the gift of Prophecy the power of Religion the secrets of Conscience the command over devils the vertue of miracles the efficacy of supplications and the state of the life to come do all depend upon the stars are vouchsafed by them and may be known from them For they say that the star of the Twins ascending with Saturn and Mercury joyned under Aquarius in the ninth coast of heaven a Prophet must be born and that therfore the LordChrist was excellent in so many mighty works because in the same place he had Saturn in Gemini Also the sects of Religion over which they place Jupiter as chief patron they distribute by commixtion of other stars so as Jupiter with Saturn should make the Religion of the Jews with Mars of the Chaldeans with Sol of the Egyptians with Venus of the Saracens with Mercury of the Christians with Luna that of Antichrist which they say is yet to come And that Moses from Astrological rules and reasons instituted the Sabbath of the Jews to be observed as a Religious day and that the Christians therefore do erre in not resting from labour and keeping holy day on the Jewish Sabbath seeing it is Saturns day Also they think that the fidelity of every one towards men or towards God and profest Religion and secrets of Conscience may be deprehended from part of the Sun and from the third ninth and eleventh houses of heaven and they delivering many rules of foreknowing the thoughts and as they say the intentions of men And they set up the coelestial configurations as the causes of the very miraculous works of divine omnipotence as namely of the universal flood of the Law given by Moses and of the virgins child-birth and they fable that the death of Christ the Redeemer of man-kind was the work of Mars and that Christ himself in his miracles used the election of hours in which the Jews could not hurt him while he went up to Jerusalem and therefore he said to his Disciples diswading him are there not twelve hours of the day They say moreover that whosoever hath Mars happily placed in a new house of heaven he shall by his sole presence expel devils out of the possessed And he that shall make supplication to God the Moon and Jupiter with the Dragons head being conjoyned in the middle heaven shall obtain all things whatsoever he shall ask And further that the felicity of the life to come is bestowed by Jupiter and Saturn And that if any man in his geniture hath Saturn happily constituâ—ed in Leo his soul after this life being freed from innumerable miseries shall passe to heaven the first beginning of its original and be applyed to the Gods But for all this to these execrable fopperies and pernicious heresies Petrus Apponensis Roger Bacon Guido Bonatus Arnoldus de nova villa Philosophers and Alyanensis a Cardinal and a Theologue and divers other Doctors of a Christian name not without an infamy of heresie do subscribe yea and dare testifie and defend that they have experienced these for truth But Johannes Picus Mirandula of late yeers hath written against Astrologers in twelve Books and that in so great copiousnesse that scarce any argument hath escaped him as also with so great efficacy so that hitherto neither Lucius Balnutius an eager propugnator of Astrologie nor yet any other defender of this Art could save it from those reasons that Picus hath brought against it For he proveth by most strong arguments it to have been the invention not of men but of Devils Which self-same thing Firmianus saith by which they have endeavoured to abolish all Philosophie Medicine Laws and Religion to the utter extermination of man-kind For first it detracts from the faith of Religion it extenuates miracles it takes away providence while it teaches that all things come to passe by the force of constellations and that they doe depend by a fatal necessity upon the stars Moreover it patronizes vices excusing them as descending from heaven upon us It defiles and overthrows all good Arts especially Philosophie traducing causes from true reasons to fables and Medicine in like manner turning from natural and effectual remedies to vain observations and perverse superstitions destructive both to body and minde Further it utterly undoes Laws manners and whatsoever Arts of humane prudence while it would have Astrologie onely consulted at what time after what maner and by what means any thing is to be done as if it alone drawing its authority over all down from heaven did hold the scepter over life manners and all both publike and private matters and as if all other things were to be reputed vain that did not acknowledge it for patron Indeed an Art most worthy for devils to professe from the first to the deceit of man and dishonour of God Moreover the heresie of the Manichees wholly taking away all liberty of will flowed not elswhere then from the Astrologers false opinion and doctrine of Fate From the same fountain also sprung the heresie of Basilides who pronounced 365. heavens made of one another by succession and similitude and the ostension of these to be the number of the dayes of the yeer or the number of the days of the yeer to be the ostension of these assigning to every one of them certain principles and vertues and Angels and feigning names for them but the chief of them all is Abraxas which name according to the Greek letters containeth in it 365. which namely are the local positions of those heavens commentitiously divised by it These things are therefore shown that ye may know that Astrology is the begetter of hereticks Furthermore as all the most eminent Philosophers do explode this divinatory Astrologie so Moses Esaias Job Jeremias and all the other Prophets of the old Law do detest it And of the Catholike Doctors Augustin censures it as meet to be expelled Christian Religion Hierome disputes it to be a kinde of Idolatry Basil and Cypâ—ian do deride it Chrysostome Eusebius and Lactantius do refute it Gregory Ambrose and Severianus inveigh against it the holy Toletane Councel forbids and damns it also it was anathematized in the Synod of Martin and by Gregory the younger and by Alexander the third Popes and was punished by the civil Laws of the Emperours Among the antient Romans under Tiberius Vitellius Dioclesian Constantine Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius the Emperours it was prohibited the City ejected and punished and by Justinian himself condemned capitally as is manifest in his Code This place admonishes me to speak of the other Arts of divination which yield vaticinations not so much by observation of the coelestials as of inferiour things having a certain shadow or imitation of the coelestials that they being understood ye may the better know this Astrological Tree from which do falâ— such fruit and from which as a Lernaean Hydra a beast of many heads is generated Amongst the arts therefore that are hasty to divine for their own
or obtrude his pattern Because providence is sufficient to rule and govern the world without Prognostication Because the prophecies and promises are compleat for the ordering and strengthning the Church without predictions and presages Because he would teach men to keep themselves within the several spheres of their own serviceable activities and not to be curious in inquiring nor superstitious in depending upon such things as properly concern them not 3. Their Art or skill in the generall reprooved O ye Hypocrites ye can discern the face of the skie and of the earth O ye Hypocrites that are busily prying into the abstruse miracles of nature and profanely neglect to take notice of the hidden and wonderfull things of God That flatter and Sooth up others to a doating presumption of those things which yee your selves doubt of and among your selves deride That terrify others in a vain superstition of those things which you your selves are stupidly secure of ye can discern that is not so much by the judgement of a certain knowledge as by the opinion of an uncertain conjecture And what can ye discern but the Face the apparition the shadow but the heart and body thereof ye cannot sc the substance and truth All is but the face of the skie and there 's all your Astrologicall and the face of the earth and ther 's all your Magicall skill 4. Their Art or profession reproved even in the less unlawfull particulars When yee see a cloud c. the skie red c. ye say it will be fair weather it will be fâ—ul there commeth a shower it will be heat We easily grant it is not so much the occasionall observation of these things that he reproves as the superstitious and addicted profession For these things have their naturall and ordinary causes and so may be moderatly observed to come to pass or to have their common effects But in the asserting or pronouncing upon these things he reprooves and that justly their arrogation of authority to themselves ye say their indeliberate rashness streightway ye say and their peremptory determinatenes ye say it will be to day Now if he reproove this manner of Prognosticating in things that have their naturall causes how much more doth he so in things that have not And how then shall our Prognosticators goe unreprooved by Christ and all good Christians who presume to say of themselves unadvisedly and peremptorily not only it will be fair weather it will be foul weather but it shall be a fair child it shall be a foul child and that not only for the face and temper of it but for the fortune and manners 5. Their defect of a better skill yea of the best science is here reprooved Can ye not discern the Signs of the times how is it that ye discern not this time viz. Of the Messiah of Christ of the Spirit of the Gospell of grace of the Church of the Ordinances and of the Christian Common-wealth Away then with all superstitious hearkning to weather-wizzards Planet Prognosticators and fortune spellers for who so ignorant and altogether unacquainted with the times of Christ and of Christian professions whether it be for their flourishing or their tryals as indeed are they 6. Their defect or neglect of conscientious judgments reprooved Why even of your selves judge ye not what is right Can ye judge of an externall event which may peradventure be and will ye not judge out of an internall principle what ye ought necessarily to doe the judgment of nature the judgment of Art they are often in the wrong it is the judgment of conscience only that is in the right Why then should we believe or assent unto the curious where we find not the conscientious judgment where is obliquity but in the judicials of Astrologie where is arctitude but in a conscience informed by Theologie Nay may there not be so much rectitude even in an Astrologers conscience as to convince him besides his personall and morall even of his artificiall obliquity Nay and besides may not a man judge of what is right just true good possible probable necessary convenient as touching nature morality pollicie Religion and that even of himself by reason prudence conscience without the Art or the Artists of Magick or Astrologie SECT II. 2. Whether Magicians and Astrologers these places being taken from them which they pretend to make for them can evade or exempt themselves their friends and acts and arts from these following places of Scripture that make so expresly and directly against them Deut. 18. 10 11 12. There shall not be sound among you any one that useth divination or an observer of times or an enchanter or a witch Or a charmer or a consulter with familiar spirits or a wizzard or a necromancer For all that doe these things are an abhomination unto the Lord and because of these abhominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee WHether Magicians and Astrologers be to be tolerated among Gods people I remember what I have elsewhere said upon this place in brief concerning Witches The question is whether it be not applicable to Magicians and Astrologers also and if so then their not being tolerated by God and among Gods people is out of question 1. Therefore who is such an one that useth divination One that divineth divinations Whose divinations are of his own divining of his own head of his own art Whose divinations are nothing nothing in nature and truth but as he himself divineth or deviseth pretending and presuming not only to foreknow all things knowable or imaginable or fecible or probable but to foretell any future contingent arbitrary action secret and particular quality and condition and what shall happen to such a person or such a State Now if both name and thing be not proper to Magicall Astrologers let them consult besides their own consciences the learned Hebricians and their own Râ—bbins especially in the confest use and application of the word 2. Who is an observer of times Not he that observeth times and seasons for long or short light or darke hot or cold dry or wet but he that observeth dayes for white or black fortunate or unfortunate lucky or unlucky good or bad as to the enterprizing or atchieving of naturall politicall and religious actions And are not these the proper observations and instructions both made and taught by Astrologers If upon another ground it be translated an observer of the clouds does not that come nearer to them as touching the matter of their art And if it be translated from that word which fignifieth an eye it yet again serves to note their superstitious speculation and praestigious inspection But which of them soever be the aptest Etymologie they cannot but apprehend themselves both meant and mentioned if they observe Authors and Translatours ours or yet their own 3. Who is an Inchanter A Sooth-singer by canting numbers or a Sooth-sayer by calculating numbers Or a conjecturing and
98. That men ought not to lye with their Wives but under good Stars and happy Constellations that the child born may by their Government prove fortunate 99. That the severall formes and features of mens faces are wrought by the Stars 100. That the stature of a child is to be judged by the Light of the Stars and so of his colour motion qualities c. 101. That the Lyons Bears Dogs Buls Scorpions Fishes c. Upon earth are governed by those in Heaven 102. That Cottons and Wools and Ships and Buildings doe last the longer if they be wrought and framed under certain constellations 103. That so great is the power and efficacy of the celestiall bodies that not only naturall things but also artificiall when they are justly exposed to those above doe presently suffer by that most potent agent and obtain a wonderfull life which oftentimes gives them admirable celestiall vertue 104. That not only by the mixture and application of naturall things but also in Images Seals Rings Glasses and some other instruments being opportunely framed under a certain constellation some celestiall illustration may be taken and some wonderfull thing may be received 105. That inferior things doe obey their celestials and not only them but also even their Images But what is a matter of an hundred to more than a thousand paradoxall and phantasticall errors of Paganish Rabbinish and other Magicians and Astrologers Only this serves to inform us the more error the lesser truth and therefore the less to be believed or regarded nay more to be derided and despised CHAP. XV. 15. From the abhomination of Heresies WHether Magicians and Astrologers have not been the most abhominable and detestable Hereticks of all ages And their Heresies most Blasphemous Idolatrous Superstitious Atheisticall Impious Profane Perversly and Obstinately impugning the great truth of God and main fundamentals of Christian Religion Witness these few that follow in comparison of the many that might be collected especially out of their Rabbins and apostate Authors 1. That God himself is the chief Mathematician and teaches Mathematicall things to the souls of men making them capable of the science before they flit into bodies which otherwise could not be unless they had seen God acting the Mathematician in Heaven 2. That not only nature but God himself is subject to Chaldaicall or Astrologicall fate 3. That Heaven is the body of God and the Stars are his eyes 4. That God is assisted and holpen by the Stars in the prediction of effects upon things sublunary 5. That it is not God that make men just but Jupiter 6. That the Stars both fixt and errant are Gods 7. That the Messiah expected by the Jews should come in the year 1464. after Christs nativity Because then would be the same constellation of the Stars as was when Moses brought the Hebrews out of Egypt 8. That it is lawfull and necessary to calculate the Horoscope of Christ 9. That from some sinister aspects in Christs nativity his fortune and fate might easily have been predicted 10. That Christ therefore was eminent in so many vertues because Saturn was in Gemini ascendent For Gemini ascending together with Saturn and Mercury signifies the birth of some great Prophet 11. That the death of Christ was from the configuration of Mars 12. That as the nativity or first comming of Christ was prefigured by a great wonderfull Planetary conjunction so shall his second comming or the day of judgement likewise 13. That Saturn having part in Christs geniture rendred him so sad and pensive as that he was often seen to weep never to laugh 13. And that also made him seem older than he was so that they took him to be near fifty when he was not but about thirty years of age 14. That Saturn meeting with Venus was the cause of his having certain red specks in his face 15. And that because of those specks all his parts were not from God 16. That all the miracles of the prophets and of Christ were wrought by the vertue of the Hebrew Letters 17. That Christs hanging upon the cross might have been foreseen and foretold from his natalitiall stars 18 That the star which happened at Christs nativity had the dominion and regulation of his life manners actions miracles wisedom doctrine c. 19. That Jesus Christ being a man perfectly solary was therefore raised again upon the day assigned to the Sun 20. That the Sun is the true light and the most exact image of God himself whose essence resembles the Father light the Son and heat the Holy Ghost called the conspicuous Son of God the divine image of divine intelligences the perspicuous statue of God 21 That the vertue of resemblance betwixt Christ and an image a Talismanicall or constellationall image did not only invite him to his naturall but now also doth to his spirituall presence amongst us 22. That Magick is Primitively in God Derivatively in the Creature 23. That it was in Adam from the creation and in him as a great part of that Image or similitude according to which he was created 24. That Magick is nothing else but the will of the Creator revealed to and planted in the Creature 25 That the spots in the Moon and about the Sun succeeded upon Adams transgression and fall 26. That the Deluge or universall Flood was from the conjunction of Planets in Aquarius 27. That the patefaction or giving of the Law by Moses did depend upon certain configurations 28. That the brazen Serpent as also the Golden Calf yea and the Teraphim were nothing else but Talismans or figures made under certain constellations 29. That Moses commanded to rest the Sabbath day and to doe no work thereon because Saturn who governs that day might make the work unprosperous 30. That Jacob blessed his Sons by what he had read in a book of Astrologie as concerning their severall fortunes 31. That the Urim and Thummim whereby it was consulted about the success of difficult affairs had to that end the figures of an Astrolabe 32. That the Jews from the disposition of the stars were born to Religion 33. That the Jews Religion was unprosperous because it was founded upon a malevolent star 34. That the Jews Religion is governed by Saturn the Turkes by Venus and the Christians by Sol which is the reason of their severall Sabbath dayes 35. That a mixture of Religions is governed by a mixture of stars and Planets 36. That Mahomet and his Alcoran hath a greater Dominion than Christ and his Gospell because the aspect of the stars is more favourable to the one than to the other 37. That the Christian Law according to astrologicall prediction should not last above 1460. years at most 38 That Magick did afford the first professors of Christianity 39. That it may be judged by the stars whether a mans Religion be true or false 40. That a man may judge by the stars whether he shall abide in the faith or not 41.
not to impugn free grace from God free will in men divine providence in governing religious conscience in exhorting or disswading humane prudence in consulting and justice divine and humane in punishing and so mercy in rewarding 8. Whether the audacious usurpation and proud intrusion of Magicians and Astrologers in Christian Churches and states have not signed them for the horns or at least the tayl of Anti-Christ sc either forerunning or following him whose comming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders 9. Whether these Artists operate not artificially to the inducing of Popery For as much as diverse of the Popes usurped the very Popedome intruding into it by these very arts And amongst the Monasticall crew he was heretofore accounted no body in learning that was not with Simon Magus some great one in these arts And if it had not been for such like prestigious artifices where had been all or most of their vaunted miracles And are not their Exorcists an Ecclesiasticall office among them at this day 10. Whether it be not a thing greatly to be suspected and feared lest the pretended science called Astrologie may introduce a pretending sect called Astrologus an heavenly society a celestiall fraternity and such like Nay whether the Art so believed and imbraced by Christians may not bring in the Religion as it was held and used among Pagans In as much I speak this sadly as the vulgar already are so effascinated as to begin to account their Planetary presages for divine prophecies and which is more to be lamented men such as would seem to have stept somewhat beyond the common sort stick not to accept them at least as the preadmonitions of divine providence yea and we of an order and calling above both these I speak it to our shame are some of us not sufficient to refute them some of us negligent to reprove them and some of us over easy to assent unto them 11. Whether the Magicall operators and Planetary predicters their notorious malice and envy in defaming disgracing deriding caluminating contemning opposing the true Ministers of the Gospell be not indeed of the same root with that of Jannes and Jambres resisting Moses and of Elymas the Sorcerer withstanding St. Paul And whether such their Disciples men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith full of subtlety and all mischief Children of the Devill and enemies to all righteousness doe it not on purpose that so they may more easily and uncontradictedly resist the truth pervert the right wayes of the Lord and so seek to turn away both Governours and people from the Faith 12. Whether Astrologicall predictings and presagings have not proved greatly to dishonour and disadvantage both the promises and thrâ—atnings in the word of God In as much as a fortunate presagition is by many more confidently expected than a precious promise and an unfortunate more sadly dreaded than a divine commination Yea have not their Astrologicall falsehoods too often prevailed both to instigate over daringly and dishearâ—en too shamefully in enterprizes politick warlike publick private without beyond against the Theologicall truth 13 Whether the secure expectati on or desperate fear of Astrologicall predictions doe not infinitly hinder mens Prayers Making them to become dull and slothfull in seeking after God in the way of his promises while they are taught to rest themselves contented in waiting for the promises of the stars or else forlornely to submit themselves unto the issue of their sullen and inevitable fate and seek no further 14. Whether the ascribing to the propitiousness of the fortunate and inauspiciousness of the unfortunate stars hath not alwaies proved to rob God Almighty of the honour both of his Mercy and Justice While men have been thus wholly diverted both from being duly thankfull for blessings and truly humbled under judgements Nay is it not thus come to pass that the profane phrase is grown to a profaner use of blessing and cursing their stars 15. Whether the fatall necessitations supposed from sydereall conjunctions and constellations have not brought people to this pass not only to excuse their iniquities from an astrall necessity of sinning but to cast the cause upon those kind of creatures and not only so but even upon God himself making him to be the author of evill as they have done heretofore 16 Whether the fatidicall predictions of manners and fortunes make not men slothfull and careless under the means both of eschewing evill and doing good For to endeavour is to doe nothing without the stars and to performe the thanks or blame is nothing to them but to the stars only 17. Whether judiciary Astrologie mightily impugn not divine providence implying God either carelesly to neglect all humane affairs or else to be limited in the government of the world as having committed all either to inevitable fate or valuable fortune 18. Whether it be not much to be feared if not already to be bewayled that the encroching doctrine of Magick and Astrologie is gotten into many mens faith and affections even above the heavenly doctrine of Divinity And so not by superstitious creeping only but by athesticall daring will Lord it over mens consciences at last Awing them so as that they shall not dare to act in matters naturall civill or religious without an Astrologicall prediction 19. If manners and Religion be admitted shall we not then have predestination in the acts of election and reprobation urged to depend upon the destinating stars At leastwise will not men be prying unto Gods secret Cabinet through starry spectacles What care or conscience but to act as the stars are foretold to dispose what meditation of death while the stars promise life what fortunate presumptions what fatall despairs And thence what credulity carnall security pride ambition lust covetousness slothfulness unthankfulness c And hence what stupidity forlornness discontentedness dissoluteness factions insurrections distractions c 20. If Astrologicall predictions have neither truth nor power but only over anâ—â—al men and uncalled nations as say some of their Apologists what use then can there be of all such among spirituall men and Gods people And moreover whether it be not from the malice of the Star-gazers rather than malignity of the stars that our Astrologicall Predictions are altogether from aspects and conjunctions so greatly malevolent so little benevolent either to Christian Church or state 21. When did Magick and Astrologie ever confer any thing to true piety It hath been an old question and was never yet answered To which we may adde another on the contrary what have not these conferred to all manner of impiety and it might easily be resolved in all kinds and degrees 22. Whether the word of God his Church or true Religion ever flourished or was established in any Kingdom or Nation where Magicians Diviners Astrologers Soothsayers Canters Gypsies Juglers c. were countenanced or connived at Nay where they were not condemned and suppressed 23. What good
likewise of observation imagination affectation investigation invocation adjuration temptation Signs empty and delusory Feats jugling and prestigious wonders wrought without the command and approof of God creatures abused contrary to their nature and institution art pretended without any true principles words invented and muttered and they barbarous insignificant false absurd apocryphall yea though Canonicall and sacred yet applyed to such acts ends for which they were never ordained admirable efficacy attributed to syllables sounds numbers rites solemnities ceremonies circumstances of time place and person Fabrications of images statues figures characters circles rings seals c. Confections of herbs minerals waters oyls juyces spirits c. acting and effecting at an improportionate distance and without convenient means spectrous Phantasmes or apparitions to affright men into a credulity ludibrious pranks only to make sport and so feed mans curiosity and divining predictions of things lost absent future without either calling or cause 6. Whether Magicall feats be wrought by things corporeall or spiritual Not by things corporeal because of improportionate matter form cause effect means instruments distance c. How can a body work upon a body to make it sign and signify things hidden lost absent future to make a dead body walk speak c. To make a living body walk invisible transform its proper shape c. And if by things spirituall then whether by spirits good or bad Not by the good neither of Angels nor men for where 's the true and good cause Minister means object and end of Magicall operation Nay which of all these is not evill 7. Is it not the known property of God to know things future absolutely and exactly Wherefore then did the Devill arrogate to himself divination but in an emulation of Divinity Now whether of these two doe the Diviners imitate God or the Devill It cannot be God because they have no command to imitate him in these his powerfull properties no promise upon the imitation It must be the Devill then and to imitate him must needs be maleficall And they may imitate him many ways for he hath used himself to divination by spirits by men by living men by dead men by the celestiall bodies by the elements by things naturall by things artificiall yea and by things sacred and religious and may not they then be like him in all these 8. How easy is it for the Devill to predict those things which he intends to act himself As suppose he intendeth by Gods permission to practise the sickness death destruction of man or Beast is it not easy for him to suggest such his intention to his instruments and Ministers and so make them to predict the same Yea though it be done from him is it not easy for him and them to pretend it from some other cause albeit abused besides the naturall end thereof Is it a matter of much artifice for veâ—eficks or witches to forespeak their own purposed and laboured malefice How readily may he presage anothers death or ruin that hath him in his own power and so hath already determined that such a day it shall be done In like manner how many have perished according to wizzardly predictions and that only because of wizzardly purposes and perpetrations And therefore it may not unjustly be doubted whether many of those prognosticated evill fates and fortunes against Princes Magistrates Ministers and other Christians especialy such as opposed them in their fatidicall way were not besides the Astrologicall speculation practised by goeticall Magick as by charms curses poysons treachery violence or by making maleficall images pictures figures constellated under the ascension of that man whom they would maliciously destroy or prejudice And why may not this be justly suspected of them since it is a thing not only of their own practising but of their teaching And it being so how can they themselves deny and what understanding man would not pronounce upon them for the most arrant inchanters sorcerers veneficks maleficks wizzards and witches in the world 9. Whether there may not be an effascination or bewitching by inspecting the stars as by imagination by breathing on by looking on by touching by fabricating of images c. We know none of these acts are malevolent or maleficall in their own nature but that any one of these as well as another may be abused to sorcery and witchcraft through a Satanicall stipulation or suffrage who can deny 10. What practice of sorcery or malefice more superstitious than the fabricating of Astrologicall and of magicall images pictures statues figures c. For as a tacite compact hath been suspected as touching the Astrologicall so hath an express one been concluded and confessed as concerning the magicall configurations And what is the one or the other of these but the making of an image or figure either of man or beast in gold silver brass copper wax wood stone clay under such a conjunction or constellation For the inviting and alluring of Angels for the expelling and ejecting of Devils for the procuring of love for the provoking of hatred for the atchieving of victory for the effecting of death for the raising or allaying of storms or tempests for the causing or preventing of pestilencies for the driving away of Serpents and vermine c. Now in such a compact what vertue or efficacy besides that of a compact only what similitude or resemblance betwixt the figure of a round star or Planet and a monstruous many-shap't magicall configuration The vertue of the celestials are but universall and indeterminate as to the producing of this or that effect neither but by naturall and particular causes And who will say that any such particular figures are either causes or naturall what preparation can there be of such a matter for the receiving and retaining such constellatory influences And what such kind of efficacies can it have thereby for the admitting of such effects The heavenly bodies operate no way but naturally these figures or fabrications operate no way but artificially being the artifices of humane invention and used arbitrarily how then should these modify and determine those How come their vast influences to be restrained only to such a figure and that only for such operations How come the stars and Planets so to neglect the matter and its disposition and so to respect the figure and its composition as accordingly to dart in their influences for the figures sake let the matter be what it will what vertue can there be for all the celestiall influences more than the matter is disposed unto what efficacy or aptitude of an artificiall form more than accidentall and instrumentall what principles of life and action from artificiall forms Is not the vertue of the matter still the same although of divers forms or figures why should artificiall figures be more apt to receive the starry influences than are naturall figures In all such configurations must not the efficacy of the Stars rather attend or depend upon
Mosaicall law doe circumcise their children on the eight day yet are they not compelled to it by the force of any Starre nor are they impelled thereunto by the time of the region nor are they induced to doe otherwise by the custome or manners of any other Nation for wheresoever they are whether in Syria Galatia Italy Greece Parthia they still keep their Law which could not at all be done by any necessity of their Nativity For it is not possible that all the Iewes should have the same Nativity Futhermore one of the seven daies where ever they are they cease from all manner of work nor goe a journey nor use any fire yet doth not any genethliacall reason restraine a Iew from building or pulling down a house from buying or selling on that day but many of them are born many are sicke and healed and many die on that day The sect of the Christians which are found in every part of the world and in every City if the Parthians after they once become such they marry not many wives neither doe the Medes after that cast their dead unto the dogs nor the Persians marry their daughters nor the Bactrians and Gaules corrupt matrimony nor the Aegyptians worship Apis or a dogge or a Goat or a Cat but wheresoever they are they live after others laws and customes nor can they be compelled either by any genethliacall reason or by their own or by the principles of any to think any thing fit to be done which their master hath not counted fit to be spoken 9. Of Magicians and Astrologers the most perverse and pestilent Hereticks and their Magick and Astrologie the greatest causes or confirmations of their blasphemous and nefarious Heresies SImon Magus was the Prince of Hereticks and the father of the first Heresies after Christ who besides those so execrable in doctrine and detestable in manners hatched these so abominable as concerning his own person giving out that himselfe was some great one Acts 8. 9. and taught that himselfe was he who should appeare to the Iewes as the Sonne and in Samaria should descend as the Father and to the other Nations should come as the Holy Ghost He set himselfe forth for a God at least for the sonne of a Virgin He bewitched the people with his sorceries or magicke to say This man is the great power of God Acts 8. 10. And in admiration of his magicall operations they set up a statue with this Inscription To Simon the holy God His Image was made after the figure of Iupiter and the Image of Salena or Helena his harlot whom he affirmed to be the first conception of his mind the mother of all by whom in the beginning he conceived in his mind to make the Angels and the Archangels was made after the figure of Minerva and these they worshipped with Incense victimes offerings and sacrifices Howbeit this magicall sorcerer simulated the Christian faith and was baptized supposing that the Apostles healed by Magick and not by the power of God and suspecting the Holy Ghost to be given by a greater Magicall science he offered money for the gift which being denied him he studied all manner of Magick so much the more so to make himself seem the more glorious in the emulation and to make himself famous in his contestation against the Apostles vented his heresies and vaunted his sorceries so much the more And in stead of the Holy Ghost he got him a devil for his familiar which he said was the Soul of a slain childe although indeed â—t was a Devil that he had adjured for his assistance in doing whatsoever he commanded His Priests and proselytes likewise were taught to use exorcisms and incantations and Amatories and allurements and had also their Paredrials and Oniropompisss Sc. their familiars and studiously exercised all manner of curious superstitions and unlawful Arts. And all was to this intent that his and their praestigious acts might seem to confirm their blasphemous heresies Elymas the Sorcerer or the Magician sought to turn away the Deputy from the faith and would not cease to pervert the right wayes of the Lord Act. 13. 8 10. And not onely his actions but his appellations also serve to note his Heresie as well as his Sorcery Jannes and Iambres the Magicians that withstood Moses wherefore are those Hereticks men of corrupt minds reprobate or of no judgement concerning the faith that resist the truth compared to them 2 Tim. 3. 8. Doubtlesse there was not onely some resemblance or similitude but some identity or reality in their actions Mâ—nander the disciple and successour of Simon Magus a Samaritane also and a Magician was possessed with a devil and being instructed with daemoniacal power was not inferiour to the former in diabolical operation And having attained to the height of magical Science which he said he had from his Euvoja and by her taught and gave it unto others so that many were deluded deceived by this his prodigious art To which he added as upon which he founded these his portentous Heresies or opinions viz. Affirming himself to be the Saviour sent from Olympus to Heaven or from the invisible world for the salvation of men Teaching that the Angels the operators of this world cannot be otherwise bound or compelled or conquered by any unlesse it be by learning the deceptive and proving the experience of the Magical art which he taught and by receiving the Baptism which he himself delivered which whosoever had ever been partakers of they should thereby acquire perpetual immortality and die no more but remain everlastingly with themselves or with him and become thenceforth expert of old age and be made immortal Saturninuâ— or Saturnilus and Bafilides were notorious impostors in all Magical arts using Images incantations and invocations and all other superfluous curiosities And among their other Heresies this was one inconsistent altogether not onely with nature and Theologie but with Magick also and Astrology viz. In that they invented 365. Heavens making one another by succession and similitude and the lowest of them begetting the creatures here below And the chiefest or highest of them which they call Abrafax or Abraxas they make to have in it self not onely the number of the 365 but the vertue of them all And yet the Mathematicians then agreed with them in the distribution of the 365 local positions of the Heavens though peradventure not in their mutual and so infinite generation Howbeit in this they and the Magicians were wholly agreed in contending their mysteries to be ineffable and ought to be hidden in silence â—arpocrates and his ear-mark'd Disciples practised all manner of Magical arts used Incantations Philters Paredrials or Demoniacal assessours omropompists or Dream-artists and all other machinations malignations inductions illectations c. Yea they set up Schools of Magick and taught praestigious operation in publique saying heretically that by vertue of these they had gotten the Dominion over the Princes and Fabricators