Moreouer, in that age wherin =Gregorie= liued, men began to attribute much to those apparances and visions. And at that time the true and sincere Doctrine began greatly to decay. Truly the time in which a man happens to liue, is much to be regarded: he himselfe confessed that his times was the latter times. Therefore the Scriptures shoulde haue béene more diligently lent vnto, neither should any thing haue bene retained that was not agréeable vnto them. Some going about to excuse him, for that he hath stuffed his Dialogues ful of miracles and wonders, say he did it to mollifie by those examples, the peruerse and hard hearts of the =Longobardes=, to the end they might embrace the true Religion, which they had so greeuously persecuted. But that it is in no wise profitable to make knowen the true faith, by these helpes which are nothing else but vaine tales, euen =Viues= himselfe, in his first booke _De tradendis disciplinis_ doth acknowledge. [Sidenote: Counsells approue the appearing of Soules.] Some vrge vs with the authoritie of counsels, which haue allowed certain apparances of soules, and haue suffered some bookes, whiche are extant of such apparitions, to be read for the edifying of the simple, and some againe togither with their visions, they haue cleane reiected. [Sidenote: Councels may erre.] [Sidenote: _Matth.24._] It is reported that the Counsell of _Constance_, hath allowed this vision: A certaine Deane when he had giuen ouer his Deanrie, went into the Wildernesse to doe penaunce: after his deathe he appeared to his Bishop, and tolde him that the same houre in which he departed this life, there died thirtie thousand men, among whome only his soule and S. Barnarde were made partakers of eternall saluation, and thrée went into Purgatorie, and all the rest into endlesse damnation. &c. They say that Councels & the churche cannot erre, because they are guided by the holy Ghost. Also in the 24. of Matthew, the Lord doth say in the later dayes there shalbe signes and wonders, that the very elect if it were possible might be seduced, therefore they conclude those things which Councels do saye of such apparitions, are to be beléeued. Christs words are not so to be vnderstood that the chosen can neuer be broughte into errors (for the contrary may be shewed by many examples) but that they do not abide in erroure, albeit some do very hardly get out of the same againe. Tell me, I pray you, who they were that came togither in auncient Councels? were they not holy fathers? It is manifest that in many points they were at variaunce among themselues, and that they haue shewed by their contrary writings: yea and many times they are contrary to themselues, and therfore they haue not alwaies thought aright. Sometime they send vs to the word of God, as to the most certaine rule and leauell of faith. There are examples inough, by which it may be shewed, that the old Councelles haue erred in some of their determinations. The