3. But to leave these uncertainties, it is manifest that this word doth signifie as _Buxtorsius_ and _Schindlerus_ do render it, for they are best to be trusted, because they are not guilty of contradiction as the most of the others are; That is, a Jugler, or one that by himself, or the help of his Confederates, doth by sleight of hand, and such like conveyances perform strange things to the astonishment of the beholders. “And therefore doth Mr. _Goodwyn_ tell us this: A Witch, properly a Jugler. The original (he saith) signifieth such a kind of Sorcerer, who bewitcheth the senses and minds of men, by changing the forms of things, making them appear otherwise than indeed they are. And these Dr. _Willet_ saith (speaking of _Pharaohs_ Magicians) were _Præstigiatores_, whom we call Juglers, which deceived mens senses. And though learned _Masius_ (speaking of those that _Nebuchadnezzar_ called to interpret his dream) doth make this objection, that if this word be translated _Præstigiatores_, he doth not see, _quid illi ad explicandum somnium adferre suâ arte potuissent, quæ tota fallax & delusoria est_:” Yet is this of little or no force at all, for the rest that were called, were as well Impostors as these if not more, and the King and those with him knew not certainly (as the event shewed) that they could perform any such matter, but was ignorant of the manner of their delusions and cheats, and was only led by common rumour and belief, grounded upon the vain and lying boasts that such sort of people are apt to give out of themselves, and the wonders they pretend to perform. So that from his and his Courtiers opinions of either the matter, or manner, of what they pretended to do, will no consequence be drawn, from what they truly could do, because belief and action are two different things as might be manifested by the vain credulity of the vulgar, that those kind of deceivers can do strange things, but in trial and experiment they are found to be Cheaters and Impostors. [Sidenote: Chap. 7. 11.] 4. But that this word doth bear this signification is manifest from the things they performed, for in _Exodus_ they are called ‏כַשְּׁפִים‎, _and they in like manner cast down every man his rod and they became serpents_: not that their rods were really transubstantiated into true serpents as _Aarons_ was, for that could not be done but by an Omnipotent and Divine power, which they had not; It was only done as Juglers, do seemingly, by sleight and cunning, and so had an appearance of true serpents, but were not so indeed; or else in making a shew to throw down their rods, they secretly conveyed them away and threw down serpents in their stead, as might easily be done by sleight of hand, as we shall shew more fully hereafter. [Sidenote: 2 Kings 9. 22.] [Sidenote: Chap. 21. 8. 22. 51. 9. 21. 18. 23.] [Sidenote: Chap. 5. 20.]