We need not here say any thing of _Elymas_ who is stiled a Magician, because it is manifest that he was a false Prophet, full of all subtilty, and all mischief, a Child of the Devil, and an enemy of all righteousness: which character truly given to him by the unerring sentence of S. _Paul_, may be really ascribed to the whole tribe and profession of such kind of seducers and deceivers. Like unto whom were those _seven Sons of Sceva a Jew_, who are called _exorcists_, that _took upon them to call over them that had evil spirits, the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth_, but were soundly beaten for their pains, a fit reward for such vagabonds; And if all that profess or practise such wicked, vain and lying things were duely punished, the poor ignorant people would not be so much abused as they are. The other places in the New Testament we have handled, and answered, and also have touched upon that Text in the _Galathians_ where we spoke of Fascination, but lest it be not sufficient, we shall handle it fully here. The words are, _O foolish Galathians, who hath bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth?_ From whence they use thus to argue: If Witchcraft in the Apostles time had not been known, and practised, he would not have made use of that Phrase then; concerning which we return these responsions. [Sidenote: _Delrio._ _l._ 3. _q._ 4. _sect._ 1. _Concl._ 2.] 1. If we consider natural Fascination was by the Philosophers and Poets only taken to be contagious steams flowing from the eyes, or breaths of malevolent and envious persons, that had some infectious diseases, as we see in the Plague, Small-pox, _Lues Venerea_, soreness of Eyes, Tinea’s, and the like, which are contagious to others that lie with them, or converse near them, the infected atomes or steams issuing in a certain Sphear of activity, are received by the pores, or mouths of the sound persons, by which they come to be infected also. And this the Poet witnessed: _Nescio quis teneros oculus mihi fascinat agnos_. Now this being the common opinion, the Apostle taketh the metaphor from thence, as who should say, who with their virulent and poysonous opinions have infected you, that you should not obey the truth. And this is the genuine meaning of that metaphorical phrase, and no other sense can rationally and congruously be put upon the place, and this conduceth nothing to that opinion of Witchcraft that we oppose. For _Philosophica seu Physica fascinatio non nisi impropriè dici potest fascinatio, propriè verò est contagio, seu infectio_. And therefore did the learned _Vallesius_ to the same purpose speak this. _Sed neq; si quis pestilenti affectus febri, aut etiam sine febre deferens secum seminaria pestis alium intuens intuentem inficiat, dicetur fascinasse, sed peste affecisse._ [Sidenote: _Vid. Jo. Lazar. Guttier. de fascino._]