URTHERMORE, it is not likelie that God would answer Saule by dead Samuell, when he would not answer him by living Samuell: and most unlikelie of all, that God would answer him by a divell, that denied to doo it by a prophet. That he was not brought up perforce, the whole course of the scripture witnesseth, and/141. prooveth; as also our owne reason may give us to understand. For what quiet rest could the soules of the elect enjoy or possesse in Abrahams bosome, if they were to be plucked from thence at a witches call and commandement? But so should the divell have power in heaven, where he is unworthie to have anie place himselfe, and therefore unmeete to command others.
Manie other of the fathers are flatlie against the raising up of Samuell: namelie, Tertullian in his booke De anima, Justine Martyr In explicatione, quæ. 25. Rabanus In epistolis ad Bonas. Abat, Origen In historia de Bileamo, &c. Some other dote exceedinglie herein, as namelie Bodin, and all the papists in generall: also Rabbi Sedias Haias, & also all the Hebrues, saving R. David Kimhi, which is the best writer of all the Rabbins: though never a good of them all. But Bodin,J. Bod. lib. de dæm. 2. cap. 3. in maintenance therof, falleth into manie absurdities, prooving by the small faults that Saule had committed, that he was an elect: for the greatest matter (saith he) laid unto his charge, is the reserving of the Amalekits1. Samu. 28. cattell, &c. He was an elect, &c: confirming his opinion with manie ridiculous fables, & with this argument, to wit: His fault was too little to deserve damnation; for Paule1. Cor. 5. would not have the incestuous man punished too sore, that his soule might be saved. Justine MartyrJ. Martyr in colloquio cum Triphone Judæo. in another place was not onlie deceived in the actuall raising up of Samuels soule, but affirmed that all the soules of the prophets and just men are subject to the power of witches./105. And yet were the Heathen much more fond herein, who (as LactantiusLact. lib. 7. cap. 13. affirmeth) boasted that they could call up the soules of the dead, and yet did thinke that their soules died with their bodies. Whereby is to be seene, how alwaies the world hath beene abused in the matters of witchcraft & conjuration. The Necromancers affirme, that the spirit of anie man may be called up, or recalled (as they terme it) before one yeare be past after their departure from the bodie. Which C. Agrippa in his booke De occulta philosophia saith, may be doone by certeine naturall forces and bonds. And therefore corpses in times past were accompanied and watched with lights, sprinkled with holie water, perfumed with incense, and purged with praier all the while they were above ground: otherwise the serpent (as the Maisters of the Hebrues saie) would devoure them, as the food appointed to him by God: Gen. 3. alled/ging142. also this place; We shall not all sleepe, but we shall be changed, bicause manie shall remaine for perpetuall meate to the serpent: whereupon riseth the contention betweene him and Michaell,Jud. vers. 9. concerning the bodie of Moses; wherein scripture is alledged. I confesse that Augustine, and the residue of the doctors, that denie the raising of Samuell, conclude, that the divell was fetcht up in his likenesse: from whose opinions (with reverence) I hope I may dissent.
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.
The eleventh Chapter.
The objection of the witchmongers concerning this place fullie answered, and what circumstances are to be considered for the understanding of this storie, which is plainelie opened from the beginning of the 28. chap. of the 1. Samuel, to the 12. verse.
HERE such a supernaturall miracle is wrought, no doubt it is a testimonie of truth; as Peter MartyrP. Martyr in comment. in Sam. 28. verse. 9. affirmeth. And in this case it should have beene a witnesse of lies: for (saith he) a matter of such weight cannot be attributed unto the divell, but it is the mightie power of God that dooth accomplish it. And if it laie in a witches power to call up a divell, yet it lieth not in a witches power to worke such miracles:Isai. 42.
1. Sam. 28. for God will not give his power and glorie to anie creature. To understand this place, we must diligentlie examine the circumstance thereof. It was well knowne that Saule, before he resorted to the witch, was in despaire of the mercies and goodnes of God; partlie for that Samuell told him long before, that he should be overthrowne, and David should have his place; and partlie bicause God before had refused to answer him, either by Samuell when he lived, or by anie other prophet, or by Urim or Thumim, &c. And if you desire to see this matter discussed, turne to the first of Samuell, the 28. chapter, and conferre my words therewith./