OF
Ghostes and Spirites,
Walking by Night,
And of straunge Noyses, Crackes, and sundrie
forewarnings, which commonly happen before
the death of men: Great slaughters,
and alterations of Kingdomes.
One Booke,
Written by Lewes Lauaterus of Tigurine.
And translated into English by R. H.
Imprinted at London by Thomas Creede.
1596.
Being desirous (gentle Reader) to exercise my selfe with some translation, at vacant times, and seeing, that since the Gospell hath been preached, this one question, touching the appearing of spirits and soules departed, hath not bin much handled amongst vs, and therfore many, otherwise well affected in religion vtterly ignorant heerein, I thought it not amisse to take in hand some good and learned Treatise concerning this matter. Wherein as many haue both learnedly, painfully, and religiously trauelled: so amongst others, none in my iudgement hath more handsomly & eloquētly, with more iudgment & better method discoursed the same, thē Lewes Lauaterus, Minister of Tigurine.
A Table of the Chapters of the three principall
parts, touching Spirits walking by Night.
Of the first part.
Concerning certaine words which are often vsed in this
Treatise of Spirites, and diuers other diuinations of things
to come. Chapter.1. Folio.1.
Melancholike persons and madde men, imagining things
which in very deed are not. Chapter.2. Fol.9.
Fearefull men, imagine that they see and heare straunge
things. Chap.3. Fol.14.
Men which are dull of seeing and hearing, imagine many
things which in very deed are not so. Chap.4. Fol.16.
Many are so feared by other men, that they suppose they
haue heard or seene spirits. Chap.5. Fol.21.
Priests and Monkes fained themselues to be spirits: also
how Mundus vnder this colour defiled Paulina, and Tyrannus
abused many noble and honest matrons. Chap.6. Fol.23.
Timotheus Aelurus, counterfeiting himselfe to be
an Angell, obteined a Bishoppricke: foure Monkes of the
order of Preachers, made many vaine apparitions at Berna.
Chapter.7. Fol.28.
Of a counterfaite and deceiuing spirite at Orleaunce in
France. Chap.8. Fol.37.
Of a certaine parish priest at Clauenna, which fained him
selfe to be our Lady, and of an other that counterfeited himselfe
to be a Soule, as also of a certaine disguised Iesuit Frier.
Chapter.9. Fol.41.
That it is no maruell if vaine sightes haue bene in olde
time, neither yet that it is to be maruelled at, if there be any at[xiv]
this day. Chap.10. Fol.45.
That many naturall things are taken to be ghostes.
Chapter.11. Fol.49.
A proofe out of the Gentiles histories, that ghostes do
oftentimes appeare. Chap.12. Fol.53.
A proofe out of the histories of the auncient Church, and
of the writings of holy Fathers, that there are walking
spirits. Chap.13. Fol.62.
That in the bookes, set foorth by Monkes, are many ridiculous
and vaine apparitions. Chap.14. Fol.65.
A proofe by other sufficient writers, that spirits do sometime
appeare. Chap.15. Fol.68.
Daily experience teacheth vs, that spirites do appeare to
men. Chap.16. Fol.71.
That there happen straunge wonders and prognostications,
and that sodain noyses and cracks and such like, are heard
before the death of men, before battail, and before some
notable alterations and chaunges. Chap.17. Fol.77.
It is proued by testimonies of holy scripture, that spirites
are sometime seen and heard, and that other strange matters
do often chaunce. Chap.18. Fol.85.
To whom, when, where, and after what sort, spirits do
appeare, and what they do worke. Chap.19. Fol.88.
The Chapters of the second part.
The opinion or beleef of the Gentils, Iewes, and Turks,
concerning the estate of soules seperated from their bodies.
Chapter.1. Fol.98.
The Papists doctrine touching the soules of dead men,
and the appearing of them. Chap.2. Fol.102.
What hath followed this doctrine of the Papists,
concerning the appearing of mens soules. Chap.3. Fol.110.
Testimonies out of the word of God, that neither the[xv]
soules of the faithful, nor of infidels, do walke vpon the
earth after they are once parted from their bodies. Chapter.4. Fol.114.
Testimonies of the auncient Fathers, that deade mens
soules parted from their bodies, doo not wander here
vppon earth. Chap.5. Fol.116.
A confutation of those mens arguments or reasons,
which affirme, that dead mens soules do appeare. And first,
that is answered which certaine do alleage, to wit, that
God is omnipotent, and therefore that hee can worke
contrary to the ordinary course of nature. Chap.6. Fol.123.
That the true Samuel did not appeare to the Witch in
Endor. Chap.7. Fol.127.
A confutation of their arguments, which woulde haue
Samuell himselfe to appeare. Chap.8. Fol.133.
Whether the Diuell haue power to appeare vnder the
shape of a faithfull man? Chap.9. Fol.140.
Moses and Elias appeared in the Mount vnto
Christ our Lorde: many haue beene raised from the dead both
in bodie and soule, and therefore soules after they are
departed, may returne on earth againe. Chap.10. Fol.145.
Whether the holy Apostles thought they sawe a mans
soule, when Christ sodeinly appeared vnto them after
his Resurrection. Chap.11. Fol.148.
Concerning the holy Fathers, Councels, Bishoppes, and
common people, which say that soules doo visibly appeare.
Chap.12. Fol.151.
Whether soules doo returne againe out of Purgatorie,
and the place which they call Limbus puerorum.
Chapter.13. Fol.155.
What those things are which men see and heare: and first
that good Angels do sometimes appeare. Chap.14. Fol.159.
That sometimes, yea and for the most part, euill angels
doo appeare. Chap.15. Fol.163.
Of wondrous monsters, and such like. Chap.16. Fol.164.
That it is no hard thing for the diuell to appeare in diuers
shapes, and to bring to passe straunge things.
Chap.17. Fol.167.
Diuels do sometimes bid men do those things which are
good, and auoyde things that are euill: sometimes they tell
truth, and for what cause. Chap.18. Fol.171.
The Chapters of the third part.
God by the appearing of Spirits doth exercise the faithfull,
and punish the vnbeleeuers. Chap.1. Fol.175.
What the cause is that in these our dayes, so fewe spirites
are seene or heard. Chap.2. Fol.183.
Why God doth suffer straunge noyses, or extraordinary
rumblings to be heard before some notable alterations, or
otherwise. Chap.3. Fol.186.
After what sort they should behaue themselues, which
see good or euill spirits, or meete with other straunge
aduentures: and first how both Iewes and Gentiles behaued
themselues in the like cases. Chap.4. Fol.187.
How Christian men ought to behaue themselues when
they see spirits, and first, that they ought to haue a
good courage, and to be stedfast in faith. Chap.5. Fol.190.
It behoueth them which are vexed with spirites to
pray especially, and to giue themselues to fasting,
sobrietie, watching, and vpright and godly liuing.
Chap.6. Fol.193.
That spirits which vse to appeare, ought to be iustly suspected:
and that we may not talke with them, nor enquire
any thing of them. Chap.7. Fol.195.
Testimonies out of the holy Scripture, and one example[xvii]
whereby it is prooued, that such kinde of apparitions are not
to be credited, and that we ought to be verie circumspect in
them. Chap.8. Fol.201.
After what sort the faithfull in the primatiue church, vsed
themselues, when they met with spirits. Chap.9. Fol.204.
That sundry kindes of superstition haue crept in, wherby
men haue attempted to driue away spirits. Chap.10. Fol.206.
That spirites are not to bee driuen away by cursing and
banning. Chap.11. Fol.214.
After what sort we ought to behaue our selues, when we
heare straunge cracks, or when other forewarnings happen.
Chapter.12. Fol.216.
F I N I S.
That there happen straunge wonders and prognostications, and that sodeyn noises and cracks and suchlike, are hearde before the death of men, before battaile, and before some notable alterations and chaunges. It happeneth many times, that when men lye sicke of some deadly disease, there is some thing heard going on their chamber, like as the sicke man were wonte, when they were in good health: yea & the sicke parties them selues, do many times hear the same, and by and by gess what wil come to passe. Oftentimes a litle before they yield vp the ghost, and some time a little after their death, or a good while after, either their owne shapes, or some other shaddowes of men, are apparantly seene. And diuers times it commeth to passe, that when some of our acquaintaunce or friends lye a dying, albeit they are some many miles off, yet there are some great stirrings or noises heard. sometimes we thinke the house will fall on our heads, or that some massie and waightie thing falleth downe throughout all the house, rendering and making a disordered noise: and shortlie within fewe months after, we vnderstande that those things happened, the verysame houre that our friends departed in. There be some men, of whose stocke none doth dye, but that obserue and marke some signes and tokens going before: as that they heare the dores and windowes open and shut, that some thing runneth vp the staires, or walketh vp and downe the house, or doth some one or other such like thing.
