FIRST: That they kept the hearing and thus the mind of another on their own words and statements without interruption, never letting go of anything thereof, at the same time infusing and inspiring thought conjoined with affection by means of the breath in the sound of their speaking, with the result that the hearer could not think anything from himself. In this manner the falsifiers used to pour their untruths in with violence.

SECOND: That they diffused a persuasive [sphere], which was done by holding the mind back from every contrary thing, and its being kept intent exclusively on the idea of the things said by them. Consequently the spiritual sphere of the mind of the one dispersed the spiritual sphere of the mind of the other, and stifled it. This was a spiritual witchcraft that the wizards of old used, and it was called the binding and tying of the understanding. This kind of enchantment was solely of the spirit or thought, whereas the former was also of language or speech.

[3] THIRD: That the hearer held his mind so firmly in his own opinion that he almost closed his ears against hearing anything from the speaker. This was done by holding the breath, and also by a noiseless muttering, and thus by a continual denial of his adversary's opinion. This kind of enchantment was practised by those who were hearing others, but the former two by those speaking to others.

These three kinds of enchantment existed among the ancients, and still exist among infernal spirits. In the case of men in the world, however, there is only a vestige of the third kind among those who have confirmed with themselves untruths of religion derived from self-intelligence; for these, when they hear contrary things, do not admit them more closely into their thought than to mere contact, and then out of an interior recess of their mind they emit as it were a fire that consumes them, the other knowing nothing of this except by the indications of the facial expression and tone in reply, if the enchanter does not control that fire, that is, the wrath of his pride, by simulation. This enchantment is practised at the present day to prevent truths' being accepted, and, with many, to prevent their being understood. [4] That in the times of the ancients there were many magic arts, and among them 'enchantments', is plain in Moses:-

When thou comest into the land, thou shalt not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations, there shall not be found in thee one that passes his son or his daughter through the fire, the sorcerer performing sorceries, the diviner and soothsayer, and the poisoner, and the enchanter of enchantment, and the consulter of the oracle, and the augur, and the necromancer, for all these are an abomination to Jehovah Deut. xviii 9-11.

The persuasion of untruth, and thus the destruction of truth, are signified by 'enchantments' in these passages:-

Thy wisdom and thy knowledge has led thee astray. and as the result thereof evil shall come upon thee; continue in thine enchantments, and in the multitude of thy sorceries Isa. xlvii 10-12.

As a result of the enchantment of Babylon all nations were led astray Rev. xviii 23.

Without shall stand dogs, enchanters, whoremongers, murderers Rev. xxii 15.

Jehoram said unto Jehu, Is it peace [Jehu? And] he said, [What peace so long as] the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel, and her enchantments are so many? 2 Kings ix 22.

By her 'whoredoms' falsifications are signified (n. 134), and by her 'enchantments' destructions of what is true by persuasions of what is untrue. [5] That, on the other hand, 'enchantment' signifies the rejection of what is untrue by means of truths, which also used to be done by a noiseless thinking and muttering out of a zeal for what is true against what is untrue, is plain from these statements:-

Jehovah will take away out of Zion the strong man, the man of war, the counsellor, the learned in muttering, the expert in enchantment Isa. iii 1-3.

Their poison is as the poison of the deaf adder, it stops its ear that it may not hear the sound of the mutterings of the wise enchanter of enchantments Ps. lviii 4, 5 [H.B. 5, 6].

Behold I send upon you basilisk serpents, against which there is no enchantment Jer. viii 17.

In distress they sought Thee, they cried out with a muttering Isa. xxvi 16.

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