The morning before they went thence, the captain stayed longer than was usual in his chamber, and at length came into the doctor's chamber, but in visage and form much different from himself, with his hair and eyes staring, and his whole body shaking and trembling : Whereat the doctor wondering, demanded. What is the matter, cousin captain ? the captain replied, I have seen my major. At which the doctor seeming to smile, the captain saia, If ever I saw him in my life, I saw him but now ; adding as follows : This morning (said he) after it was light, some one came to my bed-side, and suddenly drawing back the curtains, calls Cap. cap. (which was the term of famiUarity that the major used to call the captain by) to whom I replied. What, my major ? To which he returns, I could not come at the time appointed, but I am now come to tell you. That there is a God, and a very just and terrible one ; and if you do not turn over a new leaf, you ivill find it so. This stuck so close to him, little meat would go down with him at dinner, though a handsome treat was provided. These words were sounding in his ears frequently, during the remainder of his life ; he was never shy or scrupulous to relate it to any that asked him concerning it, or ever mentioned it, but with horror and trepida- tion. They were both men of a brisk humour and jolly conversa- tion, of very quick and keen parts, having been both University and Inns-of-court gentlemen.
The apparition of the ghost of Sir George Villiers, father of the duke of Buckingham, giving three solemn warnings, by three se- veral apparitions to his servant, Mr. Parker, is a known and credible story. But I will wade no farther into particulars, they are almost innumerable : let this suffice for a taste.
II. In the next place, therefore, I will lay down some conces- sions about this matter : and the
First concession is this : That the separate soids, or spirits of men, arc capable of performing and executing any ministry or ser- vice of God, (if he should please to commission them so to do) as well as angels are, whom we hnozo he frequently employs abend the persons and affairs of his people on earth.
Though souls become not angels by their separation, as Maxi-
78 A tiueatist: of tht. ^sain tre ma^.
mus T}Tius trails them, but remain spirits specifically (listiat?t from them ; yet are they spiritual substances, as the angels are : This their nature capacitates them either to hve, and act out of the body, or to assume (as angels do) an (E?-ial hodij^ for the time of •their ministry : Nor do I know any thing in scripture or philosophy repugnant hereunto.
Conces. 2. It cannot he doubted, but upon special and extraor^ dinary reasons and occasions, some departed souls have returned to, and appeared in this ivarld, by order and commission J'rom God,
This is too manifest to be doubted by any that understand and believe the instances recorded in scripture. Moses and Ehas, long after their departure, appeared to, and talked with Christ upon the holy mount in the presence of some of his apostles, Mat. xvii. S. nor is there any reason to question the reality of their apparition, or to think it to be no more than a phantasm, or imaginary resemblance of these persons, but very Moses and Elias themselves : For they came to be vvitnesses to Chrisf s prophetical office, " And it was not *•' * fit so great a point should be attested by imaginary witnesses,"' or that they should be called j\Ioses and Elias, if they were not the very same persons.
" It is therefore most likely they both appeared in their own " bodies f;" for Moses' body, we know, was hidden by the Lord, and Elias' body was immediately translated, with his soul to hea- ven : When therefore the Lord would send them upon thks solemn errand, the soul of Moses probably reassumed that body, which was never found by man, and Elias M'as already embodied, and fit immediately for this expedition.
In hke manner we read, Mat. xxvii. 52, 53. that, at the resurrec- tion of our Lord, '' many bodies of the saints arose, and appeared " unto many :" These were no phantasms, but the very souls of the departed saints returned (having reassumed their own bodies) unto this world, not only to confirm the truth of Christ's resurrec- tion, and adorn that great day, but as a specimen, or handsel of the resurrection of all the saints, in the virtue of his resurrection set •the great day.
Nor will I deny, but, upon some lesser (though never without weighty and solemn) occasions and reasons, God may sometimes -send the souls of the dead back again into this world, as in cases be- fore recited, to evidence against the atheism of men, &c. + Augus- tine relates a memorable example, which fell out at Milan, where a certain citizen being dead, there came a creditor, to whom he
* Kon eium conveniebat ut Veritas mendacio, vel imaginariis testibus jfrobaretur. Mai. don. Carpellus in loc.
f Credibilius est vere corjyoribua suis nppnruissc, I'areiis in loc. t Aug. in lib. de cura jn-o movtuis anemia.
A TIIEATISE OY THE SOtL OF MTAK. 79'
had been indebted, and unjustly demanded the money of his son: The son knew tlie debt was satisfied by his father, but having no acquittance to sliew, his father a}:)peared to iiim in his sleep, and shewed him where the acquittance lay. Whether it were the very soul of his Jcither, or rather, an a7igel, as Augustine thinks, is not certain, though the one, as well as the other, is possible. But though rarely, and upon some weighty and solemn occasions, some souls have returned and appeared ; yet I judge this is not frequent- ly done upon slight and ordinary errands ; and therefore to give you my own thoughts, I judge,
Conces. 3. That those apparitions which seem to be, and are ge- nerally rejnited and tahen fbi' the souls of' the dead, are not indeed so, hut other spirits, putting on the shapes, and resemblances of the dead, and (for the most part) trichs of the devil, to delude or dis- quiet men.
In this I think the learned * Dr. Brown delivered his judgment more solidly and orthodoxly, than in some other points ; where he saith, " I believe that the whole frame of a beast doth perish and " is left in tli-j same state after death, as before it was materialled " into life ; that the souls of men know neither contrary nor cor- *' ruption ,• that they subsist beyond the body, and continue, by " the privilege of their prober nature, and without a miracle ; that *' the souls of the faithful, as they leave earth, take possession of •' heaven ; that those apparitions and ghosts of departed persons, " are not the wandering souls of men, but the unquiet walks of " devils, promoting and suggesting us into mischief, bloody and " villani/y And with this opinion I concur, as to tlie ordinary and common apparitions of the dead. And my reasons are,