The fift Chapter.
Why Apollo was called Pytho whereof those witches were called Pythonists: Gregorie his letter to the divell.
UT to returne to our oracle of Apollo at Delphos, who was called Pytho, for that Apollo slue a serpent so called, whereof the Pythonists take their name: I praie you consider well of this tale, which I will trulie rehearse out of the ecclesiasticall historie, written by Eusebius,Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 25. wherein you shall see the absurditie of the opinion, the cousenage of these oraclers, and the deceived mind or vaine opinion of so great a doctor bewraied and deciphered altogither as followeth.
Gregorie Neocæsariensis in his jornie and waie to passe over the Alpes, came to the temple of Apollo: where Apollos priest living richlie upon the revenues and benefit proceeding from that idoll, did give great intertainement unto Gregorie, and made him good cheare. But after Gregorie was gone, Apollo waxed dumbe, so as the priests gaines decaied: for the idoll growing into contempt, the pilgrimage ceased. The spirit taking compassion upon the priests case, and upon his greefe of mind in this behalfe, appeared unto him, and told him flatlie, that his late ghest Gregorie was the cause of all his miserie. For (saith the divell) he hath banished me, so that I cannot returne without a speciall licence or pasport from him. It was no need to bid the priest make hast, for immediatlie he tooke post horsses, and galloped after Gregorie, till at length he overtooke him, and then expostulated with him for this discourtesie profered in recompense of his good cheare; and said, that if he would not be so good unto him, as to write his letter to the divell in his behalfe, he should be utterlie/137. undone. To be short, his importunitie was such, that he obtained Gregorie his letter to the divell, who wrote unto him in maner and forme following, word for word: Permitto tibi redire in locum tuum, & agere quæ consuevisti; which is in English; I am content thou returne into thy place, and doo as thou wast woont. Immediatlie upon the receipt of this letter, the idoll spake as before. And here is to be noted, that as well in this, as in theNote the cousenage of oracles. execution of all their other oracles and cousenages, the answers were never given Ex tempore, or in that daie wherein the question was demanded, because forsooth they expected a vision (as they said) to be given the night following, whereby the cousenage might the more easilie be wrought./
The sixt Chapter.102.
Apollo, who was called Pytho, compared to the Rood of grace: Gregories letter to the divell confuted.
HAT need manie words to confute this fable? For if Gregorie had beene an honest man, he would never have willinglie permitted, that the people should have beene further cousened with such a lieng spirit: or if he had beene halfe so holie as Eusebius maketh him, he would not have consented or yeelded to so lewd a request of the priest, nor have written such an impious letter, no not though good might have come thereof. And therefore as well by the impossibilitie and follie conteined therein, as of the impietie (whereof I dare excuse Gregorie) you maie perceive it to be a lie. Me thinks they which still mainteine that the divell made answer in the idoll of Apollo, &c: maie have sufficient persuasion to revoke their erronious opinions: in that it appeareth in record, that such men as were skilfull in augurie, did take upon them to give oracles at Delphos, in the place of Apollo: of which number Tisanius the sonne of AntiochusZach. 10. was one. But vaine is the answer of idols. Our Rood of grace, with the helpe of little S. Rumball, was not inferior to the idoll of Apollo:138. for these could / not onlie worke externall miracles, but manifest the internall thoughts of the hart, I beleeve with more livelie shew, both of humanitie and also of divinitie, than the other. As if you read M. LambertsW. Lambert in titulo Boxley. booke of the perambulation of Kent, it shall partlie appeare. But if you talke with them that have beene beholders thereof, you will be satisfied herein. And yet in the blind time of poperie, no man might (under paine of damnation) nor without danger of death, suspect the fraud. Naie, what papists will yet confesse they were idols, though the wiers that made their eies gogle, the pins that fastened them to the postes to make them seeme heavie, were seene and burnt together with the images themselves, the knaverie of the priests bewraied, and everie circumstance thereof detected and manifested?