Moreouer, miracles are onely testimonies and seales of the word, neither may any thing be approued by them, which is repugnant to the word of God. All miracles which lead vs away from our Creator vnto creatures, and do attribute that vnto our workes, which is onely due vnto the merites of Christ: and to be short, all those which induce vs any wayes into errour, are to be eschued. If we must néeds beléeue these appearing soules, no man can be assured of his estate: for new things should be continually deuised, as we sée plainly it happened in the olde time. Therefore we must let passe all maner of spirits, and embrace true religion, and therein constantly abide. CHAP. VIII. Testimonies out of holie Scripture, and one example whereby it is prooued, that such kinde of apparitions are not to be credited, and that we ought to bee verie circumspect in them. That wee ought not by and by to beléeue all thinges which we heare, not onely experience and many common Prouerbes, but also the holy Scriptures teach vs, especially in cases concerning our saluation, touching the which thing, we will alledge only a fewe places and examples. [Sidenote: _Mat._10.] [Sidenote: _Mat._24.] [Sidenote: 1._Tim._4.] [Sidenote: 2._Thess._2.] [Sidenote: 1. _Iohn_ .4.] [Sidenote: The holy virgin did not by & by beleeue the appearing of the Angell.] When Christ first sent abroad his Disciples to preach the Gospell, he said vnto them, =Matthew= 10. Be yée wise as Serpents, and simple as Doues, beware of men: howe much more than ought we to take heede of diuels? Christ prophecieth in the 24. of =Matthew=, that many false teachers shall come in the latter daies, and shall shewe straunge myracles to confirme their erroures, and therefore hée commaundeth the faithfull, to be héedefull and circumspect, and not without cause hée addeth: Beholde I haue tolde you before. Sainte =Paule= to the Galathians the firste Chapter, saith in greate earnest vnto them, that if an Angell come from Heauen, and preache vnto them any other Gospell, hée shoulde be accursed. Euen so, if at this time spirites appeare, and doe vtter any thinge repugnant to the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets, they are to be reiected. The Apostle in his firste Epistle and fourth Chapter to Timothie, dothe prophecie of false teachers whiche shoulde come, and saithe, the spirit speaketh euidently, that in the latter times some shall departe from the faithe, and shall giue héede vnto spirits of errour and doctrines of Deuils, whiche speake lies through hipocrisie, and haue their consciences burned with an hote yron, forbidding to marrie, and commaunding to absteyne from meates which God hath created to be receiued with gyuing thankes of them whiche beléeue, and knowe the truth. &c. By the worde (spirite) are vnderstoode false teachers, whiche vaunt themselues of the spirite of God: But what cause is there, why it may not be vnderstoode of suche wandring spirites,