Of Ghostes and Spirites, Walking by Night: And of Straunge Noyses, Crackes, and Sundrie Forewarnings, Which Commonly Happen Before the Death of Men: Great Slaughters, and Alterations of KingdomsLavater, Ludwig
Religion
Of Ghostes and Spirites, Walking by Night: And of Straunge Noyses, Crackes, and Sundrie Forewarnings, Which Commonly Happen Before the Death of Men: Great Slaughters, and Alterations of Kingdoms
Lavater, Ludwig
Apparitions -- Early works to 1800
=Aue Marie= (as it may manifestly be gathered out of the very text
of Saint =Luke=, Chapter 1.) not because we deny these words to be
good and holy, for the text saith of =Elizabeth=, that she was full
of the holy ghost: but that which the Angell spake not, is not to
be attributed vnto her. You shall not finde in any allowed Authors,
that in the time of the Apostles and many dayes after, this greeting
was accounted as a prayer, or that any godly men did salute, and
call vpon the holy Virgin. Which thing I write not, because I would
bereaue the holy Virgin of hir honor, but least that against hir
will, we giue hir that honour which is only due to God the Father,
and to his sonne Iesu Christ. For he is our onely mediatour and
redéemer. 1. Timoth. 2. Otherwise the =Aue Marie=, and other such
places of holy Scripture full of consolation and comfort, touching
the humanitie of Christ, his punishment, death, and merites, are to
be often read, and diligentely considered: neither are the Scriptures
to be pulled out of the handes of the lay people, in whiche they
may sée all these things with their owne eyes. Indéede I denie not
but Spirites haue many times vanished away vpon the saying of =Aue
Marie=, but it was so doone, that men might therby be confirmed in
their superstition.
[Sidenote: Holy Water.]
But these men procéeding further, did coniure or consecrate water
with certain peculiar ceremonies, and kept it in vessels in their
churches, houses and elsewhere: amongest many other vertues,
ascribing this force vnto it, that it chaseth away spirites, and
vaine sights. They also consecrated saulte, and taught, that whether
soeuer it were cast, it draue away spirites, and all deceites of
the diuil, yea and the diuel himselfe also. Moreouer, they coniured
with certain cerimonies and words, candles, palme, herbes, and other
creatures, to driue away fantasies (as they terme them.) They laide
these and such like things, as also the relikes of Saintes, in those
places wheras Spirits had bin séene or heard. They also bare men
in hande, that greate belles and sancebelles by their noise fraied
spirites out of the ayre. All these things are founde more at large
in the Papists bookes whiche are written of the consecration of suche
things, and are publikely extant. If belles be roong on S. =Iohns=
day, or S. =Agathes= day, they say it is a most excellēt remedie
against spirits. Some vsed to burne a bundell of consecrated herbes,
that with the smoke therof they might chase away diuels. Many haue
their peculiar and straunge blessings against spirites. There haue
bene also many holy rites instituted by the commaundement of wandring
soules, as Masses for the dead, vigils, prayers, and tweluemonths
minds: as though the soules of godly men, being deliuered from all
trouble, were not immediately translated into eternall rest. And it
is also plaine by reading the Poets and Historiographers, that the
Gentiles had their sacrifices for the dead, as their rites called
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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