The like chaunced vnto the Gentiles in times past, as it appeareth by the first chap. to the Romanes, and also by their owne writings. They worshipped many gods, many miracles were shewed amongst them: they had many visions of gods, and many oracles: which when the Apostles began to preach, all ceased. S. =Athanasius= in his booke =De humanitate verbi.= =Fol.= 55. and 64. writeth, that in auncient time there were oracles at _Delphos_ in _Bœotia_, L_ycia_, and other places which hee nameth: but nowe since Christ is preached euery where vnto all men, this madnesse hath ceased, &c. In the like maner writeth =Lactantius= and others. But in these our dayes, since we haue refused mens traditions, and willingly imbraced the doctrine of the Gospell, all appearings of soules and spirits haue quite vanished away. Who (I pray you) heareth now of any soule or spirit, which dooth wander, and as they call it, craue mens deuotions? Those rumblings of spirits in the night, are now muche more sildome heard than they haue bene in times past. CHAP. II. What the cause is that in these our dayes so fewe spirites are seene or heard. The cleare light of Gods word driueth away all such spirits, which vse to worke their feates in the darke. The cleare light approaching, the shadow & darkenesse vanisheth. The prince of darknesse shunneth light, and hath nothing to doo where men worship God the Father, only through Iesu Christ, beléeuing only on him, and committing themselues wholy vnto his protection. If men estéem the word of God, and haue it in price, he will in no wise suffer them to be so ouerséene and deceiued, as they are which do all things without the warrant of his word. Here I cannot ouerpasse with silence a certaine merry iest: when once there chaunced to be talke in a certaine place of visions and spirites, a certaine professour of the Gospell saide vnto a Papist in this maner: You ought (quoth he) euen by this to gather, that our religion is true, and youres false, for that since the Gospell was preached vnto vs, very fewe spirits haue bin séene of any man. To whome the other made aunswere by way of reasoning called =Violentum=: Nay (saith hée) hereby ye may gather, that your religion is naught, and oures good: for the diuell assaulteth those, whome he feareth will shortly reuolte from him. [Sidenote: A storie of S. Benedict, seing many diuels in a monastery and fewe in the market.]