As has been said already, the sacred record, like a faithful mirror, has no flattery in its portraits and either itself passes sentence upon human actions as worthy of approval or disapproval or leaves the reader to do so. And not only does it distinguish people as blameworthy or praiseworthy, but it also takes notice of cases where the blameworthy deserved praise, and the praiseworthy blame. Thus, although Saul was blameworthy, it was not the less praiseworthy in him to examine so carefully who had eaten food during the curse and to pronounce the stern sentence in obedience to the commandment of God.^[1] So, too, he was right in banishing those that had familiar spirits and wizards out of the land. And although David was praiseworthy, we are not called on to approve or imitate his sins, which God rebukes by the prophet.^[2]

Is it not the case then, if such a great man was under the earth and the medium did bring him up, that a little demon has sway over the soul of the prophet? What can I say? These things are recorded. Is it true or is it not true? To say that it is not true drives us to unbelief. It comes down on the heads of those who speak it. But to say it is true presents for us an enquiry and quandary.

And we well know that some among our brothers look askance at the Scripture and say, I do not believe in the medium. The medium says that she saw Samuel. She is lying! Samuel was not brought up. Samuel does not speak. Just as there are false prophets who say, Thus says the Lord, and The Lord did not speak,^[1] so too this little demon lies when it proclaims that it brings up the one pointed out by Saul. For, whom shall I bring up? He says, Bring up Samuel for me. These things are said by those who state that this history is not true.

They [the Jews] reflected on the death of Abraham and the prophets, understanding that Samuel, too, when he was under the earth because of death, was brought up by a medium who thought the gods were somewhere below the earth and who said, I saw gods^[1] ascending from the earth. They had not, however, comprehended the life of Abraham and the prophets, nor that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was not the God of them as men who were dead, but as men who were alive.^[2] COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 20.393.^[3]

Samuel comes up, and note that she does not say that she saw the soul of Samuel. She does not say she saw a man. She has been scared by this thing which she saw. What did she see? I saw gods, she says, coming up from the earth. And perhaps Samuel has not only come up in order just to prophesy to Saul, but it is likely, just as here with the holy he will be holy, and with an innocent man he will be innocent,^[4] and with the one of the chosen he will be as one of the chosen, and here the ways of the holy are with the holy but not with the sinners. And if then at some point the way of life of the holy is with the sinners for the purpose of saving the sinners, so perhaps also you may speculate whether either the holy souls of the other prophets in the coming up of Samuel come up together or perhaps whether they were angels of their spirits^[5]—the prophet says, the angel who speaks in me^[6]—or whether they were angels who came up together with the spirits. And every [place] is filled with those who need salvation, and are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?^[7] Why do you fear to say that every place has need of Jesus Christ? Those who have need of Christ have need of the prophets. But if he has no need of Christ, he has no need of those who prepare for the appearance and dwelling of Christ.

Why, even now the followers of Simon [Magus]^[1] are so confident of their art that they undertake to bring back the souls of the prophets from hell. And this, I believe, because their power lies in their ability to deceive. This power was actually granted to the witch of Endor, who brought back the soul of Samuel after Saul had consulted God in vain. Apart from that case, God forbid we should believe that any soul, much less a prophet, could be called forth by a demon. We are told that Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light^[2]—and more easily into a man of light—and that at the end he will work marvelous signs and show himself as God, so much so that, if possible, he will deceive even the elect.^[3] He hardly hesitated to declare to Saul that he was the prophet [Samuel] in whom the devil was then dwelling.

So, you must not think that the spirit which created the apparition was different from the one who made Saul believe in it; but, the same spirit was in the witch of Endor and in the apostate [Saul], and so it was easy for him to suggest the lie that he had already made Saul believe. Saul’s treasure, indeed, was then where his heart was,^[4] where God most certainly was not. Thus, he saw only the devil, through whom he believed he would see Samuel, for he believed in the spirit who showed him the apparition.

If the prophets, the forerunners of Christ, all went down into hades before the Christ, so too Samuel has gone down there. For he does not merely go down, but he goes down as a holy man. Wherever the holy man may be, he is holy. Is Christ no longer Christ, since he was once in hades? Was he no longer Son of God, since he existed in an underworld place, that every knee should bow in the name of Jesus Christ in heaven and on earth and under the earth?^[1] So, Christ was Christ even when he was below; that is to say, while he was in the place below, he was above in purpose. So too, the prophets and Samuel, even if they go down below where the souls are, they are able to be in a place below, but they are not below in purpose.

Also, some can be sent to the living from the dead, just as in the opposite direction divine Scripture testifies that Paul was snatched from the living into paradise.^[1] Samuel the prophet, although dead, predicted future events to King Saul, who was alive, although some think that it was not Samuel himself who was able to be called forth by some magic, but that some spirit so allied with evil works had feigned a likeness to him—yet the book of Ecclesiasticus, which Jesus the son of Sirach is said to have written, but because of some similarity of style is thought to be the work of Solomon, contains in praise of the fathers the fact that Samuel prophesied even though dead.^[2] If there is objection to this book on the ground that it is not in the canon of ancient Hebrew Scripture, what are we going to say of Moses, who in Deuteronomy is certainly recorded as dead and again in the Gospel of Matthew is reported to have appeared to the living along with Elijah who did not die.^[3] THE CARE TO BE TAKEN FOR THE DEAD 15.18.^[4]

Can also a little demon know this, that after a king has been appointed with the anointing oil of a prophet, that tomorrow Saul and his sons with him will forfeit their lives? . . .

But I cannot give to a little demon such a great power that he can prophesy concerning Saul and the people of God and he can prophesy concerning David that he will become king.

The need of severe measures tends to crush all gentleness and compassion of heart. The testimony of Scripture supports my assertion. We read that a sovereign sinned who spared an enemy appointed by heaven to be slain. His leniency brought upon him the penalty which his severity should have inflicted upon another. He who refuses to take vengeance, himself becomes its victim. He who, having an enemy in his power, pardons him, either makes light of or despises the weight of God’s judgment. Rightly do they suffer punishment who have done wrong. He who pardons present faults transmits them to posterity. As for . . . the patience of our Redeemer—mercy and grace embrace those whom the severity of the law forms. Never has a doctor restored a sick person to perfect health without first cutting away the putrid members and drawing out the filth hidden deep within. He who lets the guilty go unpunished urges the innocent to commit crimes.^[1]