Whether the Diuell haue power to appeare vnder the
shape of a faithfull man?

B Ut thou doest demand whether the Diuill can represent the likenesse of some faithfull man deceased? Hereof we nÉed 2. Cor. 11. not doubt at all. For in the 2. Cor. 11. S. Paul witnesseth, that sathan transformeth himselfe into the shape & fashion of an Angell of light. Sathan by nature is a spirit, and is therefore tearmed an Angel, because God vseth to send him to bring that thing to passe which he thinketh best. So in 2. Reg. 22. the second of Kings .22. Chapter, an euil angell was sent foorth to Ahabs destruction, to be a lying spirit in the mouth of 400. false prophets. This was an angell of errour and darkenesse: who yet in outwarde shewe could resemble a good Angell, that he might so guide the counsell of Baalls worshippers, who no doubt vaunted themselues, as if they had bene gathered togither by Gods holy spirit. If sathan be then so skilfull, can he not counterfait and faine himselfe to be some holy man, by resembling his words, voyce, iesture, and such other things?

Amongst the Gentiles he hath done miraculous Actes, perswading them to thinke, that soules by Arte Magicke were called vp, and compelled to giue answere of secrete and hidden things that were to come. And therefore not only in publike, but also priuate affaires, if they sÉemed to be any thing hard vnto them, they consulted with Magitians and Sorcerers, and had moreouer recourse sometimes vnto Oracles.

Tertullian in his booke De Anima mentioneth, that there were some euen in his dayes, which professed they could raise vp and reclaime soules from the hellishe habitation. And he calleth Arte Magike, the second Idolatrie, in the whiche the diuels doo as well fayne themselues to bee dead men, as they doo in the other to bee Gods. So doo these subtle spirites lurke, and doo many straunge things vnder the pretence of deade men. He addeth, that Magike is thought to conuey soules out of Hell which lye there in rest, and to represent them vnto our sighte, by reason that it sheweth a vaine vision, and counterfeiteth the shape of a bodie. Neither is it a harde matter for him to bleare and beguile the outward eyes, who can easily darken and dazell the inwarde sighte of the minde. The Serpents that were brought foorth by the inchaunters rods, sÉemed to the Egiptians to be bodies, but the truth of Moises deuoured vp the Magitians lye. Simon also and Elimas the Magitians, did many signes and wonders against the Apostles &c. HÉe addeth, that euen in his time those heretikes named properly Simonistes of Simon the Magitian, the first author of that sect, did with suche greate presumption aduaunce their arte, that they professed they coulde rayse from the dead, euen the soules of the Prophets. &c.

Lactantius in the .2. booke & 17. chap. De origine erroris, writeth, that euill angels lurking vnder the names of the dead, did wound and hurt the liuing, that is, they tooke vnto themselues the names of Iupiter and Iuno, whome the heathens tooke to be gods, or as we now say, they tooke vnto them the names of S. Sebastian, Barbara, and others.

In the 7. booke and 13. chap. he saith, that the Magitians with certaine inchauntmentes did call soules out of hell. But this may not so be vnderstood, that Lactantius was of this iudgement, that they by their wicked arts did bring the soules back again into their dead bodies: but that they did so vaunt and boast that they had raised vp this and that soule. He also confuteth the opinion of the Ethnikes, prouing by the testimonie of the very Magitians, whom they highly reuerenced, that the soule was immortall. These men affirmed and taught, that they did call vp soules from the dead, the which point, euen those of the Gentiles belÉeued, who notwithstanding thought, that the soule did straightway die with the bodie.

Iustine the Martire, in the second Apologie which he wrote in the defence of Christians, hath these wordes: I will (saith he) say the truth: In times past wicked angels through vain visions deceiued women, and children, and with straunge and monstrous sightes made man afraide, by whiche meanes they often wroong that oute of foolishe and rude persons, which by reason they coulde neuer get of them. And therefore not knowing that these were the Diuels engines and policies tending to delude them, they by one consent termed the workers of these slie conueyances, by the name of Gods, assigning to eache of them their proper names, as best pleased themselues. &c.

Afterwardes in the same Apologie hÉe exhorteth the Heathens, that they would not deny mens soules after this life to be endued with sense, but at the least way, would giue credit to their owne Necromancers, who teach that they call vp mens soules. Also let them belÉeue those y? affirme they haue bin vexed with spirits of dead men, which persons the common people term furious & frantike bodies. In Augustin De ciuitate dei, many such things be coteined.

Now what dreadfull, strange, and maruellous ceremonies they vsed when they went about by their Magicall Artes to call vp the soules of the dead, a man may sÉe in the sixth booke of Lucan the Poet: where he setteth foorth how Erictho, a famous Witche in Thessaly, reuiued and restored a souldiour to life againe, who was lately slaine before. Which act he did at the request of Sextus Pompeius, that so he might by him learne what woulde be the issue of the battaile fought at Pharsalia.

This kind of Magike they properly terme Necromancie, or Phycomancie, which is wrought by raising vp the spirits and soules of the dead. Of which there were diuerse sorts. For sometime appeared vnto men the whole bodies of the dead, but at an other time onely ghostes and spirits: and often nothing was heard, sauing onely a certaine obscure voyce.

Plutarch in the life of Cimon, (as hÉe is translated by Ioachimus Camerarius, in the Preface on Plutarches bookes, De oraculis quÆ defecerint, & de conseruata figura, Ei, Delphis) writeth, that Pausanias, when he had taken the Citie of Bizance, sent for Cleonice, a mayden of noble parentage, to haue vnhonest company with her. Whom her parents partly by necessitie, and partly for fear, sent vnto him. But after that the virgin had once obteined so much of his waiters in his priuie Chamber, that they should at her first entrance, put out the lightes, she in the darke going softly towardes Pausanias bedde, by the way stumbled on the candlesticke, and ouerthrew it against her will, as he laie a slÉepe in his bedde, who being troubled with the sodaine noyse, drew a swoord that laie by him, and therewith slewe the virgine, as she had bene his enemie, which went priuily to set vpon him. But she being thus slaine with that deadly stroake, would neuer suffer Pausanias to take his quiet rest, but in a vision appearing vnto him in the night season, denounced sentence of hatred against this noble captaine, in these words.

Ste??e d??e? ?ss?? ??a t?? ?a??? ??d??s?? ????

which is,

Answere to the lawe, for wrong is an euill thing vnto all men. This heinous dÉede of Pausanias was verie grÉeuously taken of all his companions, who therefore vnder the conduction of captaine Cymo sette on him, and chased him out of Thracia. And thus hauing lost the Cities of Bizance, when (as it is reported) the fight continued in troubling him, he fledde vnto Necyomantium, at Heraclea, where the soule of Cleonices being called vp, hÉe by intreatie pacified her displeasure. ShÉe did there both present her selfe vnto his sight, and also told him, it should shortly come to passe, that the euill towardes him should cease, assoone as he came to Sparta. Hereby priuily intimating his death, &c. This Pausanias did at the first soberly and discrÉetely demeane himselfe, but afterwardes bÉeing puffed vp with such victories as he had obteined, he ruled and Ephori amogest the Lacedemonians were Magistrates, who in certaine cases were aboue kings, vnto whom appeales were made from kings: euen as amongst the Romans, they appealed from the Consuls to the Tribunes. raigned lyke a verie Tyraunt. Wherefore when the Magistrates called Ephori, would haue committed him to prison, he tooke Sanctuarie in a Temple, where he was shut vp vntill he famished through hunger.

I might here heape togither many such like Histories, to proue euidently what this Samuel was. In other matters also, if God licence him, the Diuel is not destitute of power, and how craftie and readie he is for all assaies, experience doth well declare.

Furthermore graunt that, wherin the pith and strength of the question doth consist (which can neuer be proued by scripture) that God did permit Samuell to returne and to prophesie things to come after his death, yet will it not thereof follow, that such visions should now be shewed also, or that those things should be out of hand credited and done which they commaund.

God in times past, did often in visible shape send his Angels vnto men, but now we heare not that many are sent vnto men, neither indÉed is the same necessary. When the Apostles liued here, many notable miracles were done, but now for certaine good causes, they cease and fall away, for whatsoeuer is necessary for our saluation, is expresly conteined in the word of God. These notes touching Samuels appearing, may suffise.

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