pass to the Eclipse of the Sun Of the Eclipse of the Sun BElla sonat sonat arma minas sonat omnla Martis All the Evils the Sword Sedition Famine Pestilence can do to Europe may be expected from the effects of this Eclipse Oh that the Princes of Europe would once learn to be wise that they would once learn to know from the Book of the Creatures what the Will of their God is before their Houses be left them desolate before their destruction comes as an armed man The time of the Eclipse and Position of Heaven at the time at London is this D.H.M. March 29.10 1. A.M. a Sol ad □ Saturn Behold the Prince of Planets the Sun cclipsed just upon his Throne upon the 29 of March this present year 1652. 〈◊〉 terrifie your eyes for if the day be clear you may see the Stars the body of the Sun will appear of a ruddyish gray colour very formidable to the ignorant multitude and God knows what other strange and supernatural sights may be seen at or neer that time some I am of opinion will and God shews none in vain It is a remarkable thing the two superier Bodies Saturn and Jupiter who always use to make three Conjunctions in one and the same Triplicity should the last time anticipate and make the third in the watry Triplicity having made but two in the 〈◊〉 their last being in the weakest and meanest sign of the Zodiack This I can neither read nor beleeve they did since the Creation of the World until these our days for we are brought forth to live in those days in which the Kingdoms of the World shall become the Kingdoms of our God and of our Lord Christ blessed be his holy Name for it How ever by this Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter God manifesteth by the Book of the Creatures as well as by the Book of the Scripture that be will pull down the lofty and exalt the humble and meek and this you may read in them and the time when without a pair of Spectacles if you are but of the number of the men of Issachar 1 Chron. 12. or of their Spirit to anoint your spiritual David King who had skill in the times to teach Israel what they ought do which could not be intended concerning the Law of God because that belonged to Levi and in no wise to Issachar I tell you and I tell you but the truth the year 1655. shall not pass over your heads but you shall acknowledg one knowing man of 〈◊〉 to be of more worth then all Sion Colledg and King Harry the seventh Chappel to boot Yea so indulgent is the great God of Heaven and Earth both over proud insulting domineering Priests and over poor silly men and women whom they lead in ignorance that he will give them more significations then one or two by the Book of the Creatures even those great Eclipses of the Sun this I now handle and that other anno 1654. upon the second of August then which to our eyes nor the eyes of our fathers grandfathers great-grandfathers never saw greater nor more terrible Johannes Henricus Alstedius in his Book entiruled Speculum Mundi taking occasion to speak of the last Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter saith It would bring a new Government into the World different from Kingly Government and indeed many years ago I fixing my mind upon that his speech set my self to study what reason might be given from the Book of the Creatures for it And although 't is probable that if I had minded other things at that time when I was minding what should become of the Princes of Europe it might have been better for me in matters of this World then now it is yet it repents me not having now an occasion to declare that to the world which by study I found out then And that this may be done methodically be pleased to take notice 1. The part of Heaven afflicted by this dismal Eclipse is the tenth House which signifies Kings Princes all Governors even from the Emperor to the Constable Generals of Armies c. 2. The Planet afflicted is Sol whose signification is the very same with the House 3. The Sign is ♈ a Regal or Kingly Sign nay the chief Sign of the Zodiack 4. The Sun is afflicted upon the very degree of his Exaltation and Mars is Lord of the place as though the Lord had given up the Princes of Europe to the Sword Beleeve me nay beleeve that Book of God which only and alone he brought to convince Job Job 38. Before the effects of this Eclipse be over the World shall see Princes are but men All this is too General to come a little to particulars That we may know what Kings and Governors are threatened by this Eclipse which will be so formidable to Europe and indeed it ayms at no small Fools It is requisite we consider what Kingdoms and Nations are under ♈ under which Sign are most of the Princes of Europe and if you add as some do such as are under ♎ ♋ and ♑ and as ptolomy would have it such as under the fiery Triplicity either few or no Princes in Europe shall scape the fury of Gods Vengeance 〈◊〉 by this Eclipse let them but look upon it and they shall lee God gives them fair warning of it I confess I do not intend to hang my Judgment upon any of those tacks but considering 1. The House is Regal 2. The Sign Regal 3. The Planet Regal and eclipsed upon the very degree of his Exaltation Thence I gather That all the Princes of Europe are threatened by it yea all those of the World where it is visible and angular together with HOGHENS MOGHENS ILLUSTRISIMO's and TITTILLADO's I cannot 〈◊〉 a quittus est to our present States I wish I could I cannot flatter neither dare I write what I think all I desire is to lead a peaceable and quiet life under them yet this I say and this I desire of them That they would be of the number of the meek of the earth and seek the Lord seek Righteousness and Judgment and IT MAY BE they may be hid in the day of the Lords wrath for his Iudgment is appearing upon the earth and who shall stand They that fear God need fear nothing else I will tell our States what true Religion is nay one of the Apostles did it before me I desire but to rub up their memories Jam. 1. 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to KEEP THEMSELVES UNSPOTTED FROM THE WORLD and if they do so Peace shall be to them as well as to the Israel of God I am of belief that Gods special providence will not in this in the least contradict his general Gods general providence I as yet conceive to be that whereby communicating himself to his creatures he upholds one part of the Creation
by another His special providence I take to be that by which he keeps those in a way of close walking with himself whom he hath united to himself by the person of Jesus Christ I told you this Eclipse foretold to the World the Sword Sedition Famine and Pestilence look you if the Book of the Scripture agree not with the Book of the Creatures 〈◊〉 24 6 7. Ye shall hear of wars and Rumors of wars c. For Nation shall rise up against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in divers places I never read yet that God would take away this for the Elects sake indeed I have read that he will shorten the days for the Elects sake for Saints must not think to live in an evil World and not be partakers of the punishments of the World Mat. 24. 21 22. In those days shall be great tribulation such as never was from the beginning of the world until this time nor never shall be and except those days should be shortened no flesh should be saved but for the Elects sake they shall be shortened But to come a little closer home to the business in hand I shall first give you the Opinion of Authors concerning the Eclipse Secondly my own proclus Sol 〈◊〉 in the second face of ♈ threatens Sedition amongst Kingdoms and People a hot dry and pestilential Ayr Sadness Imprisonment and danger of death to Kings Rulers and Governors it 〈◊〉 and spoils the fruits of the Earth Thus he And the Judgment of Messahalah is layd down almost in the very same words If the Sun be eclipsed in fiery Signs it signifies the death of Kings Princes and Potentates as also of great men dryness and barrenness of the earth The matter is so apparent we need quote no other Authors The Lord of the Eclipse is Mars who according to Origanus threatens that the fruits of the Earth shall be consumed by fire heat and dryness of Ayr extorted by violence or consumed by Soldiery he threatens sickness of heat and dryness War and Bloodshed Rapine and Extortion he sets Europe together by the ears one Nation against another divides Kingdoms against themselves He raiseth Sedition and Tumults Kings are mad and Subjects stubborn violent diseases of Choler young men perish by the Sword and by the Pestilence Cities are consumed by fire and ruined Countries are spoyled by Injuries Murther Rapine and Theeving the Ayr is hot pestilential and mortal I shall desire the favour to add a word or two of my own rationally deduced from the Scheam The Planets afflicting are 1. Luna because she darkens Sol. 2. Mars because Lord of the place eclipsed 3. Saturn because in the Ascendant and in to the Luminaries The Moon Lady of the Ascendant darkening Sol in the Tenth and in his Exaltation shews that the glory of Kings shall be darkened by their Subjects or else by men of low degree and small account in this World Saturn is Lord of the Eight in the Ascendant and this threatens a Pestilence which I fear not only England but almost all Europe will feel And when honest Jupiter should help he hides his head as though he were ashamed of such actions Nam mitu in 〈◊〉 Jupiter occasu premitur As for the Clergy as they stand at state present they must down for as the Book of the Creatures shews it here by the Eclipse so the Book of the Scripture also witnesseth Joel 2. Acts 2. that when God shews wonders in the Heavens above and signs in the earth beneath when he turns the Sun into darkness and the Moon into blood then the great and notable day of the Lord is coming then will God pour out of his own Spirit upon all 〈◊〉 your sons and your daughters shall prophecy your young men shall see visions c. Indeed you shall be all taught of God and by the power of his Spirit As for such Blasphemous Creatures for men I cannot call them that say they are Christ and God and such as say Iesus Christ is again conceived and they have seen the Wench that hath him in her womb when Christ shall come in the evidence and demonstration of his Spirit God knows and I tremble to think what shall become of such Impostors The Law shall quite and clean be changed when the PRINCE OF PEACE the great LAWGIVER shall come in the Power of his Spirit and dwell in our hearts there shall be no more wranglings no more going to Law The holy Ghost the Comforter shall lead us into all truth And whence come wars and dissentions amongst us Come they not from our lusts because we are carnal Fy upon me I had almost forgot his HOLINESS the POPE For though his Holiness his House is cadent i. e. falling yet no signification of his fall can I draw from this Ecliple it hastens and you may see the time when by that Eclipse 1654. I shall onely give him a touch of it in some of my Monthly Observations Because I cannot perceive this Eclipse to touch much at the fall of Rome or her absolute Catastrophe therefore I cannot conceive the second Coming of Christ not to Judgement but to raign by his Spirit in the hearts of his Saints to be during the effects of this Eclipse this doth but make way for it If you would build a House in a wood you must first cut down the tall trees and the lower shrubs and bushes this will be done under the effects of this Eclipse but Antichrist shall be destroyed by the brightness of Christs coming Neither shall you see the effects of that Eclipse 1654 passed before it be accomplished During the effects of this Eclipse you shall see the Heathen rage and the people imagine a 〈◊〉 thing The Kings of the earth shall set themselves together and the Rulers take counsel against the Lord and against his anointed c. Yea christ shall break them with a rod of iron and 〈◊〉 them in pieces like a potters vessel During the effects of that 1654 Christ shall be set upon his holy hill of Sion As for the time when you may expect the Effects of this Eclipse to operate I desire the liberty to leave my Authors and write my own thoughts in it You shall see the beginings of the Effects and preparations for the rest for as such great things as they cannot be done in a corner so can they as little be done on a sudden the beginnings I say you shall see in July 1652 at which time Mars cuts the Ascendant of the Eclipse and the place of Saturn in it 1653 1654 and part of 1655 shall finish the Effects of it Lastly I desire you to take notice that I pretend no divine inspiration nor revelation from Angels for what I write nor any thing else besides what God teacheth me from the book of the Scripture and the book of the Creatures conjoyned together The one teacheth me what
shall be the other in some measure tells me the time when it shall be And I ingenuously protest I had never loved Astrology so well as now I do if I had not upon due search found the Predictions by the book of the Creatures to jump so exactly with those of the Scripture I shall now give a few Exhortations and so conclude First to Princes The Lord saith to you Psal. 2. 10 11 12. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Kiss the Son that is be subject to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ lest he be angry and perish from the way c. The book of the Creatures tells you the same truth For The Sun 's eclips'd in 's Throne and cries aloud O Kings why being mortal are ye proud Your 〈◊〉 gone Democracy takes place Your Hoasts shall fall by sword before your face 'T is not your Kingdoms nor your high-born blood Can stave Gods vengeance off Learn to be good Learnto deny your selves takeup Christs Cross So never need you fear your Kingdoms loss But why do I 〈◊〉 precious time in exhorting you seeing the Scriptures tell me Jer. 51 57. I will make drunk her Princes and her wise men her Captains and her Rulers and 〈◊〉 mighty men and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep and not awake And this nor I but the King whose name is the LORD OF HOASTS hath said Isai. 5. 12 13 14 They regard not THE WORK OF THE LORD 〈◊〉 CONSIDER THE OPERATION OF HIS HANDS therefore my people are gone into captivity BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDG their honorable men are famished Therefore the grave hath opened her mouth without measure and their glory and their multitude is descended into it To the Saints thus I say and not I but the Lord Rev 3. 10. Keep close to the word of GODS PATIENCE and he will keep you in the hour of temptation which shall come to try all those that dwell upon earth which time I assure you is coming nay it is neer at hand To England I say You are that People whom God will make use of as Instruments to act for him many of those great things here declared I see thy Salvation coming O Jacob I see it coming from the ISLANDS OF THE NORTH Do not seek the World do not seek your selves Jer. 45. 4 5. JEHOVAH hath said thus What I have planted am I plucking up and what I have built am I plucking down and 〈◊〉 thou great things to thy self seek them not To the poor dejected Jew who though our Ministers dayly pray for yet they hate them so they will not if they can help it let one tread upon English ground O Jew thou art beloved of God for thy Fathers sake Remember what one of thy own Rabbies prophecied should come to pass Anno 1654. Zech. 12. 10 The Lord will pour out upon the house of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem his spirit of grace and of supplication and they shal look up upon him whom they have pierced and shall mourn as one mourneth for his onely son c. Salvation is of the Jews and God will speedily make you the glory of all the World Thus much for Eclipses Of the Quarters of the Year Of the Spring Sol enters ♈ D.H.M. March 8.8 58. p.m. a △ Sol vacuâ □ Saturn and Mars Poli. 51. 34. IF they that have nothing else to do will be but pleased to sum up the dignities of the Planets they will find Mars Lord of the year as well as of the Ascendant who although he be courting Venus in the sixth House all that have read Histories know Julius Cesar could fight 〈◊〉 days as wel as wench a nights Misty beetle browd 〈◊〉 so darkens the eyes of the Clergy from the nineth House beholding Mars with a hateful and that from Cardinal Signs that the sharpness of a Souldiers sword is like to be more prevalent this year then the sharpness of the Clergies wit I shall speak of all the Planets apart and first deliver the Opinion of Authors secondly my own And I 'le begin first with Mars for he is an angry waspish Creature Guido 〈◊〉 saith That when Mars is Lord of the Year and is in ♈ it signifies hot winds a various change of Ayr especially in the Eastern parts of the World The year will be dry and people troubled with 〈◊〉 eyes and 't is well if they 〈◊〉 so too He signifies War to those people under that Sign he is in Look 〈◊〉 France and I pray God England scape He stirs up Insurrections and Tumults Pestilences and Earthquakes He will shew Kings what he is able to do If his Latitude be Meridional as now it is it is like to be a terrible year for Thunder and Lightening the truth is this year will amaze all the World As for Saturn though he be not Lord of the year yet because he casts a to Mars we must have a few words with him too He predicteth nothing in the World but Death and Mortality We 'l now leave Guido Bonatus and come to Noel 〈◊〉 Mars Lord of the year and in a fiery Sign causeth a most terrible hot and dry year Hot and Pestilential Winds Burnings Lightening Tempest Hail He destroys ships by Sea by violent Winds and Storms of Thunder Cattel dye for want of water especially sheep he being in ♈ Tertian Agues Pestilences and other acute diseases together with sudden deaths none knows why are as familiar amongst men as Atomes in the Sun We must not always dwell with Durret neither but see a little what Haly saith also and they all make but unpleasing Musick because they all harp on the same string For if Mars be in the sixth House and in a dry Sign as here he is beware Health the bodies of men will be troubled with hot and dry infirmities Fevers and the like But enough of this too much unless 〈◊〉 better Now give me leave to pass my own Iudgment ballanced by the prudent advise of my Brother Doctor Reason Mars is Lord of the Ascendant that 's true and that Saturn is Lord of the Fourth is as true as that Saturn is in the Nineth and Mars in the Sixth as though Presbytery which hath been so long in a Consumption should now breathe its last The of Saturn and Mars corrupts the Ayr and makes it Pestilential such an Epidemical Disease will arise amongst the Clergy and Lawyers that this Nation will stink of them as bad as Aegypt did of the Frogs The Dragons Tayl is in the Twelfth Venus is Lady of the Twelfth and in Conjunction with Mars in the Sixth Women will be so much given to fall backwards and men so given to Lechery that they shall pay for their pleasure with the Pox to them A viperous Sign ascending and Mars Lord of it in his own House and in the Sixth and in Conjunction with the Lady of
the Eight makes the Vulgar hasten their ends by ill dyet and lewd courses Quos perdere vult Jupiter dementes facit I think I have said enough of this Quarter I am sure I shall have done after I have taken a little notice that Mars in the Eclipse of Sol is upon the Cusp of the seventh House in this Quarter and Venus upon the Cusp of the Eight Have a care young men lest you pay for your pleasure sweet meat hath sometimes sowre sawce Of the Summer Quarter Sol enters ♋ D.H.M. June 10. 11. 32. p.m. â vacnâ ad ☠Mars and Mercury ☌ Mars and Mercury I 'Le lay my Authors aside for want of Paper or Time or something else best known to my self and only give my own Iudgment rationally from the Scheam As the fourth House in the Spring Quarter was the eight House in the Eclipse of Sol so the Sign ascending at Sol's ingress into ♈ is upon the eight House in this 〈◊〉 stival Quarter If you please to look upon ☽ and do not find her upon the Cusp of the tenth House I am beside the Cushion The Governor of Souldiers Mars is angular in the Fourth He was in the Sixth in the Spring What must the sickness end in the Grave Besides this He hath gotten Mercury a subtil Knave with him and is in ♊ as potent as subtil Poor Jupiter is in his fall and he gives ☽ entertainment such as he can afford her The ☽ runs to the 〈◊〉 of Mercury and Mars both which are with the 〈◊〉 of Jupiter Mercury what with his wit and Mars what with his sword is like to undo the poor Clergy man who can help it The times are coming when none can be wise but such as are honest If I can read the truth in the Book of the Creatures London shall find before this Quarter is past that the Souldiery shall out-wit her Grandees and some of them are like to smart for it Do not wonder if you see a change of City Government here but say I told you of it Hatred to Flattery and danger that may ensue the speaking of the truth stops my Pen and so I leave this Summer Quarter The Autumnal Quarter Sol enters ♎ D.H.M. Septemb. 12. 2. 39. p.m. a △ Sol ad ⚹ Saturn □ Sol Jupiter IF you do but cast your eyes upon the Figure you shall spy Jupiter just upon the Cusp of the Ascendant as though he would do much good to the Commonalty this Quarter But other Planets do not consent and therefore all parties are not agreed And if you will beleeve Haly the son of Abenragel he saith If Jupiter be in the Ascendant and weak as here he is being in his fall Sol aftronts him with which clips his wings and makes both Jupiter and jovial men as Priests Lawyers c. look but frigidly upon the business I say if you will beleeve Haly the son of Abenragel it signifies diminution of substance What must Priests lose their Tythes Nay then take away their lives and all Men shall mind themselves and no good but their own and so they have done a great while a man would have thought there could scarce have been another degree of Comparison But God certifies men and women by the Book of the Scripture as well as by the Book of the Creature That a little before the end Iniquity shall abound and the love of many shall wax cold But to leave Haly and come to the Scheam it self As the Ascendant in the Spring was the eight House in the Summer Quarter as who should say We are like to have a sickly Summer so it happens to be the tenth House in this Quarter What! would the Commonalty turn Magistrates fortasse aliquod 〈◊〉 Remember the old Proverb Brother Commoner Set a Begger on horseback and he 'l ride to the Devil Wait Gods time and he will give you your desires but he 'l rectifie them first The time is at hand but it is not yet Amend your lives and Conversations He that cannot order himself cannot order a State and you as you stand in Statu quo are as fit to govern as a Sow is to Fiddle and would make as good Harmony in a Commonwealth as the crying of a Hog would amongst a Consort of Musicians Patience is a good Herb but I doubt it grows but in few of your Gardens about this time Regard what I may say or you may hap to suffer for it Search all Histories from the Creation of Adam to this present day and see if you do not find that Rashness always drew Destruction after it as a Needle draws the Thred Dissention breeds desolation but I 'le tell you a Cure Harken what God will say and he will speak 〈◊〉 to his people that they may not return AGAIN to folly I am necessitated to be brief six sheets is too little for me now though one will suffice me when I am dead Mercury is pretty strong in the ninth House and is in to Mars and Mars is Lord of the year O Heavens What have men no more wit yet then to run after a company of prating Priests and Lawyers this is so good and so good if you have not enough of them you shall have enough of them before you dye Neither shall you sleep 500 nights more before you know it count off the time from Septemb. 12. this year If many Planets in a House increase the signification of the House then is this like to be a Mortal Quarter so many Planets being in the eighth House And seeing it is like to be no better so I leave it The Winter Quarter begins under this face of Heaven Sol enters ♑ D. H.M Decemb. 10. 14. 2. p.m. a △ Sol ad △ Mercury Poli. 51. 34. IN passing Judgment upon this Quarter I will steer a different course from all the rest and why do you think I do so To tell you the truth even in Astrology as well as in other Arts there is more ways to the Wood then one Mars Lord of the seventh in the Ascendant and there very unfortunate though with Spica virginis besides I am mistaken if he be not Lord of the sixth too makes the Commonalty beleeve Wonders sets them a brawling and wrangling Discords quarreling and fighting is like to be the middle of such corrupt Principles 〈◊〉 and loss the latter end Brother Commoner tell me this and tell me but the truth Was Christ the Prince of Peace or was he the son of Bellona A word is enough 〈◊〉 a wise man I will now leave Mars and come to Saturn which is a chip of the same block though not made into the same form He signifies a cold Winter very full of Snow He mischieves all the Earth universally and the fruits thereof Kings cannot agree with their Subjects whatsoever the matter is but lay unjust Taxes and Tributes upon them I think in my very Conscience they are mad to be undone