The tenth Chapter.
That neither the divell nor Samuell was raised, but that it was a meere cousenage, according to the guise of our Pythonists.
GAINE, if the divell appeared, and not Samuell: whie is it said in Eccle. that he slept? for the divell neither sleepeth nor dieth. But in truth we may gather, that it was neither the divell in person, nor Samuell: but a circumstance is here described, according to the deceived opinion and imagination of Saule. Howbeit Augustine saith, that both these sides may easilie be defended. But we shall not need to fetch an exposition so farre off: for indeed (me thinkes) it is Longè petita; nor to descend so lowe as hell, to fetch up a divell to expound this place. For it is ridiculous (as PompanaciusPompanacius lib. de incant. cap. 2. saith) to leave manifest things, and such as by naturall reason may be prooved, to seeke unknowne things, which by no likeliehood can be conceived, nor tried by anie rule of reason. But in so much as we have libertie by S. Augustines rule, in such places of scripture as seeme to conteine either contrarietie or absurditie, to varie from the letter, and to make a godlie construction agreeable to the word; let us confesse that Samuell was not raised (for that were repugnant to the word) and see whether this illusion may not be contrived by the art and cunning of the woman, without anie of these supernaturall devices: for I could cite a hundred papisticall and cousening practises, as/143. difficult as this, and as cleanlie handled. And it is to be surelie thought, if it had beene a divell, the text would have noted it in some place of the storie: as it dooth not. But Bodin helpeth me exceedinglie in this point, wherein he for/saketh106. (he saith) Augustine, Tertullian, and D. Kimhi himselfe, who saie it was the divell that was raised up: which (saith Bodin)J. Bod. lib. de dæm. 2. cap. 3. could not be; for that in the same communication betweene Saule and Samuell, the name of Jehovah is five times repeated, of which name the divell cannot abide the hearing.