$94 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION. 



J awful means. Magic was aflbciated with the 

 mathematics, with phyfic, and theology. Mofes 

 himlelf, Daniel, Apollonius, Tyaneus, Elymas 

 who oppoled St. Paul, the fages of Egypt and 

 Babylon, thole of the eaft that came to leek the 

 king of the Jews, who was jutl born ; and 

 numberlefs other illuftrious perfonages of anti- 

 quity, were all magicians. But in the fuccdfion 

 of time, thele magi applied themfelves to aftro- 

 logy, to divinations, to enchantments, and 

 witchcraft ; and by thofc means became oppro- 

 brious, and their fcience contemptible, its pro- 

 duflions being no longer regarded but as illu- 

 fions, mere jugglers tricks. This art is at pre- 

 fent in very little efleem, notwithftanding the 

 diftin&ion that is made between natural and 

 fupernatural magic, and all the books which have 

 appeared, and ilill continue to appear under the 

 former title ; which generally contain fome 

 pretended fecrets, and which would be even 

 trifling and peurile,. did experience eftablilh 

 their reality. The authors of thefe ought at 

 lead to publifh them under fome title lefs often- 

 tatious, obnoxious, and contemptible. 



XIII. (2.) Necromancy , or Negromancy; an art 

 (hat would be detcftable if it were real, and is ri- 

 diculous, becaufe it is chimerical : for by this is 

 meant a communication with demons , the art 

 of railing the dead ; and of performing many 

 other miraculous fadls by a diabolical power, 

 and by enchantments. This was the pretended 

 art of Merlin and Fauftus, and which no longer 



exifls 



