manifest by Experience that the Prophecies of Astrologers commonly correspond with the Events and that they have often foretold a short Life or a long one a happy or a miserable one Therefore these things are ordain'd by the Stars 2. Every one is sensible that the Generation and Corruption of all Sublunary things depend upon the Motion of the Heavens For we may discern as the Air is more tempestuous or calm so it insinuates it self into Men's Bodies and as it is attracted for respiration so it affects their minds Therefore without dispute the Heavens have some Power over humane Bodies 3. The third Reason is drawn from Authority For the Scripture speaks thus of the Sun and the Moon Gen. 1.18 And God made two great lights the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night he made the stars also Here R. Moses Gerundensis asks What is meant by that Dominion It is that Dominion says he which the Stars have over the Bodies of Men upon which they impress several Vertues according to their favourable or malevolent Aspect It is said in the Book of Judges Chap. 5.20 They fought from heaven the stars in their Courses fought against Sisera Likewise in Isaiah 47.13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy Counsels Let now the Astrologers the Star-gazers the monthly Prognosticators stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee Also Job says Chap. 3.3 Let the day perish wherein I was born and the night in which it was said There is a Man child conceived where he refers all his Evils to the time of his Conception or his Nativity From all these things the Vertues of the Stars are collected The Talmudists also in Tract Moed Katam cap. ult seem to entertain this Opinion For they say that Children Life and Food depend upon the Stars And in another place they affirm the same thing For there Vices and Vertues are attributed to the Efficacy of the Planets under which every Man is born and they take notice of Saturn Jupiter Mars c. In the same place it is disputed whether or no the Reason of these things is to be found out at the Birth or Conception here their Sentiments are plainly discovered to us Notwithstanding all this we must take notice that although this Opinion may be introduced among the Jews yet they unanimously consent that the Stars do only incline but not necessitate the Will and Choice of good Men. Bradâ—◠〈◊〉 behinat Olam an eminent Orator among them has these When says he You look towards Heaven and consider the Stars above never imagine or believe that they have any Power over the Will as the ancient Astrologers fansied for they have no Authority at all over those things that depend upon Free-will As to such things which are out of the Power of Man viz. Life Honour and Riches all agree That they who obey the Commandments of God are out of the reach of the Planets And R. Moses Gerund says That God is above all and can Act See Dispose of and Govern all things according to every ones Desert For this Reason the Talmudick Doctors in one place deny that there is a Planet belongs to Israel and in another affirm it Admitting a Distinction they are both true 〈◊〉 as Aben Ezra remarks upon Exd. chp 34. no Planet reigns over the Fews while they observe the Law but when they neglect it Likewise the Prophet Jeremy says Chap. 10.2 Be not dismayed at the Signs of Heaven for the Heathen are dismayed at them He that is desirous to know more of these things may consult the 18th Book chap. 2. of Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews For where he treats of the Sect of the Pharisees whose Opinion I confess I am of he subjoyns these words They ascribe all things that are acted to Fate but however they grant the Assent of Man's Will alledging that God uses this moderation that when all things are made by his Counsel yet Man hath the Liberty of embracing Vertue or Vice In another place B. 16. c. ult Discoursing of the unhappy Death of Alexander and Aristobulus the Sons of cruel Herod he says It is reasonable to doubt whether that Crime is to be charg'd upon the young Gentlemen by which they had long incurr'd their Father's Displeasure and Hatred or upon the old King's Cruelty and immoderate Desire of Glory and Sovereignty or upon Fortune whose Power the Reasons of the wisest Men cannot oppose Hence we are perswaded that she has settled before-hand all humane Actions which must necessarily come to pass and this is the Power which we call Fate because there is nothing but what it can accomplish So much for Josephus Here we may take notice that by Fate he means the Vertue or Influence of the Planets and he observes notwithstanding these Man has the Liberty to be vertuous or profligate and a little after that no humane Reasons can resist it's Power But Divine and Supernatural ones can such as servent Prayers Alms Deeds sincere Repentance and the like He that has a mind to see a more accurate Discourse upon this Subject may be satisfied by the famous and incomparable Gerard Jo. Vossius in the Second Book of his most Learned Treatise of Idolatry Now I have shew'd the Opinions of our Learned Doctors and of the Astrologers concerning the influence of the Planets I proceed to my Dispute about the Term of Life which according to some of the Jews is that which is determin'd by the influence of the Stars Thus R. Bahye very often says That a Man's Life is decreed by a Planet in reference to that of 1 Sam. 26.10 Or his day shall come But especially the ancient Doctors in Tanchuma are of this Opinion who by those words in Gen 1.14 and for days and years allegorically understand the days and years of a Man's Life which the Sun and Moon mutually govern Thus much for the Opinions of the Astrologers SECT 4. The Physicians are of another mind for they following Galen and Avicenna the chief of that Profession maintain that Life and the Preservation of a Man's Body consist in the Harmony and Proportion of the Qualities which result from the four Elements out of which it is compounded but especially in a due Proportion of heat and moisture So that a Man lives as long as the natural heat continues for being of a Fugitive Nature it consumes the Radical moisture and when that is dry'd up and the other extinct we die so Avicenna says It is impossible that we should die unless the Radical moisture is absorpt and the nutural heat consum'd According to this Opinion every ones Life depends upon a good Temperament and from thence Physicians can foretell the Dispositions and Manners of Children that are to be born not by gazing upon the Heavens as the Astrologers do but by observing the Fortune that attends the Mother while she is pregnant but principally that of
Kings 2.1 Now what do these expressions signifie any other than a fixed and setled Boundary to which a Man is directed To encrease and diminish pre-supposes some certain Quantity and Number Now the Scripture affirms That the fear of the Lord prolongeth days but the years of the wicked shall be shortned Prov. 10.27 from whence it follows that Life has a Term and that one Man's is contracted and another's enlarg'd according to their Works Besides all these Places that have been produced that in Samuel is very observable where David speaks these words 1 Sam. 26.10 As the Lord liveth the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to die or he shall descend into Battel and perish from whence it is very plain that either Providence Nature or Chance may be the Cause of a Man's death as I shall shew by and by And it is likewise evident that every Man has a certain day in which this Life must be changed for a better These things I thought fit to premise that I might establish the Truth of what I am about to discourse of SECT 2. Having clearly prov'd from the Sacred Writings that there is a certain and definite Term of Man's Life I shall in the next Place explain how this Term is to be understood And first we must know that wise Men do not agree about this thing but differ in their Judgments according to those Principles of Science which they have entertain'd The Astrologers affirm that the Term and continuance of Life depends upon the Stars and this was the Opinion of Aesculapius Now say they if the whole Earth receives a vital Energy from the Influence of the Stars and for that Reason some Part is fruitful and some barren and likewise if the Times and Seasons are determin'd by them why may not also every Man's life and death depend upon them too Other Men that think a little closer are of Aristotle's mind and assert that the Sun and Man ingender Man And they will have it that not only the Sun which is the chief of all the Planets but that all the rest of the Stars do concurr to so Noble so excellent on Effect as the Formation of Man Hence they divide the Operations and various Offices among the Planets In the first Month of Conception they say Saturn dries up the first Mass in the second Jupiter kindly prepares and augments it in the third Mars separates and quickens it and so every Month the Planets execute their respective Offices as may be observ'd in Plato apud Marsil iâ— Atlon l. 3. and Thomas Aquinas contraâ— Gent. q 84. From thence it comes to pass That that Conjunction or Disjunction of the Stars which predominates at the Conception of the Faetus produces the Seeds of future Affections Life and Death Good and Evil and they quite discard every thing else from the disposing of Men's destiny This was the Opinion of the Stoicks who obstinately maintain'd that the immutable Fate of Men chiefly rely'd upon the Influence and Vertue of the Stars There are others who attribute all that we have taken notice of to the Position and Efficacy of the Stars which happens at the Birth not at the Conception of the Child but this is frivolous because all of them ascribe prosperous and unfortunate Events to the Celestial Signs The Hebrew Doctors confess That inferior Bodies act by the Vertue of heavenly ones and Maimonides affirms in his Epistles That there is no one among the Learned Jews or the Philosophers that doubts of it Therefore though they may dissent about the Creation of the World while some say it is Co-eternal with God others that it was created out of pre-existent Matter and others out of Nothing yet they all agree in this That the Generation of Sublunary things is effected by the Stars but what that Vertue of the Stars is or how it influences the Bodies or Minds of Men is still dubious and uncertain The fore-mention'd Rabbi in his Epistles stiffly denies it these are his Words Some of the Philosophers who admit not of Providence attribute all humane Events to Chance some of them to the Efficacy of the Stars On the other side some referr all to a fatal Necessity of the heavenly Constellations and will have it that the Riches and Poverty the Prosperity and Adversity of all Men depends upon the Position and Vertue of the Stars which are incident at the time of their Nativity and this Law they averr to be inviolable Both these Opinions are very false because that which imputes all to Chance denies the Pâ—â—â—dence that is so much celebrated in Holy Writ that which allows so great Power to the Stars and follows judicial Astrology is foolish In the first place says he I have look'd over all the Arabick Books that treat of this Science and at last discover'd it all to be mere Vanity and Madness The truly wise Gâ—aecians neglected this Study and none of them have written any thing about it The Persians also esteem'd it idle The Chaldaeans Aegyptians and Canaanites only were addicted to this Vanity because their Religion consisted in it for some time Afterwards offering at clearer Reasons he says That our Law and all the Philosophers acknowledge Free-will and that Man is endowed with an absolute Power of pursuing Good and abstaining from Evil as on the other side of obeying his sensual Appetite and disregarding the Dictates of Reason Now if the influence of the Stars is so great over Men where is that Liberty If it is impossible for Men to avoid the vertue and impression of the Stars why are there Precepts What does it signifie to endeavour to extirpate vicious Habits and to become vertuous when Heaven had determin'd when we were born what we should be as long as we liv'd If Men's liberty depend so much upon the Stars all their Care and Solicitude is to no purpose Therefore says Maimonides we ought to attribute all this to Providence for Sin is the Cause of a Man's poverty and his Repentance may make him rich Prosperity and Adversity are to be imputed to every Man's works because we see God promises Life and Temporal Blessings to those that observe his Commandments But if it sometimes falls out otherwise that a just Man meets with Afflictions we must submit to God Because he only knows the Secrets of our Hearts and the Reasons why he punishes and rewards We may now evidently discover how repugnant the Judgment of Maimonides was to that of the Astrologers and what his Sentiments were concerning judicial Astrology SECT 3. A great many very Learned Doctors are of a different Opinion and unanimously affert That some Vertue is deriv'd upon New-born Infants from the position of the Stars and that Life and Death Wealth and Poverty are ordain'd after the same manner This is the Fate of the Jews which is call'd by them the Ordination of the Stars and is usually prov'd by these following Reasons 1. It is
did And this is not contrary to Reason For if according to Galen good Diet preserves Health and consequently prolongs Life may we not allow the same Efficacy nay greater to the wise Government of the Soul Now the Body receives Life from the Union of the Soul therefore if this be manag'd according to the Rules of true Holiness which are not prescrib'd by Galen or Hippocrates but which we learn from Heaven no Man can deny but it is most reasonable to expect long Life from a perseverance in that I remember that I have read of a certain Rabbi that wonder'd that Men should live so long in Babylon when 't is situated so low which Places Avicenna takes notice are very unhealthy but when he was inform'd that they often frequented the Synagogues he was very well satisfied The like I met with in Guemera de Tahanit c. 4. where some People asking how they might prolong their lives the wise Men answer'd that it might be done partly by a natural Cause and partly by a moral one viz. The fear of the Lord. I have read also of a Merchant who liv'd in the Island of Cyprus that order'd it to be proclaim'd that he had abundance of sweet Spices to sell that were excellent to preserve Life and when a great many People came to purchase them he pull'd out a Psalter out of his Bag and shew'd 'em the 34th Psalm where David says v. 13 14. What man is he that desireth life and loveth many days that he may see good Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile by which he would intimate that Piety was the best Aromatick to procure long Life Besides the Meditation upon God's word is the means to prolong Life and restore the natural Heat This is strongly confirm'd by Solomon's Exhortation For that most wise King where he speaks about the Law says Length of Days is in her Right-hand and in her Left-hand Riches and Honour Prov. 3.16 Also Chap. 9.11 By me thy days shall be multiplied and in another place Chap. 3.8 It shall be health to my Navel and marrow to my Bones The Reason is because the Scripture saith Man shall not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord Deut. 83. From hence it appears that Men are nourish'd by Spiritual as well as Corporal Food And this I believe is the Reason why Solomon compares the Law of God to the Tree of Life Prov. 3.18 because as the Tree of Life which was in Paradise had such a Vertue that whoever tasted the Fruit of it grew young and vigorous again So the Law of God which is like the Tree of Life has the same effect In like manner if Adam had not sinn'd tho' his Body was compounded of a mixture of the four Elements he might have liv'd a great many Years longer and at last his Soul together with his Body might have been translated into Heaven as it happen'd to Enoch and Elias and all others would have enjoyed the like Privilege who had liv'd in perfect Obedience to the Law Hence the Rabbins believe that when the Law was given to Moses God plac'd the Israelites in the same State that Adam was in before the Fall But that happy Condition lasted not long by reason of their abominable Idolatry in worshipping the Calf Therefore David says Ps 82.7 8. I have said ye are Gods and all of you are Children of the most high But ye shall die like Men c. What I have mention'd already does notably illustrate and confirm that singular Example which is recorded in Guemera Jebamot c. 12. of a certain Family in Jerusalem out of which whosoever was born seldom liv'd above Eighteen years which thing being related to R. Johanan Ben Zachay and being ask'd what was the reason of it he bid them enquire if they were not of Eli's Posterity whom God had threaten'd saving 1 Sam. 2.33 All the increase of thing House shall die in the flower of their Age. And it was discover'd that they were deriv'd from him Upon which he admonish'd them that if they desir'd God would grant them longer Lives they should very diligently meditate upon his Law This wise Man's advice had its effect and experience shew'd it And our of gratitude the Family would ever after be call'd by his Name Our Rabbins likewise report that the Sabbath-day on which David died he was very intent in meditating on God's Law which when the Angel Samuel who is the common Executioner of Death perceiv'd he could not execute his Office Wherefore he contriv'd this Stratagem that a high Wind should vehemently shake the Trees that grew in David's Court that might occasion his coming abroad which it did but as he was going down some steps he miss'd one of them and fell down upon which the King being in a Consternation did not think upon God's Law so his Meditation ceasing his Life ceas'd also The Rabbins in this place are of opinion that David obtain'd such Favour from God by his Sanctity and his devout Hymns that Death could have had no Power over him if he had not committed Adultery and Murder Save only in the Matter of Uriah says the Scripture 1 Kings 15.5 This is enough to shew that our Life may be prolong'd by observing God's Laws and meditating thereon so that if any one would perfectly and constantly observe the Law it is probable that like Elias he would never die For I believe this may be miraculously done two ways First by preserving the Radical Moisture in its due State Secondly by preserving the Vertue of our Food As to the First it is confirmed by the Example of Moses who liv'd forty Days in Mount Sinai without Meat or Drink then the Divine Law which was instead of Food preserv'd the Radical Moisture in its due Vigour and Strength The other is confirm'd by the Example of Elias for the Angel said unto him Arise and eat because the Journey is too great for thee 1 Kings 19.7 8. And in the next verse 't is added That he went in the strength of that meat 40 days and 40 nights For the vertue in the Meat was preserv'd as if he had but just eaten it so that he was not sensible of any Fatigue all those 40 days and Nights We must not forget the wonderfull Story of Elias and the Woman of Sarepta for we read how the Prophet said unto her 1 Kings 17.14 The Barrel of Meal shall not waste neither shall the Cruise of Oyl fail And so it came to pass for as much as was taken out one day was restor'd the next Thus the Radical Moisture which is like Oyl is miraculously preserv'd in its due quantity and quality by a constant Course of Piety I say miraculously because it can't be naturally And when I propos'd this Question to Zacuthus a very learned and worthy Physician among us he courteously answer'd in a particular Treatise that it
Vespasian who was created Emperor in Judaea But there are some Men that can't avoid their fate though they foresee it So some interpreted the Signs one way and some another till their Folly was confuted by their own and their Countries ruin To this belongs the Observation of Tacitus B. 5. of his History A great many were perswaded that the Priests in their Writings foretold that about this time the East should grow powerful and that the Jews should be Lords of the World Now these obscure places only meant F. Vespasian and Titus But the common People as Men usually wish interpreted this mighty Success to themselves in Case it should so fall out in the midst of their Calamities Suctonius also takes notice of this Prophecy in the Life of Vespasian c. 4 It was says he firmly believ'd all over the East that at this time the Jews should enjoy an universal Dominion This though foretold of the Roman Emperors and was verified in the Event the Jews understood of themselves and so rebell'd and having slain the Governour they also routed the Forces that the Deputy of Syria was bringing for his Assistance Servius likewise in his Commentaries upon Virgil's Aeneids B. 4. tells us That Suetonius in his Life of Caesar says That the Oracles all over the World declar'd that the invincible Emperour was born Now most of the wise and prudent Men being of this Opinion Josephus who was a discreet Man and understood the Scriptures very well thought that after Jotapata was taken the Power of the Jews was quite extinct Therefore he acquainted Vespasian as if it had been reveal'd to him from Heaven that the Prophets foretold he should be an Emperour Not that I believe Josephus had the Spirit of Prophecy for that no one had as the ancients affirm under the second Temple but he said this to ingratiate himself with Vespasian For when Jotapata was taken within forty seven days according to his Prediction and when by a wonderful Sagacity he foresaw that the Romans would take Jerusalem he so manag'd his Discourse and his Affairs that he was sure his Prophecy would be Credited Several of the Jews believ'd that Jerusalem could not be taken but by one that was to be an universal Monarch Hence we read in the Talmud that R. Johanan Ben Zachai making his Escape out of the City for fear of the Seditions that were within was apprehended and being brought before Vespasian he saluted him Emperour but when the Emperour denied that he was the Person he told him That he was and that he was appointed so by a Divine Prophecy For Isaiah says Chap. 10.34 And Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one i. e. by one that Rules over all the World Thus we see the Completion of this Prophecy 7. Now while Daniel was much troubled about the Afflictions that would fall upon the Jews under the four Monarchies God was pleas'd to raise his sinking Spirits by the Prophecy of a particular happy Condition that they were to enjoy Dan. 11.2 Behold there shall stand up yet three Kings in Persia and the fourth shall be far richer than they all i. e. There shall be but three Kings of Persia after Cyrus Some Men pretend to prove out of History that there were fourteen Kings of Persia others that there were but seven But their mistake proceeds from this because they make Cyrus to be the first when he was the Eleventh to whom succeeded Cambyses Artaxerxes and Darius and these are the three which the Prophet means Now Darius descending from the Jews by his Mother's side he gave them leave to build the Temple and commanded Ezra to teach the People out of the Law of Moses and Nehemiah was to take Care of the building of the Walls But Darius affecting the Empire of Greece was unfortunately slain by Alexander the Great Furthermore Daniel says v. 2. A mighty King shall stand up i. e. Alexander and shall be divided towards the four winds of Heaven v. 3. i. e. in respect of those who succeeded him The Prophet also foretels several other things as concerning Seleucus the King of the Assyrians and Babylonians and Ptolemy Lagus This is enough concerning the Completion of some Prophecies whose Events certainly depended upon Man's Free-will from hence we conclude That God not only foreknows those things which he determin'd to do after some extraordinary manner but likewise future Contingencies Hither we may refer what Josephus says B. 10. c ult Daniel wrote after the same manner concerning the Roman Empire and the Destruction of Jerusalem All these things that were reveal'd to him by God he wrote down and left to Posterity that when they saw what he foretold was punctually fulfill'd they might wonder that God should have so signal a Regard for him and that the Errour of the Epicureans might be confuted who will not allow of Providence and deny that God governs the World but only assert that it moves by a natural Impetus now if this wanted a Director as they say even as we see Ships cast away for lack of a Pilot and Chariots overturn'd and broken that have none to guide them so would this also be destroy'd by its own immoderate Motion For this Reason when I reflect upon the Prophecies of Daniel I can't forbear condemning the Ignorance of those Persons who deny God's Providence over humane Affairs for how could his Prophecies be fulfill'd if all things were carelesly and indifferently manag'd This is my Opinion and if any Man be of another let him enjoy it I have but briefly mention'd these things but if any one desires to see all the Controversies of the Jews about the Explication of Daniel's Prophecies he may read Abravanel's Treatise which the Learned Buxtorf has translated into Latine But this must be acknowledg'd that all Prophecies are obscure and the meaning of them can't be understood till the Completion of them It is God's Pleasure that they should be so that there may be room for Free will in all our Actions For if Men knew that any thing would necessarily and inevitably fall out according to God's decree they would despair of good and be careless about that which was Evil but that they might never be dejected God is pleas'd secretly to Act with Men in his Prophecies SECT 7. Some there are who deny God's Prescience upon the Account of these and the like Expressions that we meet with in the Scripture Now I know that thou fearest God Gen. 22.12 And the Lord came down to see the City 11.5 and in another place I will go down and see 18.21 from these Passages they Fansie it may be prov'd That God does not foreknow future Contingencies But if the Reader pleases to look into my Reconciler upon Genesis he may meet with Satisfaction concerning such sort of Phrases This I must repeat in short that wise Men usually express themselves after this manner when out of two Evils they would chuse the least and this is