Page:Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy, 1655.djvu/13

Rh Thee Witches and Necromancers are alo called Malefici or venefici; orcerers or poioners; of which name witches are rightly called, who without the Art of Magicke do indeed ue the helpe of the devill himele to do michiefe; practiing to mix the powder of dead bodies with other things by the help of the devill prepared; and at other times to make pictures of wax, clay; or otherwie (as it were acramentaliter) to effect thoe things which the devil by other means bringeth to pas. Such were, and to this day partly, if not altogether, are the corruptions which have made odious the very name of Magick, having chiefly ſought, as the maner of all impotures is, to counterfeit the highet and mot noble part of it.

A econd kind of Magick is Atrologie, which judgeth of the events of things to come, natural and humane, by the motions and influences of the tars upon thee lower elements, by them oberv'd & undertood.

Philo Judæus affirmeth, that by this part of Magick or Atrologie, together with the motions of the Stars and other heavenly bodies, Abraham found out the knowledge of the true God while he lived in Caldea, Qui Contemplatione Creaturarum, cognovit Creatorem (ſaith Damacen) who knew the Creator by the contemplation of the creature. Joephus reporteth of Abraham, that he intructed the Egyptians in Arithmetick and Atronomy; who before Abraham's coming unto them, knew none of thee Sciences.

''Abraham anctitate & apientia omnium prælantißimus, primum Caldæos, deinde Phœnices, demum Egyptios Sacerdotes, Atrologia & Divina docuerit. Abraham'' the holiet and wiet of men, did firt teach the ans