The xvi. Chapter.
That we being not throughlie informed of the nature of divels and spirits, must satisfie our selves with that which is delivered us in the scriptures touching the same, how this word divell is to be understood both in the singular and plurall number, of the spirit of God and the spirit of the divell, of tame spirits, of Ahab.
HE nature therfore and substance of divels and spirits, bicause in the scripture it is not so set down, as we may certeinlie know the same: we ought to content and frame our selves faithfullie to beleeve the words and sense there delivered unto us by the high spirit, which is theNum. 27, 16. Holie-ghost, who is Lord of all spirits; alwaies considering, that evermore spirits are spoken of in scripture, as of things spirituall; though for the helpe of our capacities they are there sometimes more grosselie and corporallie expressed, either in parables or by metaphors, than indeed they are. 1. Reg. 18. verse. 23. verse. 4.As for example (and to omit the historie of Job, which elsewhere I handle) it is written; The Lord said, Who shall entise Ahab, that he maie fall at Ramoth Gilead, &c? Then came foorth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said; I will entise him. And the Lord said, Wherewith? And he said; I will go and be a lieng spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Then he said; Go foorth, thou shalt prevaile, &c./
515.This storie is here set foorth in this wise, to beare with our capacities, and speciallie with the capacitie of that age, that could not otherwise conceive of spirituall things, than by such corporall demonstrations. And yet here is to be noted, that one spirit, and not manie or diverse, did possesse all the false prophets at once. Even as in another place,Luke. 8. 27. 28.
Mark. 5. 9.
Luk. 8. manie thousand divels are said to possesse one man: and yet it is also said even in the selfe same place, that the same man was possessed onelie with one divell. For it is there said that Christ met a man, which had a divell, and he commanded the fowle spirit to come foorth of the man, &c. But CalvineJ. Cal. lib. instit. lib. 1. cap. 14. sect. 14. saith; Where sathan or the divell is named in the singular number, thereby is meant that power of wickednesse, that standeth against the kingdome of justice. And where manie divels are named in the scriptures, we are thereby taught, that we must fight with an infinite multitude of enimies; least despising the fewnesse of them, we should be more slacke to enter into battell, and so fall into securitie and idlenes.
On the other side, it is as plainelie set downe in the scripture, that some/370. are possessed with the spirit of God, as that the other are endued and bound with the spirit of the divell. Yea sometimes we read, that one good spirit was put into a great number of persons;Num. 11. and againe, that diverse spirits rested in and upon one man: and yet no reall or corporall spirit meant. As for example; The Lord tooke of the spirit that was upon Moses,Ibid. vers. 25 and put it upon the seventie elders, and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. Why should not this be as substantiall and corporall a spirit, as that, wherewith the maid in the ActsActs. 16.
2. Reg. 2.
Judg. 3. 10. of the apostles was possessed? Also Elisha intreated Elia, that when he departed, his spirit might double upon him. We read also that the spirit of the Lord came upon aOthniel,a Judg. 11. 39. upon bGedeon,b Ibid. 14. 6. cJeptha,c Ibid. 14. 6. dSamson,d Num. 24. 2. eBalaam,e 1. Sam. 16. 13. fSaule,f 1. Sam. 18. 14. gDavid,g Ezec. 11. 5. hEzechiel,h 2. Chr. 14. iZacharie,i 1. Ch. 12. 18. kAmasay:k Numb. 14. yea it is written, that Caleb had another spirit than all the Israelits beside: & in another place it is said, that lDaniell Dan. 5. 11.
John. 3, 34. had a more excellent spirit than anie other. So as, though the spirits, as well good as bad, are said to be given by number and proportion; yet the qualitie and not the quantitie of them is alwaies thereby ment and presupposed. Howbeit I must confesse, that Christ had the spirit of God without mea/sure,516. as it is written in the evangelist John. But where it is said that spirits can be made tame, and at commandement, I saie to those grosse conceivers of scripture with Salomon, who (as they falslie affirme was of all others the greatest conjuror) saith thus in expresse words;Eccles. 8. [8.] No man is lord over a spirit, to reteine a spirit at his pleasure.
b [Judg. 6. 34.]
c Judg. 11. [2]9.
d Ibid 14. 6.
e Num. 24. 2.
f [1. Sam. 11. 3.]
g 1. Sam. 16. 13.
1. Sam. 18. 14.
h Ezec. 11. 5.
h* 2. Chr. 14. [15. 1. is Azariah.]
i [Zech. 24. 20.]
k 1. Chr. 12. 18.
Num. 14. [24.] [Azariah is omitted in the text, and the margin references are wrong; they are rightly given opposite]