Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	necessary_a	produce_v	sufficient_a	2,945	5	8.9424	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54321	The astrologer anatomiz'd, or, The vanity of star-gazing art discovered by Benedictus Pererius ; and rendered into English by Percy Enderbie, Gent.; Adversus fallaces et superstitiosas artes. English	Pererius, Benedictus, 1535-1610.; Enderbie, Percy, d. 1670.	1661 (1661)	Wing P1465A; ESTC R40059	54,756	134

world being determined let us observe whether these skilful masters with all their Art can keep this so exact division of time The woman is delivered of her burthen the Midwife looks whether it be male or female next she hearkens to hear it cry as a presage of the life and strength of the childe after she brings the infant to the Astrologer and when she prattles with him as gossips use to do during all these petty transactions since the little one was an inhabitant of this world how many minutes as we may conjecture have past away especially if the Artist were not in the Chamber but in some other remote place expecting the news Again whilst he is accommodating his Instruments of Art to investigate the exact and precise time whether nocturnal or diurnal how many minutes fly away and here again when the Star is discovered which denotes the time and minute then comes the twelve parts the thirty parcels into which each of those is to be divided then the subdivision of those parcels into sixty minutes to be examined and canvased over and although they can never attain to so precise and punctual a finding out of the exact time yet they affirm this must necessarily be done in the wandering and unfixed Stars to know what disposition and habitude they have with those which are fixed and what like figure is amongst them when the infant was born things standing in this sort that by reason of the variation of that most short time a certain knowledge without errour is impossible to be had not by the vain and foolish students of this Art who gape after a thing impossible to be attainded but also thus silly creatures who run after them as Prophets and Wise men deserve the fools coat cap bauble and all Chap. 3. Supposing Astrologers to know the very Depth and Cognition of Heavenly Matters yet by eight Reasons it shall be made manifest that they are not able to tell future Events LEt it pass with a Transeat as School-men say that Astrologers as they impudently and foolishly arrogate unto themselves have the perfect knowledge and science of the Heavens and Stars yet all this notwithstanding I will make good that they cannot divine and fortel future contingents and that by undeniable and convincing reasons and thus by many and valid arguments I confirm it Eight Reasons by which it is proved that even out of a perfect cognition of the Stars future events cannot be foretold The first Reason IT is a vulgate and well known principle in the Schools of Philosophers as every thing is concerning its esse or being so it is concerning its cognition viz. by reason of the causes for which every thing is made and hath its being by the same it ought to be known if we intend to have a perfect knowledge thereof but to the generation and production of future particular events not onely heaven concurreth but also a particular cause heaven is an universal cause by which it is manifest that this vigour and efficience must also be universal and indeterminate to produce particular effects but the power and force of Heaven is determinated by particular causes in which respect Aristotles saying is most true The Sun and Moon generate man particular effects although forasmuch as belongeth to the effection and conservation they have their dependance on causes universal yet for what belongeth to their proper nature and natural proprieties as well specifical as individual they rather emulate and imitate a particular then an universal cause Besides Celestial Causes the knowledge of particular Causes is most requisite to know their effects IF therefore over and above Celestial Causes for the producing of future effects it be necessary to have a particular efficient cause and matter aptly prepared of which if the one be wanting no effect can be produced from which we must of necessity conclude that for the prenotion of future effects the knowledge of Celestial Causes is not sufficient and this is in daily experimentals manifested unto us we behold the painful Husbandman at the same time and under the same aspect of the Stars to sowe several sorts of Grain from which also several and distinct succreases accrew which diversity cannot proceed from the Stars but from the several seeds themselves with which St. Augustine agrees saying When many bodies of several kindes whether animate herbs or shrubs are seminated in the same punctilio of time and at the same instant afterwards innumerable increase is produced and not in several but in the same regions and places of the earth and of such admirable variety in the springing growth flourishing vertues and fassions and will not men as the old adage is laugh at their own folly if they consider these things and what I pray can be more foolish and sottish then being convinced by these daily experiments to say that man and onely man is subjected to the fatal decree and influence of the Stars These last words of St. Aug. Phavorinus the Philosopher expresseth more amply saying If the period time destiny and cause of mans life had its dependance upon Heaven and the Stars what will they say of flyes worms and many other animal culums as well volant and ceptible as najant are these tyed to the same laws of production and expiration as man have Frogs and Flies their production being and fate from the influence and motions of the Stars if you Astrologers will not grant this why affirm you that the power of the Stars hath such prevalent power over mankinde and yet prove defective in other creatures Of the equal Birth and unequal Fortune and Events of Twins The second Reason WEre it true as Astrologers would perswade us it must necessarily follow that twins who are conceived and born about the same time must needs in all things sympathize and be alike yet daily experience shews the contrary but to wave all other dissimilitudes it often happens that the one twin proves a male the other a female 'T is true Cicero in his Book of Divination tells us of Proclus and Euristhenes Lacedemonian Kings and twins yet their ends were unlike and the glory of their actions much discrepant but above all that which we read in the sacred Text is an all satisfying example Jacob and Esau proceeded from the same Concubitus as Paul Rom. 9. sufficiently tells us and at the same time born were notwithstanding severally inclined disagreeing in conditions unlike in manners dissenting in judgement and differing in other habits and qualities neither availeth that lurking hole or after game which Astrologers keep as a reserve to recruit them when the day is almost lost saying that that small parcel of time which interceded betwixt the nativity of the two twins though it appear little or nothing to us yet in the Heavens by reason of the vastness thereof and the inconceptible wheeling and most quick motion maketh a wonderful difference and variation Nigidius Figulus goes about to

most set by and wisht for by mankinde first by reason of the worthy and excellency of the subject which it treats of to wit the Heavens and Stars and then especially for the knowledge of the events and casualties of mans life and death beginning and ending which all sorts of people are most curious to know but seeing that that Doctrine in all ages hath been contemned and rejected by the most eminent Philosophers and many Astrologers themselves it must needs be a convincing argument that the Art of Divining was accounted frivolous impertinent and void of all probability Xenophon in his book de Sectis Socrat. as Eusebius relates lib. 4. of Evangelical Preparation hath these words The cognition and knowledge of future things which are in the power of God cannot be obtained by mortal industry neither is it pleasing to the Divine Majesty nor possible to screw into those secrets which his heavenly pleasure will have occult and mortals must not dive into Pithagoras Democritus and Plato after long and wearisome journeys came unto the Persian Magicans the Sages amongst the Chaldeans and Priests of the Egyptians from whom they suckt some things more occult and obstruse concerning Mathematicall Discipline the Religion and Worship of the Gods but the Art of Divining they either altogether neglected or if they brought any smattering or fragments thereof they made no use of it as it may appear through the whole context of their writings Aristotle a man cry'd up in all Universities and Schools of Literature a man most copious in the Doctrine of heavenly things which he expresseth in several of his books maketh no mention or speaketh the least word concerning this kinde of Astrology when in his books of Meteors and concerning the parts and generation of Animals but especially in his books of Problems he investigates the causes of many admirable and obscure things to unriddle or enode any of the curious queries he troubles not his brain or makes any use at all of the help and assistance of Astrology nay there are many parcels in his Works which do altogether oppose and contradict this Art of Astrology as this for example Of future contingents there is no certain or definite verity things which chance and happen by accident cannot be comprehended by any knowledge to judge of the fortunes and casualties of humane affairs which are not in mans capacity the immediate proper particular and corruptible causes of particular and corruptible effects to have a perfect and exact knowledge of these is is not sufficient to contemplate celestiall and universal causes the Heavens operate no otherwise upon those things which are sublunary then by motion and light neither doth he approve the force or efficiency of any other Stars besides the Sun and Moon quite contray to Astrological Decretalls and the Influences of Celestiall Signs and corporeall and sensible effects may be prevented and hindered by other causes Cicero in his second book of Divination highly commends Eudoxus the most eminent man amongst the Astrologers in the time of Plato and Aristotle as also Pinetius the Stoick Archilaus Cassandra and Saleyces Halicar men applauded and renowned amongst the Astrologers for that they abandon and cast off the vain Science of Astrology Avicenna who next after Galen and Hipocrates bears away the bell amongst Physicians adviseth to give no credit to Astrologers in divination of future things because they neither know the Celestial Points nor the nature of inferior things which not withstanding are exactly necessary to give a judgement of future events neither do they ground upon Demonstration either Probable Rhetoricall or Poeticall Ptolomy whom these men profess to follow as a grand Master in their Art in his first book de Judiciis tells us It is not to be imagined that all things are upon necessity derived from supernatuall causes that no other power can impede or hinder their operation And in his Treatise which is vulgarly called Centiloquium a book of an hundred Sentences the first sentence is this Men onely inspired by God can foretell future particulars And his fifth sentence is A knowing man may prevent many effects of the Stars if he be versed in the notion of them and dispose of himself before the event fall upon him from whence comes the Proverb A wise man shall command the stars Porphirius in his book concerning Oracles confesseth that the exquisite knowledge of future things by gazing upon the stars is not onely incomprehensible to mortals but even to the Gods themselves And again in the life of Plotinus he saith That after he had spent and consumed much time in the study of Astrology he discovered at last that no faith or credit was to be given to the judgement and divinations of Astrologers concerning things to come and therefore afterward both by word and writing he confuted this vain Art of Divination as may appear to those who will read his book de Fato Providentiâ but especially in that book where he disputes whether the stars have any power or influence to produce such effects What sort of men delight in these Astrologicall Predictions whom St. Ambrose compares to a Spiders web WEre this kinde of Astrology veridicall and infallible the conveniences and commodities arising from thence would be held in high esteem for by the fore-knowledge of future things what advantage would it be to Monarchs and Potentates for the well regulating and governing their Territories and Principalities and so consequently the professors and masters of this Art would deserve immortal Laurels and be advanced to sit at the Helm of the best governed Republicks But experience shews the quite contrary For we see that by most strict and severe Edicts by Decrees and Proclamations this unnecessary and vain Art hath been exploded condemned and exiled by many well deserving Princes How oft was it banisht Rome with the Astrologers and Chaldeans professors thereof by Tiberius Vitellius Dioclesian Constantine Theodosius Valentinian but especially by Justinian by all whom the study practice and exercise of this Art was not onely adjudged vain false and lying but also obnoxious and ruinous to Cities and Societies of men and in it self pestilent and detestable But to what purpose were it to conglomerate a cloud of witnesses or to use Rhetorical circumlocutions in a case so manifest I dare be bold to say that in the memory of man nay in all ages sift them never so purely you shall not name a man the acumen of whose wit surpast vulgar capacities whose doctrine was admired whose prudence in civil affairs excelled or who was conspicuous and eminent for integrity of life and manners or admirable in any noble quality of the intellectual part but he vilified derided and accounted all the Calculations of Nativities and the vain Predictions of Astrologers as false ridiculous and to be exploded from amongst Christians and well ordered Communities True the vulgar who have ordinarily dull and gross intellects apt to believe any thing