Theſe Witches and Necromancers are alſo called Malefici or venefici; ſorcerers or poiſoners; of which name witches are rightly called, who without the Art of Magicke do indeed uſe the helpe of the devill himſelſe to do miſchiefe; practiſing 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 otherwiſe (as it were ſacramentaliter) to effect thoſe things which the devil by other means bringeth to paſs. 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 impoſtures is, to counterfeit the higheſt and moſt noble part of it.
A ſecond kind of Magick is Aſtrologie, which judgeth of the events of things to come, natural and humane, by the motions and influences of the ſtars upon theſe lower elements, by them obſerv'd & underſtood.
Philo Judæus affirmeth, that by this part of Magick or Aſtrologie, 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 Damaſcen) who knew the Creator by the contemplation of the creature. Joſephus reporteth of Abraham, that he inſtructed the Egyptians in Arithmetick and Aſtronomy; who before Abraham's coming unto them, knew none of theſe Sciences.
Abraham ſanctitate & ſapientia omnium præſlantißimus, primum Caldæos, deinde Phœnices, demum Egyptios Sacerdotes, Aſtrologia & Divina docuerit. Abraham the holieſt and wiſeſt of men, did firſt teach the Calde-
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