Discourse of the Subtle Practices of Devils, Chapter 6
Diuels can appeare in a bodily shape, and vse speeche and conference with men. The 6. Chapter.
OUR Sauiour Christ saith that a spirite hath neither flesh nor bones.Luke. 24. A spirite hath a substance, but yet such as is inuisible, whereupon it must needes he graunted, that Diuels in their owne nature hauehave no bodilye shape, nor visible forme▪ moreouer it is against the truth, & against pietie to beleeue, that Diuels can create or make bodies, or change one body into another for those things are proper to God: It followeth therfore that whensoeuer they appeare in a visible forme, it is no more but an apparition and counterfeit shewe of a bodie, vnlesse a body be at any time lent them. And when as they make one body to beare the likenes of another▪ it is but a colour. But some man wil say, what reason is there to shew that they can doe so much, being of an essence inuisible? We may not staye heere within the limites of our owne reason, which is not able to reach vntounto, or to comprehend what way Deuils should be able to hauehave such operations. We may not I say measure their nimblenes, & power, & subtilties in working, by our owne vnderstanding or capacitie. But we must looke what the holy scripture doth testifie in this behalfe, and therin rest and stay our selues. We hauehave a manifest proofe, Exod. 7. that the Deuill can take a b…dily shape. For when Aaron had cast downe his staffe and it was turned into a Serpent, the Enchaunters of Egypt cast downe their staues and they became Serpents, which was indeede, but in shewe and appearance which the Deuil made▪ for he deluded the senses, both in hiding the forme of the staues which indeede were not any way changed: and also in making a shewe of such bodies as were not▪ this was done openly & in y• cleare light, for otherwise it might be thought to be a meere illusion. For we see that men in extreame sickenes thinke they heare a voyce and see a shape, which none other in presence eyther heareth or seeth, some are so melancholike that they imagin they heare and see that which they doe not, for Sathan deludeth the phantasie so …ore, that the partye doth suppose that his very outward senses do perceaue the matter▪ but here was no such thing: but all which were with Pharao thinke the…e … very Serpents indeede, sauing that Moses and Aaron did knowe it was the iugling of the Deuill. King Saule when God had…. Sam. 28. forsaken him, and being in distresse sought vntounto a Witch, He is desirous to talke with Samuell which was dead, for he annainted him to be king ouer Israell. He requesteth of the witch that she would bring him vp, she taketh the matter vponupon her, there commeth vp one which taketh vponupon him to be Samuell, and the Scripture calleth him so, Saul and the witch take it to be so He appeareth in a bodily shape, & vseth goodly plaine speeche. It was not the true, but a false and counterfeit Samuel, euen a wicked Deuill. For he handleth the matter very▪ cunningly, but yet in diuers things bewrayeth himselfe. He was content that Saull should fall downe and worship him, which the true Samuell would neuer hauehave suffered▪ He doth not rebuke him for seeking vntounto a witch, which the scripture condemneth. And the Lord imputeth it vntounto Saull 1. Cro. 10.for one of the sinnes for which he did destroy him. In which place the Lord saith he sought to consult with Ob. This is out of doubt that the holy Ghost is far from calling the soul of Samuel Ob. and as for the woman she is not called Ob▪ but Bagnalath Ob▪ on which possesseth Ob. Nowe let vsus consider his speeche, why, saith he, hast thou disquieted me, by calling me vp? Marke what subtilty there is in these fewe wordes. This is most certaine, that the soules of righteous men are not subiect to the call of a witch, but the crafty Deuil would make men belieue that they be, and euen drawen foorth and troubled, or disquieted. For his speeche is Lammah Hirgaztan…, which is as much as to say, wherefore hast thou caused me to shake or be disquieted with feare? It is deriued of Ragaz which is to shake and tremble. Would the true Samuell make men belieue that the witch with her Ob. had such power to fetch him vp? If it were Samuel indeed, why did he not rather say that God sent him? Againe the common error was that the soules of the righteous were in some place beneath in the earth where the witches familier spirite could come, and bring them vp, and for this cause also this counterfeite Samuell saith he had made him come vp. Abrahams bosome was Paradise, and S. Paule was taken vp into the thirde2. Cor. 12. heauen and that he saith was Paradise. Then Samuell must hauehave come downe, and not hauehave come vp. We see then that his speeche …endeth to confirme wicked and abhominable errors, which may suffice to prooue that it was a Deuill. Furthermore Moses doth shew that at the beginning the DeuillGen. 3. did talke with Eua, vsing the serpent for his instrument. If he could then immediately after his fall vse speech, shall we doubt that he cannot now? Is it not apparātly set forth in the gospell, that Deuils came out of many crying and saying, what hauehave we to do with Iesus, &c. S. Luke Act. 19. doth shew that certain did take vponupon them to name ouer those which had vncleane spirites the name of the Lord Iesus, saying we adiure you by Iesus whom Paule preacheth, and he saith, that the euill spirite made answere and said, Iesus I know, and Paule I knowe, but who are yee? I conclude therfore out of these places of scripture, that Deuils can take a bodily shape, and vse speeche.