LUTARCH, Livie, and Valerius Maximus, with manie other grave authors, being abused with false reports, write that in times past beasts spake, and that images could have spoken and wept, and did let fall drops of blood, yea and could walk from place to place: which they/103. saie was doone by procuration of spirits. But I rather thinke with Aristotle, that it was brought to passe Hominum & sacerdotum deceptionibus, to wit: by the cousening art of craftie knaves and priests. And therefore let us follow EsaiesEsai. 8, 19. advise, who saith; When they shall saie unto you, Enquire of them that have a spirit of divination, and at the soothsaiers, which whisper and mumble in your eares to deceive you, &c: enquire at your owne God, &c. And so let us doo. And here you see they are such as runne into corners, and cousen the people with lies, &c. For if they could doo as they saie, they could not aptlie be called liers,/139 neither need they go into corners to whisper, &c.
The eight Chapter.
Of the witch of Endor, and whether she accomplished the raising of Samuel truelie, or by deceipt: the opinion of some divines hereupon.
HE woman of Endor is comprised under this word Ob: for she is called Pythonissa. It is written in 2. Sam. cap. 28.2. Sam. 28. that she raised up Samuel from death, and the other words of the text are stronglie placed, to inforce his verie resurrection. The mind and opinion of Jesus Syrach evidentlie appeareth to be, that Samuel in person was raised out from his grave, as if you read Eccl. 46. 19, 20. you shall plainlie perceive. Howbeit he disputeth not there, whether the storie be true or false, but onlie citeth certaine verses of the 1. booke of Samuel cap. 18. simplie, according to the letter, persuading maners and the imitation of our vertuous predecessors, and repeating the examples of diverse excellent men; namelie of Samuel: even as the text it selfe urgeth the matter, according to the deceived mind and imagination of Saule, and his servants. And therefore in truth, Sirach spake there according to the opinion of Saule, which so supposed, otherwise it is neither heresie nor treason to saie he was deceived.
He that weigheth well that place, and looketh into it advisedlie, shall see that Samuel was not raised from the dead; but that it was an illusion or cousenage practised by the witch.Sap 3.
Ps. 92. & 97.
Chrysost. homilia. 21. in Matth. For the soules of the righteous are in the hands of God: according to that which Chrysostome saith; Soules are in a certeine place expecting judgement, and cannot remove from thence. Neither is it Gods will, that the living should be taught by the dead. Which things are confirmed and approved by the example of LazarusLuke. 16. and Dives: where it appeareth according to Deut. 18. that he will not have the living taught by the dead, but will have us sticke to his word, wherein his will and testament is declared. In deed/140. Lyra and Dionysius incline greatlie to the letter. And Lyra saith, that as when Balaam would have raised a divell, God interposed himselfe: so did he in this case bring up Samuell, when the witch would have raised hir divell. Which is a probable interpretation. But yet they dare not stand to that opinion, least they should impeachAugust. lib. quæ. vet. et novi testam. quæst. 27.
Item, part. 2. cap. 26.
Item, quæ. 5. nec mirum ad Simplician. lib. 2. 93 ad Dulcitium. quæ. 6.
Item. lib. 2. de doct. chri. S. Augustines credit, who (they confesse) remained in judgement and opinion (without contradiction of the church)/104. that Samuell was not raised. For he saith directlie, that Samuell himselfe was not called up. And indeed, if he were raised, it was either willinglie, or perforce: if it were willinglie, his sinne had beene equall with the witches.
And Peter Martyr (me thinks) saith more to the purpose, in these words, to wit: This must have beene doone by Gods good will, or perforce of art magicke: it could not be doone by his good will, bicause he forbad it; nor by art, bicause witches have no power over the godlie. Where it is answered by some, that the commandement was onlie to prohibit theDeut. 18,
Exodus. 20. Jewes to aske counsell of the dead, and so no fault in Samuell to give counsell. We may as well excuse our neighbours wife, for consenting to our filthie desires, bicause it is onlie written in the decalog; Thou shalt not desire thy neighbours wife. But indeed Samuell was directlie forbidden to answer Saule before he died: and therefore it was not likelie that God would appoint him, when he was dead, to doo it.
The ninth Chapter.
That Samuel was not raised indeed, and how Bodin and all papists dote herein, and that soules cannot be raised by witchcraft.
