No kinde of men are more obnoxious to these kinde of things, than those which leade their life in Monasteries, and Colledges: and therefore no man ought to maruell or thinke it a straunge thing, if we say that in times past many false visions haue bene practised, and may also at this day likewise happen. For yͤ world, as all men iustly complaine, waxeth worse and worse. Men are now more impudent, more bold, more couetous, and more wicked, than euer they were in times past.
Moreouer, the Cleargie of Rome haue in many places this prerogatiue aboue others, that most men (especially such as are led by superstition) make much of them, worshipping them with great reuerence, no man so much as suspecteth them to apply their mindes to euill matters, to subtiltie, craft, and deceit: all men looke for other things at their hands. If therefore they addict themselues to euill deuises, they may easily deceiue men, except God miraculously reueale their wickednesse, and bring it to light, as we declared in a fewe examples rehearsed before.
Popes haue fained visions.
Bruno.
Gregorius 7.
Bartholomeus Platina.
Bonifacius.
And perchance for this cause also, Priests and Monkes could not bee so well blamed, for their so often deceiuing plaine meaning folkes with craft and subtiltie, in so much as some of their moste holy Fathers, I meane Popes of Rome, haue bin very cunning in magicall sciences, as their owne Historiographers affirme, and by meanes of those artes, haue aspired to the high top of Popedome. Beno (or rather Bruno, for so I iudge his name is) who was also a Cardinall, set foorth the life of Pope Gregorie the seuenth, in writing, in the which hée sheweth the sayd Bishop to haue bene a proude, arrogant, malicious and couetous Monke, and that hée was throughly séene in the blacke art of Negromancie. Bartholomeus Platina (who being a sworne seruant with the Pope, excusing their faults as much as he can) writeth of Siluester the second, yͭ he gaue himselfe to the diuel, and that by his meanes, his counsell & magical deuises, he atteined yͤ great office of papacie. Doo ye think, that it is a hard thing for him yͭ is confederat with the enemy of mankind, to faine spirits & soules, or to cōiure a diuel, to make men beléeue he were a soule, do you thinke such men abhorre to doo such mischiefe? The Historiographers report that Bonifacius the 8. deceiued his predecessor Celestinus, by a voyce sent through a cane réed, as though it had come from heauen, perswading him to giue ouer his office of Popeship, and to institute therein, one Bonifacius a worthier man than he, except he would be thrust out of the kingdome of heauen. The poore simple Pope obeying this voyce, ordeined Bonifacius Pope in his steade, in the yeare of our Lord 1294. who first brought in the yeare of Iubile. Of this Boniface, the common people would say, He came in like a Fox, he raigned like a wolfe, and died like a Dog. If the very vicar of Christ, who hath all knowledge as it were fast lockt in the Coffer of his brest, could be deceiued, lette no man maruel any more if simple credulous husbandmen and citezens haue ben deceiued, and that it hath bin said to them: God spake this: This soule did aske helpe: and such like things, which are most false and vaine. Yf this man coulde counterfeit the voyce of God, coulde he not also faine the voice of dead men?
Sometimes Laye men beguile the Priests.