from him as he was man Now if Christ as he is man cannot worke a true miracle then no meere creature can doe it no not the Angels themselues and consequently not Satan it beeing a meere supernaturall worke performed onely by the omnipotent power of God § 2. The second sort of wonders are lying and deceitfull which also are extraordinarie workes in regard of man because they proceed not from the vsuall and ordinarie course of nature and yet they be no miracles because they are done by the vertue of nature and not aboue or against nature simply but aboue and against the ordinarie course thereof and these are properly such wonders as are done by Satan and his instruments examples whereof wee shall see afterwards If any man in reason thinke it not likely that a creature should be able to worke extraordinarily by naturall means he must remember that though God hath reserued to himselfe alone the power of abolishing and changing nature the order whereof he set and established in the creation yet the alteration of the ordinarie course of nature he hath put in the power of his strongest creatures Angels and deuills That the Angels haue receiued this power and doe execute the same vpon his command or permission it is manifest by Scripture and the proofe of it is not so necessarie in this place But that Satan is able to doe extraordinarie workes by the helpe of nature which is the question in hand it shall appeare if we consider in him these things First the Deuil is by nature a spirit therfore of great vnderstanding knowledge capacitie in all naturall things of what sort qualitie coÌ„dition soeuer whether they be causes or effects whether of a simple or mixt nature By reason whereof he can search more deeply narrowly into the grounds of things then all corporall creatures that are clothed with flesh and blood Secondly he is an auncient spirit whose skil hath beene confirmed by experience of the course of nature for the space almost of sixe thousand yeares Hence he hath attainted to the knowledge of many secrets and by long obseruation of the effects is able to discern and iudge of hidden causes in nature which man in likelyhood cannot come vnto by ordinarie meanes for want of that opportunitie both of vnderstaÌ„ding and experience Hereupon it is that whereas in nature there be some properties causes and effects which man neuer imagined to be others that men did once know but are now forgot some which men knewe not but might know and thousands which can hardly or not at all be known all these are most familiar vnto him because in themselus they be no wonders but only misteries and secrets the vertue and effect whereof he hath sometime obserued since his creation Thirdly he is a spirit of wonderfull power and might able to shake the earth and to confound the creatures inferiour to him in nature and condition if he were not restrained by the omnipotent power of God And this power as it was great by his creation so it is not impayred by his fall but rather increased and made more forcible by his irreconciliable malice he beareth to mankind specially the seede of the woman Fourthly there is in the deuil an admirable quicknes and agilitie proceeding from his spirituall nature whereby he can very speedily and in a short spoce of time conuay himselfe and other creatures into places farre distant one from another By these â—ower helpes Satan is inabled to doe strange workes Strange I say to man whose knowledge since the fall is mingled with much ignorance euen in naturall things whose experience is of short continuance and much hindered by forgetfulnes whose agilitie by reason of his grosse nature is nothing if he had not the helpe of other creatures whose power is but weaknes and infirmity in comparison of Satans 〈◊〉 if their be any further doubt how Satan can by these helpes worke wonders we may be resolued of the truth thereof by considering three other things First that by reason of his great knowledge and skill in nature he is able to apply creature to creature and the causes efficient to the matter and therby bring things to passe that are in common conceit impossible Secondly he hath power to mooue them not onely according to the ordinary course but with much more speed and celeritie Thirdly as he can apply and mooue so by his spirituall nature he is able if God permit to conuey himselfe into the substance of the creature without any penetration of dimensions and beeing in the creature although it be neuer so solide he can worke therein not onely according to the principles of the nature thereof but as farre as the strength and abilitie of those principles will possibly reach and extend themselues Thus it appeareth that the deuill can in generall worke wonders § 3. Now more particularly the deuills wonders are of two sorts Illusions or reall actions An illusion is a worke of Satan wherby he deludeth or deceiueth man And it is two-fold either of the outward senses or of the minde An illusion of the outward senses is a worke of the deuil wherby he makes a man to thinke that he heareth seeth feeleth or toucheth such things as indeede he doth not This the deuill can easily doe diuers waies euen by the strength of nature For example by corrupting the instruments of sense as the humor of the eye c. or by altering and changing the ayre which is the meanes whereby we see and such like Experience teacheth vs that the deuill is a skilfull practitioner in this kind though the means whereby he worketh such feats be vnknowne vnto vs. In this manner Paul affirmeth that the Galatians were deluded wheÌ„ he saith O foolish Gâ—latians who hath bewitched you Gal. 3. 1. Where he vseth a word borrowed from the practise of witches and sorcerers who vse to cast a miste as it were before the eyes to dazle them and make things to appeare vnto them which indeede they doe not see and the ground of Pauls comparison is that which hee takes for a graunted truth that there be such delusions whereby mens senses are and may be corrupted by Satanicall operation Thus againe the deuill by the Witch of Endor deceiued Saul in the appearance of Samuel â— Sam. 28. making him beleeue that it had beene Samuel indeed whereas it was but a mere counâ—erfeit of him as shal appeare hereafter Againe the deuill knowing the constitutions of men and the particular diseases whereunto they are inclined taks the vantage of some and secondeth the nature of the disease by the coÌ„currence of his owne delusion thereby corrupting the imagination and working in the minde a strong perswasion that they are become that which in truth they are not This is apparant in that disease which is tearmed Lycanthropia where some hauing their brains possessed and distempered with melancholy haue verily thought themselues to bee wolues
and so behaued themselues And the Histories of men in former ages haue recorded strange testimonies of some that haue been thus turned into wolues lyons dogges birds and other creatures which could not be really in substance but onely in appearance and phantasie corrupted and so these records are true For God in his iust iudgement may suffer some men so to be bewitched by the deuill that to their conceit thâ—y may seeme to be like these bruit beaste though indeede they remaine true 〈◊〉 still For it iâ— a worke surmounting the deuills power to change the substance of any one creature into the substance of another By this kind of delusion the Church of Rome in the times of blindnesse and ignorance hath taken great aduantage and much encreased her riches and honour For there be three points of the religion of that Church to wiâ—â—e Rurgatorie Inuocation of 〈◊〉 Saints and honouring of Reliques whereby she hath notably inriched her selfe all which had their first foundation from these and such like Satanicall impostures For the onely way whereby they haue brought the common sort to yeeld vnto them both for beleefe and practise hath beene by deluding their outward senseâ— with false apparitions of ghosts and soules of men walking and ranging abroad after their departure and such likeâ— wherby simple persons ignorant of their fetches and delusions haue beene much affrighted aâ—d caused thorough extremitie of feare and dread to purchase their owne peace and securitie by many and great expenses And indeede these were the strongest arguments that euer they had and which most preuailed with the common people as is manifest in stories of all nations and ages where such deceits haue taken place though oftentimes by the iust iudgement of God they were taken in their craft and their featâ— reuealed The second kind of illusion is of the minde whereby the deuill deceiues the minde and makes a man thinke that of himselfe which is not true Thus experience teacheth that he hath deluded men both in former and latter times who haue auouched and professed themselues to be kings or the sonnes of Kings Yea some haue holden themselues to be Christ some to be Elias some to be Iohn the Baptist and some extraordinarie Prophets And the like conceiâ—s haue entred into the minds of sundrie Witches by the suggestion and perswasion of the deuill To whome when they haue wholly resigned their soules and bodies they haue beene mooued to beleeue things impossible touching themselues as that they haue indeed beene changed into other creatures as catts birds mise c. The inquisitions of Spaine other countries wherein these and such like things are recorded touching Witches really metamorphosed into such creatures cannot be true considering that it is not in the power of the deuill thus to change substaÌ„ces into other substaÌ„ces And those conuersions recorded by them were onely Satans illusions wherewith the mindes of Witches were possessed and nothing else which though they were extraordinarie as the rest of this kinde are yet they went not beyond the power of nature The second sort of the deuills wonders are reall workes that is such as are indeede that which they seeme and appeare to be These howsoeuer to men that knowe not the natures of things nor the secret and hidden causes thereof they may seeme very strange and admirable yet they are no true miracles because they are not aboue and beyond the power of nature If it be here alleadged that the deuils workes are not reall and true actions because the holy Ghost calleth them Lying wonders 2. Thes. 2. 9. I answer that they are called Lying wonders not in respect of the workes themselues for they were workes truely done and effected but in regard of the deuills end and purpose in working theÌ„ which is to lie vnto men and by them to deceiue The truth of which point will appeare in the viewe of some particular examples First we read in the historie of Iob that Satan brought downe fire from heauen which burnt vp Iobs sheep and seruants and caused a mightie winde to blowe downe the house vpon his children as they were feasting to destroy them Againe he smot the bodie of Iob with botches and boyles All these were true reall works very strange admirable and yet no miracles because they exceeded not the compasse of nature For first when he cast downe the fire from heauen he did not create the fire of nothing for that is a worke proper to God alone but applied creature to creature and therefore produced such a matter as was fit to make fire of If it be demanded how he is able to doe this we must remember that his knowledge in naturall causes is great and therefore he was not ignorant of the materiall cause of fire which beeing throughly knowne and founde out Satan brought fire vnto it and so putting fire to the matter of fire he brought it downe by his power and agilitie from heauen vpon the cattell and seruants of Iob. Againe the winde which blewe downe the house where his sonnes and daughters were eating and drinking was not created by the deuill but he knowing well the matter wherof winds are generated naturally added matter to matter and thence came the winde whereunto he ioynes himselfe beeing a spirit of a swift and speedie nature and so makes it for his own purpose the more violent and forcible Thirdly he smote Iobs bodie with sore boyles from the crowne of his head to the sole of his foote Now this may seeme strange that he should haue such power ouer mans body as to cause such diseases to breed in it Therefore we are further to vnderstand that his knowledge extendeth it selfe to the whole frame and disposition of mans bodie whereby it comes to passe that the causes of all diseases are well knowne vnto him and he is not ignorant hoâ—e the humours in the bodie may be putrified and what corrupt humours will breede such and such diseases and by what meanes the aire it selfe may be infected hereupon preparing his matter and applying cause to cause he practised vpon the bodie of Iob and filled him with grieuous sores Another example of Satans reall workes is this By reason of his great power and skill he is able to appeare in the forme and shape of a man and resemble any person or creature and that not by deluding the senses but by assuming to himselfe a true body His power is not so large as to create a bodie or bring againe a â—oule into a bodie yet by his dexteritie and skill in naturall causes he can worke wonderfully For he is able hauing gathered together fit matter to ioyne member to member and to make a true bodie either after the likenes of man or some other creature and hauing so done to enter into it to mooue and stirre it vp and downe and therein visibly and sensibly to appeare vnto man which though it be a strange worke and
God gaue the gift to breede faith in the Gentiles we shall finde that the power of producing such workes was neuer actually inherent in the Apostles but dispensed by their in the Name of Christ Neither was it in their libertie to worke miracles when they would but when it pleased God vpon speciall cause to caâ—l them thereunto And iâ— neither the power nor the will was in them much lesse is it likely to be sound in any of the Saints And for their Reliques of what name soeuer so greatly magnified and resorted vnto we denie there is any such vertue in them For they may not be thought to be more effectuall then the hem of Christs garment from which the power of healing the woman did not proceede but from himselfâ— Or then the Napkin of Paul which did not cure the sicke but the power of God onely dispensed by the hands of Paul Miracles therefore auouched by them to be wrought at the Tombs Statues of Saints and by their reliques and monuments are but meere Satanicall wonders seruing to maintaine Idolatrie and superstition and are in truth no better then â—the wonders of the Donatists in S. Augustines time aut figmenta mondâ—â—cium hominum aut portâ—nta fallacium spirituum IV. That the light of the Gospel purely preached is a soueraigne meane to discoueâ— conâ—ound the power and policie of Saâ—â—n in Witch-craft and Sorcerie The woâ—d of God preached is the weapâ—n of the Christians warfare and is mightie through God to cast downe strong bolds At the dispensation of iâ— by the disciples of Christ Satan fall from heauen aâ— lightning After the ascension of Christ into Heauen in the times of Claudius Cesar the Deuill stirred vp sundrie persons who in regard of the admirable works which they did by the helpe of Magicke and Sorcerie were accounted as Gods and their Statues erected and worshipped with great reuerence Amongst the rest one Simon called by a kinde of eminencie Magus practising his trade with successe to the admiration of the multitude was holden to be the great power of God Whose dealing was first discouered by the light of the word shining in the Ministery of the Apostles and himselfe conuicted with such euidence of truth to be an Instrument of Satan that he was forced at length to flie ouâ— of Samaâ—iâ— into the Westerne parts as Eusebius recordeth in his Ecclesiasticall Historie By this Christ the true angel of the Couenant loâ—ked and bound vp Satan for a 1000. yeares after his ascension that he might not be so generally powerfull in seducing the Gentiles as he had beene before his incarnation But toward the expiration of those yeares when corruption began to creepe into the Papacie when the Bishops affected that Sea and aspired vnto it by Diabolicall arts when the Canons Decrees Sentences Synodâ—lls Deâ—râ—ialls Clemenâ—ines Extrauagants with other Laws and Constitutions preuailed aboue the Scriptures then began Satan againe to erect his kingdome and these workes of iniquitie to be set abroach Thâ—se points together with the whole work ensueing I humbâ—y commend to your Honorable patronage that vnder your protection they may freely passeth the common view of the world Wherin if I seem ouer-bold thus to presse vpon your Lordship vnknowne my answer in at hand That all by-respects 〈◊〉 part I haue beene hereunto induced many waies First vpon a reuerent opinion of those rare gifts of knowledge and pietie wherewith God hath beautified your person â—nd thereby aduanced you to high place and estimation in this Common-wealth Whereof those your graue and indicious speeches euen in the weightiest matters touching God and Cesar as also those many learned writings haue giuen large testimonie FroÌ„ which hath issued the greatnes of your Name both in the present iudgement of the world and in future expectation Next out of a resolued perswasion of your Honourable disposition as in generall to the whole house of Leui so particularly to those whose labours haue fruitfully flowed out of the Schooles of the Prophets amongst whome the Author of this booke in his time was none of the meanest Lastly by the consideration of the Argument arising out of a Law Iudiciall agreeable to the calling and qualitie of a Iudge A Law penall in regard of the offence and therefore sutable to his proceedings whose office is to heare with fauour to determine with equitie to execute iustice with moderation A law of the highest and greatest weight immediately concerning God and his Honour and therefore appertaining to him that sits in the place of God to maintane his right that he may be with him in the cause and iudgement By such Motiues I haue incouraged my 〈◊〉 vnder assurance of your Lordships pardon to present you with that wherein you are most deseruedly interessed further intreating your fauourable interpretation and acceptance both of the qualitie of the Worke and of the paines of the Publisher And thus heartily wishing to your Lordship increase of grace and honour with a daily influence of blessing and direction from heauen vpon your graue consultations and employments I humbly take my leaue and commend you to the grace of God by whome doe rule all the Iudges of the earth Finchingfield Octob. 26. 1608. Your L. in all Christian dutie to be commanded THOMAS PICKERING A Table of the Contents The entrance into the Discourse Pag. 1. CHAP. I. Of the Nature of Witchcraft in generall That VVitchcraft is an Art 4 That VVitchcraft is a wicked Art 7 The ende of VVitchraft To worke wonders 8 The grounds of working wonders discontentment and Curiositie 9 That wonders are wrought by Satans assistance 12 The sorts of wonders True wonders wrought onely by God 13 14 Lyâ—â—g wonders wrought by Satan and his instruments 18 That Satan is able to doe extraordinarie works by the helpe of Nature 19 The sorts of Lying wonders 22 1. Illusions of the Senses 22 Minde 22 2. Reall workes 27 That Satan cannot change one creature into another 33 Gods Permission of the practises of Witchcraft Why he permitteth them 38 Satan cannot go beyond his permission 39 CHAP. II. Of the Ground of all the practises of Witchcraft That there is a league betweene Satan and the Witch 42 This League is twofold Expresse or open 47 Secret and the degree thereof 51 CHAP. III. Of the Parts of Witchcraft and first of Diuination How Satan beeing a creature reuealeth things to come 56 Diuination by meanes which are the true creatures of God As By the flying and noise of Birdes 66 By the Intralls of Beasts 67 By the starres called Iudiciarie Astrologie 73 That Predictions by the Starres are vnlawfull 75. 86 Of the Obseruation of the Signe 88 Of the choise and obseruation of daies 91 By Dreames Diuine 93 Naturall 95 Diabolicall 97 Notes of Difference to know them each from other 100 By Lots Diuination by counterfeit meanes Nâ—cromancie 107 Whether that which was raised by the
predictions of Satan are onely probable and coniecturall and when he foretelleth any thing certainely it is by some reuelation from God as the death of Saul or by the Scripture as Alexanders victory or by some speciall charge committed vnto him for the execution of Gods will vpon some particular places or persons as before hath beene shewed Thus much for the causes of Diuination Now followe the parts and branches thereof Diuination is of two sorts either in and by meanes or without meanes Diuination by meanes is likewise of two sorts either by such as are the true creatures of God or those which are meerly counterfeit forged Sect. II. Diuination by the true creatures of God is distinguished according to the number of the creatures into fiue distinct kinds whereof foure are mentioned in the Scriptures § 1. The first is by the flying and noise of birds Sorcerers among the heathen vsed to obserue foules in their flight for example whether they did flie on the right hand or on the left aboue them or below by them whether crosse and ouerthwart or directly against them In like manner they obserued the noise sound of the foule And both these waies sometimes by the noyse and sometimes by the flight they diuined of things to come both publike and priuate of good and bad successe in mans affaires of the state of kingdomes townes families and particular persons Now this kind of diuination is condemned by Moses Deut. 18. 10. Let none be found among you that i◠a diuiner of diuinations that is as some intepret it a marker of the flying of foules or a charmer or a consulter with spirits or a soothsayer that is such a one as by obseruing the flying and noise of fowles takes vpon him to foretell good or bad successe § 2. The second kind of creatures vsed for diuinatiō are the intralls of beasts of which mention is made Ezek. 21. 21. where Nabuchadnezzar being to make warre both with the Iewes and the Ammonites and doubting in the way which enterprise to vndertake first he offers a sacrifice to the Idol gods and opening the bellie of the sacrifice looks vpon the liuer and by the signes therein found he iudgeth what should be the issue of the warre Which thing Nabuchadnezzar did according to the vsuall practise of the Heathen who when they were to make warre or to attempt any businesse of importance were wont to offer sacrifice to their gods and to prie into the intralls of the beast sacrificed for example the heart stomake splene kidneies but specially the liuer and by certaine signes appearing in those parts the deuill was wont to reueale vn-them what should be the successe of their affaires they had in hand It were easie to exemplifie both these sorts of Diuination by sundrie particulars out of Heathen writers but seeing the Scripture hath manifested that there are such and experience shewes the same I will forbeare that labour and proceede But here it is demanded why both these kindes of Diuination should be condemned in Scripture considering they had so great applause among the Heathen I answer because the flying of birds and the disposition of the inward parts of creatures are no true signes either of good or bad successe For that which is a true signe of a future euent must haue the vertue and power whereby it signifieth from God himselfe either by creation in the beginning or by his speciall ordinance and appointment afterward Now it cannot be shewed that God in the creation infused any such vertue into the natures and motions of these creatures whereby they might signifie such things neither is there any apparent testimonie in the whole booke of the Scriptures whereby it may be proued that since the creation they were appointed by God to serue such vses and endes And therefore howsoeuer they were esteemed of the Heathen yet the word of God hath iustly censured them as no true and proper causes of Diuination sanctified by God but meerely diabolicall It is alleadged that Ioseph diuined by his cuppe as may appeare both by his stewards speech as also by his owne Gen. 44. 5. 15. and yet that cuppe receiued no power from God either the one way or the other to be a cause or meane of Diuination The answer anciently and commonly made is this that Iosephs steward spake not as the thing was indeede but as the common receiued opinion was among the Egyptians who esteemed Ioseph to be a man of great skill and wisdome able by sundrie meanes to diuine and prophesie To this I adde a second answer that the steward spake not as he thought but his purpose was in those words to cōceale the knowledge of Ioseph his master from his brethren that thereby they might not discerne who he was but take him to be an Egyptian Thirdly the words may not vnfitly admit this interpretation as if the steward had said Know ye not that this cuppe which I finde in the sackes mouth of your yongest brother is that whereby my master will easily prooue what manner of men you are this answer is also auncient and may well be receiued It is further obiected that our Sauiour Christ by his speech vnto the Pharisies seemeth to approoue of Diuining by creatures as by winds and by clouds When you see a cloud saith he rising out of the West straight way you say a showre commeth and so it is and when you see the South wind blow ye say that it will be hoate and it commeth to passe Luk. 12. 54 55. Ans. There be some kinds of predictions that are and may be lawfully vsed because they are naturall of which sort are those that are made by Physicians Mariners and husbandmen touching the particular alterations and dispositions of the weather and these beeing agreeable to that order which God hath set in nature from the beginning by them a man may probably gather the state of the weather whether it will be faire or foule and of these naturall signs our Sauiour Christ speaketh not of diabolicall which haue no warrant either from the common course of nature created or by any speciall appointment from God So that whatsoeuer can be said in their defence this yet remaineth certaine that the slying and noise of birds and the state of the intralls of beasts are no true signes ordained by God but inuented by the deuill and his instruments and therefore all diuination by them is iustly condemned as wicked and deuillish Whence it appeareth what iudgement may be giuen of those common signes of Diuination which are obserued in the world specially of the more ignorant sort For example A man finds a piece of yron he presently conceiueth a prediction of some good lucke vnto himselfe that day If he light on a peice of siluer then he stands contrarily affected imagining some euill will befall him Againe when a man is taking his iourney if a hare crosse him in the way all is not well his
iourney shall not be prosperous it presageth some mischiefe towards him Let his cares tingle or burne he is perswaded he hath enemies abroad and that some man either then doth or presently will speake ill of him If the salt fall towards a man at the table it portendeth in common conceit some ill newes When a rauen stands vpon some high place looke what way he turnes himselfe and cries thence as some thinke shall shortly come a dead corps albeit this sometime may be true by reason of the sharpe sense of smelling in the raven These and sundrie other of the like sort are meerely superstitious For the truth is they haue no vertue in themselues to foreshewe any thing that is to come either in nature or by Gods ordinance Therefore whatsoeuer diuination is made by them must needes be fetched from Satanicall illusion And though we cannot say they be soothsayings or tearme the vsers and fauourers of them soothsayers yet we may safely referre them to this kinde of diuining beeing such as no Christian may warrantably vse though some of them be not so grosse and palpable as those that are condemned in the Scriptures § 3. The third kind of creatures vsed to diuine by are the starres Diuination by starres â—s commonly called Iudiical Astrologie of which we may read Deu. 18. 10. 11. where the holy Ghost doth of purpose reckon vp all those kinds of deuillish arts whereby men haue dealings and societie with Satan either in divining or practising among which this is the second The word there vsed may carrie a double sense For it signifieth either him that obserueth times vnder which acception Astrologie is comprehended or him that obserueth the clouds And howsoeuer the best learned Interpreters doe dissent about the notation of it yet all agree in this that this profession of Diuining by the starres is there condemned and that it is to be numbred among the rest expressed in the prohibition may further appeare by other places of Scripture as in Isa. 47. 13. 14. where the Lord threatneth the same iudgements against Diuiners by the starreâ— that he doth against Soothsaiers and Magicians Againe in Dan. 2. 2. Inchaunters Astrologians and Sorcerers are ioyned together as beeing all sent for about the same busines vâ—z to expound the Kings dreame Nowe if the Lord himselfe haue allotted the same punishment to the Astrologer which he hath to the Soothsaier Magician and account them all one it is manifest that Diuining by the starres ought to be held as a superstitious kind of Diuination Here if it be thought strange that predictions by so excellent creatures as the starres be should carrie both the name and nature of diabolicall practises which can be done by none but such as are in league with Satan I answer The reasons hereof are these First it must be considered that the drift and scope of this art is to foretell the particular euents of things contingent as the alteration of the states of kingdomes the deaths of Princes good or badde successe of mens particular affaires from the houre of their birth to the day of their death And from this all men may iudge what the art it selfe is For the foretelling of things to come which in their owne nature are contingent and in regard of vs casuall I say not in regard of God to whome all things are certenly knowne is a propertie peculiar to God alone and not within the power of any creature man or Angel A point that is plainely taught by the Prophet Esai from the 4. chap. of his prophesie to the 48. The scope whereof is to prooue that it is a prerogatiue appointed to the Deitie and not communicable to the creature to foreshew the eueÌ„t of things to come which in our vnderstanding and reach may either be or not be and which when they are may be thus or otherwaies It remaines therefore that Diuinations of this kind taking from God his right and robbing him of his honour are iustly censured of impietie are in themselues wicked and abominable It is alleadged that starres in the heauens are the causes of many things happening in the world and therefore to practise by them in this manner deserueth no such imputation Ans It cannot be denied that they are causes of some things but I demand what causes not particular of particular euentsâ— but generall and common that worke alike vpon all things and no man can diuine of a particular euent by a generall cause vnlesse he also know the particular causes subordinate to the generall and the particular dispositions and operations of them For example let twentie or thirtie egges of sundrie kinds of birds be taken and set vnder one and the same henne to be hatched it is not possible for any man onely vpon the bare consideration of the heate of the hen which is the generall cause of hatching the egges to set downe certainely what kind of bird each egge will bring forth vnlesse he know what the egges were particularly For a generall and common cause doth not immediately produce a particular effect but onely mooueth and helpeth the particular immediate and subordinate causes Therefore the heat of the henne doth not make one egge to send forth a henne-chicken another egge a ducke a third a swanne c. but onely helpeth it forward by sitting and crouching vpon them In like manner the starres are generall causes of naturall things as the heat of the hen is of the hatching of the egges and by them no man can rightly define of particular euents and therefore Diuination by the slarres whereby are fore-told particular contingent euents in kingdomes families or particular persons is but a forged skill that hath no ground in nature from the vertue of the starres for any such purpose A second reason may be this All the rules and precepts of Astrologie set downe by the most learned among the Chaldeans Egyptians and other Astrologers are nothing els but meer dotages and fictions of the braine of man for the rules and conclusions of all good and lawfull arts haue their ground in experience and are framed by obseruation whereupon they are called Axioms or positions of arte so generally and vndoubtedly true that they can not deceiue But these rules are of a contrarie nature hauing no foundation in experience at all for if they had this must needes follow that the position of the heauens and the course of all the stars must needs continue one and the same for the principles of art ought to be immutable but neither the position of the heauens nor the course of all the starrs is alway one and the same Againe he that would make sound rules of art by obseruation must know the particular estate of all things he obserueth But no man knoweth the particular estate of all the starres and consequently none can gather sound rules of arte by them Thirdly no man knoweth or seeth all the starres and though they