Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A88763
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The late eclipse unclasped: or the mistaken star-gazers unmasked. VVherein is manifested seven severall reasons whereby these astrolegers have deceived the people. / By a learned divine neere London.
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1652
(1652)
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Wing L546; Thomason E659_20; ESTC R35345
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5,247
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16
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not distracted with Curiosity or Stupidity but to conceive with Christian consideration of some great change to ensue but whether this change will be from Health to Sicknesse from Liberty to Slavery from Truth to Heresie or from Peace to Warre and Destruction I will not take upon me to Divine or fore-tell for foolish people give more credit to judiciary Astrologers then to Gods Word but Gods Ministers may averre that it is not in the power of any Astrologer to foretell what the Events or Influence of this Eclipse will be in particular Objection But doe we not finde by experience and Histories doe confirme it that Astrologers have often-times spoken truth and fore-told events as one fore-told that Nero should be Emperour and should murther his owne Mother and another fore-told that Augustus should be Lord over the whole World and another praedicted that Picus Mirandula a very learned man should die in the thirty three yeare of his age and so he did Answer Grant they doe tell truth sometimes but how false are they ten times for once telling truth and albeit they may speake truth yet it is not out of rules of Art but out of seven false waies they may â—roedict future events As First Out of a secret communion with the Divell in their Spirits though the Party himselfe knowes not the power of the Divell working in him and so Ambrose Austin and Origien dâ—e affirme that by a secret impulse of the Divell they may disclose Events II. Out of a Naturall Magick as Thales the Philosopher from the consideration of Waters then abounding did fore-tell a great plenty of Oyle in the World and the Aegyptians from the observation of the Ebbing and Flowing of Nilus could fore-tell Plenty or Scarcity III. They doe oftentimes fore-tell things wherein they themselves are Actors as in case of Marriage when they are well rewarded for telling of a good Fortune to befall a Person by such a Match they will labour to bring it to passe and so it falls out IV. When a thing is doubtfull how it will fall out they may guesse at that Contingence which is most probable and so Old Men and Women may foretell by hap-hazard V. Because they speake in an Ambiguous sense and so deceive the People and so the Divells Oracles at Delphos threatned many thousands in Old-time VI. From a naturall Segacity and observation of a Persons temper and disposition they may guesse what will befall him VII From an over Credulity in the Consultors with these Astrologers as if one were to fight a Duell the Astrologer tels him he shall have the victory and here-upon the Consulter hath his courage heightned and so prevailes By these seven false Wayes and not by Rules of Art Events are fore-told many times Let us now make Holy use of this Eclipse by considering it as a fore-runner of Doomesday and let us know that He that Eclipses the Sun now will ere long take the Sun quite from us or us from the Sun And let the goodnesse of God in admonishing us by Signes and Tokens of the generall Judgement make deepe impression on our Spirits Christ gives warning to the World by his Sword as well as by his Word Now Christ is said to weare his Sword three wayes First his Sword is girt to his Thigh importing that he is ready to avenge himselfe upon the ungodly Psalm 45.3 Secondly He is said to have a Sword in his Mouth Revel 1. 16 and this is his threatning Sword Thirdly He is said to have his Sword in his Hand Psalm 7. 12. to kill and slay Now his Sword in his Mouth he threatens and to morrow he will shake it over our heads This Eclipse affords matter of Meditation I Concerning the Nature of Sinne For if darknesse which is no physicall Entity but a privation of Light be so uncomfortable to Sense how Odious and Disconsolate a thing is Sinne which is a privation of the Light of Gods Countenance even the very life of the Soule Secondly consider that as the Sun is not the cause of the darknesse which will be to morrow which is Black-monday as our Astrologers is pleased to call it so in our Horizon but the Moone by reason of the interposition between the Body of the Sun and our sight So God is not the cause of Sinne which is the darknesse of the Soule neither can there be any efficient but a deficient cause of Sinne but Sinne being as it were interposed between God and the Soule hinders the light of his Grace Againe it is said Isa â—9 2◠〈…〉 have made a 〈…〉 between God and your Soules II. A second Meditation may be much of the misery of the Creature when God hides his Face from it for all our Strength and Joy is from the Light of Gods Countenance God therefore tels Moses Deut. 31. 17. That He would hide his Face from the Israelites 〈◊〉 that the hiding of Gods Face from the Soule is the Suburbs of Hell and perplexity without the Light of Gods Countenance is but a Curse And if it be so sad a thing to want the light of the Sun for a few houres what a wofull thing is it to endure everlasting darknesse in Hell III. A third Meditation may arise from Christs Death then was the Sun of Righteousnesse Eclipsed when Christs suffering flesh was interposed between the Deity and the Eye of flesh but as the Sun in the Firmament suffers nothing at all by an Eclipse nor is robbed of the least part of his brightnesse no more did Christs Deity suffer the least Diminution of Glory for all the Passion fell on the Humane Nature And as the Sun to morrow as the Astrologers calls Black-monday after the Eclipse will be brighter then before so Christs Body after his Resurrection was more vigerous than before IV. This Eclipse may be to our Meditation as an Emblem of these Apostaticall times wherein Gods Truth may be darkned with Heresies and Persecution And this should be matter of griefe to us that it should come to passe in our dayes V. We should study thankfulnesse for the Suns light and the benefit we enjoy by it For if we be troubled at the absence of it how great a blessing is the enjoying of it Vse This should teach us to avoid all Superstious feare in respect of Astrologers Praedictions for God forbids us to be afraid of the Signes of Heaven Jer. 10. 2. But yet it is good alwayes to have a feare of Evitation but not a feare of Desperation II. It is a dangerous thing to be regardlesse of of the opperation of Gods hands therefore let the feare of God be alwayes that Spirituall Antidote against the feare of all changes and events of the world III. And as we ought not slavishly to be afraid of their Praedictions so we ought not to put any confidence in their cunning For the Lord upbraideth the Israelites with their confidence in their Astrologers Isa 47. 13. Let now saith God the Astrologers Star-gazers and monethly Prognosticators stand up and save thee and verse 13. God tels them they should not deliver themselves for Balaam that great Sorcerer who was slaine with the Sword could not fore-see his owne 〈…〉 to believe Astrologers IV. And set not your affections on things beneath Eclipses For sicknesse or casualties may deprive us of all outward things in a moment but to a pious Soule as Crosses abound so Comforts abound 1 Cor. 1. 7. 〈…〉 your 〈◊〉 blotted out in the sense of your Conscience and then no Trouble or Calamity will make you dismaid For as that which is written with the juice of Lemmons is not legible unlesse you hold it to the fire so if your sins doe remaine unblotted out of the Book of Conscience at the time of Death Hell-fire will make all the Sinnes that ever a Man hath committed in his life legible and plaine to him and what a gastly sight will that be Let us feare Solem Justitice the Sonne of righteousnesse and then wee shall not feare the Suns influence FINIS