in the World.

To this Purpose gave he them Power, if we may believe old _Glanville_,
_Baxter_, _Hicks_, and other learn'd Consultors of Oracles, to walk
invisible, to fly in the Air, ride upon Broom-sticks, and other Wooden
Gear, to interpret Dreams, answer Questions, betray Secrets, to talk
(Gibberish) the universal Language, to raise Storms, sell Winds, bring
up Spirits, disturb the Dead, and torment the Living, with a thousand
other needful Tricks to amuse the World, keep themselves in Veneration,
and carry on the _Devil_'s Empire in the World.

The first Nations among whom these infernal Practices were found, were
the _Chaldeans_; and that I may do Justice in earnest, as well as in
jest, it must be allow'd that the _Chaldeans_, or those of them so
call'd, were not Conjurers or Magicians, only Philosophers and Studiers
of Nature, wise, sober and studious Men at first, and we have an
extraordinary Account of them; and if we may believe some of our best
Writers of Fame, _Abraham_ was himself famous among them for such
Magick, as Sir _Walter Raleigh_ expresses it, _Qui Contemplatione
Creaturarum Cognovit Creatorem_.

Now granting this, it is all to my Purpose, namely, that the Devil drew
these wise Men in, to search after more Knowledge than Nature could
instruct them in; and the Knowledge of the true God being at that Time
sunk very low, he debauch'd them all with Dreams, Apparitions,
Conjurers, _&c._ till he ruin'd the just Notions they had, and made
_Devils_ of them all, like himself.

The learned _Senensis_, speaking of this _Chaldean_ Kind of Learning,
gives us an Account of five Sorts of them; you will pardon me for being
so grave as to go this Length back.

1. _Chascedin_ or _Chaldeans_, properly so call'd, being
Astronomers.

2. _Asaphim_ or _Magicians_, such was _Zoroastres_ and _Balaam_ the
Son of _Beor_.

3. _Chatumim_ or Interpreters of Dreams and hard Speeches,
Inchanters, _&c._

4. _Mecasphim_ or Witches, call'd at first Prophets, afterwards
_Malefici_ or _Venefici_, Poisoners.

5. _Gazarim_ or _Auruspices_, and Diviners, such as divin'd by the
Entrails of Beasts, the Liver in particular; mention'd in _Ezek._
or as others, call'd Augurs.

Now, as to all these, I suppose, I may do them no wrong, if I say,
however justifiable they were in the Beginning, the _Devil_ got them all
into his Service at last, and that brings me to my Text agai