CHAP. X.
That sundrie kindes of superstition haue crept in, whereby
men haue attempted to driue away spirits.
IN proces of time, superstitions encreased more & more. 2.Thess.2. Paule complaineth, that in his time Antichrist beganne to practise his ministerie of iniquitie, that many opinions 1.Iohn.4. and sects beganne to spring vp. Saint Iohn writeth, that in his time, there were many Antichristes. What maruel is it then, if afterwards, yea and that verie quickly, diuers errours croape into the Churche, and multiplyed excéedingly?
Augustine.
Sainte Augustine in his 22. booke De ciuitate Dei, and eighte Chapter, after that hee hadde recited certaine miracles, whiche were therefore shewed that men might beléeue in Christ, he setteth foorthe this historie. Hesperius a man of good worshippe and calling amongest vs, hath a piece of land in the territorie of Fussalum called Cubedi, in the which, perceiuing by the languishing of his cattell and seruauntes, that his house was infected with the force and rage of euill spirites, he desired our fellow Priestes, (I being then absent,) that some one of them would take the paines to go thither, that the spirit by his good praiers might giue place: one of them went thither, and there offred the sacrifice of the bodie of Christ, praying very earnestly, that the same disquieting of spirites might cease, and by and by God had compassion, and it ceased. He had giuen him of a friend of his, some parte of holy lande brought from Hierusalem, where Christ being buried, rose againe the third day: that earth he hung vp in his chamber, least any euill might happē vnto him. But when his house was deliuered frō that trouble, he deuiseth with himselfe what he might do with the saide earth, which for reuerence sake, he would not kéepe any longer in his chamber. &c. 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.
Afterwards when Bishops and parish Priests, did not onely not correct olde superstitions, but also vppon a good meaning increase them, at the last they grew to an infinite number. For when spirits appeared, men called not vpon God through Christ only, but also vpon Saints, forgetting that which S. Paule saith to the Romanes the tenth. (For I wil let passe at this time all other arguments,) how shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beléeued? The Papists themselues cannot deny, but that we must beléeue onely in God, and therefore he onely is to be worshipped through his sonne.
The Aue Marie is no praier.