at all from naturall Magick, in which we believe K. Solomon excelled. For it is read in the sacred Histories of the Hebrews, that he was skilled in all things, even from the Cedar of Lebanon, to the Hyssop that grows upon the wal: also in cattle, birds, creeping things, and fishes; all which shew that he knew the Magicall vertues of nature. Moses the AElig;gyptian, amongst the later writers followed after this in his exposition upon the Pentacles; also many more Talmudists. They call the other Science thereof of Mercara, which is concerning the more sublime contemplations of divine & Angelick vertues, & of sacred names, and seals, being a certain Symbolical divinity, in which letters, numbers, figures, things, & names, and tops of elements, and lines, points, and accents, are all significative of most profound things, & great secrets. This again they divide into Arithmancy, viz. that which is called Notariacon, treating of Angelical vertues, names, & seals, also of the conditions of spirits, and souls; and into Theomancy, which searcheth into the mysteries of divine majesty, as the emanations thereof, & sacred names, and Pentacles, which he that knows may excell with wonderful vertues; as that when he pleaseth, he may fore-know all future things, & command whole nature, have power over devils, and Angels, and do miracles. By this they suppose, that Moses did shew so many signs, and turned the rod into a Serpent, and the waters into blood, and that he sent Frogs, Flies, Lice, Locusts, Caterpillars, fire with hail, botches and boyls on the Egyptians; and slew every first born of man and beast; and that he opened the Seas, and carryed his thorow, and brought forth fountains out of the rock, and quails from Heaven, that he sent before his, clouds and lightnings by day, a pillar of fire by night, and called down from Heaven the voice of the living God to the people, and did strike the haughty with fire, and those that murmured with the Leprosie; and on the ill deserving brought suddain destruction; the earth gaping and swallowing them up; further he fed the people with heavenly food; pacified Serpents, cured the envenomed, preserved the numerous multitude from infirmity, & their garments from wearing out, & made them victors over their enemies. To conclude, by this art of miracles Joshua commanded the Sun to stand still, Eliah called down fire
