Part 17
By these words we do not only sée that God doth suffer suche lewde fellowes to worke maruellous thinges, but also to what ende and purpose he permitteth it, that is, to trie his faithfull, how constant they be, and how faithfully they would beléeue in him, if at any time spirits do come and foretell things to happen hereafter. Our Sauiour Christ saith in the third Chapter of Saint =Iohn=: This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loued darknesse more than light, because their deedes were euill: for euery one that doth euill, hateth the light, neither commeth he to the light, least his déedes should be reproued, &c. By the which words our Sauiour sheweth the cause why the worlde is condemned, which is, because they receiue not the light of the word of God, or Christe himselfe, who is the light of the worlde, set foorth vnto vs in his word: but rather shut their eyes against the cleare light, preferring darkenesse, that is, errors, superstition, and wickednesse, before the word of God. If God then condemne and reiect the vnthankfull world, what maruell is it, if hee vexe them with spirites and vaine apparitions? Christ saieth in the fifth of =Iohn=, I come in my Fathers name, and you receiue mée not: If an other come in his owne name, you receiue him. Christe laboured for their health and saluation: this they would not acknowledge, but refused him: therefore was it the iust iudgement of God, that they shuld receiue others, that hunted after their owne commoditie and profit: suche as were =Theudas=, =Iudas= of _Galilee_, and many other false doctors, and seditious seducers. Wherefore if any refuse to giue eare to Christ and his Ministers, it is by the iust iudgement of God, that they hearken vnto spirites, and suche lyke things. Sainte =Paule= in the seconde to the Thessalonians and second Chapter, writeth of Antichrist, that he shoulde exercise great tyrannie in the Churche of God, and sheweth against whome, and for what cause God will suffer him so to doo, saying: Among them that perish: because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued. And therefore God shall send them strong delusions, that they shoulde beléeue lyes, that all they might be damned, whiche beléeue not the truth, but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse. And in the fourth Chapter of his seconde Epistle to Timothie, he earnestly beséecheth his scholler to be diligent in preaching daily. He giueth this reason: for the time will come, when they shall not suffer wholesome doctrine: but after their owne lustes shall they (whose eares itche,) get them an heape of teachers, and shall withdrawe 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 deceiue men in the place of true doctours: which is, for that eyther they vtterly despise his woorde or little estéeme it, and cannot abide godly and constant preachers.
[Sidenote: Examples of the Wicked punished by delusions of spirits pharao. Exodus.]
Touching whiche matter, wée will alleage a fewe examples. =Pharao= contemned God and his seruants, =Moyses= and =Aaron=, wherefore God blinded his eyes, that he gaue himselfe to be ruled by his =Magi= or wise men, and at the last perished miserably in the red Sea.
[Sidenote: Samuel.]
[Sidenote: 1. _Cor._10.]
=Saule= would not giue eare vnto =Samuell=, who bare a right hart and good affection towards his king: he loued him not (as by reason he shoulde haue done) but hated him, and all other that loued him right well, for he contemnned the woorde of God. Wherefore it came to passe, that being in extreme daunger, he sought helpe of a witch to reare =Samuel= from the dead, yͭ he might now vse his aduise, whō he dispised beeing aliue, and disdained to heare him. This woman reareth one, who is no otherwise called =Samuell=, than when false gods, are called gods, when in very déede they are not gods, but wood and stones, or rather (as =Paul= saith) .1. Corin. 10. very diuels. This counterfeit =Samuel= giueth him neither comfort nor Counsell, but driueth him to vtter desperation. The same hapned vnto =Saule= which chaunceth vnto those stubborne children, whiche despise their parents, contemne their counsel, & would gladly wish their death, and at the last grow vnto yͤ point, yͭ they would willingly take in hand a great iorney on condition it might be graunted them to heare them giue their last counsell.
[Sidenote: Achab.]
[Sidenote: 3. _Reg._ 22.]
An other example hereof. =Achab= king of Israel, & =Iezabel= his wife had many godly prophets, amongst whō =Elias= was a man indued with the gifte of the wing and working miracles. But they did not only contēne these prophets, but also cruelly murthered so many of them as they coulde catche. Yet amongst the rest, they especially laboured to intrape =Elias=, who was excéeding zealous. The =Baalamites= were in greate fauoure with the King: but especially with the Quéene, as her chief dearlings. And when the time approched, that =Achab= should suffer due and worthie punishment 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 againe the Citie of _Ramoth Gilead_, which the =Assirians= had taken from him. =Iosaphat= allowed well this deuise, notwithstanding hée woulde in any wise aske counsaile héerein of God. =Achab=, therefore gathereth togither a Councell of 400. priests of =Baall=, who all with one voyce, exhorted him to goe on with his enterprise, assuring him of most certaine victorie. One of them named =Sedechias=, was so vainly bold, that putting hornes of yron on his head, he saide: 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 whome they might séeke counsell. =Achab= answered: There is (quoth he) yet a certaine 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 messenger spake vnto him. All the Prophets with one voice, prophecie good lucke vnto the king, I pray thée therefore, 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 stood in their presence, king =Achab= asked him, whether they should make warres against _Ramoth Gilead_, or no? Vnto whom he scoffingly answered: go (saith he) thou shalt haue prosperous successe. The king who by the maner of his vtterance, vnderstood he spake not in earnest, instantly required him to tell him the truth. Wherevppon he saide: that he had séene all _Israell_ dispersed in the mountaines, as shéep without a shepheard, and that the Lorde had saide: These men haue no Lorde, let euery one returne home to his owne house in safetie. Then saide =Achab=, Did I not tell thée, that this fellow both prophecie me no good? The Prophet went on, saying: Heare the word of God: I sawe the Lord sitting in his seate of maiestie, and all the hoste of heauen stande about him on his right hande, and on his lefte hande. And the Lorde saide, Who shall entice =Achab= that he may go and fall at _Ramoth Gilead_. And one saide on this manner, and an other saide on that manner. Then there came foorth a spirit, and stoode before the Lorde and saide, I will entice him. And the Lorde saide vnto him, wherewith? And he saide, I will goe out and be a false spirite in the mouth of all his Prophets. Then he saide, thou shalt entice him, and shalt also preuaile: go foorth and do so. Now therefore beholde, the Lord hath put a lying spirite in the mouth of all these thy Prophets, and the Lorde hath appointed euill against thée. Then =Sedechias= came neare and smote =Micheas= on the chéeke, and saide: when went the spirit of the Lord 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 from the wars. Then saide =Micheas=, If thou returne in peace, the Lorde hath not spoken by me: and therewith he willed all the people to hearken what he spake. Notwithstanding the kings went foreward with their enterprise, and prepared themselues, and led foorth their armies against their enemies. =Achab= was slaine in the battaile: =Iosaphat= because he ioyned himselfe with the wicked, was in very great daunger, &c.
I haue handled this historie somewhat at large, that we might vnderstand, how God by his iust iudgement sendeth spirites vnto those which despise his word, whereby they may be beguiled and deceiued.
The very same happened vnto the Christians after the Apostles time. For when the word of God began to be lesse estéemed than it should haue bene, and men preferred their owne affections before the hearing thereof: and when as they would incurre no maner of daunger, for the defence of their faith, and of the truth, but accounted of all religions alike, God so punished them, that now they began to giue eare vnto false teachers, whiche framed themselues vnto their vaine affections, they learned of images, whom they called Lay-mens bookes, they kissed these mens bones, and shrined them in golde (if happily they were their boanes) whose doctrine before they disdained to receiue: they gaue credit vnto false apparitions and diuellish visions: and so suffered they worthie punishment for their great ingratitude. Euen as yoong 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 fel daily more and more from the word of God, in so much that when they had once lost the truthe, some ranne one way, and some an other, to finde a meanes for the remission of their sinnes: and one man beléeued this spirite, an other that, which no man can deny.
[Sidenote: _Rom._ 1.]
[Sidenote: Athanasius.]
The like chaunced vnto the Gentiles in times past, as it appeareth by the first chap. to the Romanes, and also by their owne writings. They worshipped many gods, many miracles were shewed amongst them: they had many visions of gods, and many oracles: which when the Apostles began to preach, all ceased. S. =Athanasius= in his booke =De humanitate verbi.= =Fol.= 55. and 64. writeth, that in auncient time there were oracles at _Delphos_ in _Bœotia_, L_ycia_, and other places which hee nameth: but nowe since Christ is preached euery where vnto all men, this madnesse hath ceased, &c. In the like maner writeth =Lactantius= and others. But in these our dayes, since we haue refused mens traditions, and willingly imbraced the doctrine of the Gospell, all appearings of soules and spirits haue quite vanished away.
Who (I pray you) heareth now of any soule or spirit, which dooth wander, and as they call it, craue mens deuotions? Those rumblings of spirits in the night, are now muche more sildome heard than they haue bene in times past.
CHAP. II.
What the cause is that in these our dayes so fewe spirites are seene or heard.
The cleare light of Gods word driueth away all such spirits, which vse to worke their feates in the darke. The cleare light approaching, the shadow & darkenesse vanisheth. The prince of darknesse shunneth light, and hath nothing to doo where men worship God the Father, only through Iesu Christ, beléeuing only on him, and committing themselues wholy vnto his protection. If men estéem the word of God, and haue it in price, he will in no wise suffer them to be so ouerséene and deceiued, as they are which do all things without the warrant of his word.
Here I cannot ouerpasse with silence a certaine merry iest: when once there chaunced to be talke in a certaine place of visions and spirites, a certaine professour of the Gospell saide vnto a Papist in this maner: You ought (quoth he) euen by this to gather, that our religion is true, and youres false, for that since the Gospell was preached vnto vs, very fewe spirits haue bin séene of any man. To whome the other made aunswere by way of reasoning called =Violentum=: Nay (saith 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.
[Sidenote: A storie of S. Benedict, seing many diuels in a monastery and fewe in the market.]
It is not much vnlike whiche =Æneas Siluius= (who was afterwardes made Pope, called =Pius= .2.) reciteth in his Historie of the Councell of _Basill_, out of the life of holy =Benedict=, father of the Monkes called after his name. Hée sometimes visiting a certaine Monasterie of holy men, espyed an infinite route of diuels, who as it were fighting with the holy fathers, laboured to disturbe the good workes which they went about. And he forthwith going to a faire full of marchandise and buying and selling, sawe there but one diuell, and he also idle and sad, sitting vppon a watch-toure, wherat saint =Benedict= maruelling, that he saw the place which was holy and dedicate to praier, full of diuels, and that he founde the prophane place which was occupied with periurie and other offences, guarded but with one Diuell: coniures the same Diuell to declare and shewe vnto him the true cause thereof: who straight answered him, that it was néedfull the holy place shoulde be assaulted by many diuels, but those which sinned of their voluntarie accorde, had no néede to bée deceiued by the Diuell.
But I aske thée this question O thou Papist, mighte not the Gentils in ancient time haue obiected the same to the Christians, when they demaunded of them why their Oracles ceassed? and why there were so fewe Visions? If those Spirites or bugges be Diuels, why doe you then saye and beléeue that they are the soules of deade menne, whiche desire helpe of you? I will shewe you the verye true cause why those visions are nowe so seldome times séene: forsoothe because the Diuell perceiueth, that wée vnderstande his subtilties and craft, therefore hée hunteth after other men, and séeketh to deceiue them. As for example, when thou wilt crampe some man by the toes in night time (as sometimes pleasant fellowes vse to do, to recreate themselues when they trauell) and so draw him out of his bedde, if thou perceiue he bee acquainted with thy sleight, by and by thou leauest him, and goest vnto an other which is fast a sleep, and cannot perceiue the deceit.
[Sidenote: A burnt child dreads fire.]
There be other causes also why these things happen now more sildome. If any man deceiue thée once, twice, or thrice, afterwards thou openest thy eyes, and espiest what he doth and what he goeth about: so when we haue bene often beguiled with false apparitions, we will not easily be persuaded, if any man tell vs that a soule or spirite hath appeared (as the prouerbe saith,) Burnt childe, dreads fire. Moreouer, whereas now adayes fewe stand in feare of spirits, many might be easily found, who would séek them, féele them, yea and also handle them. This is well knowne, and therefore no man will gladly put on a visor, or otherwise counterfeit himselfe to be a ghost. A man may soone persuade a childe that there is a black man, a tall woman, which will put children that cry in their budget, &c. but after they are come to maturitie of yeares, they will no more bee feared with visours and such like persuasions: they will laugh at thy follie, if afterwards thou goe about to make them so afraide. Euen so when we were children in the scriptures, that is, when we vnderstood them not, we might be easily seduced to beléeue many things: But nowe that we reade them in all manner of tongues, and do daily profit in them, we do not suffer our selues to be so mocked, neither doo we beléeue euery vaine apparition. How many sights of spirits did the knauerie of the Monkes of _Berna_ driue away, after it was once detected? Things are set vp in the fields to feare away the birdes, which at the last also they perceiue to be but trifles, and are not driuen away any longer with suche toyes. What maruel is it then, if after so great a shipwrack of godlinesse and truth, men albeit they are simple, doo at the last open their eyes.
CHAP. III.
Why God doth suffer straunge noyses, or extraordinarie rumblings to bee heard before some notable alterations or otherwise.
In that there happeneth certaine straunge things before the death of men, and also before notable alterations, and destructions of countries, as maruellous crackes, and terrible roaring, surely it turneth to good vnto the iust, and to further damnation to the wicked. For by these means God sheweth that nothing commeth to passe by chance, or by aduenture, but that the life and death, 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 liue, or be borne, or do well or euill, or otherwise, or whether commō wealths do florish, or be made waste. Christ himself teacheth vs, that not so much as a sparrow falleth vnto the grounde without the will of God. =Salomon= and =Daniel= say, that the hearts of kings are in Gods hands, and that he appointeth or deposeth kings at his pleasure. Wherfore if we happily do heare any noises or such like, they ought rather to put vs in good comfort, thā to make vs afraide. And againe, God hereby admonisheth vs, that we be not idle and secure, for he hath in all ages stirred vp his seruants, not only with word, but also with rare and straunge apparitions. The very Gentiles accounted these miraculous things, as the admonitions and warnings of their gods, and it may be séen euery where, in their histories. And albeit it be very likely, that most of these things happen by the diuels procurement, yet neuerthelesse, we herein perceiue Almightie God his fatherly care, loue, and preseruatiō of vs against yͤ deuises of the diuel. For albeit the diuel take no rest, but is alwayes in readinesse to destroy vs, yet can he not hurt vs, so long as God kéepeth watche and defendeth vs. The wicked who despise the preaching of Gods word, are sore terrified with these things, in so much that they not knowing whither to turne themselues, are constrained to confesse, that God doth gouerne all mens actions, and that there are good and euil spirits. Otherwise they coulde in no case be repressed, but that they would doo greater mischiefe vnto the faithfull, except God by these meanes did cast feare vppon them, and as it were with a snaffle or bridle, did hale and drawe them backe.
CHAP. IIII.
After what sort they should behaue themselues, whiche see good or euil spirits, or meete with other straunge aduentures: and first how Iewes and Gentiles behaued themselues in the like cases.
[Sidenote: What the Gētiles did when they sawe spirits.]
[Sidenote: Suetonius.]
That we may rightly vnderstand how we ought to behaue our selues, if any thing either good or euill, appeare vnto vs, we wil first declare how the Gentiles and Iewes vsed themselues in like cases. Amongst the Gentiles, not only those wandring spirits beare men in hand that they were mens soules, but also shewed what were good and expedient for them to doo for their sake, to wit, that they should do sacrifices for their soules, obserue their obsequies, burie their bodies, erect Temples, make holy dayes, and such like stuffe. =Suetonius= writeth, that the Emperor =Caligule= his bodie was priuily conueyed into the gardeins called _Lamiam_, and there with a hastie fire being but halfe consumed, was cast into a pit, and couered with a litle earth. But afterwards, whē his sisters returned from exile, it was taken vp, and thorowly burnt, and afterward solemnly buried. But before they had so done, the gardē kéepers were very much troubled with appearing of spirites. And moreouer, no man could passe any night in the same house where he was slaine, without some great feare, vntil such time as the house was vtterly destroyed with fire.
[Sidenote: Septimæ Tricessimæ Anniuersaria.]
[Sidenote: Lilius Giraldus.]
[Sidenote: Cicero.]
We read also in other writers, that the ghostes of them which were not orderly buried, or whose accustomed rites and ceremonies in the time of warres were omitted, did appeare either to their friendes or vnto others, complayning and intreating that their funerals, and all other ceremonies might be obserued for their sake: whereof came the hearses, wéekemindes, monthmindes, and anniuersaries, whereof we reade many things in the Ethnike writers, and many things are recited 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 second part and first Chapter, that some haue desired others, that they might bee buried after that they were dead. =Cicero= writeth in his 1. booke _De legibus_, that =Romulus= the first founder of _Rome_, walking after his death not farre from =Atticus= house, appeared vnto =Iulius Proculus=, and told him that he was now a god, and that his name was =Quirinus=, and therwith commanded that there should be a Temple erected and dedicated vnto him in the same place.
[Sidenote: Ouid.]
[Sidenote: Feralia.]
[Sidenote: Parentalia.]
=Ouid= writeth _Lib._4. _Fastorum_, that =Remus= appeared in the night time vnto =Fastulus=, and to his wife =Accia Laurentia=, sometime his Nurse, complaining vnto them of his miserable death, and desiring them to make laboure, that the same day wherein he was slaine, might bee accounted amongst their holy dayes. The people of _Rome_ (as =Ouid= witnesseth, _Lib._2. _Fastorum_) kept a feast in the moneth of Februarie called _Feralia_, in the which they did sacrifice vnto the infernall goddes, and those whose duties it was to celebrate the funeralls of their Auncesters, carried dishes of meat to their sepulchers. Whereof =Fastus= 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= saith, they were called _Silicernium_, by the which word some will haue a certaine feast signified, which is bestowed vppon old men. =Donatus= sayth, that _Silicernium_ is a supper, which is made to the infernall Gods, because _Eam silentes cernant_, that is, the deade soules do receiue it, or because those that doe serue it, do onely _cernere_, sée it, and not taste thereof, &c. There were also certaine holie feastes called _Parentalia_, in the which meate was carried to the Sepulchers, for the soules of Parents and Auncestours before deceased. And albeit they suppose, that soules were pleased with small giftes, as of milke, wine, and such like, whereof mention is made in =Ouid=, yet notwithstanding they also killed sacrifices, whereof some suppose that _Feralia_ tooke their name, _à feriendis pecudibus_, of killing shéepe. Vnto their sacrifices they also added praiers, and kindled lightes. When in times past the Romanes 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 stormes and pestilence, and that soules rising 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 married women lay not with their husbandes, neither those whiche were marriageable did marrie, and the Images of their Goddes were couered. The soules of them that were dead, when they came to the meate, they wandred about the graues, and were fed (as they thought) with the banquet.
[Sidenote: Lemuria.]
[Sidenote: Ouid.]