frō the dead, and so publish many lying tales, and false opinions of things there don, therby to seduce and hurt vs. Weigh these wordes of =Athanasius=, I pray thée.

[Sidenote: Chrisostome.]

Sainct Chrysostome in his nyneteenth Homilie on the eight chapter of sainct Matthewes Gospell, hath in maner the same woordes, for hee moueth this question: Why suche as were possessed with Spirites, liued in graues? Therefore (sayeth he) they abode there, to put this false opinion in mens heads, that those persons soules whiche by violent death departed, were turned into Diuels, and so did seruice vnto witches and soothsayers. The which opinion the diuell first broughte in, thereby to diminishe the Martyrs prayse and glorie, that so the Sorcerers might slea those persons, whose wicked trauell and help they vsed, and those matters saith he, are far from truth. For he proueth by the Scripture, that the spirits of the godly are not vnder the power of the Diuels, nor yet do stray abroade after death: then that they woulde retourne vnto theyr owne bodies, if they mighte wander whether they lusted. And further if they didde any seruice too theyr Murtherers, by that meanes they should at their handes receiue a reward for an ill déed and displeasure. By naturall reason also it cannot come to passe, that a mans bodie should be turned into an other bodie, and therefore also the spirit of a man cannot be changed into a diuel.

But among other things which properly belong to our purpose, he saith: If we heare a noyse that saith, I am such a soule, we must thus thinke, that this talke proceedeth of some sleight and subtiltie of the diuel, and that it is not the soule of the dead bodie that speaketh these things, but the diuell that deuiseth them to deceiue the hearers. And by and by he saith, that there are to be counted old wiues words, or rather doting fooles toyes to mocke children withall. For the soule when it is parted from the bodie cannot walke any longer in these parties. For the soules of the iust are in the hands of God. And on the other side, the soules of the wicked after their departure hence, are straightway ledde aside and withdrawne from vs, which may euidently be séene by Lazarus and the rich man. And in another place also the Lord saith: This day will they take thy soule from thée; wherefore the soule cannot heere wander when it is departed from the bodie.

A little afterward he addeth, that it may be proued out of many places of scripture, that the soules of the iust do not here wander after death. For =Steuen= said, Lord receiue my spirit, and =Paule= desired to be loosed and to depart hence, and to be with Christ.

Also the scripture, as touching the Patriarks death, vseth this phrase, he is laide vnto his fathers, growne vp vnto a good olde age. And that the soules of sinners and wicked men, cannot after their departure, here abide any longer, we may learne by the riche mans words, if we will weigh and confider with our selues what be demannded and could not obtaine. For if after death mens soules might any longer haue their conuersation heere on earth, no doubt the riche man himselfe woulde haue returned as his desire was, and certified his friendes of hell torments. Out of which place of scripture it is most cleare, that soules immediatly vpon their departure from their body, are carried vnto a certaine place, whence they cannot of themselues returne, but néedes must waite there for that terrible day of iudgement.

Also in his second Homily of =Lazarus=, amōg other things, he saith; It is most plaine, not only by that we haue before rehearsed, but also by this parable, that soules parted from the bodie, haue their abiding here no longer, but are forthwith lead away. For it came to passe (saith he) that he died, and was carried away by the Angels. And not onely the soules of the iust, but of the vniust and wicked, are hence led away, and carried to their proper places, which doth euidently appeare, by another rich man, of which mention is made in the 12. of =Luke=, to whom the Lord said: Thou foole this night will they take thy soule from thée.

And in his fourth Homily of =Lazarus=, he plainly teacheth, that we should giue more credite to holy scripture, than to one that came from the dead, or an Angell from Heauen. Herewithall he also sheweth, that the dead doo not only make no appearance vnto men liuing, but yeldeth reasons wherefore they do not returne hither, in these words. If God had knowne that the dead being raised might haue profited the liuing, he would neuer haue let passe so great a benefit, who otherwise doth giue and prouide vs al things profitable.

Furthermore he addeth, that if it were requisite still to raise vp dead men, to make relation vnto vs of such things as there are done, this no doubt in continuaunce of time would haue bene neglected: and so the Diuell very easily would haue broached and brought in damnable opinions into the world. For he might often haue made counterfeit sightes, or suborne suche as should faine their selues to be dead and buried, and by and by to present themselues before men, as if they had bin in déede raised from death, and by suche manner of persons might so haue bewitched simple soules, that they would beléeue whatsoeuer he would haue. For if now when there is indéed no such thing, the vaine dreames as it were of men deceased, that haue bin shewed to men in sléepe, haue deceiued, peruerted & distroied many: surely much sooner would the same haue fallen out, if it had bin a thing truly don, & this opinion had preuailed in mens heads. For if many dead persons had retourned backe again into this life, the wicked spirit the diuell would easily haue deuised many sleights and wiles, and brought in much deceit into the life of man. And therfore God hath clean shut vp this dore of deceit, and not permitted any dead man to returne hither & shew what things be don in yͤ other life, least the diuel might gréedily catch this occasiō to plant his fraudulent policies. For when the prophets were, he raised vp false prophets: when the Apostles were, he stirred vp false Apostles: and when Christ apeared in flesh, he sent thither false Christs or antechrists: And when sincere & sound doctrine was taught, he brought into the world corrupt & damnable opiniōs, sowing tares whersoeuer he came. And therfore although it had come to passe, yͤ dead mē shold return again, yet would he haue counterfeited yͤ same also by his instruments, by some fained raising of the dead through the blinding and bewitching of mens eyes: or otherwise by subborning of some which should feine themselues to be dead (as I said before) he would haue turned all things topsituruie and vtterly haue confounded them. But God who knoweth all things, hath stopped his way, that he should not thus deceiue vs, and of his great mercie towards vs, hath not permitted that at any time any shuld return from thēce and tel vnto mē liuing, such things as there are don, hereby to instruct vs that we should be of this opinion & iudgment, that the scriptures ought to be beleeued before other things whatsoeuer, because that God in them hath most clearly taught vs the doctrine of the last resurrection. Further, by them he hath conuerted the whole world, banished error, brought in truth, and compassed all these things by vile and base fishers, and finally in them hath giuen vs euery where plentifull arguments of his diuine prouidence, &c.

[Sidenote: Cyrillus.]

S. =Cyril= in his 11. booke & 36. cha. vpon S. =Iohns= gospell saith: We ought to beleeue, that when yͤ soules of holy men are gone away from the bodies, they are commended vnto the goodnesse of God, as into the handes of a most deare father, and yͭ they do not abide in yͤ earth, as some of the Heathens beleeued, vntill such time as they abhorred their graues: neither that they are carried as the soules of wicked men, vnto a place of excéeding torment, which is hel, Christ hauing first prepared this iourney for vs, but that they rather mount vp aloft into their heauenly fathers hands, &c.

[Sidenote: The Glosse of the canō law.]

[Sidenote: _Deut._ 18.]

And in the Popes canon law, _Causa._ 13. _quæst._ 2. _Fatendum_, we read, that many do beléeue that some come from yͤ dead to the liuing: euen as on the other side holy Scripture doth witnesse that =Paule= was caught vp from the liuing into Paradice. Vpon these words the glose saith, that some doo indéed so beleeue, but falsly, sith they be but fansies and vain imaginations, as it is in _Causa_.26. _quæstione_.5. _Episcopi_.

What farther may bee saide to those men that knowe these things, and neuerthelesse do beléeue that soules straie on the earth, I know not: and yet that I may laie out all thinges plainly, I will heere confute their chiefest arguments.

CHAP. VI.

A confutation of those mennes arguments or reasons, which affirme, that dead mens soules doo appeare: And first that is aunswered whiche certaine doo alleage, to witte, that God is omnipotent, and therfore that he can worke contrary to the ordinary course of nature.

First our aduersaries do laie against vs, that by the vsuall and common course of things, the soules of the godly abide in heauen, and the soules of the wicked in hell, vntill the last day, and do not walke at all: but yet that God may dispence with them to appear here sometimes, therby to instruct and admonish vs: And then =Samuel= did appeare after his death vnto king =Saule=, and =Moses= also which forsooke this life many yeres before: Likewise =Elias=, who was taken vp in to heauen in a firie charet, appeared vnto Christ our sauior & his thrée disciples, whom he tooke with him at his transfiguration in the mount. =Lazarus= also of _Bethanie_, returned from death into yͤ earth, and many other also were raised from death by Christ, his Apostles, and Prophets.

Farther they alledge this, yͭ Christs Apostles beléeued, that yͤ spirit or soule either of Christ, (as som of the fathers vnderstand it) or of som other person did appear vnto them. Besides to proue this matter, they alledge places out of the fathers, decrées of councels, & the common report yͭ hath bin bruted of those yͭ returned frō the dead. To al these reasons by Gods assistance, we will briefly and orderly answere.

[Sidenote: The soules do returne to instruct men contrary to the common course of nature, by the omnipotent power of god.]

As touching yͤ first obiection, yͭ al things are possible vnto God, we deny it not. We graunt then, that God can bring soules out of heauen or hel, and vse their trauell & seruice to instruct, comfort, admonish, & rebuke men. But for yͭ no text or example is found in holy scripture, that euer any soule came from yͤ dead, which did so scoole & warn men: or yͭ the faithfull learned or sought to vnderstand any thing of the soules deceased, we cannot allow yͤ sequele of their reason. We may not of Gods almightie power inferre conclusions to our pleasure. For this is a principle holdē in schooles, yͭ the reason doth not truly folow, yͭ is set from yͤ power of doing, to the déed done. For God doth nothing against himself, or his word writen, to warrāt their reson: they shuld first haue proued, that it was gods wil, yͭ soules shuld return into the erth: for so do holy fathers intreat of gods almightie power.

[Sidenote: How we oght to reason of the omnipotent power of God.]

=Tertullian= against =Praxias= saith: Truly I neuer thought that any thing was hard to bee done of God, we may faine of God what we list, as if he had done the same, because he is able to doo it. But we must not beléeue that God hath therefore done all things, because he is able to doo them. But first wee ought to make enquirie whether hee hath done them.

[Sidenote: Ambrose.]

S. =Ambrose= in his sixt booke of epistles, and 37. epistle, writeth vnto =Cromatius= in this wise: Therefore what is there vnpossible vnto him? Not that thing which is harde to his power, but that which is contrary to his nature. It is vnpossible for him to lye, and this impossibilitie in him, procéedeth not of infirmitie, but of vertue and maiestie. For truth receiueth no lye, neither doth the vertue of God entertaine the vanitie of errour. Reade farther that which followeth in the same place.

[Sidenote: Hierome.]

=Hierome= writing to =Eustochia=, of the preseruing of her virginitie, saith: I will boldly auouch this one thing, that though God can do all things, yet can he not restore a virgin after her fall.

[Sidenote: Augustine.]

=Augustine= in the tenth chapter of his fifth booke _De ciuitate dei_ hath: That God is sayd to be omnipotent in dooing that he will, and not in doing that he will not. Againe he addeth: Gods power is not hereby any whit diminished, when we say, that God cannot die or be deceiued. And immediately, therefore he cannot doo some things because he is omnipotent, &c.

[Sidenote: Theodoret.]

=Theodoret= also teacheth vs, that it may not absolutely without exception be pronounced, that all things are possible vnto God. For who so doth precisely affirme this, dooth in effect say this much, that all things both good and bad are possible vnto God, &c. Wherefore féeble is that obiection of theirs: God can sende soules vnto men, to teache and admonish them; therefore these spirites that praye ayde, bee soules that come out of Heauen or Hell. In the meane time we do not denie the power of God, as some do maliciously report of vs: but we wold not haue the same made a denne or couert of errors.

[Sidenote: VVee must learn nothing of the dead. _Deut._18.]

Heare what the Lorde our God in the 18. of =Deuteronomie= speaketh: When thou shalt come into the lande whiche the Lorde thy God giueth thée, doo not thou learne to doo after their abhominable rites, and vsages of those nations. Let none bee founde among you, that maketh his sonne or his daughter to passe through the fire: nor a diuiner that doth foreshew things to come, nor a sorcerer, nor a witche, nor a charmer, nor one that consulteth with spirits, nor an inchanter, nor a Magitian, nor one that raiseth vp the dead. For the Lorde doeth abhorre all that doo such things: and because of these abhominations, the Lord thy God hath cast them out before thée. Be thou therfore sound and perfect before the Lord thy God: and by and by he promiseth to send them that great Prophet whom they should heare.

[Sidenote: _Esay_ .8.]

[Sidenote: _Luke_ .22.]

In the 8. of =Esay=, it is written: If they say vnto you, enquire of them which haue a spirite of diuination, which whisper and murmure softely in youre eares to deceiue you. Should not euery people or nation enquire at their God? what shall they go from the liuing to the dead? Let them goe vnto the lawes testimonie, suche as haue no light, should they not speake according to this word, which who so should contemne, shall be hardened and hunger, &c. Heereby we doo vnderstand, that vnder a great penaltie God hath precisely forbidden, that we shoulde learne and searche out any thing of the dead. He alone woulde be taken for our sufficient schoolemaister. In the Gospell we read: They haue =Moses= and the Prophets, let them heare them. Vnto these may be added testimonies out of the Apostles writings, that God doth not send vs soules hither to informe vs. The common and ordinarie way whereby it pleaseth God to deale with vs, is his word. Therwithall should we content our selues, and not wait for new reuelations, or receiue any thing that doth not in all points agrée therewith. But as touching this matter, we wil speak more in his proper place.

CHAP. VII.

That the true Samuell did not appeare to the Witch in Endor.

[Sidenote: _Matth._8.]

Now touching yͤ examples by them commonly alleaged, which do think that the souls of yͤ dead do return again vnto the liuing vpō the earth: I wil first intreat of =Samuels= apparition, of which matter now adaies there is great contentiō and reasoning. And (as I trust) I shall proue by strong arguments, that very =Samuell= himself did not appeare in soule and bodie, neither that his bodie was raised vp by the sorcerers, which perchance then was rotten & consumed vnto dust in the earth, neither yͭ his soule was called vp, but rather some diuellish spirit. First the author of the two bookes of =Samuel=, saith: that =Saule= did aske counsell of the Lord, and that he would not answere him, neither by Visions, nor by =Vrim=, nor by his Prophets. Wherefore if God disdained by his Prophets yet liuing, and other ordinary wayes to giue answer vnto him, whom he had alreadie reiected, we may easily coniecture, that he would much lesse haue raised a dead Prophet to make him answere. And the rather, for that as we haue a little before said, the lawe of God hath seuerely by a great threatening, forbidden to learne ought of the dead, and would not haue vs to searche for the trueth of them, nor that any man vse diuination by Spirites, and suche other diuellishe Artes. Secondly, if verie =Samuell= indéede appeared, that muste of necessitie haue come to passe, either by the will of God, or by the worke of arte Magike. But Gods will was not that =Samuel= should retourne. For he hath condemned Necromancie, and would not haue vs to aske counsel at the dead: and that the spirit of God did that which was contrary herevnto, or did permit the Saints to do it, or was present with them that did ought contrary thereto, it may not be graunted. And that those things were done by the force and operation of Art Magike, wée can not affirme. For the wicked spirit hath no rule or power ouer the soules of the faithfull to bring them out of their places when he lust, sith they be in the hand of God, and the bosome of =Abraham=, nay (which is lesse) he hath no power ouer filthy and vncleane swine, for he was driuen (as we reade in the viii. chapter of Mathew) to beg leaue, before he could enter into the heard of swine: and how then should he haue any power ouer the soule of man? yet can it not be denied, that God somtimes for certain causes doth giue the Diuell and his seruants, Magitians & Necromancers, power to do many things, as to hurt and lame man and beast, and to worke other straunge things. But that God dooth giue the Diuell leaue to raise dead bodies, or to call, bring foorth, or driue away soules especially out of Heauen, it hath no grounde at all in Scripture, neither can there be any reasonable cause alledged, wherefore God would or should giue the Diuell licence to doo these things contrary to the vsuall and common order, yea and againe his owne expresse commaundement. For vayne and childishe is the cause heereof that is giuen of some men, that =Samuell= shoulde appeare to terrifie and astonishe =Saule=: as if God coulde not haue feared him by other waies and meanes. Was he not before vtterly abashed and dismayed? Thirdly, if =Samuell= were brought backe, the same was done either by his will and consent, or without the same, but that he did fréely and of his owne accord obey the sorcerers, no man I thinke is so blinde to imagine.

[Sidenote: Wordes of thēselues haue no force.]

[Sidenote: Iupiter Elicius.]

[Sidenote: Plinie.]

For that were vtterly repugnant to the Lawe of God, that hee shoulde confirme Witchcraft and Sorcerie by his example. If the Witch had called for =Samuell=, whilest he liued, doubtlesse he would haue not approached vnto hir. And how then can we beléeue that he came to hir after his death? We may not so say, that the Witch compelled him to resort to hir against his will: for the Diuel hath no power ouer the soules of the godly, and Magike of it selfe is of no force. Heathenish superstition no doubt it is, that wordes vttered by Magitians, after their peculiar manner, or figures drawne, should haue suche a secret and hidden operation. For the Heathens beléeued that they could with a certain set stile & number of words, bring and draw downe =Iupiter= out of Heauen. Wherfore they termed him =Iupiter Elicius=. There are also certaine superstitious persons in these our daies, which go about to cure diseases by certaine rites of blessings, and by coniurings. Some hang aboute their neckes certaine scrolles of Paper, in which ther are written diuers strange words, but whether wordes of themselues haue any force at all, reade =Plinie= in his 28. booke, and 2. chapter, and =Cælius Rhodiginus= in his 16. booke and 16. chapter of Antiquities.

[Sidenote: _Apoc._19.21.]

[Sidenote: _Rom._12.]

[Sidenote: _Actes_.12.]