do come to pass And thus by the service of Time and Chance Nature operates all her great Intrigues with much Secresie and Curiosity whether it be upon single or Collective Bodies and Persons It may be thought somewhat strange how Nature brings forth Men and Women at much distance of years hours and places all destinated to die at one time and place and all of one manner of death by War Plague or Shipwrack and how Time and Chance do pick them all up and draw them together by great Curiosities of Fate to partake of the same And yet is it as true as strange that such things do happen and that by Curious Acts of Heaven and the Starrs therein Judg. 5.20 which in their Courses fought against Sisera And after the same rate on the other side as many men and women by the same force and virtue are gathered together to enioy great and good success But perhaps will the Reader say How shall these things stand with the Free agency of Mans Will And he sayes well but then withal is he to consider That God who made Man and ordained the Course of Fate did certainly foresee and know the several and various turnings and windings of every mans will from all Eternity and having all these at once in his Eye did so order all manner of Fates as to suit and stand in with every mans free acts of Will and to answer the utmost of his final choice And though true it is 1 King 22.20 God said Who will tempt Ahab to go to War and to die at Ramoth Gilead as if it had been some project upon him for his sin corrective to what was said from the beginning yet it could not be so For God knew afore that Ahab would go and by what means he would be persuaded so to do though for some reason his way of speech was as though he did not And this was usual with him Gen. 18.20 21. as in the case of the Sin of Sodom I will go down and see said God whether it be so or no. And yet God Omniscient Prov. 15.3 whose Eyes are every where knew as much without going down Without doubt the Will of Man in many cases does make great wrestling and much opposition against the Starry Influences and prevailes over them exceedingly in many things And this especially where the Will is fortified by Wisdom and strength of habit to command over the allurements of Sense and Appetite and most of all where Grace is added that restores Mans Will unto much of what it lost by Sin Now in these cases the Will of Man prevailes over the attractions and allurements and threatenings of Nature and all its instruments and turns the edge of Time from evil to good and repels the force of Chance that it fails of it's effects and in many cases lengthens dayes and receives the direful darts of â—ate either shot-free or else escapes with slight Wounds and all this while other men whose Wills are not thus fortified do perish once and again under the very same strokes of Nature which their Brethren born under the same moments endured and out-lived with much ease And thus far Sapiens dominabitur astris the Wise man above the Fool may rule his Stars But we must consider that in these operations of Fate there are some influences so mighty as no power of man can oppose Such as are the fatal Wounds of Death when Natures Glass is run out and the violent Blows of strong distempers of Sickness and the high Tides of Prosperity and Adversity And yet in these cases also Grace and Wisdom have their employments exceedingly worth the while and infinitely distinguishing the Saints from Sinners For the Saint though he must die whether naturally or violently by Water or by the Gallows yet so prepares himself that he dies with comfort while the other perishes in anguish he dies a Martyr while the other perisheth in his Sin And sometimes Prayers and Tears in such a case have wrought Miracles in stop to the course of Nature as in the cases of Hezekiah Isa 38. Dan. 3. and of the Three Children And as for great Sicknesses the Wise and Holy Men by Sober and Virtuous life may extenuate though not pass and escape them And though they cannot overturn Prosperities and Adversities yet they may cause them to work for the best so as to do more good than hurt while Vice shall extenuate Prosperity and heighten the Mountains of Adversity But however again astra regunt homines the Stars do rule and overpower men But yet in all these cases such is the never-enough to be admired Providence of God that foreseeing all Holy and Wise men in their several Ages and Times He hath laid also their Fates suiting to their actions Gen. 37. Ch. 41.40 Psal 105.18 19 20. 1 Sam. 1.10 11 c. unto 20. He foresaw Joseph's prayers and tears in his captivity and accordingly provided and contrived his advance in Nature to correspond therewith He foresaw Hannah's Fasting and strong cryes in Prayer and laid in her opening Womb to bud forth in course of Nature exactly answering thereto And herein lyes the thing that while we study Astrology and feel by experience the operations of Grace upon us It shews us so plainly the Wonderful Contrivance of God in Nature that we see it with our Eyes as it were written in great and plain Characters upon fair Paper saying Rom. 11.33 36. Oh the depth of the Riches of the Wisdom and Power and Goodness of God Of him and for him and through him are all things to him be glory for ever The Will and Wisdom of Man has its free full work and that without any Controul Grace and Virtue come from Heaven immediately and act by their own Principles even as they are led by the Holy Ghost And yet Nature as it was laid from all Eternity acts freely too And all these agree and suit as it were of one Contrivance So sayes Gods Word so sayes our own Experience and Reason and so Teaches Astrology Astrology is an holy and most excellent Science that by well digested and experienc't Rules teacheth us to know the Heavenly Bodies and their Motions and Aspects and from thence to be able to foreknow much of future events in natural operations This Science has been gained partly by verified Traditions but especially by diligent and constant Observations Ios Ant. Book 1. It is asserted by good Authority That much of this Learning came out of Paradise and that our Father Adam after the Fall did communicate the same unto his Son Seth out of his Memoirs of the state of Innocency and that Seth made impressions of the same in certain permanent Pillars which were able to withstand both Fire and Water and that hence Enoch had it and Noah and from him Shem and so it came to Abraham who increased the knowledg by Divine helps and taught the Chaldeans
that very hour as the Flood came and to die by that very kind of death as in that Flood they perished all of them by Water And herein lay the glory of that contrivance from the beginning that without any alteration or amendment of Fate since the first frame of it at the Creation 1. All Births happened against that Flood under such moments of time as threatned death by Water 2. In that all Natives took up their natural breath though at different times yet with such different lengths of the stint of Fate affected as aptly invited Nature to deliver them all up to die together And 3. That these Fates notwithstanding yet had every mans Will free liberty saving what chains sin had laid upon it as none the least force of necessity constrained any thing upon it Sect. 13 But will some say Answer to more Objections Gods works are secret and who can find them out So say we too but yet these secrets have also an out-side and that 's all we pretend to be skilled in But God works above Nature says another and that without any the least track and why should the Astrologer tie him to a method Because say we we know God to be a God of order and one who delights to keep to that order But as for his pathless ways objected we do not well understand the meaning unless they would have the Almighty allowed the liberty to change his mind and then what shall that argue but as if there had been some deficiency in his eternal purpose and so his after-thoughts came up to mend it And where then was his eternal Omnisciency which yet every true Child of God must stedfastly believe or else wo be to all the world But if by these supernatural they mean onely his miraculous works know then that such are never without some special occasion and that depending upon the work of Nature the Astrologer is not without his guess there too but however The Conclusion he does in no wise debar or deny these miracles And when he has all done and gained his utmost skill concerning any future contingencies yet concludes he all he is able to say with submission to the secrets of God which are beyond all the utmost that our imperfect skill can possibly extend unto and ever with this reserve we say unless it please God to work to the contrary by a miracle And thus is it evident both from Holy Writ and Scripture Reason the Heavens have their Influences and by consequence that there is such a thing as Astrology in the Stars above Hence therefore I proceed unto my second Proposition The second Proposition That this Astrology Man in this estate of Corruption may attain in some measure to understand Sect. 1 The Proposition proved by the testimony of our Saviour Jesus Christ WE have it by experience and are very sure by abundanâ—e of verification that something of this Astrology we do know and so says our Saviour that it is so for certain When it is evening ye say says he it will be fair weather Matth. 16.2 3. Luke 12.24 55 because the sky is red And in the morning it will be foul weather because the sky is red and louring And when a cloud ariseth out of the West straightway ye say A shower cometh and says he it is so And when ye see the South-wind blow ye say there will be heat and so it comes to pass And then he concludes speaking of the Pharisaical Jews Matth. 16.3 Luke 12.56 Ye hypocrites ye can discern the face of the sky but the signes of the times can ye not discern Now if Hypocrites could be true Astrologers what hinders but Christians may be as much and as good Astrologers as they and if such as could not discern the signs of the times yet could understand an Astrology by the Heavens how much more famous in the Heavenly skill may those men become who can discern both Christ and the Heavens too Sect. 2 Such an Astrologer was Moses By the example of Moses who understood Astrology Acts 7.22 that great Man of God who was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians In Moses days the Egyptians were as famous for Literature as any Nation in the World and amongst other things they were great Astrologers Jos Ant. lib. 1. chap. 8 12. Josephus the Historian tells us and he quotes antient Authors for what he says that the Egyptians were well versed in Astrology and that the first knowledge of that Celestial skill they learned from the Patriarch Abraham whilst he was in Egypt Now the Egyptians it is confessed studied more Arts than were good Exod. 7.11 12 such as were Sorcery and Inchantments and a Diabolical sort of Magick But Moses was learned onely in the lawful Arts and such was Astrology when it was clean sifted from the Diabolical Tares mingled with it by the inchanting Sorcerers And now that Moses did particularly understand Astrology Deut. 33. is apparent by his predictions of the Tribes as to what should betide them for the time to come for it was not by Revelation nor Dream nor Vision that he spake those things for when it was so the Scripture was wont to say how it was so and no such thing being alledged now it follows that he spake meerly of his natural knowledge and besides the phrase savours of meer natural Prophecy Sect. 3 It appears also by the same Josephus a learned and generally well approved Author By the example of Adam and most of the Patriarchs Joseph Antiq B. 1. Ch. 4 8 c. Gen. ch 48 49. Orig. Tom. in Gen. that Adam Seth Enos and most oâ— the Patriarchs were all great Astrologers and after them Abraham who taught both the Chaldeans and Egyptians and as seems by hiâ— Predictions to his Sons Jacob was so too and such was the opinion of the Learned Origen that he was so indeed Of Joseph also very much may be said to the same purpose he wâ— a man famous for interpreting of Dreams and this is a faculty commonly accompanying Astrology and such as by Rules of Art may be aptly known Gen. 40.41 And by the example of Joseph called Hermes Trismegistus by the Grecians Diod. Sic. lib. 1. chap. 2. without Divine Inspirations Of this Joseph the antient Historian Diâ—dorus Siculus hath said much how he contributed not a little to the Art of the Plow which was taught by Osiris and Isis and how he taught them very many learned matters both concerning Religion and the State and concerning things to come He calls him Hermes Trismegistos indeed but that Joseph was the same Hermes he spake of is very plain to be understood both by the time and age wherein Hermes lived and also by his Religion of which Diodore saith That he taught a Religion by himself and contrary to all the ways of Worship as were ever known amongst the Egyptians before him and he
demand how it can be proved that Astrology was not here only for a vizard and that a Magician or a Wizard was not underneath By how much more accurate their predictions are by so much the more cause of suspicion You must note now that to have familiarity with these Daemons so as to predict or tell any thing by virtue of such a familiarity is punishable with Death both by the Law of God and Man And yet in this case of Life and Death when a man is accused for a Wizard and no proof can be brought against him but a meer think so and Judg and Jury are all ready to acquit him yea but says the Doctor let him prove himself that he is not one or else let him be trust up Why good Mr. Doctor says the Prisoner at the Bar if you must needs be answered to such a demand that is as unreasonable as it is simple and foolish know you that it is proof enough of my innocency in that all the World can say nothing to the contrary or at least it is enough to stop the mouth of any the most slanderous Gown-man that ever used his tongue to lying and slander Suppose now a hagling Disputant in the Schools should take upon him to prove that Dr. More is more Knave then Fool and when he can make nothing on it so as to produce any one act of his Knavery but to the contrary rather yet he sticks to his points still and answers let the Doctor prove it that he is not so if he can Would the Doctor take this kindly think you at the man's hands But again suppose we the Devils may secretly insinuate themselves into some mens actions and afterwards offer themselves unto a greater familiarity and converse and suppose they might gain a right against a man without explicit Contract if he be but once so rash as to tamper with the mysteries of the dark Kingdom What 's all this to the purpose unless there could be no such things as Conjurers but what are first Astrologers Or suppose we these Conjurers should pretend as Sr. Christopher Heydon observes to be Astrologers in order to paliate their diabolical Arts. Is Astrology any whit the worse for being belied on Our Saviour himself would be a Devil then too if this might go But suppose farther that some who are Astrologers at first should afterwards step from Astrology to become Wizards or Daemonalators must all necessarily who are Astrologers be so therefore Do we not know that many Divines do study unlawful Magick and Negromancy as much or more then Divinity must all Divines be Magicians therefore and that in an evil sense We know also that many Physicians become Atheists must all Physicians be so therefore But it is worth our Observation very much how prettily the Doctor lays his Plot concerning Horary Questions How the Devil should excite men to make their demands at such a point of time as the Heavens should suit with those demands in all circumstances according to the known rules of Astrology Now although the Devils may very possibly excite men to make their demands yet be sure the Heavens at those times it is not in the Devils power to frame at all and yet these Heavens have perfect Astrological Significations in them according to the punctual solution of all Circumstances in the demands So that it shall seem the Doctor does verily beleive there is such a thing as Astrology in the Heavens Only he would have no body to deal in the skill of it but under the Devil's Patent But then as for Nativities the predictions related to them must not be effected but by help of the invisible Powers and men's Deaths must be effected by the Devil in order to make good Astrological Predictions It seems then with the Doctor these Devils can kill whom and when they list and that as well Saints as Sinners and the Anti-Astrologists as well as Philo-Astrologists For thus was predicted the death of Picus as well as Cardan and of Gassendus as well as Ascletarion And thus was predicted the death of that quondam Saint of the late times Oliver Cromwel And thus also strictly agreed with the predictions of Astrology the death of the innocent Prince of Spain Philip Prosper as well as the blustering King of Sueden the late Charles Gustavus the three last all performed by that most ingenious Artist Mr. John Gadbury at such time as all of them were at the highest of their Expectations Sect. 24 Thus now have I answered as well to the wickedness as to the vanity and foolery wherewith the Doctor charges Astrology I am not concerned here I make account for that I have done before elsewhere to give reasons for each part of the Science but only to answer what reasons the Doctor pretends against it Neither do I think my self bound to content my Antagonist in all my answers it is enough that I have paid and satisfi'd him off The Vsurer when he had his money and use all pay'd him in yet was not contented though fully satisfied but sued his Bond after all this And truly the Doctor is like enough to do as much by me For he seems very hard to be pleased If our Predictions miscarry any of them then he laughs and crys out We are Fools If part does hit and another part does miscarry then are all by chance But if any fall out punctually as predicted then its Daemonalatry and antient Heathen Paganism and the more true we speak the worse he likes us as he says himself So that right or wrong be we well or ill laugh or cry hee 'l never be pleased And win or lose he is resolved to publish Victory What I have said therefore I humbly commit to publick view that when the Doctor shall at any time deny that I have made him a full answer I may not want for Evidence that he is paid and satisfied and then chuse him whether he be contented or no. But I am not utterly out of hope that all the Doctor has said or done was no more but as I said before purposely to be baffled and to make his Pen a Sacrifice for Astrology in order to excuse him when hereafter he shall publickly turn Fortune-teller And so No More but the Doctor 's humble Servant John Butler An humble Consideration by way of Comment upon the pious and learned Discourse of the Right Honourable and Right Reverend Father in God Joseph late Lord Bishop of Norwich concerning Pacts with evil Spirits and particularly concerning his judgment of Judiciary Astrology therein also mentioned Sect. 1 THUS far have I humbly adventured in defence of this Sacred and Heavenly Science of Astrology and now having waded so far I would willingly enjoy some fruits of my pains before I make my return though it cost me something of a swimming for it I am sensible that say we never so clearly for our selves yet will there be still Objectors found to say
I have medled or dealt with in this kind and no more than what the most Learned and Famousest of our modern reformed Writers have done before me Wherefore I am none of those who pretend to be read in State-Astrology or to be versed in the curious tracks of Meteorology Nor am I any profest Artist either in the understanding of Hororary Questions or in scanning the abstruse paths of Genethliacal Predictions And how it shews him the great Glory of Gods works Onely so much have I learned as shews me the great glory of my Creator written in the Sacred frame of the Heavens while I behold their admirable operations and productions and how the frame of Nature hangs upon them and is contrived from the beginning continuing and going on as if all things came to pass by Chance and yet is there a dependance of all things one upon another and of all sublunary things upon the Heavens and of the Heavens upon God as if Nature it self were nothing else but an Artificial Fabrick made by God from the beginning And now Astrology is nothing else but that Study whereby a man perceiveth the secret Virtue of the Heavens and the shining Bodies therein contained and is induced by the more he knows of his handy-work to spend the more time in wondering at the most immense and infinite Wisdom and Power of God For the more a man attains to know of these Heavenly Virtues the more he sees of the reason and manner of Natures Operation in things that are past and the more he sees of this reason the more it makes him to admire him that made and laid the frame of it And as he attains to see the reason of things past by the same skill he attains to see things to come and by the Birth of a Native And profitably serves him in prediction of future Events he reads in the Heavens most part of that Natives whole life and the Story thereof as his Blessings and Crosses Gains and Losses Honour and Dishonour Sickness and Health and all the years of his Life and the time of Death even as if he had seen them acted in their several times and seasons Eccles 1.5 For this God hath given unto the wise man to know the time and the judgment Sect. 3 The reason of the Author in publishing this Treatise But many men do not believe that by Natural skill all or any of this can fairly and lawfully be procured And because amongst the many who believe us not and are therefore enemies to Astrology I have so much charity as to believe are some good and godly as well as wise men who more out of mistake than malice have taken up their prejudice And because amongst these also are many most Learned Astronomers And for whole sake he hath done it unto whose names the Astrologer is greatly obliged for much of his skill and especially because amongst these two may be found some whose prejudice to Astrology has rendred them so unhappy as not to have read that excellent piece of Art called The Doctrine of Nativities published by Mr. Gadbury a Person famous as well for Astronomy as Astrology or any other Learned Treatise of this nature and yet perhaps out of some curiosity may be drawn in to taste of these few Lines Therefore for satisfaction of all such I humbly offer these three Propositions 1. That there is an Astrology in the Heavens The sum of what he undertakes to prove consists in three Propositions 2. That this Astrology Man in the state of Corruption may attain in some measure to understand 3. That this understanding may be lawfully and fairly compassed by Natural means without any Diabolical helps The first Proposition Sect 1 THat there is an Astrology in the Heavens that is The Proposition explained The Heavenly Bodies have all their Influences wherewith they operate upon all Earthly Subjects and that upon the Intellectual and Sensitive as well as the Vegetative to incline and lead them here and there and more or less in the constitution of their Qualities and Contingencies of their Destinies though not absolutely to force their Wills according to the power and virtues of that place of Heaven and that band of Stars unto whose charge every of those Subjects are committed Sect. 2 God has not fix'd these mighty Bodies of the Sun Moon and Stars which The first Proof by Scripture shews that the Sun and Moon have as much to do with the sway of earthly affairs as hath a King amongst his Subjects to such as know their Dimensions are known to move in their Orbs as so many other Worlds in the Heavens for mere Signs like Beacons on an Hill nor yet for mere Seasons or Land-marks of Time so as to be no more but mere Boundments unto Days Months and Years Yea there is infinitely more in them than so for unto every one of them hath he committed an Authority and Power Gen. 1.16 as it were a King upon his Throne to Sway and Rule over all things subject unto Day and Night The Sun is the Fountain of heat and that Heat is the Nurse of Life and thence therefore find we every living Creature waiting upon this Sun for its life as it were so many Servants upon the Master of the House and this is palpable Now the Moon seems to be as much the Fountain of Moisture as the Sun is of Heat and Moisture being an Handmaid unto Life hence also may it seem requisite therefore that where the Sun is honoured as Master of the House the Moon may challenge the Title of Mistress and this also is palpable though not in that degree of it to the heat of the Sun For though the Moon doth not sensibly distil Dews of Moisture as does the Sun his Beams of Heat 't is because she is the weaker Vessel and wants of him so exceedingly in comparison of Power Yet that she is the Mistress of this Moisture as well as of the Night is apparent by the Tydes which constantly attend her Motion and that with increase and diminution of force as she appears in strength or want of Aspect and by the Eyes of Cats which sensibly swell and fall as the Moon is strong or weak Sect. 3 And that the Stars also have their sway and that by day as well as by Night But besides these Seigniories of the Sun and Moon the Stars also it seems have their Principalities in the Heavens The Lord who giveth the Sun for a Light by day giveth also the Ordinances of the Moon and Stars for a Light by night Jer. 31.35 And to these Stars also hath God committed a certain Rule or Dominion over the Day and Night Gen 1.18 and that promiscuously Now the Stars have no sensible operation upon us besides that little light they administer unto our eyes and that is so very small that all the Stars in Heaven besides the Sun
and Moon are not able to compare with the smallest Wax-candle And this little Light too being onely by night and that also onely when there be no Clowds to hide them what shall we say now Did God make all these glorious Bodies many of which are bigger than the whole Earth merely for a Twinkle of the Night and that at certain choise Times and Seasons onely What make they then in the Day-time and what have they to do in the dark and obscure Nights Were they made to ride the Heavens for Cyphers onely think we at such times Lo every little Dasie that grows upon the cold ground has a secret and insensible virtue wrapt in its Leaves and Flowers and have these Celestial Spangles no Influences but what we catch with our eyes as they are now and then once in a week or month to be found sparkling their dim glances upon us Nay they cannot be such mean and empty Tubs no they are as so many Kings and great Lords and all of them have their Commands Gen. 1.18 and that as well by day as by night and in the clowdy as well as the clear nights And now seeing this their Lordship is not managed by sensible and palpable acts and agitation it must needs follow that they have a secret and an hidden way of Rule whereby they operate imperceptibly in all their agitations of their Dominion And as these And finally that the Sun Moon and Stars besides their sensitive operations have their secret and imperceptible Influences so also the Sun and Moon besides their sensible operations have also their imperceptible actions For it is not the mere Heat which giveth Life nor the mere Moisture that helpeth to live for if so then might Man make living Creatures artificially but this we see he cannot do the Heat may hatch the Eggs but all the Art of Man cannot make an Egg that can be hatch'd No for there is a secret Act of Sun and Moon besides the mere putting to of Heat and Moisture which produceth Life both in Sensitive and Vegetive Animals And in these secret and insensible Operations or Influences besides the Light which they give consists that Rule which the Sun Moon and Stars do exercise over all the Sons of Day and Night And herein are written all those Ordinances of the Moon and Stars which are to be a Law unto Mankind and to the whole Body of Mortality so long as the World endureth Jer. 31.35 36. And this mystery of these secret Operations is that which we call the Astrology of the Heavens Sect. 4 The second proof by Scripture shews That the Constellation of the Pleiades and of Orion have their Astrological Influences Now have the Stars all of them their natural Influences and such natural Influences as touch upon all things as far as Day and Night extend their limits then must Mankind also come under the touch of this Influence as well as Brutes and Vegetives But what authority can they pretend to over Man speak to him they cannot to commnd him ought for they are not intelligent Bodies no more than is the Earth their Authority therefore can be nothing else but the execution of their secret Influences which in a certain course or order they pour upon Mankind and these Man being unable to avoid the Stars are said to give Law to him Gen. 1.26 17 18. Job 38.21 32 33. Astra regunt homines and to have their Ordinances unto which Man also must submit Thus the Stars called the Pleiades have their Ordinances that is their sweet Influences or Virtues See Argol Astr ante Ephem lib. sec cap. 8. Stellae tempestuosae sunt Orion Arâ—urus c. pluriosae Pleiades which no power of Man is able to restrain And the Stars of Orion have also their Ordinances that is their binding faculty by Frost in Winter or by Showers in Summer bringing to pass such an hard and tough Coat of Armour upon the ground as all the Art of Man is not able to prevent Thus Mazeroth and Arcturus with his Sons have also their Ordinances and the whole Host of Heaven hath its course and its Rules in that course which though a man cannot see nor perfectly attain to know yet some track thereof may he apprehend These names of Pleiades and Orion it is true are not found in the Hebrew Translation but onely in the Septuagint but it seems those LXX Interpreters were acquainted with those Constellations and understanding both Languages converted the Hebrew words into such Names as the Greeks called those Constellations by Sect. 5 To this purpose it is said by Debora the Prophetess that they fought from Heaven The third proof by Scripture shews that Sisera and his Host were worsted and overthrown in Battel by influences of the Stars Judg. 5.20 The Stars in their courses fought against Sisera Now this was not by Sword nor Pistol nor yet by Thunder and Lightning for that Bullets fall from no higher than the Air onely but the Stars are infinitely in the Heavens above and beyond all Air and therefore could it be no other ways but by some secret yet fatal Influences whereby Sisera and all his Host were blasted from their Cradles with unlucky Aspects of these Stars which were so contrived in Nature as to fall out all of them together end so wrought as many thousands of them fell in Battell all on one day For though these men might have been born under as many several hours as they were men yet met each man that fatal wound at his several hour of birth the force of which as it fell from various evil Stars and from variety of envious Aspects on each mans pate so gave it each man his bane with such variety of limitation as both old men and young encountred their dooms together and the limitation of many thousand Fates and it may be of as many thousand different lengths met all upon one day And yet infortunated each Star so variously each according to its proper nature course and method as every Star slew his man or men and it might be by different kind of deaths But as the Stars fought against Sisera so sought they as much for Barak and his Host fortunating the several times of each mans birth in that Army and here each Star stuck to his man and all in such an harmonious contrivance as though there were as many several minutes of Births as there were several Men yet were there as many benevolent Aspects of the Stars to fortunate those Births and that so and with such different force as though each mans Birth bare date assunder yet the younger Births by the nearer speed overtaking the less half of those which were elder all mens good fortunes in that Army jump'd together at one and the same time Sect. 6 The fourth proof by Scripture shews that the Meteors of the Air are lodged by the Influences of Heaven against appointed times
work was it when he made the Sun stand still and at another time when he made it Retrograde Such also were the Works of Christ when he raised the dead and gave sight to men born blind by his Divine power Such also was the Work of God Exod. 14.21 22. Dan. 3.27 when the Sea made a lane for men to pass thorow it on dry ground and when the Fire had no power to scorch or once to harm men walking in the midst of it These miraculous Works 't is true had no immediate dependency upon the work of Nature and yet from the beginning these also God foresaw And how so He foresaw by the frame of Nature the occasion that required them and by that foresight set down in his eternal mind the contrivance of all Miracles too as they were in time to keep company with his frame of Nature And now may thus far be granted What is it which we call Astrology but the summary of all that skill and knowledge which by times the observation and experience of the whole World of Ages hitherto hath collected and communicated down from hand to hand unto us of this present Age as to what may be understood concerning the nature and operations of the great Wheels of Nature how they work upon us and what they work out of us and what accidents according to their usual track may like enough befall us Such is our Astrology and the All we count such and by this Astrology we attain to see into the great works of God and to be able to say unto his great Glory how truly great they are Sect. 12 Answers to Objections And now by this time I hope it will be adjudged past dispute that Astrology does in no wise limit Gods eternal providence but is so far from it as no Science except Divinity can declare half so much whereby God's Sacred Contrivance of the Affairs of Nature may be truly magnified as they deserve It seems greatly to trouble many people because say they be there such a thing as Astrology to be allowed then must necessarily follow a fatal Destiny not to be avoided and if so what room is left for Gods Providence or what for exercise of humane Virtues or Vices 'T is true indeed that there is a Fate in the frame of Nature but then it is Gods eternal Providence which has contrived that Fate and laid the whole platform of it Shewing how Astrology impedes not but manifests Gods eternal Providence and that so and accompanied with such an incomprehensible forecast as in no case can betide or happen unto any man either of good luck or bad or of prosperity or adversity but matters fall out so suitable to his prayers and conditions as if God had quite altered the scene of affairs at his request and yet hath nothing fall'n out but what was so order'd from all eternity For God Almighty foresaw all men and all their cases and their prayers and thoughts from the beginning and laid his frame of Nature so as to answer all prayers cases and thoughts as was fit all from the beginning But these eternal contrivances opening in time and answering so exactly to the purpose many shallow-brain'd people are apt to cry out as if the Almighty had altered his purposes changed the course of Nature and made new contrivances upon their prayers and for their sakes as if there could be no such thing as Divine Providence without disparaging the Deity to make it seem of changeable and new contrived counsels But what though there be such a thing as Fate yet does it not follow And how it hinders neither Virtue nor Vice but is an help to virtuous actions that there must be therefore an absolute fatal Necessity for there is no such thing neither the Stars nor Heavens nor course of Nature any ways pretending to force mans will they onely incline in their courses And here lies the exercise of Virtue in striving and fighting against corrupt inclinations The Heathens could say Sapiens dominabitur astris and our Saviour proclaims Matth. 11.12 Luke 16.16 that the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and violent men take it by force Yea so effectual have been the fervent prayers of faithful and good men that they have not onely turned the edge of malignant inclinations to bad qualities but have also utterly overturned the force of hard Fates Had an Astrologer known King Hezekiah's Nativity Isa 38. How King Hezekiah by his prayers overturned the force of an hard fate no doubt but he would have read his Destiny to be death by a violent Feaver in the 14 year of his Reign and yet would the King have outlived that date 15 years farther without any disparagement to the Astrologer for he would have said no more but what was truly written in Heaven But then the virtue of the good King prevailing God Almighty wrought for him and thrust by the violence of Fate for that time and so lived he on until the next deadly blow overtook him 1 Tim. 1.13 14 So also in case of ill qualities St. Paul seems by his rugged nature to have had Stars and Aspects swaying his Geniture as the late Usurper Cromwel had in his And how St. Paul overcame his natural ill dispositions 1 Cor. 9.26 27 but by his vertue he overcame Nature and so brought his body into subjection and by that means made use of all his violent passions of Nature to stir up the more zeal and fervency in Gods service whereas the other for want of that Virtue became so much the greater Villain Such another pattern as this seems to have been the famous Heathen Socrates Thus wise men rule the Stars but fools are ruled by them unto their own destruction The works of Grace and Nature how they act each in their own paths And thus Grace and Will have no bar by Astrology either of freedom or fulness of roomth for their exercise and yet keep on the Stars their courses too For the works of Grace and Nature follow each their own track Nature necessitates no mans wickedness and Grace destroys nothing of Nature onely it amends Nature and farther meddles not and Astrology makes both friends by giving light to the paths of each and shewing both how they may make each for other and all for the praise and glory of God Now such is the wonder of Gods eternal contrivance Of universal desolations and particularly of Noah's Flood and how a reason for every mans death in that desolation was written in the Heavens that never any universal desolation happens at any time whether by Fire or Water or War or Plague but every mans particular Fate in that desolation has a natural reason for it written in Heaven Every man who perished in Noah's Flood had a particular influence from Heaven upon him and such as might be seen by his Nativity which led on his Destiny to fall in
due proportion expected and begin to pour down some four or five Climates breadth of space ere it arrive at the place of expectation then will that whole cloud be utterly expended upon those Climates where it first dropp'd and a fair day must needs succeed in the expected situation And thus the Prognosticator though never so ingenious for want of some drams of perfection in some certain predictions shall be whoop'd at by a company of Clowns as if he were a meer Impostor Besides the Winds are exceeding ticklish in turning here and there so as who can perfectly know them and yet the failure of the least skill in the turn of the Winds turns off a glut of Rain or Snow a quite contrary way And lastly which is not the least of the Impediments unto a truer attainment in Meteorology is the want of the Writers encouragement either by recompence of reward from the Company of Stationers who are the Sellers of their pains or of good words from the Company of Buyers who are the enjoyers of them On the one side they are not so much for an elaborate as a cheap Almanack for one they can get by rather than to have thanks for And on the other side these are so sordid that never once considering the ingenuity of the Author if they find him but once or twice in a day or two's error of the Weather he must ever be accounted with them for a common Liar So that these things considered what encouragement has any man think we to spend two or three months study upon writing of the Weather Whence comes it to pass that few write who have skill and secondly many who have skill yet write according to their encouragement rather than skill more slightly than warily But yet that there is a real skill in fore-knowledge of the Weather and of the turning of the Winds too as to gluts of Weather or Wind and as to the succession of Weathers whosoever shall peruse Mr. Gadbury's or Swallow's annual Predictions to that purpose will say as much But besides were it so that the Weather could not be any thing near certainly predicted yet that there is a real skill in it in part almost every Shepherd and Husbandman can tell you who are able to verifie abundance of Aphorisms of their tried experiences concerning Weather both by the riding of the Clouds colour of the Skies and looks of the Sun Moon and Stars And that they are certainly in the right on 't as to these their Experiments our Saviour brings in his Sacred Test instancing in certain of these particulars that it is so as they use to say And now be it so that Observation and Experience can make us Weather-wise what shall hinder but that they may say as much as to the fore-knowledge of our own Fates if not a great deal more there being abundantly more reason for certainty in Predictions o◠this nature than for those of that nature What is Astrology but the finding out a skil◠of future Fates by the very same means as the Jews attained to know that a red evening boded the morrow's fair weather For the experience of this know we to be every way a punctually true as possibly could be in that unto which our Saviour dained to give his Te◠that it is so But what need we any further arguments it is evident by daily and multitude of experiments that skilful men d◠certainly understand very much of future contingencies by this harmless use of Astrology and this any candid Objector may behold verified as often as he desires it And in th◠mean time please he but to peruse the Boo◠called A Collection of Genitures printed b◠that ingenious Artist Mr. John Gadbury Physician in Ordinary to the Queens Majesty i◠the year 1662. and he shall there find him prognosticating to the very year wherein many eminent Natives then living should leav◠this world several of which are since dead according to the precise predicted time as th◠late Pope Alexander and the late Philip King 〈◊〉 Spain and the little Prince his Son and many others he published as much also by th◠late Vsurper Cromwel while he was alive an◠by the late King of Sweden while he was alive and both found him a true Prophet in his prediction of their deaths To this the Carpe◠commonly do object that they do as of◠fail but this is very false for a good Artist very rarely misseth his mark be but a Nativity rightly timed to him or near the time given with good accidents But be a man beguiled with a false time or false accidents never count that an errour Sect. Now Astrology is either Meteorological or Genethliacal Of the Divisions of Astrology into Meteorological and Genethliacal Of the Meteorological I have said already the Genethliacal Astrology is depending either upon the Birth of some Question or of some Native Person or Thing Questionary Astrology dependeth upon the precise point of time when a serious Question is asked either by Letter or word of mouth and this is called Astrology by way of Hororary Questions Of this way of Astrologizing I must confess I am not so well skilled nor am I of the truth and worth of it And of Genethliacal Astrology divided into Questionary and Real or Personal Astrology half so confident as of the other way by the Birth of Persons or Things yet so much have I tried and practised of it and perceived of the truth and benefit of it by my practise that I do believe it to be a lawful true and beneficial study although I am still seeking more and farther into the reason of its truth in order to attain a satisfaction beyond what I have yet gotten But in order that I may be the better understood when I go about to justifie this way of Astrologizing who they are and practises they are which I undertake to justifie I would have the Reader to know that all men who profess Astrology are not Astrologers in good earnest but that there are many pretenders to this Art who understand it not or not sufficiently at least as they pretend or else if they do understand it yet under colour of Astrology do practise other Diabolical Arts of Magick or Sorcery which are quite quite different things and of no kin to Astrology Sect. 8 Of Questionary Astrology how there are many pretenders to it who abuse the Science either for want of skill or sophistication of other studies mingled there There are who go under the name of Astrologers many pretenders so very ignorant that they understand nothing of Arithmetick or Astronomy and yet are able to answer Questions by way of Prognostication so strangely quick and readily and yet falling out so punctually right and truly agreeing to the purpose even unto admiration Now this is a sort of Astrologizing beyond my Reading or Experience And be it so that such a skill may be compassed and that
allows him permission and when he has permission 1 King 22.21 22 c. at utmost his power is no more comparable to that of the Holy Ghost Exod. 7.11 12 chap 8.18 19 Rev. 12.7 8 9. than is a Molehill to an high Mountain yet is it incomparably beyond the power of mortal men by nature at least Now this power of his is ordinarily able to go no farther Ephes 2.2 Joh. 8.44 Matth. 16.22 23. than to be able to suggest evil motions into mens minds and thus did he by Peter when he made use of his conceit with attempt to affright Christ out of the enterprize of his Passion and this he did by such a secret insinuation and so neatly acted that Peter little dreamed that the Devil had put it into his head until Christ flatly and plainly told him that it was so This liberty of suggestion has the Devil ordinarily against all the best men that be Matth. 16.23 2 Cor. 17.7 as he had against Peter and Paul But as men neglect their devotions to God and restrain their prayers and reading good Books and good Meditations their minds by degrees grow estranged from God 1 Cor. 7.5 Ephes 4.17 18 and evil thoughts by degrees growing worse and worse possess their minds in the room thereof until in the end Gods Spirit which never fails to use all possible endeavours to reclaim men from vice unto godly virtues so long as remains any hopes of them withdraws from them and leaving them to themselves their hearts harden immediately and a seared Conscience possesses them and then together therewith Satan usually enters as he entred into Judas Joh. 13.27 and from that day forward keeps he the chief rule over the children of disobedience Ephes 2.2 and worketh them as he finds them fittest for his purpose of some he makes absolute Sots as it were meer brute beasts others he devours with abundance of Whoredoms others he stupifies so much with worldly cares as they become as it were their own or the Devils Asses others he intangles with spiritual pride in Hipocrisies and Heresies until they are made as it were stark mad in Opinions And a peculiar sort of people onely they are who fitted by a kind of Geniture that inclines to that purpose he draws into pact with him to become Witches or as it were Devils incarnate and this he effects by incroaching upon them nearer and nearer as the holy Ghost withdraws and insinuating himself closeth with their capicities and becomes familiar by degrees communicating unto them of his secrets insensibly by inclining their fancies with his Diabolical powers so as to make them quick and apt of apprehension And all this he does insensibly without any the least making of himself known unto them who he is that they are beholding to for these powers that come so readily upon them as if they were meerly natural insomuch that the Devil becomes a mans ready Servant and does for him very much as if he had earned his Soul to be his before that man once knows for certain that ever he had to do with him And thus goes he on incroaching more and more until the Soul being puffed up with such an excess of vain-glory or filled with such vehemency of lust or intangled with such a knot of worldly-mindedness as it is past danger of retreat and then Satan appears in his own shapes by apparent Vision or Audible Voice and familiarly and openly converseth with his new Prophets and entreth with them into an absolute compact that he will be theirs and they shall be his Matth. 4.9 even as he would have tempted Jesus Christ to fall down and worship him Sect. 12 Of the several kinds of Witches and first of the malitious Witch Job 5.2 Of this sort of Diabolically inspired people are several kinds 1. There is the malicious Witch whose damnable spleen and envy tormenting himself with such a vehement desire of doing mischief as he can enjoy no health in his bones and he not endued with a stock of Grace any way sufficient to quench this fire the Devil knowing his ayld proffereth his service in this exigent and the man finding his pain of malice without grace intollerable easily consenteth and selleth his Soul to the Devil to gain his will against his enemies Now in this case over a wicked man such as a Thief or Murderer or Adulterer or any man that lieth under any open sin and dwelleth in it the Devil seemeth ordinarily to have power over them according to these vehement desires of his Clients and also over every man that dreadeth his power and also over every one of whose goods or things he can any ways gain into possession And to this purpose it seemeth as if the Devil hath prevailed to afflict mens goods whether living or dead with divers plagues as the death or lameness of Cattel and the spoiling of provisions of meat or drink by strange kind of wild annoyances and also to touch the bodies of Men and Women or their Children by sickness and lameness and strange kind of fits and sometimes by death But the Devil hath not always this power over wicked men and sometimes by Gods permission he gaineth to afflict the most righteous of men as he did Job Job 1.2 either in their Bodies Children or Goods Now to withstand these things is there no way better than by strong prayer and crying unto God and by a bold and confident opposition of the acts of the Devils and his Witchcrafts It is observed that the Devil hath very rarely any power to hurt that Man or Woman who fears him not And although it be dangerous medling with Geomantick tricks to drive away the Devil which is as much as to say to drive out Satan by Satan or by scratching the Witch or by burning the Thatch of her house or any such like things which are absolutely doing of evil and unlawful things that good may come of it or giving our Souls to the Devil to be rid of the Devil Yet in lawful things to violate the Devils act in the name of God as to burn a bewitched Beast with an hot iron in the very act of its bewitched fits or to thrust an hot iron into a vessel of bewitched Liquor or any such like thing as it is written Resist the Devil James 4.7 and he will flee from thee as there is no ground nor reason why it should be unlawful so to do so it hath been approved a good assistant remedy under our prayers to God to expel Witchcraft Now when the Devil cannot compass the desire of his Clients so as to harm the envied person yet feeds he them with promises that it shall be done and thus keeps he them in vain expectations until he puts a period to them Sect. 13 After the same manner as these malitious people Of the poor and needy Witch so are there very many poor and needy men
in this World whether for more or less fortunate or unfortunate favoured or disgraced Attendents upon Of the Second and Sixth Houses and their qualities and Upholders of a mans Honour and Dignity are Wealth and Servants The first of these does wait upon Mid-heaven in a succedent House called the Second House of Heaven and the other in a Cadent Hâ—use called the Sixth House of Heaven and these two are situate both in an harmonious Trine to the Angular point of Mid-heaven it self And now look what the Planets Stars Aspects and Heavenly Matter are in either of these Houses such shall the Natives Fortune prove for matter of Wealth and Servants whereof the first for Wealth and the second for Servants Sect. 15 The third Angle of Heaven is called the Seventh House Of the Seventh House and thâ— Eleventh and Third and their qualities and is always that point of Heaven and the Degrees appendant which is descending or setting out of our Horizon and is diametrically opposite to the Ascendant Now as the rising Heaven is the Conduit of life so is this setting Heaven level with the Ascendent of all affairs level with life such as are Marriage and all manner of dealings in the World and the Natives Sweet-heart Wife and all persons he has to deal with whether Friends Strangers or Enemies and those either honest men or thieves And the Planets Stars Aspects and Heavenly matter in this point at a Nativity do apparently shew how a man shall be had for matter of Wives more or fewer any or none good or bad and for matter of dealing how fortunate or unfortunate he is like to prove and for matter of Thieves and Enemies how he shall be troubled with them more or less or whether he shall overcome them or they him Necessary Upholders of Marriage and Defenders against Thieves and Enemies are Friends Kindred and Neighbours And these in their Trine to the Seventh House are brought forth the first out of the Eleventh House of Heaven a Succedent House and the other out of the Third House of Heaven a Cadent House This Eleventh House and the Planets Stars Aspects and Heavenly Matter therein do shew the state of a mans Friends and Hopes in this life And the Third House describes how happy or unhappy a man shall prove in his Brothers Sisters Cousins and Neighbours Sect. 16 Of the Seventh House with the Twelfth and Eighth and their qualities The last Angle of Heaven is the Fourth House called the Bottom of Heaven and is always that point of Heaven which seems to hang at the very bottom of the round Ball of the Celestial World and is Diametrically opposite to Mid-heaven And as that shews what a man shall rise to in this World so this declares what and when shall be his fall end or death This House has signification therefore of the end of every matter and amongst other ends of the Grave which is the end of all men living And the Planets Stars Aspects and Heavenly Matter in this House do shew what kind of end every Native is like to find whether honourable or dishonourable and the like Retainers to this House are Tribulation and Death the one signified by the Eighth House a Succedent House of Heaven and the other by the Twelfth House a Cadent House And the Planets Stars Aspects and Heavenly Matter in these Houses do shew how men shall be had for matter of tribulation and afflictions out of the Twelfth House and for matter of Death out of the Eighth House Sect. 17 Now besides these named these Houses have also every one of them other significations that they take charge of upon other grounds and reasons The Ascendant signifies the Native coming into the World and the Fourth House at the same time signifies the Parents of the Native going out For one generation goes off and another always comes in Eccles 1.4 according to the course of Nature Of these Parents the Father is more especially signified by the Fourth House and then secondarily but not so forcibly the Mother of the Native is signified by the Tenth House and the Grand-father by the Seventh and Vnkles and Aunts by the Fathers side by the Sixth and Vnkles and Aunts by the Mothers side by the Twelfth Hence also comes it to pass that by the Fourth House are signified Houses and Lands and all manner of Patrimony left by the Fathers and by the Eighth House are signified Goods left by Will of the Dead Also the Second and Sixth Houses in half Trine the House of the Grave and in opposition to the Eighth and Twelfth have a secondary signification of Sickness and Death So the Eleventh and Third in half Trine to the Ascendent have secondary signification of Children and Sciences Sect. 18 Of the Accidental Qualities of Heaven as they happen by reason of something which hath affected them Thus far of the Accidental Qualities of the Heavenly Matter as they happen by means of the situation of the Heavens Now come we to the Qualities of the Heavens as they happen by reason of something that hath affected the Heavenly Matter with such new Qualities as it hath an aptitude to entertain These things thus affecting are either the Moon or some other of the seven Planets Of the Qualities of Heaven by the Moon in her Nodes affected And first and principally the Moon hath a main stroke in this work It is observed that the moon circleth the Earth once in every 28 days space but in this perambulation she does not at all keep to the Suns path in the Ecliptick Line nor does she always hold her self on the same hand of that Line but once in every fourteen days space she crosseth that Line and so moveth sometime on the North and other whiles on the South side thereof And now is it farther observed that that peculiar place of Heaven when the Moon cuteth this Line is very much affected with this her motion The Moon is the great Lady of Life and Growth and whed she cutteth this Line therefore to the Northwards which is to come nearer into this Northern World then leaves she behind her an extraordinary measure of fruitfulness upon that point of Heaven so that like unto rich Compost which whether it be laid upon Grass or Corn makes it exceedingly to grow the better so it wonderfully fructifies with its influence all things whatsoever happening within the line of its jurisdiction This point is usually called the Dragons Head or the Moons North Node and is ordinarily found marked thus ☊ which as it ascends it strengthens Life with a strong and lively constitution if in Mid-heaven it promises great Honour if in the Eleventh as much Wealth If the Planets Jupiter or Venus happen to be in this point it makes them much the stronger in their good nature to do the more good but if the Planets Saturn or Mars be in this point it makes them also the
the Signs which belonged to the Sun For God makes the Pleiades and Orion as if they were to be bound or unbound and yet neither of them hath either hands or feet to be bound or any power of making hot or cold or wet or dry to be restrained or made void Thus talks the Doctor like a Sluggard wise in his own conceit Luk. â—2 54 55 56. maugre all the wisdom and experience that ever Mortals tasted Wise men do know by the very same kind of experience whereof our Saviour said T is so that the Pleiades rising with the Sun at Spring time do occasion stormy Tempests Wind and Rain which suiting with the Season are called their sweet influences and are so translated out of the Septuagint And this it seems was it whereof God questioned Job if he were able so to restrain the influence of those Stars And. Argol Astronomic lib. 2. Ch. 8. out of Ptol. Plin. and others as they should not be able to raise such Tempests Of the Constellation of Orion the same wise men also have diligently observed and found out that when it is joined with the Planet Saturn it begetteth Wind and Rain which in Summer time bindeth the Earth with tough and hard Clods and in Winter time with as hard Frosts whence comes the bonds of which Job was questioned if he were able to loosen them These things went for currant Observations in Plinie's time and the same were they esteemed in the learned Ptolomie's days So also are they found in our own Age by the famous Mathematician Andrew Argol of Padua And to this purpose says the Lord God Almighty according to the famous translation of the Septuagint Against all whom this one Doctor opposes his single Vote that it is not so but that it is the Sun and not the Dog-star which begets the great heat in July and August and the Sun and not the Pleiades nor the Hyades which begets the Storm and Tempest in the Spring and the Sun and not Saturn nor Orion which begets the Frost and Snow in the Winter Thus madly coins he the single Sun to breath both hot and cold and wet and dry as he moves only from place to place But then when the Doctor doth thus entail the heat and cold to the Place of the Sun he forgets how that in Ptolomies time when Dog-days were long since observed they happened in May and June a whole Month before what they do now And therefore had the Sultry Season pertained to the Sun only after it had heated the Earth how came it to pass that in those olden days it happened so soon ere the Sun came to his full heat Or why is it that this Sultry Air goes along with the Dog as he meets with the Sun and that varying as the Dog varies and not fixing to any one point in the Sun's Circle but the Doctor is as wise as the Welchman who moved the Judg to put off his tryal upon Life and Death unto the coming of Christ to Judgment with his twelve Apostles alledging that Her could stay till that time for sentence And so her Doctorship can very well be persuaded to defer the Debate of this Dispute until the Dog comes into ♑ which in all likelihood will not be till after the day of Judgment At what time may the Doctor or his Executors Administrators or Assigns be alive to see it reason tells them no doubt but in that midst of Winter the Dog complying with the Sun will produce a Sultry Calm as a Parenthesis between the Snows and that not as a concomitant but a real cause thereof Sect. 11 In his seventh Section we find him very busily teaching his Grandom to spin The Doctor it seems takes scorn to be found unread in any kind of skill and it is a wonder if first or last he controul not the Scullion-Maids in matters of washing Dishes and scraping Trenchers for he will find it a far easier matter there then in his undertakings here He takes us Astrologers it seems to be all of us meer Ignoramus's who understand not the reason of our own Science and therefore takes he upon him to teach us The Sign ♈ says he may tollerably be phancied to be the Sun 's Exaltation And he gives us to know a reason for it because at his entring there we may observe some more sensible mutation in the Air and Earth Again They had says he some intimation to make ♌ the House of ☉ his 〈◊〉 being then most sensible and ♋ the House of the ☽ because she 's then most vertical And he farther affirms that for Aspects in all likelihood the sensible variety of the Phases of the ☽ in ☠△ and â–¡ gave them first occasion to take notice of Aspects And then another thing happening though independent on the course of the ☽ namely that every seventh day in an acute Disease is critical and where are usually at those returns the greatest alterations and stirs in the Patient and the â–¡ Aspect of the ☽ happening about seven days from her ♂ and about seven days more her ☠This natural Circuit of Fermentations in acute Diseases has given occasion to slander the Moon in those cases and for her sake to reproach the Aspects of ☠and â–¡ in all the rest of the Planets Now thanks be to this good Doctor for his kind information of our Mistakes for this is more then every body knows or will do us the kindness to let us know But had he digested his intelligence a little better before he brought it it might have been much the greater Courtesie For first there are some who are not satisfied how ♈ became the Sign of ☉ s Exaltation because of the sensible mutation of the Air and Earth in his entrance there if that were all because there is the like sensible mutation at his entrance into ♋ ♎ and ♑ And then again as for ♌ if that were ☉ House only for his sensible heat there why theâ— was not ♑ the Moon 's House because of her sensible cold there she being a Planet as much delighted in coldness as ☉ is in heat And as for ♋ were that the Moon 's House only because there she is most vertical Why then was not ◠☉ s House too because he also is most vertical there too as well as ☽ And if that were all how is it that the ☽ doth not change her Houses as she has to do with change of Countries â—ing that in some places she is vertical in ♊ and elsewhere in ♉ and ♈ but had the Doctor a little better perused Ptolomy or the Arabians or Origanus whom he sometimes quotes he would have found that ♋ is generally esteemed the ☽ 's House as well in those Countries where she is not vertical as where she is And that ♌ is the House of ☉ as well there where he has less heat as where he has most And lastly is for acute Diseases all