Amongst the Gentiles he hath done miraculous Actes, perswading them to thinke, that soules by Arte Magicke were called vp, and compelled to giue answere of secrete and hidden things that were to come. And therefore not only in publike, but also priuate affaires, if they séemed to be any thing hard vnto them, they consulted with Magitians and Sorcerers, and had moreouer recourse sometimes vnto Oracles.
Tertullian.
Tertullian in his booke De Anima mentioneth, that there were some euen in his dayes, which professed they could raise vp and reclaime soules from the hellishe habitation. And he calleth Arte Magike, the second Idolatrie, in the whiche the diuels doo as well fayne themselues to bee dead men, as they doo in the other to bee Gods. So doo these subtle spirites lurke, and doo many straunge things vnder the pretence of deade men. He addeth, that Magike is thought to conuey soules out of Hell which lye there in rest, and to represent them vnto our sighte, by reason that it sheweth a vaine vision, and counterfeiteth the shape of a bodie. Neither is it a harde matter for him to bleare and beguile the outward eyes, who can easily darken and dazell the inwarde sighte of the minde. The Serpents that were brought foorth by the inchaunters rods, séemed to the Egiptians to be bodies, but the truth of Moises deuoured vp the Magitians lye. Simon also and Elimas the Magitians, did many signes and wonders against the Apostles &c. Hée addeth, that euen in his time those heretikes named properly Simonistes of Simon the Magitian, the first author of that sect, did with suche greate presumption aduaunce their arte, that they professed they coulde rayse from the dead, euen the soules of the Prophets. &c.
Lactantius.
Lactantius in the .2. booke & 17. chap. De origine erroris, writeth, that euill angels lurking vnder the names of the dead, did wound and hurt the liuing, that is, they tooke vnto themselues the names of Iupiter and Iuno, whome the heathens tooke to be gods, or as we now say, they tooke vnto them the names of S. Sebastian, Barbara, and others.
Idem.
In the 7. booke and 13. chap. he saith, that the Magitians with certaine inchauntmentes did call soules out of hell. But this may not so be vnderstood, that Lactantius was of this iudgement, that they by their wicked arts did bring the soules back again into their dead bodies: but that they did so vaunt and boast that they had raised vp this and that soule. He also confuteth the opinion of the Ethnikes, prouing by the testimonie of the very Magitians, whom they highly reuerenced, that the soule was immortall. These men affirmed and taught, that they did call vp soules from the dead, the which point, euen those of the Gentiles beléeued, who notwithstanding thought, that the soule did straightway die with the bodie.
Iustine the Martire, in the second Apologie which he wrote in the defence of Christians, hath these wordes: I will (saith he) say the truth: In times past wicked angels through vain visions deceiued women, and children, and with straunge and monstrous sightes made man afraide, by whiche meanes they often wroong that oute of foolishe and rude persons, which by reason they coulde neuer get of them. And therefore not knowing that these were the Diuels engines and policies tending to delude them, they by one consent termed the workers of these slie conueyances, by the name of Gods, assigning to eache of them their proper names, as best pleased themselues. &c.
Afterwardes in the same Apologie hée exhorteth the Heathens, that they would not deny mens soules after this life to be endued with sense, but at the least way, would giue credit to their owne Necromancers, who teach that they call vp mens soules. Also let them beléeue those yͭ affirme they haue bin vexed with spirits of dead men, which persons the common people term furious & frantike bodies. In Augustin De ciuitate dei, many such things be cōteined.
Now what dreadfull, strange, and maruellous ceremonies they vsed when they went about by their Magicall Artes to call vp the soules of the dead, a man may sée in the sixth booke of Lucan the Poet: where he setteth foorth how Erictho, a famous Witche in Thessaly, reuiued and restored a souldiour to life againe, who was lately slaine before. Which act he did at the request of Sextus Pompeius, that so he might by him learne what woulde be the issue of the battaile fought at Pharsalia.