The Authority of the Engastrimythos

He adds more clearly with the phrase, 'What shall I say?' having cried out, 'These things are written,' asking, 'Is it true or is it not true?' Saying that to say it is not true leads to unbelief (he says this to bring it upon the heads of those speaking), while to say it is true provides us with inquiry and perplexity.

After this, he again, confirming unthinkingly what he announces, and considering the opinions of those opposing him, brings forth: 'And indeed we know some of our brothers looking askance at the Scripture and saying, I do not believe the engastrimythos; the engastrimythos says it has seen Samuel, it lies,' and many other things besides this. Because of these things, he exhorts while rebuking those who decide the divinations of the engastrimythos are false, and, cursing, brings it upon the heads of those who do not believe it. However, it is easy to persuade the willing who desire to turn the narrative of the Scripture around it, saying, 'These things are written' or 'Are these things not written?'

He uses logic to proceed to a second point: 'Is it true these things or is it not true?', even though the not being able to bear the soul of the prophet 'provides us with perplexity and inquiry,' as he said. And that which is to give such things to a demon is full of how much impiety; he no longer says 'seeking' or 'paying attention' but is struck by unreasonableness. For to God alone belongs such authority to command, so as to transfer and call souls out of Hades.

Therefore, one must counter here again: in the holy writings these things have not been taken up, nor did the writer previously write that such a thing was done by his own person; for the book would not be ecclesiastic, shouting with voices contrary to the prophetic ones, as we have also shown previously and will say a little later.

But indeed he has filled the belly-myth with words and has supplemented the ever-present knowledge of the potentate with works of ignorance, shown to be so. For if he would thus join the belly-myth to the holy scriptures, would he not—since they say that the devil himself proclaims himself as an opponent of God—require one to believe him by laying out the whole thing through a narrative interpretation of the letter, as Origen is introduced?

And this has indeed been written regarding the scriptures. Or again, when using immoderate pride, he claims that the whole description of this world, even its own kingdoms, is his; would someone not say that it is fitting to think that he is the creator of all things? Not so, however; for if indeed the narrative voice has filled his great boasting, it does not declare these things to be true, nor is anyone able to demonstrate this at all. But there are ten thousand such things to see regarding this, though it is not possible to bring them all forward, lest we be thought to wander from the subject through wordiness.

As it seemed to those who think most rightly not to rebuke moderately, the thought immediately leaped away to another matter, and he was making a spectacle of the people, for they say among others that it would be terrible to suppose that the illustrious Samuel has come to be in Hades, who was judged worthy of severe prophecy. This indeed repeats itself above and below in a crude way, handling the listeners from one thing to another, skillfully working deception.

We, however, do not differ regarding these things, about which it has become necessary for all to agree, but because of which we have known to dispute primarily; for it is not whether Samuel has become a matter of inquiry, but whether such a demon has power, so as to call up the souls of the righteous from Hades and send them again. Since, therefore, having been caught in blasphemy on his own authority, he returns to insult the hearing of the listeners, he indeed turns away deceitfully by craft, but pretends to flee toward the face of Christ, in order that, having contested it, he might demonstrate to the holy men that Christ himself also descended into Hades along with all the others. But for as he was demonstrating this and indeed speaking exhortatively toward each man, he said, 'Why fear,' saying, 'to say that all...'