Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	father_n	holy_a	true_a	7,320	5	4.7314	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17971	Astrologomania: the madnesse of astrologers. Or An examination of Sir Christopher Heydons booke, intituled A defence of iudiciarie astrologie. Written neere vpon twenty yeares ago, by G.C. And by permission of the author set forth for the vse of such as might happily be misled by the Knights booke. Published by T.V. B. of D.	Carleton, George, 1559-1628.; Vicars, Thomas, d. 1638.	1624 (1624)	STC 4630; ESTC S107657	76,014	146

When the Fathers reproue Astrologie this is their purpose to reiect it for Predictions of future things This Prediction cannot be done without the Spirit of God The holy Prophets did make Predictions by that spirit If any shall attempt such things by the Starres then they answere the Starres were not made to haue the honour of the holy Prophets which they should haue if by them wee should come to the knowledge of things to come The Fathers say the Starres haue no other vse or end but to giue light and by their motion to measure the times The Knight saith they should haue an idle and vaine creation if this were all their vse so hee saith Pag. 2. Behold how farre these men proceed to censure not onely all learned men that stand against their fancy but the very Creation of God must bee censured if it stand against their madnesse God giue them a meeke spirit To satisfie the Knight in this that the Fathers in reprouing or reiecting Astrology doe it in respect of the Predictions that their Diuination and Predictions are vnlawfull That this was the thing which so troubled the Fathers hee may vnderstand by that which wee haue said and if that will not satisfie wee could bring enough S. Augustine saith Planetarios quos Mathematicos vocant plane consulere non desistebam quod quasi nullum eis esset sacrificium nulla preces ad aliquem spiritum ob Diuinationem dirigentur Quod tamen Christiana vera pietas consequenter repellit damnat And againe Iam Mathematicorum fallaces diuinationes impia deliramenta reicceram And againe Inde certissime collegi ea quae vera consideratis constellationibus dicerentur non Arte dici sed sorte quae autem falsa non artis imperitia sed sortis mendatio And again His omnibus consideratis non immerito creditur cum Astrologi mirabiliter multa vera respondent occulto instinctu fieri spirituum non bonorum quorum cura est has falsas noxias opiniones deastratibus fatis humanis mentibus inserere atque firmare non horoscopi notati inspecti aliqua arte quae nulla est And to this purpose Theodoret saith Vniuersum Diaboli genus in medio proposuit diuinatores ex syderibus prognostica profitentes somniorum interpres corum mendacia reprehendit poenas constituit It would bee a worke to fill a Booke if I should write all which the Fathers haue obserued to this purpose Let the Knight satisfie himselfe in this that the especiall cause why the Fathers reproue Astrologie is for that they take vpon them to foretell particular Euents fortuitall Which thing cannot bee done but by a Spirit though many times that Spirit may lye But without a Spirit this cannot bee performed by the common consent and torrent of the Fathers CHAP. X. The Censure of the Knights Diuinity THe boldnesse of many men is much to bee maruelled at in these euill licentious times who in colouring of corrupt Causes dare presume to vse the pretence of holy Scriptures turning and forcing Gods truth sometimes to iustifie the forgeries of Sathan which impiety as it proceeded from the Diuell the first corrupter of the truth so wheresoeuer it appeareth in other it doth bewray it selfe and sheweth euidently whom they imitate that vse it For Gods holy truth cannot be so spoken of as a matter of common Learning may be For smooth tearmes and a trim●…ed speech without a religious heart opening the truthes of Gods word will presently bee descried Whether this religious heart bee in the Knight or that hee hath presumed with vnclean hands to handle holy things let the Children of the Church iudge I will not charge him with prophane words as where hee speaking of the immortality of the Soule of the diuine Prouidence of the Miracles and Mysteries of Religion calleth these things meerly Theologicall or Metaphysicall Pag. 94. 95. Religion is Metaphysicall as it dependeth vpon the immediate will of God and not vpon the order of nature This wee passe ouer and come to try his spirit and sound his iudgement in Diuinity Whereas M. Chambers citeth the Prophet Esay 47. 12. 13. where the Prophet foreshewing the destruction of Babylon derideth the Astrologers so much vsed and honoured there who tooke vpon them to foretell calamities because their Predictions herein could not help Babilon After a fruitlesse Discourse wherein hee telleth vs that those Astrologers were Magitians at last hee affirmeth That the ruine of this Monarchy meaning Babylon was extraordinary beyond the compasse of naturall things and did no lesse transcend humane knowledge by naturall meanes to speake his owne words then the standing of the Sunne in the Heauens in the dayes of Ioshua or the going backe thereof in the time of Hezekiah Which things being miraculous and not naturall the Astrologer cannot foretell And such hee affirmeth the destruction of Babylon to be Because God in his secret purpose had decreed to stirre vp the Medes against that people this determination depending as hee saith vpon the immediate will of God because Cyrus is named two hundred yeare before the accomplishment of that Prophesie because the Medes were subiect to the Babilonians and of small power because the surprise of Babylon was so sudden as Herodotus reporteth that the enemies found them eating drinking and dauncing And thus hee runneth on and telleth the Reader that these are reasons to proue that the destruction of Babylon was not naturall but miraculous depending vpon the immediate will of God what hee meaneth by the immediate will of God I know not But this we know that the Miracles that are wrought only by the Word or immediate will of God are such as being done without meanes causeth the naturall man to wonder whose knowledge can reach no higher then as it is led by meanes Therefore the standing of the Sunne in the time of Ioshua and the going backe therof in Hezekiah his sight such like works were Miracles because they were done without naturall meanes and against the ordinary Course of Nature and beyond the knowledge of the naturall man But what Diuines hold the destruction of Babylon to bee a Miracle Here were all the meanes vsed that are vsuall in other destructions the meanes are well vnderstood by the Heathen Historiographers that neuer found any Miracle herein The force of Men great Armies a valiant and politicke King Cyrus against a feeble and dissolute King Belshazzer a man without vertue and foresight What Miracle doe you see heere Herodotus recordeth as the Knight also noteth Pag. 36. when the Medes on a Festiuall day had entred on the one side of the City the other part was ignorant thereof being wholly giuen ouer to dancing and merriment This the Knight noteth to proue that this destruction was miraculous not by naturall meanes Did euer man reason thus before Is it a Miracle that a vigilant wise valiant Army should ouerthrow a carelesse

wee seeke by what meanes the Astrologer came by that knowledge There are but two wayes to know the truth hereof By the light of Nature or by the word of God The Naturall men that haue beene guided by the light of Nature could neuer finde out the Affection of the Starres to such an Euent they could not vnderstand why the Starres should either cause it or incline it or signifie it more then the flying of a Bird and as many as wise and learned haue held the flying of Birds or the entrailes of Beasts to bee Causes or signes of such Euents Then it would trouble you to giue a good naturall Reason for your supernaturall superstitions wee reiect otherwise wee should receiue Aruspicine as well as Astrologie we look I say for one good reason from you why you should not iudge of Astrologie as you do of Augury One great Maister of this Profession Corn. Agrippa Lib. 1. Cap. 53. perceiuing such affinity betweene Astrologie and Augary both depending vpon Principles so like affected to the Conclusion seeketh likewise to confirme that Diuination which is from Augury and Auspicie The best learned in Naturall Philosophy and the best learned in Magicke haue adiudged these things like And because wee striue to doe this seruice to the truth wee must examine and follow you into these blind corners wherevnto you flye you must be holden vp to some particular Euent For the question is not whether the Starres signifie any thing but whether they cause or incline or signifie such a particular Euent as that of Henry 2. the time of his death or danger the wound in his head or any such as your other examples imply If they shew such particular Euents then all your Answeres of a generall inclination of the humour only but not of the actions of men which you euery where lay downe as grounds are in truth brought in by you but as cloakes to couer some secret to try whether in the mist of these clouds you can escape from such Arguments as presse you This is the very point that troubled Cicero and other Philosophers for when they came to this point they were at a stand and could proceed no further not through dulnesse of wit as you impute but because they following the matteras farre as the light of Nature did direct them would goe no further then naturall Reason could warrant It is agreed vpon betweene Cicero and his Aduersary in that disputation de Diuinatione that no naturall Reason can be giuen Cur à dextris coruus a sinistra cornix faciat ratum cur Stella Iouis aut Veneris coniuncta cum Luna ad ortus puerorum salutaris sit Saturni Martisuecontraria He ioyneth these together as alwayes his manner is the flying of Birds and Aspect of Starres because toward a particular Euent there is iust like affection in both these Causes And whereas the common reply of Astrologers is sometimes their Predictions fall out true may wee not answer them in Cicero his words Ipsa varietas fortunam esse causam non naturam docet Si tua Conclusio vera est nonne intelligis eadem vti posse Aruspicies fulgatores interpretes ostentorum Augures sorti legos quorum generum nullum est ex quo non aliquid sicut Praedictum sit euaseret Now if Augury Aruspicine and all such Sorceries are iustly condemned as not standing with Christianity yea euen by naturall men as not standing with Nature though their Predictions were sometimes true what reason hath any man to maintaine Astrology and condemne these Or to thinke that the truth of a Prediction should Priuiledge Astrologie more then these Neither is it any reasonable or tollerable Answere to tell vs of the truth of a Prediction when wee see the Cause And yet this Gentleman confesseth Pag. 195. I for my part saith hee doe freely confesse that there is no one thing that hath made me so confident in the validity of this Art as that which I haue seene to fall out true If no one thing haue made you so confident herein then you haue freely told vs that in your owne iudgement you doe not so much esteeme of your long Discourses of the naturall Causes that the Starres are naturall Causes of such Effects these bee not the things that moue you most but you are most of all moued by the Euents Yet the wise and learned are not carried to such a confidence vpon the sight of the Euents but vpon the knowledge of the Cause and Reason And therefore Cicero and before him as hee witnesseth Eudoxus a Platonicke whom hee and others much esteeme for Learning and Panaetius whom hee accounteth the worthiest of the Stoicks and diuers likewise after him men of great Learning in Philosophy did reiect this Art for that these Causes are not Naturall albeit some Euents fell out true For if the question bee of a thing determinable by the light of Nature that Rule of Cicero holdeth alwayes It is a foule shame for a Philosopher to speake any thing without a naturall Reason And if this bee a sufficient warrant to make a man confident in the validity of an Art because he seeth Predictions to fall out true then must this Gentleman be very confident in Witchcraft because hee seeth that all that which was foretold to Saul by Witchcraft 1. Sam. 29. fell out true And shall the truth of that Prediction make a man so confident in the validity of that Art They who are gouerned by the Spirit of God and seeke knowledge according to Godlinesse may not bee confident vpon the truth of Euents And seeing by this example wee see euidently that God in his iust iudgement against the wicked King Saul did suffer Sathan thus to deceiue and illude Saul euen by foretelling him a true Euent because by vnlawfull means he sought the knowledge of things to come They that would iudge the like of the like things must needs thinke that God in the like sort suffereth the Diuell to deceiue and illude Astrologers by suffering them to foretell true things sometimes that curious men that will not containe themselues within lawfull knowledge may bee deceiued and drawne into a great confidence of the validity of this Art Heerein Gods Iudgement is fearefull but iust against such as seeke the knowledge of things to come by vnwarranted meanes Now this Gentleman writing for Astrologie after so many Ages and comming to that very point which so much troubled Cicero and the rest and caused them vtterly to abandon the Art because by the light of Nature they saw no way to goe through this difficulty He comming I say to the same point is to be obserued well how he in his imagination goeth through where they all stucke For hee vseth no other means to informe vs in the Mistery but this Pag. 99. If Spice and other hot Simples are of force to stirre and alter our humours by their specificall qualities why

the like secrecies in Astrologicall Diuination This knowledge that thus flyeth the light sheweth euidently whence it commeth Iamblicus disputing against Porphyry telleth vs that Porphyry following Astrologicall diuination went not foundly to the way of foretelling but the Egyptian way was as hee thought the surer Both did seeke to know the Lord of the Figure which in truth was a Diuell but they were not well agreed to what Diuell to giue the place but the Egyptians saith hee went more directly to it Quidnam prohibet figurae dominum atque daemonem per Astrologiam quidem difficile inueniri facillime vero per diuinum vaticinium atque sacrificia Where hee plainly confesseth that Dominus figurae whom the Astrologers seeke so much is in truth Daemon a Diuell Sir you vnderstand by this how your Astrologie is censured There is no certainty in it till you come to Magicke that is the sure way so that Iamblicus telleth you that Astrologers doe but spend the time in vaine till they come to the Egyptian sacrificing that is to plaine Magicke Plotinus qui inscribitur si faciant astra saith as Macrobius citeth him Pronunciat Plotinus nihil vi vel potestate corum hominibus euenire sed ea quae decreti necessitas in singulis sanxit ita per horum septem transitum statione recessiue monstrari vt aues seu praeter volando seu stando futura pnnis vel voce significant nes ientes Whereby it appeareth that in his iudgement there is no more naturall cause of a particular Euent in the Starres then in the flying of Birds And therefore these things being shut out from naturall Causes are found onely amongst diabolicall Superstitions My purpose is heerein to refute Astrologicall Predictions as standing against nature by the voyce of the naturall man by Philosophers and the confessions of them that haue beene reputed most learned in that fession And I haue dealt little with Diuines I will adde a few Origen vpon the Booke of Numbers expounding those words There is no Sorcery in Iacob nor Diuination in Israell in due time it shall bee reuealed to Iacob and Israell what the Lord will doe speaketh of the curiosity which men by vnlawfull meanes vse in seeking the knowledge of things to come Hee sheweth that there are but two waies to know those things either from God as the Prophets spake or from the Diuell as all other doe that seeke the knowledge of particular Euents Est talis quaedam saith he in Ministerio praesciētiae operatio Daemonum qua artibus quibusdam ab ijs qui se Daemonibus maciparint colligitur And expounding the latter part of that Verse In tempore dicitur Iacobo Israeli quid perficiet Deus Quid est saith he in tempore dicetur cum oportet expedit hoc est in tempore Si ergo expedit pranoscere nos futura diceture Deo per Prophetam Dei per spiritum sāctum Si vero non dicuntur neque denuntiantur scito quia nobis non expedit futura pranoscere Quod si idcirco non dicuntur nobis quia nobis ea scire non expedit qui diuersis artibus daemonum inuocationibus gestiunt futura praenoscere quid aliud faciunt nisi ea cupiunt discere qua sibi scire non expedit And a little after after A solo Deo debemus de futuris discere neque diuinum neque augurem neque aliud quodcunque horum recipere The Knight would make Origen to stand for Astrologie and produceth a testimony of Origen as he dreameth out of the narration of Ioseph in which Iacob is said to tell his Sonnes that Heauen was a Booke wherein they might reade whatsoeuer should befall them This howsoeuer the Knight thought worthy his Relation yet I doe not account it worthy my Refutation It is grosse ignorance or wilfull collusion to thinke that Origen gaue credit to any such Booke or wrote any such thing it is true that many such tricks are put vpon Origen by deceiuers and thrust in amongst his workes of which Origen complained in his life time confessing that his workes were interpolated by couseners but for this particular 1. It is against the vsuall Doctrine of Origen in other places 2. It is reiected by the Church as fabulous 3. It is refuted by S. Augustine and others Augustine teacheth no otherwise speaking of Astrologie and of Diuination in generall He saith Omnes Artes huiusmodi vel nugatoria velnoxiae superstitionis ex quadam pestifera societate hominum Daemonum Hee calleth it pestifera curiositas crucians sollicitudo mortifera seruitus And reckoning all the kindes of Magicke haruspicum Augurum libros ligaturas remedia in praecationibus Characteribus and other things of that sort at last hee saith Nec ab hoc genere pernitiosae superstitionis segregandi sunt qui genethliaci propter natalium dierum considerationes nunc autem vulgo Mathematici vocantur For anciently these were not called Mathematici and therefore hee seemeth loth to giue them that name as a name vndue to their occupation For himselfe obserueth so much Non cos appellarunt Mathematicos veteres qui nunc appellantur sed illos qui temporum numeros motu coeli ac Syderum peruestigarunt This amongst the Ancients was the knowne Subiect of the Mathematickes the supputation of times by the motion of the Starres And anciently Predictions were neuer accounted any part of the Mathematickes The Knight vtterly scorneth this ancient vse as idle and vaine without Predictions For an answere to S. Augustine the Knight telleth vs that S. Augustine reproueth onely such as either follow the Idolatry of the Heathen or suppose a fatall necessity in those things that depend vpon our will in all things else confessing the gouernment of the Heauenly Bodies and both the Starres to haue their properties and the Astrologer to know the same This was soon said and boldly but when will it be proued The truth is that S. Augustine and the rest of the Fathers reproue Astrologie for the vaine curiosity of foretelling things to come which cannot bee foretold but by God and his Prophets or to the Diuell and his Prophets This is that which moued the Fathers against Prediction because a Prediction cannot bee foretold but by the Spirit of God This saith Origen this saith S. Augustine That the Predictions of those that are called genethliaci is nothing but pernitiosa superstitio Cyrill writing against Iulian the Apostate answereth an Obiection that Iulian hath made that Abraham was an Astrologer that hee did vse Diuination or Prediction by the Starres Cyrill answereth that there is no such Diuination or Prediction the Starres haue no such vse they were not made for any such thing but as hee saith Factum ab ipso Deo dicimus Astrorum chorum non quod sanctorum Prophetarum dignitatem habeat vel aliud quicquam preter quam vt luceant hominibus sint in signa temporum