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crying out to you, "Son of God? Have you come before the time to destroy us?" But to summon souls from Hades and at the same time to call down choirs of heaven-flying angels, God alone has the authority to accomplish this, and his most divine Son, and absolutely no one else. 23.7 If, therefore, they knew the invisible kingdom of God, anointed by the Holy Spirit, were they not much more able to recognize that of David, which was revealed through a perceptible anointing and a visible pouring? But the sinner did not know the things done and recorded in the scriptures concerning David, he who even approached the Lord clothed in the body and said boldly: "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written that ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’” he says, “‘and on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 23.8 Therefore, if he pretends to speak from the holy scriptures, then he knows what is written, though with evil understanding; but if he has knowledge of these things, then he was not ignorant of the kingdom of David, which is engraved in the sacred writings; so that by saying what was written, the demon prophesied nothing at all.

24.1 But the much-spoken-of Origen, finding nothing at all to say, artfully resorted to this, adding the following elsewhere on top of this: "But I," he says, "cannot give to a demon so great a power as to prophesy concerning Saul and the people of God, and to prophesy concerning the kingdom of David that he is about to reign." 24.2 Then, one might say, O most foolish of men, you do not grant him the power to prophesy, but you permit him to bring up prophets from Hades and suddenly to summon angelic choirs, which is a greater and more excellent thing and partakes of a more divine authority? Has anyone, then, conceived of things so weakly or poorly? 20But I for my part would rather say in reply20 that the demon prophesied nothing, as we indeed showed before; 24.3 but if he did happen to say things 20worthy of prophecy, not even so should one20 suppose that the demon brought up spirits and souls from Hades; for Caiaphas also prophesied during the conspiracy against Christ, having said that "it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish." 24.4 These things he did not say of his own accord, just as the most wise John recorded, but being high priest that year he prophesied. 24.5 And if this man who took up unjust counsels against the Lord nonetheless does not prophesy of his own accord, but, being moved doubtless by another, makes a refutation against himself, neither, if anyone else does such a thing, should one therefore pay attention that 20on this account he has laid hold of a more divine power, nor20 should one tolerate it if someone says that he seems by demonic divination to bring up souls from Hades and armies of angels like a god. 24.6 For one must listen to what Moses legislates in Deuteronomy, speaking out concerning such prophets, saying, "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 24.7 ‘Let us go and serve other gods whom you have not known,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet," he says, "or to that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you, to see whether you love the Lord your God." 24.8 But here, presenting the dyad of the Father and the only-begotten Son, he called one the testing Lord, and another besides this to be the beloved Lord and God, in order that from the dyad he might show the one Godhead and the true divine generation. 24.9 But if that prophet who promised a sign or showed a wonder is to be rejected altogether for introducing unlawful idolatry, even if the power of the sign runs on ahead working, how much more should one not believe a demon promising to summon souls from Hades and the spirits of the just? 24.10 But not even would an impious person say that while they were divining, God raised up Samuel to test the unjust man

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σοί» κεκραγότες «υἱὲ τοῦ θεοῦ; ἦλθες πρὸ καιροῦ ἀπολέσαι ἡμᾶς;» τὸ δὲ ψυχὰς ἐξ ᾅδου μεταπέμπεσθαι καὶ χοροὺς ἀγγέλων οὐρανοπετεῖς ἐν ταὐτῷ μετακαλεῖσθαι μόνος ἐξουσίαν ἔχει διαπράττεσθαι θεὸς καὶ ὁ θειότατος αὐτοῦ παῖς, ἄλλος δὲ τὸ παράπαν οὐδείς. 23.7 εἰ οὖν τὴν ἀόρατον τοῦ θεοῦ βασιλείαν ἔγνωσαν ἁγίῳ πνεύματι χρισθεῖσαν, οὐ πολλῷ πλέον ἐπιγνῶναι τὴν τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ἐδύναντο διὰ χρίσματος ἀναδειχθεῖσαν αἰσθητοῦ καὶ καταχύσεως ὁρατῆς; ἀλλ' οὐκ ᾔδει τὰ πεπραγμένα καὶ γραφαῖς ἀνακείμενα περὶ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ὁ ἀλιτήριος, ὅς γε καὶ τῷ κυρίῳ περιβαλλομένῳ τὸ σῶμα προσελθὼν ἔφη τολμηρῶς· «εἰ υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ θεοῦ, βάλε σεαυτὸν κάτω· γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ» φησὶν «ἐντελεῖται περὶ σοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ χειρῶν ἀροῦσίν σε, μήποτε προσκόψῃς πρὸς λίθον τὸν πόδα σου»; 23.8 οὐκοῦν εἴπερ ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων ὑποτυποῦται γραφῶν ὁμιλεῖν, οἶδεν ἄρα τὰ γεγραμμένα κακομαθῶς· εἰ δὲ τούτων ἐν γνώσει καθέστηκεν, οὐκ ἄρα τὴν τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ἠγνόει βασιλείαν, ἣ τοῖς ἱεροῖς ἐγκεχάρακται γράμμασιν· ὥστε τὰ γεγραμμένα λέγων ὁ δαίμων οὐδὲν ἐπροφήτευσεν οὐδαμῶς.

24.1 Ἀλλ' ὁ πολύφημος Ὠριγένης, οὐδ' ὁτιοῦν εὑρίσκων εἰπεῖν, εἰς τοῦτο

κατέφυγε τετεχνασμένως, ἑτέρωθι πρὸς ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐπαγαγών· «ἐγὼ δὲ» φησὶν «οὐ δύναμαι διδόναι δαιμονίῳ τηλικαύτην δύναμιν, ἵνα προφητεύῃ περὶ Σαοὺλ καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ προφητεύῃ περὶ βασιλείας ∆αβὶδ ὅτι μέλλει βασιλεύειν». 24.2 εἶτα, φαίη τις ἄν, ὦ ἀνοητότατε ἀνδρῶν, οὐ δίδως μὲν αὐτῷ προφητεύειν, ἐπιτρέπεις δὲ αὐτῷ προφήτας ἀνάγειν ἐξ ᾅδου καὶ ἀγγελικοὺς ἄφνω μεταστέλλεσθαι χορούς, ὅπερ ἐστὶ μεῖζον καὶ προὖχον καὶ θειοτέρας ἐχόμενον ἐξουσίας; ἆρά γέ τις οὕτως ἐνόησεν ἀσθενῶς ἢ πτωχῶς; 20ἀλλὰ μάλιστα μὲν ἔγωγε φαίην ἂν20 ἀνθυπενέγκας ὅτι μηδὲν ἐπροφήτευσεν ὁ δαίμων, ὥς γε καὶ πρόσθεν ἐδείξαμεν· 24.3 εἰ δ' ἄρα καὶ προφητείας 20ἄξια διαλεχθεὶς ἐτύγχανεν, οὐδ' οὕτως ἐχρῆν20 ὑπολαμβάνειν ὅτι πνεύματα καὶ ψυχὰς ὁ δαίμων ἀνήγαγεν ἐξ ᾅδου· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Καϊάφας ἐπὶ τῇ κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ συστάσει προὐφήτευσεν, εἰρηκὼς ὅτι «συμφέρει ἡμῖν ἵνα εἷς ἄνθρωπος ἀποθάνῃ ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ ἔθνος ἀπόληται». 24.4 ταῦτα μὲν οὐκ εἶπεν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ, καθάπερ ὁ σοφώτατος ἐξέδωκεν Ἰωάννης, ἀρχιερεὺς δὲ τυγχάνων ἐκείνου τοῦ ἔτους ἐπροφήτευσεν. 24.5 εἰ δὲ οὗτος ὁ κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου βουλὰς ἀδίκους ἀράμενος ὅμως οὐκ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ προφητεύει, κινούμενος δὲ δήπουθεν ὑφ' ἑτέρου καθ' ἑαυτοῦ ποιεῖται τὸν ἔλεγχον, οὐδὲ εἴ τις ἄλλος ἄρα τοιοῦτό τι δρᾷ προσεκτέον ὅτι 20παρὰ τοῦτο θειοτέρας ἐξῆπται δυνάμεως, οὐδὲ20 ἀνασχετέον εἰ λέγοι τις ὅτι μαντείᾳ δαιμονιώδει ψυχὰς ἀνάγειν ἔοικεν ἐξ ᾅδου καὶ στρατιὰς ἀγγέλων οἷα θεός. 24.6 ἐπακουστέον γὰρ οἷα περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἐξαγορεύει προφητῶν ἐν τῷ ∆ευτερονομίῳ θεσπίζων ὁ Μωσῆς, «ἐὰν δὲ ἀναστῇ» φάσκων «ἐν σοὶ προφήτης ἢ ἐνυπνιαζόμενος ἐνύπνιον καὶ δῷ σοι σημεῖον ἢ τέρας, καὶ ἔλθῃ τὸ σημεῖον ἢ τὸ τέρας ὃ ἐλάλησεν πρὸς σὲ λέγων· 24.7 πορευθῶμεν καὶ λατρεύσωμεν θεοῖς ἑτέροις οὓς οὐκ οἴδατε, οὖκ ἀκούσεσθε τῶν λόγων ἐκείνου τοῦ προφήτου» φησὶν «ἢ τοῦ ἐνυπνιαζομένου τὸ ἐνύπνιον ἐκεῖνο· ὅτι πειράζει κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν ὑμᾶς, τοῦ ἰδεῖν εἰ ἀγαπᾶτε κύριον τὸν θεὸν ὑμῶν». 24.8 ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα μὲν τὴν δυάδα πατρός τε καὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ παριστῶν, ἄλλον μὲν τὸν ἐκπειράζοντα κύριον ὠνόμαζεν, ἄλλον δὲ παρὰ τοῦτον εἶναι τὸν ἀγαπώμενον κύριόν τε καὶ θεόν, ἵν' ἐκ δυάδος τὴν μίαν ἀποδείξοι θεότητα καὶ τὴν ἀληθῆ θεογονίαν. 24.9 εἰ δ' ὁ προφήτης ἐκεῖνος ὁ τὸ σημεῖον ὑποσχόμενος ἢ τὸ τέρας ὑποδεῖξαι παντάπασιν ἀποκριτέος ἐστὶ τῷ τὴν ἀθέμιτον εἰδωλολατρείαν εἰσηγεῖσθαι, κἂν ἡ τοῦ σημείου δύναμις ἐνεργοῦσα προτρέχῃ, πόσῳ δὴ μᾶλλον οὐ χρὴ δαίμονι πιστεύειν ἐπαγγελλομένῳ ψυχὰς ἐξ ᾅδου μεταπέμπεσθαι καὶ πνεύματα δικαίων; 24.10 ἀλλ' οὐδὲ φαίη τις ἂν ἀσεβῶν ὅτι μαντευομένων ἐκείνων ὁ θεὸς ἀνέστησε τὸν Σαμουὴλ ἐκπειράσαι τὸν ἄδικον