Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 12:27

27 And if I by Beelzebub I cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your Judges.

Our Saviour's Argument is this, where the Case is the same, the Iudgment ought to be the same, and the contrary Judgment speaketh Malice, and Hatred of the Person. Do I [illegible: 1 letter]ast out Devils? So do your Children. You say they do it by the Power of God, why do you say, that I do it by a Prince of Devils? What appeareth in their casting of them out more than in mine, which can argue that they do it by the Power of God, and I by the Power of the Prince of Devils? The only question is who our Saviour here meaneth by their Children, some think that he meaneth his own Apostles, who were all of them Jews, and to whom they might be more favourable then to him, because of their Relation to them. Others think that he means some Exorcists amongst the Iews, such they had, Acts 19.13. But concerning these there is a double Opinion. Some think that they were such as themselves, Acted by Compact of the Devil. Others think that they Invocating the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, God might Honour them so far, as upon that Invocation to command the Devil out of Persons. Origen, and Iustin Martyr both tell us, that there were some, that used that sorm, with such success. But so they might do, and yet not obtain their effect, from a Divine Influence, nor so much cast as Flatter out Devils, upon an Homage first paid to the Devil. I find some Difficulty to persuade my self, that in those times, especially when God by this Miraculous effect, was Demonstrating the Messias, God should so far concur with any but him, and those that did it by his Express Name, and Authority, and I observe, that when the seven Sons of Sceva, attempted such a thing, Acts 19.13. They called over them, which had Evil Spirits, in the name of the Lord Iesus, and said, we adjure you by Iesus, whom Paul Preacheth (which they being the Sons of the Chief of the Priests▪ would not have done if the more grateful form of, The God of Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, would have done it) yet could they not prevail (as you read there, v. 14, 15, 16. (Our Saviours meaning therefore must certainly be either, 1. You do not say so of your Children, my Apo[illegible: 2 letters]les, who do, and profess to do, what they do by a Power derived from me; why do you say this of me, not of them? 2. Or, There are some of you, who seem to cast out Devils, whenas the Devil only plays with them, and yields to their Magical Arts for his own Advantage, and abates some more External Effects, on Peoples Bodies, upon the Surrender of their Souls to him, by believing he is able to Cure them▪ and imploring his help, yet you think these Men endowed with the Power of God: why are you so inequal to me? I observe, tho we read of Exorcists among[illegible: 1 letter]t the Jews, Acts 19.13. yet they are called [non-Latin text not transcribed] Vagrants. They were an idle Vagabond sort of Persons (such probably as we call Gipsies) with whom, or by whom it is not probable, God would Work such effects, especially at such a ti[illegible: 1 letter]e, tho they used the Names of Abraham, Isaac ▪ and Iac[illegible: 1 letter]b ▪ N[illegible: 1 letter]y it is plain from the Story of the Acts, that tho they used t[illegible: 1 letter]e Name Iesus, God would not Work by them, v. 16. The D[illegible: 1 letter]m[illegible: 1 letter]n[illegible: 1 letter]ack leapt upon them, overcame them, prevailed against them, so that they [illegible: 1 letter]led out of the House Naked, and Wounded.

Marginal references: G[illegible: 1 letter]. Beelze [illegible: 3 letters].