Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/602

 from Heaven upon his enemies, restored a dead childe to life; Daniel stopt the mouths of the Lyons; The three children sang songs in the fiery Oven; moreover by this art the incredulous Jews affirm, that even Christ did do so many miracles; Solomon also very well knew this art, and delivered charms against devils, and their bonds, and the manner of conjurations, and against diseases, as Joseph reporteth, but as I doubt not but that God revealed to Moses many secrets, contained under the bark of the words of the Law, which were not to be revealed to the prophane vulgar. So I acknowledge that this Cabalisticall art, which the Hebrews brag of, and I sometimes diligently and laboriously sought after, is nothing else then a meer rhapsody of superstition, and a certain Theurgicall Magick: but if it proceeded from God (as the Jews boast) and conduceth to the perfection of life, health of men, to the worship of God, and to the truth of understanding; truly that spirit of truth, which hath left this Synagogue, and come to teach us all truth, would not have concealed it from his Church even untill these last times, which indeed knoweth all things that are of God, whose benediction, baptism, and other mysteries of salvation are revealed and perfected in every tongue, for every tongue hath the same equall power, if so be that there be the same equall piety, neither is there any name, either in heaven or earth, by the which we must be saved, and by which we work miracles, besides this one name Jesus, in which all things are recapitulated and contained. Hence it is, that the Jews, who are most skilful in using the names of God, can operate little or nothing after Christ, as their ancient fathers did; but that we by experience find, and see, that by the revolution of this art (as they call them) oftentimes wonderful sentences, full of great mysteries, are wrested from the holy Scriptures, this is nothing else then a certain playing upon Allegories, which idle men busymg themselves with all the points, letters, and numbers, which this tongue and the custome of writing do easily suffer, do fain and disguise at their pleasures; which although sometimes they hold forth great mysteries, yet they