7. The next Word in this place of _Deuteronomy_ is ‏וְחֹבֵר חָבֶר‎ _utens incantatione, vel incantans incantatione, aut jungens junctiones_, from the root ‏חָבַר‎ _Sociatus est, junctus fuit alteri, copulatus est_, for so _Avenarius_ renders it. And _Schindlerus_ saith, _Incantator vel qui consortium habet cum Dæmonibus, conjurator, qui incantationibus multa animalia in unum locum consociat vel congregat, vel ne lædant associat_. From whence we may note thus much: [Sidenote: Chap. 14. 3.] [Sidenote: Exod. 36. 10.] 1. That it primarily signifieth to joyn together, as in that of _Genesis_ speaking of the Kings that went to War, _All these were joyned together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea_. And in another place, _And he coupled the five curtains together_; and in the same sense in diverse other places: by all which it appeareth, that when it is used for incantation or charming, it is because of some conjunction or coupling together. 2. It is very remarkable that in all the translations in the Polyglot, there is no variance, neither do _Arias Montanus_, _Buxtorsius_, or _Tremellius_ differ at all, and the Greek Translators do agree with them, who render it, ἐπαείδων ἐπαοιδὴν, and the Germane, Low-dutch, French, and Italian Translators do accord herewithal, and it is likewise so rendered in _Isa._ 47. 9, 12. and in other places. So that it is plain it signifieth such as took upon them by strange words and charms to prevent venemous beasts to hurt, bite or sting, and many other wonderful things; but what they brought to pass, or effected, besides deluding and deceiving of the people and leading of them to Idolatry, is hard to determine, of which we shall speak in another place. 3. There are divers opinions concerning this incantation or charming, why it should be accounted conjunction, or association; and some, as _Schindlerus_ and _Bithner_, do judge it is because they associate or bring together many Serpents or noysom Creatures into one place, and then destroy them. But this is but a conjecture, for it is by the best learned strongly disputed on both sides, whether charms and inchantments can really and truly perform any such effects, and divers instances and examples brought both ways, some for the affirmative, some for the negative, so that the matter of fact is not certainly known or granted. Others by association do understand, the league or compact made betwixt the Charmer and the Devil, by virtue of which such strange things are brought to pass by them, and of this opinion was Mr. _Perkins_ (if that Book of Witchcraft, that goeth under his name, be truly his) who strengthening his conceit with that verse in the _58 Psalm_ thought that he had found out an invincible argument to prove the Compact betwixt Witches and Devils, and therefore it is necessary and expedient to examine that text to the bottom to sift out the true translation, and sense of that place, which we shall do at large as followeth in these particulars.