Acts 8. 9.
ConcerningSimon Maguswe have before in this Treatise sufficiently proved that he was only a deceiver and Impostor, and whatstrange feats he had done to astonish, and stupifie theSamaritanes, were only jugling knacks, or deceits by confederacy, and no supernatural things, so that here we will say no more, but only add: That though our English translation say that he bewitched the people ofSamariawith sorceries, and that he himself, when he beheld the miracles and signs that were done, wondered; yet the word that they translate in the one place bewitching, and in the other wondered, are both from oneThemawhich isἨξίστημι,de statu mentis dejicio, facio ut aliquis mente non constet, perterrefacio, obstupefacio. And therefore either it ought to be that theSamaritaneswere astonisht at the feats thatSimonwrought, and that he himself was astonisht at the miracles ofPhilip, or that they were both bewitched, for they were both under the same amazement, and there is no reason at all to give it one sense in one place, and a different one in the other.
Acts 13. 10.
Acts 19. 13, 16.
We need not here say any thing ofElymaswho is stiled a Magician, because it is manifest that he was a false Prophet, full of all subtilty, and all mischief, a Child of the Devil, and an enemy of all righteousness: which character truly given to him by the unerring sentence of S.Paul, may be really ascribed to the whole tribe and profession of such kind of seducers and deceivers. Like unto whom were thoseseven Sons of Sceva a Jew, who are calledexorcists, thattook upon them to call over them that had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth, but were soundly beaten for their pains, a fit reward for such vagabonds; And if all that profess or practise such wicked, vain and lying things were duely punished, the poor ignorant people would not be so much abused as they are.
The other places in the New Testament we have handled, and answered, and also have touched upon that Text in theGalathianswhere we spoke of Fascination, but lest it be not sufficient, we shall handle it fully here. The words are,O foolish Galathians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth?From whence they use thus to argue: If Witchcraft in the Apostles time had not been known, and practised, he would not have made use of that Phrase then; concerning which we return these responsions.
Delrio.l.3.q.4.sect.1.Concl.2.
1. If we consider natural Fascination was by the Philosophers and Poets only taken to be contagious steams flowing from the eyes, or breaths of malevolent and envious persons, that had some infectious diseases, as we see in the Plague, Small-pox,Lues Venerea, soreness of Eyes, Tinea’s, and the like, which are contagious to others that lie with them, or converse near them, the infected atomes or steams issuing in a certain Sphear of activity, are received by the pores, or mouths of the sound persons, by which they come to be infected also. And this the Poet witnessed:Nescio quis teneros oculus mihi fascinat agnos. Now this being the common opinion, the Apostle taketh the metaphor from thence, as who should say, who with their virulent and poysonous opinions have infectedyou, that you should not obey the truth. And this is the genuine meaning of that metaphorical phrase, and no other sense can rationally and congruously be put upon the place, and this conduceth nothing to that opinion of Witchcraft that we oppose. ForPhilosophica seu Physica fascinatio non nisi impropriè dici potest fascinatio, propriè verò est contagio, seu infectio. And therefore did the learnedVallesiusto the same purpose speak this.Sed neq; si quis pestilenti affectus febri, aut etiam sine febre deferens secum seminaria pestis alium intuens intuentem inficiat, dicetur fascinasse, sed peste affecisse.
Vid. Jo. Lazar. Guttier. de fascino.
2. Some of the fathers (which may be offered for an objection) do seem to hold that S.Paulhere meant of diabolical fascination, and soTertullianin English thus: For there is also something amongst the Gentiles to be feared, which they call fascination, being a more unfortunate event of praise, and great glory: this we sometimes interpret of the Devil. And S.Hieromesaith upon this place: Fascination is when some things by Magical illusions are shewed to the eyes of Men, otherwise than they are. Also Fascination is vulgarly called that, which doth hurt Children, for the eyes of certain persons are said to burn with looking, and this act of theirs is called Fascination, and it may be that the Devils are subservient to this Sin. AndThomas Aquinassaith: And this also may be done by Devils, who have power of moving false imaginations, and bringing them to the principles of the Senses, by changing the Senses themselves. From whence we may note these things. 1. ThatTertulliansaith that they sometimes interpret this of the Devil, but how truly or upon what grounds he sheweth not, and it seemeth that sometimes they did interpret it of something else, for so his words must needs imply. 2. Secondly, S.Hieromesometime calleth fascination Magical illusions, and sometime that which doth hurt Children, by the burning of some eyes; and then comes in with a may be that the Devils are subservient to this sin. So that he is not certain in his opinion, nor truly knows what fascination is, but according to vulgar opinion, or blind conjectures. 3. And all that the Angelical Doctor saith, doth but amount to the delusion of the Senses, by false imaginations, so that here is no proof either of the Devil, or his instruments, to cause any real fascination.
Vid. Guttier. passim.
Galen. de Incantat.
3. Those that hold thatPauldid allude unto natural, or diabolick fascination, do but mean magical illusions, whereby the senses are abused and deceived, to take things to be that which really they are not, and so are but cheating Incantations and delusory Juglings, for asGalen(if that piece be truly his) saith:Incantationes verba sunt decipientia rationales animas secundum spei inceptionem, aut secundum timoris incisionem. So that though S.Paulhad taken the metaphor from that which was commonly accounted fascination, there is no necessity, that therefore the metaphor must in all points be true: it is sufficient that the common opinion was so, from whose usage of such terms the Apostle useth the word,to fascinate, or inchant. And of this opinion was S.Hieromehimself who saith thus much:Dignè Paulum, qui etsi imperitus est sermone non tamen & scientia, debemus exponere non quod scierit esse fascinum, qui vulgò putatur nocere, sed usus sermone sit trivii, & ut in cætero, ita & in hoc quoq; loco verbum quotidianæ sermocinationis assumpserit. So that from hence it is most evident, that the using of the word fascination by the Apostle, doth not inferr the being of the thing, but only the opinion of the vulgar, that believed things that were not. And of the same judgment isThomas Aquinasin these words:Propriè dicit Apostolus, quis vos fascinavit? quasi dicat, vos estis sicut homo ludificatus qui res manifestas aliter accipit quàm sint in rei veritate. Therefore we shall conclude this point with the sentiment of S.Hierome:Nunc illud in causa est, quod ex opinione vulgi sumptum putamus exemplum, ut quomodo tenera ætas noceri dicitur fascino, sic etiam Galatæ in Christi fide nuper nati, & nutriti lacte, & solido cibo velut quodam fascinante sunt nociti.
Vid. Valles. de sacr. Philosoph.
Galenl.8.de compos. medic.
4. But howsoever fascination might be understood, yet it is plain, that except theEffluviaor steams of Bodies that had contagious diseases, entring into other sound Bodies, and thereby infecting them with their noysome vapours, or Atomes, there is nothing, but what was vain belief and credulous superstition, as the learnedVallesiustells us in these words, thus rendered in English: “But if this be the way or reason of fascination, any one may easily understand, that fascination is a certain superstitious fear, arising from foolish credulity, of which sort are many other things in the life of Man, as for argument, that this opinion is more approved of by Women than by Men, and far more of the unlearned than of the learned. Although (he saith) I also see that there are those amongst the learned that are rather lovers of subtilty than verity, who take care to defend those things that the vulgar do admire. By which they would be accounted judicious magical Juglers, and Men skilful of secrets.” And therefore he thus concludeth: “Therefore the name of fascination is ancient, and according to the ancient signification, it doth not signifie any natural disease, but a vain superstition, arising from vulgar opinion, and therefore neitherHippocrates, norGalen, nor any of the ancient Physicians, that I know of do mention fascination, neither amongst the differences nor causes of Diseases. From whence again is taken no small argument of its vanity.” Therefore we shall conclude this point with that remarkable saying ofGalen. “Falsæ etenim opiniones animas hominum præoccupantes, non solum surdos, sed & cæcos faciunt, ita ut videre nequeant, quæ aliis conspicua apparent.”
5. The Angelical Doctor with the consent of the most part of all the learned do affirm that the Devil by his own power cannot change corporeal matter, unless he apply proportionate actives to fit passives, to produce those effects he intendeth; As for instance, he can cause burning, because there is a combustive agent in nature;but if that were awanting, or if there were no combustible matter, how should he cause any ignition? But if he be supposed to work diabolical fascination, for which there is no agent in nature, it being but an imaginary thing in the heads of the deluded vulgar; then it will necessarily follow, that he can work no fascination at all, and so the whole opinion of the Witchmongers falls to the ground. For it is manifest that there is contagion, by the infectedEffluviaor steams issuing from a diseased Body to another by which it may be contaminated, but otherwise there is no natural fascination, nor any agent in nature to produce that effect, and therefore there can be no Diabolical fascination at all.