of their fortunes which cannot be found in any two Twinns that ever yet were born But if the Horoscope be changed ere both be born then for this diversitie I will require a difference of Fathers which Twinns cannot possibly have Frustrate therefore is that notable fiction of the Potters wheel which Nigidius they say answered one that plunged him in this controversie whereupon he was called the Potter Turning a Potters wheel twise or thrise about as fast as he could he took ink and in the turning made two marks as it seemed in one place of the wheels edge and then staying the wheel the marks were found far asunder one from another upon the edge of the wheel Even so saith he in the swift course of heaven though one child be born after another in as short a time as I gave these two marks yet in the heavens will be passed a great space And that quoth he is the cause of the diversity of conditions and fortunes betwixt two Twins here is a figment now farr more brittle then the pots that were made by the wheel For if there be thus much power in heaven and yet cannot be comprehnnded by the constellations that one of the Twins may be an heir and inherit and not the other how dare those Astrologians give such presages unto others that are not Twins when as they are included in those secret points in Nativities which none can comprehend But if they say they do prognosticate this to others because they know it belongeth unto the known and discerned spaces that passe in Nativities and that those moments that may come between the births of two Twins do but concern slight things and such as the Astrologian useth not to be troubled with For no man will ask the calculatour when he shonld sit walk or dine how can this be said when we shew such diversity in the manners states actions and fortunes of two Twins To that at I touching Pharez and Zara the reply is easy and home that what space soever was between their births and which soever was born first yet being they did in part interchangeably put forth themselves at the womb which was the exposing of themselves to the influence of the heavens according to the Astrologers doctrin putting so much weight upon mens births as likewise Jacobs continued successive birth after Esau Jacobs hand holding Esau's heel so that the first is not wholly born till the other be born in part is argument enough to prove that the Aspect of Constellations upon the birth of such Twinnes is exceeding uncertain and so the Astrologicall prediction as groundless Which Austin doth notably argue out which may serve for a full answer to W. Ram. his frabble about Jacob and Esau thus Aug. de Civi at Der lib. 4. In the ancient memory of our forefathers to speak of them of note were two Twinnes born so near together that the second held the first by the heel yet in their lives manners and actions was such disparitie that that very difference made them enemies one to another I mean not this that the one sat when the other stood nor that the one slept when the other waked these belong to those first marks and moments which they cannot comprehend who erect those figures of nativity for the Astrologers to judge upon One of them bound himsef to serve for wages the other served not at all the one was loved by his mother so was not the other the one lost his honour and inheritance a matter of great moment among them the other obtained it And how great a difference was there in their marriages wives children and goods Exceeding much Thus Austin whom we have reason to believe farr before false tongu'd W. Ram. at L. M. N. O. P. R. or his Forged Philo as the learned call him whom W.R. there quotes or his Ptolomy quoted at S At T Wil. Ram. consuteth himself For if as a Candie being lesse then a Bowl cannot shine light round about that Bowl so the Planets that are less then the Earth cannot shine round it how then can they pour down any influence at the same minute on the whole round of the Earth in which many thousands of infants are born whose nativities all Astrologers will cast and from them all undertake to predict And for his intimation that the dexter and sinister that is the oblique and indirect Aspects of Starrs have as much power and influence as those that are direct and perpendicular it is contrary to plain sence For the sun doth not so enlighten or heat with its oblique aspect as when it is perpe ndicular over us And the Moon comes to her loss of light and to be of less operation by the oblique aspect of the sun on it and of it on the Sunne in comparison of the Moon at full ut which time as Wil. confest afore the powerof the Moon is greater on things below But because there hath been such oft mention of Astralogical influences The dangerousness of Astrogicall doctrins and influences let us enquire of the Astrologers themselves what these influences are For by their vote they seem to be no less then a part of Magic and Incarnation or the appertenance thereof Agrippa in his book of Occult Philosophy tels us that Omnia inferiora esse Ideata a superioribus Ideis c. that is H. Cor. Agri. Oc. Phil. I. 1. c. 11. That all inferiour bodies are Ideated or exemplified with inferiour Idea's by the superiour idea's An Idea is a form above bodies souls minds and to be but one simple part immutable indivisible incorporeal and incorporeal and eternal And that the nature of all Idea's is the same They say that Idea's are first in God himself by way of cause and that they are distinguished among themselves by some relative considerations onely lest whatsoever is in the world should be one thing without any variety and that they agree in essence lest God should be a compound essence In the second place they place them in the very Intelligible it self that is in the Soul of the world differing the one from the other by absolute formes So that all the Idea's in God indeed are but one forme but in the soul of the wold they are many They are placed in the minds of all other things whether they be joyned to the body or separated from the body by a cetain participation and now by degrees are distinguished more and more They are placed in nature as certain small seeds of formes infused by the Idea's And lastly they place them in matter as shadowes Hereunto may be added that in the soul of the world there be as many Scienciall Formes of things as Idca's in the mind of God by which Formes she did in the Heavens above the Starrs frame to her self shapes also and stamped upon all these some properties Therefore on these starres shaps and properties all virtues of inferiour species as also
let us hear what those predictions are that Will. Ramsey is pleased in his Epistle to the Reader to disavow or grant Which are the very same that the Doctour denyes or grants and William speaks them in higher words then the Doctour I will give them unto you in his own words His heads upon a just particular account are six 1. Saith he the rules of Astrologie doth so W. Ramsey is pleased to joyn a Nown plurall and Verb singular together but this is a small matter with him who after is miserably out in his Latine Greek and Hebrew But for present I was forced to touch his English upon whose score it lyes because I promised to give you his mind in his own words I say Will. Ramsey saith in the first place that the rules of Astrology doth not meddle with vain contingencies or such as have an indifferent respect to the opposites as depending upon unknown or indeterminate causes which may happen one way or other 2. Will. Ramsey saith Mans will is not subject to the influence of the stars neither hath Astrology to do with it but accidentally so farre as the soul with the faculties thereof follow the temperature of the body which the friends of Astrology themselves acknowledge is impeded and altered so many wayes as that Astrologicall predictions of man come to nothing See the Doctours Demonologie chap. 10. § 4. 3. Neither doth Astrologie meddle with the Providence of God 4. Or shew cause of miracles 5. Or meddles with the secrets of God for they are past finding out Astrologers are but men that contemplate naturall causes 6. Astrologie or the influence of stars have no fatall necessity except some contingency be mixt therewith for this were to deny the providence of God Thus W. Ramsey whereof the last is delivered with that wonderfull contradiction of fatall necessity and contingency But you have them as he gives them Now let the Reader that hath a mind to understand the right compare the Doctours and W. R. his stateing of the Question together and he shall find those six things afore said set down by William in that his Epistle to the Reader fully to agree with the Doctours Tenet in the main Therefore W. R. in his great warfare in his ensuing Pamphlet against the Doctours Demonologie either as a distracted man departs from his own principles or else plainly fights against himself let William take his choyse And if he be like some of his brethren he will choose the former For however they state the question in words I am sure they practise in deeds quite contrary undertaking to know by the starres who and where are the Theeves and stollen goods of such and such a robbery the cattle and Drovers that carried them away from such and such a ground at such a time and the like feits and these they practise for money Yea they are bold to predict the events of warres the successes of marriages and thousands of such meer humane events which the Scripture pronounceth uncertain to us The battle is not to the strong nor the race to the swift Promotion cometh not from the East starres nor the VVest starres c. but all fall out as Gods providence disposeth Yet those Astrologers will boldly undertake to predict such things as their Almanacks and Astrologicall Predictions c. do testifie By which writings they gain credit and custome of miserable seduced souls to fee them and feed them with money for meer impostures as many of their Clients do daily complain saying the Astrologers had their money not forbearing to name the men and the money but they were never the neerer to find that they promised them But if this were all that Astrologers did do it were not so intolerable But they have practised some things that are not to be indured in any Common-wealth viz. to disswade men of quality from marrying worthy Gentlewomen using lies for their arguments An intolerable practise of Astrologers forgeing those things of the Gentlewomen to disinable their persons and to reproch them in their repute as are not fit here to be named but at due time and place shall be made good before any Court of Justice by undenyable proof And at the rate of Will. Ramsey's sounding the Trumpet the battle is likely speedily to begin And William Ramsey himself for all his stateing of the question aforesaid undertakes to predict many humane events quite without the sphere of the state of his question in his discourse of the Eclipse of the Sun at the end of his rayling reply to D. Homes his Demonologie Amongst the rest he predicts In the last page save one that before that Eclipse hath finished its effects Ministers shall be in lesse esteem then they would fain perswade the vulgar concerning the students in Astrology Whatever the Epithets be he gives to Ministers there he intends not them for distinction but for agnomination to them all good as well as bad or else he would not lay the cause of that prediction to be the Ministers opposing Astrologers and upbraid Doctour Homes And let me tell thee William a prophesie out of the Word of God against Judiciall Astrologers A Prophecy against Astrologers that as Aarons rod swallowed up the Enchanters rods Exod. 7.12 Balaam was killed when the Priests and Levites of the Lord were preserved Numb 13.22 Daniel the Prophet is preserved and honoured when sentence of death was pronounced against the Astrologers Dan. 2. vers 2.14.27.28 c. to the end of the chapter and the persons having familiar spirits and the Diviners and Exorcists c. fell before the Apostles Acts chap. 8. chap. 19. c. So these last and greatest sort of wicked men that lead poor souls from God to the Devill from his word to their circles and figures shall without repentance according to all the prophecies of the old Testament against Astrologers Magicians Enchanters Sorcerers c. quoted in the Doctours Demonologie perish with Antichrist and all Christs enemies at the great destruction of the wicked near approching for making way for the Saints Triumph a while on earth over all their enemies Revel 21.8 22.15 Now William and thy brethren runne your course in Judiciall Astrology according to your wonted manner of practise at your perill and venture it whither your Eclipse or the light of our Sun the word of God will prophesie more truly I wonder in what starre or constellation or their postures William could reade this goodly change that godly Ministers must be discountenanced and lying Astrologers as the Scripture calls them shall be advanced His telling me there of ☽ to a □ of ♄ c. with many the like anticks figures gibberish and cantings is lesse is worse then nothing unlesse he could demonstrate to me for that 's the honour of a true Mathematician to demonstrate most potently by reason why such postures and features of starres and constellations must needs pre-signifie such and such
the Lords inclination and direction Again in the Proverbs we reade this that the heart of the King is in the hands of the Lord as the Rivers of water he directeth it whether he will Prov. 21.1 It will be said that although God properly and immediately inclineth the will of man yet also some small inclination must be given unto the Stars and that immediately For say some Constellations work upon the Elements by the four first qualities Elements work upon and alter the compound Bodies and humours Compound Bodies by their qualities change the Senses The Senses being altered the understanding is altered The understanding lastly altereth and inclineth the will of man Therefore Constellations incline the will This Reason is not much unlike that which the drunken man maketh serving as well for the defence of his Vice as the former for approving of truth in Divination He which drinketh well sleepeth well He which sleepeth well thinketh no harm He which thinketh no harm is a good man Therefore he which drinketh well is a good man The deceits and untruths which be in their Reasons are very many 1. The stars work upon mens bodies yet so that the nature of the Countrey and Soil the Meats and Drinks have most commonly greater force Why are the bodies of Gentlemen of England and poor labouring men of divers dispositions Are they not both in one Countrey Do not the Stars shew their force in them alike Yes truly but the kinde of life and diet prevaileth In the same Region why are they which dwell upon hills of other temperatures then they which dwell upon plain and champion ground why do not the same influences of Starrs make them of like natures is it not because the nature of the soil prevaileth So then when as there be many causes effectuall and differing in altering mens bodies to build an argument upon one cause is most unreasonable 2. The starrs work upon the Elements earth water air by making heat cold moisture driness The elements how work they on mens bodies They will also say by making heat cold moisture drinesse which is most untrue for the hotter and dryer the Elements be the colder and moisture by nature are mens bodies According to the saying of Empedocles Nature placed a hot Body in a cold Countrey and a cold Body in a hot Countrey 3. The Philosophers say that all causes are either per se or per accidens Now the heavens being causes of the alteration of the senses per accidens they must not be causes of the inclination of the will either per se or per accidens but per accidentis accidens which is most ridiculous 4. This long chain by which they link the will of man to the starrs if it shall be applied unto particulars it must needs break for the actions of the will is buying selling travailing lying heaping up wealth murdering spreading of fals ruomrs offering of discourtesies hating of kinsfolks and such like which our Heaven-gazers foretell have no coherent with the first qualities heat cold moisture drinesse neither can they any way proceed from them and therefore the stars cannot be causes of them for they work onely by these qualities 5. This reason is nothing to their purpose for because they grant that a man may freely resist the inclination of the starrs and he may hinder that unto which the starrs bend his will how dare they presume to say this or that will come to pass The heathen men gave up themselves to their own lusts and vanities and followed every little and vain inclination and of them in this order did ancient Astrologers among them divine that this or that time such actions such vices such enterprises such affaires should be among them In like manner our English wise men speak of us as though we were beasts not reasonable men as though we never heard the blessed Gospel of God never tasted of the grace of God never learned what is good and what is bad never laboured to subdue our lusts and affections alwayes turned too and fro with the blast of any influence working very slenderly in us Thus much of Civil Affaires They make mention also yearly of the diseases which shall reign but the way which they follow is taken forth of the barren and uncertain rules of the old Astrologers who do so ascribe unto every Planet certain Diseases that if need shall requite they may referre the same disease unto any signicatours as in the Plague the putrefaction of humours is attributed unto Jupiter the sharp Feaver unto Mars the madnesse which followeth unto Mercury the whole Plague unto Mars In the Plurisie the inflammation of the bloud between the skin called Pluritis and the ribbs is attributed unto Jupiter the suppuration of the Bloud unto Saturn and the whole Plurisie unto Jupiter In the Jaundies the inflammation and corruption of humours unto Jupiter the yelow humour in the gaul unto Mars the obstruction of the parts unto Saturn the whole Jaundies being white unto Mars blak unto Saturn And so in every disease they use this inconstancy and ambiguity in Prognosticating It is a rule among the Astrologers that if the Planets signifiers of diseases be well affected then there shall be no diseases but health if they be evilly affected then diseases follow Our Prognosticatours never mark this rule but howsoever the Planets be affected they straightwayes pronounce that such diseases shall reign For example the last winter quarter it was said by one of them that the diseases which should afflict mens bodies were rheums coughs cold lasks swelling of the face and throat falling of the Colmel sore eyes deafness the stone gout dropsie green-sickness madness quartern feavers c. And all the Planets signifiers of diseases in the quarter were indifferent well affected wherfore thou hast not one cause to fear their threatnings but rather to be sorry for their continuall deceits wishing them minds that they may one day see their own folly Concerning the time when the constellations take their effects our Prognosticatours say that some take their effects the same year some not the same year but long after as great Conjunctions and Eclipses for they say if the Moon be eclipsed one hour she worketh her effect a moneth after if two hours two moneths after and the Sunn for every hour it is eclipsed taketh his effect an whole year after Truely this rule which they follow must needs be against all reason For why should not all conjunctions and oppositions of the Sunne and Moon disserre their effects as well as those conjuctions and oppositions in which the Sunne and Moon is eclipsed if they show forth their power immediatly after why should not these also do the same Moreover the Epignosticall Astrologers who have conferred the course of the heavens with Histories shew very manifestly that Eclipses do not deferr the time of working their spite upon the Earth In the year of our Lord 1419 the Sunne was
events Demonstrationes Mathematicae 〈◊〉 potâ—nâ—â—ssimae of which the Astrologers so confidently predict To tell me of Traditions that of old time for many generations upon such signs such events have come to passe is no more if Astrologers say true in that then what Conjurers teach and practise viz. draw such and such circles making these and those figures with using of this posture and that form of words and the spirit will rise at command which though true is called by the consent of all good men conjuring and is diabolicall because there can be no naturall reason given of it nor a divine rule to justifie it The application in a due proportion is obvious If thus therefore Judiciall Astrologers as ye call them do constantly in their practise transgresse against W. Ramsey's stateing the question in his said Epistle before his Christian Judiciall Astrology as with a strong contradiction in adjecto he calls it William hath little reason to weary the readers eyes and ears with irksome and nauseous repetition of that common rule liable enough to exception Abuse should not take away the use or that instance Heresies crept into Religion should not put away Religion We have a Bible for our Religion no Scripture for Judiciall Astrologie as before stated And other Astrology if they will have it so called that is naturall not meddling with the six particulars aforesaid as W. R. resolved the question will get them little credit the meer Naturall Philosopher will tell as much and gain them lesse money You heard afore by Austin of himself and others and by Master Perkins and M. Brigges in the Doctours Treatise of Demonologie that Astrology hath an innate tendency further and beyond an immoration within the bounds of Naturalls and therefore they repented of their studies in that way For that which constantly ends in unlawful practise argues the principles to be naught If a thing were once of good use but now of none but of much abuse that 's warrant for lawfull state-powers to remove it and Hezekiah's breaking in pieces the brazen Serpent will justifie it 2 Kings 18.4 So that in things not necessary the rule is Abuse must take away the use Yea in necessary things Paul would not eat flesh rather then offend his brother as Astrologie doth the generality of true godly men The judgements of God hang over a nation for the sins of Astrologers their clients a State permitting fearing that it will hasten judgement on the Nation as Saul at last favouring such kind a-stuff brought himself and the nation to great ruine If Astrologers can not as those among the Egyptians when Israel was in Egypt and those among the Chaldeans Judah being captivated in Babylon and those in the Roman Empire in the time of the ten Persecutions cause persecution as their practise hath been by testimony of histories yet their own impieties by that very Art and their seducing poor souls from fear and faith in God do greatly threaten a common calamity especially if connived at by the State So the Prophet Isa 2.6 Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob because they be replenished from the East with Soothsayers like the Philistims How home this reacheth Astrologers hath been discussed in the Doctours Demonologie Daemonol c. 10. §. 3. p. 124 125. Little therefore can be justly spoken for Judiciall Astrology more then to say 't is all drosse 't is all abuse 't is all as Austin saith A great Errour Yet W. Ramsey will make an Essay to justifie Judiciall Astrology if he can but in such a dialect as would make a wise man the rather believe that the Art is of the Devill because the Artists in their defence of it speak the language of the Devill Not Evil speakers or slanderers are saith the Apostle Devils 1 Tim. 3.11 where the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Not devils and 2 Tim. 3.3 false accusers the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Devils See the like phrase Tit. 2.3 So VV. R. here So some others in their Almanacks or Prognostications But my purpose concerning VVill. Ramsey's language at once for all to quit my hands of his words and be free for his matter is this 1. I shall most willingly give the day and Garland for railing and reviling gratis to VV. Ramsey It may be the poor miserable creature can speak no other language he knowing no more then what his Physicall and Astrologicall profession teach him which savour no other And if he be a Scot as some judge by his name then 't is proper for him to be infinite proud and opprobrious where he dreams he may domineer He thinks to use Virgils phrase ARIETE CREBRO as with the battery of the Ramshead rather to force the fort of the Doctours Demonologie then to winne it by the art and reason of School Polemicalls Rather as Alexander M. to cut the Gordian knot then solve it Quint. Curt. de vita Alex thereby as he said to delude the Oracle in case he could not fulfill it Doth VVill. Ramsey dream that he onely hath the wit to jeer or the sole liberty to rail in print or doth he dote that he is a man of that composure of person and parts that he is shot-free from all darts of Rhetorick Could I but match him in profanenesse of spirit and errour in judgement I could repay him home neer from all the Topicks of Rhetorick Cicero useth in his invective orations But as Chrysostome said I fear sin Yet he might especially pretending to predictions have prognosticated to himself that IF THE DOCTOVR SCORNED TO ANSVVER HIM some body else might shew VVilliam his folly least as Solomon saith he should be wise in his own conceit And might like a wise man with soft words but with arguments of steel endeavour to convince VVilliam of the viciousnesse of Astrology which God and all good men generally detest That VVilliam hath not taken the like sober modest serious way to defend his art it hath got him nothing It is to prudent men the sign of a bad cause that needs to be defended with bad words which perhaps may raise a great dust and cast a fogg before the eyes of men partially passionate but do loose with men of a pure judgement in the credit of the cause 2. I shall also passe over as not regarding his silly jests and jears unworthy nameing savouring of a light and slight spirit in him as if some PEG A RAMSEY guided his pen not VV. R. Gentleman 3. For his lifting and labouring to confute the Doctour puffing blowing and panting as if almost out of breath fetching his wind with As I hope and I believe and I do think so often repeated I have confuted the Doctour with his calling a main as he recovers his breath to the Reader in his Nota Nota Nota bene to attend I pitty both the man and the Reader that follows him that
they thus distinguish OURANOSCOPIE or URANOLOGIE or OURANOGRAPHIE the genus is either Astronomy or Astrology Alsted Eneycl l. 11. p. 1. c. 1. p. 4. c. 1. the species Astronomy is concerning the motion and measure of the Stars Astrologie handles of the effects of the Stars called also Prognosticall or Judiciall Astrologie Adde to these three untruths the impertinencies or equivocations of W. R. in this his 1. Section who having defined Naturall Astrology he puts quercs of the lawfull study of and Prognosticating by Astrologie By which if means Naturall he is extremely impertinent For the Doctour allows it as I have shewed onely he would have it called by another name as a part of another Science If he means Judiciall then he plainly equivocates defining one kind but prosecutes another Lastly VV. R. is what he was at first an avoucher of untruths so he began and so he concludes the Section saying That Astronomy is meerly vain and of no use without Astrologie Which is most false as his own Ptolomy witnessed afore and renowned Keckerman is his second who wrote a famous System of Astronomy declaring the excellent use thereof without handling of any Astrologie at all which Astronomy for me to commend here by the enumeration of its excellencies in particular were to carry water to the sea or hold a candle to the Sun I therefore leave all pure Astronomers Chronologers Geographers Navigatours c. to decry the false Assertion of VV. R. W. R. his SECT II. In answer to some cavils of M. Homes his wherein he denyeth Astrology to be warranted by Scripture proved to be erroneous and false Having thus painted forth the matter and form of the thing intended to be insisted on I come now to shew you what M. Homes his utmost power and malice against it is and first his blind zeal begins to shew it self in persuading the Reader it is condemned by the Scripture and no wise thereby tolerated his words are It is no where allowed in the Scripture under the notion of Astrology but every where spoken against as we shall see afterward and all that he can shew us and make us see is but six places of Scripture which is far from being worthy of the Title of a generall condemnation when there is none but knows the extent of the Scripture to consist of many half dozen Chapters nay of Books Ergo not every where condemned and those places neither but imagined by him to condemn Astrology when indeed they serve no whit at all for his purpose as in its due place shall be made appear But by the way is it every where condemned doth not the King and Prophet David say The heavens declare the glory of God Psal 19.1 and in another place The language of the stars which is the signification of the word Astrology 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the language of the stars and is it not allowed any where in Scripture under the notion of Astrology Is heard over all the earth or the uttermost parts thereof Psal 19.3 as if he had said there is no part free from the power of their influences for their power hath a generall extent over all Nations Kingdoms Countreys Provinces and Languages I pray who can restrain the sweet influences of the Pleiades Job 38.31 And did not the stars in their courses fight against Sisera Judg. 5.20 One of these places had been enough to have convinced him of great wickednesse in denying the Scripture doth any where allow of Astrology for if he never read these places then he is wicked and no lesse then wilfully wicked to conclude what he understands not if he hath perused them then most malicious to speak against truth I may even as well say diabolically wicked and that he teacheth rather the Doctrine of Devils for the Devils Doctrine is falshood and if he preacheth such gross lyes as these he is the Devils Preacher and not Astrologers neither is Astrology a Doctrine of Devils as shall he made clear to him before the closure of my Discourse as he in his 160. page line 21. is pleased to terme it So then now I hope the Reader doth clearly see these his first words of his Discourse to be meerly envious slanderous and malicious or at the best most ignorant for it will puzzle all his brains and M. Raunces nay and all that dare or will take their parts to make any one of those passages of Scripture he brings to confute or condemn Astrology to serve in the least for his turn as in its due place shall be cleared Then saith M. Homes As other things that are natural which are brought to countenance Astrology are not tolerated by the Encyclopaedia and general order and Seats of all Arts and Sciences within their own Spheres to be accounted Astrology For instance First saith he Some urge that we know the Tides of the Sea by the state of ☽ and Tempests by other Stars which I am confident M. Homes cannot deny but he will render himself more ridiculous then already which he endeavours to do thus These and of the like nature are properly handled in that part of natural Philosophy which we call Meteorology and so likewise are all fiery Meteors Comets c. and so by consequence are made an integrall part of Physicks for if you will say because of their external efficient cause viz. the Starrs they are to be handled as a part of Astrology by the same reason there will be left no such Science as natural Philosophy because all inferiour Bodies below the Moon as saith the great Philosopher Aristotle depend upon the superiour Celestial bodies of the Heavens In all which he doth but shew his great mistake in the ground of Astrology and his envie thereto for how can M. Homes prove this is a meer urging or an opinion of some that the ☽ is the cause of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea or that it is rather to be attributed to that part of natural Philosophy which is called Meteorologie and so consequently to be a part of Physicks when all the World knows that hath any experience or understanding in Astrology that he is as far from hitting the mark as if he had mist the Butt Wherefore for his better instruction for I see he is not so well verst in Astrology as he pretendeth or as one that is to condemn it should be I will make it appear to him that the ☽ is the absolute cause of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea and this is the opinion of all or most knowing and learned Writers both in this Art and other Sciences and not onely so but it is so clear to all the Learned that his great Friend Picus Mirandula which was a stronger Champion or at least more knowing in the Art then he against Astrology doth confess the ☽ to be the positive and sole cause thereof And thus if he have any understanding in the Art as by his writing I
in non-quoting or in quoting Non-ens But to clear mine integrity to the Reader it is in Aquinas 2 a. 2 ae Qu. 95. where Aquinas putting the Question whether the divination that is made by the Starrs be unlawfull 1. He saith SED CONTRAEST quod Augustinus c. That is That of Austin is against the lawfulness of Divination by Starrs Illos Planetarios quos Mathematicos vocant consulere non desidebam quod tamen Christiana vera pietas expellit damnat In 4. Confess I did not saith Austin desist consulting with the PLANETARIES whom they call MATHEMATICIANS c. which thing nevertheless Christian and true piety expelleth Conclusio Contingentium casualium per certitudinem divinatio superstitiosa illicica est and condemneth 2. Aquinas his CONCLUSION is To divine by the disposition of heavenly bodies as by a certainty touching contingent and casual things is superstitious and unlawfull c. 3. In his RESPONDEO Respondeo dicendum quòd sicut dictum est divinationi quae ex opinione fals vana procedit ingerit properatio daemonis ut hominum animos implicet vanitati aut falfitati Vanâ autem aut falsâ opinione utitur si quis ex consideratione stellarum futura velit praecognoicere quae per cas praecognosci non possunt Pst ergo considerandum quid per coelestium corporum inspectionem de futuris possunt pracognosci Et de his quidem quae ex necessitate eveniunt manisellum est quòd per confider tionem si ellarum possunt praecognosci sicut Astrologi praenanciant Eclipses futuras Non possent dispositiones motus corporum coelestium reduci in unam causam communem quae sit corporali Possunt autem reduci in unam causam communem quae est providentia divina Sed aliâ ratione disponuntur â— divina providentia moâ—us situs coelestium corporum aliâ ratione eventus contingentium futurorum quia illa disponuntur sâ—cumâ—ùm rationem necessitatis ut semper coâ—em modo proveniant hâ—â—c autem secundùm rationem contingentiae ut variabiliter contingant Unde non potest esse quòd ex inspectione syderum accipiatur praecognitio futurorum nisi sinut ex causis praecognoscuntur effectur Duplices autem effectus subtrahuntur causalitati coelestium corporum 1. quidem omnes effectus per accidens contingentes sive in rebus humanis sive in rebus naturalibus Quia ut probatur 6. Metaphens per accidens non habet causam praecipuè natualem cujusmodi est viâ—tus coelestium corporum Quia quod per accidens fit neque est ens propriè neque unum sieut quòd lapide cadente fiat Terraemotus Haec enim hujusmodi non sunt simpliciter unum sed simpliciter multa Operatio autem naturae semper terminatur ad aliquid unum sicut procedit ab uno principio quod est forma rei naturalis 2. Autem subtrahuntur causalitati coelestium corporum actus liberi arbitrii quod est facultas voluntatis rationis Intellectus enim sive ratio non est corpus nee actus corporis organici per consequens nec voluntas quae est in ratione 〈◊〉 patet per Philosophum in 3. de anim Nullum autem corpus potest imprimere in iem incorpoream Unde impossibile est quòd corpora coelestia diâ—ectè imprimant in intellectum voluntatem Hoc enim esset ponere intellectum non differre à sensu Unde corpora coelestia non possunt esse per se causa operationum liberi arbitrii possunt tamen ad hoc dispositivè inclinare in quamum imprimunt in corpus humanum per consequens in vires sensitivas quae sunt actus corporalium organorum quae inclinant ad humanos actus Quia tamen vires sensitivae obediunt rationi ut pater per Philosophum 3. de Anim. 1. Ethic. nulla necessipas ex hoc libero arbitrio imponitur sed contra inclinationem coelestium corporum homo potest per rationem operati Si quis ergo CONSIDERATIONE ASTRONUM UTATUR AD PRAECOGNOSCENDOS FUTUROS CASURALES VEL FORTUITOS EVENTUS AUT ETIAM AD COGNOSCENDUM PER CERTITUDIMEM FUTURA Oâ—ERA HOMINUM procedit hoc ex falsa vana opinione ET SIC OPERATIO DAE MONIS SE IMMISCET Unde erit divinatio SUPERSTITIOSA illicita upon that Conclusion he enlargeth much against Judicial Astrology the summ whereof to give it you in his own words is this DICENDVM quod c. i. e. We must say saith Aquinas as hath been said afore Art 1.2 the operation of the Devil doth pour in it self into that divination which proceeds from a false and vain opinion to the end that he may inwrap the mindes of men in vanity or falsehood And if any man will fore-know future things by the consideration of the Starrs which by them cannot be fore known he is the man that follows a vain and false opinion Therefore we must consider what of future things may be fore-known by inspection into the Starrs And indeed as concerning those things which come to pass by necessity it is manifest that they may be fore-known by consideration of the Stars as Astrologers do foretell Eclipses The dispositions and motions of the heavenly Bodies cannot be reduced unto one common cause which is natural but may be reduced unto one common cause which is divine providence But the motions and situations of the heavenly bodies are by divine providence disposed one way and the events of future contingencies another because the former are disposed according to the manner of necessity that they always come to pass and after the same manner But the later after the way of contingency that they happen variously From whence it cannot be that the foreknowledge of future things can be taken by inspection into the Starrs otherwise then as effects are fore-known by their causes Now there are two sorts of effects that are exempted from the efficacy of the celestial bodies 1. All effects that happen by accident whether in humane or natural things because as 't is proved in the sixth of Metaphysicks an entity by accident hath no cause especially natural such as is the vertue of heavenly bodies Because that which is by accident is neither an entity properly nor an oneness as for example whiles a stone is falling there is an Earthquake c. For these and the like things are not simply one but absolutely many Now the operation of Nature is always terminated unto some one thing even as it doth flow from one principle which is the natural form of the thing 2. The acts of free will which is a faculty of the will and reason are exempted from the efficacy of the heavenly bodies For the intellect or reason is neither a body nor the act of a corporeal organ and by consequence neither is the will which is within the reason as appears by the Philosopher in
his third Book of the soul Now no bodily thing can make an impression upon an incorporeal thing Whence it follows that IT IS IMPOSSIBLE THAT THE HEAVENLY BODIES CAN DIRECTLY MAKE AN IMPRESS VPON THE VNDERSTANDING AND THE WILL. For this were to make the understanding not to differ from sense From whence it follows that the heavenly bodies cannot be a cause per se of the actings of free will yet may they disposingly incline to this so farr as they impress upon mans body and by consequence upon the sensitive powers which are acts of the corporal organs which incline to humane acts Yet because THE SENSITIVE POWERS ARE OBEDIENT TO REASON as appears by the Philosopher in his 3. book of the soul and in his 1. book of Manners NO NECESSITY HEREBY IS IMPOSED UPON THE SPONTANEOUS WILL BUT A MAN CAN ACT CONTRARY TO THE INCLINATION OF THE CELESTIAL BODIES BY THE POWER OF HIS REASON Therefore IF ANY MAN shall make use of the CONSIDERATION OF THE STARRS to foreknow CASUAL or CONTINGENT EVENTS or also to know with certainty the FUTURE WORKS OF MEN this proceedeth from a false and vain opinion and so the OPERATION OF THE DEVIL INTERMINGLES IT SELF from whence the divination is SUPERSTITIOUS AND UNLAWFULL Thus farr Aquinas on whom commenting we have learned and profound Cajetan to boot Et ex his patet saith Cajetan quomodo intelligendum est c. that is By these it is apparent how we must understand that celestial bodies are not over-ruling our elections or free chusings and voluntary acts and how the consultation of Astrologers about the Nativities of men c. are condemned For if these things be applied for a certainty of knowledge of contingencies or which is the same thing if we must use such a figure of the Nativity c. as a law they are diabolical and condemned And this Austin intends in his fourth book of his Confessions But if they be onely to attain a conjecture of natural inclinations they are not evil With all know that albeit some truth may be had out of those things yet THE WAY OR MANNER OF THE CONJECTURE IS SO WEAK THAT IT IS SCARCELY A CONJECTURE And this because of humane ignorance of the greatest of Causes both Celestial and next Causes For the whole of that we know in these kinde of the things doth not deserve to be called A Part how small soever of those things we are ignorant of concerning the same as in relation to us and still daily are so ignorant untill the whole compleat course of heavenly bodies be once gone over Because the Starrs are unknown to us how they are one towards another and their motion is not compleated untill six and thirty thousand years be over I say that daily there is a new situation of the starry Heaven which situation yet hath never been considered unto which the Planets and Starrs being referred who can tell what causality they are clothed with or how they cause change or destroy I mention not the Calculation of Motions because perhaps it is impossible to have Instruments exactly to know the rising and setting of Starrs as I hear it from the Astrologers themselves As for W. R. alleadging Moses and Daniel he deserves rather a Ferula then an answer because the Doctour hath fully answered that those Saints were not judiciary Astrologers so that William could not here give us any solid reply William Ramsey's proof in this Section that Judiciary Astrology is not condemned by the Word of God is onely his passing his Word for it which is worth nothing for how unable he is to keep his Word will appear after His alleadging that God shews Blazing Starrs onely to Astrologers is a gross untruth confuted by thousands of the vulgar yet alive in England who saw the Blazing Starr many nights that appeared afore the Swedish Warrs in Germany For what hinders but Shepheards Sailers Watchmen c. illiterates should perceive that which is obvious to the common eyes of mankinde and distinguish a Comet from a Starr by his nearness motion and his feather or long tail And just as William proves here Judicial Astrology not to be condemned by the Word of God just so and no wiselier doth he prove it not impugned by Councils namely by bare facing it down with a bold forehead whiles that Councils to the contrary are in his sight that of necessity the Art must be allowed by Councils yet in the same place professeth his contempt of Councils if they be not of his minde Is this Williams proof of the lawfulness of Astrology by Councils To one of those Councils alleadged by the Doctour for he alleadged two in his Demonology and might have done more Will. can say nothing To the other he hoped he could W. Ram. is shamefully out in his LATIN See before in this Section at * but hath miserably disgraced himself in not construing a plain piece of Latin right For the words of the Council as Will. Ram. reports them Si quis animas corpora humana fatal bus stellis credit adstringi sicut Pagani Priscillianus dixerunt Anathema sit are according to true Grammar thus to be rendered If any one doth beleive the Souls and Bodies of Men to be bound to or necessitated by fatal Starrs as the Pagans and the Priscillâ—anists do let him be accursed So that if you compare Will. Ram. interpretation with this which is close according to the Latin you shall finde that he did not onely leave out something because it might prejudice him but which is the thing I mainly insist upon he doth interpret the Latin most falsely in the main thing which condemns any with Anathema that shall believe that the Starrs have a necessitating power over mens Bodies and Souls which in plain English is to believe the Astrologers to say true who in their practise so teach and by that undertake to predict humane events by their Judicial Astrology For the Philosophers Stone he hath little cause to call it Blessed seeing the attempts about it have undone Will. Ramseys father Testis M. Rowl Minister who lies in Prison by it Though the late King bore with his father defeating him of his expectation and of scores of pounds yet other men will not cannot bear such wrongs Nor hath Will. Ram. so blessed himself with his father skill and the Philosophers Stone as to enrich themselves and deliver him To his large alleadging the honour and antiquity of Astrology a brief answer will serve viz. 1. That till Will. Ramsey or his associates do produce some true Christians whiles such to have been practisers of Judicial Astrology all his instances amount but to the Proverb Ask my Fellows whether I be a Thief or to a self contradiction For the Astrologers W. R. W.L. c. when they see their advantage inveigh against godly and learned Ministers with the name of Priests and H.H. Vox coelorum in the behalf of Astrology saith
♄ in every seven years comes either to □ or ☠of his place in the Radix of Nativities And further know that if there be no danger as we finde by experience of some mens lives at these years they have either some of the beneficial Planets in their eighth House or the direction of the ascendant or Aphetical places are free from all impediment and affliction of the interficient and malignant Constellations Seventhly and lastly for Military Discipline History is full of Examples herein and for brevities sake because I will hasten to conclude this first Chapter that I may proceed to M. Homes his second Section I will here content my self with this one which the Indian Histories shew forth unto us which is that Columbus having the Art of Astrology and being in a straight for want of Victual together with the whole Army of the King of Spain Ferdinand and foreseeing an Eclipse of the ☽ within few dayes to happen threatned the Indians he would send infinite Plagues amongst them if they speedily relieved them not in token whereof they should at such a time see the ☽ light taken from them which they at first slighted but when they saw according to the former words that the Moon began to be darkned and grew so more and more and being ignorant of the cause thereof did not onely send them the Victual they formerly retained from them but also threw themselves at Columbus feet asking forgiveness So then ye have had as brief as may be shewn unto you what Astrology is that it is an Art and a lawfull Art allowed of by Scripture the antiquity of it and the utility of it there is it may be some Arts that may be beneficial or helpfull to another but you see both positively and conclusively that Astrology is generally helpfull to all Arts and Sciences nay what other Study in the whole World in this point is like it or able to compare with it SURVEY Will. Ramsey in his Title might well have excepted Divinity and Religion if he hath any and have distinguished of Astrology For sure the Art pretending to tell that the Thieves that committed the Robbery about Brainsford the last Summer that such a way the womans Cows were gone That Mistris his Sweet-heart would prove a Shrew with infinite the like that may be produced in time do not at all conduce to Natural Philosophy Physick c. which VVilliam reckons up It s ill a signe by VVill. Ramsey's manners that Astrology is profitable for Morality unless VVilliam will deny he hath any Astrology And therefore nor our Philosophers nor Aristotle the Prince of them mixed any directions out of Astrology in their Moral Philosophy As for the disposition of the minde VVilliam assured us in his Epistle to the Reader That the will of man is not subject to the influence of the Starrs And learned Huet in his EXAM INGEN tells us a readier way then by Starrs And of the body we know the temper farr better by experience of the effect then by conjecturals from causes if Starrs were any certain cause But VVill. Ramsey's Ptolomy in his first Book tells us among other causes of the uncertainty of Astrologicall Predictions That though bodies are affected by the Starrs yet the seed of generation may alter the case As for the predicting what hope a man may have by his own industry or otherways to get goods it doth little tend to Moral Philosophy and doth less appertain to Astrology if VVilliam be an honest man of his word in his particulars he layes down in his Epistle to the Reader before enumerated of Natural Philosophy I have several times shewed VVilliam that the thing of natural Astrology is a part judicial non-ens or worse And without either thousands of people that are no Astrologers or Philosophers excellently well know God to be the Creator and upholder of all things whiles Philosophers and Astrologers have turned Atheists or worse Rom. 1. To say the Starrs alot every mans prefixed time of life is to intrench upon Gods Decree and Providence and to avouch a fatal necessity in the influence of the Starrs with which VVilliam promised us in his Epistle to the Reader his Astrology should not meddle His great Preamble of the usefulness of Astrology for Physick amounts to thus much upon experience 1. That there are in this Nation many Christian learned and succesfull Physicians who are neither well-skill'd nor well-will'd to VV.R. his Astrology If need be we can give him their names 2. That the matter of Will. Ramsey his Judicial Astrology being humane events as whether a man shall be rich and c. as before he expressed and his Brethrens writings and practise do testifie the natural judgement upon mens bodies is quite hereto general from it 3. That thousands of English men yea the most of the common people that are no Physicians do well know yea feel without the help of Ramseyan Astrology that the Canicular dayes c. are not the best times for taking Physick unless upon great extremity and therefore are no Fools His great clattering together of the names of Hippocrates Galen Fernelius and Ficinus is but a Scar-crow to scare silly birds I mean weak-headed Youths from the truth and a juggle to conjure them into his Circles by Charmes they cannot understand For William according to his manner of unfair dealing doth neither quote their words nor the place where they so speak as he intimates And though we have hunted after him and beat the thickets yet we can finde no such thing But this we finde 1. That Hippocrates saith of Astronomy nothing of Astrology that it is not altogether unusefull for the faculty of Physick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his Dialect i◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But how doth he there make it out Surely onely thus Because saith Hippocrates together with the times of the year the ventricles of men receive a change and so goes on of the difference in health the variety of windes may make Now judge understanding Reader how little this makes for Judicial Astrology 2. Gallen the Commentary upon him to omit the Sophisticum quoted by Alsted in Astrology that doth so much anger Will. Ramsey saith onely this to that point Coelum in his verbis c. i. e. Hippocrates in these words doth put Heaven as the cause of all vulgar diseases yet De Aēere locis Aliquis Sect. 3. differt inquit Xenophon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Galen in 1. l. Hip. de morbis vulgaribus saith Gallen correcting his Master sometimes the drinking of corrupt water may cause an universal disease And then goes on to discourse of the severall diseases that befall men in the four quarters of the years distinguishing those quarters by the rising and setting of severall Starrs or Constellations proper to them Which is all the hint we have in Gallen to the point in hand 'T is true the Index puts high titles and
Discourse about the Celestial Signes askt him if he ever were there he knew them so well or ever had any hope to come thither he did lye so much For is it possible saith he that you can truly know what is in Heaven or what is done there when in your absence you cannot see or know what is done at home But these are onely Jests put upon them not Arguments to confute them but I will prove there are no such things in Heaven as these they talk and shew the Reason why they feign such things to be in Heaven As the diversities of the Circles described in the Spheres are meerly imaginary so the division of the Zodiack is not material or of the first Creation but onely feigned by the will and arbitrement of Astrologers that thereby they may know the Beginnings and the End of the Heavens motion And the reason that they divide the Zodiack into twelve Signes neither more or less and that every Sign is divided into thirty Degrees and every Degree into sixty Minutes is because this Number is most fit for Calculations as the Astrologers themselves do witness as Hales Avenradon on the Exposition of Ptolomy and Abraham Avenozra in his Book of Astrological Reasons so that they might if it had pleased them have divided the Zodiack into more or fewer parts but they would not which Division is clean contrary to the Doctrine of the Caldeans for they teach that there are not twelve Signes but eleven Images so couple Libra and Scorpio together A man cannot alleadge a stronger Reason not to believe these Astrologers and artless Empericks then the strange opinions they hold and to hear how stoutly most of them will defend the gross absurdities of many Philosophers and Astronomers For do you not think Eudoxus and Aratus were mad when they would boldly affirm Aug. de Civ Dei that they knew how many Stars were in Heaven and the Names and Operation of them all Were not the ancient Astronomers out of their wits that held the Stars were stuck on the Roof of Heaven no otherwise then artificial Stars on the top of some sumptuous building Was it not a foundness in that Epicure that did certainly believe that when the Stars did shine in the Night that then they were but kindled of God and when they did vanish away by the approach of the Day that then they were quencht by him As if we would say when we see a man then he is born but when he is out of our sight then he is dead What an absurdity was it in Origen to affirm that the Sun and the Moon and the rest of the Stars were living Creatures being capable both of our Vices and Virtues grounding his wak argument upon the words of Job Laectant coufur hanc opinionem in lib. 1. Inst c. 5. who said That the Stars were not pure in in the sight of God which was not meant or spoken as they were rationable Creatures but as they were glorious Stars and of a most excellent and full brightness who although they were never so tralucent and bright yet they were but dim in the sight of their Maker Therefore in my minde what Astrologers or Astronomers soever they be that think Stars rationable Creatures are worthy to be accounted most unreasonable and sensless themselves What a vanity was it in that Astronomer that held that Stars had their motion from themselves which is most absurd for if a Star is moved by it self then Nature is defective which never gave any Figure or Organ to any Star for such a Motion But Nature never was defective in any thing doth not abound in superfluous things or doth any thing in vain Therefore we must conclude no Star hath the motion from it self but hath it from God Motue Stella rum that is the true prime Motor all the wise and learned Philosophers have so much talked of What an Errour is it in some again that doubt whether the World be Spherical or round or not which doubt is most vain and idle for this sensible World was made according to the example and similitude of the Intellectual the Arch Type and Idea of the Divine Minde in which is neither Beginning nor End Boetius de consolat lib. 3. Plato Mercus rius Tresmegistus such as you may perceive in a Spherical Figure Again it may be argued mathematically thus that it is a fit thing for that Body that contains within it all things should have the most capable Figure which is is Spherical Was it not a great oversight in Cicero Plato and many other Philosophers to believe that there is a musical consent and sound wrought by the ordinary motion of the Stars and Planets which cannot be Ambros lib. 2. for the celestial and superiour part of Heaven hath no Air in it without which there can be no sound made neither do celestial Bodies while they move in their Spheres touch any hard or harsh thing as the Finger doth the Lute or Harp which is the cause of such musical and harmonious Raptures Also to what purpose was it in many Writers to hold a difference whereabout the middle of the Earth should be But I fear I have erred too far out of the path I am bound to follow therefore I will come into it again There cannot be a greater argument of the falseness of Astrologers then the leadly Antypathy that is between them concerning the Art it self for some of them hold that the Degrees Planets Qualities Apparances Ends Exaltations Diversitatis qualtatum influentiarum Coeli ab effectihuâ— cognocuntur and Fallings they attribute to the Planets may be attained to by the diligent observation of the Effects of the Heavens who by degrees may come to the knowledge of the Causes for they think that in the beginning of the world God gave Men so long Lives that they might give their Mindes to Speculation whereby they might finde out Astronomy Astrology and such Arts and Sciences which require a long large and exact experience In this I believe they say true for some say it is a sin to bely the Devil by long observation they may learn many Experiments concerning Astrology yet if by meer experience they had attained to the Principles then not once but often they should have observed the same Constellation which is opposite to the Tenent of most of them who hold that the same Constellation cannot appear wholly again unless it be after the revolution of many thousand years and if they could perceive them sooner yet doth it not suffice to observe the same particular Constellation because seeing the influence of no Star tends upward it is decreed by Astrologers that it is uncertain whether the experimental effect is to be ascribed to this or that Planet unless by chance it be to the Sun or Moon which are often proposed to us in operation when oftentimes they are the influence of a lesser Star although
those therefore that would know their fortunes Calendarium veâ—â—m perpeiuum to look to that everlasting Calendar the sacred Bible for the Astrology they shall learn there never tels false but will certifie them that the cause of their ill fortunes is their sins and the good the Mercies of God that will tell them of the nature of Summer that is of their Resurrection and Salvation and the true condition of VVinter that is Death and Damnation If they study this Book they will quickly learn to be excellent Calculatours and learn what will become of them if they do ill and what if they live well it will tell them the Causes and the Cures of every Disease that doth infect the Soul Yet for all this it is the true condition rather superstition of the world to put their confidence rather in Astrological fallacies then in the Holy Ghosts verities drawing from the Stars the Events of future contingencies ascribing what good soever befals us to the influence of some lucky Planet and not to Gods Mercies and what mischief soever to the position of some malevolent Star and not to our sins we put our confidence in Astrologers StarsÌ„ and Planets for a few experiences and never hate for their innumerable fallacies but this is especially hereditary to Women because by succession it came from their Mother Eve who by her vice of curiosity or levity or admirable facility rather then fatuity was deceived by the Serpent in defiring to know future things which folly descends naturally to Women who will rather believe a Mathematician then a Divine so that these Calculatours if among a hundred Errours they happen but upon one Truth then without any suspition they may lie a thousand times after yet these foolish credulous Francis Peirar and Apple-eating Women will believe them Sebastian that writ bitterly against Astrologers saith it is an Art against the Law of God and full of deceit and villany For saith he Go to any Doctour of the Mathematicks an tell him thou hast had very ill luck all thy life time and desire him to tell thee under what Planet thou wert born and no doubt his Answer will be that thou wert born either under malitious Mars or that Saturn was Apostolical and Retrograde when you have been with him then go to another and tell him that you have had very good fortune and desire him to tell thee what Star reigned at thy birth and it will be very strange if he do not tell thee as the first did either under Mars or Saturn who to prove himself an Artist will turn over huge Volumes by which he will shew that it is nocessary that you must have good fortune being born under those Stars the first said were ill and in a Circle drawn together in every part by which he will take divers and sundry occasions to speak any thing Now if they chance to miss any thing in their predictions they have a pretty evasion to shun the suspition of Lying which they draw from the interrogatory part of Astrology The opinion of Astrologers is when the minde of Man is spurred to the desire of knowing any thing that suddenly it cannot be done by election or consultation but the influence of the Constellation that hour consisting in Heaven And when any man consults with an Astrologer by a figure in Heaven the hour of interrogation being found out the Astrologer can answer truly of any thing sought for or demanded As whether an absent Friend be alive or dead if a Legate or Messenger that is sent into any Countrey shall return home again safe and well and whether he will dispatch that matter he went about prosperously and an innumerable many of other things that humane curiosity doth doubt of to which sometimes they may answer truly although they often lie and are never found fault with for it for they have found out a way whereby they can sufficiently excuse themselves to those that are ignorant and simple in these things For they say that if any man being doubtfull of any thing doth with a natural motion and radical intention ask them any thing that then they can resolve them of any Question they ask Now if they miss and cannot answer directly and truly to what was propounded to them then they say that he that askt that Question did it not with any natural motion or any firm or radical intention to be resolved but onely to try their Art Thus oftentimes they deceive and are deceived in their Answers not by the defect that is in their Art but by the levity of him that did ask the Question and thus they excuse themselves which are meer Tricks for Evasion and haue no ground at all from Reason But I admire what Excuse the Egyptian and Chaldean Astrologers could finde Chaldaei Astrologi Nobuchodonosor somnium dicere nequierunt when among such an infinite number of them not one of them could truly answer touching the Dreams of Pharaoh and Nabuchadnezzar when Joseph and Daniel could answer directly Aegyptiaci Divinatores somnium Pharaonis dicere non potuerunt Do you think this was done by any inspection or peeping into an Astrolobe or observing any Constellation No for it was done by the revelation of Almighty God therefore it was past the Rules of your Art There is another neat Delusion whereby they benefit themselves very much which is by the observations of the Heavens to know if it be fit or convenient for a man to travell or do any other business in which is most superstitious and diabolical For they will not have a man eat drink be merry take Physick or travell marry joyn friendship send forth a Messenger buy sell put on new Clothes begin the Alchymists work set Boyes to School go to Law hawk hunt fish or go to the Bathe but they will have them to do it under some Constellation and will set forth Rules when to do these things and when not If they can do these things I wonder they do not set forth a Rule and chuse an Hour and Constellation under which a man may die well and avoid Hell-fire and enjoy the Joys of Heaven but I think their Art hath nothing to do with this Yet I will not deny but that the influences of the Stars have an operation in the differences of Bodies for what is more belonging to the Body then to exercise Husbandry to cut down Timber for Building while it is not too full of Sap and to observe the Times and Seasons when they should be done But those observers of Time are to be laught at that will not go out of their house before they have had counsel of their Almanack and will rather have their house fall on their heads then stir if they note some natural effect about the motion of the Air which they suppose will vary the lucky blasts of the Stars that will not marry or traffick or do the like but
it not come to pass Have not many men by the damnable Tricks they have seen in Catchpoles foretold that they would prove Knaves and hath it not been true Yet these are but meer Conjectures Again Astrologers boast they can divine which is most false for the Prophets themselves foretelling of future things by Revelation of God did not divine but prophesie for Divination is always taken in the worst part because in it the operation of the Devil doth always come Lib. 2. For Bonaventure saith to ask counsel of the Devil is a great mischief The species of Divination by which they can fortell of future things are many Sometimes they do it by plain invocation of the Devil Pr stit zâ—m who with their execrable Exorcismes Conjurations Characters and Figures and divers other Ceremonies and to speak more truly Sacrifices at divers times do call the Devil to give them Answers who by divers manners and forms appear to them who as subtlely and deceitfully doth answer to those Questions propounded to them as may appear by these Examples Pope Sylvester the second that with small Learning had attained to his Pontificalibus being greedy long to enjoy that Sea by this devilish kinde of Conjuration raised up the Devil Papa Pater Polyd. Virg. l. 5. de rerum inventione and ask this Counsel how long he should live To whom the Devil answered that if he did take heed of Jerusalem he should live a long time Pope Silvester now thought himself long lived because he determined never to see Jerusalem but four years after he came to his Pallace of Sanctae Crucis he lay in a Chamber unknown to himself called Jerusalem then instantly being mindfull of the Devils Answer he said that he should as he did not live long after Also Alexander the sixth Guiâ—c whom the Devil did help to his Popedome promising him that he should live Decem Octo in his Popedome upon Composition that he should be his after that time was expired Now these Numbers were over generally expounded of Alexander touching his Years for he supposed the Devil meant by Nine and Ten Nineteen Years when the Devil meant but Nine Years and Ten Moneths which was much about the time he came to claim his Right of the holy Father Also Albertus Scotus doubting of his fortunes raised up the Devil and asked him Lord of Placeny tia concerning the security of himself and his state to whom the Devil thus subtilly and intricately answered Domine stes securus inimici tui suaviter intrabunt terram subjicientur Domuitui which as the words now lie bear this interpretation in English Sir you shall stand secure thy Enemies shall peaceably enter into thy Kingdom but shall be subject to thy house Therefore he did hope well of this Answer and made no doubt of the Victory but the Devil did not promise him the Victory but the Overthrow and meant thus Domi ne stes securus so did divide the word Domine into Domi ne again inimici tui sua vi ter intrabunt terram subjicient ur that is ignem Domui tui so the Devil did expound it thus any man else would do the syllables being so divided and cut a pieces Thou shalt not stand secure at home thy Enemies three times 〈…〉 their Forces shall enter upon thy Land and shall overcome with fire and so was Albertus deluded Also the Oracles of Apollo were but meer Witchcrafts and delusions of the Devil giving Answers from a hollow place of the Temple after the Priests had sacrificed to him who did most commonly speak nothing but Amphibologias nodosas flexiloqua responsa deceiving many that came to it because his Answer did still include a double sense so that if a man did reade over all Chrysippus Volumes concerning the Oracle of Apollo he should not finde one Answer but did include a twofold meaning of which I think it not impertinent to remember two or three of them Francis Petrach maketh mention in his Morals that Nero asking counsel of Apollo at Delphos desiring to know how long he should live this Answer was made him Lib. de Mora. that if he did take heed of seventy three years he should live a long time When Nero did hear this Answer such a security did rock him a sleep that fearing nothing he did glut himself in delight because he thought he should not die before the prefixed time of the Oracle so that his minde was ravished down the swift Torrent of an insolent vanity and vain insolency pampering himself with high Diet Musick and delights that please his Senses but being in the Meridian of his happiness in a minute he was flung down into the Dungeon of Disgrace for he heard the popular Voice curse the Name of Nero and celebrate the Name of Galba by whom he was disceptered and who at that time was just seventy and three Years of Age. But one of the prettiest Tricks the Devil plaied by his Oracle Valerius Maximus makes mention of for he reporteth that a Sophister to make himself merry came to laugh at the Oracle of Apollo in Delphos and askt him if he should finde his Horse he had lost To whom the Oracle answered that he should finde his Horse again but if he did not take heed he would take him such a kick that would break his Neck At this Answer of the Oracle the Sophister went away laughing because it promised him to finde a Horse he never lost But as he travelled into his own Countrey he fell into the hands of King Attalus to whom in former Time he had done some wrong and was commanded by him to be set upon a Stone called Equus a Horse from whence he was flung headlong down and brake his Neck fulfilling the Oracle of Apollo Thus much for the Devil his Oracles Cui nomen erat Equi which always were some such cunning Delusions whose end was commonly mischief Sometimes you dodiuine by Dreams and that is called per somnia Natural Philosophy and Divinity do manifest the cause of Dreams Somnium Dreams sometime proceed froÌ„ the fulness or emptiness of the Belly sometimes by illusion sometimes by revelation and sometimes by cogitation and revelation Also the divers habitudes of the Body doth administer divers causes of Dreams so that melancholly men often dream of horrible and fearfull shapes and forms of Devils Chollerick men of cutting Throats of Quarrels of Stratagems and firing of Cities Phlegmatick men often dream that they are in fear of drowning and sometimes dream a sweeter Dream then this that they are eating Honey which is caused by the Phlegme which is naturally sweet distilling to the pallate of the mouth Incubus morbus noctu quiescentes infestans quum scil cet externa quadam vis quiescentes videtur evadera viluti suo pondere pressos gravare Nasciiur hoc morbigenus copia vaporum exvoraeuaie cruditate 〈◊〉
maketh his creatures to serve our turns But this must be noted as I said before that in all these secondary causes beside their naturall work which God hath given them there is also the speciall work of God his speciall hand shewed God worketh not by second causes as Magistrates govern their Common Wealths by their inferiour officers For they so govern by them that they do nothing or very little themselves and peradventure never know what is done God governeth not the world so but in every particular work he hath his particular stroke That the thunder burneth moveth hurteth it is the generall providence of God but that it burneth or hurteth this or that man on this or that part in this or that manner it is the special providence of the same God The Lord hath shewed his speciall providence in one excellent example If the hatchet saith God fall forth of the hand of him which loppeth the tree and kill a man in the way I the Lord have killed him God also governeth the world immediately and his providence worketh without means and many things he bringeth to pass against all means which is manifest by that of Matthew Man liveth not by bread onely but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God Now to come to our Prognosticatours and Moon-prophets how shall they be able to know what will come to pass hereafter For first the Heavens being onely one particular Instrument of Gods providence amongst many they cannot certainly and truly say this thing or that thing proceedeth from the Heavens Secondly they cannot determine whether God in extraordinary matters as Plague Famine Barrenness distempered Weather Earthquakes Wars c. Doth work immediately or with means if with means they cannot determine whether the Heavens or Angels or men or any other things be the means of his providence Thirdly if they were able to know what the Heaven worketh naturally yet they were never the better for God beside the power of the Heavens hath in all things his particular working providence altering and framing and bending as Wax his Instruments to his good will The third Reason the want of experience If our Prognosticators have any means to foretell things to come they have those means either without experience or with experience if they have them without experience then must thou account all which they do to be foolish Dreams and deceit For all kinde of humane Learning which is profitable and hath use in the Life of Man is taken from often observations and experience If it be said that they have their Directions in prognosticating from experience and that of all times I will convince them thus True experience of the Causes of Things is an often observing of the Effects of the same Causes with this Ground that they can proceed from no other thing The Physician saith Rheubarde doth purge Choller Well how knoweth he this he hath often tried this and that in old men young men children and hath found that in the Bodies of all Men the Cause of purging this Humour could be ascribed to nothing else Wherefore he may peremptorily conclude Rheubarde purgeth Choller Our Prognosticatours in the Heavens can have no such experience For they cannot observe often the same position of Stars in the Heaven The order and cause of the fixed Stars and Planets which we finde in the Heavens this day the next day will be changed and never the like again They will say in deed although the same position of the whole Heaven never happen yet the same Conjunctions of notable Stars the same Risings and Settings and the same Constellations of the chiefest Stars are marked often I say again that when these Eclipses and great Conjunctions happen the rest of the Stars being otherwise affected then they were before and having new Positions may either increase or diminish their Effects or else hinder them and quite take them away As we see when the Sun casting his beams into a Chamber the light of Candles and Torches and Fires do make it shine dim yet these being absent it will shine bright Again they are not able to say that Constellations which they have marked are Causes of those Effects which follow as Wars Diseases distempered Weather Earthquakes Famine c. For in those things which happen together the one is not the cause of the other When Nero played upon his Harp Rome was on fire yet Nero's playing on the Harp was no Cause of the burning of Rome Also these Effects may have other Causes in the Heaven then those which they mark and they may come immediately from God they may come onely from the will of man wherefore seeing that they cannot assure themselves that those Eclipses and Conjunctions are the Works of such Effects upon Earth and they cannot have often Observations of the course of Heaven their Rules of Predictions are feigned and supposed and not built upon true experience Let a man which knoweth not one Herb take all kindes of Herbs and put them into a great Vessel yet so that there be more of some Herbs and less of other some let him beat them all together and make a compound virtue of all their virtues Can he now tell the nature and operation of every particular Herb Can he divide and sever by any help the virtue of one Herb from another No indeed The same thing may be said of the Stars of Heaven all their Lights and all their influences as they term it are in the lower Bodies more plainly every earthly Body hath in it all the secret powers and working of every particular Star so that they make as it were a compound operation rising of all or of the most of their virtues joyned together for the Astrologers hold that although the Light may be hindred by the thickness of the Body yet the heavenly influence pierceth through all Therefore they are not able to sever and learn the nature of these Stars except they can stop the influence of what Stars they list and bring them into what compass they will Yet thus much I will grant them that they may have a little knowledge of the virtue of the Sun and Moon and some other Stars as we see those Herbs in the former composition whose virtues be the chiefest though not fully yet somewhat do represent their nature and shew themselves above the rest But what is this to the purpose If I confess the operations of the Sun and Moon If I shall grant that Saturn is in nature cold and dry Jupiter warm and moist Mars hot and dry Venus cold and moist Mercury in nature mixt the notable fixed Stars in the Zodiack to be of the nature of the Planets and to have manifest operations as the rising of the Dog to make heat and tempestuous Seas the rising of Arcturus to make rain and showres Pleiades to be of the nature of Mars and the Moon c. what will all this suffice to make a
say that it is dangerous to box to sear that part or to let bloud in it which is subject to the dominion of that Sign All these are nothing but vain Fables as I will manifestly prove 1. Whereas they call it an Anatomy me thinks it is a butcherly Anatomy nay that of the Butchers is far better for they joyn Head and Appurtenance together these men being sparing give Aries the Head Leo and Cancer the Heart and Lungs As for the Liver I know not which Sign hath it peradventure in old time men had no Livers At the Anatomy of a Carrian Crows deal friendly for every one hath somewhat but in the division of Man's Body Signes play foul play for Capricorn hath got nothing but a pair of Knees It is like that the Signes scrambling for their portions Capricorn being slow got nothing hereupon compassion being had there was a gathering made and Sagittarius gave the lower part of the Thigh Aquarius the higher part of the Legg which both together make the Knee But to deliver thee without all doubt mark these reasons which follow I. The signs cannot have any such dominion over mans body I make it manifest thus There is no corporall heaven in deed above the firmament yet because the firmament or eighth Sphear hath many motions to give reasons to those motions the Astronomers have feigned two heavens above the firmament the Christaline heaven and the first moveable or tenth Sphear which they divide into twelve parts which parts they call signs Now I pray you tell me The 12. Signs feigned is it possible to conceive that an imagined part of any imagined heaven void of all stars shall either have in it self or give unto other Stars power to govern the parts of mans body More reasonable was that man who being asked what was the cause of the sands in Sandwitch haven he answered the building up of Tenterton Steeple Secondly the government of the Signs in the body is not taken from experience in nature but feigned long ago by some drowsie pate and now because it hath a cloak of antiquity it is allowed More naturall was this kinde of way that hot signs should govern hot parts cold signs cold parts earthly signs earthly parts So Aries should govern the heart and the vitall bloud not the head and the rest of the signs those parts which are of their nature and disposition Thirdly great experience of many men daily confuteth this rule For many learned Physicians and expert Chirurgians have by infinite examples found that if a man be let bloud in the sign or lanched or boxed or seared no harm ensueth nay they have given testimony that the patients have found even then great comfort Wherefore let not these things trouble thy mind any more but let them be numbred even amongst vain and unprofitable fables 2. Next after followeth Elections of dayes and hours necessary for all matters as followeth Speciall dayes to Prepare humours Let bloud Purge with Vomit Purge with Electuaries Purge with Potions Purge with Pills Cut hair Comfort the virtue Attractive Comfort the virtue Digestive Comfort the virtue Retentive Comfort the virtue Expulsive Bathe Put children to School Travell Marry Hunt Hauke Fish Plant. Geld Cattell Lay foundations Here I pray thee mark their naughty dealings how they abuse thy ignorance to make themselves skilfull and to do more then they can do For if the judgements of the best Astrologers may be taken certainly most of these elections cannot be prescribed to thee unlesse they know before hand the figure of thy Nativity For all Election which concern thy person must be moderated to speak as plainly as their toyes will suffer me by the direction of the root of thy Nativity and by the monethly and diurnall progressions of thy present Revolution If any of these pretend some evill the particular election may be a means to increase and to bring it to passe For example suppose thou being a man toward marriage in the Almanack thou findest a good day noted by the Prognosticatour to marry in thou takest thy opportunity after a while thou art weary of thy life the first day of thy marriage was the last day of thy joy What is the cause of this All the Planets which were signifiers of thy marriage in thy nativity were then evilly affected and peradventure also at the first thou wast born they received some disgrace So then thou mayest lay all blame partly upon thy self for believing and partly upon the Prognasticatour who deceived thee But to come unto particulars the elections of dayes to purge the body with any kind of purgation and to comfort the same are most rediculous Why do they not also prescribe hours of eating meat Why do they not appoint the kinds of meats and drinks which we must eat and use daily If thou see that God doth daily blesse the enterprises of those Physicians which never regard those elections in ministring to their patients never esteem of them let them go as lyes to the Devil from whence they came Concerning the elections of dayes to sowe to sett to plant to lop they are also foolish the generall observation of the season of the year in which these things are to be done is sufficient And S. Augustine in his book de civitate Dei laugheth at the folly of them which choose particular dayes to do their husbandry as though some certain positions of stars had some speciall influence to the things which are sown then His reason is because many grains of corn being cast into the ground together springing up together and riping all at one time yet some of them are blasted some are eaten of birds some are trodden down under foot some stand and are never touched The rest of the elections and especially that of laying foundations is most absurd They say that if an house a city a town have his foundation when the stars be well affected the inhabitants shall have prosperous and quiet living if when the starres be evil disposed then trouble and disquietnesse They have no experience of this but that onely which is most false for they know not the foundations of cities and towns neither the positions of the Stars when they were built Let Rome and Venice be examples because these are most alledged of Astrologers the time in which they were built is uncertain and the Planets are falsly set in the figure of the foundation of Rome because Mercury is contrary to the Sun a thing flat impossible Again the folly of this is thus manifest that an house or city or common-wealth may remain the people being gone as it is in the time of plague and banishment and conquests of Princes And the inhabitants also may be safe and remain the building quite ransumed and beaten down as we may see in Carthage the people and common-wealth remained the Citie quite defaced That all elections are unlawfull Saint Augustine wrighting unto Januarius proveth it forth
in the time of ripenesse the Sunne is alwayes in Libra we must needs also say that his place in the creation was in Libra In the 23. of Exodus God commandeth that the Feast of Tabernacles should be celebrated in the end of the year when the Israelites had gathered their fruits out of the fields Wherefore it must needs be that Harvest was in the beginning of the yeare the beginning and ending being both together and so by counting backwards we shall finde that the Sunne was in Libra in the beginning of the World To this agreeth Josephus de antiquitate Lib. 1. cap. 3. Rabbi Eleazar upon Genesis and Rabbi Abraham Aben Esra upon the 7. of Daniel The rest of the dignities of the Planets consist of principles more weak then water First what is more unreasonable to a reasonable man then this that swift motion should give unto a Planet two dignities and slow motion two debilities it seemeth to be plain contrary For a swift course hindereth the force of the Planet a flow course helpeth the same and the stations of any Planet make an effectuall and sensible operation A cole of fire in a mans hand if it be shaken about very much it heateth very little if it be shaken more slowly it heateth more but if it ly still it burneth violently Beside this also experience confirmeth my Assertion In the year of our Lord 1513. the Sun entering into Pisces was almost in Trine Aspect with Saturn stationary a little while after there was a great Frost and Snow continuing many dayes and when Saturn began again to be direct the Weather was indifferent warm In the year 1518. In April Jupiter almost in secunda statione beholding Saturn in statione prima caused a great heat considering the time of the year In the year 1520. Saturn as I said before being stationary made such a cold that spoiled the Grapes and made Wine dear Upon these Examples and many other I may conclude that the work and influence of Planets is most felt when they are stationary because their virtue is fixed as it were in one place by reason of the slow motion Combustion is in like sort a feigned thing What reason can Astrologers give why it should give unto a star 5 debilities They talk how that experience teacheth them that Planets being under the beams of the Sun do lose a great nay some say all their force It is a manifest untruth For Mercury being of the nature of that Planet with which he is conjoyned if he go from conjunction with Saturn unto the Sun he getteth no debilities thereby but rather losing the feeble and unfortunate nature of Saturn receiveth a more strong and fortunate nature of the Sun If any man say against me that Mercury combust hath no force he deceiveth himself For if he be not hindered he naturally will cause Windes being combust he not onely engendreth Windes but causeth tempestuous Windes and foul Weather In Aries Taurus Cancer he maketh Tempests in Virgo and Scorpius raging Seas in Sagittarius Capricornus Aquarius and Pisces Rain and Snow Again when many days together there hath been fair weather the Sun if it come to be in conjunction or any other Aspect with Saturn maketh very foul Weather and therefore the Aspects of the Sun and Jupiter are called Apertiones portarum per pluvia This could not come to pass if Saturn had his force diminished by the beams of the Sun A Planet also being in Cazimi that is being within sixteen minutes of the Sun 's middle hath thereby five Dignities which cannot well be if that Combustion give five Debilities For the Planet is in the middle of his Combustion and the Sun casteth his beams and force very vehemently upon it These Suns shew how absurd a dream Combustion is yet if it were a good and sound principle of Astrology and gave unto every Planet five Debilities yet it could not be proved that liberty from Combustion should give five Dignities being onely a meer absence and privation of the other Magnes at the presence of the Adamant is hindred from drawing Iron yet if the Adamant be away the attractive virtue of the Magnes is not increased Here I might with ease confute the triplicities of Planets Directions Aspects Applications Preventions Refrenations with many such like but my intent at this time is onely to shew thee some untruths of our Prognosticatours Thus much of the Grounds of their Predictions now follow the matters of which they prognosticate and they are very many nay there is no matter almost of which they will not give their verdict but how they do this I will briefly make it manifest unto thee that their Lies and their unchristian dealing may be more loathed of thee 1. They foretell of Comets Earthquakes Famines and Plagues c. but they do it as the blinde man which casteth his staff he knoweth not where No man as yet ever knew the true Causes of these As for Comets and Blazing stars they do not rise of the influence of any stars neither are they any earthly things but are in Heaven most commonly far above the Moon as by Geometrical and Astronomical Demonstrations may be proved how this cometh to pass the Lord onely knoweth And surely they do thee great injury that when as no doubt God doth lighten them and send the rest extraordinarily as threatning tokens of his sore displeasure yet they will rock thee asleep in the Cradle of security by telling that such tokens came from the ordinary course of the Heavens 2. They foretell all things which happen in civil affairs amongst men as these which follow As Love and hatred of Kinsfolk Marriages Increase of Farmes and Livings Injuries and Quarrels Raising of Rents Exacting of Subsidies by Officers False Rumours Imprisonments Hard intreating of Ecclesiastical Persons Buying selling undermining The studying of Sciences Friends fall out for Trisles Solemn progresses Favour of Noblemen Men shall fall Body and Goods into the Princes hands Merchandise unprofitable c. These and such like proceed onely from the will of man the Constellations of stars are neither signes nor Causes of them Some will say Non imponere necessitatem sed inclinare Stellas that is That stars do not constrain but onely incline the mindes of men a most wicked saying although most commonly spoken of and defended For the inclining of the will of man is onely the work of God as the holy Scriptures do teach us The heart of man saith Solomon purposeth his ways but the Lord directeth his steps Prov. 1.6 9. O Lord saith Jeremy the Prophet that the way of man is not in himself neither is it in man to walk and direct his steps Jer. 10.23 He speaketh this because that Nebuchadnezzar purposed to have made war against the Moabites and Amonites but hearing of Zedekiahs Rebellion he turned his power to go against Jerusalem therefore the Prophet saith that whereas he had otherwise purposed yet this was
successe Such a night I was robbed what manner of person was the Thief and where or how may I find him Such a thing I lost at such a time how may I get it again I am loved and do love severall persons in a way of marriage which may I take as luckie which refuse as unluckie with infinite the like Questions and many more stranger then these To which if the Astrologer make no answer the reforters despise him If he doth not undertake to give a positive answer to such interogatories then I must ask him what Scripture or reason doth teach or allow such a kind of Astrology The Heathen Romane Senate without direction from Moses Deut. 18. whom they knew not or acknowledged not made laws against Vaticinatores that is Those that would foretell things as Vlpian in his seventh Book De officio proconsulis tells us And if Gellius doth think that the common people understood by that name the Chaldaeans A. Gell. lib. 2. Noct. Art this doth not conclude that the learned Legislators so understood it And if they did the suspition is yet unremoved whether all Astrologicall Predictours of humane events and arbitrary transactions are not of the same bran with the Chaldean Foretellers And therefore Moses and the Prophers c. condemning Astrology condemn all without limitation or distinction so that we have no warrant to take mans word against Gods word but to refuse their distinction of lawfull and unlawfull Astrology For all Astrology that is properly Astrology in the opinion of Astrologers and not Astronomy Physiology or Meteorology c. that is to predict the effects aforesaid is unlawfull superstitious false abominable c. And so are we to understand those Epithites or aditionall titles of Astrology in divine and humane pious Writers For they do no more intimare a lawful Astrology then in the common expression Turpe vitium filthy or uncomely vice doth intimate that any vice is not filthy but comely So that Astrology was not heretofore before the time of Ptolomy and An. Pius unlawfull onely because then the Art was imperfect and its prognostication uncertain but because for many other and greater reasons as we heard afore did God condemn it in his word the imperfection and uncertainty also still essentially adhearing to it as learned Astrologicall Alsted but of the other day and others more assert before mentioned sufficiently Melancthon they say teacheth us how necessary Astrology is Could I have found it by perusall of all his works I should have thought so too but with the same labour sinding the contrary I must rather believe what I see then what I hear He speaks against Astrology in his Commentary on Gen. c. 1. upon the words Videre quod sit bonum c. it is in the beginning of his Works and therefore one would think he would not afterwards so grosly contradict himself His words against Astrology in that place are Primum hic observabis vanum esse Commentum Philosophorum quod de ordine causarum de fluxu syderum prodiderunt Nam ante astra conduntur plantae quas potissimum nasci et servari virtute syderum existimaverunt That is First thou shalt observe here that the Fiction which the Philosophers have set forth concerning the order of causes and the Influence of Stars is Vain For the Plants which they have imagined to be created and nourished by the virtue of the Stars were created afore the Stars so Melancthon And I much suspect that the originall pretenders of Melancthon for Astrology mistook by a negligent view of his words on the Epistle to the Colossians c. 2 which are these Medicina comprehendit Physiologiam Astronomiam Sunt enim in mendendo temporum discrimina quaedam servanda Est autem alia Astronomiae utilitas quòd oportet habere civilium negotiorum causâ certam anni et mensium descriptionem c Necessaria est et altera philosophiae pars quae Morum Praecepta Tradit quae Leges Regendarum Civium Peperit In which words Melancthon speaks something of the usefulnesse of Astronomy of Physiology or Physicks that is Naturall Phylosophy of Ethicks that is Morall Phylosophy to teach men externall good manners and of Politicks that is touching the civill government of cities and Common-wealths But not a word of the name or thing of Astrology and therefore I thought it not worth while to translate this last place T is sufficient for us that Melancthon doth appear rather against Astrology We have confest afore that many strange things have and may be done by the Opticks the Art of seeing and severall other Arts as the same may be granted to Staticks of Ponderations c So that Ignoramus would think them to be Juggling or c. We honour all true Art and Artifices of which the Artist at least can give from nature justissimam rationem a due account and cause But this doth not countenance in the least the Astrology and Astrologicall Feits we speak of A friend of Astrology to patronage it makes great use of that place in Job chap. 38. v. 31. which our English Translatours thus render Canst thou refrain or bind the sweet influence of the Pleiades c. And from this one word Influences draws forth great conclusions for Astrologicall predictions But first note that in the Hebrew the sole judge of the right reading of the Text there is no such word as Influences or Sweet but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The Pleasures Delights or Delicacies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Virgiliae or Pleiades In the Syriack and Arabick there is lesse mentioning onely the Face of Pleiades And in Hieroms Latine translation as little namely The shining Stars Pleiades In the Chaldee lesse yet for it neither names Pleiades nor influence nor any effect of any virtue upon the sublunary bodies but mentions onely the motions of Stars thus Wilt thou bind Orion with Chains and loose the Cords that draw Arcturus And to the same tune the Greek Translation of the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That is Hast thou composed the bond of Pleiades and hast thou opened the fence or enclosure of Orion Secondly note that whatever intimation of influence any Astrologer can draw from this Text it will prove but a naturall influence upon Plants and naturall bodies to further their naturall effects nothing tending to Predictions of voluntary actings and humane events of men as men as that same friend of Astrology hath ingeniously confessed enough to this purpose Although saith he All things are governed by the influence of the Heavens yet Many eminent things do Happen in the Aire and in the Body of man whose Originall cause is from the virtue of the Heavens As sometimes the influence is helped forward through Diabolicall and wicked inchantments so oftentimes God is pleased to hinder the influentiall virtues of the Heavens at the prayers of the Faithfull It is sure that so much
of Christs birth writing upon Plato his Timeus concerning divers Stars and their wonderfull effects faith thus There is a more holy and divine history meaning the Scriptures which reports that by the appearing of a certain extraordinary Starre not diseases and death were foreshown but the venerable descent of God for mans salvation which Starre was observed by the Chaldaeans who worshiped God new born and become man and offered him gifts So far Calcidius And whereas in Hebrew that prophecie of Balaam runnes thus There shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Plant or Branch shall rise out of Israel according to which Isaiah and Jeremiah Prophecy Isay 11.1 Jer. 23.5 and 3.15 the Greek of the Septuagint who wrote about 300. years afore Christ translates Star by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Star but Plant or Branch which our Translatours render Scepter the Septuagint translate by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man which the vulgar latine followes So that the learned Eastern people by their knowledge of the Hebrew and of so ancient a Greek Translation might compound a due sense out of these two that a starr should arise to signifie the birth of a most eminent man to be born of the bloud of Jacob or Israel Lastly the Ancient Sibills who wrote long before Christ Some as anciently as the Babilonian captivitie some mentioned by Virgil who flourished above fourtie years afore the Birth of Christ c. do in their way foretell of Christ and sometimes in an Astrologicall Phrase Jam redit virgo redeunt Saturnia regna Jam nova progenies coelo demittitur alto These Sibylls were so well known in the Eastern world that from them how ever they came by it they might have some hints of this Sarr and it 's pointing at Christ These things being so 't is plain not the Starr of it selfe Astrologically but the Theologicall pre-expositions of that Starr did cause men to understand at the appearance thereof that Christ was to be born 'T is well confest by some whom they cry up to be for their Astrologicall way That both Nature and Art may beat a stand in spirituall things especially concerning Christ which as the Apostle witnesseth are very mysterious Ephes 3.4 1 Tim. 3.16 The wisemen hoping well of the Jews as Gods peculiar people go to Jerusalem and consult with them These wise men came to Christ by a guidance of a Starr which may justly blame the unwise who ascribe their not coming to Christ to fatal necessitie or the influences of Starrs as Tertullian hath it Deonerant seipsos malae mentis impetus vel fato vel astris imputant As Austine hath to one same purpose Falso ds stellarum influxu conqueruntur mortales quod peccatum adeo vountarum est quod si non voluntarium non est peccatum that is mortall men falsly complain of the influence of the starrs that sinne is so voluntary for if it be not voluntary it is not sin Did we resist by grace our corruptions we should deceive the Astrologers by ruling over the Starrs The highest God can and doth oft cross the course of Nature and often produceth that which could not be foretold by the observation of the Starrs And therefore men should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to think beyond that we may wisely think to be wise to sobriety Certainly to foretell contingences is the property of God himself Thus farr for answer to the Oratours for Astrology Next we will give a short reply to them that are more Logicall Ob. God made the stars to be signs Gen. 1.14 therefore the knowledge of the signification of those signs is lawfull Answ God made them to be signes of naturall effects or events not of arbitrary and morall that depend on mans will on which the starrs have no power Corpus non agit in animam A body cannot act upon the spirit of a man no more then a materiall sword can wound an Angel Again the starrs are not signes to us of all naturall events as to wit not of naturall contingences to us contingent as the lighting of a Crow near us or c. but of all naturall necessaries known by apparent common experience As that of Solomon when they cause a North wind it drives away rain c. And that of our Saviour Mat. 16.3 speaking according to the common experience men had when the skie is red in the Evening ye say it will be fair weather But when the skie is red and lowring in the Morning it will be foul weather Further The starrs may be signs in regard of their motions belonging meerly to pure Astronomy as when there will be an eclipse though they should never be signs of any events in regard of their influences or qualitative Virtues Obj. The Starrs are causes of many things here below But it cannot be unlawfull to observe Causes how they produce their effects Scire est per causas scire All true knowledge is by the Causes And therefore Felix qui poterit rerum cognoscere causas He is happy that knows the Causes of Things Answ 1. We said but now the motions of the Stars cause Eclipses sometimes of the Moon by the interposition of the Earth exactly between it and the Sun sometimes of the Sun by the direct interposition of the Moon between us and the Body of the Sun which the Astronomer though he never knew the least of the inward influential qualities of any of the Stars can predict And therefore all this doth add nothing at all to countenance Astrology Secondly we demand what Causes are the Stars Not particular Causes of particular Events but general common Causes that work in common and alike upon all things Now no man can divine of a particular Event by a general Cause unless he know the particular Causes subordinate and their particular virtues Some give this instance that a man cannot by setting many sorts of Eggs under a Hen foretell what will be hatch'd by the meer sitting of the Hen in common upon them all unless also he know the particular qualities of those Eggs so from the stars being common Causes no man can foretell Events unless he knew the kindes and qualities of Causes and Things subordinate to them Object Experience shews that Astrologers sometimes hit right Answ To this M. Perkins and other pious learned men and with appeal to many others and of those of as great Antiquity as the Times of the Apostles gives this Answer and with great confidence that in this there is a secret Magick at least if not an open Covenant with the Devil he making supply what is wanting in the virtue of stars and Rules of Astrology And say they this is the judgement of those that have known this Art So farr they Consonant to which we referr the Reader to what before was confest by Master Bridges S. Astin and others he makes mention of Which is the more confirmed because if the Astrologers client comes tempting
him and not confiding in him that is in his skill he can do nothing but if he can admire the Artist and rely upon his skill then he can answer his desires And this is confest by them that have been great Astrologers but now repenting have left it whom if need be I can name Obj. Moses and Daniel were greatly skild in this Art For of Moses 't is said Acts 7.22 That he was learned in all the Wisdome of the Fgyptians And of Daniel cap. 1.17.20 That he had skill in all Learning and wisdome of the Chaldeans Ans If they had practised it in their yonger years it doth neither follow nor appear in the Bible that they continued to practise it For we are sure at mans estate they were precious Godly men Secondly It is said they had skill not that they practised it They might have skill and to use it as S. Austin Master Perkins and Master Bridges c. to abhor and testifie againstche evil of it Thirdly It is plain that Moyses was opposite to the Egyptian Magicians c. and by his skill conquered and shamed them and convinced them that the finger of God was in what Moyses did And of Daniel it is said that he was in skill ten times Better then all the Astrologers or Magicians that were in all Nebuchadnezzars Realm Dan 1.20 Therfor his skill must needs be divine and above Astrology Obj. We see and feel that the Sun and Moon and other Stars have great powe on the air and so by it on the bodies of men as appears even by this that in some weathers we are more chearfull in some more Melancholy in some more healthy in others more sickly Ans All this is nothing at all to Astrologicall prediction of naturall contingents much lesse of voluntary moralls Nor can we tell so much in many naturall things as to which Starr to attribute which effect seeing they all at once co-operate As a man in a juce extracted mixtly out of severall hearbs pounded together and strained cannot by all his senses distinguish the virtues of these acuratly much lesse foretell which being medicinably applyed shall operate most and what peculiar effect it shall produce least of all if this compound juice must be mingled with some other liquors as the operative qualities of the Starrs are mingled with the qualities of the Elements of them above in their radiation afore they reach to us and of them beneath by exhalation of them and reflection of the beams of the Stars which is a second mixture and so a further confounding of humane understanding how to judge of them what they will effect Obj. Sol Luna post Deum omnium viventium vita sunt Herm. Trism The Sun and the Moon next under God are the life of all living creatures Ans If they be the life of all living creatures then no more of men then of Beasts or plants What is this then to the acting of their understandings and wills wherein they are distinguished from and sublimated above all corporall things whose formes are materiales materiall not spirituall Food is the cause of mans life yet that hath no influence upon the soul The soul of man acts pure yea purest reason when the body is as dead by deep sleep Therefore all this objection makes nothing so Astrology Obj. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. Jud. de Mund. Opif. Movings and Earthquakes proceed from the concussions of the Heavens c. because the Starrs are made for Signse This objection out of Forged Philo as learned Broughton calls him is nothing for the praise of Astrology In Meteorology are handled Earthquakes They are passions of the Earth not of men the Earth hath a fit of the Wind and makes it in part to tumble for ease till it belcheth it up again If the attractive Starrs that at lest draw light things upward are become depulsive to make the Air descend I wonder 't is not so said in all the body of Philosophy And if any thing be ascribed to the Starrs in the ascent of that Earthquake-ayre 't is needlesse for it would as surely ascend of its own levitating qualitie as soon as the Earth gives way without the help of the Starrs as without them water descend If Starrs be said mediately to cause Earthquakes I know not how their Hosts and Myriads bespangled over the Heavens surrounding the Earth operate in common as well as constantly and the Earthquakes are so seldome in time and so particular to petty places in comparison of the Vniverse that no just reason can predict this event by them to say that because the Starrs are signes of some things as of Day and Night Heat and Cold c. which are naturall therefore they are signes of all or most things even of Contingences Arbitraries and Moralities and to a ground of prediction of such is such a grosse Non-sequitur that no man that hath and useth reason will or can beleeve it Obj. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clem. Alex. Strom. 1.6 Demtcritus foretold many things by the observation of things above and it was called Wisdome Answ By what things above For there are some Elements above and in them many ayrie fieri and watery Meteors as well as Starrs If by the Starrs then what things did he foretell If that in Clemens Alexandrinus That Starrs are Instrumetts of Time Or that of Thales Milesius to foretell Eclipses of the Sun c. or finde out Vrsa minor or the like stars to direct the Mariner in Navigation these belong not to Astrology but to Physiology and Astronomy Nor do they conduce to Predictions of humane Actings If he foretold any thing being a Heathen which is not clearly pre-visible by Nature or Reason his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wisedom was falsely so called But to do him lawfull right as far as we can know He was saith the Story an Astronomer which produceth nothing for the honour of Astrology Object Augustine saith Astrologia perscrutanda est ad cognoscendum proprietates istorum syderum ut hunc locum intelligere possimus that is Astrology is to be searched into to know the properties of those stars that we may be able to understand this place therefore in the judgement of Augustin there is a lawfull use of Astrology Answ This place in Augustin can import no more but this that some place of Scripture speaking of some stars the knowledge of the qualities of those stars would further the fuller understanding of that place of Scripture but what makes this to predicting Astrology more then Meal Leaven c. Matth. 13. or the precious Stones a Jasper and Sardine and Emerald Revel 4. whose properties well understood help more fully to know the meaning of those Scriptures Surely Augustine never intended in that Expression if any such be in his Works to advance Astrology or Astronomy or the Consideration of stars and Constellations for understanding of the