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“Are these things true or are they not true? 16.6 To say they are not true encourages disbelief (it will come upon the heads—he said—of those who say so), but for them to be true presents us with a question and a difficulty.” 16.7 After this, again affirming without examination the things he introduces, and setting forth the opinions of those who disagree with him, he adds: “And yet we know some of our brothers who have looked at the scripture and said: 'I do not believe the ventriloquist; the ventriloquist says she has seen Samuel, she is lying'” and many other things in addition to these. 16.8 And through these things he openly rebukes those who declare the divinations of the ventriloquist to be false, and cursing, he brings it upon the heads of those who disbelieve her. However, wishing most easily to persuade the simple, he attaches the narrative to the scripture itself, saying, “Are these things written or are they not written?” 16.9 And using syllogistic cleverness, he adds a second time, “Are these things true or are they not true?”, and yet that the prophet's soul was not brought up “presents us—he said—with a difficulty and a question.” But how full of impiety it is to grant such things to a demon, he no longer says, inquiring, nor does he apply his mind, being struck with pure foolishness. 16.10 For it belongs to God alone to command with such authority as to summon and call souls from Hades. Therefore, it must be submitted in response here again: these things have indeed been included in the sacred scriptures, but the author did not say that such a deed was done by his own person in the text; for the book would not be used in the church, crying out in opposition to the prophetic voices, as we have both shown before and will say a little later. 16.11 But it was recording the words of the ventriloquist and the frenzied knowledge of the ruler, which was shown to be full of works of ignorance; for if it is fitting to appeal to the holy scriptures in this way, then, since they say that the devil openly proclaims himself a god, will it be necessary on this account to believe him, attributing everything to the narrative interpretation of the text, as Origen suggests? 16.12 For this too has been written in the scriptures themselves. Or again, when, using immeasurable pride, he might say that the whole compass of this world, that is, also its kingdoms, are his own, would someone say on this account that it is proper to think that he himself is the creator of all things? 16.13 Certainly not, someone might say; for the narrative voice recorded his boasts, but it does not declare them to be true, nor is there anyone at all who can show this. But there are countless such things to see in addition to these, but it is not possible to bring them all forward, lest we should seem to be driven from the subject by long-windedness.

17.1 As, then, it seemed to those who think most rightly that he was rebuking not 20moderately, again

stealing away he leaped to another20 idea, and he made it out to be terrible, playing the demagogue, that they say, among other things, that it would be dreadful to suppose that the renowned Samuel had been in Hades, who has been honored with a 20choice20 prophetic dignity. 17.2 This, then, he repeats up and 20down tautologically20 like an old woman, contriving by deceit to handle his hearers 20from some things to others20. But we do not disagree about these things, concerning which it is established that all must agree, but about which we have decided chiefly to dispute; for it is not to be investigated whether Samuel existed, but whether a demon has such authority as 20to call up the souls of the righteous from Hades and again20 send them away. 17.3 Since, then, being caught in the very act, he was convicted of pouring out the torment of blasphemy upon the ears of his listeners, he withdraws with deceitful art, and takes refuge, forsooth, in the person of Christ, so that by comparing him with the holy men he might prove that Christ himself also descended into Hades along with all the others. 17.4 But as he was proving this and indeed exhorting man by man, he uttered, saying, “Why are you afraid to say that every place has need” both of “Christ and of the prophets?”, putting a few things in between, he weaves in another slander, showing that Christ, being also below

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«ἀληθῆ ἐστιν ἢ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθῆ; 16.6 τὸ μὲν μὴ εἶναι ἀληθῆ λέγειν εἰς ἀπιστίαν προτρέπει (χωρήσει ἐπὶ κεφαλὰς- φάμενος-τῶν λεγόντων), τὸ δὲ εἶναι ἀληθῆ ζήτησιν καὶ ἐπαπόρησιν ἡμῖν παρέχει». 16.7 μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο πάλιν βεβαιῶν ἀνεπισκέπτως ἅπερ εἰσαγγέλλει, καὶ τὰς τῶν ἀντιδοξούντων αὐτῷ γνώμας ἐκτιθέμενος ἐπιφέρει· «καὶ μὴν ἴσμεν τινὰς τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀδελφῶν ἀντιβλέψαντας τῇ γραφῇ καὶ λέγοντας· οὐ πιστεύω τῇ ἐγγαστριμύθῳ, λέγει ἡ ἐγγαστρίμυθος ἑορακέναι τὸν Σαμουήλ, ψεύδεται» καὶ πολλά γε πρὸς ἐπὶ τούτοις ἕτερα. 16.8 διὰ δὲ τούτων ἀπαρακαλύπτως ἐπιτιμᾷ τοῖς ἀποφαίνουσι ψευδῆ τὰ τῆς ἐγγαστριμύθου μαντεύματα, καὶ καταρώμενος ἐπὶ κεφαλὰς ἀναφέρει τῶν ἀπιστούντων αὐτῇ. ῥᾷστα μέντοι πεῖσαι τοὺς εὐχερεῖς ἐθέλων αὐτῇ περιάπτει τῇ γραφῇ τὸ διήγημα, «γέγραπται ταῦτα» λέγων «ἢ οὐ γέγραπται;» 16.9 συλλογιστικῇ δὲ δεινότητι χρώμενος ἐπάγει δευτερῶν «ἀληθῆ ταῦτά ἐστιν ἢ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθῆ;», καίτοι τὸ μὲν οὐκ ἀνῆχθαι τὴν τοῦ προφήτου ψυχὴν «ἐπαπόρησιν ἡμῖν -ἔφη-παρέχει καὶ ζήτησιν». αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ τὰ τοιαῦτα διδόναι τῷ δαίμονι πόσης ἀσεβείας ἐστὶ μεστόν, οὐκέτι λέγει ζητῶν οὐδὲ προσέχει τὸν νοῦν ἀκράτῳ πληγεὶς ἀσυνεσίᾳ. 16.10 θεῷ γὰρ ὑπάρχει μόνῳ τοιαύτῃ ἐξουσίᾳ ἐπιτάσσειν, ὥστε ψυχὰς ἐξ ᾅδου μεταπέμπεσθαι καὶ καλεῖν. ἀνθυπενεκτέον οὖν ἐνταῦθα πάλιν· ἐν μὲν ταῖς ἱεραῖς ἀνείληπται ταῦτα γραφαῖς, οὐ μὴν ἐξ ἰδίου προσώπου τὸ τοιοῦτο διαπεπρᾶχθαι γράμμα προὔλεγεν ὁ συγγραφεύς· οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐκκλησίαζεν ἡ βίβλος, ἐναντία ταῖς προφητικαῖς ἀντιβοῶσα φωναῖς, ὥς γε καὶ πρόσθεν ἐδείξαμεν καὶ μικρὸν ὕστερον ἐροῦμεν. 16.11 ἀλλὰ δὴ τὰ τῆς ἐγγαστριμύθου διεχάραττε ῥήματα καὶ τὴν ἐμμανῆ τοῦ δυνάστου γνῶσιν ἔργοις ἀγνωσίας ἀποδεδειγμένην ἀνάπλεον· εἰ γὰρ οὕτως ἁρμόσει ταῖς ἁγίαις ἐπισκῆψαι γραφαῖς, οὐκοῦν, ἐπειδή φασιν ὅτι καὶ θεὸν ἄντικρυς ὁ διάβολος ἑαυτὸν ἀναγορεύει, παρὰ τοῦτο δεήσει πιστεύειν αὐτῷ, τῇ διηγηματικῇ τοῦ γράμματος ἐκδοχῇ τὸ πᾶν ἀνατιθέντας, ὡς Ὠριγένης εἰσηγεῖται; 16.12 καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ εἰς αὐτὰς ἀναγέγραπται τὰς γραφάς. ἢ αὖ πάλιν, ἐπειδὰν ὑπερηφανίᾳ χρώμενος ἀμέτρῳ πᾶσαν ὁμοῦ τὴν τοῦδε τοῦ κόσμου περιγραφὴν ἤτοι καὶ τὰς βασιλείας αὐτῆς ἰδίας εἶναι λέγοι, παρὰ τοῦτο φαίη τις ἂν ὡς ἄρα προσήκει νοεῖν ὅτι δημιουργὸς αὐτός ἐστιν ἁπάντων; 16.13 οὐ μὲν οὖν, εἴποι τις ἄν' ἡ γάρ τοι διηγηματικὴ διεχάραξε φωνὴ τὰς ἐκείνου μεγαληγορίας, οὐ μὴν ἀληθεῖς ἀποφαίνει αὐτάς, οὐδ' ἔστι τοῦτο δεῖξαι δυνάμενος οὐδεὶς οὐδαμῶς. ἀλλὰ μυρία μὲν ἔστι τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἐπὶ τούτοις ἰδεῖν, οὐχ οἷόν τε δὲ πάντα παράγειν, ἵνα μὴ μακρηγορίᾳ δόξωμεν ἐκκρούεσθαι τοῦ ζητήματος.

17.1 Ὡς οὖν ἐδόκει τοῖς ὀρθότατα φρονοῦσιν οὐ 20μετρίως ἐπιτιμᾶν, αὖθις

ὑπεκκλέψας ἐπ' ἄλλην20 ἀπεπήδησεν ἔννοιαν, ἐδεινοποίει δὲ δημαγωγῶν ὅτι φάσκουσι πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις ὡς εἴη φρικῶδες ὑπολαβεῖν ἐν ᾅδου γεγονέναι τὸν εὐκλεῆ Σαμουήλ, ὃς 20ἐκκρίτῳ20 προφητείας ἀξίᾳ τετίμηται. 17.2 τοῦτο μὲν οὖν ἄνω καὶ 20κάτω ταυτολογεῖ20 γραωδῶς, 20ἐξ ἄλλων εἰς ἄλλα20 μεταχειρίζεσθαι τοὺς αὐτηκόους ἀπάτῃ τεχνώμενος. ἡμεῖς δὲ περὶ τούτων οὐ διαφερόμεθα, περὶ ὧν ἅπασιν συνομολογητέα καθέστηκεν, ἀλλ' ὧν ἕνεκα κυρίως ἀμφισβητεῖν ἐγνώκαμεν· οὐ γὰρ εἰ Σαμουὴλ γέγονεν ζητητέον, ἀλλ' εἰ τοιαύτην ἔχει δαίμων ἐξουσίαν, ὥστε 20δικαίων ἀνακαλεῖσθαι ψυχὰς ἐξ ᾅδου καὶ πάλιν20 ἀποπέμπειν. 17.3 ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἐπ' αὐτοφώρῳ ληφθεὶς ἑάλω βλασφημίας ἐπαντλῶν αἰκίᾳ τὰς τῶν ἀκροατῶν ἀκοάς, ἀπατηλῇ μὲν ὑπεκκλίνει τέχνῃ, καταφεύγει δὲ δῆθεν ἐπὶ τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πρόσωπον, ἵν' ἀντεξετάσας αὐτὸ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀνδράσιν ἀποδείξειεν ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς ᾅδου κατῆλθεν ὁ Χριστὸς ὁμοῦ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν. 17.4 ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὡς ἀπεδείκνυε τοῦτο καὶ δὴ καὶ κατ' ἄνδρα παραινῶν ἐπεφθέγγετο, «τί φοβῇ» λέγων «εἰπεῖν ὅτι πᾶς χρῄζει τόπος» αὐτοῦ τε «τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῶν προφητῶν;», ὀλίγα ἄττα διὰ μέσου τάττων ἄλλην ἐπιπλέκει δυσφημίαν, ἐκφαίνων ὅτι καὶ κάτω τυγχάνων ὁ Χριστὸς