A comparison betwixt Pharaos magicians and our witches, and how their cunning consisted in juggling knacks.
HUS you see that it hath pleased GOD to shew unto men that seeke for knowledge, such cunning in finding out, compounding, and framing of strange and secret things, as thereby he seemeth to have bestowed upon man, some part of his divinitie. Howbeit, God (of nothing, with his word) hath created all things, and dooth at his will, beyond the power and also the reach of man, accomplish whatsoever he list. And such miracles in times past he wrought by the hands of his prophets, as here he did by MosesAn apish imitation in Jannes and Jambres of working woonders. in the presence of Pharao, which Jannes and Jambres apishlie followed. But to affirme that they by themselves, or by all the divels in hell, could doo indeed as Moses did by the power of the Holie-ghost, is woorsse than infidelitie. If anie object and saie, that our witches can doo such feats with words and charms, as Pharaos magicians did by their art, I denie it; and all the world will never be able to shew it.Jo. Calvine, lib. institut. 1. cap. 8.
Cle. recog. 3. That which they did, was openlie done; as our witches and conjurors never doo anie/224. thing: so as these cannot doo as they did. And yet (as Calvine saith of them) they were but jugglers. Neither could they doo, as manie/318. suppose. For as Clemens saith; These magicians did rather seeme to doo these woonders, than worke them indeed. And if they made but prestigious shewes of things, I saie it was more than our witches can doo. For witchcrafts (as ErastusErast. in disputat. de lamiis. himselfe confesseth in drift of argument) are but old wives fables. If the magicians serpent had beene a verie serpent, it must needs have beene transformed out of the rod. And therein had beene a double worke of God; to wit, the qualifieng and extinguishment of one substance, and the creation of another. Which areActions unpossible to divels: Ergo to witches conjurors, &c. actions beyond the divels power, for he can neither make a bodie to be no bodie, nor yet no bodie to be a bodie; as to make something nothing, and nothing something; and contrarie things, one: naie, they cannot make one haire either white or blacke.*[* Matt. 5, 36] If Pharaos magicians had made verie frogs upon a sudden, whie could they not drive them awaie againe? If they could not hurt the frogs, whie should we thinke that they could make them? Or that our witches, which cannot doo so much as counterfet them, can kill cattell and other creatures with words or wishes? And therefore I saie with Jamblichus, Jamb. de mysteriis.Quæ fascinati imaginamur, præter imaginamenta nullā habent actionis & essentiæ veritatem; Such things as we being bewitched doo imagine, have no truth at all either of action or essence, beside the bare imagination.
The xxi. Chapter.
That the serpents and frogs were trulie presented, and the water poisoned indeed by Jannes and Jambres, of false prophets, and of their miracles, of Balams asse.
RUELIE I thinke there were no inconvenience granted, though I should admit that the serpent and frogs were truelie presented, and the water truelie poisoned by Jannes and Jambres;Pharaos magicians were not maisters of their owne actions. not that they could execute such miracles of themselves, or by their familiars or divels: but that God, by the hands of those counterfet couseners, contrarie to their owne expectations, overtooke them, and compelled them in their ridiculous wickednes to be/319. instruments of his will and vengeance, upon their maister Pharao: so as by their hands God shewed some miracles, which he himselfe wrought: as appeareth in Exodus.Exod. 10. For God did put the spirit of truth into Baalams mouth, who was hiered to cursse his people. And although he were a corrupt and false prophet, and went about a mischeevous enterprise;God useth the wicked as instruments to execute his counsels & judgments. yet God made him an instrument (against his will) to the confusion of the wicked. Which if it pleased God to doo here, as a speciall worke, whereby to shew his omnipotencie, to the confirmation of his peoples faith, in the doctrine of their Messias delivered unto them by the prophet Moses, then was it miraculous and extraordinarie, and not to be looked for now. And (as some suppose) there were then a consort or crew of false prophets, which could also foretell things to come, and worke miracles. I answer, it was extraordinarie and miraculous, & that it pleased God so/225. to trie his people; but he worketh not so in these daies: for the working of miracles is ceased. The contrarie effects that the miracles of Moses and the miracles of the Aegyptian magiciās wroght in the hart of Pharao.Likewise in this case it might well stand with Gods glorie, to use the hands of Pharaos magicians, towards the hardening of their maisters hart; and to make their illusions and ridiculous conceipts to become effectuall. For God had promised and determined to harden the heart of Pharao. As for the miracles which Moses did, they mollified it so, as he alwaies relented upon the sight of the same. For unto the greatnesse of his miracles were added such modestie and patience, as might have mooved even a heart of steele or flint. But Pharaos frowardnes alwaies grew upon the magicians actions: the like example, or the resemblance whereof, we find not againe in the scriptures. And though there were such people in those daies suffered and used by God, for the accomplishment of his will and secret purpose: yet it followeth not, that now, when Gods will is wholie revealed unto us in his word, and his sonne exhibited (for whome, or rather for the manifestation of whose comming all those things were suffered or wrought) such things and such people should yet continue. So as I conclude, the cause being taken awaie, the thing proceeding thence remaineth not. And to assigne our witches and conjurors their roome, is to mocke and contemne Gods woonderfull works; and to oppose against them cousenages, juggling knacks, and things of nought. And therefore, as they must/320. confesse, that none in these daies can doo as Moses did: so it may be answered, that none in these daies can doo as Jannes and Jambres did: who, if they had beene false prophets, as they were jugglers, had yet beene more privileged to exceed our old women or conjurors, in the accomplishing of miracles, or in prophesieng, &c. For who may be compared with Balaam? Naie, I dare saie, that Balaams asse wrought a greater miracle, and more supernaturall, than either the pope or all the conjurors and witches in the world can doo at this daie.
That the art of juggling is more, or at least no les strange in working miracles than conjuring, witchcraft, &c.To conclude, it is to be avouched (and there be proofes manifest enough) that our jugglers approch much neerer to resemble Pharaos magicians, than either witches or conjurors, & can make a more livelie shew of working miracles than anie inchantors can doo: for these practise to shew that in action, which witches doo in words and termes. But that you may thinke I have reason for the maintenance of mine opinion in this behalfe, I will surcease by multitude of words to amplifie this place, referring you to the tract following of the art of juggling, where you shall read strange practises and cunning conveiances; which bicause they cannot so convenientlie be described by phrase of speech, as that they should presentlie sinke into the capacitie of you that would be practitioners of the same; I have caused them to be set foorth in forme and figure, that your understanding might be somewhat helped by instrumentall demonstrations. And when you have perused that whole discoverie of juggling, compare the wonders thereof with the woonders imputed to conjurors and witches, (not omitting Pharaos sorcerers at anie hand in this comparison) and I beleeve you will be resolved, that the miracles doone in Pharaos sight by them, and the miracles ascribed unto witches, conjurors, &c: may be well taken for false miracles, meere delusions, &c: and for such actions as are commonlie practised by cunning jugglers; be it either by legierdemaine, confederacie, or otherwise.//
The xxii. Chapter.321. 226.
The art of juggling discovered, and in what points it dooth principallie consist.