water of silver Mercury of the Sun secret water water of the Sea of life miraculous white water permanent water the spirit of the body the unctuous vapour the blessed water the vertuous water the water of the wisemen the Philosophers vinacre the minerall water the dew of heavenly grace the seed of divine benediction heaven of earth earth of heaven stone salt fire caement balsome venerable nature our Philosophicall Chaos first matter matrix mother mother of the Chaos quintessence Nothing And yet the waters upon whose face the spirit of God moved must needs be understood of this chymicall chimericall fancy and foppery This earth to earth is just the doctrine of the Magi. Metals say they and all things may be reduced into that whereof they are made They speak the very truth it is Gods own principle and he first taught it Adam Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou return And so let all vain arts and vile adulteratings of holy Scripture But I am weary with writing and have nauseated the Christian Reader yet had I not troubled my self or them with these collections had I not found them dispersed in English to the great dishonour of our Church and danger of our people Nor would I have added a word of reply to the confidence of asserting there 's enough in that to overthrow it self but for the impudence of challenging And for that cause I could willingly have said more but that I had an eye to the question and that part of it whether the recitation be not refutation enough I am not altogether ignorant or unaware that these are but the scatterings and sprinklings in comparison of those wherewith the Rabbinizing and Christianizing Magicians and Astrologers yea and Chymists too seek to stuff out their portentous volumes yea to fraight their very fragments and paint their very Pamphlets glad to snatch at and crowd in any place of Scripture upon any occasion that so they might pretend some consistency nay and convenience of their imposturous Arts and Artifices with the pure word of God But let all those depravations perish in their own dung for any further raving of mine who am loath to rake further into them unforced CHAP. II. 2. From the truth of Faith 1. WHether it be not the sole property of the prime verity to require simply a Faith or belief unto himself and to the Doctrine of his divine authority and revelation and therfore not belonging to any humane art science discipline or institution whatsoever much lesse to be arrogated to any that is diabolicall and prestigious yea vain unnecessary and unprofitable Wherefore then should Faith pure Faith be so precisely required and severely exacted above all other helps and means to the study and profession proficiency and successe of Magick and magicall operations 2. Whether Magick and Astrologie as indeed all ascititious and commentitious errours and heresies of any art study or profession whatsoever have not proceeded from a false and superstitious Faith and such as is no whit analogall either to the object or to the end of true religious Faith and not only so but altogether excessive and repugnant thereunto 3. For as much as Almighty God requires not a Faith in those things which he hath not revealed Why then should Magicians exact it to their mysteries which they so often check at themselves and one another for revealing nay professe or pretend themselves whether through envy or ignorance as adjured not to reveal 4. All Faith is not only in the Intellect but also in the Will And therefore ere it be believed how prove they that Magick ought either to be assented to as true and demonstrable or yet to be affected as good and lawfull 5. Whether all that can be supposed to those they call the Mathematicall arts and sciences be sufficient to acquire unto them an assent of Faith properly so called suppose some probable truth is not an assent of opinion enough to that Suppose some necessary truth is not an assent of reason sufficient for that Suppose some reall effect will not assent of experiment now serve the turn Is nothing answerable to all or the best of these but only a Faith which properly is either in God or of the things of God or at least to those things which are directly in order to God But suppose there be none of those must now this prime assent be allowed where all the other are justly to be denied 6. Right and pure Faith is neither of a bare proposition although true nor yet of a meer prediction although probable but of a divine promise only and that not only because certain and infallible but because good and beneficiall neither is there in either of the other the substance or evidence of things hoped for but in this last alone And therefore if Magicians and Astrologers cannot afford us such a promise ought we not justly to disclaim an adherence acquiescence affiance or confidence in any of their propositions or predictions whatsoever 7. Faith is properly in the heavenly mysteries of divine revelation such as cannot be otherwise attained unless they be infused nor otherwise comprehended but by faith alone Now as for the Secrets of Philosopâ—…e are they not acquisite and such as may be attained by industrie study discourse reading observation art science experience yea and sufficiently assented to by the light of nature lense reason opinion perswasion And though peradventure some Secrets of Philosophie such as are true and usefull may be divinely revealed or infused yet for as much as that is but to the common light of Nature Sense or Reason which for assent considers not the authority of God revealing but the evidence of the thing revealed How then can this be of Faith which is speciall and supernaturall altogether 8. A divine supernaturall infused theologicall Faith is given not because of the appearance or evâ—dence of the thing propounded but because of the authority and infallibility of the proposer And daâ—e they arrogate thus much to their Art or excuse their defect of evidence through a presumption of infallibility But if it be a naturall acquisite humane or civill faith or assent which they expect then we ask where the evidence proof demonstration reason For though reason follows the first yet it precedes the second kind of faith 9. Whether a miraculous faith or the faith of Miracles such as must needs be the faith of Magicall miracles and Astrologicall Predictions abovt suâ—uâ—e contingents as it is defective in Theologie so it be not excessive to Philosophie That is although it be very incompleat in relation to divine doctrine yet whether it be not too transcendent for any humane discipline to exact 10 Whether it may be verily called a faith of Miracles to give credit unto Magick or Astrologie because of some mirandous or stupendious things either effected or foretold in as much as we are taught to believe that such things may be done both by false arts and
deny they that brought in Star-divining did they not also bring in Star-worshipping together with it 21. Whether the obscurity and baseness of Originall in Magick and Astrologie argue not sufficiently the vileness and abhomination thereof as well touching the doctrine as the practice in as much as the heavenly and holy truths either of nature in her integrity or of the Law in its morallity or of the Gospell in its spirituality are all of them of so eminent and evident originall or descent CHAP. VII 7. From the Law of Nature 1. WHether there be by nature imprest in the Soul of man a faculty proper for the presaging of things future or a naturall inclination tending to Divination Is not the prescience or praevision of future things convertible to the nature and essence of God and therefore incompatible to the nature of any creature in heaven or earth Can there be the species of things future comprehended in or by a mind that is not divine and infinite Since therefore the Soul is not of such infinite vertue but that nature hath limited her to her own Law of apprehending things either by speciall revelation common illumination of reason or sensible collection how then hath the Ideaes species or Images of all things especially things future lodg'd in her Those imperfect Ideaes species or images that are in the mind are they there properly and not rather accidentally sc from the apprehension either of some things present or else past we know there are in men senses to observe things present and memory to recollect many things past and understanding to preconceive some things that may come of certain causes or may peradventure fall out according to probable conjectures yea and Faith likewise to believe what shall be by divine revelation and promise But what naturall abstract faculty call they that that can foresee and foretell things future from imprest Ideaes species images c. What though there be in the Soul a naturall faculty called memory to record or recall things past is there therefore an opposite faculty called who can tell what whereby to divine of things to come If there were such a faculty or power opposite to memory why should it presage or predict one future thing and not another since the memory is able to recollect one past thing as well as another What tell they us of the naturall pretensions of Beasts and frequent predictions of Fools mad men Infants of men sleeping dreaming distracted dying will they make ordinaries of extraordinaries and universals of singulars and common motions of heroicall or else subtilties of phrenzies sagacities of imbecillities and direct presages of occult and confused instincts What if brutes have a naturall instinct or pretension of some future effects whose causes notwithstanding they understand not must a reasonable Soul therefore naturally divine of those things whose naturall causes it knows not But admit there were such a naturall imprest faculty of the Soul or mind as species abstracted or collected within it self to divine predict or prognosticate by we then urge their own argument against themselves what need it to look out to the Stars or to any other creature in heaven or earth to that end and purpose One thing indeed both we and they are convinced of that there is in all our Souls a naturall faculty called Conscience greatly addicted to presaging which if it be justly judging and not erroneously opining will presage more directly and certainly of effects and consequents temporall spirituall eternall good bad happy unhappy of hopes and fears than can all the Planets although they conspired to prognosticate in one conjunction Let our Planetarians therefore both actors and consulters see to it that they suppress not within themselves nor slight that true presaging power 2. Whether that humane Art can be lawfull and laudable as having the least part of Gods gift in it whose principles practices and profitable uses are not according to the Law and orders of nature For all things in nature as they are from a certain beginning so are they destinated by proper means to a profitable end Now though some such things may be yeelded to simple Astronomie yet who can make any of all these plainly appear in sophisticated Astrologie As nature in it self intends the conservation of every creature so all that it can intend in any Art is the usefulness and benefit to humane Society For it askes more than natures aym to make it advantagious to Christian commâ—nion But let them prove the first otherwise why may we not conclude the Art to be as well unnaturall as irreligious 3. If from natures first beginning they of the least life among the lower creatures had their perfect being and flourishing without any influence of the Stars why then are they of the nobler life made so mightily both for their substance and quality to depend upon them Now who that is Christian or but read in Gods book of nature dares deny but that all the vegetables Grasse Herbs Plants Gen. 1. were and flourished in their naturall vigor and vicacity ere that the Sun Moon or Stars was created Now must the most excellent creature upon earth be made to consist by the Stars and his body to thrive or dwindle away according to the benefice or malefice of their influences Nay must his very will and affections thence take their inclination 4. Whether it be not according to natures law and order that the inanimate and irrationall creatures be subject and subservient to the animate and rationall and whether the contrary be not contrary thereunto Now if they had not been put to this plunge of natures irregularity peradventure we had never heard of those erronious nay and hereticall devices of the Stars being animate rationall divine But if they think to elude us with urging the naturall subjection or subordination of the Inferior creatures to the Superior we doe them to wit that the superiority and inferiority of the creature as pertaining to this point is to be reckoned not from the externall place or positure but from the internall gift or endowment The creature of Gods Image although walking here below upon the foot-stool is superiour to all those works of his singers although fixt in the firmament or wandring above Neither doth nature prefer any creature for its adventitials or accidentals but for its substantials or essentials By the Law of nature the lesse noble creatures are intended for subordinate to the more noble How came the Stars then to usurpe a jurisdiction over Man over the Soul of that Man nay over the arbitrary yea and religious actions of that Soul Who but a blind man would make the Master of the family to be subservient to the lights of his house Seeing the Law of nature is the dictate of reason how came the Stars that have no reason to give magisteriall and fatall dictates even to reason it self 5. Whether Nature be not as much abused in her occult
to false ends Deut. 13. 1 2 3. Mat. 24. 24. 2 Thâ—s 2. 9 10. 11. If Magick or Astrologie be in accurate speaking a Science as they contend then let them see with the Schoolmen how the same thing can be at once the object of Science and of Faith And if they agree with some of them to say that the clearer part may be of Science and the obscurer of faith Then as the clear part must both be true and revealed by God so the obscure must be answerable to the first and not repugnant to the last But how prove they that 12. Whether a thing Contingent can be the object of Faith save only so farre forth as something necessary is included and supposed in it For a thing meerly contingent is indifferent to either part and not only so but uncertain to both it may be and it may not be And what faith can there be Indeed an Hypothesis of the divine ordination may make it to be necessary immutable inevâ—â—able and in that relation only it pertains to Faith And therefore that remains to be proved ere it ought to be believed 13. Contingents especially singular contingents are directly known to the senses and but indirectly to the understanding but how fall they under faith 14. Is not this Faiths order in apprehending and assenting to the truth of things future and fortuitous 1 To believe that it is God sole property to know all things simply in himself whether past present or to come 2. That the blessed Angels which alwayes behold his face notwithstanding have not a perfect prescience even of naturall things whether in the heavens or in the earth much lesse of singular accidents and effects but so as God is pleased at the instant to reveal it to them 3 That the revevelation of things future to the Prophets and men of God was extraordinary temporary singular 4. Though the Devils by their experimentalâ— sagacity and busie curiosity may presume to ghesse at many things altogether hidden to us yet they are for the most part deceived as well as deceiving in their presaging or predictory suggestions Because God many times does many things besides the ordinary way of his providence and contrary to the common order of Nature And much more disposes things contrarily in his speciall conversions of men to Grace Neither yet doth he permit the Devill a power over men free-wills to act necessarily or produce effects according to the Devils predictions 6. That God hath taught Men to look after things future no otherwise than temporally by a solid providence and eternally though a sound faith 7. That the Creatures in heaven or earth may be signes either naturall or prodigious and so tokens either of his mercies or judgements which although they may be particularly intended yet are not to be before-hand but universally apprehended 8. That no such Art is of Gods institution which teaches men to pry into his Secrets and to pronounce upon them otherwise than he hath revealed in his Word 15. How can a Faith in astrologicall Predictions be true and right when as by how much they are propounded or attended with more peremptoriness or confidence by so much they are the more superstitious and unlawfull For an indifferent opinion and a moderate suspicion in these things is nothing so inordinate as an anxious fear or vehemently affected expectation 16. With what faith or conscience can we believe their Astrologicall predictions In as much as God hath resumed the fore-knowledge and fore-shewing of things future to himself and hath discharged Angels Devills and Men from all such curiosities and presumptions and hath expresly forbidden us so often both the consulting with and assenting to them Levit. 26. 31. Isa 41. 22 23. Jer. 27. 9. Dan. 2. 27 28. Prov. 27. 1. Eccles 8. 7. Mat. 24. 23 24. Act. 1. 7. 17. How can we be perswaded that Divining Magicians or Astrologians are either profitable to the Church or tolerable in a Christian Common-wealth In that God himself hath not only given the expresse Law or Precept for their non admission but made it a peculiar promise to his Church for their utter exclusion even in all the kinds of them Numb 23. 23. Deut. 18. 10. 2 King 23. 24 Ezek 1â— 24. Mich. 5. 12. Yea and hath made that to be the mark of separation and note of distinction betwixt his own people and other Nations Deut. 18. 14. Jer. 10. 2. Isa 2. 6. 18. Should we once but admit of Astrologicall Predictions to come into our Creed would they not infinitely prejudice the Prophecies and promises of the Word Would they not seduce us from destiny to predestination by the starres And from naturall inclinations to propensions to Grace as depending upon Constellations Would they not perswade us that the Miracles of Christ his Mysteries and Ordinances have all of them a reference to the Starres And the infusions of the Spirit to respect the influxes of the Planets Would they not make our Wills servile while their decrees are taught to inforce a necessitation to Good or Evill And then what praise what punishment either for one or other Yea how careless should we be in the one and how excusing in the other Nay would they not make us believe our very Souls to be mortall because thus acted by materialls and made passive under them and so what should Conscience of Religion be thought but a meer imagination or hope of slavation eternall but a vain dream 19. Whether it be lawfull for a Christian man to study for the attainment of that which his faith dares not pray for And how can he there pray with faith where he hath not a promise And if it be a tempting of God to invoke or desire the revelation of future accidents what is it then to seek to wrest the same from him by a conjuring at least by an over-inquisitive Art and over-daring practice thereupon 20. Whether God may not work by a speciall grace of illumination and sanctification even in the forming of Nature as in John the Baptist and then what have the qualitative influxes of the Planets or their dominion there to doe But ordinarily whether the forming of the new Creature be not alwayes wrought by speciall inspirations and immediate infusions How shall it then be believed that a mans religion or religious qualities may be genethliacally prognosticated from the Starres and their influentiall Constellations 21. Is the observation of the Sarres because of their force or their force because of their observation Is mens faith because of their vertue or their vertue because of mens faith For it hath antiently been doubted whether any such power as is ascribed to them or any such effects as are pretended from them would ever have followed but for mens superstitious observations affectations perswasions and expectations 22. For what cause are Magicians and Astrologers so earnest to require Faith as principall both in the Agent and Patient Is it not to help out
nay more not so much as admit to know and not only so but forbid it But by their leaves there may be a sufficient knowledge of the truth and integrity of an art or a thing although a man be not so precisely and pedantically versed in the obliquity and vanity thereof Learned and Godly men though they be not altogether acquainted with the maleficall formalities and ceremonies of witch-crafts yet can they discern of such better than the most expert can doe of themselves A prudent Magistrate knows well enough how to judge of a jugling gypsie or prestigious impostors albeit he cannot tell how to cant with him exactly in his own foysting gibborish But I return to you Judicious Readers and what I present you I submit unto you judge both of me and of the Judiciary Astrologers And fear not the signs of heaven as heathens but as Christians fear God believe in his Son and apply to his Spirit and so magre all their fatall or fortuitous previsions or predictions Fare ye well Yours JOHN GAULE To the sober and skilfull Astronomers Learned Gentlemen YOu may be pleased to take notice all along this Disquisition how that I had alwaies an eye to some wary moderation in distinguishing betwixt you and Astrologers who are no more able to distinguish themselves really from Magicians than Magicians can from Sorcerors I doe verily believe this name of Mag-astro-mancer cannot disgust you because it hath no intent to inure upon you whose Astrall consideration is so pure and moderate as that it abhors to enter upon any thing that is Magicall or to end with any thing that is Manticall As for those other you are not ignorant what Authors antient and modern ours and their own have recorded and confessed that Magick and Astrologie are so mingled or confounded together as that they cannot be consisting no nor operating one without another It is not undiscerned by you how frivolously and fruitlesly some of them have gone about to discern Astrologie from Magick and both from Sorcery nay how impiously and blasphemously some have sought to reconcile the Divinations of them all to Divinity But let the Divines alone to commonstrate the impossibility of communion with their old enemies the Diviners As for your part in the name of truth doe both your selves and your science that right as to pluck off your feathers from those ominating Night-birds Why should they borrow or rather purloign your principles Hypotheses notions terms that altogether neglect or exceed your ends When the Apostle gives the caveat against the spoyling Philosophie what other means he but the Mercenary the sacrilegious the curious the fallacious the prestigious the superstitious the contentious the oraculous I am perswaded better things of your Philosophie That it praetends not to Divination but contents it self to attend on Divinity And then let the Hand-maid on Gods name be still entertained yea and respected in her place since she so wel knows her distance and so modestly keeps her bounds as she is bound to doe Believe me I love and honour Nature that is not adverse to Grace and Reason that is not opposite to Faith and Art that is not contrary to the gift and the studious speculation of all these so farr forth as it may be conducing to devout contemplation Wherefore as I measure you by your Science I pray you measure me by my Conscience and accordingly for I must not pass much upon the others account conceive me to be Yours John Gaule Πῦς-μαντία THE MAG-ASTRO-MANCER OR THE Magicall-Astrologicall-Diviner Posed and Puzzled Chap. 1. FRom the spirit of the Scriptures 2. From the truth of Faith 3. From the temptings of curiosity 4. From the testimony of Authority 5. From the vanity of Science 6. From the obscurity of Originall 7. From the Law of Nature 8. From the order of causes 9. From the strength of Reason 10. From the prestigiousness of experiment 11. From the pooreness of Supposition 12. From the consciousness of Caveats 13. From the contrariety of Opinions 14. From the absurdity of Errours 15. From the abhomination of Heresies 16. From the cursedness of Consequents 17. From the propension to manners 18. From the Fatuity of Fate 19. From the affinity to Witchoraft 20. From the ominating of vain observation 21. From the singularity of Prophecy 22. From the variety of Miracles 23. From the fables of Mirables 24. From the ceremonies of Preparation 25. From the folly of Interrogations and Elections 26. From the conviction of Confession 27. From observation upon Story Πῦς-μαντία THE MAG-ASTRO-MANCER OR THE Magicall-Astrologicall-Diviner posed and puzzled CHAP. I. 1. From the Spirit of the Scriptures SECT I. 1. Whether those places of Scripture which the Astrologers pretend to make for them make not according to the mind of the Holy Ghost altogether against them As Gen. 1. 14 15. And God sayd Let there be Lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night and let them be for signes and for seasons and for dayes and years And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth WHat Signes Prodigious and ominous signes How can that be believed seeing now in the Creation it was not the terrour and astonishment but the perfection integrity beauty and felicity of the pure and spotlesse Universe which God intended What signes Artificiall and fantasticall signes Shall wee dare to obtrude mens chimericall fancies upon Gods incomprehensible Idaea Were his thoughts now like to our thoughts that the starres must be purposely set up for signes and Significators of whatsoever prophane men in a vain art should afterwards imagin Doubtless it was not mans imaginary art which he now intended but his own reall artifice for Natures wholsome and harmless use What Signes Magisteriall fatall necessitating Signes Ah! then wete they not signes only but Causes And yet not sole causes because necessited to necessitate Indeed we read of their rule or dominion vers 16. Psal 136. 8 9. Jer. 31. 35. if we may call it theirs because they were made for it and it given to them and that by a superior Ordinance And therefore all their prefecture and power but derivative subordinate ministeriall And not only derived but limited and determined expresly to be of by and over Time and the distinctions and vicissitude of time but not therefore over every thing and act in time with their distinctions and vicissitudes What Signes Indefinite indeterminate signes That is because signes of some things therefore signes of every thing Because signes of some things naturall as in Physick Navigation Husbandry therefore signes of all things rationall arbitrary morall politicall and religious Is it not sufficiently here expressed to what ends and uses they are said to be Signes To divide between the day and between the night That by such a signall distinction men might discern what part or division of time is fittest for labour and what for rest And to be
much and as for those they feigned in their schems and tables nothing at all nay worse than nothing 5. From what region of the East came these Magi Because the originall word is plurall some thereupon observe severall parts or divisions of it And are themselves divided in the determination when they say upon as good grounds one as another from Persia from Chaldaea from Arabia from Aethiopia from Aegypt from Mesopotamia c. and one of them from one Country and another from another And indeed no man can certainly say whether of one or other This I urge that since their Country is unknown must it not be so for their condition and so for their profession their Magicall profession I mean for the manner of it In as much as Magicians of severall Countries were not all alâ—ke in Philosophie Morality Politie Religion Superstition Divination Incantation Prestigiouâ—ness Imposture Sorcery c. How then are these Magi to be discerned 6. In or at what time came these Magi to Christ And at what time did this Star appear first unto them Upon the first part of the question opinions are not only various but contrarious viz. Upon the same day that Christ was born Item at the same time and together with the Sheepheards Item not at the same time Item not till after the Purification Item about thirteen daies after the Nativity Item not till a year or about two years after Item that they rode upon swift Dromedaries and so come thither the sooner Item that they were miraculously provected and as it were carried along in the ayr Item that they suffered many adventitiall and ordinary delayes in their journey So upon the second opinions are the like viz. That the Star appeared long before the day of the Nativity Item that it appeared just upon the very day Item that it appeared not till after the day All which opinions as they are all of them impossible to be reconciled so the most of them are easie to be refuted But this is the thing to be observed If they came so soon how farre distant was the East from whence they came If they came so late how were they the first attendants If the Starre appeared so long before the day of his Nativity how was it the signe of him already born If just upon the day how could they come thither on that day so farre as from the East If it appeared after his Nativity as indeed it did being the signe of one born already what influence could it have upon the instant of his nativity and what could they in all their art collect to that purpose and if they could not thus calculate from His peculiar Star what presumption then is it in them who have attempted and pretended to doe it from the common starres and their ordinary constellation at the instant of his Birth 7. Whether this starre was one or many Most certain it is from each particular in the text that it was but one single starre We have seen all of us as one and at once not one of us one starre and another another a starre singularly not plurally starres His starre peculiarly and none else but his and the starre or that his starre and that alone or none but that in the East in that coast only But who but Mathematicians gave occasion to this question Did not Albumazar in feigning Virgo the Sign in the Zodiack to be compacted of many starres resembling a Virgin carrying a Child in her arms and it holding an eare of starres in its hand And did not other Mathematicians and Magicians fancie or feign the like concerning the apparition of this starre in Bethlehem And did not this give occasion to some kind of Christians not onely to embrace this but to devise other superstitious figments of which I spare now to speak Onely I cannot but note thus much to the purpose that this starre being a starre by it self did signifie by it self and not in conjunction with any other starre whatsoever What ground or colour then is here for conjunctions and their kind of significations 8. Whether this was a new starre and extraordinary or one of the old and ordinary starres Not an old starre or one of them created from the first Creation Because it is called his starre Now how prove they that any starre from the Creation is affixed or attributed to any individuall person or action The Magi made it a marvell to have seen it which they needed not to have done had it been a common starre It signed a thing past not future for it betokened one already born and withall invited to come and worship him It shone as well by day as by night It appeared and disappear'd anomalous to ordinary starres It moved not circularly but directly It moved not only from East to West but from North to South It s motion was not perpetuall but interrupted It moved but slowly according to the pace of the Magi not in a rapide motion as other starres It was in a lower or inferiour situation as a guiding minister which other starres are unapt for by reason of their elevation It was as of a brighter qualitie so of a lesser quantitie than other Starres After the end of its office and ministry it vanished whereas other have their constant office and yet remain the same they were from the Creation It had no naturall influence upon inferiour bodies It appeared but to some certain persons not to all nor yet to many within the same Horizon or Hemisphere It is thought to have been a starre not so much in substance as in similitude Now being this was neither Planet fixed Star nor Comet but a new starre extraordinary singular and accounted different from all other stars in nature substance quantity quality site motion duration signification and effects Wherefore then should such a singular apparition be drawn to a generall observation as if it did approve such significations in other stars which it self did not signifie or countenance such collections in others and by others which the Wise-men themselves could in no wise collect from it Nay in as much as this Star which signified Christ new born was new singular extraordinary miraculous is not this a strong argument against ordinary portents or significations of ordinary stars in ordinary births 9. Whether the Magi were solely and sufficiently instructed by this starre concerning the birth of Christ Some have thought that they took notice of the Star for a long time before and yet they undertook not their journey till they were immediatly stirred up by the motion of Gods Spirit and that all we Christians doe easily believe Were they brought then or invited hereunto by their speculation or by revelation by their art or by their faith They confesse they had seen his Starre and yet neverthelesse they are enquiring VVhere is he that is born King of the Jewes Why could they not collect from the Starre one circumstance as well as
Great like not What then would the Holy Ghost here teach us but that the educationall and professionall are to be imputed and accounted for Nationall sinnes If so be thou shalt be able to profit if so bee thou mayst prevail sc profit thy self or prevail against thine Adversaries Oh wretched art that can neither doe good nor defend from evill Would it not be folly and madnesse then to think that a Prognostication or Astrologicall Prediction should any whit advantage or avail either for the fortifying of our own or the infringing of our enemies power But the repeated if so be is not to be neglected for Peradventure intimates something of a supposition but more of a dubitation And therefore though magicall practices and predictions may sometimes prevail or through Gods permission be sometimes suffeted to take effect yet are they not to be trusted to because the utmost of them is but in a peradventure Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsells What fruit what issue what end should there be of humane consultations if they should be either regulated by or respective to the consultations of the Starres and Planets How would one counsell beget another and how would they so weary out all at last Let now the Astrologers or inspectors of the heavens that can only look and talk The Star-gazers that pretend to pry into them to spy out more than they portend The monethly Prognosticators that undertake to predict what shall befall every month not only as touching the ordinary disposition of the weather but the extraordinary inclination yea necessitation of free actions meer contingencies or contingent emergencies in humane affairs Let them stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee When did God oppose or menace or challenge his own ordinances and means of ignorance or impotence Whose institution I pray must this art of theirs be then O miserable counsellers and comforters have ye an Art and a light to foresee and foretell and have ye neither promise nor office to prepare or prevent How uncomfortably doe ye foreshew good that know no means to procure it How desperatly doe ye foretell evill that have no power or vertue to prevent it But how should they indeed save others that cannot save themselves Behold they shall be as stubble They with their strawy science and chaffie conscience the fire of indignation and wrath shall burn them them as well as the rest nay and before them They shall not by all their charming and enchanting deliver themselves from the flame of externall judgement internall horrours eternall confusion Their own Planets are all combust yea and peregrine too For albeit they now fare well and keep themselves warm by their own fires and mean-while study here to set others on fire yet an event which Gods Spirit prophesies though their own stars and spirits presage it not unto them the time is comming when there shall not be a coal of their own left unto them to warm at nor a fine in their own houses to sit before Jer. 10. 2. Learn not the way of the Heathen and be not dismayed at the Signs of Heaven for the Heathens are dismayed at them Was Astrology then an art or science because he saith Learn not No but it was a trade or way and that was enough to teach it And yet it was but an Heathenish way and that was enough to inhibit it And a way that wrought an Heathenish faithless fear and that was enough to deterre it No such fear at the Signs of Heaven but in learning of such a way Therefore he saith and be not dismayed at the Signs of Heaven At what kind of signs Those of the divine ordination nay but those of the Diviners machination As is express to be observed 1. From the Occasion or Induction Learn not the way of the Heathen He saith not wayes plurally as if he spake now of all their abhominations in generall but the way singularly to note that he more specially now intended it of some certain particular Say it was Idolatry yet it was such as precisely tended to divination or divining Prognostication And therefore he inhibits to learn such an Heathenish way as might induce to a superstitious construction through their soothsaying interpretation of the celestiall prodigies 2. From the nature and kind both of the Signs and Fear And be not dismayed at the Signs of Heaven Of the signs What the naturall and ordinary signs what terror and consternation can there be at such as are intended for beauty and comfort when Signs are said to be of in or from Heaven then are they to be understood not of the naturall but if not of the mysterous then altogether of the porteuntous and prodigious And those not so prodigious in themselves but made more ominous by mens superstitious observations and predictions which he therefore elsewhere calls the Signs of the Lyars As for the Fear what other means he but the superstitiously ominating Would he animate or hearten any against a due reverence of his own Ordinances or judgements what should Gods signs simply teach but Gods fear and that he himself would never forbid 3. From the Subject or example For the Heathen are dismayed at them And are heathenish passions and affections imitable to Gods chosen people And what was it that made them so dismayed but their corrupt natures blind minds faithless hearts guilty consciences superstitious opinions and inordinate affections and all these aggravated by their ominating prognosticators Now seeing such heathenish fears are forbidden as concerning extraordinary and prodigious signes what kind of Christians then are they whom the ordinary signes put either into such fears or hopes Act. 19. 19. 20. Many also of them which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men and they counted the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed Which is the right way presently to reform Magick and Astrology Is it not according to this example first to reform the Artists and then the Art Must not they be well beaten and wounded by the evill spirits of their own guilty consciences Especially for taking upon them to call over by adjuring imprecating and deprecating them that had evill spirits whether of obsession temptation superstition curiosity adding thereunto in a presumption of more vertue and vigour to their charming and inchanting the name of the Lord Jesus As if they thus indeavoured to reconcile Astrologie and Theologie Geomancy or Goetie and the Gospell Divination and Divinity Again must they not flee out of their houses their Zodiacall houses and that naked or quite stript of all their superstitious phantasies and vain observations And again must they not fear and believe and confesse and shew their deeds and magnifie the name of the Lord Jesus Fear in a deep apprehension of Gods just displeasure believe through a lively faith in
World Else how can the fortunizing Genethliack foretell that the child new born shall be a Traveller shall live and dye in a Strange Country shall have friends or enemies abroad and at home shall have losse or advantage by Sea or by Land c. 41. How can the starres be sayd so much as to dispose or incline unto common events and such as depend upon and follow multitudes Have those multitudes all of them the same Constellations and they inclining to the same acts and so ordinating to the same events 42. Should not the same Aspects and influences be of the same vertues and operations How comes it to passe then that during these children are begotten and brought forth not only of different complexions proportions feature qualities but which is most different sexes also And how comes it to paste that persons of dâ—â—â—â—rent constitutions complexions tempers humours statures features qualities dispositions manners religions fortunes fates are born under the same Starrs or starry conjunctions and men of the same or the like in all these although born under divers and different Constellations Because they say that Whoremongers are born under Venus and Quarrellers under Mars and Worldlings under Mercury c. will they say that all are such or so disposed that are so born and that none are so nor so disposed that are born under other Planets 43. How many hundreds and thousands have been slain at one battell and dyed upon the place although of severall Nations constitutions qualities manners religions Now had all those the same ascendant at their birth that had the same fate at their death That so many have perished by water so many by fire so many by Pestilence so many by Famine so many by heat so many by cold so many by the Gallows or other executions will they now say that all those had but one kind of Constellation 44. What say they to those Twinns born under the same Aspects and Constellations and nevertheless of divers nay of contrary tempers manners religions conditions ends Such as were Jacob and Esau in the Scriptures The Twinns in Augustine Hector and Polydamus in Homer Proclus and Euristhenes in Tully c. Let them not say there may be difference in their conception for Twinns are commonly of one conception and superfetation of all other is most rare among mankind Besides what 's that to the Constellation which they fix upon the birth 45. What are they able to say to the unknown beginning of Cities and Kingdomes to the uncertain moments of conceptions and parturitions to adulterous mixtures in generation to numberless numbers born in the same moment here and there and yet of them some wise some fools some vertuous some vicious some beautifull some hard-favoured some high some low some rich some poor some healthfull some sickly some long-lived some short-lived c. 46. Makes it not in reason most strongly against the credit of their Predictions in that they themselves cannot but confess that the decrees of the Stars are very often varied and changed by the circumstances of Regions Religions Lawes Institutes manners commerces Parents educations disciplines times places c. 47. If the Starres decree dispose guide govern impell necessitate mens actions naturall morall civill religious what power of reason and free-will What necessity of Lawes and Magistrates What justice of penalties What merit of reward Why then may we not as some of the same Principles have done excuse all other faults and offences against either God or men from this their fatall necessitie 48. Because some things may be certainly foreknown and foretold from the position and motion of the starres as Eclipses some things also of probable consequence in part as heat cold drought rain wind c. some accidents also to be conjectured in the generall as Pestilence diseases barrenness dearth c. Are there therefore the same grounds or reasons to conclude peremptorily upon contingencies arbitrary actions casuall events yea and such things as are reserved to Gods free pleasure and power 49. VVhether it be not the Prognosticators failing of grounded reasons rather than their failing in their feigned directions that hath caused them to fail so often in their Prognostications or Predictions 50. VVhether as the Magicians and Astrologers declaiming against Reason argues the defect of reason So whether the defect of reason argue not the defect of Art For where Reason is not the ground or principle it cannot be an Art what ever be the experiment or event CHAP. X. 10. From the Prestigiousness of Experiment 1. VVHether it may not please Almighty God to permit some experiments or effects of Magick and Astrologie for the same intents as he doth those of malefice and sorcery Nay and indeed as in all other wicked wayes Namely 1. For the magnifying of his own wisedome justice and power His power in that though the fallen creature may will evill of it self yet is it not able to act all it wills without his power or permission His justice in deserting the creature to its own pravity and malice and so punishing sinne with sinne His wisedome in so directing it as to work good out of evill 2. For the convincing of the Devill of the malice of his own will of the wretchedness of his own power and of the fallacy of his own Art In that he would doe more malefice if he might can doe nothing but by permission promises nothing but ambiguously because he is not certain himself till he have tempted God 3. For the dereliction of the Artists or Actors to the delusion of a false Faith a bold temptation and proud curiosity Because they believe without a promise and so believe the Devill more than God They tempt the Devill as well as God that is tempt the Devill to tempt God They are inquisitive after the knowledge of those things which are neither for them nor Devills but for God alone to know 4. For the execution obduration and delusion of their credulous and superstitious Proselytes and Clients in the vanity of their carnall hopes and fears Because they will not receive the love of the truth but will choose their own delusions and trust to lying wonders after Satans working which are praestigious experiments for this cause God also chooses their delusions yea sends them strong delusions confirmed not only by inward perswasions but outward experiments that they should believe a lye sc vain observations prognostications and predictions 5. For the tryall of the Faith Patience and Prudence of the saints That they may learn to believe not because of a sensible experiment but because of a spirituall promise And may submissively admire Gods permission not believing rashly every presaging spirit but discreetly trying the spirits whether they are of God 2. How can that be a sufficient proof of the verity of any Science or of the lawfulness of any Art which the Devill makes to be the chiefest means of his own science and the only proof
God before and above all others They are the more principall parts of the whole universe to which the less principall are but subserving as intended for their sakes and working for their ends Intellectuall natures have more asfinity with the whole as apprehending all things else besides themselves whereas every other creature is but a part and capable of no more but a bare participation of its own particular entity Now it is not for the inapprehending part to have an ordaining power over the apprehensive whole By the course of nature the rationall creature uses all other things for it self as either for the perfection of its intellect the explication of its science the exercise of its vertue or else the sustentation of its body to which the intellectuall nature is united And therefore it is not for them to dispose rule govern impell necessitate him him but for him to observe rule govern dispence moderate and make use of them 34. Whether any thing can be sayd to be fatall with respect to us till it have taken effect For a fatality before it be is but a contingency to us and to us a concingency after it is is a fatality Why then should we be bound to believe the prognosticated things of Fate or Fortune before hand yea though they may have some naturall cause remotely necessary or of some indefinite probability yet is not all this sufficient for our faith in particular because as concerning many such naturall causes there is in us nevertheless besides the supreme a liberty and power to prevent 35. Suppose the Fates have destinated one man to be hangd or kill'd by another why should not that be prognosticated from another mans nativity as well as his own seeing he also comes necessarily into the series of second causes Indeed some of the old genethliacks have boasted to foresee or foretell a mans fate or fortune from the nativity of his parents Brethren children c. But have not others of them held it for a foolish fancy that the fate or fortune of one man should lye involved not only in his own but in the constellations of so many mens nativities 36. Whether they that suffer the same fate have the same starres coupling or compacting thereunto Et è contra Suppose them suffring and suffring to death the last line of Fate for Christ the Gospeâ—l religion and conscience Is this fatall destiny also from the starry order and connexion who ever heard that the starres made Martyrs or necessitated unto martyrdome How then hath it come to passe that young old men women of severall ages sexes nations and therefore not of the same constellations have all agreed to undergoe the same event 37. Whether that be true Fate which they would mingle together with providence and how can divine providence and Pagan Fate agree For Providence is the beginning and continuation of all things Fate is the end or utter confusion of them Providence is in the ordering of casuals as well as fatals Fate is opposing all things fortuitous and therefore not disposing them Providence is an act in God their Fate is no more but an event upon the creature Providence is a disposition impendent or out of the thing Fate is a disposition inherent or in the thing Providence comprehends all things past present and to come so does not Fate in her connexion of Causes Providence is in and over all things from the greatest to the least good evill celestialls terrestrialls spiritualls corporealls universalls singulars naturalls rationalls voluntaries necessaries contingents so is not Fate Providence is more speciall to one than to another but Fate is a necessity to all alike Providence can work immediately without and against means Fate can operate nothing but according to her series or connexion Providence can act with every creature reserving to it its own motion as with free agents freely with contingents contingently c. whereas Fate hath no way to work but fatally that is necessarily forcibly inexorably immutably inevitably The rules order successe of divine providence are either written in his own book or in his own breast and not in the Starres and Planets as Fate is The wisedome justice power goodnesse of his providence all this is written in his own book the particular successes issues events thereof all these are written in his own breast Even wise Providence it self is not herein to be discerned or determined before-hand what satuous thing is Fate then that is so obvious and triviall as for the Faticanes to foretell Is not this difference enough between them and never to be reconciled Providence is a prudent counsellor and will have the particular issues kept secret Fate is a silly babbler and will have them commonly foretold 38. Whether had it not been for the fictions of Fate and Fortune there had ever been hatcht opinions and heresies so prejudiciall to divine providence and that even amongst Pagans themselves that had experience sufficient to convince them of the truth and power of it and of the justice yea and goodnesse of it in great part Had the divine providence ever been denyed if Fate and fortune had not been held for Gods Had God himself been implanted under Fate or made subject to the decrees of it or slandered for a sloathfull careless spectator of humane things and terrene if they had not confined and limited God to content himself with the reiglement of the heavens as if it had veen beneath his dignitie and majestie to vouchsafe to look down to small things or once to take notice of of what was done here below but to commit the care and rule of all sublunary and inferiour things to the starres and celestiall bodyes as his substitutes and their superiours Had prophane and wicked men ever accused providence and excused their impieties had they not heard of fatall starres necessitating and inforcing both their wills and actions 39. Was not the constitution of Fate and Fortune first invented in a derogation to God and his divine providence and that through a paganish and infidelious scandall at good things happening to bad men here and evill things to good men which had never been excogitated or had soon vanished had they been thus Christianly instructed viz. That the all provident Creator dispenses these middle things with an indifferent hand as unto creatures That the best men upon earth are not worthy of the least of goods things may deserve to be involved in the utmost of evill things that can here befall them That the wise Disposer knows how to turn these outward good things to the evill of evill men and these outward evill things to the good of good men That this present world is no time of full punishing or rewarding but these two precisely pertain to the world that is to come 40. Admit that either Fate or fortune was so indeed as they presage or much more than they can imagine yet how is the best of them both
do onely dote through the instinct of the devil drawing them from errour into su-perstition and from that into infidelity 6. Whether Augurizing auspicating and aruspicinating and all such heathenish observations and ominations were not founded upon Magick and Astrologie For not onely these descended from the Chaldeans to the Greeks and from them to the Hetrurians and from them to the Latines But there had never been very like neither faith in nor practise of any such had not the Artists taught that there are certain lights of praesagition descending from the coelestial bodies upon all inferiour creatures as certain signes in their motion site gesture flight voice colour meat c. So that omination or divination may well be made from the similitude and convenience betwixt them and the stars For beast and birds their parts and entrails their flyings and cryings c. How can these considered onely in themselves be causes of future events Yea how can they be so much as signes Unlesse they be taken as effects of some other causes that may cause or signe future things And what can they be but the coelestial motions And therefore they must prenuntiate future events in their conformity to the coelestial bodies and subjection to the disposition of the stars So that thus it is that they are brought to presage besides out of a natural instinct such things as may concern themselves as in storms and showers out of a preternatural and astral disposition such ominousaccidents as may befal others To have observed an old Augur seated on the top of his tower the ayre being cleer and cloudlesse with his Lituus in his hand quartering out the regions of the heavens c. who would not have taken him to have been an Astrologer And who would not take our Astrologers to be Augurs and Auspicinators that can fancy no more apt and comparable motion of the stars then that the stars flit and hover in the heavens just as the birds flie and flutter in the ayre 7. Whether the Cabalistical art was not the tradition of Rabbinish Magicians and Astrologers And what a shame is it that Magicians themselves should tell us that although the art be old yet the name and appellation is but of later invention and not known till imposed by and among Christians But it is well that they themselves will acknowledge it to be a certain Theurgical Magick and nothing else but a meer rapsodie of superstition a play of allegories and speculation of idle brains And indeed who can think otherwise of it When they teach that he who is expert in this Cabalistical Magick of names numbers letters characters symbols figures elements lines points accents spirits and other minute things all significative of the profoundest secrets he shal foreknow and foretel things future have power over Angels and Divels command whole nature make all things obey him as he will work miracles rule the heavens make the Sun stand still and go back divide the Sea dry up Rivers remove mountains raise the dead c. and all this at his own will and with lesse then a word 8. Whether the paganish Oracles were not founded upon Magick and Astrology or by Magicians and Astrologers And whether it be not confest by them that they could not ominate or give answer because the stars made not way for them 9. Whether the art called the Art Notorie had ever been so notorious but for Magick and Astrologie A'notorioâ—… art indeed and worthy to be noted with a black coal or a piece of the blackest art for all the white pretext Which is to attain unto science or knowledge not onely of things natural and moral but spiritual and divine by inspection of certain figures and characters and prolation of certain unknown words yea and by some pact solemn or secret with the devil not without the vain observations of certain superstitious acts and ceremonies in fasting prayers confessions humiliations invocations adorations upon certain days of the new Moon about Sun rising either in Churches houses barns fields or woods And so start upon a suddain by some inspiration or infused suggestion of an evil spirit prompting the mouth to speak like a Parrot but not enlightning the mind to apprehend or understand a preacher a teacher an expounder a prophesier predictor wiseman artist and that without any study labor hearing reading conference or other ordinary way of acquisite learning And so to boast himself illuminated and instructed like any Prophet Apostle or Angel of God And now it is agreed among themselves their Art shall no more be called the Notorious for in truth they neither conceive what they say while they are uttering nor remember it after they have uttered nor are able to give any reason of their faith or science that is in them or comes from them but the art Spiritual the Angelical yea the Pauline art For they are now gotten beyond Solomons way of wisdome and have already attained to revelation after an extatick and enthusiastick manner not unlike nay not unequal to that of Paul himself when he was wrapt into the third heavens Of this Diabolical Magical Necromantical Sortilegious Fanatical Art or injection fame is common as concerning a young man at this day in our neighbouring Country which I but onely intimate from the generall report as not being particularly informed thereof Onely I would ask of our Magical Planetarians what is the reason that they are so furious for the rooting out of the Ministry Is it not because they would set up others in their stead according to this their own Art of Ordination 10. Whether Alchymie that enticing yet nice harlot had made so many Fooles and Beggers had she not clothed or painted her selfe with such Astrological phrases and Magical practices But I let this Kitchin Magick or Chimney Astrology passe The sweltring drudges and smoaky scâ—llions of it if they may not bring in new fewel to the fire are soon taught by their past observed folly to ominate their own late repentance But if they will obstinately persist in hope to sell their smoak let others beware how they buy it too dear 11. Whether Pericepts Amulets Praefisoinals Phylacteries Niceteries Ligatures Suspensions Charmes and Spels had ever been used applyed or carried about but for Magick and Astrologie Their supposed efficacy in curing diseases and preventing of perils being taught from their fabrication configuration and confection under such and such sydereal aspects conjunctions constellations 12. Whether many of the fantastick errors and opinions concerning the coming of Antichrist of the thousand yeers of the end of the world and of the day of judgement have not at least been renovated and promoted by Astrologers and Magigicians For these have been suspected by their friends such is their arted fury for dropping into enthusiastical and fanatical prophecies and predictions And we know they have undertaken to determine the time of the worlds durance and to foretel the day of judgement from the stars
each of theirs was the finger of Beelzebub 7. When the Magicians were smitten with boyls and blains so that they could not stand before Moses ch 9. 11. Why did they not conjure up all their Art and force to infect Moses again if that they had been able to do any thing really as Moses did 8. How stands the comparison of hereticks resisting the truth like as Jannes and Iambres withstood Moses 2 Tim 3. 8. But that these did it by fallacies or appearances of spiritual truth as they did it by phantasmes or appearances of corporeal truth Many Philosophical reasons might be added but these so clear from the Text are sufficient to prove them impostors What may we then judge of the later Gipsies since it it was no otherwise with their forefathers these Aegyptians 16. Whether the gift of working miracles be not now ceas't Miracles were never but extraordinary and temporary Their very gift not perpetual and simply no saving Grace but might instâ—umentally be acted even by reprobates as well as by the elect Having no principles of working habitually remaining in the Soul Were intended onely to be certain signes upon great occasions and present helps in the defect of ordinary means Needful in the beginning of the Church to strengthen weak Faith They have had their main end already the sufficient confirmation of the truth and the end accomplished that which was destinated to the end might well cease Christ was not onely the most eminent in miracles but in him they had their perfection and completion His Disciples believed in him before ever they saw him do a miracle how much more then may his Church without them that together with the memory of them hath the ordinances and ordinary means The permanency of miracles would but have diminished the efficacy of Faith because it would have been an occasion not to have believed without them The truth of the Gospel would still be called in question and thought dubious and uncertain if it always needed such confirmation The promises and faith would thus be evacuated because the walking would be not by Faith but by sight There would be no end of seeking after sensible signes and means and so prophane men would still be tempting unto them and weak Christians would be discouraged in their defect Not onely ordinary graces would so grow vile but even miracles themselves for they would be thought no miracles by being so commonly obvious and assiduous What need we to stand upon such when the greatest work of God and most profitable for man is not alwayes the greatest miracle Have we not perpetually Gods spiritual miracles in our vocation conversion justification regeneration sanctification c. And his ordinary miracles in our creation propagation conservation c. And what need we more To conclude was there no other cause our sinnes are sufficient to make divine miracles to cease shall we then look after Magical miracles signes and wonders such as are set up by the sins of men CHAP. XXIII From the fables of Miracles IS not the rarity of miracles already proved enough to prove the stories of Magical Mirables to be but meer fables We need not therefore their pardon to call them so nay they ought to gratifie us that we call them not worse then so Seeing the vertue of miracles and miraculous operation is in Gods word alone and neither in Nature nor Art nor Artifice What can we say lesse then that all such natural Mirables are onely for meere naturals to admire Whose Authors have been some of them spurious most of them obscure all of them in that particular vain and nugacious Who take up their authorities by tradition from paganish story poetical fiction and mythological relation of such wonderful things as were never in Nature or the world Who use to cite their mirables with such a they say as if they themselves were not onely ashamed to own them but afraid to report them Who stuffe up their legendary stories of magical mirables with tales of such strange things and they so incredible and under strange Names and they so unknown and in such strange places and they so remote as that they are not worth seeking after or if they were yet neither name nor thing nor place is to be found Who urge us onely with this that such their wonders are not to be proved by reason but referred to experiment and yet we are as far from seeing the one as from hearing the other Neverthelesse all these are impudently urged and imposing upon our Faith to admit and admire what wonderful effects of configurations constellations influences impressions seales characters upon Elements Minerals Stones Vegetables Animals yea and Rationals not excepted Nay and a many of these so imposed as tending effectually to Prophecy Divination Prediction Prognostication And therefore omitting the ridiculous rabble of magical mirabilariâ—s for I have neither list nor leasure to meddle with them at large I shall onely instance in a few of them which they not onely report confidently but impudently prescribe to this very purpose Advising the Reader by the way that for all this they cannot be believed without superstition nor practised without sorcery 1. There is an herb among the Chaldeans called Ireos among the Greeks Mutuchiol among the Latins Elitropia this herb is of so admirable vertue that if it be gathered in August while the Sun is in Leo and wrapt in a Lawrel leaf adding thereunto the Tooth of a Wolf and so at night laid under a mans head if any thing be stoln from him he shall see the Thiefe and all his conditions 2. The herb called by the Chaldeans Aquilaris by the Greeks Valis by the Latines Chelidonia if it be taken with the heart of a Mole and be laid upon the head of a sick man it may so be discerned or divined whether he shall dye of that disease or recover ye or no for if he now sing out it is a signe he shall die but if he weep then shall he not dye at that time By the like the conquering of an Enemy and recovery of a Suite is to be foreknown 3. The herb which by the Chaldeans is called Luperax by the Greeks Esifena by the Latins Viscus querei this herb with another herb called Martegon if it be put into a mans mouth and he begin to forethink who is a coming be it friend or foe if he shall come it will fixe upon his heart if he shall not come it will leap from it nay will it not leap out of his mouth 4. The herb which the Chaldeans call Tsiphilon the Greeks Orlegenea the Latins Centaurea this herb the Magicians say hath admirable vertue for if with the blood of a female Lapwing and oyle it be put into a Lamp it makes all that stands by believe themselves to be Magicians and that their heads are in heaven and their feet upon the earth and if the same be cast into the fire the stars shining
it by blasphemy or cover one lie with another saying a wise man ruleth over the Stars when as in truth neither doth a wise man overrule the Stars nor the Stars a wise man but it is God that ruleth over them both or else they say that some ineptitude or incapacity of the receiver hindred the celestiall influxes And they are angry at them who require any further faith or proofe Notwithstanding these circulators finde Princes and Magistrates that believe them in all things and adorn them with publique stipends when as indeed there is no kind of men more pestilent to a Commonwealth then those that spread vaticinations and promise things future from the Stars and inspected Ghosts from dreams and such like artifices of divination Besides they are men alwaies offensive or abominable to Christ and to all that truly believe in him Of whom Cornelius Tacitus complaineth saying The Mathematicians for so they vulgarly named them are a kind of men trecherous to Princes and deceitfull to those that give credit to them they have alwaies been prohibited our City and yet we could never have them expelled thence Yea and Varro a grave Author testifieth that the vanities of all superstitions have issued from the bosome of Astrologie There was in Alexandria a Tribute which the Astrologers used to pay called Blacenominon for the folly of it because by an ingenuous folly they got their gain and because that none but fooles and rash men used to consult them For if from the Stars be mens lives and fortunes why feare we why are we troubled Rather let us leave these to God and the Heavens who neither can erre nor doe evill And since we are but men let us not be over wise in high matters and more then is meet and above our powers but only so far forth as behooveth humane creatures And moreover in as much as we are Christians let us leave to Christ the houres and to God the Father the moments which he hath put in his own power But if our life and fortune be not from the Starres then doth not every Astrologer run in vaine But there is a kind of men so timerous and credulous which like as children doe their Goblin tales more believe and are more affraid of those things that are not then those that are and by how much a thing is lesse possible they feare it the more and by how much it is lesse like to truth so much the more firmly doe they believe it who truely if there were no Astrologers and Diviners would die for hunger And the foolish credulity of these men forgetfull of things past and negligent of things present and headsâ—â—ong upon things future doth so favour these deceivers that whereas in other men the faith of the speaker is rendred or suspected by one lie that all the rest of truths are thereby obscured on the contrary as concerning these lying Masters one fortuitous truth must get credit even to notorious lies To which truely they who trust most are rendred of all men the most unhappy As these superstitious vanities are wont to bring destruction to their observers which antiquity witnesseth in Zoroastes Pharaoh Nebuchadonosor Caesar Crassus Pompey Diotherus Nero and Julian the Apostate who as they were most addicted to these toyes so they perished most miserably in the confidence of them And to whom the Astrologers had promised all things fortunate and joyfull all things fell out most dolefull and unfortunate as to Pompey Crassus and Caesar to none of whom they promised other then that they should die old at home and with glory and yet every one of them perished miserably and untimely Verily this is a pertinacious and preposterous kind of men who professe themselves to foreknow things future and yet are ignorant of things past and present and while they professe themselves to all men that they can declare all things although most occult yet very often they know not what is done in their own houses in their own beds Such an Astrologer More the Englishman taxes in this handsome Epigram Thou aery Prophet to whom every Starre Opens it selfe and straight way makes a warre Of each mans future Fate Thou hast a wife That ope's herselfe to all she is so rife This the Sunne sees and all the Stars and yet Not one of them forewarneth thee of it Saturn's aloofe as blind as e're nor can Though nigh discerne betwixt a stone and a man The beauteous Moon can with her bashful eye Being a virgin a virgin onely spie Jove heeds Europa Mars Venus Venus Mars Sol looks to Daphne and Mercury to Heres Hence thy wifes Loves to thee they make not known They have enough to do to tend their own Moreover it is known to all how the Jewes Chaldeans Aegyptians Persians Arabians do dissent in the very rules of the Judiciary way and how Ptolomie rejecteth the whole Astrologie of the Antients and as Avenrodam defends him so Albumasar inveighs against him And all these doth Abraham Avenezra the Hebrew lash To conclude Dorothaeus Paulus Alexandrinus Ephestion Maternus Homer Tebith Alchiudus Zahel Messahalla and almost all the rest conceive and think otherwise And since what they say they cannot prove to betrue they only defend themselves by way of experiment neither do they all of em unanimously agree even about that Neither do they differ lesse about the proprieties of the houses out of which they prole the predictions of all events which Ptolomie assignes one way Heliodorus another Paulus another Manlius another Maternus another Porphyrius another Abentagel another the Egyptians another the Arabians another the Greeks and Latines another the Antients another the Modern another And for as much as it is not evident amongst them after what manner they ought to constitute the beginnings and the ends of those houses since the Antients fabricate them after one fashion Ptolomie after another Campanus after another Johannes Regiomontanus after another whence it comes to pass that they themselves by their own observations do diminish all faith and credit to themselves in that divers of them do ascribe divers properties to the same places and not only so but beginnings also and ends An impious kind of men who attribute those things to the stars that are belonging to God alone and do make us free-born to be the stars born slaves And whereas we know that God created all things good they deliver that there are certain stars malevolous and authors of wickednesses and of evil influxes not without the greatest injury of God and the heavens that may be defining that in those coelestials and in that divine Senate evils and wickednesses are decreed to be done And impute wholly to the stars whatsoever is committed by us through the fault of our own will and what may fall out against order in nature through the fault of the matter Yea they fear not to teach most pernicious heresies and infidelities namely while they prophâ—sse with impious temerity that
gain Physiognomy Metoposcopy Chiromancy Aruspicy the Speculatory the Onirocritical whichis the interpretation of dreams and the Oracles of the furious here challenge their seat Now all these artifices are of no solid doctrine neither do consist of any certain reasons but inquire of occult things either by fortuitous lot or agnition of spirit or certain appearing conjectures which are taken up from quotidian observations of long time For all these prodigious arts of divination are wont to defend themselves no other way but by the title of experience and to extricate themselves out of the bonds of objections so often as they teach or promise any thing above faith and beside reason Of all which it is thus commanded in the Law There shall not he found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to passe through the fire or that useth divination or an observer of times or an inchanter or a witch or a charmer or a consulter with familiar spirits or a wizzard or a Necromancer For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord. Physiognomy following from the inspection of the whole body presumeth it can by probable signs attain to know what are the affections of body and mind and what a mans fortune shall be so far forth as it pronounceth him Saturnial or Jovial and him Martial or Solar another Venereal Mercurial or Lunar and collecting their horoscopes from the habitude of the body and from affections transcending as they say by little and little unto causes namely Astrological out of which they afterward trifle as they list Metoposcopy out of a sagacious ingenie and learned experience boasts her self to foresent all the beginnings the progresses and the ends of men out of the sole inspection of the forehead making her self also to be the pupil of Astrologie Chiromancie feigns seven mounts in the palm of the hand according to the number of the seven Planets and supposes it can know from the lines there to be seen what a mans complexion is what his affections and what his fortune c. But we need no other reason to impugn the error of all these Arts then this self-same namely that they are void of all reason Yet very many of the Antients have written of these c. But they all can deliver nothing beyond conjectures and observations of experience Yet that there is not any rule of truth to these conjectures and observations is manifest from this because they are voluntary figments and upon which their teachers even of equal learning and authority are not agreed But this trifling kind of men is wont so to doat through the instinct of devils drawing them from error into superstition and from this by degrees into infidelity To the art of Augury they make faith who teach that certain lights of presagition do descend from the coelestials upon all those inferior living creatures as certain signes constituted in their motion site gesture going flight voice meat colour work event by which as by a certain ingraffed hidden force and firm consent they so agree with the coelestial bodies with whose powers they are affected that they can presage all things whatsoever that the coelestial bodies intend to do whereupon it is manifest that this divination followes not but from conjectures partly taken from the influences of the stars as they say and partly from certain parabolical similitudes then which nothing can be more fallacious Wherefore Panaetius Carneades Cicero Chrysippus Diogenes Antipater Josephus and Philo have derided it the Law and the Church hath condemned it They who endeavour to perswade that nothing is dream't in vain say that like as the coelestial influxes do produce divers forms in corporal matter so from the same influxes in the phantastical faculty which is organical there are phantasms impressed by the coelestial disposition consentaneous to the producing any kind of effect especially in Dreams because the mind is then more freed from the body and external cares and so receives those divine influxes more freely whence it comes to passe that many things are made known in dreams to men sleeping which are concealed from them waking By this reason chiefly they labour to reconcile an opinion of truth to dreams and yet of the causes of dreams both intrinsical and extrinsical they do not all of them agree in one opinion c. Of dreams nothing is delivered but meer dreams c. To these dreameâ—s we may number those who give a faith of divinity to the vaticinations of madmen and think they have attained to a divine prescience of things to come who have lost all knowledge of things present all memory of things past together with all humane sense and that mad men and sleepers see those things which wise men and waking are ignorant of as if God were neerer to them then to the sound watchâ—ul intelligent and premeditating In truth they are unhappy men who believe these vanities and obey these impostures who cherish these kind of artificers and submit their wits and faith to these their vain delusions All these artifices of divination have their rooting and foundation in Astrologie For whether the body the face or the hand be inspected whether a dream or a prodigie be seen whether an auspicie or a Fury be inspired they consult to erect a figure of Heaven out of whose tokens together with conjectures of similitudes signs they hunt for opinions of things signified and so all Divinations challenge to themselves the Art and use of Astrologie and confesse this to be as it were the key to the necessary knowledge of all secret things Wherefore all those arts of divination how far they are from truth they plainly discover themselves in this in that they use principles so manifestly false and feigned by a poeticall temerity which neither are nor have been nor ever shall be yet are they made the causes and signes to which all events of things are to be referred contrary to all evident truth Magick is so neer joyned to and of affinity with Astrologie so that he who professeth Magick without Astrologie doth nothing but erreth altogether There is an Art given to mortal men whereby they might generate certain latter things not partaking of truth and divinity but might deduce certain images like unto themselves and Magicians most audacious men have gone so farre to perpetrate all things that old and strong Serpent the promiser of Sciences especially favouring them that they like to him Apes have endeavoured to emulate both God and nature To such a height of madnesse some of the Magicians are grown that from diverse constellations of the Stars through internals of times and by a certain reason of proportions being rightly observed they think that a fabricated image of the heavenly creatures may with a becke receive the spirit of life and understanding whereby it may answer those that consult it and reveale the secrets of hidden truth Hence it is plain that this
conjecturing art The question was how many Figs there were upon such a tree or how many Pigs there were in such a sowes belly Which Mopsus guest at and mist not a hair but Calchas because he could not do somuch pining with grief or envy took pet and dyed Eudoxus the chief Astrologer of his time affirmed that the Chaldeans are not to be credited in their natalitial prognostications or predictions Panaetius a Stoical Philosopher and yet rejected the predictions of the Astrologers Anchialus and Cassander excelling in all parts of Astrology yet used it not or rather abused it not to predictions Scylax Halicarnassaeus although eminent in Astrology neverthelesse abandoned the whole Chaldaical way of it Servius Tullius sleeping his head seemed to shine or burn some of the Diviners said that signifyed he should perish by lightning others that it was a token he should obtain Regal dignity Darius dreamed that the Camp of the Macedons was on fire and that he saw Alexander coming to him in clothes of the same fashion as his own were and that he was carryed on horseback through Babylon and so vanisht out of sight At this the dream-spellers were divided in their divinations some interpreting it a fortune some an infortune some to the one side some to the other Betwixt the Tyrians and the Macedonians was a semblable prodigie blood on the one part seen in iron and on the other part in bread They of either party interpret it as a token of good successe to themselves But Aristander the most skilful of the Diviners expounded it thus on the Macedonian behalf if the blood had appeared outwardly it had signifyed ill fortune to the Macedons that were without but for as much as it was within it portended the like to them that were within the City which they now besieged Again a huge sea-monster appeared in the sight of both parties and they both made themselves merry in prognosticating according to their Magastromantick teachers good luck to themselves but were both of them deceived in the truth if not both in the event Alexander having left off to consult with his diviners because he found them so various and uncertain had yet again an itch to the superstition and called his Aruspicks to inspect the entrayls commanding that the signification should be be shewed to none but himself Aristander is the man of art and credit but he notwithstanding communicates the matter unto Erigius who takes advantage thereby to disswade Alexanders resolution Upon which he calls for the artist rebukes the betraying of his privy counsels and commands The skilful man is now more amazed then at a prodigie yet gathering his wits together to make some Apology for himself he confessed some difficulty and danger from the inspected entrails but deeply professed his love to and care of his King notwithstanding The King perceiving the flexiblenesse both of the mans nature and of his art wishes him to have a confidence of fortunate successe as well in this as in former things Whereupon the Aruspick pores again and comes in with his second prognosticks and professes to have found signs quite contrary to the first Philip of Macedon dreamed that he did seale up his wives belly and that the seal left behinde the print of a Lion upon it Certain wise men or wizzards told him that this gave him warning to look straightly to his wife and keep her close At which the King was troubled but Aristander to make all good told him his wife was with child and had in her belly a treasure worth the sealing up The same day that Alexander was born the Temple of Diana at Ephesus was burnt This made the distracted Priests and vaticinators prognosticate that some great misfortune was that day born to all Asia But soon after news was brought to Philip of three great victories which made him rejoyce exceedingly now these predictors to make up the triumph praesaged that his son which was born with three great victories should be an invincible Emperour Dion being about to free his Country from the tyranny of Dionysius there happened an eclipse of the Moon which terrified the souldiers not a little Thereupon stood up one Miltas a soothsayer and bad his fellow souldiers be of good chear for the signe imported the impairing of dignity meaning the tyranny of Dionysius But as touching the swarm of Bees that lighted on the Poop of Dions ship he told him and his friends secretly that he was afraid his acts would flourish onely for a while and soon fade away Again Dion getting upon Dionysius his Clock or Diall and thence making an Oration to the Syracusans to promote their own liberty the soothsaying prognosticators liked it wel and said it was a good signe for that he did now tread the sumptuous edifice and artifice and yet an Astrological artifice of the Tyrant under feet But because the hand of the Dyal sheweth the course of the Sun which never leaveth moving they were afraid that Dions affairs should have a suddain change of fortune A certain Noble man of Silesia was very inquisitive with three several Astrologers to know the manner of his own death The first answered he should die of a feaver the second said of a fall the third answered in the waters And to make all good thus they say it fell out First the Feaver forsooth seized on him then the frenzy thereof made him cast himself out of a window and that window was over a Moate and so he fell into the water and there perished The like tale do the Country people tell of our Merlin the the King talking with Merlin about mens fates caused a Faulconer of his to passe by disguised and demanded what kind of death should that man dye Merlin answered he should be hanged The same man comming by the second time in another disguise and the like demand made he answered he should be stabd and the third time it was resolved he should be drowned And thus they say it happened The King being on hawking the Hawke took pearch on a tree hard by a River side the Faulconer climing up to fetch down his Hawke a grayne of a branch got hold of his neck and there he hung that breaking he fell upon a splinter and it stabd him that not holding he fell into the River and so was drowned That the Magastromancers may thus contradict themselves and one another is easily to be believed but that their various praedictions were thus compleated let the faith thereof be with the Authors Iohannes Albertus Archbishop of Magdeburgh had the Moon in Aries in the sixth house which signified health but the Moon was invironed by Mars and he in Aries and by Saturne and he in Taurus and the Sunne and Mercury opposite and those more manifest signes of daily and cruell diseases Tarestius or Tarchetius a great Mathematician who being given to the calculation of Astronomy for the delight of speculation onely was entreated by Marcus Varro to