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CHAP. IX.
That Samuel was not raised indeed, and how Bodin and all Papists dote herein, and that souls cannot be raised by Witchcraft.
FUrthermore, it is not likely that God would answer Saul by dead Samuel, when he would not answer him by living Samuel; and most unlikely of all, that God would answer him by a Devil, that denyed to do it by a Prophet. That he was not brought up per force, the whole course of the Scripture witnesseth, and proveth; as also our own reason may give us to understand. For what quiet rest could the souls of the elect enjoy or possess in Abrahams bosome, if they were to be plucked from thence at a Witches call and commandement? But so should the Devil have power in heaven, where he is unworthy to have any place himself, and therefore unmeet to command others.
Many other of the Fathers are flatly against the raising up of Samuel; name∣ly, Tertullian in his book De anima: Justin Martyr, In explicatione, quae. 25. Rabanus, In epistolis ad Bonos. Abat. Origen, In historia de Bileamo, &c. Some other dote exceedingly herein, as namely, Bodin and all Papists in general; also Rabbi Sedias Hajas, and also all the Hebrews, saving R. David Kimchi, which is the best writer of all the Rabbins; though never a good of them all. But Bodin, in maintenance thereof, falleth into many absurdities, proving by the small faults that Saul had committed, that he was an elect; for the greatest matter, saith he, laid unto his charge, is the reserving of the Amalekites cattel, &c. He was an elect, &c. confirming his opinion with many ridiculous fables, and with this argument, to wit, his fault was too little to deserve damnation; for Paul would not have the incestuous man punished too sore, that his soul might be saved. Justin Martyr in another place was not only deceived in the actual raising up of Samuels soul, but affirmed, that all the souls of the Prophets and just men are subject to the power of Witches. And yet were the Heathen much more fond herein, who (as Lactantius affirmeth) boasted that they could call up the souls of the dead, and yet did think that their souls dyed with their bodies. Whereby is to be seens how alwayes the world hath been abused in the matters of Witchcraft and Conjuration. The Necromancers affirm, that the spirit of any man may be called up, or recalled (as they term it) before one year be past, after their departure from the body: Which C. Agrippa, in his book De occulta Philosophia saith, may be done by certain natural forces and bonds. And therefore corpses in times past were accompanied and watched with lights, sprinkled with holy water, perfumed with incense, and purged with prayer all the while they were above ground: otherwise the Serpent (as the Masters of the Hebrews say) would devour them, as the food appointed him by God, Gen. 3. alledging also this place, We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed; because many shall remain for perpetual meat to the Serpent: where∣upon riseth the contention between him and Michael, concerning the body of Moses, wherein Scripture is alledged. I confess that Augustine, and the resi∣due of the Doctors, that deny the raising of Samuel, conclude, that the Devil was fetcht up in his likeness; from whose opinions (with reverence) I hope I may dissent.