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]
The xvii. Chapter.
Whether spirits and soules can assume bodies, and of their creation and substance, wherein writers doo extreamelie contend and varie.
OME hold opinion, that spirits and soules can assume & take unto them bodies at their pleasure, of what shape or substance they list: of which mind all papists, and some protestants are, being more grosse than another sort, which hold, that such bodies are made to their hands. Howbeit, these doo varie in the elements, wherewith these spirituall bodies are composed. For (as I have said) some affirme that they consist of fier, some thinke of aier, and some of the starres and other celestiall powers. But if they be celestiall, then (as Peter Martyr saith) must they follow the circular motion: and if they be elementarie,For everie naturall motion is either circular or elemētarie. then must they follow the motions of those elements, of which their bodies consist. Of aier they cannot be: for aier is Corpus homogenium; so as everie part of aier is aier, whereof there can be no distinct members made. For an organicall bodie must have bones, sinewes, veines, flesh, &c: which cannot be made of aier. Neither (as Peter Martyr affirmeth) can an aierie bodie receive or have either shape or figure. But some ascend up into the clouds, where they find (as they saie) diverse shapes and formes even in the aier. Unto which objection P. Martyr answereth, saieng, and that trulie, that clouds are not/371. altogether aier, but have a mix- ture of other elements mingled with them.
The xviii. Chapter.517.
Certeine popish reasons concerning spirits made of aier, of daie divels and night divels, and why the divell loveth no salt in his meate.
