Testimonies out of holie Scripture, and one example
whereby it is prooued, that such kinde of apparitions
are not to be credited, and that we ought to bee verie
circumspect in them.

THat wee ought not by and by to belÉeue all thinges which we heare, not onely experience and many common Prouerbes, but also the holy Scriptures teach vs, especially in cases concerning our saluation, touching the which thing, we will alledge only a fewe places and examples.

When Christ first sent abroad his Disciples to preach Mat.10. 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 Mat.24. 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 1.Tim.4. 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 2.Thess.2. 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. 1. Iohn .4. 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 The holy virgin did not by & by beleeue the appearing of the Angell. and spirits? The holy Virgin is a famous and notable example, that we shuld not rashly belÉeue euery spirit. For at what time y? Angell Gabriel appeared vnto her in a visible shape, and saluted her, shewing her before of y? incarnatio 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.

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