EPI. What more is the reste troubled of a dead bodie, when the Deuill
carryes it out of the Graue to serue his turne for a space, nor when the
Witches takes it vp and joyntes it, or when as Swine wortes vppe the
graues? The rest of them that the Scripture speakes of, is not meaned by a
locall remaining continuallie in one place, but by their resting from
their trauelles and miseries of this worlde, while their latter
conjunction againe with the soule at that time to receaue full glorie in
both. And that the Deuill may vse aswell the ministrie of the bodies of
the faithfull in these cases, as of the vn-faithfull, there is no
inconvenient; for his haunting with their bodies after they are deade, can
no-waies defyle them: In respect of the soules absence. And for anie
dishonour it can be vnto them, by what reason can it be greater, then the
hanging, heading, or many such shameful deaths, that good men will suffer?
for there is nothing in the bodies of the faithfull, more worthie of
honour, or freer from corruption by nature, nor in these of the
vnfaithful, while time they be purged and glorified in the latter daie, as
is dailie seene by the vilde diseases and corruptions, that the bodies of
the faythfull are subject vnto, as yee will see clearelie proued, when I
speake of the possessed and Dæmoniacques.
PHI. Yet there are sundrie that affirmes to haue haunted such places,
where these spirites are alleaged to be: And coulde neuer heare nor see
anie thing.
EPI. I thinke well: For that is onelie reserued to the secreete knowledge
of God, whom he wil permit to see such thinges, and whome not.
PHI. But where these spirites hauntes and troubles anie houses, what is
the best waie to banishe them?
EPI. By two meanes may onelie the remeid of such things be procured: The
one is ardent prayer to God, both of these persones that are troubled with
them, and of that Church whereof they are. The other is the purging of
themselues by amendement of life from such sinnes, as haue procured that
extraordinarie plague.
PHI. And what meanes then these kindes of spirites, when they appeare in
the shaddow of a person newlie dead, or to die, to his friendes?
EPI. When they appeare vpon that occasion, they are called Wraithes in our
language. Amongst the _Gentiles_ the Deuill vsed that much, to make them
beleeue that it was some good spirite that appeared to them then, ether to
forewarne them of the death of their friend; or else to discouer vnto
them, the will of the defunct, or what was the way of his slauchter, as is
written in the booke of the histories Prodigious. And this way hee easelie
deceiued the _Gentiles_, because they knew not God: And to that same
effect is it, that he now appeares in that maner to some ignorant
Christians. For he dare not so illude anie that knoweth that, neither can
the spirite of the defunct returne to his friend, or yet an Angell vse
such formes.
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