viz. If you would drive away any venemous serpent or noysom beast make the figure thereof in some certain matter under some convenient constellation and inscribe thereupon the name of the signe ascending and the name of the thing you would expell c. And for the contrary effect do it after a contrary constellation c. And observe the like in alluring to love or in provoking to hatred in curing of diseases and procuring of health c. But by no means so conscientious or cautious they are ascribe the effect to the Image for that 's say they idolatry superstition witchcraft but to the constellation and I pray what 's that But I am weary with reckoning up in part things of so great folly and of greater impiety Onely I ask not them but the sound and sober if indeed they be not so I mean if the businesse and folly of the world brought and sought to be directed by the businesse and folly of an Art be not very much repugnant to humane prudence and to divine providence much more CHAP. XXVI From the conviction of Confession WHether Magicians and Astrologers themselves have not plainly and plentifully discovered and acknowledged the vanity and impiety of Magick and Astrology And whether it be not an Argument irrefragable against an Art or operation whenas the Arch-Artists are so far convinc't as to confesse the pravity and obliquity thereof themselves For who can more truly and fully set them forth then they that have given themselves over to study and practise them How many things of old and of late have been spoken either through a spirit of recantation a conscience of conviction or a fury of exclamation by magicians against Magick and by Astrologers against Astrology Hear what one of them saith both against himself and all the rest of what kind or sort soever Whatsoever things have here already and shall afterward be said by me I would not have any one assent to them nor shal I my self any further then they shall be approved of by the universal Church and the Congregation of the faithful Magicians and those who were the authors of this Art amongst the Antients have been Chaldeans Aegyptians Assyrians Persians and Arabians all whose Religion was perverse and polluted idolatry We must very much take heed lest we should permit their errors to war against the grounds of the Catholike Religion For this was blasphenious and subject to the curse and I also should be a blasphemer if I should not admonish you of these things in this science Wheresoever therefore you shall find these things written by us know that these things are onely related out of other Authors and not put down by us for truth but for a probable conjecture which is allyed to truth and an instruction for imitation in those things that are true Of Magick I wrote whilst I was very young three large books which I called Of Occult Philosophie in which what was then through the curiosity of my youth erroneous I now being more advised am willing to have retracted by this Reeantation For I have heretofore spent very much time and cost in these vanities At length I grew so wise as to understand how and by what reasons I was bound to dehort others from this destruction For whosoever do not in the truth nor in the power of God but in the delusions of Devils according to the operation of the evil spirits presume to divine and prophecy and by magical vanities exorcisms inchantments love potions allurements and other devilish works and deceits of Idolatry exorcising prestigious things and making ostentation of phantasms boasting themselves to work miracles presently vanishing all these with Jannes and Iambres and Simon Magus shall be destinated to the torments of eternal fire The antient Philosophers teach us to know the nature of the genius of every man by stars their influx and aspects which are potent in the nativity of any one but with instructions so diverse and differing amongst themselves that it is much difficult to understand the mysteries of the Heavens by their directions c. Cicero following the stoicks affirms that the foreknowing of future things belongs onely to the Gods And Ptolomie the Astrologer saith that they onely that are inspired with a deity foretel particular things To them Peter the Apostle consents saying Prophesying is not made according to the will of man but holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Take heed that you be not deceived by them that are deceived Neither can the great reading of books direct you here since they are but as riddles How great writings are there made of the irresistible power of magical Art of the Prodigious Images of Astrologers of the monstrous transmutations of Alchimists of the blessed stone by which Mydas like all mettals that were touched were presently transmuted into Gold or Silver All which are found vain fictitious and false c. Whatsoever the monstrous Mathematicians the prodigious Magicians the envious Alchymists and bewitching Necromancers can do by spirits See where their Faith is placed where their hope is reposed who endeavour to subject the Elements Heavens Fate Nature Providence God and all things to the command of one Magician and seek for the preservation of a kingdom from Devils the enemies of publike preservation Saying in their heart with Ochoziâ—s there is not a God in Israel let us go and consult Beelzebub the God of Acbron c. Are they not delivered over to a reprobate sense who desire the certainty of secret counsels from the Devil the father of lies and hope for victory elsewhere them from the Lord of Hosts All these ungodly follies are wont to bring destruction to the admirers thereof to which truly they who especially confide are made the most unfortunate of all men Surely it is unknown to these Fools and Slaves of the Devil for to finde out things to come and to pronounce truth concerning those things which hang over our heads and are occult and from heaven portended unto men and to effect things which exceed the common course of Nature c. O Fools and wicked Who by these Arts would establish a kingdom by which formerly most potent Empires have fallen and have been utterly overthrown It is now time to speak of the Mathematical disciplines which are reputed to be the most certain of all other and yet they all consist not but in the opinions of their own Doctors to whom much faith is given who also have erred in them not a little Which Albumasar one of them attests to us saying that the Antients even since Aristotles time have not plainly known the Mathematicks For seeing all these Arts are chiefly conversant about the spherical or round whether figure or number or motion they are forced at length to confesse that a perfect round or spherical is no where to be found neither according to Art nor according to Nature And these disciplines although they have
use not in their preternaturall abuse In their works as obedient creatures not by their words as if they were intelligent creatures By clear and dilucide manifestations not by obscure and aequivocall predictions By Miracles and prodigies from the wise and powerfull God not by Oracles and prestigiousnesse from blind vain and prodigious men By the ministry of Divines Prophets and Apostles not by the magistry of Diviners Speculators Circulators Prognosticators Calculators c. By their proper natures numbers qualities quantities efficacies not by their Planetarian and genethliacall numbrings figurings erectings themes schemes tables and fables c. By admonishing the hearts and consciences not by enforcing the wills and reasons of men By orderly producing their effects from naturall causes not by confusedly ominating of future contingencies from arbitrary actions In a word all creatures in heaven and earth are declarations of Gods glory in themselves yet are they not so to us but as we are enlightened and sanctified so to apprehend and use them Isa 34. 4. The heavens shall be rolled together as a scroul What kind of scroul or book are the heavens said to be Are they a very book because of the comparison why then are they not also as really a Curtain Psal 144. 2. Isa 40. 22. a Garment Psal 101. 26. and Smoak Isa 51. 6. And why more really a book than a leaf a fig or a tree Since all are used here in a joynt comparison And what kind of book will they have them to be A book wherein are written all the contingent events that have been are or shall be in the world From the beginning to the end of it And so written in letters and legible characters that a man may fore-spell and fore-read them and all mens fates and fortunes in them Now in what kind of character or language is all this to be read In Hebrew Chaldee Arabick Syriack Aegyptian Greek or Latin c. And how are these coelestial or sydereal letters to be read backward or forward from the right hand or the left from the East West North or South If all this Magic-astrologicall reading be no more as it appears by the character but drawing a line or a circle or a square or a triangle from one Star to another what hindereth but that the characters of any language may be imagined or fancied to any purpose as they please Nay is it not as easie and arbitrary to imagine letters among the starres as for children and fools to fancie faces and figures in the clouds But to bring this their arrogated Text a little neerer to their refutation Doe we not well and aptly translate it a Scroul In as much as the antient books were like to extended skinnes or Parchments And then may not the comparison well be from the matter not from the form of their shrivelling like a skin or parchment before the fire How ever is not this Scroul or Book here said to be complicated or rolled up or together What 's here then for the magicall or astrologicall Lecturer to peep or pore upon whereby to spell or spie mens fates or fortunes Moreover are not the heavens here compar'd or described as passive and not as active And what Magician will account of them so in his way of lection or Astrologer in his way of configuration Furthermore if they will adde to this that place Revel 6. 14. then let them see and say whether that be to be understood of the materiall or of the mysticall starrs and heavens Lastly is not the Prophecy here a judgement Now though we may grant their judicious vaticinations to be grounded upon such a thing yet one would think they should not seek to ground them upon such a place Gen. 44. 5. Wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine Whether Joseph was such a Diviner as he seemed Nay the second question is whether he seemed to be such If he now pretended to augurising divination or soothsaying for the dissembling or concealing of himself from his Brethren this was not to be approved in him Much less can it countenance the pretenders hereunto who would dissemble with all the world so long as they can possibly conceal their jugling and prestigious unpostures Yet he sayes not I can divine but such a man as I he can divine Wherein he discovers the pravity not of his person but of those in place It being great like with the Egyptians as with the Persians the greater men the greater Magicians the greater Personages the greater Planetarians And why should he say Wott ye not if this very thing were not too notorious who can imagine that Joseph Would vainly boast himself in such a superstitious faculty that had so modestly denied himself in a true divine gift Chap. 4. vers 16. And therefore why may wee not accept the word in a good sense not for a superstitious and sorcerous but for a prudent and politick conjectation It is so taken Chap. 30. vers 27. and 1 King 20. 33. and why not so here rather than there Admit the same word from his own mouth be taken in an ill sense vers 5. yet is there not a difference betwixt the persons spoken of an heathenish Prince and an holy Patriark Likewise in the act and usage of Divination and an allegation As also in the thing it self and the manner of it a superstitious and sorcerous divining in or by a Cup and a prudent policy in making triall or sifting and searching to find out a Cup lost or missing Men of conscience taking Josephs practice and example here at the best think it not ordinarily imitable what conscience then are those men of that would make it worse than it was and yet make it imitable too Dan. 4. 9. O Belteshazzar Master of the Magicians c. Whether Daniel was a master in Magick and Astrologie Is a Name or appellation heathenishly and superstitiously imposed any argument of a thing The King here calls Daniel Belteshazzar after the name of his God vers 8. was he therefore a God So the King here calls him a Magician was he therefore so But does he call him simply a Magician nay but the Master of the Magicians Because he had committed to him a civill power over them as chap. 2. 48. and 5. 11. how does that prove that he was one of the same religious profession Doe not the King and the Queen chap. 15. 11 12. proclame him to be of a more excellent spirit than all the other Magicians Astrologers Chaldeans and Sooth-sayers And Chap. 1. 17. was not that the speciall gift of God And such a gift as he himself distinguishes and opposes to all the skill and power of Wise-men Magicians Astrologers and Sooth-sayers whatsoever Chap. 2. 27 28. Nay and the King himself so experiencing and accounting of it chap. 1. 20. After all this preferring and distinguishing who can now be so sensless as to compare and conjoyn them Say that he
those nostrils by the which it self also entred into this corporeall man And by the which as Job testifieth the most lively spirits are sometimes sent forth which cannot be retained in mans heart A fortunate place conduceth much to favour Neither without cause did the Lord speak to Abraham that he should come into the land which he would shew him and Abraham arose and journyed towards the South In like manner Isaac went to Gerarah where he sowed and gathered an hundred fold and waxed very rich Make elections also of hours and dayes for thy operations magicall operations for not without cause our Saviour spake are there not twelve hours in the day Concerning that Phiolsophie which you require to know I would have you know that it is to know God himself the worker of all things and to passe into him by a whole image of likeness as by an essentiall contract and bond whereby thou mayst bee transformed and made as God as the Lord spake concerning Moses saying Behold I have made thee the God of Pharaoh This is that true high occult Philosophie of wonderfull vertues We must dye I say dye to the world and to the flesh and all senses and to the whole man animal who would enter into these closets of secrets occult Philosophicall Magicall secrets not because the body is separated from the soul but because the soul leaves the body Of which death Paul wrote to the Colossians Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ And elsewhere he speaks more clearly of himself I knew a man whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knows caught up into the third Heaven By this their theomancy 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 Flys Lice Locusts Caterpillers fire with Hail botches and boyles on the Egyptians c. By this art of miracles Joshua commanded the Sun to stand still Elisah called down fire from Heaven upon his enemies restored a dead child to life Daniel stopt the mouths of the Lyons the three children sang songs in the fiery furnace Moreover by this art the incredulous Jews affirm that even Christ did so many miracles Salomon also very well knew this art and delivered charms against Devils and their bonds and the manner of conjurations and against diseases This is that Alphabetary and Arithmeticall Theologie which Christ in private manifested to his Apostles and which Paul speaketh to the perfect only 1 Cor. 2. 6 7. John 37. 7. He sealeth up the hand of every man that all men may know his work This place the Chirosophers or Câ—iromancers abuse to proove their Palmistry and their jugling Prognostications by the fictitious lines and mounts in the hand Isa 1. 16. Wash ye make you clean all this they apply to the ceremoniall emundations or purifactions which they prescribe as requisite to the operations of Theurgicall Magick 1 Kings 4. 33. Hereupon they believe that King Salomon exceeded in Magicall skill and that all those things here spoken of doe bear before them certain powers of naturall Magick Dan 4. 33. Nebuchadnezzar being driven from among men and eating grasse as Oxen c. This they urge as a proof of the possibillity of veneficall and metamorphosing or transforming Magick That the Brazen Serpent set up by Moses in the wildernesse was but a meer Talisman which drove away Serpents and healed the bitings of them And that the Iews made the Golden Calf to no other end than to serve as a â—alisman as their Astrologers think to aucupate the favour of Venus and the Moon against the influences of Scorpio and Mars which are adverse unto them I know not whether or no by the very same vertue of Resemblance which is found betwixt God and man Let us make man in our image after our likenesse it hath not rightly been affirmed by some Divines that the Son of God would nevertheless have become man yet without suffering death though Adam had not fallen The art of Divination of Dreams is grounded upon resemblance as may appear out of the holy Bible where Joseph foretold the Cup-bearer that within three dayes he should be restored to his office because he had dreamed that he pressed three clusters of Grapes into Pharaohs Cup c. So at the seven years of plenty and dearth by the seven fat and lean kine Eccles 1. 16 17. 7. 25. By the words spoken in the good sense sayes R. Salomon we understand Sciences divine under which he comprehends Astrologie and by the other words in the bad sense those that are unlawfull in which number he reckons the Magick of the Aegyptians to which some will also intitle Moses They the later Rabines say that Moses who was a learned Astrologer making use of his knowledge in these secrets gave the Jewes those Lawes which he grounded upon the harmony of the Planetary Zepheros As for example he instituted the fourth Commandement Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day because this day was governed by Saturn who might cause those works that were undertaken on this day to be unprosperous and that Moses therefore thought it fit that the people should rest on this day The fifth Commandement Honour thy father and thy mother hath reference to the Sphere of Jupiter which is benign The sixth thou halt not kill to Mars who hath the government of Wars and Murders The seventh thou shalt not commit adultery to Venus who rules over concupiscentiall motions and so of all the rest That our Saviour Christ Saturn having part in his Nativity and so rendring him sad and pensive seemed to be older than he was Whereupon the Jewes took occasion to say unto him Thou art not yet fifty years old c. Abarbanel saith that Sol was the chiefest from whom they the Rabbinicall Astrologers took their Omens of good and this was the reason saith the same Authour that when God caused King Hezekiah to be born again as it were the second time hee made choyse of the Sun to be the sign by which this miracle should be wrought Psal 19. 4. Their line is gone out through all the earth We may understand it spoken of the starrs which are ranged in the heavens after the manner of letters in a book or upon a sheet of Parchment Ier. 1. 14. Out of the North an evill shall break forth c. or shall be opened We may render this Prophecie in these words all evills shall be described or written from the northward And if written then certainly to be read from this side Most properly therefore doe wee in this coelestiall writing begin to read disasters and misfortunes from the Northern part Iesus Christ when he was on earth with the dust of that earth he made the blind to see and of meer water he made wâ—ne These were the visible elemenrs of his Physick or rather so the notion offend you not of
in like manner obnoxious to vices 44. That the Stars are numerable and the number of them is 1600. saith one 1022. saith another 800. saith another more and less say others 44. That the least Star in the Heavens or the least visible is eighteen times bigger than the earth 45. That the Stars of the first honour and magnitude are bigger than the earth 107. times of the second 86. or 90. times of the third 72. times of the fourth 54. times of the fift 31. or 36. times of the sixt 18. times Have not they judged these old dimensions to be errors that have since altered them and whether theirs be not errors too let others judge or let them judge one another by their various opinions in this kind 46. That the Planets when they are lowest or are nearest the earth yet are they so many Semidameters distant from it viz. the moon 53. Mercury 65. Venus 167. The Sun 1122. or as some say 1124. Mars 1216. Jupiter 8854. Saturn 14378. 47. That when they are highest or most remote then are they thus distant viz. the Moon 64. Mercury 167. Venus 1070. the Sun 1210. Mars 8022. Jupiter 14369. Saturne 18500. 48. That the sphear of the fixed Stars is 14000. Semidameters distant from the earth others say 19000. others say 20081½ 49. That a Semidameter is 913. German miles 50. That the Moon is distant from the center of the earth 33. Semidameters or 30129. German miles so that the singular regions of the ayr have 11. Semidameters or 10043. German miles if the distance be computed from the center of the earth Likewise Mercury 64. Semidiameters or 58584. Germane miles Venus 167. semidiameters 152471. German miles the Sun 1120. semidameters 1022560. German miles Mars 1220. semidameters 1113860. German miles Jupiter 6678. semidameters 8103788. German miles Saturn 20100. semidameters or 18360430. German miles The eighth sphear 40220. semimidameters 36720860. German miles 51. That Saturn is 22. times bigger then the whole earth Jupiter 14. Mars lesser 13. The Sun greater 139 2 8. Venus lesse 6 1 â— Mercury 19. the moon 42. And again Saturn greater 91 1 â— Jupiter 95½ Mars 1â…“ The Sun 162. and 166 Venus lesse 37. Mercury 22. the Moon 1900. 52. That it is from the earth to the Moon 15150. miles From the Moon to Mercury 12812. miles From Mercury to Venus as many From Venus to the Sun 23438. miles From the Sun to Mars 15425. miles From Mars to Jupiter 68721. miles From Jupiter to Saturn as many From Saturn to the firmament 120485. miles 53. That for the order and placing of the Stars and Planets the Sun is in the midst of the Seaven and above that Mars and above that Jupiter and above that Saturn but beneath the Sun Venus and beneath that Mercury and beneath that the Moon 54. That Mercury follows next to Mars and next it Venus and next it the Sun and next it the Moon 55. That the Sun is in the last place but one or two and Venus above it and next after Mars 56. That Mercury is next to the Sun and under that Venus 56. That both Sun and Moon are above the fixed Stars 57. That the Sun is the Center of the world 58. That the Light of the Stars is materiall is a body is void of matter is a spirituall substance 59. That the Light of the Stars is of a middle nature betwixt corporeall and incorporeall 60. Is a substantiall form 61. Is a manifestation of colour 62. Is a fire 63. Is an accident reall or intentionall either or both 64. That the Light of the Stars is proper is mutuatitious is partly one partly another 65. That the Heavens are unmoveable 66. That the lower world turns round 67. That the moving Intelligences or Angles are the assisting forms of Stars 68. That the Stars fly like Birds in the ayr 69. That the Stars make a melodious harmony in their motion or revolution 70. That the celestiall bodies not only move with an insensible Musick but are moved by a sensible musick 71. That there is in sounds a vertue to receive the heavenly gifts and that the Heavens doe consist by an harmonicall composition and doe rule and cause all things by harmonicall tones and motions 72. That there are two half Orbes carryed about the earth the one all fire the other most ayr and they two as they wheel about make the day and the night 73. That the Stars erratile are some male some female yea sometimes male and sometimes female 74. That the Heavens and celestiall bodies are animated and have souls and souls properly so called 75 That the world the Heavens the Stars and the elements have a soul with which they cause a soul in these inferior and mixed bodies 76. That they have also a spirit which by the mediating of the soul is united to the body 78. That the souls of the Stars are not created together with their bodies but are extrinsecally added to them 79. That the world lives hath a soul and sense 80. That the above named souls have reason 81. That the soul of the world is placed chiefly in the Sun 8â— That the â—oul of the earth is not to be thought as it were the soul of some contemptible body but to be rationall and also intelligent yea and to be a 〈◊〉 83 That the souls of creatures and men are infuâ—ed into their bodies by the Stars 84 That Comets are the souls of famous 〈◊〉 triumphing in heaven 85. That Comets be fiery animals walking upon the superficies of the Elements 80. That the first principle of all things is water from which all things proceed and into which all are resolved 87. That all things are generated through the condensation and rarefaction of the ayr 88. That the Sun Moon and Stars have their originall from the earth 89. That the Sun and the Stars are begotten of clouds 90. That the whole body of nature hath the originall from the Sun and the Moon That the Sun makes Stars out of clean Chrystalline water 91. That the Heavens are a book in which the manners actions fortunes and fates of all are singularly written 92. That by the Mathematicall we receive the caelestiall vertues as motion sense life speech c. 93. That amongst all Mathematicall things Numbers as they have more of forme in them so also are more efficacious by which the next access to prophecying is had 94. That in Gestures there lyes the reason of numbers and great vertues c. 95. That the very elements of Letters have some divine numbers by which collected from the proper names of things we may draw conjectures concerning occult things to come 96. That by the number of Letters we may find out the ruling Stars of any one that is born and whether the husband or wife shall dye first and know the prosperous or unlucky events of the rest of our works 97. That the child cannot be long-lived that is born under the horned moon
That it may be judged by the stars of a mans conscience of the most secret scruples and inward feelings of it 42. That by the stars it may be judged of mans love towards God and of Gods again towards him 43. That Astrologicall predictions may be made infallibly as concerning life everlasting 44. That every kind of Divination is to be received and honoured as a token of Gods benign providence 45. That Magicall and Astrologicall prediction is a gift of that nature as was the gift of healing and speaking with tongues 46. That prophecy the divine inspired prophecy is to be attributed to the influences of the stars 47. That that which in nature first exerciseth Magicall efficacy is the voice of God 48. That the Hebrew Letters are the most efficacious of all to Magicall and Astrologicall operation because they have the greatest similitude with celestials and the world and because of the vertues of their numbers which he that shall know shall be able in every language to draw forth wonderfull misterys by their Letters as also to tell what things have been past and foretell things to come 49. That the sign of the Cross hath very great power and that is the most firm receptacle of all the celestiall powers and intelligences and is inspired with the fortitude of the celestials 50. That the stars are most potent when they make a cross by the projection of their rayes mutually 51. That God ordained it so that men should live so long in the beginning of the world on purpose that they might perfect their Astrologicall observations and transmit them to posterity 52. That the Heavens are a Book wherein is written in legible Characters all things that shall happen in the world from the beginning to the end and not only so but that the names of good children and elect are there and thus written 53. That in the seaven Planets there are seaven Spirits governing the world by turns 354 years and four months a piece from the first creation to the last dissolution And those seven Spirits in those seven Planets working all changes and chances in the world 54. That mens sins and iniquities doe proceed necessarily from the stars for they not only signify but cause the same 55. That it is not mans will that commits adultery but Venus nor that commits murder but Mars nor that commits theft but Mercury 56. That all mens actions good or bad and the events of either doe by an indissoluble bond depend necessarily upon the motions of the stars as the Lords of fate and are therefore to be worshipped 57. That there are Angels or Spirits which have their residence in the stars and may not amiss be prayed unto 58. That the stars being prayed unto doe hear our prayers and bestow celestiall gifts not so much by any naturall agreement as of their own free will 59. That he who shall make any prayer the Moon conjoyned with Jupiter in Leo shall be sure to obtain of God whatsoever he askes 60. That the direfull and malignant Planets are to be appeased and made propitious by Sacrifices 61. That it is lawfull to conjure up Devils seeing they are ordained to be ministring spirits for the service of the Faithfull 62. That Mars being happily constituted in the ninth heaven gives power to expell Devils 63. That a man who hath Mars happily posited in a new Housâ—â— may by his sole presence expell the Devill out of the obsessed 64. That a man cannot overcome the Devils temptations but by Magicall experiments 65. That conjunctions and influxes of the stars are potent not only to raise dead bodies but to make their souls appear visible 66. That by Magicall and Mathematicall vertue the same body and the same soul are united together again in 440. years 67. That there be two Planets the authors of all humane felicity Venus of this present life and Jupiter of the life to come 68. That Saturn placed in Leo frees mens souls from afflictions here on earth and brings them to Heaven where they had their first beginning Now what naturall truth of a divining art that hath begotten and broached such Heresies and Blasphemies against the supernaturall and divine truth it self CHAP. XVI 16. From the Cursedness of Consequents 1. WHo dares deny but that as all manner of impieties and iniquities are the vile adjuncts and attendants so all manner of Plagues and judgments are the just consequents and issues not only upon those that profess and practise Divination but those also that assent and attend thereto Levit. 19. 31. Deut. 13. 12 〈◊〉 18. 12. Levit. 20. 6. Isa 19. 34. Jer. 27 15. 50. 35 36. Ezek. 13. 8. 9. 2. Whether through Magick and Astrologie the stars became not the first objects of Idolatry and consequently whether Idolatrous worship came not to be terminated upon other inferior creatures at first by the means of their constellated fabrication Nay whether Astrologicall Divination and Magicall Fabrication be not guilty of causing a double Idolatry both in making stars Idols and making Idols stars 3. Whether it was not the main end upon often record in profane Authors that the vaticinators and Soothsayers took upon them as it were a Religious office of interpreting prodigies and portents found or feigned in heaven or earth on purpose to injoyn and promote Idolatrous Sacrifices and Supplications 4. Whether the Mythologie or fabulous fictions of Poets the Paganish Theologie arose not meerly by the means of Magick and Astrologie and mens fanaticall opinions and commentations thereupon As of Saturn devouring his own children c. Of Atlas bearing the heavens with his shoulders c. It were long to instance particularly in all the fables of Saturn Jupiter Mars Apollo Mercury Venus Diana Orion Orpheus Tyresias Atreus Thyestes Daedalus Icarus Phaeton Endymion Pasiphae Castor Pollux Calisto Arcas Andromeda Aquila Ganymedes c. How numberless are the Poeticall fables that have risen from Astrologie or else Astrologie from those fables yea and the Astrologers stars themselves Else besides those of Aries Taurus Scorpio Aquarius c. Let them say if those be not most egregious ones of Orion Cassiope the Pleiades Hyades the Dolphin Eagle Swan the Goat that nourisht Jupiter Aridne's Crown Orpheus his harp Phrixus his fleece the Argonautes ship Silenus Ass and the Asses Crib all taken up to be stars 5. Whether more and greater superstitions have been begotten in mens minds by any things else than by Magick and Astrologie Making men so superstitious in marrying eating drinking buying selling sleeping rising riding giving comming besides believing assenting hoping presuming consulting fearing distrusting desparing c. 6. Whether Magâ—ck and Astrologie tend not utterly to rob and spoyl men of all Christian Liberty Rendring their very consciences scrupulous in the free and moderate use of the creature perplexed in naturall morall civill prudentiall and artificiall actions and timorous of fate destiny fortune casualty and the like 7. Whether fatidicall Astrologie work
God before and above all others They are the more principall parts of the whole universe to which the less principall are but subserving as intended for their sakes and working for their ends Intellectuall natures have more asfinity with the whole as apprehending all things else besides themselves whereas every other creature is but a part and capable of no more but a bare participation of its own particular entity Now it is not for the inapprehending part to have an ordaining power over the apprehensive whole By the course of nature the rationall creature uses all other things for it self as either for the perfection of its intellect the explication of its science the exercise of its vertue or else the sustentation of its body to which the intellectuall nature is united And therefore it is not for them to dispose rule govern impell necessitate him him but for him to observe rule govern dispence moderate and make use of them 34. Whether any thing can be sayd to be fatall with respect to us till it have taken effect For a fatality before it be is but a contingency to us and to us a concingency after it is is a fatality Why then should we be bound to believe the prognosticated things of Fate or Fortune before hand yea though they may have some naturall cause remotely necessary or of some indefinite probability yet is not all this sufficient for our faith in particular because as concerning many such naturall causes there is in us nevertheless besides the supreme a liberty and power to prevent 35. Suppose the Fates have destinated one man to be hangd or kill'd by another why should not that be prognosticated from another mans nativity as well as his own seeing he also comes necessarily into the series of second causes Indeed some of the old genethliacks have boasted to foresee or foretell a mans fate or fortune from the nativity of his parents Brethren children c. But have not others of them held it for a foolish fancy that the fate or fortune of one man should lye involved not only in his own but in the constellations of so many mens nativities 36. Whether they that suffer the same fate have the same starres coupling or compacting thereunto Et è contra Suppose them suffring and suffring to death the last line of Fate for Christ the Gospeâ—l religion and conscience Is this fatall destiny also from the starry order and connexion who ever heard that the starres made Martyrs or necessitated unto martyrdome How then hath it come to passe that young old men women of severall ages sexes nations and therefore not of the same constellations have all agreed to undergoe the same event 37. Whether that be true Fate which they would mingle together with providence and how can divine providence and Pagan Fate agree For Providence is the beginning and continuation of all things Fate is the end or utter confusion of them Providence is in the ordering of casuals as well as fatals Fate is opposing all things fortuitous and therefore not disposing them Providence is an act in God their Fate is no more but an event upon the creature Providence is a disposition impendent or out of the thing Fate is a disposition inherent or in the thing Providence comprehends all things past present and to come so does not Fate in her connexion of Causes Providence is in and over all things from the greatest to the least good evill celestialls terrestrialls spiritualls corporealls universalls singulars naturalls rationalls voluntaries necessaries contingents so is not Fate Providence is more speciall to one than to another but Fate is a necessity to all alike Providence can work immediately without and against means Fate can operate nothing but according to her series or connexion Providence can act with every creature reserving to it its own motion as with free agents freely with contingents contingently c. whereas Fate hath no way to work but fatally that is necessarily forcibly inexorably immutably inevitably The rules order successe of divine providence are either written in his own book or in his own breast and not in the Starres and Planets as Fate is The wisedome justice power goodnesse of his providence all this is written in his own book the particular successes issues events thereof all these are written in his own breast Even wise Providence it self is not herein to be discerned or determined before-hand what satuous thing is Fate then that is so obvious and triviall as for the Faticanes to foretell Is not this difference enough between them and never to be reconciled Providence is a prudent counsellor and will have the particular issues kept secret Fate is a silly babbler and will have them commonly foretold 38. Whether had it not been for the fictions of Fate and Fortune there had ever been hatcht opinions and heresies so prejudiciall to divine providence and that even amongst Pagans themselves that had experience sufficient to convince them of the truth and power of it and of the justice yea and goodnesse of it in great part Had the divine providence ever been denyed if Fate and fortune had not been held for Gods Had God himself been implanted under Fate or made subject to the decrees of it or slandered for a sloathfull careless spectator of humane things and terrene if they had not confined and limited God to content himself with the reiglement of the heavens as if it had veen beneath his dignitie and majestie to vouchsafe to look down to small things or once to take notice of of what was done here below but to commit the care and rule of all sublunary and inferiour things to the starres and celestiall bodyes as his substitutes and their superiours Had prophane and wicked men ever accused providence and excused their impieties had they not heard of fatall starres necessitating and inforcing both their wills and actions 39. Was not the constitution of Fate and Fortune first invented in a derogation to God and his divine providence and that through a paganish and infidelious scandall at good things happening to bad men here and evill things to good men which had never been excogitated or had soon vanished had they been thus Christianly instructed viz. That the all provident Creator dispenses these middle things with an indifferent hand as unto creatures That the best men upon earth are not worthy of the least of goods things may deserve to be involved in the utmost of evill things that can here befall them That the wise Disposer knows how to turn these outward good things to the evill of evill men and these outward evill things to the good of good men That this present world is no time of full punishing or rewarding but these two precisely pertain to the world that is to come 40. Admit that either Fate or fortune was so indeed as they presage or much more than they can imagine yet how is the best of them both
she burnt three of them before his face and still asked the same price for the rest at which the King laughed so much the more then burning other three and yet bating nothing of her former price the King conceived there might be some rare thing contained in them and bought the last three at the same rate and so the woman went out and was never seen after by any Now these books they kept as divinatory Oracles to be consulted as occasion served One hath a pretty Apologue to this effect A light giddy huswife Dame vanity stole into the bed of a wilde youth called Sir Curiosity and betwixt them both was begotten a many-faced Elfe called Magick and fearing lest the Lady Truth should cause it to be strangled as soon as it was born for a monster the two sureties of it or guardians Grandsire Impudence and Grandame Superstition having wrapt it up in the mantle of an old crone called Difficulty and her waiting puzzle named Jill Hard-trifle attending upon it they committed it to nurse to a prodigious Hagge that hight Praestigie she carried it up and down to the blind houses of Gaffer Ignorance and Gammer Folly in whose families it has lurkt ever since entertained onely by a fond Gossip called Credulity where it still keeps in like an Owle all the day time of Truth and Peace and never dares to peep abroad but in the twilight of Error and Distraction From the sect of the Grecians have proceeded all these books of Darknesse which Vlpianus the Lawyer calls books disallowed to be read and forthwith appointed them to be destroyed Of which sort the first is Zabulus reported to invent who was given to unlawfull Arts then Barnabas a certain Cyprian And now in these daies there are carried about books with feined titles under the names of Adam Abel Enoch Abraham Solomon also Paul Honorius Cyprianus Albertus Thomas Hierome and of a certain man of Yorke whose toyes Alphonsus King of Castile Robert an Englishman Bacon and Apponus and many other men of deplored wit have foolishly followed Moreover they have not made Men onely and Saints and Patriarks and the Angels of God the Authours of such execrable opinions but they boast also that these books were delivered by Raziel and Raphael the angels of Adam and Tobias which books openly betray themselves to him that looks narrowly into them c. Peter in â—lement deduces this art from the prevaricating Angels proving how they taught men that the Divels doe obey mortall men according to certaine arts and may be compelled thereunto that is by magicall invocations C ham the sonne of Noaâ— delivered the ill found out discipline of Magick art to a certaine sonne of his called Misraiâ— from whom is derived the race of the Aegyptians Babylonians and Persians him the Nations that then were called Zoroaster the first author of the admired magicall art His master in this vanity was Ayovax or Azovax c. Methodius writeth that in the 340 yeere of Jared there arose the inventors of the evil art men full of all wickedness of the sonnes of Cain as Iabeth and Tholuscoll the sonnes of Lamech who was blind in the time of whose dominion the divel perverted them to all kind of Magicall arts Zabulus and Zamolxis addicted to unlawfull arts first invented or rather propagated it so as that without doubt it might be determined for issuing from their father the Divel There followed their steps Almadal Alchiudus and Hipochus from the root of the Arabians Apusâ—herus Zaâ—atus and Cobares among the Medes Marmaridius among the Babylonians Zarmoceâ—das among the Assyrians Abbaris among the Hyperboreans Thespetion among the Aethiopians Arunphis among the Aegyptians Julian among the Chaldaeans called the Thaurgists c. Besides the spurious fictitious and ascriptitious books of Adam Abel Enoch Abraham Moses Aaron Daniel Solomon Zacharias Paul c. St. Augustine oh horrour of blasphemy reports certaine foolish wretched Pagans affected themselves to magicall art to have boasted that they had seen and read books of Magicall art written by Christ himselfe and by an epistolary title directed to Peter and Paul affirming that by the arts therein contained he did all those miracles for which he was so famous But the Father bids shew those books they spake of and askes if they by them can learn to doe as he did and withall proves against them That Christ himselfe wrote no booke at all that he need not write to Peter because he was alwaies with him that he could not write to Paul because he was not called till after his passion and that he would not write of Magick because it was contrary to his doctrine and that even his enemies were thus convinc't how venerable and vertuous the name of Christ was in that they thought and sought to winne the waight of authority to such their execrable arts by commentitiously prefixing his most glorious name Cassandra desperately loved by Apollo and importunately solicited by him would not consent unlesse he would first bestow upon her the gift of Divination Which the credulous lover soon granted but she having already obtained her desire refused to stand to her promise for the satisfaction of his This the divining God could not foresee yet indigning to finde himselfe so deluded because he could not recall such his fatall gift he laid this curse upon it That whatsoever she vaticinated she should not be believed Let it be a curse to the predictors not to be believed surely it is a blessing to Christians not to believe them And believe them who list whose originall endowment was from a lust The first man that themselves confesse to have attained to the skill of a Prophet in Tharsus was a silly Shepheard having only so much wit as taught him to take advantage of the follies of his Countreymen Others say the first Prophet of this kind was found by chance in an old vault in Hetruria without knowledge either of his name his dwelling or the mean that conveyed him thither When began the motions of the Starres and accordingly the genethliacall way to be known was it not after Theatis the Aegyptian or else as some say after Atlas the prop and supporter of the heavens The Originall and foundation of Magicall and Astrologicall arts is yet more dubious and fabulous from the false opinions and impossible about the time of the worlds beginning and computation of the yeeres thereof Apuleius was of opinion that the world and men and arts therein were from eternity And being destroyed by flouds and conflagrations in some parts but not all were repaired but not created The Indians boasted of men living long before Adam and that they could name who was Adams father and master The Aegyptians fained that they had a story in letters comprehending thirteen thousand yeeres The Chaldaeans dotingly gloried that they had monuments of Astrology containing foure hundred and seventy thousand yeeres Plato accounts many thousands of ages to have been past since the
not undeservedly Wenceslaus sent for a wagon full of Conjurers to play tricks and make sport amongst the rest he called Zyto who comming in with a wide mouth cloven to both his eares swallowed up the chiefe Conjurer and voyds him again downward c. but was himselfe carried away by the divel which so moved Wenceslaus that he thence forwards seriously applied himselfe to the meditation of sacred things Pope Sylvester the second of a Monke became a Magician infinuated himselfe into the familiarity of a Necromanticall Saracene and stole from him a Conjuring-book and studying or practising that art obtained by the divels meanes the Popedome Which dignity so soon as he had ascended he dissembled his black art under that holy vestment but kept a brazen head in a secret place from which he sought and received divining answers And enquiring of the divell how long he should live in the Papall dignity he answered aequivocatingly that he should live long if he came not at Hierusalem Now in the fourth yeere of his Pontificate as he was sacrificing in the Church of the holy Crosse in Hierusalem at Rome he was suddenly stricken with a grievous feaver and began to be convinced that thus the divell had deluded him and now he must die Whereupon he began to be penitent and confessing before the people deplored the wickednesse of his magicall errour Exhorting all men avoyding ambition and diabolicall deceits to live well and holily intreating them every one that after his death the trunke of his body torne and dismembred as it justly deserved might be laid upon a Cart and buried in that place whither the horses carried it of their own accord And in the extremity of his death besought that his hands and tongue might be cut out by wâ—ich he had blasphemed God and sacrificed to divels Trithemius retracted his opinion concerning the seven spirits in the seven Planets governing the world in their course by 354 yeeres apiece and four moneths protesting after this manner in the conclusion that of all these he believed and admitted nothing but as the Catholick Church believed and for the rest he refuted and contemned all as vaine fained and superstitious And as he disclaimed this to Maximilian the Emperour so he exclaimed against the Artists to Another Away with these rash men vayne men lying Astrologers deceivers of minds and pratlers of frivolous things For the disposition of the Stars makes nothing to the immortall soule to naturall science to supercelestiall wisdome A body hath power onely over a body The mind is free and not subject to Stars and neither receives their influences nor follows their motions c. Cornelius Agrippa in his youth wrote a Magicall book of occult Philosophy but in his sager yeeres wrote another of the vanity of Sciences wherein he confutes and condemns Magick Astrology and all kind of divination and cals the latter his recantation of the former But if towards his death he said indeed to his black Dog Away wicked beast thou hast utterly undone me without all doubt and notwithstanding all apologie his recantation was truer then his repentance For that was sufficient to convince others whereas this was not sufficient to convert himselfe Rodaick of Toledo hoping to finde treasures caused a Palace to be opened that had been kept shut for many yeeres there he found nothing but a coffer and in it a sheet and in it written a prophecy that after the opening thereof men like those painted in the sheet should invade Spaine and subdue it The King was therefore sorry and caused the coffer and castle to be shut again Phanias an Hierosolymitane servant by the advice of certain Magicians had emancipated himselfe to the divel in his hand writing for the obtaining of his masters daughter by vertue of their art But at length repenting he was converted by the prayer of St. Basil and the divel casting in the chirograph he was publiquely received into the bosome of the Church Cyprian a Magician while he sought by Magicall arts to inchant and dementate Iustina the Virgin was by her means converted to Christ For whose truth they both suffered Martyrdome Socrates offended at the bold and blind vagations of men in their disputations about the measures of the Sunne and of the Moon and other Stars wherein they laboured more in babling words then solid arguments undertaking to comprehend the whole circuit of the world with all the events therein from the beginning to the end Hereupon he withdrew his mind from these â—nlearned errours and applyed it wholy to consider mans fraile condition and the vitiousnesse and vertuousnesse of affections and to teach such manners as most pertained to honest and happy life A Priest of an oraculous Temple who had perceived that his divining divell had receded at the presence of Gregory Tâ—eametargus at the first calumniating but afterwards admiring his power desired to learn of him that mystery of commanding divels He taught him therefore the mysterie of godlinesse and confirmed it by a miracle whereupon he was converted forsaking his praestigious Idolatry yea wife children goods and all to follow him and so became an excellent servant in the Church and a great opposer of satan himselfe Marcellus and Apuleius two martyrs who first adhering to Simon Magus but seeing the miracles that were wrought by the Apostles converted from the Magicians praestigiousnesse and gave themselves wholy to believe and follow the Apostolicall doctrine for which they were martyred afterwards Hermogenes a magician disliking his own art brought a many of his magicall books and offered them to Iames the Apostle to be burnt 16. Of Magicians and Astrologers idolatrous account and other vain confident and servile superstitions they wrought in simple and credulous men THere was a câ—rtain man called Simon which before time in the same City used Magick or sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria giving out that himself was sâ—me great one To whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest saying This man is the great power of God And to him they had regard because that of a long time he had bewitched them with sorceries or magick Act. 8 9 10 11. To the same Simon a Statue was set up at Rome with this inscription To Simon the Holy God These Magicians and Astrologers in their generations were numbred among the Gods and had their Statues Images Oracles Temples Altars Sacrifices and Services viz. Zoroaster Trismegistus Mopsus Amphiaraus Apollonius Tyanaeus Amphilocus Accius Nanius Porphyrius Diodorus Thor Ollerus All these Mag-astro-mancers and many more arrogated a divinity to themselves from their divinations and had it attributed unto them by the superstitious people of several Nations Theagenes was so superstitious that he had in his house the Image of Hecate and durst at no time offer to stir out of doors till he had first consulted it For which his slavish su-perstition he grew into a Proverb among the very heathens themselves Archimedes the
Provinces that that God which prevailed to confound all the other should be accounted as the only God To this purpose they carry their Idol Fire in a Censer up and down with them and commit it to conflict with the other Idols of Gold Silver Wood Stone c. and it consumes them all The fame of the Chaldaean Fire devouring all where it came coming to the eares of the Priest of Canopus an Aegyptian god in whose Temple was taught Magick by Aegyptian letters and not unlike Astrologie too or divining by the Stars since they have a Star also of that name this put him upon a crafty device to save the credit of his god He took a great earthen water pot full of holes and stopped them with Wax and filled it with water and painted it over and set it up instead of his God or rather this water pot was the belly of Canopus himselfe so fashioned In come the Chaldaeans and as the two gods are put to the bickering the Wax melts and the water runs out and so the Fire is quenched and now is Canopus accounted for the victor After this comes Theophilus a Christian Priest to contest with him and he by the power and providence of God makes the very creature Fire to consume all in despight of all magicall force or fraud and so works the reformation The Alexandrians not well knowing how to prohibit the Astrologers directly did it subtilly They exacted a yeerly tribute not onely of the Astrologers but of all those that consulted them And this exaction they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fooles tribute thinking that either the charge or the shame of it would thus restrain if not reform it Augustus gathered up here and there all the fatidicall books he could and those that were spread abroad under none or no apt authors he caused them to be all burnt to the number of two thousand and onely retained the Sibylline books and them too with choice commanding that even they should not be lookt into by any others but the Quindecemvirs onely In the too long protraction of the second Punick warre their religion became so distracted by the turbulencies of the times that all sexes ages and degrees of people turned sacrificers and vaticinators Complaint hereof was brought to the Senate and they laid the blame on the inferior Magistrates for not inhibiting them At length the businesse was committed by the Senate to M. Aemilius the Vrbane Praetor who made proclamation that whosoever had any books of vaticination or written Orisons or arts of sacrificing letters c. that they should bring them all to him within such a day And thus he freed them from such confusions as were crept into their religion As they were plowing in the field of L. Petilius the Scribe certain books of Numa were there found in a chest of stone Which Q. Petilius the Vrbane Praetor hearing of sent for them and reading onely the summe or contents of them and observing that they tended to the utter dissolving of religion told L. Petilius that he intended to burn them The Scribe appealed to the Tribunes of the people they referred it to the Senate where it was decreed that the Pretor should keep his vow or resolution and so they were burned by the victimaries or sacrificers themselves in the sight of all the people It being related to the Fathers by Quintilian a Tribune of the people concerning a book of the Sybils which Caninius Gallus a Quindecemvir would have received among the rest of the prophecies Tiberius hereupon sent letters to the Senate severely checking at Caninius who being versed in the ceremonies would admit of an ode or a charm whose authour was uncertain which the masters had not read nor the Colledge approved putting the Fathers in mind of Augustus his edict to carry all such to the Vrbane Praetor and that the Sibylline verses belonged to the care of the Priests to discern which were true and which false And that they should especially acquaint the Quindecemvirs therewith and not transact any thing rashly in a cause of religion Under Valentinian one Hilarius a Car-man was brought before Apronius the praefect of the City because he had committed his sonne to a venefick necromancer or sorcerer to be brought up or traded in such arts as were interdicted by the laws and was therefore condemned Amantius an aruspick was solicited by Hymetius to sacrifice for depraved and maleficall intents which being proved by papers found in his house the consulter was banished and the practitioner condemned Lollianus a very young magician being accused that he had written a book of pernicious arts for feare that Maximinus would banish him appealed to Valentinian who more grievously punished him Palladius a veneficke and Heliodorus a genethliacke or one that interpreted fate by genitures were therefore accused before Modestus the praetorian praefect Palladius impeached Fidustius Praesidatis Irenaeus and Pergamius for their abhominable charms Fidustius confesses his vaticinating malefice and joyns with him Hilarius and Patricius Pergamius accuses many thousands as conscious of the same arts Hilarius and Patricius confesse the sortilegious fact with all the circumstances Wherefore all these and many other Philosophers are punished with fire and sword as Pasiphilus Diogenes Alypius Simonides and others And last of all that no mention might be found of these unlawfull arts innumerable books and volumes are all heaped together and burnt in the Judges sight Under Manuel Commenus one Araon was accused in that there was found in his house the image of a Tortoise and within it the picture of a man chained and pierced through the breast and that he carried about him the old conjuring book that was called Solomons which while he read it legions of divels would appeare and ask him wherefore he called them and would quickly execute his commands Of which being convicted he had his eyes put out the usual punishment of those times Sicidites about the same time was impeached for casting prestigious mists before mens eyes and for sending out his devils to terrifie and torment men The same man sitting by the water side with some of his companions askt them what they would give him and he would make the Boatman that then passed by with a load of earthen vessels to break all his own wares with his own Oare Something they promised him and he muttered a few words and it came to passe accordingly The man being askt after that why he was so mad as to break his wares answered he thought he saw before him an ugly great Serpent ready to devour◠him which still crept neerer to him the more he struck at it and when all his pots were broken in pieces then it vanished For this and other ridiculous pernicious tricks he was served as Araon was sc had his eyes put out an apt punishment for all peepers and Star-gazers In vain was all the Pagan reformation of Magick and Astrologie For they put the