Part 19

When Christ first sent abroad his Disciples to preach the Gospell, he said vnto them, =Matthew= 10. Be yée wise as Serpents, and simple as Doues, beware of men: howe much more than ought we to take heede of diuels? Christ prophecieth in the 24. of =Matthew=, that many false teachers shall come in the latter daies, and shall shewe straunge myracles to confirme their erroures, and therefore hée commaundeth the faithfull, to be héedefull and circumspect, and not without cause hée addeth: Beholde I haue tolde you before. Sainte =Paule= to the Galathians the firste Chapter, saith in greate earnest vnto them, that if an Angell come from Heauen, and preache vnto them any other Gospell, hée shoulde be accursed. Euen so, if at this time spirites appeare, and doe vtter any thinge repugnant to the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets, they are to be reiected. The Apostle in his firste Epistle and fourth Chapter to Timothie, dothe prophecie of false teachers whiche shoulde come, and saithe, the spirit speaketh euidently, that in the latter times some shall departe from the faithe, and shall giue héede vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of Deuils, whiche speake lies through hipocrisie, and haue their consciences burned with an hote yron, forbidding to marrie, and commaunding to absteyne from meates which God hath created to be receiued with gyuing thankes of them whiche beléeue, and knowe the truth. &c. By the worde (spirite) are vnderstoode false teachers, whiche vaunt themselues of the spirite of God: But what cause is there, why it may not be vnderstoode of suche wandring spirites, which haue induced men to take in hande many things? In the seconde Epistle to the Thessalonians, and the seconde Chapter, when certaine affirmed the latter daye to be presente at hande, =Paule= foretelleth them, that there shall be a defection, and that Antichrist shall first come, saying: Nowe we beséech you brethren by the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe, by our assembling vnto him, that yée be not sodenly moued from your intent, nor troubled, neither by spirits, nor by word, nor by letter, as it were from vs, as though the day of Christ were at hande. Let no man deceiue you by any meanes. &c. Whiche wordes truly in my iudgement may also be verie aptly vnderstood of those wandering spirites. Saint =Iohn= saith in his first Epistle and fourth Chapter: Dearly beloued, beléeue not euery spirit, but trie the spirits whether they are of God: for many false prophettes are gone out into the world. Hereby shall ye knowe the spirit of God. Euery spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God, and euery spirite whiche confesseth not, that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God. &c. Here he speaketh not of spirites which falsly affirme themselues to be mens soules, but of those teachers whiche boaste of themselues that they haue the spirite of God. But in case we must not beleeue them being aliue, much lesse ought we to credite them when they are dead. And albeit that neyther Christe nor his Apostles, had so diligently giuen vs warning, not to suffer our selues to be seduced with myracles, and with the talke of spirits, yet notwithstanding, daily experience teacheth vs to bee circumspect and warie in these cases. For assoone as false teachers sée that they haue no testimonie of Scripture to defende themselues withall, by and by they turne themselues to spirites and visions, whereby they may confirme their doctrine, which thing hath opened a large windowe to many errors. To what inconuenience ambition, couetousnesse and enuie, hath brought many of the Clergie, it is both well knowne by many examples, and it hath also as it were by the way bene before declared. Haue not the orders of Monkes striued amongest themselues for the preheminence? haue not they inuented newe miracles? haue they not counterfeited gods, pilgrimages, saintes and spirits? The holy Virgin is a famous and notable example, that we shuld not rashly beléeue euery spirit. For at what time yͤ Angell =Gabriel= appeared vnto her in a visible shape, and saluted her, shewing her before of yͤ incarnatiō of the sonne of God, she thought with her selfe, what maner of saluation that should be, how this thing could come to passe, séeing shée had knowne no man. Then at the last being enformed of the meanes by the Angell, she said: Beholde the handmayd of the Lord, be it vnto me according to thy word. Why then should we beléeue euery spirite, especially those which teach things quite contrary to the word of God.

CHAP. IX.

After what sort the faithful in the primitiue Church, vsed themselues when they met with spirits.

I haue declared out of the word of God how good and godly men ought to behaue themselues, when soeuer any spirites appeare vnto them. And truly the auncient Christians behaued themselues after this sort. For they were couragious and without feare, they gaue themselues to godlinesse, and all good workes, they diligently auoyded all things which were displeasing vnto God: and they were also very circumspect, not to attribute too much vnto spirits and visions.

[Sidenote: The signe of the Crosse.]

[Sidenote: Tertullian.]

[Sidenote: Hierome.]

[Sidenote: Origen. &c.]

[Sidenote: Athanasius.]

It was a common custom amongst them, to blesse themselues with the signe of the Crosse, when they mette with these things, which many also vse at this day. =Tertullian= writeth in his booke _De corona militis_, that the auncient Christians did many times marke their foreheades with the signe of the Crosse. S. =Hierom= exhorteth =Demetriades=, that he often crosse his foreheade, least that the destroyer of _Egipt_ finde any place therein. =Origen= also, =Epiphanius=, =Chrisostome=, and =Augustine=, write many thinges of the vertue of the holie Crosse. S. =Athanasius= writeth in his booke _De Humanitate verbi, eiusque corporali aduentu_. _Fol._67. In times past (saith he) the diuels by vaine shewes, and mockerie, ensnared men, abiding somtimes in wels, sometime in riuers, in stones, and woods, and so by craftie deceytes, brought vnwise men into sottishnesse. But nowe since Gods word hath appeared vnto vs, suche sightes and vaine fantasies haue surceased. Fol. 56. and 72. and in other places also he handleth the same matter.

=Lactantius= writeth of the same in his fourth booke _Diuinarum Institutionum_ 26. Chapter, and also throughout the 27. Chapter. He saith that the diuel can haue no accesse vnto those, nor any wayes hurt them, which signe their foreheads with the Crosse. He addeth moreouer, that the Christians vsed this ceremonie in old time, in casting out diuels and healing diseases.

[Sidenote: Whether the bare signe of the Crosse haue anie force.]

Not for that they ascribed such efficacie and force to the externall signe of the Crosse, (for that were superstitious) but vnto the Crosse, that is, to the merites of Christe, whose worthinesse and excellencie, they called withall to their remembrance. Touching the holy Apostles, or Apostolike Churches, we reade not, that they euer vsed the signe of the Crosse, in expelling diuels, in curing diseases, or in any other thing. God spared the Iewes in _Egipt_, whiche marked the doore postes with the bloude of the Lambe: not that Lambes bloude is able to deliuer men from death, but it was a figure of the bloud and passion of Christ Iesus. And the Iewes sprinkled not bloud of their owne good deuotion, as they terme it, but by the commandement of God. The holy Fathers by the ceremonie that they signed themselues with the Crosse, ment to testifie their confidence in the crosse, that is, in the death of Christ Iesus, which abandoneth all euill and mischiefe. The Diuell neuer a whit feareth the Crosse, wherewith we signe our selues, nor yet those pieces and fragments of Christes Crosse, which are shewed for reliques, but he trembleth at the power and force of Christs death, by the which he was conquered and ouerthrowne. If any man attribute too much vnto ceremonies, he cannot be excused from superstition, which worthily deserueth blame.

[Sidenote: Coniurations against diuels.]

We read more in the auncient writers, that they vsed exorcismes, or coniurations in the primatiue Churche against diuels.

[Sidenote: Tertullian.]

You may read in =Tertullian= in his booke _De anima_, that vncleane spirits haue oftentimes deceiued men, haue taken on them the persons of others, and haue fained themselues to be the soules of dead men, that men should not beléeue that all soules descended into Hell (what is to be vnderstood by the word Hell, I haue shewed before) and so to bring the beléefe of the latter iudgement of the resurrection of the dead, into doubt and question.

Moreouer, we reade that the olde Fathers haue cast diuels out of men, and out of such places wherein by their rumbling, they haue put many in horrible feare. Such an historie of Saint =Iohn= in =Abdias Babylonius=, for the holy Apostles, and many godly men after them, were endued with this grace from God, that they could cast out vnclean spirits: which gift continued a long season in the Church, to the great profit of the faithfull, but afterwards it ceased as other miracles did also. It maketh vnto this purpose, that =Tertullian= writeth in his =Apologetico=, =Fol.= 858. and 159.

Thus we haue sufficiently séene after what sort the holy Fathers and auncient christians behaued themselues when any spirits appeared vnto them.

CHAP. X.

That sundrie kindes of superstition haue crept in, whereby men haue attempted to driue away spirits.

[Sidenote: 2._Thess._2.]

[Sidenote: 1._Iohn_.4.]

In proces of time, superstitions encreased more & more. =Paule= complaineth, that in his time Antichrist beganne to practise his ministerie of iniquitie, that many opinions and sects beganne to spring vp. Saint =Iohn= writeth, that in his time, there were many Antichristes. What maruel is it then, if afterwards, yea and that verie quickly, diuers errours croape into the Churche, and multiplyed excéedingly?

[Sidenote: Augustine.]

Sainte =Augustine= in his 22. booke _De ciuitate Dei_, and eighte Chapter, after that hee hadde recited certaine miracles, whiche were therefore shewed that men might beléeue in Christ, he setteth foorthe this 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 which, perceiuing by the languishing of his cattell and seruauntes, that his house was infected with the force and rage of euill 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 praiers might giue place: one of them went thither, and there offred the sacrifice of the bodie of Christ, praying very earnestly, that the same disquieting of spirites might cease, and by and by God had compassion, and it ceased. He had giuen him of a friend of his, some parte of holy lande brought from Hierusalem, where Christ being buried, rose againe the third day: that earth he hung vp in his chamber, least any euill might happē vnto him. But when his house was deliuered frō that trouble, he deuiseth with himselfe what he might do with the saide earth, which for reuerence sake, he would not kéepe any longer in his chamber. &c. Héereby it is manifest, that superstition began immediatly, and (as it hapneth alwaies) grewe bigger with great increase, as if one shoulde roll foorthe snowe clodded togither, or as when huge lumpes of snowe begin to fall down from the _Alpes_, all things on euery side are filled with snowe. Shortly after menne began to praye, and offer sacrifice for dead mennes soules, yea and that with a good intention, as it may euidently appeare in many of the auncient fathers.

Afterwards when Bishops and parish Priests, did not onely not correct olde superstitions, but also vppon a good meaning increase them, at the last they grew to an infinite number. For when spirits appeared, men called not vpon God through Christ only, but also vpon Saints, forgetting that which S. =Paule= saith to the Romanes the tenth. (For I wil let passe at this time all other arguments,) how shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beléeued? The Papists themselues cannot deny, but that we must beléeue onely in God, and therefore he onely is to be worshipped through his sonne.

[Sidenote: The Aue Marie is no praier.]

[Sidenote: _Ephe._1.]

[Sidenote: _Iohn_.2.]

[Sidenote: 1. _Timo._ 2.]

Some write that it is a soueraign remedie to driue away diuels, if we pray _Aue Maria_. Where by the way is to bee noted, that the same salutation of the Angell is no prayer, but onely a gréeting, and historicall narration, to witte, howe the Archangell =Gabriell= tolde the Virgin =Mary= before of the Incarnation of Christ. But I pray thée weigh the sense of the words, and whether though wilt or no, thou must néedes say that these words conteine in them neither asking, nor thankesgiuing, which are the parts of prayer. When the Angell came vnto her, he saluted her, saying: χαῖρει, _i. salue_, that is, God spéede, or reioyce (for as =Festus= saith, the Gréeke and the Latin word haue one signification.) Then he addeth further, full of grace, which is to be vnderstood passiuely, (as they terme it in the schooles) for because God bestowed his grace vpon her: for so the Angell himselfe expoundeth it, when he saith afterwardes, that she had founde grace, that is, that God is mercifull and louing towardes her. Those words may not be so vnderstoode, as if she were the fountaine of grace (as some haue expounded it) and that she hath grace of her selfe, and bestoweth it vpon such as call vppon her, or speake vnto her with the salutation of the Angell. For neyther the Gréeke worde, nor any other places of the Scriptures admit this sense. The Apostle saieth to the Ephesians the first Chapter, that God hath made vs his faithfull seruants, deare by his grace through his beloued, that is, through Iesus Christ. In the which saying, the same word is put, which the Angell vsed in saluting the holy Virgine. It is written in the first Chapter of saint =Iohns= Gospell in plaine wordes, that =Iohn Baptist= bare witnesse of Christ with a loude voyce, 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 omit for breuities sake. The Virgin =Mary= her selfe saith, the Lord hath done maruellous things vnto me. She setteth foorth the grace of God, giuen vnto her from God, without any of her deserts. For he neuer bestowed greater grace on any woman. And there is a very great difference betwéen him that conferreth grace, and them which receiue or obtaine grace. Grace is only to be sought at his hands, who giueth grace, and not of them which themselues receiue grace. A fewe yeares past, all men besought the Virgin for helpe, hoping for more grace and succour of her than of Christ himselfe. The Angell addeth further: Blessed art thou amongst women, that is, God hath conferred more grace vnto thée, 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 her cousin =Elizabeth=, who also saluted her. Vnto 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 Saint =Luke=, Chapter 1.) not because 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 her. You shall not finde in any allowed Authors, that in the time of the Apostles and many dayes after, this greeting was accounted as a prayer, or that any godly men did salute, and call vpon the holy Virgin. Which thing I write not, because I would bereaue the holy Virgin of hir honor, but least that against hir will, we 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 lay people, in whiche they may sée all these things with their owne eyes. Indéede I denie not but Spirites haue many times vanished away vpon the saying of =Aue Marie=, but it was so doone, that men might therby be confirmed in their superstition.

[Sidenote: Holy Water.]

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 vaine sights. They also consecrated saulte, and taught, that whether soeuer it were cast, it draue away spirites, and all deceites of the diuil, yea and the diuel himselfe also. Moreouer, they coniured with certain cerimonies and words, candles, palme, herbes, and other creatures, to driue away fantasies (as they terme them.) They laide these and such like things, as also the relikes of Saintes, in those places wheras Spirits had bin séene or heard. They also bare men in hande, that greate belles and sancebelles by their noise fraied 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 excellēt remedie against spirits. Some vsed to burne a bundell of consecrated herbes, that with the smoke therof they might chase away diuels. Many haue their peculiar and straunge blessings against spirites. There haue bene also many holy rites instituted by the commaundement of wandring soules, as Masses for the dead, vigils, prayers, and tweluemonths minds: as though the soules of godly men, being deliuered from all trouble, were not immediately translated into eternall rest. And it is also plaine by reading 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 sung for their sakes, for they bare men in hand, that those had great and maruellous force to redéeme them out of Purgatorie.

[Sidenote: The order of Cistertians.]

[Sidenote: Exorcists.]

=Iohn Tritenhemius= writeth in his Cronicles of the Monasterie of =Hirsgauium=, about the yeare of our Lorde 1098. =Henricus= the fourth then being Emperour, that at such time 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, and that about .ix. of the clock at night they returned again to the hill nere at hand, out of yͤ which they vsed to come forth. At last a certaine Monke of the Abbey of _Limpurge_, which stood not far from yͤ hil whence they issued, associating certain other vnto him, came on a certain night to yͤ place of the hil, & blessing himselfe with yͤ signe of yͤ holy Crosse, adiured them in the name of the holy and vnseparable Trinitie, as they came out of the hil, to declare vnto him who they were: vnto whom one of the company made answer: we are (quoth he) no vain things, neither yet liuing souldiers, but yͤ soules of earthly men, seruing in this world vnder our prince, who not lōg since was slain in this place. The armour, furniture, & horses, which were vnto vs instruments of sinne while we liued, are euen now after our death, certaine signes and tokens of tormentes. Whatsoeuer ye sée about vs, is all firie vnto vs, although you nothing discerne our fire. When the Monkes enquired whether they might be holpen by men, the spirit answered: we may (saith he) be holpen by fasting and praiers: but chiefly by the oblation of the bodie and blood of Christ, which thing we beséech you do for vs. Assoone as he had so saide, all the whole rout of spirits cried thrée times with one voyce: pray for vs, pray for vs, pray for vs. And sodeinly withal, they séemed to be all resolued into fire, yea and the hill it self, as if it had bin on fire, cast forth as it were a great crashing and rushing of trées. They had in Churches a peculiar order of them whom they called =Exorcists=, or Coniurers, whose dutie was to coniure and driue away diuels, but they were not so endued with that gifte, as the auncient Christians were, and therfore they did but vaunt & boast of themselues.

Afterwards certaine Monkes and Priests well séen in Magicall sciences (for they were neuer without such trim men) tooke vpon them to coniure and driue away euill spirits out of houses into woods & desart places. They wroght maruellous and straunge things, and they said that a spirit in the name of Saints, and by the vertue of their coniuring and characters, was constrained to giue place whether he would or not. Indéede the diuel giueth place, but he doth it as enemies doo, which by flying chuse a more fit place to fight in, or more apte to embushe themselues. That which Sathan doth, he doth it willingly and of his owne accorde, that he might withdrawe men from trusting in God onely, and driue them headlong into Idolatrie. Christ and his Disciples cast out diuels, but they were loth and vnwilling to depart. Moreouer they vsed to hang Saint =Iohns= Gospell about their neckes, and carried about with 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, wherein amongst other things we reade, after what sort men should prepare themselues, when any spirits appeare, howe they shall behaue themselues in comming to them, in departing from them, in the place where they appeare, and what questions are to be proposed vnto them: touching which things I spake before, in the second part of this Booke and second Chapter, where if you list you may finde them.

I haue heard men which haue confessed themselues to haue bene 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, because they were perswaded, that it was good to stop all spirits from méeting with them in a visible forme.

But tell mée I pray thée whosoeuer thou art whiche doest so, by what places of Scripture canst thou confirme those ceremonies? Where doth Christ and his Disciples teach vs to expell the diuell (which is a spirit, and therefore without any bodie) by bodily things? shewe but one example, that they haue cast forth the diuel by this way or means. If you bring out of the bookes of =Tobie=, that the heart and liuer of the fish being laide on the coales, droue away the diuel with the smell, we say that the same booke is not accounted amongst the Canonicall scriptures: and moreouer that the same diuel was rather vanquished by the praiers of =Tobias= and his wife, than by any fumigation. Did Christ ordaine the holy Supper to this ende, that thereby diuels should be cast out? Albeit that an euil spirit doo faine to giue place, because of these things, yet he bringeth to passe in the meane season, that superstition is more déeply rooted in the hearts of men.

CHAP. XI.

That spirites are not to bee driuen away by cursing and banning.

[Sidenote: _Rom._ 8.]