concerning Witchcrafts

If Heaven was rebuking Saul, there is great reason to believe that God would not only have reproved him for his sin in not executing judgment on the Amalekites (as mentioned in verse 18), but also for his wickedness in consulting with familiar spirits—for it was specifically for this sin that he died (1 Chronicles original: "2. Chron. 10. 13"; the author likely intended 1 Chronicles 10:13, which describes Saul's death for consulting a medium. 10:13). But because there is not one word in the text to testify against that abomination, we may conclude that it was not the real Samuel who appeared to Saul.

And if it were the Devil in his likeness, the argument seems very strong: if the Devil can appear in the form of a saint in glory, it is much more possible for him to put on the likeness of the most pious and innocent saint on Earth. There are some who acknowledge that a demon original: "Dæmon" may appear in the shape of a godly person, but not while doing evil. However, the Devil in Samuel's likeness told a pernicious lie when he said, "You have disquieted me." It was not in the power of Saul, nor of all the devils in Hell, to disquiet a soul in Heaven, where Samuel had been for two years before this apparition.

Nor did the ghost original: "Spectre" speak the truth when he said, "You and your sons shall be with me"; though Saul himself went to be with the Devil at his death, his son Jonathan did not. Besides (which fits the matter currently at hand), the Devil in Samuel's shape confirmed necromancy the practice of communicating with the dead and cursed witchcraft. He who can, in the likeness of saints, encourage witches to have familiarity with Hell may possibly afflict a bewitched person while in the likeness of a saint. As we see from Scripture, Satan may be permitted to do this.