2. The most of all the translations in the Polyglott, do render this word doubtful and various: As maleficus, magus, præstigias faciens, Incantator, and the like, which are all dubious, and various, and no certainty can be produced from them. Only those we call the Septuagint do keep close to words of the same signification, deducted all from φάρμακον, which properly doth signifie no more than venenum, poison, though the circumstances do manifest that they were but Jugling and Imposture. And the High-Dutch, Low-Dutch, French and Italian translations do all render it with the same uncertainty, so that nothing sure can be drawn from them.
Moses and Aaron l. 4. c. 10. p. 191.
Com. upon Exod. c. 7. p. 72.
3. But to leave these uncertainties, it is manifest that this word doth signifie as Buxtorsius and Schindlerus do render it, for they are best to be trusted, because they are not guilty of contradiction as the most of the others are; That is, a Jugler, or one that by himself, or the help of his Confederates, doth by sleight of hand, and such like conveyances perform strange things to the astonishment of the beholders. “And therefore doth Mr. Goodwyn tell us this: A Witch, properly a Jugler. The original (he saith) signifieth such a kind of Sorcerer, who bewitcheth the senses and minds of men, by changing the forms of things, making them appear otherwise than indeed they are. And these Dr. Willet saith (speaking of Pharaohs Magicians) were Præstigiatores, whom we call Juglers, which deceived mens senses. And though learned Masius (speaking of those that Nebuchadnezzar called to interpret his dream) doth make this objection, that if this word be translated Præstigiatores, he doth not see, quid illi ad explicandum somnium adferre suâ arte potuissent, quæ tota fallax & delusoria est:” Yet is this of little or no force at all, for the rest that were called, were as well Impostors as these if not more, and the King and those with him knew not certainly (as the event shewed) that they could perform any such matter, but was ignorant of the manner of their delusions and cheats, and was only led by common rumour and belief, grounded upon the vain and lying boasts that such sort of people are apt to give out of themselves, and the wonders they pretend to perform. So that from his and his Courtiers opinions of either the matter, or manner, of what they pretended to do, will no consequence be drawn, from what they truly could do, because belief and action are two different things as might be manifested by the vain credulity of the vulgar, that those kind of deceivers can do strange things, but in trial and experiment they are found to be Cheaters and Impostors.
Chap. 7. 11.
4. But that this word doth bear this signification is manifest from the things they performed, for in Exodus they are called כַשְּׁפִים, and they in like manner cast down every man his rod and they became serpents: not that their rods were really transubstantiated into true serpents as Aarons was, for that could not be done but by an Omnipotent and Divine power, which they had not; It was only done as Juglers, do seemingly, by sleight and cunning, and so had an appearance of true serpents, but were not so indeed; or else in making a shew to throw down their rods, they secretly conveyed them away and threw down serpents in their stead, as might easily be done by sleight of hand, as we shall shew more fully hereafter.
2 Kings 9. 22.
Chap. 21. 8. 22. 51. 9. 21. 18. 23.
Chap. 5. 20.
5. That this is the genuine meaning of this word is manifest from the circumstances of some other places duly weighed, and compared together: for one text saith as our English Translators have rendered it, And it came to pass when Joram saw Jehu that he said, Is it peace Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel, and her witchcrafts are so many? Now why they should translate it witchcrafts, cannot well be imagined, except it were to draw the Scriptures to speak according to their preconceived opinions, for the word used there is the same we speak of, to wit, וּכְשָׁפֶיהָ, which though Arias Montanus rendereth, & veneficia ejus, that according to the Latine signification is but poysonings, or poyson making, which doth not intimate Witchcraft in that sense that is vulgarly understood, which Tremellius properly renders, & præstigæ ejus: and Luther renders it by the words Toeverye, and so doth the Low-Dutch: Though the proper High-Dutch word for præstigiator, a Jugler, be Baucsler, which is as Calepin tells us, that Præstigæ sunt incantationes, delusiones, cujusmodi sunt, quæ manuum quadam dexteritate alia apparent quam reverâ sunt. Now what whoredoms or fornications had Jezebel committed? Spiritual whoredoms, and not Carnal ones; for she had her self gone a whoring after Idols, and strange gods, and as much as in her lay drew the people of Israel into the same whoredoms, and for this it was that so fearful a judgment fell upon her. And what Witchcrafts (if they must be so called) had she practised or followed? Was it any other than in setting up, maintaining, and defending the Priests of Baal and of the groves, who practised several sorts of divination, jugling, impostures, and delusions, whereby they were seduced and blinded to follow and worship the false god and Idols? And from this it is plain that all her Witchcrafts were only impostures and delusions whereby the people were led unto idolatry: and so the true signification of this word is a deceiver and an impostor, and intendeth no other kind of Witchcraft at all. And in the same sense must the word given by those we call the Septuagint which is τὰ φάρμακα ἀυτῆς, Pharmaca vel venena sua, her poysons, that is her deceits and delusions that she set up by the lying Divinations, Juglings, and Impostures of the Priests, by which the people were seduced, and blinded, and poysoned with the filthy Doctrine and practice of Idol-worship. And in the same sense must the words be taken in the Revelation where the words φαρμακεία, φαρμακεὺς, φάρμακος are used. For the Text saith: And a mighty Angel took up a stone like a great milstone, and cast it into the sea, saying; Thus with violence shall that great City Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And after: For thy merchants were the great men of the earth: For by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. These words are spoken mystically of spiritual Babylon, in which Antichrist ruleth, who (as the Apostle saith) sitteth in the temple of God, and exalteth him self against all that is called god; and this is he whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders. So that it is plain that his working being by lying wonders, his Merchants must needs be lyers and deceivers, and it is these Sorceries, impostures and delusions by which all Nations are deceived, and caused to err: and so is no other Witchcraft but meer lying, delusion and imposture. And to this purpose doth Dr. Hammond Paraphrase it in these words; speaking of the destruction of Babylon: “And three eminent causes (he saith) there are of this; First, Luxury which inriched so many Merchants, and made them so great. Secondly, seducing other people to their Idolatries and abominable courses by all arts of insinuation. And thirdly, the persecuting and slaying of the Apostles and other Christians.” And in the same sense must this word also be taken in the Galathians, which though translated Witchcraft, must needs mean imposture, deceit and delusion by which people are led from the true Doctrine and Worship of Christ, to vain and lying Superstition and Idolatry, and not bodily poysoning.