S. Augustine in his third booke and .6. chapter, writing againste the letters of Petilianus saieth thus: If concerning Christe, or any other thing, whiche appartayneth to Scripture to be only beloued. faith and euerlasting life, (I will not say, we: for comparing with him that said: Albeit that wée) but simply, whereas he going on, sayd: If an Angell from Heauen shall teache you any thing besides that whiche you haue receiued in Scriptures conteining the law and the Gospel, bée he accursed.
Chrisostomes aduise.
S. Chrisostom vnto the Epistle to the Galathians the firste chapter: Abraham (saith he) when he was desired to send Lazarus, said: They haue Moises and the prophets, if they will not heare them, they will not giue care vnto them which rise vp from the dead. And when he bring in Christ vttering these words, he sheweth howe he woulde haue the holy scriptures more worthy of credite than any raised from the dead. S. Paule (when I name Paule, I name likewise Christ, for he stirred vp his mind) preferreth the Scriptures before Angels descending from Heauen, and that for very iust cause. For albeit Angels are great, yet are they seruants and ministers. For all holy scriptures were not commaunded to be written and sent vnto vs by seruants, but by almightie God yͤ Lord of all things. Thus write these two holy fathers.
All things necessarie to saluation are cōteined in the scriptures.
What things soeuer are necessarie for vs to know, are conteined in the holy scriptures: those things which are not expressed in them, we must not curiously enquire of, as things profitable for our saluation. Who will therefore say against the commaundement of God, that these things are to be sought and learned of dead men, and by diuellish visions? These things which are secret and hidden, we shall throughly sée when we come to eternall life. May not God, if we be not content with his holy word, say that vnto vs, which sometimes he spake by the mouth of Helias vnto the messengers of king Ochosias. Is there no God in Israell, that you now go to Accaron to aske counsell of Belzebub? Yea Thomas Aquinas denieth that diuels are to be heard, whiche deceiue simple menne, feyning themselues to be the soules of dead men: and by that coloure especially terrifie menne, whiche sometimes also happened vnto the Gentiles.
If it were certaine and sure that the Diuell coulde not appeare and deceiue menne, and also shewe greate and straunge miracles, then perchaunce some men would thinke that we shoulde giue care vnto such Spirites: but nowe we sée the contrary happen. An euill spirite cloaketh his erroures vnder the coloure of diuine seruice, and vnder the pretence of religiō, he endeuoureth to ouerthrow Hierom. religion. For as S. Hierome saith, the diuell sheweth not himselfe with all his deceits, that he may be knowne what he is. And therefore it behoueth vs to be very circumspect and warie.
Miracles are seales of the word.
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.