XXII. THAT THE DEVIL MAY BE DRIVEN AWAY BY RIDICULOUS CONTEMNING AND JEERING. WHEN at the first I began to write against the Pope, and that the gospel went on, then the devil laid himself strongly therein; he ceased not to rumble and rage about, for he willingly would have preserved purgatory at Magdeburg, et discursum animarum. For there was a citizen, whose child died, for which he refused to have vigilia and soul-masses to be sung; then the devil played his freaks,―came every night, about twelve of the clock, into the chamber where the child died, and made whining like a young child. The good citizen being therewith full of sorrow, knew not what course to take. The Popish priests cried out, and said, “O, now you see how it goeth when vigils are not held and solemnized," &c. Whereupon the citizen sent to me, (said Luther,) desiring my advice therein, (for my sermon, which lately before I preached, touching this sentence, they have Moses and the prophets, was gone out in print, which the citizen had read.) Then I wrote unto him from Wittemberg, and advised him, not to suffer any vigils at all to be held, for he might be fully assured, that these were merely pranks of the devil, Whereupon the children and servants in the house jeered and contemned the devil, and said, "What dost thou, Satan? Avoid, thou cursed spirit, and get thou gone to the place where thou oughtest to be-into the pit of hell," &c. Now, as the devil marked their contempt, he left off his game, and came there no more: Quia est superbus spiritus, et non potest ferre contemptum sui. XXIII. HOW THE DEVIL CAN DECEIVE PEOPLE. A gentleman had a fair young wife which died, and was also buried. Not long after, the gentleman and his servant lying together in one chamber, his dead wife in the night-time approached into the chamber, and leaned herself upon the gentleman's bed, like as if she had been desirous to speak with him. The servant (seeing the same two or three nights one after another) asked his mas ter whether he knew, that every night a woman in white apparel came unto his bed. The gentleman said, "No: I sleep soundly, (said he,) and see nothing." When night approached, the gentleman, considering the same, lay waking in bed. Then the woman appeared to him, and came hard to his bed-side. The gentleman demanded who she was? She answered, "I am your wife." He said, "My wife is dead and buried." She said, "True: by reason of your swearing and sins I died; but if you would take me again, and would also abstain from swearing one particular oath, which commonly you use, then would I be your wife again." He said, "I am content to perform what you desire." Whereupon his dead wife remained with him, ruled his house, lay with him, ate and drank with him, and had children together. Now, it fell out, that on a time the gentleman had guests, and his wife, after supper, was to fetch out of his chest some banqueting stuff: She staying somewhat long, her husband (forgetting himself) was moved thereby to swear his accustomed oath; whereupon the woman vanished that instant. Now, seeing she returned not again, they went up into the chamber to see what was become of her. There they found the gown which she wore, half lying within the chest and half without; but she was never seen afterwards. This did the devil (said Luther); he can transform himself into the shape of a man or woman. The Prince Elector of Saxony (John Frederick,) having received advertisement of this strange accident, sent thereupon presently unto me (said Lus ther,) to have my opinion what I held of that woman, and of the children which were begotten of these two persons? Whereupon I wrote to his Highness, that in my opinion, neither that woman, nor those children, were right human creatures, but devils; for the devil casteth before the eyes a blaze, or a mist, and so deceiveth the people; insomuch that one thinketh he lieth by a right woman, and yet is no such matter; for, as St Paul saith, the devil is strong by the children of unbelief. But inasmuch as children, or devils, are conceived in such sort, the same are very horrible and fearful examples, in that Satan can plague and so torment people, as to beget children. Like unto this is it also with that which they call the Nix, in the water, who draweth people unto him, as maids and virgins, of whom he begetteth (devils) children. The devil can also steal children away, (as sometimes children within the space of six weeks after their birth are lost,) and other children, called Supposititii, or Changelings, laid in their places. Of the Saxons they are called Kill crops. XXIV. OF A CHANGED CHILD AT DESSAU. Eight years since (said Luther) at Dessau, I did see and touch such a changed child, which was twelve years of age; he had his eyes and all mem bers like another child: He did nothing but feed, and would eat as much as two clowns or threshers were able to eat. When one touched it, then it cried out: When any evil happened in the house, then it laughed and was joyful; but when all went well, then it cried, and was very sad. I told the Prince of Anhalt, if I were prince of that country, so would I venture Homicidium thereon, and would throw it into the river Moldaw. I admonished the people devoutly to pray to God to take away the devil; the same was done accordingly, and the second year after, the changeling died. In Saxonia, near unto Halberstad, was a man that also had a Killcrop, who sucked the mother and five other women dry; and, besides, devoured very much. This man was advised that he should, in his pilgrimage at Halberstad, make a promise of the Killcrop to the Virgin Mary, and should cause him there to be rocked. This advice the man followed, and carried the changeling thither in a basket. But going over a river, being upon the bridge, another devil that was below in the river called, and said, "Killcrop, Killerop!" Then the child in the basket, that never before spoke one word, answered, "Ho, ho." The devil in the water asked further, "Whither art thou going?" The child in the basket said, "I am going towards Hockle stad, to our loving mother, to be rocked." The man, being much affrighted thereat, threw the child, with the basket, over the bridge into the water. Whereupon the two devils flew away together, and cried, "Ho, ho, ho," tumbling themselves one over another, and so vanished. Such Changelings and Killcrops (said Luther) supponit Satan in locum verorum filiorum; for the devil hath this power, that he changeth child chest and half without; but she was never seen afterwards. This did the devil (said Luther); he can transform himself into the shape of a man or woman. The Prince Elector of Saxony (John Frederick,) having received advertisement of this strange accident, sent thereupon presently unto me (said Lu ther,) to have my opinion what I held of that woman, and of the children which were begotten of these two persons? Whereupon I wrote to his Highness, that in my opinion, neither that wo man, nor those children, were right human creatures, but devils; for the devil casteth before the eyes a blaze, or a mist, and so deceiveth the people; insomuch that one thinketh he lieth by a right woman, and yet is no such matter; for, as St Paul saith, the devil is strong by the children of unbelief. But inasmuch as children, or devils, are conceived in such sort, the same are very horrible and fearful examples, in that Satan can plague and so torment people, as to beget children. Like unto this is it also with that which they call the Nix, in the water, who draweth people unto him, as maids and virgins, of whom he begetteth (devils) children. The devil can also steal children away, (as sometimes children within the space of six weeks after their birth are lost,) and other children, called Supposititii, or Changelings, laid in their places. Of the Saxons they are called Kill crops. XXIV. OF A CHANGED CHILD AT DESSAU. Eight years since (said Luther) at Dessau, I did see and touch such a changed child, which was twelve years of age; he had his eyes and all mem、 bers like another child: He did nothing but feed, |