BUt thou wilt say, I doo not yet clearely and plainly vnderstand what manner of things those are, whereof (as it is sayd before) Historiographers, holy Fathers, and others, make mention: as that holie Apostles, Bishoppes, Martyres, Confessours, Virgines, and manie other which dyed long agoe, appeared vnto certaine men lying at the poynt of death, gaue them warnyng, aunsweared vnto certaine questions, commaunded them to doe this or that thyng: and that some thing is sÉene and heard at certeine times, whiche not only affirmeth it selfe to be this or that soule, but also sheweth howe it may be succoured, and afterwardes returning againe, giueth great thankes vnto them of whome it hath receiued such a benefite: that the husband being dead, came in the nighte vnto his wife nowe a widowe, and that seldome times any notable thing hathe happened, whiche was not foreshewed vnto some man by certaine signes and tokens. You wil say, I heare and vnderstand very wel that these things are not mens soules, which continually remaine in their appointed places, I pray you then what are they? To conclude in fewe words, If it be not a vaine persuasion procÉeding through weakenesse of the senses through feare, or some suche like cause, or if it be not deceit of men, or some naturall thing, wherof we haue spoken muche in the firste part, it is either a good or euill Angell, or some other forewarning sent by God, concerning the which we will speake more orderly and fully hereafter. Our sauioure Angells appeare. witnesseth in the Gospell, that children haue their good Angells: Matth.18. and we reade in the 18. of Matthew, that the Lorde saide: Take hÉede ye contemne not one of these litle ones: for I saye vnto you, that their Angels in Heauen do alwayes behold the face of my father whiche is in Heauen. Which words are not so to be taken, as though they were neuer sent downe into the earth, but the Lord here speaketh after the manner of men. For as seruaunts stande before their maisters to fulfill their commaundement, euen Esay.63. so are the Angels prest and ready to serue God. Esay the 63. The Angell of his face, that is, which standeth ready in his sight, preserued them. And further they which often stand in presence of their Lorde, are acceptable vnto them and priuy to their secrets. Out of this place of Math. Saincte Herome in his commentaries, and other fathers do conclude, that God doth assigne vnto euery soule assoone as he createth him his peculiar Angell, which taketh care of him. But whether that euerie one of the elect haue his proper Angell, or many Angels be appointed vnto him, it is not expresly set foorth, yet this is most sure and certaine, that God hath giuen his Angels in charge to haue regarde Dani.10. and care ouer vs. Daniel witnesseth in his tenth Chapter, that Angels haue also charge of kingdomes, by whom God kÉepeth and protecteth them, and hindreth the wicked counsels of the diuell. It may be proued by many places of scripture, that all Christian men haue not only one Angell, but Psal.34. also many, whome God imployeth to their seruice. In the 34. Psalme it is sayd, the Angell of the Lord pitcheth his tentes round about them which feare the Lord, and helpeth them: which ought not to bee doubted but that it is also at this day, albeit we sÉe them not. We reade that they appearing in sundry shapes, haue admonished men, haue comforted them, defended them, deliuered them from daunger, and also punished the wicked. Touching this matter, there are plentifull examples, which are not nÉedfull to be repeated in this place. Sometimes they haue either appeared in slÉepe, or in maner of visions, and sometimes they haue performed their office, by some internall operations: as when a mans minde foresheweth him, that a thing shall so happen, and after it happeneth so indÉed, which thing I suppose is done by God, through the ministrie of Angels. Angels for the most part take vpon them the shapes of men, wherein they appeare. And so it may be, that S. Felix, and Saint Agnes, and other which haue appeared vnto honest and godly men, were the Angels of God. Angels haue appeared Whole armies of Angels. not only one at a time, but also whole Armies and Hostes, of them, as vnto Iacob the patriarch, and Heliseus the Prophet. It is read in the Ecclesiasticall history written by Socrates and Sozomenus, that Archadius the Emperour receiued Gaina, with all his Armie of souldiers, into the Citie of Constantinople, to defend it, but this traitor went about to get the rule of the Citie into his owne hands, and therefore he sent a band of men to fire the Emperours Pallace, which sodeinly espied a great hoste of Angels, of large stature, armed like vnto souldiers, whereupon they gaue ouer their enterprise of fiering. Then sent he others who reported Costantinople preserued by the appearing of Angels. the very same: At the last he went himselfe, and sawe it to be so, and so left his purpose: and thus God by a miraculous meanes, preserued the Cittie and Church of Constantinople from the craftie subtiltie of the tyrant.

Whereas S. Augustine in his booke De cura pro mortuis agenda, Chapter 10. writeth, that dead men, haue appeared vnto the liuing in dreames, or any other meanes whatsoeuer, shewing them where their bodies laie vnburied, and requiring them to burie them. There he supposeth, that these are the workes of Angels by the dispensation of Gods prouidence, vsing vnto good purpose, both good and euil Angels, according to the vnsearchable depth of his iudgements. He saith not that such soules appeare in slÉepe, but the similitude of soules. He addeth further, if the soules of the dead had any thing to do with matters of the liuing, and that we might talke with them as often as we list in our slÉepe, his mother no night would leaue him, who to liue with him, followed him both by sea and by lande, suche loue bare she towards her sonne.