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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85346	Vnheard-of curiosities concerning the talismanical sculpture of the Persians; the horoscope of the patriarkes; and the reading of the stars. Written in French, by James Gaffarel. And Englished by Edmund Chilmead, Mr. of Arts, and chaplaine of Christ-Church Oxon.; Curiositez inouyes, sur la sculpture talismanique des persans. Horoscope des patriarches. Et lecture des estoilles. English.	Gaffarel, Jacques, 1601-1681.; Chilmead, Edmund, 1610-1654, translator.	1650 (1650)	Wing G105; Thomason E1216_1; ESTC R202160	209,056	473

some infected with this disease is because that here next to the Italians they eate more hogs flesh then any where else Neither do I say this but according to the opinion of Physicians without the least purpose of offending any either Strangers or those of my owne Nation In a word Courteous Reader I shall desire thee to interpret in good part whatsoever thou shalt find in this Book seeing that my purpose is to deale clearely as one exempt from passion In the 77. page of the same Chapter my intent is not to ranke Joseph's gift of Interpreting Dreames with the Art of Conjecturing at the meaning of Dreames Nor yet to reject the order of the Commandements established by the Church and to introduce that which is set downe page 291. for I there follow the Jewes manner of counting them Lastly I must intreat thee to correct the faults of the Presse and use mee as thou wouldst be used thy self A TABLE of the Chapters and their CONTENTS PART I. Wherein the Jewes and other Eastern Men are defended CHAP. I. That many things are falsely imposed upon the Jews and the rest of the Eastern men which never were THE CONTENTS 1. THe Arguments brought against the Eastern men whereon grounded 2. The Iewes falsely accused by Appion Plutarch Strabo Trogus Tacitus and Diodorus Siculus of worshipping Asses Vines and the Clouds 3. Whence these Fooleries sprung 4. The Syrians falsely said to worship Fishes Xenophon Cicero Aelian Ovid Martial Artemidorus and Scaliger refuted 5. The Idoll D●gon not figured like a Woman or Siren as Scaliger would have it but in the forme of a Triton The Fable laid open 6. The Samaritans no Idolaters no more then Aaron and Jeroboam for having made Calves of gold according to Abiudan 7. The Cherubins of the Arke not made in the forme of Young Mea against the opinion of all both Greeke and Latine Authors and the greatest part of the Jewish too 8. Arguments in defence of the Samaritans 9. The reasons brought by the Iewes and Cajetan touching the figure of the Cherubins of no force 10. The Jewes falsely accused of burning their Children to the Idoll Moloc Whence the custome of leaping over the Fire of St. John hath been derived CHAP. II. That many things are esteemed ridiculous and dangerous in the Bookes of the Jewes which yet are without any blame maintained by Christian Writers THE CONTENTS 1. THat we ought not to rest on the bare Letter of the Scriptures 2. Authors that have treated of Ridiculous Subjects without being reproved 3. The books of the Jews lesse dangerous then those of the Heathens which yet are allowed by the Christian Fathers 4. The Feast that God is to make for the Elect with the flesh of a Whale how to be understood 5. Ten things created on the Even before the Sabboth and what they were 6. The Opinions of the Ancient and Modern writers touching the end of the world what Fathers of the Church have been of the Jews opinion in this Particular 7. Diverse opinions concerning the number of years from the Creation to our Saviour Christ and what wee ought to conclude as touching the end of the world 8. The Ancient Rabbins are falsely accused of speaking ill of our Saviour Iesus Christ 9. The Third Objection in the precedent Chapter answered and an Enumeration of some Errours of great Importance in Our owne Bookes PART II. Of the Talismanical Sculpture of the Persians or the manner of making Figures and Images under certain Constellations CHAP. III. THAT the Persians are unjustly blamed concerning the Curiosities of their Magicke Sculpture and Astrology THE CONTENTS 1. THe evill custome of blaming the Ancients is noted 2. The Reasons brought against the Persians and their Magicke examined and found of no force The Errors of the Counterfet Berosus Dinon Comestor Genebrard Pierius and Venetus concerning Zoroaster 3. The strange Statues of Laban and Micha called Teraphim perhaps allowed of God 5. The Errours of Elias Levita Aben-Esra R. Eliezer R. D. Chimehi Cajetan Sainctes Vatablus Clarius Mercerus Marinus and Mr. Selden concerning these Teraphim The grosse conceit of Philo Iudaeus touching this Particular 6. A Conjectnre touching these Statues what they were and an answer to what may be objected against it 7. Of certaine Strange Prodigious things which have foretold Disasters which have been seen to come to passe and which do yet foretell the same 8. The Conclusion of all before delivered CHAP. IV. That for want of understanding Aristotle aright men have condemned the power of Figures and concluded very many things both against this Philosopher and against all sound Philosophy THE CONTENTS 1. ERrors in Learning caused by the Ignorance of the Languages 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Specimen and not Species 3. The reading of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proved to be full 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ill translated and hence the Question of Universals not understood 5. The proper translating of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. The Errors committed in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The correcting of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rejected against Cicero 7. It is falsely concluded out of Aristotle that Fire is moist against du Villon 8. That Aristotle is abused by Interpreters by reason of their not understanding the force of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and by reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 9. The false Interpretation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given by Stapulensis 10. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightly understood condemneth those that deny the power of Figures The proofe of this at large CHAP. V. The power of Artificiall Images is proved by that of those that are found Naturally imprinted on Stones and Plants commonly called Gamahe or Camaieu and Signatures THE CONTENTS 1. THe Division of Naturall Figures or Images Gamahe or Camaieu drawn peradventure from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chemaia 2. Of divers rare Gamahes or Stones painted naturally and why they are more frequently found in hot Countreys then in Cold. 3. Of other curious Gamahes not painted mentioned by Pliny Nider Gesner Goropius Becanus Thevet and Mr. de Breves A new Observation on the Bones of Giants 4. Of Gamahes that are Ingraven and whether those places where ever any Fish shels are found have been formerly covered with water or not 5. Certaine admirable Figures and Signatures that are found in all the parts of Plants Many choyce Inquiries proposed on this Subject 6. The power of these Figures proved and the Objections answered that are brought against it 7. The Secret discovered why a Scorpion applied to the wound made by a Scorpions sting should not hurt rather then cure it 8. Of the Figures of Plants that represent all the parts of the body of a man and that cure the same when ill-affected 9. The Formes of all things admirably preserved in

doe yearely cause their Children to passe over the Fire of St. John to this day Which Custome ought to be abolished seeing it hath been anciently condemned by a Councell held at Constantinople Syn. 6. in Trull can 64. In cap. 16.4 lib. Reg. Videantur Olaus Mag. in Histor Gothica Leo African in Descript Afric D. Ie. Chrysostom qui in Homil. de Nativitat S. Ioannis Solennes ejus honori 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excitatas ait ipsumque diem Lampada appell●ium and Theodoret proves clearely that this Custome of these Fires is still a rellick of the Ancient Abominations CHAP. II. That many things are esteemed Ridiculous and Dangerous in the Bookes of the Jewes which yet are without any blame maintained by Christian Writers THE CONTENTS 1. THat we ought not to rest on the bare Letter of the Scriptures 2. Authors that have treated of Ridiculous Subjects without being reproved 3. The Bookes of the Jewes lesse dangerous then those of the Heathens which yet are allowed by the Christian Fathers 4. The Feast that God is to make for the Elect with the Flesh of a Whale how to be understood 5. Ten things created on the Even before the Sabbath and what they were 6. The Opinions of the Ancient and Moderne Writers touching the end of the World what Fathers of the Church have been of the Jewes opinion in this Particular 7. Divers opinions concerning the number of yeares from the Creation to our Saviour Christ and what we ought to conclude as touching the End of the World 8. The Ancient Rabbins are falsly accused of speaking ill of our Saviour Jesus Christ 9. The third Objection in the Precedent Chapter and an Enumeration of some Errors of great Importance in our owne Books BUt be it so may some say that the Jewes are free from the guilt of these Crimes and their books not polluted with these Abominations yet it cannot be denied but that they have vented in them many fooleries more ridiculous ones The 2d Objection then a man can imagine and even some that are very dangerous too and that therefore they are unworthy our reading and the Curiosities found in them not to be valued at all This is the second Objection which was proposed in the precedent Chapter The Auswer If I were here to deal only with those that are free from Passion it would be easie for me to satisfie them in two words but since that I may chance to have to do with opinionative self-conceited men it will concern me to convince them by the force of Reasons backed with examples I say then that suppose there are many fooleries and absurd things found in the books of the Iewes but why then do we admit of the books of the Poets where you have nothing else For what can be conceived more ridiculous then that men should be transformed into Rocks Rivers Plants and Trees or what more remote from common sense then that Stones should discourse Flowers reason and trees make their moan and sigh out their afflictions why were the Fables of Aesope ever received which attribute the use of Reason to all things even the most insensible that nature hath produced And to say the utmost in one word Why then do we admit of the Bible which also make Trees as the Vine and the Bramble to speak The Trees went forth on a time to anoint a King over them Iudic. 9.8 and they said unto the Olive-tree Reigne thou over us But the Olive-tree said unto them should I leave my fatnesse wherewith by me they honour God and man and go to be promoted over the trees And this Tree refusing them they then make their addresses to the Fig-tree and afterwards to the Vine and at last they are constrained to come to the Bramble What a strange Metamorphosis is here If it be answered that these are Figures Similitudes and Parables which Ioathan made use of to expresse to the people the Tyranny of Abimelech and that in like manner the Ancient Poets proposed their Fables under which was alwayes couched some Philosophicall secret either Morall or Divine Why shall not the same Liberty be allowed to the Iewes also Will they have them to be lesse Rationall then the rest of Mankind or more Brutish then very Beasts Was there ever the like Peevishnesse seen 2. If the Jewes had busied themselves in describing the War betwixt Frogs and Mice as Homer hath done or in writing the Commendation of a Tyrant as Polycrates hath done the praise of Injustice as Phavorinus of Nero as Cardan of an Asse as Apuleius and Agrippa of a Fly and of a Parasiticall life as Lucian The same hath le S. du Belay done in divers of his Poems or of Folly as Erasmus we then should have them hooted at for Fooles or Mad-men Or had they made Epitaphs or Funerall Orations upon the death of a Cat an Ape a Dog a Didapper an Asse a Magpye a Flea as some of our Italian Fantasticoes have done we should no doubt heare them charged then with the finest wittiest Idolatrous Foolery that ever men were guilty of And yet the Authors of these Trifles heare no one word of it If they should yet but have taken upon them to set down the Rules of Divination as many of our Latine Christians have done or to teach the manner of Interpreting Dreames as one hath done in Gochlenius Barth Gochl Introd ad Physiog who tels you that as soone as you are awaked you must open a Psalter and the first Letter that is found in the beginning of the Page shall shew what shall happen As for example if it be A it signifies the Party shall be of a Free Nature if B he shall be powerfull in War C and D signifies Sadnesse and Death E and F that he shall have if he be married a Noble Of-spring G denotes some sad accident to befall him H foreshewes the Love of Women I a good and happy Life K Folly and Mirth and so forward of all the rest the very remembrance whereof makes me laugh If the Jewes I say should have busied themselves with such Sottish Impertinencies as these would any of the Christians so much as have touched their Bookes I shall passe by a thousand Fooleries wherewith our owne Bookes are stuffed and a thousand Fopperies which some people give credit to as that of Names and Numbers which is copiously handled by Raimundus Veronensis in his book intituled Opera del l' Antiqua honorata scienzae di Nomandia wherein a man shall see by the Letters of his name whether he shall live a long time or not whether of the two shall survive the Husband or the Wife What Preferments one shall rise to What Death a man shall dye and a world of such like Propositions which are not onely ridiculous but dangerous also And now let any man if he can find fault with the Jewish Rabbins whose writings are free from any

now to the last objection which is that the Bookes of the Rabbines erre in the Interpretation of the Law and that being full of Vaine and ridiculous Traditions and some that are dangerous too they ought not to be read by Christians who are to seeke after nothing but the true Traditions of Jesus Christ and his Church I shall not take upon me to answer fully and in every particular to this Objection since that it cannot be denied but that the Rabbins doe erre sometimes and that their Interpretations are sometimes wide enough of the matrer But that therefore they must presently be burnt or not read at all is against all Sence or Reason for otherwise we were to proceed in the same manner against our selves and must condemne our owne bookes also which are scarcely to be found any of them without their Errors I speake even of those very bookes that are of highest esteeme and use among us So that if these must all be committed to the Flame we should speedily see-o●r Libraries Empty and those which shall come after us to be left to a most profound ignorance For who knowes not that the works of Tertullian favour the Sect of the Montanists where he speaks of a new Paraclet and a new Prophesie as also where he condemnes Second Marriages If we but diligently peruse the Writings of all the rest of the Fathers we shall find that those of St. Cyprian maintain the Rebaptizing of such as having abjured their Heresie had been formerly baptized by Hereticks What Error is it that the writings of the Learned Origen are not polluted with If any man out of Curiosity desire to see a Catalogue of them he may have recourse to the Learned Epistle of St. Jerome ad Avitum Doth not St. Hilary seem to detract much from the merits of our Saviour Christ when he maintaines that his Sacred Body was not at all capable of Suffering and that Hunger Thirst Wearinesse and the rest of Humane Infirmities were not Naturall in him but as the Schoole speaks Absumptae Neither did Epiphanius fall into less Errors then these when he writes upon those words of Christ Pater Major me est that it was true also of his Divine Nature and that in the garden of Olives he spake not these words seriously Pater si fieri potest transeat à me Calix iste but onely by way of Dissimulation to deceive the Devill I passe by many things delivered by him touching the death of our Saviour Christ which the purity of Divinity cannot allow of as also when in his disputation against Aerius he affirmes that one of the Precepts left by the Apostles was that during the six daies immediately before the Passeoyer we must eat nothing but Bread with Salt St. Ambrose also in his Allegories in which he exceeds is not alwayes blamelesse for sometimes he lets fall such things as are quite contradicting the sense of the Holy Scriptures As for example speaking of St. Peter's sinne he holds that this Apostle denied not Jesus Christ as God but onely as Man as likewise when he makes it Lawfull for a man that hath put away his Wife by Divorce to marry another woman provided she also had not been divorced St. Jerome runs as farre into the other Extreame for pleading for Virginity against Jovinian he doth so cry out against Marriage that he makes it almost a sinne to marry and goes on so far as to account Second Marriages to be no other then meere Fornication and a Trade of Bawdery St. Augustine hath also had his many Errours As when he maintaines that the Eucharist ought to be administred to little Children and that if they dye without Baptisme they are Damned You may find many other Errors in the Writings of this Learned Father But they are such as we may truly call Happy ones since that they gave occasion to the writing of that Excellent Book of his Retractations without which a great part of the Learning of this most Knowing Father had been concealed from us I could proceed to reckon up some Errors of each of the rest of the Fathers both Greek and Latine for the proving of my Assertion namely that we have the same reason to forbeare the reading of them that we have against the books of the Rabbins so that we should at length be reduced to this extremity of having no other books but only the Holy Scriptures And yet neither could these passe if we should rest only on the Bare Letter since there are some things found there that seem contrary to Truth Thus Cajetan hath observed 2. Reg. C. 21. 1. Reg. C. 12. that in Kings 2. we read Michol instead of Merob as you may perceive by comparing it with the First Book of the same History And the Learned have observed that in the New Testament Math. 27. St. Matthew forgetting himself hath written Zachary for Jeremy and St. Mark likewise upon the same mistake cites a passage out of Isaiah Marc. 1. which is written in Malachi and so likewise when he sayes our Saviour Christ was Crucified on the Third houre seeing that St. John saith that he was but only condemned by Pilat the Sixth houre Ioan. 19. So likewise where St. Luke saith that Cainan was the Sonne of Arphaxad Gen. 23. and Salec the Sonne of Cainan he contradicts the place in Genesis where it is said that Salec was not Arphaxad's Grandsonne but his Sonne no other Generation intervening betwixt these two And when he sayes also that the Cave which Abraham bought was in Sichem which was indeed in Hebron Gee 11. and that he bought it of the Sons of Emor the Sonne of Sichem whereas Moses sayes it was of Ephron the Hittite And so likewise when he sayes that Emor was Sichem's Sonne when as it is said in Genesis Gen. 33. quite contrary that Emor was Sichem's Father and not his Sonne I shall not here undertake to justifie all these Passages many great Personages of former Ages have already done it very happily so that we cannot any longer without manifest Injury say that there is any Errour at all in them As for the Errors of the Fathers I should rather think charitably of them and say that as St. Jerome complained in his Time Ep. ad Pammac Ocean that the Writings of Origen had been corrupted by some Impostor as St. Augustine likewise complaines in those of St. Cyprian so possibly those of the other Fathers may have beene corrupted too But this Excuse which my Charity hath suggested to me hinders not but that we are to reject Their workes such as now we have them if we are not to read any of those that have erred PART II. Of the TAlismanicall Sculpture of the Persians or the manner of making Figures and Images under certaine Constellations CHAP. III. That the Persians are unjustly blamed concerning the Curiosities of their Magick Sculpture and Astrology THE CONTENTS THe Evill Custome

know well that this Latine word is not alwayes a Note of Similitude Facti sumus Sicut Consolati was the song of the People returning out of Captivity as Men that are Comforted shall we conclude hence that they were not Really so No But this word Sicut AS is Redundant in this place and might as well have been away So likewise in this passage Transivimus Sicut per Ignem and in many more the like Therefore Complicabuntur Coeli Quia LIBER sunt But if it be still Objected that for as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caph signifies sometimes sicut in the Originall there is no more reason why it should be rendered Quia then Sicut and Consequently it will still hold true that the Heavens are not a Booke but are onely as a Booke To this it may be answered that the Holy Scripture doth else-where fully decide this Controversie seeing that speaking of the Heavens it makes mention of Lines and Letters which are words that are most properly and Essentially spoken of a Booke and maketh no use of the word Sicut As at all which is an Infallible Argument that these words in the passage before cited Complicabuntur SICUT Liber Caeli are not expressions of Similitude Now that the Scripture speaking of the Heavens nameth expresly the word LETTER will appeare out of the very First Verse of the Bible where the Hebrew Text runnes thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bereshith bara Elohim ET haschamaim that is to say In the Beginning God created the LETTER or CHARACTER of the Heavens For this is the meaning of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ET or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aot which signifieth a LETTER And as for the word LINE wee finde it much more plainely set downe in the 19. Psalme Vers 4. In Omnem terram exivit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kavam LINEA corum I shall not here enter into any tedious Dispute Whether it be to be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kolam Sonus eorum rather then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kavam Linea eorum and so consequently whether the Passage cited by St. Paul out of the Interpretation of the Seventy be corrupted or else the Hebrew Text. In my Advis sur les langues Orientales I shew with Titelmanns Bredembachius Malvenda Mercerus Genebrard that the Places are not at all Corrupted neither in the one nor in the other but that the Septuagint and St. Paul had regard to the Sense of the Words rather then to the Letter saying Sonus eorum to make it suite more aptly with the following Words Et in fines Orbis terrae verba eorum because that the Sound the Voyce and the Words doe very handsomely accord and suite together We may adde also that they made use of a Sublime and Allegoricall sense of these words applying them to the Preaching of the Apostles And thus St. Paul and the Septuagint being fully reconciled to the Hebrew Text we may the more boldly sticke to the Letter and read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kavam Linea eorum understanding it spoken of the Starres which are ranged in the Heavens after the manner of Letters in a Booke or upon a Sheet of Parchment For which reason also God is said in the Holy Scriptures to have stretched out the Heavens as a Skinne calling this Extension 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rachia from whence perhaps the Greekes might take their word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Skinne or Hide it being most proper to a Skin to be Extended or Stretched forth Now upon this Extension as upon a Skinne hath God disposed and ranged the Starres in the manner of Characters whereby as by a Sacred Book the wonderfull Workes of God are set forth to all those that know how to read them Coeli enarrant gloriam Dei saith the Psalmist And here peradventure some may say that the Wonderfull Workes of God are set forth by the Heavens in their Prodigious Extent Harmony Brightnesse Order and admirable Motion and not by way of any Writing But R. Moses a very learned Jew assureth us that the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saphar to Declare or Set forth is never attributed to Things Inanimate so that from hence He concludes that the Heavens are not without some Soule which is no other then that of those Blessed Intelligences who have the Conduct of the Starres and dispose them into such Letters as God hath ordained declaring unto us Men by meanes of This Writing what Events we are to expect And for this cause this same Writing is called by all the Ancients 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chetab hamelachim that is to say The Writing of the Angels And that this passage Coeli enarrant gloriam Dei is clearly meant of this Celestiall Writing appeares by the words immediately following In omnem terram exivit Linea eorum I know very well that according to St. Paul and the Septuagint a man may understand by the Heavens the Apostles or as some others will have it the Prophets But if pursuing the Allegory a man should take occasion to deny the Literall Sense this would be no small Crime in in the Judgement of the Fathers Scripturae Verba saies the Whole Schoole propriè accipienda sunt quando nihil inde Absurdi fequitur So that if we sticke to the Letter of the Text not onely this Passage alleaged but many others also which I omit that I may come to the Maine Matter in hand doe very much confirme this Writing 3. Now as the Prophets have done before so have all the Learned among the Ancients also after their Example called the Heavens SACRED BOOKES as among the Jewes R. Simeon Ben-Jochay in the Zohar on the Section Temourah which is the 25. Chapter of Exodus Cifr 305. where he speakes very largely of this Celestiall Writing Lib. Moreh Seps Kab Beres The●il Maguid Misnah In Misn Milchamot Adonai Galg Hass in Beres though very Obscurely R. Abraham also in his Jetsira or Booke of the Creation delivers many Mysteries of it and after them R. Moses Aegyptius Moses Ben-Nachman Abraham the Sonne of Dior his Contemporary Aben-Esra David Chimchi Jom Tof Ben-Abraham Joseph the Sonne of Meir Levi Ben-Gerson Chomer Abarbanel and many others which I shall here omit that I may come to the Greekes and Latines who will peradventure be better received The Learned Origen interpreting after his manner that is to say Subtilly and Quaintly this Passage in Genesis Et erunt in Signa Praep. Evang. lib. 6.9 affirmes as he is reported by Eusebius that the Starres were placed in this Order in the Heavens for no other end but to shew by their diverse Aspects Conjunctions and Figures what ever is to happen while the World indures as well in Generall as in Particular yet not so as if they were the Cause of all these things never any such thing came into the Thought much lesse into the Writings of this Learned man For

as the Prophecies that are written in Bookes are not the Cause of those Events which they foretell shall happen but onely the Signe in like manner saith he may the Heavens very justly be called a Booke wherein God hath written all that is hath been and hereafter shall be And for confirmation of this he citeth a passage out of a Booke the Title whereof is Narratio Joseph a Book in his time highly esteemed by all men wherein the Patriarch Jacob giving his Blessing to all his Children tels them that he had read in the Tables of Heaven all that ever was to befall Them and their Posterity Legi saith He in tabulis Caeli quaecunque contingent Vobis et filijs vestris Whence the same Origen concludes as well in his Tract on this Question Vtrùm stellae aliquid agant as in his Booke De Fato Cap. 6. that some Mysteries may assuredly be read in the Heavens by reason that the Starres are disposed and ordered there in the forme of Characters The Conclusion of this Learned Father is so much the stronger in that where the Vulgar Translation reades Sintin Signa the Originall Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vehaio● leototh that is to say word for word Et sint in Literas Lib. 9. de Fato cap. 35. This Doctrine is of so great Importance as that Julius Sirenus hath undertaken the Defence of it and maintaines that it is a most True and Safe Opinion and such as hath been Entertained by most Religious Men. Neque in illis corporibus Coelestibus saith St. Augustine hic latere posse cogitationes credendum est Lib. 2. contra Manich. c. 2. quemadmodum in his corporibus latent sed sicut nonnulli motus animorum apparent in vultu et maximè in oculis sic in illa perspicuitate ac simplicitate coelestium corporum omnes omninò motus animi latere non arbitror In Gen. l. 2. de Astron c. 4. I am not Ignorant that Pererius endeavours to finde out another Sense in these words of St. Augustine but it is an easie matter to say what one pleaseth in interpreting the words of a man that is Dead Now this Coelestiall Reading may the more easily be beleived to have been the Reall Meaning of This Learned Father seeing that many others of the Fathers have strongly confirmed it as St. Ambrose and Prosper who call the Heavens Ep. 8. ad Demetr De vera Rel. 3. in Ps 41. De Mirab De Fid. Orthod lib. 3. c. 1. by the Epithets of PAGES and WONDER FULL INSTRUCTIONS Albertus Magnus stiles them an UNIVERSAL BOOK And John Damascene goes yet farther and saies that they are CLEARE MIRROURS intimating that we may see distinctly There even as farre as to the most Secret and Weightiest Motions of our Soul which gave occasion to St. Augustine to utter those words which we have before cited All the Platonists in a manner were likewise of the same Perswasion and this is the reason that Porphyrie assures us that when he had resolved to have killed himselfe Plotinus having read his Intention in the Starres hindered him from doing it Orpheus also had knowledge of these Secrets as appeares by these Verses of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certus tuus Ordo Immutabilibus mandatis currit in Astris 4. As for our Modern Writers it would even amaze a man to consider that among such infinite numbers of Books wherewith our Libraries are stuffed there is hardly Five or Six to be found that have taken any Notice at all of this Curious Piece of Antiquity concerning this Celestiall Writing I know very well that Ignorance will be presently ready with this Answer that the Vanitie of the Subject is the reason of this Their Silence But why then have such an infinite number of other Fooleries been taken into Consideration and thought a fit Subject for their Learned Pens which are a thousand times more Ridiculous in Appearance then This is whereas on the Contrary there is no Astrologer to whom this Science is not Necessary nor any Searcher into the Choiser Pieces of Theologicall Antiquity to whom in like manner it may not be usefull if at least it be True I am therefore apt to believe that the true reason is the Neglect rather of the Orientall Languages whereon these Curiosities do so necessarily depend as that without the knowledge of them they cannot possibly be explained or understood insomuch that we had no notice at all of these Mysteries till such time as they were brought into Europe by those men that addicted themselves to the study of the Eastern Languages Capnio was the First that De Art Cab. in an Age when Barbarisme reigned adventured to make some of these Choise Discoveries Picus Mirandula likewise who was the Phoenix of the Age he lived in took some pains in searching into these Secrets and also proposed the Question in hand in these terms Utrùm in Coelo sint descripta significata omnia cuilibet scienti legere Quest 74 Cornelius Agrippa also hath delivered His opinion herein Pierius Valerianus in his Hieroglyphicks Occult. Philos Lib. 44. fol. 366. c. hath these words Illa Extensio in modum pellis tanquam literis inscriptae luminaribus stellis dicitur Rakia c. Blaise de Vigenere in his Book Des Chifres makes a long Discourse on this Particular Banelli an Italian hath said more to this purpose then all the others upon those Words of S. Luke Gandete quòd nomina vestra scripta sint in Coelis Kunrath according to his usuall manner of Fooling makes a Riddle of it In Amphith In quo sunt pueri quotquot in Orbe Viri It seems that these kind of Authors write to no other end but that they may not be understood by this means seeming to make war against Nature which hath given us a Tongue and the use of Speech that we might be able to expresse our Conceptions whereas these men on the contrary Endeavour to be Obscure and Dark Robert Elud in his Apology for the Brethren of the Rosy Crosse hath gone on very far with this Celestiall Writing the Characters whereof he affirmes to be made in the same manner that Others are In Coelo saith He inserti impressi hujusmodi Characteres Apeloget Ed. Lug. Bar. An. 1617. qui non aliter ex stellarum ordinibus conflantur quam lineae Geometricae Literae Vulgares ex punctis Superficies ex lineis corpus ex superficiebus at length concluding that who so is able to read these Characters shall know not only what ever is to come but also all the Secrets of Philosophy Fol. 62. Quibus hujusmodi linguae Scripturae Arcanae Characterumque abditorum cognitio à Deo concessa est his etiam datum erit veras rerum naturas mutationes alerationes proprietates siderum omnesque alias operationes executiones oculis quaasi