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A52801
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An astrological and theologigal [sic] discourse upon this great conjunction (the like whereof hath not (likely) been in some ages) ushered in by a great comet and so far upon the heavens, the planets and fixed stars as is a necessary introduction into a distinct and full knowledg of the principal subject herein handled.
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Ness, Christopher, 1621-1705.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing N441A; ESTC R28721
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40,837
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46
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13. but Moses Intimates that they are the Treasurys of God having Treasure laid up in them the Stars are Gods Store-houses out of which He scatters his precious things from his Heaven upon the Earth saying The Lord shall open to thee his good Treasure Deut. 28 12. Every Star saith one is as a purse of Gold out of which God casts down Riches that Good Men gather up by Honest means but the Evil scramble for by fraud or by Force that the Stars be Signs all do grant and in some sense Causes That they be Signs is grounded upon Gen. 1 14. Let them be for Signs yet some do narrow that word saying they are only Signs of Night and Day if so then the Sun and Moon had been enough to signify both these so all the Rest of the Thousands and of the Millions be altogether superfluous Frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora what need many where two will do 't is against Common sense as well as express Scripture to deny that those Celestial Bodies are not Signs of Times and Seasons also as of Summer and Winter Gen. 8 22. of Weather c. yea Learned and solid Pareus on Gen 1 14. Excellently Argues that the Stars could not be call'd Signs unless They did signify something and that something He saith is to warn mortals of may Matters such as be 1 Natural 2 Civil 3 Spiritual and He Approves of that 〈…〉 Verse of Aratus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Stars signify to men what matters are forged or framed for them As 1 Natural Signs they be of Heat Cold Dryness and Moisture c. 2 Civil the Sailor must Hoise up his Sails as the Word pleiades signifies when those 7 Sisters bring in the Spring with their sweet Influences So for setting sowing c. 3 Spiritual their Aspects and Passions saith he are Signs of spiritual Events as both Scripture and Experience teach such as Ecclipses Comets c. For though these things have their Causes in Nature yet do oft portend horrible Changes of publick Affairs Seditions Wars Droughts Inundations c. for so much as He saith they either do naturally excite those sore Judgments Through divine Pleasure or do certainly assist the Causes thereof therefore they do foreshew and are Signs of Gods Displeasure whereby Men are alarum'd to Repentance Though the Rainbow have a Natural cause as the Reflection of the Sun-beams in an opposit watery Cloud yet is it nevertheless a Sign of Divine Clemency Gen. 9. 8. for preserving the World How much more must those preternatural Passions of the Planets be Signs of either Gods Anger or Favor Pareus on Gen. pag. 54. Col. 12. All this He saith though in pag. 55. He shews himself no Friend to Judiciary Astrology which Dr. Willet likewise declares to be repugnant to Reason as well as Scripture and its practice in telling Fortunes and finding things lost c. to be Vain and Impious in his 20th Question Gen. 1. 14. My opinion is Astrology in the General is lawful provided it keep within its due Bounds and pry not too far into Gods Secrets Deut. 29. 29. 'T is only the allknowing God who can foretel future Events Isa 41. 21. 22. 27. 1. Eccles 8. 7. and 10. 14. c. Man knows not what shall be no nor the Devil not withstanding the Subtlety and Sagacity of his Angelical nature together with his long Experience to help Man therefore all his Oracles He deliver'd in ambiguous Terms that he might save his Credit when deceiv'd All Apollo's Oracles were made by Astrology saith Eusebius Depraeparat Evang. l b. 6. cap. 1. with lib. 5. cap 10. And they were not only directed by the Aspect of Stars but also ministred by Familiar spirits Yet the starry Heaven is a sacred Alphabet wherein the Wisdom Power Justice and Mercy of God are Lined out to us these all be written legibly yea Palpably as the word Act 17. 27. signifies in the Brows of the Firmament hence Clemens Alex Calls it the first Bible God made for Mans instruction 't is one of the 3 leaves of the Book of Nature which every mortal should read and consider Thus David did He read it because it declared the Glory of God Ps 19. 1. yea every line of that leaf he knew how far reached the length of those lines what David calls a line Faul calls a Voice Rom. 10. 18. quoted from Ps 19. 4 Reading Divinity-Lectures to all the Inhabitants of the Earth that they may make a serious contemplation of them and David considered as well as Read it Ps 8 3. All men as well as He should be much in this Consideration this Appears because 1 herein lays the Difference betwixt Men and Beasts which cannot consider any thing 2 The bolt upright figure of mans Body doth admonish him hereof The Heathen Poet Ovid could say thus Os Homini sublime dedit coelumque videre Jussit erectos ad sydera tollere vultus God with a lofty look did man Indue Commanding him the Heavens and Stars to View 3 We are taught this duty by the fift Muscle which God hath given to mans Eye whereas other Creatures have but four for drawing it upward ut ejus Auxilio Coelum Intueremur saith the Anatomist that by the help thereof we might Contemplate and Consider the Heavens some Heathens to the Shame of some Christians have said they were therefore Born that they might Contemplate the Heavens Alas many make more Delightful Contemplations upon Lumps of Farth than upon the Lamps of Heaven as Duke de Alva have so much business on Earth that they have no Time to Look up to Heaven let us consider them cry with David Lord what is man c Ps 8 3 4. in looking up we behold every Star Twinkling at us and as it were Beckoning to us to Remember our Creator Eccles 12 1. 'T is not presumption but Duty to Read the Face of the Firmament Matth. 16 2. Luke 12 56. 1 Kings 18 43 44. Read this Leaf while it is Expansum an open Leaf for it must be Rolled up and Folded together as a Scroll Isa 34. 4. and Rev. 6 14. yet rest not in Reading this Book of nature that only Declares Creation-Love 'T is the Book of Scripture in which Redemption love is Discover'd we are no where bid to search in the former as in the latter John 5 39. for Eternal life 'T is said Ubi definit Phtlosophus ibi incipit Theologus So where Nature Ends and can go no further there the Scripture begins and giveth more grace Jam 4 6. Isalm 19 1 2 7 8. 2 But the grand Question is though Stars be Signs whether they be also Causes seeing Mases calls them Signs Gen. 1 14 but never causes A. Baldwin saith Stars do incline irritate but do not necessitate p. 780 Cas Consc Amesius calls them common causes Cas Consc p. 191 Alsted stiles them Causae adiuvantes ibid