great emphasis on these places But you see here what the matter is upon true account 3. 'T is true that Fernelius saith Purae simplicisque pestilentiae causa c. i. e. The cause of the meer and simple Pestilence is the configutation of the Heavens by their vertue But withall he presently avoucheth Quae neque temporum mutatione neque ulla manifestâ qualitate sed solo eventu deprehendi potest i.e. That that efficacy of the Heavens cannot be discerned either by the change of times or by any manifest quality but meerly by the event 4. Williams quoting of Ficinus was to him to use an Astrological phrase for their use though not approved by me most unlucky of all the rest For he though professing himself a Physician doth bang Judicial Astrology all over his vast works I shall here give but a touch In his book in Plotin cap. 2. the title of the second Paragraph or Head is That for many causes the judgement concerning future things is most difficult And then begins his discourse thus Quod autem nec homo nec daemon c. that is that neither man nor devil is able by the sole inspection of the Heavens to see the lesser matters accurre among us c. which he there proves strongly by many reasons too long for me to epitomise in this intended breif Survey Now let the observant Reader judge what Will. Ram. hath got by those names he so rattled together From them all not such a word as Astrology much less Judicial Least of all any inference that if there be a consideration of the Heavens for sickness Physick c. that therefore they can tell me where is my lost Cow who was the Thief that robbed me By this my soul loathes the silly weakness of the rest in this Section and shall kick it off for naught By experience we all know any observable effect of the Moon as all men Physicians or others are often enough deceived in judging the Crisis meerly by that Planet by reason that the different natures of the Patients and various change of Windes and Weathers to which Hippocrates ascribes much c. do much alter the case Hipp. lib. 3. Aphor. 5 And Will. Ramseys notion upon Health is to me non-ens or non sense as I have touched afore For Husbandry the Clownes can tell more then the Astrologer as presently he doth intimately confess that he learned Henhouswifry of the Northern women not they from the Astrologer A very sutable observation to usher in his Fable of the Climacterical years unless he mean that which we have by experience that every seventh year a man that observes shall finde a great change in his body in regard of diet c. otherwise that Scripture assures us that every man by Gods decree hath an appointed time And for conclusion William tells us a Tale of Columbus c. which the Astronomer without Astrology can do onely if he be honest he cannot tell a Lie to get Victuals or Money But the story and the practise is tolerable enough in the opinion and practise of divers Astrologers about London c. W.R. his CHAP. II. I Am come now to Mr. Homes his second Section wherein we shall see how he vents his malice most invectively all along against Astrology thinking he bringeth the learned to condemn it but what are the learned Schoolmen or great Philosophers to me or their sayings in this matter further then they have truth and reason on their side If they follow their own opinions and conceits without sound reason and warrant I see no warrant or reason why I should regard either them their words or quoters W.R. his SECT I. Wherein is further shewn the legality of Astrology HIs first learned man then he begins with is Tostatus who he saith in his Commentary on Levit. 19. Quaest 28.29 c. hath these words the which Doctour Willet gâ—ves him viz. Of things which are as to us accidental as the success of business or their causes internal as mens will and free choice as to undertake a journey or to build or not build predictions are not onely uncertain but superstitious and the same is to be said of casting of Nativities by the conjunction of the Planets But if he had considered what reason or ground Tostatus hath for these words he had never thus laid them open and I much wonder he being a Divine he had not first himself considered and weighed the Text which that he may now do I will here set it down Regard not them that have familiar spirits neither seek after wizards to be defiled by them I am the Lord your God Levit. 19.31 Where we clearly see there is no part of the Text once in the least mentioneth or meaneth Astrology it is against the seeking after those that have familiar Spirits and Wizards W. R. his SECT II. Wherein is shewn that the Stars are Signes and Causes HE then brings Doctour Willet in these words All manner of conjecturing which saith he is meant by Astrology is not unlawfull whereof any Natural or Divine cause can be yielded as first there be Natural Signes in the Heavens and Air as of the alteration of weather of windes of rain c. This doth no whit hurt Astrology mark but the words all manner of conjecturing is not unlawfull c. and saith M. Homes see he calleth it meaning Astrology but conjecturing onely but doth M. Homes conjecture it to be no other if he do it is his ignorance But let me not forget my self and spend too much time about him It hath been already shewn that the Starrs have the applause of power on the natural things of this world as also the great Ptolomy whose word in this case I believe will be taken before Doctour Willets or M. Homes his gives his word for it besides experience also as above shewed and you know Experientia docet there is no more to be said but that Astrology is not as Doctour Willet saith unlawfnll neither doth he in any wise condemn it for in his following words he tells us There are natural Signes in the Heavens and Air which cause rain winde c. The cause of which is no other then the influence of the Starrs which if he deny all Writers on this Art are contracted as also the Scripture to boot if then this be not a strong Argument let himself judge But to clear this point more fully What saith Master Homes is the cause of Rain alteration of Air and the like If his Master Doctour Willet did not these words shew it me thinks he should not have left the Reader unsatisfied and not onely so but have proved the Starrs to have no influence thereon nor to be causes of these alterations and then his argument had been good But they are causes And first let me give you Moses judgement herein who plainly tells us The Stars are for signs and seasons Gen. 1.14 which M. Homes
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
it self it may be easily admitted but long since By wicked Knaves it was made a prophane thing For that Art was adulterated among the Chaldeans That therefore the minde of the Prophet may be certainly clear to us let that Principle stand fixed that the Sun and the Moon the rest of the Planets and the fixed Stars which are in the Firmament are Signes But withall here must be noted the relation Wherefore would then God have the Sun and the Moon to be for Signes Namely that the course of the Moon might perfect one moneth the course of the Sun one year c. Again the Sun as it hath respect to the twelve Signes one while it makes Spring another while Summer c. and other things blonging to the Order of Nature But whosoever will stretch out these Signes beyond that doth utterly confound the order propounded of God Even as formerly when the Egyptians and Chaldeans would sware higher then reason did bear they would conjecture by the position of the Stars What should be the events of all Nations After that they durst descend to all particular men Hence sprung the Nativity-casters Therefore they first began to philosophize more subtilly that the Sun when it was under such a Sign it portended the ruine of the onely childe happy events to another But these things are without the bound of the accustomed course of Nature For instance to be Summerand Winter this is natural and ordinary but that warr is moved by one Nation against another this is not of the accustomed course of Nature nor from thence but from the ambition and covetousness of men Indeed a secret providence of God over-ruleth but we speak of causes which may be weighed and comprehended by us as falling under sense Albeit this also is to be noted The course of the Stars of themselves have no matter of moment For we see how God varieth times we have not equal Winters or Summers neither is there a constant temper no year but is unlike to the former and the third unlike to the second c. Sometimes the air will seem temperate yet the Plague will destroy Sometimes there cannot be found a reason why the year should bring scarcity and yet men may be pined So that God according to his own good pleasure tempers the world otherwise then any the acutest is able to divine by Stars But they that will transcend the bounds that God hath set will also conjecture by the Stars whether war should be in that countrey or peace in another They therefore that will collect by the Stars the things that are beside the course of Nature they surely mingle Heaven and Earth together Neither is there any doubt but that the Prophet chastiseth this madness whiles he forbids the Jews to attend unto the Signes of Heaven as to be afraid of them But withall the reason is to be attended why the Prophet so grievously condemneth that Fear which reigned among the Heathens to wit because where this opinion prevailed That all events of things depend upon the Stars the fear of God is taken away faith is extinguished c. For all Astrologers who falsely usurp that name to themselves I say those Knaves Lat. Nebulones istos dico who for their Impostures pretend the name of Judiciary or Judicial Astrology do conclude that a Judgement or determination or Prognostick touching the life of man ought to be made by the Horoscope as if both fortunes depended on the Stars If therefore any man be born at this hour according to their opinion that condition shall abide him so together they feign a fate to wit some necessity which may hold a man bound to the rule of the Sun and Moon and Stars For one born when the Sun was in the tail of such a Sign or when it was in the head of another this Nativity portends such or such a fortune this man shall be of a short life the other of a longer At length they also gather to themselves more boldness and will pronounce concerning every day such an event waits upon this expedition c. After that when or where the Nativity cannot be brought into consideration they subject all man-kinde to the necessity of the Stars behold if thou undertake any Expedition this or that day it shall be well with thee but if thou hasten afore noon ill success attends thee So therefore they divine of the whole life of man and each single action when as God would not have the Conftellations and Stars to be for Signes to this end or use Now as I said hence it follows God doth not govern as to reign so faith is extinguished and all duties of piety are reduced to nothing For whosoever is perswaded that he is bound by this necessity that because such is the Horoscope he must necessarily perish in that hour and also necessarily perish by this kinde of death he therefore being thus perswaded will he call upon God Will he commend his life to him Again if any adversity befall him will he impute it to his sins Will he acknowledge that he is called unto judgement by God Or if it be prosperous with him will he be excited to sing praises to God We see therefore how this Divination extinguisheth all Godliness because there will be no faith and then no acknowledgement of punishments no acknowledgement of the benefits of God no industry in praying If once that diabolical Errour hath possessed or surprized our mindes that we are subject to the Stars such is our Nativity and further that the Stars each single day and moment portend some kinde of death This therefore we ought chiefly to think upon when the Prophet forbiddeth the Jews to be afraid of the Signes of Heaven Neither is there any doubt but that the Chaldeans did predict that a new Empire was promised unto them so terrified the poor Jews far well to us For so the Astrologers spake among the Chaldeans And then on the other part the Egyptians saw this to be foretold by the position of the Stars so it was that the Jews sunck as spiritless or unsouled And so it came not into their mindes that God had so often and so many years threatened them by his Prophets whiles they ceased not to provoke his anger against themselves The judgement then of God they counted as nothing and yet the mean while this did astonish them that the Chaldeans had discerned by the Stars that there would be some change By this time we apprehend the minde of the Prophet where he saith We must not be afraid of the Stars I know how many at this day are foolishly curious and therefore some way given to Judicial Astrology and this Dotage hath violently curried away some men otherwise pious and very learned But we see what here God pronounceth by his servant And I wonder that some men are so addicted to the Stars who too too philosophically speak of free will Thus Calvin whom I
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
he should be so clamoured by him to run to fee in comparison a NOTHING Whether I speak truly let the sequell prove And had it not been to tell the Reader so especially young men in danger to be led away with Astrologicall impostures I should never accounted VVill. Ramsey worthy any thing that might be called a Reply Survey or c. And therefore I was loath Doctour Homes should so much disgrace himself and credit VVill. Ramsey as to have his name in print to any paper to him For 't is wittily observed by the Heathen Ovid. l. 13. Fab. 1 that it was too much honour to Vlysses being a Coward that he might contend but in words with gallant valiant Ajax for the Armour of Achilles Galenum non parùm errasse puto qui Thessalū dum nomen ejus proterit Aliquem esse docuerit cujus rationem haberet Cardan de vita propria cap. 16. And it was the judgement of the great CARDANVS one of VVilliam's profession both wayes that famous GALEN VVilliam's Master did much erre in so often mentioning in his writings his frivolous Antagonist Thessalus for by that saith Cardanus Galen did teach men to think that Thessalus was some body and at all regarded by Galen Let not VVilliam or his adherents puff at this as if but flourishes but attend the short Surveyes of his chapters and sections and then see whether reason can cry him up for wit honesty or learning The Survey of Will. Ramsey's 1. Section of his 1. Chapter The Definition of Astrology W. R. his 1. Section THat the Reader may the better judge of the controversie between Doctour Homes and my self I think best here before I enter upon any part of his discourse to set down what this art of Judiciall Astrology is which I undertake to defend Ptolomy lib. 1. cap. 1. Of his Quadripartite defines it thus Astrology is that art joyning it with Astronomy as making no difference between them though M. Homes and other adversaries thereunto do which teacheth by the motions Configurations and Influences of the Signs Stars and Celestiall Planets to judge and prognosticate of the naturall effects and mutations to come in the Elements and inferiour and Elementary bodies And who so takes Astrologie to be any other thing is altogether ignorant of the Art or guilty of inveterate malice in traducing so noble and admirable a science esteemed and allowed of in all ages and that in great reverence and honour as well as the Students thereof as in its due place shall be made to appear by the chiefest and noblest of the people Though Doctour Homes would fain persuade the vulgar and ignorant sort of people that it is a Doctrine of Devils and unlawfull which shall in its due place be made to appear as also the rest of his weak arguments and cavils that they are meerly malicious ignorant weak and inconsistent with reason or the thing in question which that he may not be ignorant of as also for the better understanding of the Reader I do here more plainly rehearse by way of Quere viz. First whether Astrology or foretelling or Prognosticating by the Stars be a lawfull Art free from all Diabolicall practises and devices Secondly Whether Astrology may not lawfully be studied and practised by the best of Gods people without offence in the least either to the law of God or man if they concurre with the rules of the Scripture which is the full matter in controversie and to be in this following discourse discussed handled and cleared and if so then certainly the malicious ignorant condemners of this Noble and most profitable Art studied by mortals as in its due place shall appear ought to be severely punished and that with exemplary infliction that posterity may take warning how they condemn what they are ignorant of and likewise be encouraged to apply their minds to the contemplation and knowledge of all Arts and Sciences especially this most heavenly and divine study of Astrology or the language of the Stars Now you have heard the distinction of Astrology the subject intended by it you may not onely see the causes which concurre to the constitution of the nature of the Art but also the finall cause whereunto all the precepts of the Art are to be referred seeing then the knowledge of the effects of the Stars in the Elements and their bodies dependeth of the motions Configurations and Influences of the Celestiall bodies Astronomy or Astrology for by the learned there is made no distinction between them as severall Arts but generally conclude them as indeed they are one and the same Art is divided into two parts the first speculative or theoricall which consisteth in the knowledge of the heavenly motions the other part is that which consisteth in the effects and properties of the former motions and without this viz. Astrology the other is meerly vain and of no use or to none or little purpose the former viz. Astronomy furnisheth the Astrologer with matter and stuff wherein to exercise himself the other viz. Astrologie disposeth the matter and accordingly judgeth as the case doth require and therefore to be esteemed the more noble part of this Science Thus VV. Ramsey SURVEY Behold here VV. R. at the very first begins his Pamphlet with 3 gross UNTRUTHS For If Will. Ramsey begins with 3. great untruths in his entrance how shal we believe him in the rest of his Pamphlet◠1. there is no such definition as he affirms nor any thing in form of a definition in relation to Astrologie in that place of Ptolomy as his eyes can witness who of purpose read the Preface and first Chapter once and again in two severall Editions 2. Ptolomy doth there contrary to VVilliam Ramsey's assertion put a wide difference between Astronomy and Astrologie For he begins that his Book thus There are two things O Syrus speciall and most chief by which are made Astrological Predictions ONE which is first in order and power whereby we apprehend at all times the motions of the Sun and Moon and other Starrs and their postures amongst themselves or towards the Earth The OTHER is that whereby we consider by the natural qualities of the Starrs the changes that are wrought in Bodies that are congruous to those postures And of these doctrines the FORMER hath its proper Art albeit the end of the SECOND be not added unto it c. In which words most evidently Ptolomy distinguisheth Astronomy from Astrologie of the nearest kinde viz. Natural in so much that he saith Astronomy is a perfect Art without that Astrologie Yea and as it follows there we have this into the bargain that Ptolomy doth sundry wayes and with severall reasons in that Treatise shew the uncertainty and imperfection of Astrologie but cries up the certainty and perfection of Astronomy 3. The Learned contrary to VV. R. false assertion do make a distinction between Astronomy and Judiciall Astrology as severall Arts. For
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
must confess as I now but said I see none let him take the true time of the Seas flowing first and then observe in what part of Heaven the ☽ is accidentally placed by her violent diurn motion and he shall finde it to flow till she come to an absolute □ aspect of the place she was in at the first beginning to flow and then will continue ebbing till she come to the direct ☠or opposite place in the Heavens c. Still let him observe exactly when she comes to the □ or ☠of the place of her first beginning and he shall never err in this point This is sufficiently well known to the learned Practitioners and the sons of Art yet note that ☉ and other Starrs may hasten hinder and alter the ☽ influence as he may see at ☌ and ☠of ☉ or the Change and Full in Spring-tides and Neap-tides at quarters and half-quarters I would he had not been ignorant of this and then perhaps this being the beginning of his discourse he had not undertook to lay Pen to Paper against this most heavenly most admirable and most contemplative delectable Study and Science of the Stars and Celestial Bodies So by this time he clearly sees how inconsiderate and rash this his sophistical and fase argument is Secondly saith M. Homes Others say that by Astrologie we know Eclipses and Changes of the Moon but we say Astronomy doth challenge this as belonging to it c. My answer is that I say what ever he telleth me others may or do say he cannot but know that those that say so are not versed therein and are ignorant And thirdly saith he If any one urge that Astrologie handles of the Qualities and Effects of the Stars we reply that so doth Astronomy of their Qualities namely of their light and colour and natural Philosophy of their Effects in watery aiery and fiery Meteors as much as to say Astrology is no Science at all but will give its property to another Study if this be not slanderous and malicious let the weakest in the world judge he might as well then all this while have called it Natural Philosophy as Astrologie And then he tels us if we admit of the Title Alsted gives to Astrologie viz. Astrologia planetaria or Planetary Astrology and of Doctor VVillets Titles viz. Astromancy Genethliaca then saith he for conclusion by all observe that there is no place left for Astrologie by which he clearly renders himself the most malicious of all wretches to deny that Art which above 298. of the most wise of all Ages have studied and practised their names you shall have hereafter in its place both before and since Christs time whose antiquity may be derived from our first father Adam maintained by Princes and Kings reverenced by that greatest of Worthies Alexander the Great and not condemned by any of the Fathers or the practice thereof prohibited by the Church farther then that they should not hereby be drawn from the study of Divinity as you shall see by and by M. Homes me thinks being a wise man should not write against and that in such a zealous manner a thing which is not in rerum natura or in posse as in his first Section of his tenth Chapter he studies to make Astrologie appear to what purpose then are all his arguments against Astrologie when he will not admit of any such thing in the world what doth he write against then and why doth he so much condemn the students thereof Because he knows not the validity thereof because he knows not the rules and fundamentals thereof because indeed he is altogether ignorant of the same and let him not be angry I plainly tell him so plain dealing is best among friends for if he did he would have been so far from writing or speaking against it that he would have been more furious and hot with any one should have condemned it then I am with him Railers are called Diabolicall yea Devils 1 Tim. 3.11 2 Tim. 3.3 Tim. 2 3. as we shewed afore SURVEY One would wonder to hear VV. Ramsey thus rail and call the Doctour diabolicall c. when as the Doctour in his Treatise gave no mans person the least ill word Therefore whether of the twain appears to be more diabolicall let the Reader judge And 't is as great a wonder to see the Doctours Treatise of Astrology so orderly digested into Sections and VVilliam Ramsey to so leap from the one to the other as if he were confounded in his apprehension or else that he would fain rather coosen the Reader then clear the controversie But to the matter To that marked with A we say It is enough to make it a speech of truth and a true confutation of Astrologie that wheresoever the Scriptures mention Astrologie there the Scriptures also disallow it which they disallow in more then six places of Scripture or seven as the Doctour hath observed if VVilliam reckons right although the Doctour reduced them all to seven heads To that at the letter B it is so weak a proof of a Scripture allowance of Astrology that it is not worthy the answering onely I am willing to make W. Ramsey see it if I can For the Heavens declare the glory of God as 't is presently there expounded as they are Gods Handy-work But the inference of William The Heavens declare Gods glory therefore Astrology is lawfull is so ridiculous as that with the bare naming of it it is confuted For THE LANGVAGE OF THE STARS which William saith is in another place I am sure is IN NO PLACE OF CANONICAL SCRIPTVRE For Williams Exposition on Psal 19.3 it must give place to the Apostles Rom. 10.18 viz. of Preaching the Gospel not of Astrology For the Pleiades in Job they are answered after The fighting of the Stars against Sisera Jud. 5.20 Junius expounds to be the Windes Rains Hails Tempests c. caused by the heavenly Bodies to the discomfiting and routing Sisera's Army compare Josh 10.11 Exod. 9.23 which makes nothing for Judicial Astrologie Thus with a touch it appears that William Ramsey is deceived in his conclusion to the said proofs that one of them were enough to convince c. For nor one nor all nor an hundred such are in any shew sufficient to convince a prudent man of the lawfulness of Judicial Astrologie And therefore his hope as he presently adds that by them the Reader doth clearly see that the Doctours words were meerly envious c. is Williams meer dream To that of W. Ramsey marked with C and from thence to the end of this Section we need onely say thus That William is toyling at the Labour in vain to shew the Doctour that the Moon is the cause of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea who knew it afore ever William did and it is granted by him in his Demonologie if William will see onely he saith other Sciences shew that without the help of
will say is fulfilled in the words following viz. And God made two great lights the one to rule the day the other to rule the night Gen. 1.16 To which then I answer by way of Quere to what end then are these invincible irresistable and innumerable hosts of Heaven were they made for no other use then to gaze on the Sun and Moon will sufficiently serve our turn for matter of light if we look no further into their uses but the Scripture further putteth this matter quite out of doubt if we will believe Gods own word Job 28.31 For he speaking of his Omnipotent power asketh his servant Job whether he or any one else Can restrain the influence of the Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion On which words S. Austin on Job referreth all men to the study of Astrology for the understanding of that place and not onely so but shews us that under these two constellations the Lord doth comprehend the influence of all the Celestiall host figuratively expressing pars pro toto and to shew you by experience the verity hereof if you will neither believe S. Augustine Moses nor God himself except you see and feel not to insist long on this point which is cleared by such strong and invincible witnesses one whereof is able to be sufficient testimony against all Master Homes his learned Judges and condemners of Astrology for confirming and clearing hereof then I might here again instance that palpable experience we have of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea by the influence of the Moon as abovesaid but to manifest it yet further let him call to mind the increase and decrease of Shel-fish the mutation and variation of times and innumerable other effects of the Stars which if time and conveniency would permit migh◠〈◊〉 recorded and let him then study the cause hereof and he will then without doubt be of another tenet let him observe also when ♄ and ☉ is in □ or ☠or when ♂ and ◠is in □ or ☠or ♃ and ☿ are so posited and let him tell me then what alterations they produce in the air both by Rain Snow Wind Tempests Thundering and Lightning and the like according to their severall positions the nature of signs and houses and mansions they are in which if he be not altogether ignorant of the Art he may daily see These and the like effects are most vulgarly known by experience so that therefore he might even as well have confessed those signs he speaketh of to be the Stars and causes their influence since he doth not nor cannot shew me any other thing they are without wronging and slandering the Art and contradicting the most learned therein as also the Father S. Austine Moses nay and GOD himself D. Homes might as well then have left out that other addition of Doctour Willets where he saith That the Stars have not the same influence in Summer and in Winter Spring and Autumn and so consequently will conclude them First not to be signs contradicting Moses and the word of God Gen. 1.14 as aforesaid Secondly Nor causes Quia ex unitate causae sequeretur similitudo effectûs Of the same cause there should follow the same effect but there followeth not the same effect from the same signs appears by experience As much to say the Stars are neither causes nor signs because they produce not fruits in Winter as well as in Summer or because they cause not snow in Summer or Buds and Blossoms in Winter O rare cavill but since he is already by what is abovesaid confuted I shall here adde nothing but this that since the question is whether they are causes and signs because that passage in the first of Genesis manifelts they are signs I will if he will be convinced by the word of God here give him to know they are also causes I will hear the heavens and the heavens shall hear the earth and the earth the corn and the wine c. Hos 2.2 And in another place the increase of the earth is referred to the Influence of the Sun and the Moon Deut. 33.14 By all which we may clearly see unless blinded with malice and wilfulness that they are both signes and causes of all our earthly injoyments and happinesses Et si Scriptura ipse Deus nobiscum quis contranos W. R. his SECT III. Wherein his allegations against the ground of the Art are condemned and his bringing S. Augustine and Galen against it proved fallacious SEeing then it is most clearly so that the Stars are signes and causes as abovesaid what need these envious carpers or malicious gainsayers of the truth be heeded or regarded but let these perverse rags of paper perish with themselves not worthy the least remembrance And indeed had it not been rightly to insorm the vulgar and to make them see that high language serveth not to condemn truth I had buried both them and their filthy rags in perpetual oblivion but I hope since they must be remembred it will be but for their disgrace not chronicled for their worthiness but perpetual infamy But this is not all he comes next to condemn Astrology by Keckerman and that with as weak Arguments as he did the rest Keckerman saith he a most learned Philosopher and Christian although he favours some things which men now a dayes call part of Astrology did not in all his two great Volumes in fol. of Arts and Sciences Jet forth any Astrology A wise story indeed because Keckerman writeth not of Astrology therefore there is no such thing but if Keckerman hath not yet as wise and as learned and greater Philosophers have as if the being of Astrology depended on his writing hereof Look the second Chapter of this Treatise or it were a whit farther from being an heavenly Science and a lawfull Art because he omitteth it fine Logick and rare reason if rightly understood and the depth thereof throughly searched because Aristotle knew not the reason of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea therefore no body else doth neither is there such a thing in Nature and because Moses writeth not of the Creation of Angels Ergo there is none O profound and invincible reason But to proceed he saith he is sure he hath these words against it Manent tamen c. The Starrs abide as of other sublunary effects so of effects in man the common and remote cause which many wayes may be hindred not onely by the first cause God but also by particular causes partly in the Heavens partly in the Air and other Elements so that the Predictions of Astrologers are with ifs and ands c. which is as much to the purpose as comes just to nothing for first that God can alter the course of the Starrs there is no Astrologer but will confesse but whether he will or no or ordinarily uses so to do is the question so that Master Homes gets little by this querk since he affirmeth nothing
that any Astrologer will deny But if Master Keckerman maketh it not appear what particular causes hinder the effects of the Stars me thinks for the strength of his argument Master Homes should have done it for it standeth not with any reason that subordinate causes as are the Air and other Elements should predominate or rule over the first moving Causes viz. the Starrs this the weakest capacity that understands the Art will affirm and you have but now heard that the effects of the Starrs cause alteration and mutation of the Air as we also daily see by experience and therefore his Assertion that the Principles of Astrology are not confirmed on true Principles is here also condemned as erronious false and malicious for we see Astrologers seldome fail in their judgements except when they swerve from the rules of Art wherefore Alsteds assertion also is here no lesse simple then the rest who saith Astrologers are also often deceived and what then because a man that never was at London misseth his way once or twice shall he conclude there is no such place sure it should rather teach him to observe diligently his roade and not turn on the right hand nor the left and if the Astrologers would as warily observe their rules this objection of the ignorant had never been thought on But Master Homes is Divinity false and no wise to be heeded because there is so many errours and schisms crept into the Church or because every one attaineth not to a full perfection of the Spirit or because humanum est errare man is frail and subject to failings no sure experience reason and truth teacheth us to the contrary Wherefore he might very well have omitted these slender reasons as also that place of Galen where he saith sophisticum est it is sophisticall but how not as having no verity therein but in the superstitious abuse thereof for you see clearly in the first Chapter of his Treatise Galen holdeth that man a fool rather then a Physician that is not an Astrologer and in all his works hath Astrology in great esteem and applause and moreover testifieth his own practice hereof especially lib. 3. de diebus decret cap. 2 3 4 5 and 6. and the like So he brings Saint Austin to condemn it thus in these words in his Treatise De Doctrina Christiana lib. 2. cap. 21 22. est magnus error magna dementia et superstitio Astrology is a great errour madnesse and superstition it is clear that Saint Austin here speaketh of the superstitious use thereof as in attributing fatall necessity thereto and in too much trusting and confiding therein as may appear by what you have already heard S. Austin saith of it but to clear it more fully L. 5. c. 4. 1.20 c. 6. contra Faustum Manich. S. Austin confesseth that before his conversion he followed the heresies of the Manichees who maintained the stars to be adored and prayed unto and therefore to reclaim the multitude which went thus a whoring after the wayes of the Heathen this good man useth these words to recall them and unite them to the belief of God But I hope M. Homes will not say that Astrologers are thus superstitious and wicked he that saith Astrology as I said before is any other thing then what is delivered by Ptolomy in the second page of this Treatise knoweth not what Astrology is Neither will he affirm I hope that S. Austin condemns Astrology but the superstitious abuse thereof which is clear for he delivereth five opinions concerning destiny First that by destiny is understood the providence will and power of God and therefore he warneth the Astrologers that they continue their opinions but correct their tongues 1.5 c. 1. De Civ Pei. for through custome of speech the vulgar commonly understood nothing by the word fate or destiny but the inevitable power of the Stars The second is quite contrary to the former ascribing all to the absolute power of the Stars without the will of God But this opinion derogating from the omnipotent power of God and his providence in all our actions he saith ought to be rejected not onely by those that professe the true Religion but which serve or worship any gods at all though never so false The third so attributeth to the decrees of the Stars that yet they believe them to have this power in such sort derived unto them from God that thereby they can and do determine of us and our actions as they will themselves which opinion he thinketh is very wrongfully held of heaven to maintain such wickednesse to be as it were inacted in that most shining Senate that were the like acted in any Court or State on earth it were worthy to be subverted The fourth opinion is That the Stars have neither power nor will to operate on us at their own pleasures but as they do necessarily execute that which God imposeth upon them which Saint Austine accounteth more intolerable then the other for that it teacheth us to conceive that of God which they hold unworthy to impute unto the Starrs against such he sufficiently declareth These opinions Saint Augustine renounceth as they rather utterly deny the power and providence of God or as they impute absolute rule and dominion of the Stars immediately over the will of man necessaririly inforcing us in all our actions or as they throw all our sinnes upon God whilest they make him by the Stars inevitably to inforce us to evil wherefore had Master Homes as it had befit a learned man first examined his Authours with good observation and deliberation and not so readily taken hold on every thing he finds delivered by others that he imagineth will serve for his turn I 'm confident he had not thus inconsiderately alledged Saint Augustine against Astrologers for as I defined before in the second page what Astrology is so the same Ptolomy confesseth the Stars not to have any fatality as working by or with a fatall necessity on the will or soul of man as much as S. Austine himself giving them no farther operation in these matters then the most Orthodox and Learned Divines do The fifth opinion is Which neither esteemeth the Stars of their own wils as if they were living souls to decree future events nor necessarily to usurp power over minds but onely to signifie the inclinations of the elements and of all things compounded of them Now that Saint Austine meant not such Astrologers as deny necessity as Master Homes would fain persuade the vulgar to believe but onely ascribe power unto the Starrs to work upon sublunary bodies is evident by his words Non usque quaque absurdè dici possit adsolas corporum differentias afflatus quosdam valere sidereos sicut in solaribus accessibus recessibus videmus etiam ipsius anni tempora variari lunaribus incrementis et decrementis augeri et minui quaedam genera rerum sicut Echinos et conchas et
of argument or proof His words in the very beginning of his second Section which Will. Ramsey hath all this while so puddered himself to confute shew William the contrary if he had been willing to see Because saith the Doctour the Astrologers give out that there is no body against this Astrology but one Perkins or some one or two more men not acquainted with Art or in the like slighting speeches it will be very convenient to quicken your attentions as to a point considerable by setting before you the judgement of severall learned men touching Astrology Indeed if I do here but reprint that second Section of the Doctour which Will. pretends to confute it will be a sufficient confutation of all these five Sections of William's second Chapter D. H. his SECT II. Of the Opinions of the Learned touching Astrology BEcause the Astrologers give out that there is no body against this Astrologie but one Perkins or some one or two more men not acquainted with Art or in the like slighting speeches it will be very convenient to quicken your attention as to a point considerable by setting before you the judgement of severall Learned men touching Astrology with their reasons Tostatus a great learned School-man hath a great deal against it in his Commentary on Levit. 19. Qu. 28 29. c. Doctour Willet gives us the summ of Tostatus and his own judgement thus Of things which are as to us accidentall as the successe of businesses or their causes internall as mens will and free choife as to undertake a journey or to build or not to build predictions are not onely uncertain but superstitious And the same is to be said of casting Nativities by the conjunction of Planets So Doctour Willet on Levit. 19. in his 41. Qu. the head whereof is The Vanity of Astrologers quoting of and referring us to Tostatus The same Doctour Willet on the same Chapter in his 32. Qu. hath this discourse All manner of CONJECTURING see he cals it but Conjecturing is not unlawful whereof any naturall or divine Cause can be yielded As first there are naturall signes in the Heavens and air as of the alteration of weather of winds of rain c. And in compound bodies as in setting and planting of Trees and in humane bodies as when t is good to let blood to purge c. These are immediate effects in nature of Celestiall bodies There are also mediate effects as Comets which shew siccity and combustions and so many portend Wars which is caused by wrath among men which cometh of siccity and heat So the Crow cryes against rain because the moisture of the air affects his feathers And the Dolphin against a tempest swims aloft because the Sand in the bottome is stirred For these creatures that are led onely by sense have a quicker feeling of such naturall accidents then man hath who is most occupied in the use and exercise of reason For Attentio ad operationes secundùm rationem c that is The attending upon the operations of reason doth take away the attention to the operation of nature And therefore FOOLS and SIMPLE persons that are LEAST GUIDED by reason are more sensible of naturall things then WISE men Again there are divine and extraordinary signs * which God speaks of that shall be for signs at such a time or of such a thing As Matth. 24.29 And the Dove descending on Christ Matth. 3.16 But there is no Judiciary Astrology in all these Doctour Willet adds on the same Chapter Qu. 33. to give it you in a word thus Signs observed by men of humane events cannot be signs first because Ex varietate causae variatur causatum The Stars have not the same influence in Summer and in Winter Spring and Autumn Secondly Ex unitate causae sequeretur similitudo effectûs Of the same cause there should be the same effects But there follows not the same effect after the same signs as appears by experience Thirdly Keckerman a most learned Philosopher and a Christian although he favours some things which men now a dayes call part of Astrology did not in all his two great Volumes of Arts and Sciences in Folio set forth any Astrology but in his Works hath these passages against it to this effect Manent tamen c. The Stars abide as of other sublunary effects so of effects in man the COMMON and REMOTE Causes which many wayes may be hindred not onely by the first cause GOD but also by particular causes partly in the HEAVENS partly in the AIR and other ELEMENTS so that the PREDICTIONS OF ASTROLOGIE are with IFFS and AND 's So that it follows not this man is born under an unhappy Star therefore he hath a dull wit So Keckerman System Phys lib. 2. cap. 3. De Motu Cocli The same Keckerman in another place hath these words Disciplina Astrologica c. The Discipline of Astrologie about the Predictions by Heavenly bodies or Stars is not yet confirmed upon true principles therefore no marvell if that part of Astrology which is conversant about the predictions of Comets doth rest upon most uncertain principles It is granted to Astronomy to use such Hypotheses or arguments or principles which are not in nature but are conceived onely by a kind of similitude But Astrology may not use such Hypotheses The Astrologers assign several Countries and Cities to severall Celestiall Signs But of Cities plainly no reason at all appears So Keckerman Syst Phys lib. 6. cap. 5. De Cometis in genere Fourthly Alsted the great Philosopher of these times and a Christian sets forth a thing he calls Astrology but see his faithfulnesse in this Astrologia saith he vitio c. Astrology by the vice of man hath more vanity in it then Astronomy Astrology because of our imbecility is conjecturall And he adds Astrologers are often deceived and therefore we do rightly saith he pronounce the divinatory part of Astrology to be but Conjecturall Fifthly The great Galen saith of Astrology Sophisticum est c. T is a sophisticall thing Contrary to experience Sixthly So famous a man as was S. Austin famous for learning and godlinesse in his time having been addicted to Astrology afterwards repents of it and renounceth it in his Treatise De doctr Christiana lib 2. cap. 21. in fine initio capitis 22. His words are these It is Magnus error magna dementia superstitio c. that is Astrology is a great errour a great madnesse a superstition easily refelled Saint Austin brings in another on Psal 63. as a penitent renouncing this Art Paganisme and Judaisme For we know that the Scriptures do much forbid it to the Jews as the evill of the Heathens as we shall see plentifully afterwards Seventhly Master Perkins famous for learning and godlinesse as his Works shew hath not only a Treatise against Astrology though once much addicted to it but also gives us his repentance and renouncing of it in his Preface to the Reader
truch and reason on their side Will. Ramsey being JVDGE For that 's the Genuine result of his speech And by consequence if all the Learned men in the world beside Astrologers should condemn Astrology Will. would slight them as he doth in his Book because he judgeth them not to speak according to truth and reason To W. R. his first Section of his second Chapter a word will serve viz. onely to intreat Will. that so calls on others for consideration that he himself would consider that Tostatus or Doctour Willet doth not educe those words at A out of the text Levit. 19. But are his liberty of expatiating upon unlawfull Arts in generall and therein to declare his judgement concerning unlawfull predictions Tostatus and Doctour Willet had more wit then to take a text of Familiar Spirits to confute Astrology Though some Astrologers are not free from Familiarity with such And B. C. proves an implicite complyance Thus much onely hath given such a blow to Will. Ramseys first Section that the whole Fabrick of it falls to the ground in the eyes of them that will understand To his second Section and first to that Will. saith and so labours to prove that Stars are Causes the Doctour denies it not though that man of vast learning Mars Ficinus a famous Platonick Philosopher in his works hath a Tract against it 2. To Williams catching at the word CONJECTV RING of and concerning things which are naturall causes as of alteration of weather c. experience daily and evidently doth tell all men that have eyes to read Almanacks and to see the weather that how naturall and necessary soever the causes may be the Astrologers predictions of it are but conjecturing and daily prove false Yet neither Doctour Willet nor Doctour Homes do move the question touching the thing which commonly is called Naturall Aftrology And therefore as they do not justifie Judiciall so they do not condemn naturall touching weather c. and therefore Will. is at the Labour-in-vain uttering nothing against the Doctour for me to take cognizance of till he mentions S. Austins referring us as Will. saith to the study of Astrology in his Annotations on Job chapter 38. v. 31. But how untruly W. R. reports Saint Austine let S. Austines words testifie which are Intellexisti nexus Pleiades c. Num Astrologia perscrutenda est ad cognoscendum proprietates istorum Syderum ut hunc locum intelligere possimus Miror et si hoc congruit sermoni nostro c. Where S. Austine asks the question whether we need search Astrology to understand that place And wonders if that should agree to his speech elsewhere And in the conclusion interprets the place of morall not naturall things Omnium saith S. Austine it a syderum nomine omnes in ecclesia tales intelligend sunt qui conversationem habent in coelis c. But the Doctour is not against the thing of naturall Astrology but 't is judiciall Astrology and the calling of predicting of naturall effects by naturall causes by the name of Astrology that the Doctour is against and therefore Will. Ramsey in his discourse of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea of thunder rain snow c. is again at the Labour-in-vain or at a combat with his own shadow and so goes on to the end of the second Section For Will. Ramsey miserably mistakes to say Doctour VVillet denyed the Stars to be signs or causes as to naturall effects which the Doctour expresly granted a little afore and as meanly doth VVill. Viz. Ex varierate causae c. and Ex unitate causae c. go off of Doctour VVillets Two mighty reasons against signs of humane events and speaks not one pertinent word to them Let the Reader compare and judge in the thing Quem penes arbitrium est et vis et norma loquendi To VVill. R. third Section being a great body with little soul in it as was Doctour Ames his Character of Bellarmines works Moles absque nervis I need not add much to the substance of what D. Homes hath sayed For let me but tell VVill. Ramsey that he hath not fairly repeated Doctour Homes touching Keckerman and he must needs be non-plus't in his quibble It was the fault of the Devil he quoted not the whole period of the Scripture he alleadged And certainly the Astrologer is not blamelesse in his curt quoting the Doctour whose words you may see afore are That Keckerman a most learned Philosopher and a Christian although he favours some things which men now a dayes call Astrolology did not in all his two great volumes in folio of the Arts and Sciences set forth any Astrology BVT IN HIS VVORKS HATH THESE PASSAGES AGAINST IT c. Now this last clause here in capitall letters are left out by VVilliam Ramsey to the immediate ruine of all he saith till he come to MANENT TAMEN a fresh matter Yea if that Capitall clause had not been in it had been good Logick and reason to say what the Doctour concludes That Keckerman handling of purpose of the main body of Arts and Sciences and among them all the reall Mathematicks and leaving out Astrology doth shew that Keckerman was rather against then for Astrology Or that Keckerman did think there was no such lawfull Science Even as if Moses of purpose had set himself to handle all Pneumatology i.e. a System of Spirits and Souls and handling of the Souls of Animals and of the Souls or Spirits of men and of the Holy spirit had quite left out the doctrine of Angels it would well have inferred there were no Angels But the whole Bible is not a System but a graduall discovery of truths according to the growth of the Church with explications and repetitions And though Moses included the creation of the Angels in the creation of the Heavens as Will. Cousin Philosopher acutely well observes in his Enchiridion Physicae restitutae but expresseth them not that as Divines observe the sons of men might not dream the concurrence of Angels in the Creation till Gen. 18. and afterwards much that was enough to clear it Moses owned the being and Doctrine of Angels But Keckerman from first to last doth not approve of the thing and doctrine of Judiciall Astrology Now for VVil. answer to Keckerman's MANENT TAMEN c. i.e. The Stars abide c. unto Cometis in genere which you have here inserted out of the Doctours Demologie word for word let the understanding Reader judge 1. Whether VVill. Ramsey hath confuted it 2. Whether the Doctour by the rule of reason or Art was bound to argue out Keckermans assertions seeing he alledgeth him onely as a particular example of one learned man among others that was against Astrology 3. Whether VVill. doth not evidently contradict himself in saying That the words of Keckerman are as much as comes to nothing and yet presently labours but in vain to confute them For Keckerman doth not say That
injurious bringing of S. Austin against Astrology c. But Reader have patience ere thou judgest till I have been at the pains to transcribe the whole sixth Chapter of Aug. de Civitate Dei as near as I can to a sillable as 't is in the common English Translation for thy better assurance of the Doctours truth which is thus It often falleth out saith Austin notwithstanding that in these concurrences and unions of times Conception and Constellation the children conceived are the one a male the other a female I know two Twinnes of divers Sexes both of them alive and Iusty at this day They are as like in favour one to another as their difference of sex can permit but in their fashion and order of life so unlike that besides the actions which must of necessity distinguish between men and women he is continually in warr in the office of a Count and never cometh home she continually in her Countrey where she was born and never goeth abroad Nay which is more incredible respecting the powers of the Starrs and not the wills of God and men he is a married man and she is an holy virgin he hath many children and she was never married O but their HOROSCOPES had a great sway in all things Tush I have shewn the power of that to be just nothing already I but what soever it doth it is there in the nativity that must do it What and not in the conception wherein it is manifest that there is but one generative act concurrent For natures power is such that a woman having once conceived cannot second any conception untill she be delivered of the first And therefore it is necessary that the Twinnes conception fall both in one moment Were their divers HOROSCOPES think you the cause that in their birth he became a man-childe and she a woman Wherefore since it is no such absurdity to say that there are some Planetary influences that have effect onely upon diversity of formes in bodies as we see the alteration of the year by the Suns access and departure and divers things to decrease and increase just as the Moon doth Crabs for example and all shell-fishes besides the wonderfull course of the Sea but that the minde of man is not subject to any of these powers of the Starrs those Artists now desiring to binde our acts unto this we see them free from do shew us plainly that the effects of the Starrs have no power so much as upon our bodies For what is so pertinent unto the body as the sex thereof And yet we see that two Twinnes of divers sexes may be conceived both under one Consteilation Wherefore what FONDER AFFECTION can there be then to say That that figure of Heaven which was one in the conception of them both had not power to keep the sister from differing in sex from her brother with whom she had one Constellation and yet that that fign of Heaven which ruled at their nativity had power to make her differ so farr from him in her virgins sanctimony Thus Austin And now for shame let Will. hold his outcries against Doctour Homes for that the Doctour said Austin was against Astrology And for shame let William endeavour no more to gull his Reader with pretence that Austin is for Astrology The Battle grows hot Will. is not able to bear the Shock And if yet he or his followers have not enough of Austin let them turn to the Doctours Section of Answers to Objections and his answr to the last Objection brought out out of Austin where twelve places out of Austin are alleadged which vehemently contest against Astrology Dormonolog cap. 10. â—â—t 5. besides others in the first Section of the Doctours tenth Chapter against Astrology Now where is Williams boast and cry of victoria that Doctour Homes did falsely bring Austin against Astrology Go Will. off the Stage for shame Will. Ramsey's fourth Section hath answered so little or rather nothing worthy to be called an answer to Doctour Homes his faithfull Allegation of M. Perkins Bridges and Geree in the Doctours second Section before inserted which the Reader may now by the help of this Survey compare together and may see more if he please of M. Perkins in his Treatise of Witchcraft and of M. Geree in his Asirologico-Mastix and in him of M. Buidges all commonly to be had I say Will. Ram. hath said so little or rather nothing in form of an answer to the Doctour concerning these worthy men that I need add but very little at all Sufficit exiguo strigilatio curta caballo 1. To Melanchton the Doctour answers in his fifth Section of confutation of Objections Paragraph 2. Secondly to Will cursed comparison of Astrology and the Scriptures together by the injury done to these to shelter that from justice so oft repeated in his Lux V. we answer that a good man never wrote against the Word of God if some bad ones have since the reign of Astrology but generally all good men write against Astrology It hath been sealed to thousands of thousands by the holy Spirit of God that the sacred Scriptures are the Word of God notwithstanding the diabolical opposition of some bad men but Astrology is suspected yea and asserted by many godly men that is from by or with the Devil in its predictions or the Devil in with or by them choose you whether So Doctour Homes hath cleared it out of M. Bridges M. Perkins who asserts other learned men up to the Apostles times of the same minde and S. Austin who in his 5. Tom. C. 291. Edit Basil Frob. A.D. 1565. saith plainly that The Answers of Astrologers are from evil Spirits 3. To that William distinguisheth of M. Perkins Treatise of Astrology let M. Perkins his Treatise answer which to any that shall view it will quickly make it appear that he wholly bends himself by all manner of means to prove all Judicial Astrology to be altogether impious and unlawfull 4. For Sir Christopher Heyden's answer to M. Chambers c. it will be taken into consideration anon Had not William so crackt of it and reprinted it in this his Book now under consideration the fame thereof as great as William proclaimes to be had not made it known to the Anti-astrologer but at William's incitation it may by and by receive a due answer To Will. Ramsey's fifth Section touching M. Bridges that of the Doctours second Section before inserted is reply enough for Will. Ram. hath upon the matter said nothing to it but onely told his Reader most impudently two bouncing untruths I might but for respect to my own civility call it worse †Will. Ramsey's first Vntruth here is that Ptolomy Galen Hippocrates Mentiâ—i eft contrae mentem â— ire Aug. S. Austin and thousands more found not onely a Certainty in Astrology but concluded and agreed that it was the most benesicial Art under the Sun For it hath been written as with Sun-beams for
yet let it not be that the Reader forget what Doctour Homes urged from that place now the Copy of it is afore presented to his eye viz. Authours of late times commonly use the word to express Divination in general But to come closer to the word learned Arias Montanus doth as well as I derive our word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 time yea so doth R. Solomon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 same word in substance and descent of whose signifying Astrology ye heard afore abundantly So the Doctour To all which Will. saith upon the matter nothing nor hath he or his Sir Christopher clawd off as we say what was discussed on Deut. 18.10 to which the Doctour referred us to better understand this If the Hebrew word is derived of Time then in its native signification it doth more then barely signifie Divination in general it specially relates to Astrology that undertakes to predict touching humane affairs by or from the times or turnings of the Heavens And seeing William is so peremptory he shall now have the proper idiom of the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Isay 2.6 whose speciall signification is by experience and inquisition to ominate and fore-tell which is the character of the pretended skill of Astrology And Williams brave reason is a weak reason that ponderating Translatours should use words for brevity of oration T is true indeed that it is their wisedome as farre as the word will bear to give the most comprchensive signification because the mind of the holy spirit is such But every generall comprehends the particulars as he that saith William Ramsey to be an animal saith true he that saith he is an ignorant man c. saith he is an animal ergo he that saith he is an ignorant man saith true This is better logick then Williams endeavour to make the Scriptures opposite to themselves Where the word saith He that believeth shall be saved the circumstances of the place shew the meaning to be of justifying faith in Christ whose property is saith the Apostle to work by love But by the Devils believing Saint James plainly signifies such a faith as works not by love And therefore if Williams or any mans faith hath no love it is no better then the Devils faith That 's true Logick and according to the mind of S. James Beside all this note that W. R. saith nothing to the Doctours reason from the word EAST proving thereby Chaldeans or Astrologers to be there meant We add here nothing touching the aptnesse of the word Sooth-saying to signifie Astrologicall predicting because before discussed To W. R. his third Section touching Isay 44.25 and in it to Sir Christoph reason I will say nothing because the Doctours exercitation upon the words set down afore in his Demonologie stands still as a wall of Brasse William hath onely alleadged a fragment of the text and in a different Translation from the Doctour and our best translation And Sir Chr. reason viz. that Astrologicall signes must be confessed effectuall and not to be frustrated but by miracle c. is a most unwarrantable speech contradicted by many friends to Astrology and by Will. Ram. himself in severall expressions in his Epistle to the Reader Therefore I have nothing to do here but to passe hence to the fourth Section of Will. Ramsey on Isay 47.12 13 14. In answer to which if the Reader will be pleased but to turn back and read the Doctours short discourse upon that 47 of Isay he will find that there is little need I should speak much to Will and Sir Chr. words here Briefly therefore 1. William here confesseth that the Lord here with particular distinction names Astrologers Starre-Gazers and Monethly Prognosticatours whereby he gives faire way that this Text may have its full blow at the head of Astrology 2. That Will. doth think that in the judgement of some this text may seem to give a fatall blow to Astrology yet saith never a word himself to stave it off 3. He calls in Sir Christopher to speak for him in whose words there are severall great mistakes For 1. Vatablus hath nothing at all in his Commentary on that 47. of Isay 12 13 14. touching Chabar 2. Sir Christopher urging of Chabar and Calvin is against himself and his cause For Chabar is in the 12. verse to signifie enchantments and therefore by Sir Christophers argument there also Astrology is forbidden as well as v. 13. and so also contrary to W. R. struggle enchantment goes along with Astrology 3. In that criticisme on Chabar Calvin is greatly against Sir Christophers Astrology Calvin on verse 13. STENT NVNC Hîc perspicimus quos potissimùm consiliarios intelligat Propheta nempe divinatores illos qui vano scientiae nomine sese populo venditabant quasi futura omnia tenerent ex ASTRORVM CONSPECTV Sed de JVDICIARIA ISTA ASTROLOGIA ejus VANITATE priùs diximus Si quis objiciat istorum non fuisse pericula cula quae impendebant amoliri respondeo horum monitu idfacturos fuisse Babylonios si cladem praevidissent Cùm non praeviderint sequitur VANISSIMAM ipsorum esse APIEM Frustà verò nonnulli obtendunt inscitiamartis non artem ipsam exagitari à prophetâ Alloquitur enim Chaldaeos à quibus haec soientia profecta est Sulsè autem dicit coclos ab ipsis sociari quia perinde proferunt sua decreta ac si stellarum colligatione complexu constrictum tenerent humanum genus Quanquam si quis malit incant ores vertere sensus non male verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utrunque significat Etsi verò Astrorum ordinem speculari per se malum non est longius quam liceat prorumpere dicit propheta qui obscuros rerum event us inde colligunt ac videtur obliquè speculatores istos opponere prophetis quo magis detestabiles reddat quia divinas omnes praedictiones extinguant c. So that by this of Calvin touching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 William and Sir Christopher are shot with their own Bowe Wherein Calvin doth declare that this place doth not onely condemn Judiciall Astrology as opposite to confidence in God but also as opposite to divine prophecying as being an Art of very vanity in it self As an are that would pretend by the stars to know future events yet could not fore know to fore-admonish of the judgements that were coming And that the Prophet doth not reprove onely the ignorance of the art as some would pretend but the Art of Astrology it self in that the Prophet speaks to the Chaldeans from whom this Science sprung As a presumptuous art that would bear men in hand as if they held all man-kind by the colligation and complex of stars c. As likewise the Doctour before shewed that a many evils in all Judiciary Astrology are here forbidden So that if disobedience to Gods word and Christianity cannot stand together then Judiciall Astrology and
Christianity cannot stand together what tale soever Sir Chr. or Will. Ramsey tells us to the contrary For 1. those instances touching Princes Riches horses Physiciaus c. the Scripture expresly forbiddeth onely confidence c. in them but elsewhere commends the use of them But doth not so speak of Astrology but every where it mentions it condemns the thing 2. That of Merchants in the last verse of that of Isay with Tremilius and Arias Montan on it it comes all to nothing there is no such thing unlesse they mean laborasti a pueritiâ is in 12. verse and last verse which were but a childish labour to take off the edge and dint of that mighty Text in verse 13. against Astrology I am sure Junius hath these words on that 37. of Isay 13. Emphatica demonstratio c. that is This saith Junius is an emphaticall demonstration of the vanity which is in all Chaldaeans and Mathematicians c. So that we argue ad dictum simpliciter that Judiciall Astrology is absolutely forbidden because so here and wheresoever the Scripture names it it gives it never a good word 3. That that on verse 10. None seeth with Tremilius his Quasi dicat is a meer impertinency because there one sinne is condemned here in verse 13. another 4. To the distinction they would have put between Heathens and Christians is a vain motion when Jews or Christians follow the sinnes of Heathens and become as bad or worse then they sinning against greater light God reproves both alike and the one and same word of God to be to the end of the world is intended against all as we may see in the Prophets and Apostles application of the Scriptures from the beginning of the Bible to the end 5. The distinction of making stars causes and subordinate instruments comes to nothing as in Logick for instruments are causes so in the present dispute about Judiciall Astrology For Will. Ramsey tels us but now that Sir Christopher should tell us that strange untruth that the influences of the Stars cannot be altered without a miracle Which if it were true the Astrologers confidence in the stars is very great And our relick from their fatall necessity very small by the word subordination But Keckerman as the Doctour shewed demonstrateth that the influence of stars may be altered by many petty naturall causes below 6. T is untrue that all well ordered and Christian Common-wealths have permitted and suffered Judiciall Astrologicall prognostications which is the question in hand and that which W. R. professeth in this his Lux Veritatis witnesse his three Schemes or figures The Romane Common wealth forbids it in a law See the Doctours Epistle afore his Demonology And again as I have shewed afore it was forbidden in a law by Constantius l. Nemo c. 5. de Malef. Mathem And some of the Kings of France have questioned Astrologers And the Epistle before Sir Christophers Heydens Astrologicall discourse confesseth that in the times of the Kings of England that discourse would not be permitted to be printed Besides some of Williams brethren in Astrology have been questioned for their predictions as they themselves can best inform him And lastly if any times or places have not punished such t is but their permission and sufferance as the objectours words are which is of unlawfull things properly 7. T is untrue that the Fathers or Calvin do allow Judiciall Astrology as hath been cleared by the Doctour and my self or that the Astrologers meddle not but with weather health plagues c. William and the yearly Books we have shew the contrary 8. For calling Master Chamhers the Doctour or any other Anti-astrologer by the name of Sophister it must be retorted He is a Sophister indeed that alleadgeth Aquinas on Isay 47. for Judiciall Astrology when Aquinas hath no Commentary on Isay and in his summes he is against it as I have afore largely shewed He is a Sophister that will say that will also say Haymo on Isay 47. is for it when he is flatly against it Let Will. see his Authour using Augâ—â—es for Astrologies before h m. Cicero saith Ac. gurari pro divicure usu pimu Cic. de div li. Stentz saith Haymo on the place Augures coeli hoc est Astrologi qui vulgò Mathematici appellantur Qui contemplabantur sydera ex astrorum cursu lapsuque res humanas arbitrabantur gubernari regi supputabant menses dicendo hoc erit isto vel illo mense vel anno c. not a word for but all against Astrology Finding this falshood in two Quotations I thought it not worth the while to look into the other two being not at hand when I should have perused them being loath to fling away my precious time upon flamms Thus briefly have I touched upon these eight particulars beside my first intent least onely the fluency of Sir Christophers Oration should have carried away the minde of them that love not to go down the stream Now let Will. as Job said to his Objectours Mock on and crack Great is the truth and it will prevail To VV. his fifth Sect. of Ch. 39. touching Jer. 10.2.3 I do answer that in this Section also VVill. hath yet his Spokes-man Sir Christopher to speak for him Sir Christopher disputes and Will. more suo railes But neither of them speak any thing to the Hebrew or Chaldee of the Text or to the Geneva Notes once or the Reasons and deductions from it against Astrology all which are to good purpose pressed by the Doctour See afore VVill. saith The Astrologers do not in the least attribute fatal necessity to the power of the Starrs But Sir Christopher asserted as we heard afore that their power cannot be altered without a miracle And Will all along avoucheth the certainty of Astrology and with many high epithes of a most divine most heavenly Art c. with severall instances of his Diagrams of Figures Put all together and it can spell no less then that in their opinion the Stars hold forth a necessity of certainty in the power of the operations And though the Astrologers confess the Starrs to be Gods instruments as the Jews did yet may they by confidence in their effects deifie and idolize them as did the Jews in some of those places alleadged after by Sir Christopher The Papists confess their images to be in themselves but creatures and therefore assert they worship not the images but God in or through them But the orthodox Christian World do generally and justly condemn them guilty of Idolatry by the second Commandment forbidding any Image to be made in relation to divine Worship The Jews Exod. 32. could not possibly be so stupid as to think that the molten Calf made of their own ear-rings could be a real Deity They desired Aaron to make it v. 1. and that Idol to go before them in stead of Moses who had been long absent that as they said they knew not
under some Constellation These sure are no Christians because faithfull men ought not to doubt that Divine Providence from any part of the World or from any time whatsoever is absent Canonica inhibitio 26. q. c. 7. Divina Providentia Therefore we should not impute any secular business to the power of the Stars but to know that all things are disposed by the arbitrement of the King of Kings The Christian Faith is violated when so like a Pagan and Apostata any man doth observe those Days which are called Aegyptiaci or the Calends of January or any Moneth or Day or Time or Year either to travell marry or to do any thing in for whosoever he be that believes these things hath erred from the Christian Faith and Baptisme S. Augustine in his Enchiridion saith that it is a great offence for any man to observe the time and course of the Moon when they plant any Trees or sow any Corn for he saith None puts any trust in them but they that worship them thinking that the position of some Star ought to have an influence in them according to those things they believe concerning the Nativities of men This me thinks is most simple and ridiculous for thus I will argue against them If this be true which they hold that it is good to sow Corn under such a tuckie Constellation what is the reason then that after the Corn that is scattered on the Earth by the laborious hands of the Husbandman that after so much Grain is come up together look green together ripen together and fit for the Sickle that some of it is blasted some quite choak'd up some devoured by Birds some by Beasts some trodden down and some of the Ears pluck from their stalks by men that come by that Field they grow in How comes it to pass then I say that some of this should go safely into Barn and some of it again be devoured and spoiled which me thinks should not be if the same Constellation under which it was sown had but one influence which should be good and not a second which was bad But I will now let these things pass because I make no doubt but I have strongly confuted them and come to the last but the wicked part of Astrology which concerns the making of Astrological Images and to what purpose they are made where I will shew they have no force or virtue from any Star or Constellation but that the Devil worketh about them and in them causing them to be made under a Constellation that the impiety of their Idolatry may the more secretly be hid The vanity of Astrologers about their Images THe Fabrick of Astrological images are made under a certain Constellation either to avoid hurtfull things or to intice profitable things for to divers uses they are made Some are made for the destruction of some things as if you would remove a Scorpion from a place you must carve the Figure of some Scorpion either in Stone Wood or Iron under some convenient Constellation and inscribe on it an effectual Name signifying the Name of the thing that is to be avoided and the Name of the Sign ascending and of the like in divers parts of the image with many other Observations which for brevity sake I will now let pass For a contrary effect you must have a contrary Constellation and a contrary Operation as in the like images pertaining to Love Enmity Health or the like And although there are many Effects caused by these images as experience teacheth us Non virius imaginis sed operatio daemonis producit effectum yet they are miserably deceived that think it done by the virtue of any Constellation when it is done by the meer operation of the Devil For not the virtue of the image but the operation of the Devil worketh the Effect And learned Averrois writing against Algazel the Astrologer saith that these images have no virtue from the Stars because artificial things are not capable of any influence neither are they any cause of a natural operation for Quality is in the Predicament of Actio An image therefore made of any earthly substance is nothing but a massie Effigies and capable of no Action And in like manner those images that are buried in the midst of the place where their Operations are expected are contrary to natural Reason And other things that are observed in them shew as great vanity as when some mens Names must be with the left hand some with the right some images must be buried with their faces upwards some with their feet upwards which are all signes rather of a Compact with the Devil then any other natural cause as in the Negromantick images of Angels or rather of their inscription of Devils and other unknown Names and Characters Also the use of their Suffumigations and invocations are signes of a Compact and League with the Devil The prodigious impiety of the Dominick Friers in the Fabrick of these images would make a History bigger then the Iliads for they have made by their Magical tricks weeping Statues by which they wrought many Miracles which they learnt of the Priests of the Idols of the Gentiles who have deceived many as may appear by the Alexandrian Statues destroyed by the Christians for when they overthrew the Phane of Syrapis there were images found both of Wood and Brass whose inward parts were made hollow and with instruments were fastened to the Roofs of their Churches and Temples from whence they spake And since the time of Popery there have been found in Churches images that have had Eyes put in by Art that would weep and let Drops of Bloud trickle down their faces sweat bloud and would twinckle with their Eyes to the People by the help of instruments and would wrythe their heads and Necks backward and forward according to the will of the Priests that invented them to beguile the People and inrich themselves These Puppets had no Tongues but onely moved and stirred making signes to the People many of which the Cardinals erected adorned and commended to instruct the People which were nothing but Deceits and Tricks of these holy and religious Fathers still to detain the people in ignorance and that they should not smell out their Knavery Also many of these Scab-shin Friers when any rich man died that had left their Abbies and Monasteries nothing to feed their fat Guts with would place some of their Accomplices in a Vault they had made of purpose under the dead mans Tomb so that when any of his Sons or Kindred came as the Custome in those Times was to pray for the soul of their deceased Father or Kinsman they should hear a dreadfull voice under the Sepulcher telling him it was the Spirit of him that was but lately buried there and that his Soul could never be at rest while such the Friers had most minde to were given to the Monastery so that the blinde people believing
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
nothing in the Mysteries of hid things but representatively by formal Numbers and Figures as they are governed and informed by Intelligences and divine Numerations which unite the extremes of the matter and spirit to the will of the Elevated Soul receiving through great affection by the celestial power of the Operatour a Power from God applied through the Soul of the Universe and observation of celestial Constellations to a matter fit for a Form the mediums being disposed by the skill and industry of Magicians And in the same Book Chapter 54. the same Agrippa hath these words Now that there is in Man's Soul a sufficient power and virtue to direct such kindes of Lots of Divination it is hence manifest because there is in our Soul a divine virtue and similitude and apprehension and power of all things and all things have a natural obedience to it and of necessity have a motion and efficacy to that which the Soul desires with a strong desire and all the virtues and operations of the natural and artificial things obey it when it is carried forth into the Excess of Desire and then all Lots of what kinde soever are assisting to the appetite of such a minde and acquire to themselves wonderfull virtues of passages as from that so from the Celestial Opportunity in that hour in which the excess of such a like Appetite doth most of all exceed in it And this is that ground and foundation of all Astrological Questions wherefore the minde being elevated into the excess of any desire taketh of it self an hour and opportunity most convenient and efficacious on which the figure of Heaven being made the Astrologer may then judge in it and plainly know concerning that which any one desires and is inquisitive to know Thus you see how the Mathematicians themselves cast great Blots and Blurrs upon Judicial Astrology and that in relation to the particulars afore mentioned viz. of the concurrence of Magick of the desires and confidence of Clients and Actours and of the Devil himself And therefore well may all ingenious men for ever be ashamed to speak in the behalf of Judicial Astrology 4. Hear what Master Perkins saith concerning the unlawfulness of Astrology in his Book intituled his Resolution to the Countryman A Resolution to the Countrey-man proving it unlawfull for him to buy or use our yearly Prognostications by W.P. Not convenient to have Prognostications Reasons 1. Concerning the buyer 1. Immoderate care joyned with distrust in God 2. Contempt of the providence of God in not reverently regarding it 2. Concerning the maker 1. His unability in Prognosticating proved 1. By the true end of the heavens 2. By want of good experience 3. By ignorance of particular causes 2. His manifold untruths 3. His impieties and profane speeches and actions not seeming a Christian 4. His tricks of deceit GOod Reader I have thought it convenient for some speciall causes in this short Treatise to disclose a part of my mind unto thee concerning the making of Prognostications and if it might be to perswade thee not to spend thy money in buying any of them I have long studied this Art and was never quiet untill I had seen all the secrets of the same but at the length it pleased God to lay before me the profanenesse of it nay I dare boldly say Idolatry although it be covered with fair and golden shews Wherefore that which I will speak with grief the same I would desire thee to mark with some attention My reason shall partly concern thee partly the Prognosticatour himself 1. First on thy behalf I reason thus 1. As a man doth see the blessings of God upon him so he must also labour with a carefull diligence to maintain the store of this life But because the affection of man is caryed headlong unto a greedy covetousnesse this defire of overmuch carping and careing must be bridled with two strong bitts First all our care must extend it self no further then the present day Secondly in careing we must not trust unto our selves but six all our confidence in the mercy and providence of God who blesseth all and without whose goodnesse nothing can come to passe do what we will 1. As touching the first we have the direction of our Saviour Christ who teacheth us to pray on this wise Matth. 6.11 Give us this day our daily bread whereby we are given to understand that we are onely to seek for the present time resting with this perswasion that he which hath blessed us this day will also to morrow and the next day shew his like goodnesse unto us Again in the same place our Saviour Christ speaketh on this wise Matth. chap. 6. v. 34. Care not then for the morrow for the morrow shall care for it self the day hath enough with his own grief By this welearn that God will provide for every day all things necessary though we do not encrease the present grief with caring and casting in our heads how we shall live in the time to come Now tell me what is the cause that thou yearly dost buy a Prognostication and one of those which tell the strangest things Is it because thou hast a delight to reade the style of Prognostications Or because thou wouldest learn to Prognosticate Or because the pictures and Characters which they make delight thy mind it were folly to be perswaded of this seeing the very cause it self is manifest Thy whole desire is to fill thy coffers and to heap up wealth thou art afraid lest thou shalt become poor therefore thou greedily buyest thee Prognostications and continually searchest all the corners of them to see the state of the year to come even thus in mind reasoning with thy self I can never be quiet nor take my sleep untill such time as I have known the state of the year ensuing that I may frame my businesse accordingly This next year there will be much rain it will rot corn upon the ground it will be spoiled I will keep my corn untill the next year following I find that corn will be dear about half a year hence I will not sell my corn now but keep it that I may have plenty of money for it and sufficient beside to maintain my house the sea and land is calm and quiet this year the next year many shipwracks and troubles in many countreys will fall now I will fraught my ships that then I may be quiet These imaginations are lively arguments of thy diffidence and despair in the goodnesse and loving kindnesse of God If thou fear God love God put thy whole trust in God thou art content to refer thy whole preservation unto the hands of God now these proling and ranging conceits of the time to come argue that either thou never thinkest on God or at the least perswadest thy self that either he will not or cannot help thee Wherefore seeing the having of Prognostications cometh of so wicked causes as is the greedy desire of
prosperity and wealth and argueth some kind of diffidence in God when thou readest these my words examine thine own heart if thou find my sayings true as certainly thou shalt never hereafter desire to know the state of the year before-hand except it be for the seasons of the year which I am perswaded thou mayst in some part without any skill even by thine own experience 2. Concerning the contempt of Gods providence thus much I say The Prognosticatour if he be asked whether he confesse the providence of God he will with all his heart confesse it but by his deeds he doth deny it for all the things whatsoever which can happen in a whole year he attributeth them to the stars and so he publisheth his predictions alwayes mentioning stars never or very slenderly making any signification of the power and justice mercy and everlasting wisdome of God And surely even for the very paring of thy nails for the cutting of thy hair for the putting on of thy shooes for taking a journey two or three miles from thine house for obtaining at Gods hands thy request for making thy bargain with thy neighbour for all thine actions be they never so small these wise men if thou wilt ask their advise will give thee counsell from the stars Now when these their irreligious predictions shall be had in thy bosome and read of thee daily thou being a man unlearned and worldly given never hearing any mention of the speciall providence and hand of God in every thing but long discourses of the virtues of Planets and signs doest never think upon the wonderfull and most infinite power of God working after a speciall manner in every matter but are drawn straight wayes into an admiration of the Astrologer and a great fear of the constellations of heaven An experience of this I found in thee about two years ago A learned man yet in this case far deceived wrote an Astrologicall discourse of the conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn wherein he shewed of great alteration in every thing to fall At this thou wast sore agast thy mind was incumbred with fettling thy goods to set them in order against that day thy song for half a year was nothing else but the conjunction the conjunction the day being come what staring was there and gazing into heaven to see the meeting of those two Planets Now all this while where was Gods providence where was that trust and rejoycing in him Wherefore me thinketh that in a Christian Common-wealth those onely books should be published for thy use which might beat into thy head and make thee every houre and moment to think on the providence of God Contrarywise to tell thee the means which God doth use to thunder out the aspects and constellations of stars and seldome to mention of his providence maketh thee to fear and admire and love the means quite forgetting the work of God in the means This fault was very rife amongst the Israelites who came yearly unto Astrologers and wise men Wherefore that which is spoken by Jeremy chap. 10. v. 12. unto them is also spoken unto thee Hear ye the word of the Lord that he speaketh unto you O house of Israel Thus saith the Lord learn not the way of the heathen and be not afraid for the signs of heaven though the heathen be afraid of such In like sort God forbiddeth his people of England to give credit or fear the constellations and conjunctions of Stars and Planets which have no power of themselves but are governed by him and their secret motions and influences are not known to man and therefore there can be no certain judgement thereof If thou wilt not hear and follow this which I say see what will ensue Thou seest that the greatest matters which these Diviners and Prognosticatours foretell fall out flat otherwise then they say to their perpetuall shame Truely I am perswaded that it is the judgement of God upon them although they cannot see it who maketh them when they think they are most wise to be most fools For so the Lord used the wise men and Astrologers of Chaldea as he speaketh by his Prophet Esay chap. 44. v. 24. I am the Lord that made all things that spread out the heavens alone and stretch out the earth by my self I destroy the tokens of Soothsayers and make them that conjecture fools and turn their wise men backward and make their knowledge foolishnesse Dost thou then O carelesse and miserable man think to escape the same or greater punishment being a cause of this fault for if none desired to know what is to come none would busie themselves in that vanity Wherefore reade the word of God in the 18. of Deut. verse 9. When thou shalt come saith the spirit of God into the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations In the words following Moses numbreth nine abominations As 1. To make his child go through the fire 2. To use witchcraft 3. To regard times this is thy fault 4. To mark the flying of fouls 5. To be a Sorcerer 6. To be a Charmer 7. To counsell with Spirits 8. To be a Soothsayer 9. To ask counsell at the dead All these horrible abominations being rehearsed mark what followeth Deut. 18.9 For all that do such things are an abomination unto the Lord and because of their abominations the Lord thy God doth cast them out before thee now seeing most of these abominations and especially the third is used of us why should we not fear the like judgements upon us unlesse we will repent and that with speed 2. The reasons which concern the Prognosticatour and may avail to the perswading of thee not to buy any more of their unprofitable books as these which follow First their unability in Prognosticating Secondly their manifest untruths Thirdly their impieties Fourthly their tricks of deceit What can they not foretell that which is to come can they not make conjectures of that which is like to ensue No surely And I will use arguments to confirm it unto thee The true use of the heavens consisteth in many points 1. To declare the glory of God The heavens saith David Psal 19.2 declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth the work of his hands It is an Alphabet written in great Letters in which is described the majestie of God and that by these four speciall points First the Majesty of the work it self 2. The infinite multitude of Stars 3. By the wonderfull variety of Stars 4. By the greatnesse of the Stars 2. Secondly it maketh sinners and wicked men inexcusable before the judgement seat of God Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him saith Paul that is his eternall power and God-head are seen by the creation of the world being consiaered in his works to the intent that they should be without excuse 3. Thirdly they serve to the appointment of times as day
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
Prognostication for seeing all stars have their own powers and peradventure also the least stars which we make no account of have great Effects amongst us as one Grain of Musk in the Apothecaries shop maketh a greater smel then all other Powders be they never so many nothing will the knowledg of the operation of some stars prevail the rest being not known and never regarded They wil say they have some experience but yet imperfect I have shewed how they have no true experience at all and their imperfect experience maketh them perfect Liars The fourth Reason the ignorance of Causes A man which will judge rightly of any matter by the Causes must not onely consider the common Causes but he must also with them confer the particular Causes of all things which happen amongst us so he shall judge aright In Heaven the stars be common Causes of all things amongst us because they shew their virtue on every matter one way or other The same things have their peculiar efficients and matters and forms by which and not by the Heavens they are made that whatsoever they are These proper Causes because their natures be unknown unto us I cannot see how the Prognosticatour is able to foretell any thing to come in good and convenient manner laying aside all deceiving and forging of untruths To make this more plain I will use this similitude Suppose an Hen to sit upon many Eggs some of her own some of divers other Fowls she impartoth her heat equally unto them at the length she hatcheth and some of her Chickens are Cocks some Hens some Crows some Partridges some Doves some black some white some like and live some die some are killed of the Kite some are rosted No man I think will profess so much skill as to say that he by the considering of the Hen and her heat which is a common Cause of the Chickens and all that befalleth them is able to tell why of this Egg came a Patridge of that a Crow why this Egg had no Chicken why that had a dead Chicken c. except he do therewith all adjoyn the consideration of the particular Effects The Heaven is as it were a Hen fostring under her Wings all earthly things imparting his virtue and heat unto all Can our Prognosticatour by the erecting of Figures by considering the Disposition of every Planet in their Houses and the significations of every thing judge why this man is wealthy that man a Begger why this Noble-man dieth this Year none the next Year why it is naught to travell this way good to travell that way why these Diseases abound and not other why Corn shall be dear this Quarter not the next why this Week is fair and temperate that Week that Moneth unseasonable and tempestuous Tiuly it is a thing flat impossible They must hereun to adjoyn the particular nature of the Countrey the particular Causes both in mens mindes and bodies as education place honesty birth bloud sickness health strength weakness meat drink liberty of minde learning c. and all other speciall circumstances which they never do as we may see in their Prognostications and if they would do it yet they could not Wherefore I must needs say this that their folly is great in publishing their Prognostications and thou also greatly to be blamed which by thy greedy desire givest them great occasion to be unprofitably occupied To shew more briefly and plainly of their unability in prognosticating Hos 2. although I grant the Stars have great force yet I say they cannot judge of things to come And there be six Impediments The first Impediment is imbecility of wit for as mans eye from the Earth beholding the Heavens and the Stars perceiveth them not in their just quantity but as very smal Lights for indeed the Sun is a hundred and threescore and six times bigger then the Earth Saturn ninety times Jupiter ninety and five Mars one and an half the Moon is the thirty and ninth part of the Earth the biggest fixed Stars contain the Earth an hundred and seven times the Stars of the second magnitude ninety the third seventy times the fourth magnitude fifty and four times the fifth magnitude thirty and five times the sixth magnitude eighteen times So the weakness of mans understanding is not able to conceive and learn the things which the Heavens do bring to pass on Earth The 2d Impediment the infinite number of Stars which no doubtall have great power although we do not finde it For the Prognosticatour onely maketh one thousand twenty and eight Stars and of these he taketh onely heed unto a very few which is as though a man should judge the power of an Army by the power of one or two Souldiers and Captains not by the power of the whole company The third Impediment is the infinite varieties of the virtues of Stars and the parts of Heaven which Astrologers grant to be yet they do not know them As touching the nature of the Fixed Stars they know nothing but by colour which is red leady white pale c. resembling some Planet And because they know not the virtue of all Stars and every part of Heaven they are not able to judge any thing but to their own shame no more then the Physician is able to know the nature of the compound Medicine without the knowing of every Simple The fourth Impediment the manifold and daily change of the Motions Positions and Configurations of the Stars for if a man could tell both the number and nature of Stars yet the variety of Positions breedeth Trouble and hindreth right judgement because by this means the powers of Stars are increased diminished and changed And these Rules which served for ancient times to foretell things will not serve us because all the Fixed Stars have changed their places and the reft are daily changed The fifth Impediment the infinite variety of inferiour things which do hinder pervert change receive or not receive the virtue and Predictions of Stars as the nature of the Soil the disposition natural of Air orders and Constitutions of the Common-wealth occasions education institution kindes of meat and drink c. The sixth Impediment the will of man which freely in common matters chuseth this and refuseth that There are many things which are caused without any work of Stars onely by the will of man and study as we see in Socrates Demosthenes and other c. Thus much shall suffice to shew that they cannot prognosticate of things insuing now follow their manifold untruths and most false Rules In disclosing them I will keep the same order they use in their Almanacks In the first or second leaf of their Books thou shalt finde a Picture of Man's Body with the twelve Signes round about it they call it the Anatomy of Man's Body shewing how the twelve Signes have Government of the same for the Moon or any other Significatour of any thing being in the Sign they
of the fourth to the Galathians by these words Ye observe moneths and times and years Therefore saith he let us not observe dayes and years and moneths and times lest we hear this of the Apostles I am afraid lest I have taken labour in vain with you for he rebuketh them which say I will not go because the Moon is thus or thus moved or I will take my journey that I may have good successe because there is such a position of Stars I will not do my businesse this moneth because such a Star governeth this moneth or I will do my businesse this moneth because such a Star ruleth How then shall a man do not to break the word of God Art thou a man that desirest to lead a Christian life Then take the example of Paul Rom. 1.10 as a pattern to govern all the actions of thy life without ceasing saith he I make mention of you in my prayers beseeching that by some means one time or other I might have proserous journey by the will of God to come unto you So thou if thou hast any businesse in hand any journey to take any thing to buy or sell or any other matter never regard the constellations of Heaven commit thy self to the onely providence of God in whom thou hast thy life and motion and being who directeth all thy steps pray unto him privately with thy self to blesse thee and all thy actions that they may tend to his glory thy welfare thou shalt find that all thy enterprises will have better successe then if the whole hoast of heaven and all the Prognosticatours of England had promised never so much prosperity Now let us shew their absurd folly in Prognosticating of the state of the yeare of which their predictions are either generall for the whole yeare or speciall for every day In their generall predictions are considered either the grounds of them or the matters which they foretell Their grounds are especially two 1. The figure of the revolution of the yeare erected when the Sun entreth the first minute of Aries 2. The figure celestiall for the time of the Eclipse of the Sun and Moon for upon these twain say they dependeth the whole state of the yeare In their celestiall figures they consider the erecting of them and the finding of the Lord of the figure The erecting of the figure containeth very many absurdities 1. They follow that way which Regiomontanus did invent never as yet proved by any experience and flatly differing from those wayes which of ancient Astrologers were used and were invented by Gazulus and Campanus Nay oftentimes it maketh the Planet or fixed Star to signifie a flat contrary thing to that which these two other do 2. The casting of the heavens into twelve parts signifying twelve distinct kind of matters is ridiculous because it being imagined and void of stars can have no force Yet some will say other stars being in those places may have and signifie such or such effects I answer that if Starres of divers natures coming to such an house alwayes signifying some one kind of thing then the house must of necessity give some force unto the Planet and so it shall have not onely an augmenting but also an effectually working power which Astrologers deny and no reason can prove 3. They make the twelfth and eleventh houses being higher above the horizon then the first to be of lesse force then it and the fourth house to be of greater power then any above the Horizon not Cardivall and the end of the ninth to be more in power then the beginning of the eleventh house all which are against reason because a Planet the more perpendicular his beams are the more is his force They answer although the force of the light be greater yet the secret influence is lesse and the first house hath more forcible influence then the twelfth or eleventh If the influence be secret how can they know it again they can by no good experience shew that those houses have more influence then the rest this influence maketh against them I say they cannot prognosticate because they know not one stars virtue For whereas they say that the Sunne and Moon and Planets have most force I answer that it is by reason of their light not their influence which is small and there is far greater in the smallest fixed Stars So that the fixed Stars although they have no light or very small light perceived yet they have most influence And so these men must needs dream because they judge by wrong causes Well their figure being framed and distinguished with fair characters then go they on to find the Lord of the figure that is that Planet which hath most dignitie in the figure The dignities of the Planets are found out by these means especially 1. Houses of Planets 2. Exaltation 3. Triplicity 4. Terms 5. Stars 6. Houses 7. Freenesse from Combustion 8. Directions 9. Velocity of course 10. Sazimi 11. Some aspects of other Planets These toyes be so foolish that a reasonable man would not vouchsafe to refute them yet a word or twain If the houses of the Planets shall be battered and puld down all the rest of their worship and dignity will lye in the dust Aries and Scorpius are appointed the houses of Mars Taurus and Libra the houses of Venus Gemini and Virgo the houses of Mercury Cancer the house of the Moon Leo the house of the Sunne Sagittarius and Pisces the houses of Jupiter Aquarius and Capricornus the houses of Saturn What reason do they give of this Leo and Cancer say they are the houses of the Sun and Moon because they resemble the nature of these Planets and because they come most near our heads such reason they give of the rest What feeble grounds are these As in the North part of the World Cancer and Leo resemble the nature of the Sunne so in the South part in the contrary Climats Capricornus and Aquarius do resemble their natures Also in every countrey some divers signs be either verticall or else come near the top of the countrey and so all signs shall be the houses of the Sun and Moon Now then the Sun being displaced I cannot find how the rest of the Planets can keep their hold To go further the exaltations of Planets in like manner are the very dreams They suppose Exaltations be those degrees in which the Planets were in the beginning of the world But why should those places give more force then any other And if they could give more force yet they have falsly assigned them For the Sun was not in Aries when it was created of God but was placed in Libra which I prove by this reason God created Man and Beast in perfect age giving unto them all kinds of fruits being then ripe so that in the beginning was the time of the year which we call Harvest Now because God never afterward changed the Seasons and we find that
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