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
painful observation and hard study and it comes not without great diligence and labour But then here lies the mischief that if the Astrologer has not the more Grace of God sanctifying his studies it comes to pass that either because he cannot by Astrology attain unto such perfection of knowledg as his ambition greedily urges him to pursue or he cannot have it so easily as he would he leaves Astrology and falls in with the Devil to become a Sorcerer But Grace teacheth better things and openeth our Eyes by our Astrological Studies to see and adore the infinite Prescience and Providence of God in the laying the frame of Nature in such an Order as all things do come to pass in time so suitably well even unto the utmost of admiration that Grace and Nature and Mans free agency do all of them work together in the same Subject seemingly contrary one to another and yet do so elegantly comply by virtue of this Frame of Nature in such a Wise and most Excellent manner laid as every one of them has room enough to act its proper work and that without any thing of hindrance of the one to the other in the least measure And such is the excellent Use of Astrology in this matter as Divinity it self though undoubtedly the more worthy Science yet cannot give such a plain Demonstration of these things as does the experience of Astrological Operation For what that teacheth us to believe this maketh us by experience to see and know Again it is a great Use of sanctified Astrology to observe the over-ruling Work of God even in the Astrologers very Mistakes I remember that when with most greediness of knowledg I did at any time pursue my Studies though with indefatigable pains yet have I thrown away whole Weeks and Moneths pains to no purpose My whole Operation having been rendred fruitless though tryed upon several new foundations and all by reason of heedless mistakes in the bottom thereof lurking imperceptibly until my finished work shewed the deficiency And yet at other times and in other Operations I have found my work to be true and good in two daies space So as I was constrained to confess with my self these two things First That where it pleases God to oppose Man labours in vain So it is with the Husbandman and as much with the Physitian And therefore no wonder that the Astrologer errs when God confounds him And secondly where our Passions are most vehemently earnest to know there it pleases God mostly to oppose Moderation carrying the Virtue while excess breeds displeasure God Almighty can and does confound many times Isa 47.13 the utmost skill of the most proficient Artists of all sorts and thus he did by the Chaldean Star-gazers Isa 47.13 when they failed in their Prognostications of the success of Babylon and it proved quite contrary And thus it pleases God to deal by our daies at some times But Heavenly Wisdom remedies this disturbance and sets the Astrologer well to rights Also great is the holy Use of Astrology in demonstrations of Virtue and Wisdom how they do in many things prevail against the natural Works of Heaven and rejoyce against them and yet without any disparagement unto those Heavens or their Natural acts though they be in a sense vanquished And lastly this Heavenly Wisdom teacheth us to know our ends and the number of our dayes Psal 39.4 5. that we may be certified how long we have to live with comfort and contentment and to be most advantagiously prepared for all states of Prosperity and Adversity of Life and Death and that exceedingly the better for our better knowledg thereof And no man so fit to foreknow these as He who is able to say Major sum quà m cui possit fortuna nocere HAGIASTROLOGIA OR ASTROLOGY A Sacred Science SHEWING The Excellency and great Benefit thereof where it is rightly understood and Religiously observed The Introduction Sect. 1 IT may seem something strange The Introduction in this Censorious Age that the Pen of a Divine should be found writing in vindication of Judicial Astrology but be it so yet blush we not nor know I why I should be ashamed True it is indeed that through mistake this Noble Science hath greatly suffered in its reputation and that from the Tongues and Pens of the Pious and Learned as well as Ignorant and Envious Adversaries in so much as many young Students however sufficiently well qualified with the endowments of Nature to read the Sacred Lessons of Heaven yet have feared to employ their Talents that way meerly because of the Ill Name But God forbid that all the World should be pusillanimous Shewing the occasion how this Noble Science hath been misunderstood by many learned and good men for it is not evident that it is not the Blame but the Ill luck rather of this Celestial Science that here and there a Wise man hath despised it First it hath fallen into the hands of many Chimney-sweeping Fellows who have so besmutch'd it with their unclean and sooty fingers that many times it looks not like it self And next being in this case it hath happened upon the fists of many such angry Zealots whose hair-brain'd wisdom having no leisure to examine the reason of the abused disguise have persecuted in their chafe they knew not who nor what And now if a wise and good man hath sometimes met with a Prince in his Exile cloathed in rags and beaten all over black and blue and besmeared with blood and dirt is it not so much the more a case to be pitied if he also has gone by with scorn and despised even Virtue it self because under the clowds of its persecution he could not know its face Sect. 2 How the Author from an Enemy became a Well-willer to the Study of Astrology My self also must needs acknowledge that some years since I also was one of those Enemies to this Noble Science who buffetted in the dark I knew not what until soberly tempted to taste a few Lines reading of this Subject although it was with a serious purpose to take up the apter occasion to throw dirt at it yet by this means attaining to understand who it was I spoke to it begat in me a reverence to those Gray Hairs which as unjustly as ignorantly I had despised My Study of Duty is Theology and they are not the Tythe of my Meditations which by Astrology are claimed Wherefore counting it a kind of Treason to my Function to rob it of so much leisure as would carry me thorow-stitch with the acquaintance of the Arabian Chaldean and all other Forreign Authors of this Subject I contented my self onely to peruse such English Books as came ready to my hand for it was but merely a divertisement and And of what great and good use he finds by it how it it serves him as an handmaid to Divinity as it were an Handmaid to Divinity all whatsoever
their peculiar Offices other wayeâ— and 2. Though they are Subjects of Nature 〈◊〉 we are Shewing how it is wrought by means and that either by the Soul of the World or however by the Heavenly Influences yet are they no part of the frame 〈◊〉 Nature whereout all things in their order anâ— formed Now were it by the Soul of the World then for certain must there be such a Soul which as yet we are not sufficiently inform'd of and then must that Soul have its specâ—â— seat in the World worthy of it self where tâ— dwell and from whence to inform all thâ— whole Earth and if so then dwells it undoubtedly amongst the Celestial Matter and from thence supplies the Earth with such stoâ— of Virtue from the Heavens and Stars therein as brings to pass all that Shape Colour Smell Life and Increase which we see comâ— to pass Or if you deny this then must the Earth be supplied with all her wonderful Virtues from some Supernatural Material Substances and if so then name any thing besides the Heavenly Matter and the Stars of Heaven that can be that Substance and I have done Now either way will there be at Heavenly Astrology or an Astrology in the Heavens Onely the question is whether these Celestial Influences create the Earth immediately by God's blessing or whether there be a general Soul of the World between yea or not Vtrum horum mavis accipe I ask no more Gen. 1.1 2 3. In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth and the Earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the Deep and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters Here when there was nothing but Earth and Water and Darkness over all yet the Spirit of God maintained that rude lump the Earth did he manage by the Water and the Water in the Dark by himself But now both the Earth and Water are under the face of Heaven and the Light is upon this Heaven and the Spirit of God moveth upon the face of the Heavens in that Light and as he actuateth the Earth and the Waters by the Heavens so doth he actuate the Heavens by himself Sect. 8 Thus Reason complieth with Holy Writ More proofs of Scripture confirming our Rational Arguments to be true and both Scripture and Reason are Witnesses with our Experience That there is an Astrology for certain lodged in Heaven And yet â—arther the Scriptures also do confirm all that I have brought for Reason to be both truly Rational and Divine Deut. 33.13 Concerning Joseph it is said by Moses that his blessing shall be of the precious things of the Sun and Moon Now it is well known that amongst other of these precious things by that Tribe enjoyed was the Kingdom of the Ten Tribes whence follows it that it is in the power of the Sun and Moon amongst other precious blessings under God to influence a man unto the Dignity of a Crown and so to fortunate his affairs as to bring about the enjoyment of it Hos 2.21 God promiseth by the Prophet Hosea how he will hear the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth and be Earth the Corn and Wine and Oyl and they Israel Wherein he shews us that as Man lives by Corn and Wine so they by the Earth and so the Earth by the Heavens And if so then from the Heavens is it that the Earth receives that vertue whereby it brings forth all Smell Colour Deut. 28.12 and Virtue Moses tells us God shall open his good Treasure the Heaven and that not onely to give rain unto the Land but also to bless all the work of the hand Whence it is evident that there lodges in the Celestial Bodies a Faculty of fortunating Civil Affairs as well as of managing natural things and that the root of all Earthly Blessings is from Heaven Moses says again Deut 4.19 that the Sun Moon and Stars God hath distributed to all Nations under Heaven And the Psalmist speaking of the Sun and Heavens Psal 19.1 2 3 4 5. says They declare the glory of God and shew forth his handy-work Day and night do continually tell of them and that their voice is heard into all Languages and their words are gone into the ends of the world By which it appears that the Heavens and all the Stars therein are full of such Virtues as the whole World hath need of And these Vertues God hath given unto the Heavens for this purpose His Spirit saith Job hath garnished the Heavens Job 26.13 And by the Spirit of his mouth saith the Psalmist was the whole Army of Heaven made Psal 33.16 Sect. 9 Argumentation from Gods Eternal Prescience Acts 15.18 Known unto God saith St. James are all his works from the beginning of the world These Works are either Natural or Miraculous The Natural Works of God are that whole frame of the Creation together with all Circumstances and Concerns relating thereunto in times past present and future which as a most curious piece of Art The frame of Nature compared to a Watch. Ezek. 1.2 2 3 c. to the end consisteth of all the Story of the whole World and yet is all set together in one onely entire piece of Workmanship it is like unto a Watch made up of a world of small Wheels wrapt up together one within another and yet all taking one from another and working one by and under another until you come unto the Master-wheel or first Mover which being wound up at the Creation with the Line of Time How God foresees all passages of the World by a certain order as a Watch-maker knows the Wheels of his Watch. 2 Pet. 3. of a seeming infinite length of Thread wreathed up together upon the Wheel has ever since the beginning been winding off unto this present Age and yet is there still more Line upon the Wheel but how much remains is kept onely in the breast of the Almighty but when this Line shall be utterly wound off then will this frame of Nature find its period and all Wheels must cease their motion Now in the mean time as the Watch-maker knows all the Wheels Pullies and little Pins in the Watch as perfectly as a man knows the Cloaths on his back or how to put them on or off so knows the Great and Almighty God the whole World and all the Wheels Pullies and Pins contained in every part thereof and this infinitely better than we know the Fingers of our Hands or Toes of our Feet To every man that is born of a Woman there is a certain order or course of his life how he runs thorow Health and Sickness Honour and Dishonour and all the passages of his Life from his Cradle to the Grave For Man is of himself as it were a little World within himself How every man is compared to one Wheel of the great Worlds frame and a Work
of many Wheels within that one and though he stand as it were but one Wheel in the frame of the great World yet within this One seem there to be many thousands of Wheels operating and thousands more within every one of those first thousands and more still within them and every of them almost ad infinitum especially in long-lived people and persons of great undertakings and all these moving within and one under another as they are carried by the Thread twined on the outmost and greatest Wheel do run on in their order until that Thread break or else be wound off and there they make a stop All these things God who made Man at the first perfectly knows and fore-knew from the beginning of the World and by this order of Mans life he perfectly knows and fore-knew exactly all passages of our lives yea even all the thoughts of our hearts both sleeping and waking Joh. 2.24 25. and how one thought drives off and brings in another and continues on in so doing until the last minute of life whereat the breath fails Now every man being as it were a particular Wheel of the great World it must needs follow that all men move in a certain Frame or Wheel above themselves by virtue of which the Master-wheel of every man's life is is set a going And this Wheel also is subordinate unto others and they also are the same unto still higher than they until we come at last unto the Master-wheel of the whole World which is the high and mighty Wheel of Heaven wherein the Sun Moon and Stars are set as so many Notches carrying on the great works of Nature unto the end How mans Will is an independent Wheel within the World 1 Cor. 9 26 27. Hence come the Originals of all Natural Qualities Passions and Accidents of our lives the motion of the Will and Reason onely excepted which as an independent Wheel within the Wheel of Nature has a kind of motion of its own and therefore however it may be inclined or allured by the Works of Nature How the Heavens are the great Wheel of Nature yet cannot be forced by them But now above and beyond this great Wheel of Nature there is yet one Wheel more within which the Heavens themselves are turned And here is it 2 Cor. 12.2 3 4 wherein is hid that great Line of Time whereby the whole World is made to hold on and continue its motion And how God ruleth over all Isa 40.22 23 c. and this Wheel is God himself who draws out the Line of Time and sitting upon the Circles of the Earth he stretches out the Heavens as a Curtain and beholdeth all the Inhabitants of the World as Grashoppers under his feet and hence sees he as it were with one view all the World naked before him both past present and to come Sect. 10 Now as it was the opinion of the Platonists Of the Soul of the World That there is such a Soul and many of the wisest Philosophers in old time That there was as well one General Soul of the Whole World as there is one Soul informing every mans Body so is it still the opinion of many very learned Christians and it seems with a great deal of reason that the World has such a Soul For were there not one and the same general living Virtue comprehending the whole Natural World from the outmost Circumference of the Heavens unto the innermost Centre of the Earth how possibly could the Sympathies and Antipathies of Nature work such compliances and differences at such distances as we see they do and that as far as it is from Heaven unto the Earth and too without any visible or imaginable contaction unless some such Animal Virtue be in the World to carry such an invisible correspondency between Creature and Creature Now where Life is these things are aptly effected Thus the Infant in the womb is nourished by the meat which the Mother eats Now be it so that there is such an Universal Soul yet is it questionable whether this Soul be Intellectual or merely Vegetive That there is an Intellectual Power informing the whole World as the Soul does the Body is not to be doubted for otherwise would the frame of Nature be no more but a huge blind lump But Nature being led by good eyes such an Intellect must there be somewhere And that it is not an Intellectual but a Vegetive Soul onely Jer. 23.23 24. that either gives or lends such Eyes to Nature But then should the Soul of the World carry this Intellect in its own Brain it would follow that this Soul is a God For to be an Intellectual Being filling Heaven and Earth with its presence is an Attribute of Gods And therefore I conclude that there is an Vniversal Soul in the World but it is onely Vegetive and not Intellectual yet in this Soul dwelleth the Spirit of Almighty God Acts 17.28 who filleth Heaven and Earth with his presence and from hence garnisheth the Heavens Job 26 1â— Deut. 4.19 and causeth the precious Virtues of the Sun Moon and Stars to be carried and distributed into all parts of the World Job 38.33 And thus immediately God ruleth in the Heavens and ruleth all the World mediately by the Heavens How Gods Spirit informeth the World in this Vegetive Soul not without means but by means Job 38.26 'T is true indeed that God is as well able to govern and maintain all things without means as he was at first to constitute and create the frame of Nature but such is his pleasure that he does work by means and not immediately in all things It is a common and a true Maxim that God and Nature have made nothing in vain and yet it is as true that Grass grows where nothing lives to eat it Now were the World governed by Gods immediate presence onely then is this Grass growing a work in vain because God's presence brings forth all things at list and with stints and increase as he listeth Rom. 11.36 and therefore his list being at all times and in all places able to cease its operation might have prevented this plenty in a desolate Countrey But Nature running her course in a constant track has no power to cease her work without a miracle and therefore however the Grass may grow in vain yet Natures operation is not in vain which by virtue of one and the same act produceth the Grass in all places and that as well in the populous as desolate Countreys Sect. 11 Next come we to Gods miraculous works Of Gods miraculous works and how they are foreseen by God in the frame of Nature from Eternity Josh 10.12 13. 2 King 20.11 Joh. 11.53 44. Ch. 9.6 7 c. which also from the beginning were known unto him These are such as have been contrary or at least divers to the course of Nature or other Supernatural Such a
Femine from thence unto the 85 are all Masculine and thence again unto 22 are Feminine and thence unto 30 are Mascultne In the Sign Taurus the Degrees 6 7 8 9 and 10 are called Azimene or deficient Degrees and bespeak a man some ways lame or crooked or deformed in his neck In Aries are none of these but in Cancer are many of them and so in other Signs This Taurus also hath Degrees Light Void Pitied Masculine and Feminine as hath Aries and so hath the other Signs more or less But the Sign Cancer has a Degree called smoaky the nature of which is to work a swarth upon the complexion and this is the 20 Degree The 20 of Leo is also and in the other Signs are more such although Aries Taurus Gemini Libra and Pisces have none of them Now these things are nothing but meer observations found out by diligent taking notice of Signs and Degrees as they Ascend or as they are tranfited by the Sun or Moon and it is an experiment very obvious and apt to be proved Sect. 13 Of the Qualities of the Heavenly Matter by accident Such are the essential Qualities of the Heavenly Matter Now there are also besides these certain Qualities wherewith they are endowed accidentally and these are either by means of the situation of the Heavens or else by reason of something which hath affected this Heavenly matter with other qualities which it hath an aptitude to entertain And 1. as for the situation Heavens we know that they are always in motion either ascending or descending And as it doth appear by very good experiments according to these situations the Heavens do produce very various qualities This motion of Heaven is ordinarily divided into twelve equal parts or proportions called the Twelve Houses of Heaven and as it further appears by experience these Houses are the great Wheel of Nature whereon do depend the various fortunes contingent to all sublunary matters and things These twelve Houses are either Angular Succedent or Cadent The Angular Houses are four called the Ascendent Mid-heaven the Seventh House and the bottom of Heaven The Ascendent is that part of Heaven which is always rising up level with our Horison the very point ascending is the Cusp or principal Seat of this House Of the twelve Houses of Heaven and their qualities by accident And first of the Ascendent and its qualities and extendeth about some 5 Degrees above the Earth and 25 immediately succeeding ready to ascend But if Signs of long Ascension do ascend halfe 5 Degrees above the Earth are all that this House can claim and some 13 below are its utmost share And yet if Signs of short Ascensions do Ascend it may well be afforded twice 5 degrees above ground and 50 below The quality of whatsoever part of Heaven that taketh up the Degrees of this House is to carry along with it the health and life of every Native and thing that is conceived or brought forth within its jurisdiction And hence hath this point of Heaven a faculty of attracting or receiving the vertues of the Heavenly matter that is accidentally transiting that part of Heaven at Birth and also of the Planets and fixed Stars in their Transits and of all the rays of the Planets in their Aspects into this part of Heaven in order to the forming of the shape stature temperature of the body quality of the mind and of all accidents and contingencies which shall befall the Natives body or health or life unto his dying day Such a sympathy it seems there is between this part of the heavenly frame and of every act and thing that is hatch'd and receives life under it For as the seed in the ground after it hath first put forth root buds forth and appears above-ground so the Heavens after they have framed the Embryon and the Temperament thereof under the Earth give it life and being of its own putting forth level with them as they just ascend For we do not suppose as if the temperature and qualities of the Native were framed wholly at the exact time of Birth although the situation of Heaven at that time never fails exactly to describe them No these temperatures and qualities are formed in the womb from the Conception but yet the Birth describes them because that Birth cannot fall at any moment af time but even with that part of the Heavenly matter ascending which is interressed in those temperatures and qualities And now therefore look what the nature of this ascending point of Heaven qualified with Planets and Stars and their Aspects such a person qualified and endowed shall the Native prove and of these qualities and temperatures and of the whole health and life of the Native does this point ascending take the whole charge Of the Fifth and Eleventh Houses and their qualities Now the Attendants and Vpholders of Life are two 1. Children or Off-spring attends to hold up the continuance of it in this World And 2. Religion and Learning do come in to uphold it unto eternity in another World These two therefore in an harmonious Trine as if making up that threefold cord of which Solomon hath said it can never be broken do wait upon the ascending point of Heaven the one in a succedent House called the fifth House of Heaven and the other in a Cadent House called the ninth House of Heaven And to this purpose Doct. of Nat. chap. 6. sect 5. look what is the state of this fifth House at a mans birth such shall be the state of that mans off-spring and the Heavenly matter Planets Stars and Aspects then there shall apparently shew the Conditions Doct. of Nat. chap. 6 sect 9. Qualities and Fortunes of the Natives whole off-spring what and how they shall prove So also look what is the state of the eleventh House in a Nativity such shall the Native prove for matter of Religion and Science and the Heavenly matter Planets Stars and Aspects therein shall shew what and how the man shall prove whether for wise or foolish devout or Schismatical and what Studies and Arts he shall be inclined to follow These are the Matter for Grace to work upon but as for Grace it self Nature hath no power over that Grace must Rule Nature but Nature cannot sway Grace Sect. 14 The second Angular point of Heaven is called Mid-heaven Of Mid-heaven and its qualities and is always that point of the Heavens which culminates or is the very top of the whole Heavenly frame And what ever part of Heaven happeneth to be here culminating at the Birth of any Person or Thing that takes charge of and carries along with it ever after the Preferment Honour Profession Mastery and Authority of the Native And as are the Planets Stars Aspects and Heavenly Matter placed and situate in this point or in the Degrees thereto pertaining so shall the Native prove in his life-time for all matter of Dignity and Advance
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
but that which with me seemeth most probable is That the Ephod being upon the Priests back he was immediately inspired from God above so as to be able to give an Answer to the question demanded And my reason for it is because of Caiphas the High Priest who sitting in Council in his Priestly Robes as the manner was to do though a bad man yet was able to prophesy what would follow of the Debate they were then upon Joh. 11.49 50 51. And now as it pleased God to help David at his Need by a Forewarning of what would follow at that time so it seems it was the customary practice of his Mercy and Goodness at all times to do nothing of any consequence without revealing much unto his Prophets aforehand Amos 3.7 And the same Mercy and Good Will as in those days he had so has he still and though Revelations and Inspirations be not usual now adayes as they were in old time yet what by natural Industry and diligent Observation gained from the Stars and Heavens or any other lawful wayes can be foreseen and known our Maker is so far from envying or being angry at it that he really favours and applauds us for our so doing He who hath ears to hear saith He let him hear Mat. 13.9 And he who hath eyes to see let him see And he who hath Understanding let him count the number of the beast Revel 13.9 18. And now that there is such a Natural skill of foreknowledg by the Stars and Heavens to be gained the Doctor himself hath acknowledged and so has our Saviour said as much Matth. 16.2 3. Luk. 12.54 55 56. And we do not pretend to an absolute and perfect Skill that we can know every thing and that without errour And yet this Unkind Doctor in his great Book of Explanation has done us so much injury as to tell all the World so far as his Tale can possibly be heard That we Astrologers meerly for our pretences to this Skill as aforesaid are a Company of Fools and Knaves or Witches and more and worse if worse can be said Nay he not only reviles us who be alive but the dead too Now good Reader these following lines are not only to clear our selves that though we do study and use Astrology and are not ashamed to be called Astrologers yet are we not such ill men as he sayes we are but contrarily we desire no longer to live nor to own this Sacred Science than we are able to prove and shew it to be a Science truly Sacred and of great Use unto Mankind in general or any body that shall make a good Use of it in particular I am my self a Divine and am heartily sorry I am to write against a Divine And it has been my great Care God knowes in all this Answer of Defence to give good words and no ill language But so it is that the Doctor has been so very foul upon us that in mine own necessary defence do what I could I have hit him now and then and if it was in the Eyes or in the Mouth I am sorry for it it could not be holpen he is to thank himself for it The truth is as I am credibly informed and his Pen shews it He was a man stained when he wrote with the Schisme of the late Times and it is generally seen and found that whether they were Presbyterians or Independents those men generally were wont to be very peremptory Magisterial and angry in most of their Writings But having cleared Astrology my Self and my good Brethren that are Astrologers I have done and I hope when the Doctor shall see his Errours by what I have done he will be sorry for the Slaunders and all the hard words he has given us and I for my share am heartily apt and ready to forgive him From my Study 1671. J. B. Errata PAg. 6. line 29. for with read which pa. 10. l. 26. blot out unto p. 11. l. 5. for disturber r. disturbeth p. 16. l. 10. for may r. my p. 22. l. 7. for hot r. not p. 24. l. 9. for were r. was p. 49. l. 13. add is after it p. 65. l. 22. for grandom r. grandame p. 68. l. 26. for alledg r. allege p. 80. l. 16. for fur r. furze p. 85. l. 29. for do r. no. p. 87. l. 2. for retrogade r. retrograde p. 88. l. 2. for that if r. the. and l. 9. at talk's blot out s. p. 94. l. 29. at defends blot out s. p. 96. l. 4. at Pleiades forbear the dash â—n middle p. 101. l. 24. for Almulen r. Almuten The most Sacred and Divine Science of Astrology vindicated against the Reverend Dr. More 's Calumnies in his Explanation of the grand Mystery of Godliness The Introduction Sect. 1 THE judicious Mr. Selden I have done with and that so much the sooner for that he hath done with this World by a good exchange of a transitory for an eternal Life And I doubt not but I have so far done him right by separating a few mistakes from amidst his so many and such famous Assertions of Truth as his Freinds and Kindred will give me thanks rather for the good offices I have done the Dead than be any ways displeased that I have taken notice That the learned Selden as well as the famous St. Auguâ—tine was not without an Errour in his Pen. Sect. 2 I wish the Reverend Dr. More had done no worse by the dumb ashes of the somtimes famous Apollonius Cardan and Vaninus and others The living memory of the great learning of those dead men I am sure â—s but little indebted to the Doctor for his uncharitable censures vomited over their graves â—t calls me to mind the saying of St. Jude Jude 9. How Michael the Arch-angel when he disputed with the Devil about the Body of Moses durst not bring against him a railing accusation but said The Lord rebuke thee As the old saying is Give the Devil his due How much more then ought men to have their's and that though Heathens and more yet if Christians but most of all Christians of Reverend and sober Lives Sect. 3 I am not at all concerned to vindicate all or either of these but let the Doctor speak on his pleasure for me Only whereas it is this favour of Astrology which has wrought them into so much danger of the Doctor 's wrath and particularly the Calculation of our Saviour's Nativity by Cardan which has set him upon Record in the Doctor 's books Dr. More 's Explan B. 7. Ch. 14. §. 8. §. 9. for a man of Levity of mind and vain glory and by and by of insufferable impudence for so doing and also the commending of that Calculation by Vaninus which has drawn him under the Doctor 's Iron Pen also as a vilainous Insulter and whereas it is the suâ— of these two Crimes alone which has indited and convicted both of them with the Doctor for
is no such Zodiack in Heaven or if you will no Heaven for such a Zodiack as these Artists attribute these Triplicities to For this Heaven and this Zodiack we speak of is an old errour of Ptolomie 's and his followers who not understanding the true Systeme of the World and the motion of the Earth in which is salved the Anticipation of the Æquinoxes have phancied an Heaven above the Coelum Stellatum and a Zodiack that did not recede from West to East as the starry Zodiack does And this figment which later Ages have laughed off of the Stage is the only subject of these â—ned Trigons and Triplicities which therefore are justly laughed off of the Stage with it Which discovery is a demonstration that the whole Art of Astrology is built but upon frivolous and meer imaginary Principles as we shall farther make manifest What a crowd of Forgeries are here met together First There 's no such Zodiack in Heaven says he This is a very confident one all Astronomers agreeing to the contrary that there is such an one Now this Zodiack is a certain imaginary Circle which cutting the Æquator in two parts carrieth some 20 degrees of breadth and coasting along with certain fixed Stars called the 12 Constellations of the Zodiack some â— degrees and odd minutes on each side the Ecliptick line vergeth to the North and South of the Æquinâ—â— some 23 degrees and somwhat above an half And whether you follow the Systeme of the World Ptolomean Copernican Argol Astron B. 1. Ch. â—1 or Tychonick it still admits of the same description And yet loe the strange confidence of the Doctor as if there were no such thing He 'l say perhaps It is but an imaginary Circle and therefore nothing real But if so yet still is he out for it is a real space of place in Heaven according to the measure of the Circle Secondly That this Zodiack we speak of is an old errour of Ptolomie's This is false too For First It was an Opinion many Ages â—lder then Ptolomy Secondly There is no certainty to this day that it is an errour there being so many of the learned still 〈…〉 â—is way against Copernicus Thirdly Let the Systeme of the World be how 't will the Zodiacal Circle is every way the same and void of any errour And whether there be an Heaven above the Starry Heaven or no such Heaven the Zodiack still keeps along its 12 Constellations Thirdly That this Figment the later Ages 〈◊〉 laughed off of the Stage This is false too For within this few years is come forth a learned Tract of Doctor Harvey's pleading for the Earth and not the Sun to be the World's Center Fourthly That the Astrological Triplicities and Trigons are laughed off of the Stage too This is true as the other Lastly That this discovery is a demonstration that the whole Art of Astrology stands but upon frivolous and meer imaginary Principles Thus fondly conceits this ranting Doctor and yet most of the late Astrologers are inclining to the Copernican Systeme I am so my self and yet find not the least concern in it to the contrary of the Astrological Principles nor can any man else saving the Doctor 's meer Figments and fond Inventions as if he knew not else what to say and was fain to bring up these stories meerly to make up a say on And yet with a most abominable begging of the question he goes on tumbling Heaven and Earth confusedly together as if all were truth that he could invent Sect. 15 In the same Section is it that he quarrels with the Division of the Signs Good man he would fain set all to rights and therefore great pains he takes to sort them in their true places The Solstitial Signs he finds are not safely called moveable but ought rather to be stiled fixed And truly I like the man that when he finds an errour will tell me on it so freely But how proves he this In my apprehension says he Ah peascods on it that spoils all What One Doctor 's Opinion against the Observation of all Ages out upon 't for shame But we 'l wink at small matters says he Yea truly in my apprehension he should have said For in my apprehension his Batteries will down with Astrology at long run yea no room for it in mans imagination But that of the Trigons is more notorious with him It makes him smile again A good merry Doctor I like such company truly He has it out of Dariot how the 〈◊〉 and Ascendent in fiery Signs comfort the Virtue Attractive in Earthy the Retentive in Aiery the Digestive and in Watry the Expulsive We said Dariot was a Physician and he honestly gives an account of his experience But let the Doctor be merry Ha Ha He what has he against this Mum mum for a Plum not a word of Argument Only shewing his teeth with a kind of envious grin Would any man dare to administer Physick then without consulting the precepts of Astrology Why Dariot hinders not administer what every man please only he advises that Astrology would be a good help Then comes he to Husbandry and there he flings at Sir Christopher Heydon That 's a notorious one says he who tells us how we may set a Plant to shoot deep into the Earth or higher into the Air by setting it at such an Aspect of the Moon Namely if the Moon be in an Earthy Triplicity the Root will shoot more downwards if in an Aiery more into the Air. And then he smiles saying a rare secret As if no such matter But good Doctor speak softly for should some experienc't man of the Spade but hear your want of Wit he would throw dirt upon your Worships Gown For thus Dogs bark at the Moon whilst wise men give God praise for her Next it came into his head to talk of the 4 Trigons and holding on still in his merry vein he went on laughing till he fell down backwards and hitting his head against the Zodiack he knew not where he was and then began to talk at random It came it seems into his muddy Pate how all the four Elements flew up into Heaven and took their places in their respective Triplicities in the Zodiack with great agility playing at leap-frog and skipping over one anothers Backs in such sort that dividing themselves into three equal parts every Triental of an Element found it self a fellow member of a Triâ— Aspect But the best jest of all was says he c. And here falling backwards it was that he fell into the mad stories of the Zodiack as I had them in the last Section Thus he goes about to batter Astrology out of the imaginations of men neither with Sword nor Buckler nor dint of Argument but by meer loud laughter and thus the Boys use to fright away the Crows And thus Cajus Caligula overcame the Cockle-shells when the Sea was gone Sect. 16 In § 11. He brings his Ax
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