Ludwig Lavater

“ Ioannes Tritenhemius Abbotte of Spanheim, a man of great authoritie, in his booke of Chronicles teacheth, that the memorie of all faithfull soules, termed All soules day, had his originall obseruation by this meanes: that when a certaine Monke returned from Ierusalem, and lodged in a certaine Hermits house in Sicill, about the mount Aetna, which flasheth foorth fire, hée learned of the saide Hermit, that many soules of the dead were tormented there by fire, out of which again through the praiers of the faithful, they were released, as it was taught him by the testimony euen Polydore. ”

“ The Catholike faith amongst the Iewes was, that the soules of the dead did not returne into this earth, but either were at rest, which was when they died in the faith of the promised Messias, or were cōdemned if they departed hence in their sinnes without repentance. ”

“ All men know what a pernitious thing couetousnesse is. For they which are not contented to liue with a litle, but will néeds be rich, neither care for any man, nor yet spare any man. Hungry guttes séeke sundrie wayes to fill themselues: fewe willingly endure hunger. Wherefore it is not be maruelled at, if amongst Monks and Priests at these our dayes, who haue bene euer reported to be couetous, there be some founde, which by false apparitions of soules, séeke their gaines, inuenting holy pilgrimages, and other baytes to get mony. ”

“ Spirits appeared in old time, and do appeare still in these dayes both day and night, but especially in the night, and before midnighte in our first sléepe. Moreouer, on the frydayes, satterdayes, and fasting dayes, to confirme superstition. Neither may we maruell, that they are heard more in the night, than in the day time. For he who is the author of these things, is called in the holye Scriptures the Prince of darkenesse, and therefore he shunneth the light of Gods word. ”

“ Soules go either to hell or to heauen. NOw that the soules neither of the faithfull nor of infidels do wander any longer on the earth, when they be once seuered from the bodies, I wil make it plaine and euident vnto you by these reasons following. First, certaine it is, that such as depart hence, either die in faith, or in vnbeliefe. Touching those that go hence in a right beliefe, their soules are by and by in possessiō of life euerlasting, and they that depart in vnbelief, do straightway becom partakers of eternal damnatiō. ”

“ Héereby it is manifest, that superstition began immediatly, and (as it hapneth alwaies) grewe bigger with great increase, as if one shoulde roll foorthe snowe clodded togither, or as when huge lumpes of snowe begin to fall down from the Alpes, all things on euery side are filled with snowe. Shortly after menne began to praye, and offer sacrifice for dead mennes soules, yea and that with a good intention, as it may euidently appeare in many of the auncient fathers. ”

“ Here happen daily many things by the ordinary course of nature, which diuers men, especially they that are timorous and fearefull, suppose to be visions or spirits. As for example, when they heare the crying of ratts, catts, weasels, martins, or any other beaste, or when they heare a horse beate his féete on the plankes in the stable at midnight, by and by they sweat for feare, supposing some bugges to walke in the dead of the night. ”

“ Should not euery people or nation enquire at their God? what shall they go from the liuing to the dead? Let them goe vnto the lawes testimonie, suche as haue no light, should they not speake according to this word, which who so should contemne, shall be hardened and hunger, &c. Heereby we doo vnderstand, that vnder a great penaltie God hath precisely forbidden, that we shoulde learne and searche out any thing of the dead. ”

“ Seeing of spirites to the wicked is a punishment.
Now as touching infidells, they are constrained, will they, or nill they, to confesse, that there are diuels, for there are many which would neuer be persuaded, there are good or euill Angels or spirits, except sometimes they had experience thereof indeede. God suffereth these things to chasten them. For so muche as they will giue no place vnto truth, but are wilfully deceiued, it is good reason they be taught by diuellish illusions what they must doo, or leaue vndone, and that they be illuded by euil spirits, after some other meanes. ”

“ And as whole hilles and mountaines may burne, euen so may a litle fire be kindled in the earth, and yet wander very large. They which trauelling by the way, or by some other meanes chaunce to sée these things, and know not the naturall causes of them, imagin by reason of feare, that they haue séene men burning like fire, or some other straunge thing, which they haue heard other men talke of. And by means of their great feare, oftentimes they fall into great daungerous diseases. ”

“ And knowe thou well, that he cannot thus much hurt, neither thy goods, nor bodie, nor soule, without the permissiō and sufferance of Almightie God: if God giue him leaue to plague thy bodie, thinke with thy selfe howe so euer it be done, that God hath so doone for thy profitte and commoditie, who also sendeth gréeuous sicknesses vppon other men, by other meanes & instruments, or else doth exercise them with other kindes of calamities. Be therefore strong and constant in faith, yet lette euery one beware of boldnesse, temeritie, and headdie rashnesse. ”

“ As he laie there alone broad awake, sodeinly the image of his friend lately deceased, came before him maruellous pale and leane, euen as he was when he sawe him last on his death bedde, whome when he beheld, being almost besides himselfe with feare, he demaunded of him who he was? But the ghost making no answer, but slipping off his cloathes laide him downe in the same bedde, and drew neare, as if he would haue embraced him. The other gaue him place, and kéeping him off from him, by chance touched his foote, which séemed so extréemly cold, as no Ice in the world might be compared vnto it. ”

“ If the bishop hauing no other assuraunce than out of their words or writings, which perhaps go about to erecte newe pilgrimages, and newe deuises to get money, confirme once that this or that soule was séene, it must straight way without any gaynsaying be beléeued. But if any other men who haue with diligence sought out the truth of the matter, do testifie the contrary: al that they say must not be regarded. ”

“ Plato doth think, that Heroicall and excellent soules, as being of the pure sort, do mount aloft: but that other base and viler soules, that are defiled with the pleasures & lustes of the bodie, do wander below on the ground, and the same he déemeth to be those spirits which are eftsoones séene. ”

“ Olaus Magnus Archbishop of Vpsalia, writeth in his history de Gentibus Septentrionalibus, that euen at this day also, there are spirits séene in these countries, which hauing the shape of men, do men seruice in the night, dressing their horse, and looking to their cattell. The winde in the night, ouerthroweth some thing, or shaketh a casement or lid of the window: many by and by thinke they sée a spirite, and can very hardly be brought from that vaine opinion. ”

“ For vaine imaginations also appeare vnto our sights: armed men as it were are seene on earth, or in the aire: and other such like shapes, voyces, noyses, crackes, and such like. But as touching the very words, Portentum is that which foresheweth some thing to come, as when straunge bodies appeare in the aire, or blazing starres, or thunder in faire weather, or whirlewindes do chaunce. Festus saith, that albeit Portentum be a naturall thing, yet it happeneth sildome, and doth betoken some thing to come to passe after a certaine season. ”

“ Many times in the night season, there haue béene certaine spirits heard softly going, or spitting, or groning, who being asked what they were, haue made aunswere that they were the soules of this or that man, and that they nowe endure extreame tormentes. If by chaunce any man did aske of them, by what meanes they might be deliuered out of those tortures, they haue aunswered, that in case a certaine number of Masses were soong for them, or Pilgrimages vowed to some Saintes, or some other such like déedes doone for their sake, that then surely they shoulde be deliuered. ”

“ For hée oftentimes saieth, that Turkes, Iewes, heretikes, and wicked men, goe not into Purgatorie, but straight into Hell fire, from whence they shall neuer bee deliuered: Then that by Pardons whiche are euery where solde for money, many soules are restored to their first perfection. And moreouer, that the Masse is of such force, that there is not one sung in all the world, by whiche one soule at the least is not deliuered out of the flames of Purgatorie. ”

“ Seruius saith, that mennes soules are called Manes, at suche time as departing from their bodies, they are not yet passed into other bodies. And he iudgeth that they are so called by the figure ἁντίφρασις, (whiche is when one speaketh by contraries) of the olde adiectiue Manus, that is good, because they were nothing lesse than good. For the auncient people supposed, that Manes were infernall gods, and therefore did they number them amongst their euil gods, and pacified them with sacrifice, least they should hurt them. ”

“ Wherefore sith holy scriptures, as the Fathers vnderstand and interpret them, teache that the soules of men, as soone as they departe from the bodies, do ascende vp into heauen if they were godly, descende into hell if they were wicked and faithlesse, and that their is no thirde place in which soules should be deliuered, as it were out of prison, & that soules can neither be reclaimed out of heauen or hel. ”

“ Neither should we be touched with compassion of other mennes miserie which are vexed with spirits: but we woulde rather say, that they cannot tell what they speake, and that they imagine many vaine feares. Moreouer, if other vnderstande that godly men are for their exercise vexed by spirits, they become more patient whensoeuer they are sicke, or otherwise troubled, acknowledging their owne harmes to be but small in comparison of other mens. ”

“ You wil say, I heare and vnderstand very wel that these things are not mens soules, which continually remaine in their appointed places, I pray you then what are they? To conclude in fewe words, If it be not a vaine persuasion procéeding through weakenesse of the senses through feare, or some suche like cause, or if it be not deceit of men, or some naturall thing, wherof we haue spoken muche in the firste part, it is either a good or euill Angell, or some other forewarning sent by God, concerning the which we will speake more orderly and fully hereafter. ”

“ It is a notable historie which we read in the seconde Booke of Samuel concerning Saule, who, at what time the Philistians warred vppon him, and that he was in verie great daunger of them, he came to a woman, who was a witch, and desired her to raise Samuel from death, that he might know his counsell touching the successe of the wars. She raised him vp one, whom Saule tooke to be Samuel indéede, who also tolde him what euente shoulde come of the warres. But whether hée were a true Samuel or a counterfait, wée will dispute the matter more at large in his conuenient place. ”

“ If our Elders, when they haue séene or heard any thing of one that hath bene trauelling or dead, did say it is his spirit, it may be, they ment not his soule, but his Angel: for if when as spirits were séene now in this place, and by and by in an other place, they did thinke them to be soules (as in these latter times all men haue beléeued:) in this they were deceiued, as they haue bene in many other things also, for soules are by and by receiued, eyther into euerlasting ioy, or into eternall damnation. ”

“ Spirites oftentimes awake men out of their sléepe, and cause many to forsake their owne houses, so that they cannot hire them out to any other. Sometimes they ouerthrow somewhat, or strike men, or cast stones at them, and hurt them either in their bodies or in their goods: yea and sometime God doth suffer them to bereaue men of their liues. It often chaunceth that those mens faces and heads do swel, which haue séene or heard spirits, or haue bene blasted with them: and some are taken mad, as we sée by experience. ”

“ Sometimes there is heard a great noyse in Abbeis, and in other solitarie places, as if it were Coopers hooping and stopping vp wine vessels, or some other handicraftes men occupied about their labour, when it is most certaine, that all in the house are gone to bedde, and haue betaken themselues to rest.
Builders hear spirits in the night. ”

“ And yet sometimes in the chase, lustie souldiers flying away from their companie, are so troubled in minde, that they thinke their friends enemies, and cannot tell in the world where they are, and whither they go: all the which commeth by feare. ”

“ When men are secure and negligent, wholly giuen vnto pleasures and as it were drowned in surfetting, couetousnesse, adulterie, and such other wickednesse, then hath the diuel place to shewe himselfe. Wherefore we ought to giue our selues to watching, praying, fasting, and godly liuing: we must heare the word of God often and gladly, we must desire to reade and talke of him continually, that we may thereby put from vs those diuellishe illusions and sightes. ”

“ For as timorous men imagine miraculous things, euen so doo drunken men, who of purpose corrupt and spoile their sight. And albeit God shew many wonders in the aire, and in the earth, to the ende he may stir men vp from idlenesse and bring them to true repentaunce, yet notwithstanding, we must thinke that dronken men which sit vp vntill midnight, do often say, that haue séene this or that vision, they haue beheld this or that wonder, when as indéed they are vtterly deceiued. ”

“ Dearly beloued, beléeue not euery spirit, but trie the spirits whether they are of God: for many false prophettes are gone out into the world. Hereby shall ye knowe the spirit of God. Euery spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God, and euery spirite whiche confesseth not, that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God. &c. Here he speaketh not of spirites which falsly affirme themselues to be mens soules, but of those teachers whiche boaste of themselues that they haue the spirite of God. ”

“ Those men whose hearing is somewhat decaied, many [19] times séeme in their owne imagination, to heare the noyse of boysterous winde, or violent tempest, the sparkling of fire, the roaring of waters sodeinly increased, singing and sounding of instruments, and also the iangling of belles, when as indeed these things are not so, but only chaunce by default of hearing: for others which are conuersant with them, hauing the right vse of hearing, do not heare any such thing at all. ”

“ There are certain things which shine only in the night, as some precious stones doo, the eyes of certaine beastes, a Glowoorme, or Globard, as also some kinde of rotten wood, wherewith many times children so terrifie their play-fellowes, that they imagine with themselues, to sée euil spirites, or men all burning with fire. ”

“ There be many which haue such a kinde of disease, that they walke in their sléepe: which thing we reade to haue bin true in one Theon a Stoicke, and in Pericles seruant, who in their sléepe climed vp to the top of the house. I haue hearde of some which in their sléepe haue done that which béeing awake, [49] they could not do by any meanes. If a man sée such a one walking in the night, either apparrelled or naked, and after here him say he was at the same time in his bed, he will straight thinke, it was his soule that he sawe, the like will he do if he heare such a one at his owne house. ”