rising of the Sunne should not know when it would bee day Either this instance is nothing worth or else hee holdeth that as the day followeth the Sunne-rising by such a naturall course which cannot bee broken without Miracle so the particular Euents in mens actions foretold by the Astrologer follow the Positions of the Starres in such a naturall course as cannot be broken without Miracle The operation of the Sunne and Moone that are naturall are confessed The Husbandman can tell when it will bee day as well as the Astrologer The Husbandmen and Fishers by marking the course of the Moone can foretell the full Sea and Eâ—…be more exactly then any Astrologer what then Are thâ—…se Astrologicall Predictions No verily no more then the foretelling of an Ecclipse For of these things that naturally follow and without a Miracle are not broken our question is not This M. Chambers granteth But what affinity hath this with your Astrologicall Predictions Or how will you conclude from this grant a particular contingent Euent in a mans life or state as that Henry 2. shall bee at such a time wounded in the head or that Ioh Medices shall bee Pope or any such like For M. Chambers by Astrologicall Predictions meant onely particular contingent Effects as your selfe say they are such Pag. 210. Now when as your selfe confesse that Astrologicall Predictions are in things contingent not necessary you grant directly with M. Chambers that the day following the rising of the Sunne naturally that is necessarily not contingently the ebbing and flowing following the Positions of the Moone necessarily not contingently the Eclipse following the interposition necessarily not contingently You must needs grant that these naturall and necessary Consequents haue no affinity with Predictions which are not naturall and necessary Consequences but contingent as your selfe doe acknowledge And yet you aske with what face can M. Chambers say this With an honest face and a learned head Wee will not vrge with what face you may looke vpon your ouer-sights Learne what it is wee grant and what wee deny Wee grant that the operations of the Sunne and Moone are euident that their Effects are naturall and therefore bound to naturall necessity no way subiect to Contingence Wee deny that the particular Euents foretold by Astrologers are naturall Effects or necessary but only contingent You confesse thus much How then can you refute these things If I grant the operations of the Sunne and Moone in things necessary by the ordinary Course of Nature must I needs grant the power of Starres in things contingent Yet this you thought to bee such a Syllogisme which all the Aduersaries of Astrology should neuer bee able to answere You deceiue your selfe and would deceiue others But who is not able to distinguish betweene naturall Effects and contingent Euents which poore distinction cutteth off all your hopes of this inuincible Syllogisme and sheweth the Cause to bee weake that cannot bee better supported And whereas you take pleasure to compare the influence of Starres towards a contingent Euent to the operation of Simples it is not worth the refuting your selfe granting the one contingent and the other naturall Now call you this a begging of the question the question being of Predictions in particular Euents What doe wee begge in distinguishing betweene naturall Effects and contingent Euents Doth not hee thinke you famously begge the question who answereth in euery passage of his Booke that the Astrologer containeth him within the bounds of naturall Philosophy that the Starres are naturall Causes of particular contingent Effects which neither you proue nor your selfe or any man liuing is able to proue Where you tell vs that M. Chambers is conuinced by the testimony of Moses who expressly witnesseth that the Stars bee created for Signes which words are often repeated in your Booke whereby you inferre that Moses doth warrant your Predictions Wee answere that you must not giue interpretations of Scripture to the Church but take them from the Church The Church hath interpreted these Signes to bee such as pertaine to naturall and politicall Orders and Seasons You draw the words to hidden secrets beyond the Course of Nature without warrant Further wee distinguish betweene generall Effects in nature and particuler contingent Euents Now if M. Chambers admit with Clem Alexandrinus and others that by the rising and setting of certaine Starres men may foretell the change of the Ayre plenty dearth plagues drought and that in this respect Mariners and Husbandmen haue vse of that knowledge Must hee that granteth this needs yeeld to your Predictions of particular contingent Euents No Sir wee admit the one and deny the other without any repugnance But whereas wee vrge your particular Euents you would gladly shift off the matter with a distinction of particulars The conceit good Reader if it bee worth the hearing is this Particulars saith the Knight are of two sorts either indiuiduall particulars or specificall For species specialissima and species subalterna are particulars saith hee First it is newes if wee speake properly that species and genera should bee particularia particulare in the proper acception thereof being alwayes opposed to vniuersale Secondly if a man should admit this goodly distinction yet will it doe the Knight no seruice For if any were so absurd to say that Astrologicall Predictions are in particulars that is in generals yet this speech differring altogether from the sense of the Learned cannot helpe them who set their Predictions in such particulars as that Henry 2. should bee wounded in his head in such a yeare of his age that such a man should bee Pope that Don Fredericke should bee King of Naples and such like which are all of those which hee calleth indiuiduall particulars And thus you see to what faire end you haue brought your Syllogisme which you told vs none could auoyd CHAP. VI. The Examination of the Knights Definition of Astrologie whereby as by a Rule hee would rule the question THe Knight fearing belike something before hee came to the Answeres of the Scriptures alleadged by M. Chambers setteth downe as hee calleth it a Rule whereby the Reader may leuell and direct his Iudgement as he saith This Rule is to compare all authorities that are brought against him with the definition of Astrologie by himselfe set downe This proceeding seemeth to vs strange First hee will make a Definition as it pleaseth him best Then hee will haue not onely Philosophicall truths which were absurd enough to bee leuelled according to his Definition and not his Definition to those truthes but he would also perswade vs to leuell and direct the authorities of holy Scripture to this Definition and to vnderstand the Scriptures by this Definition and not his Definition by them For these are his words Pag. 23. I haue thought good to forewarne the Reader not to bee discouraged with the shew of testimonies which he M. Chambers mustered out of the Scriptures Councells Fathers but still to compare his
ΑΣΤΡΟΛΟΓΟΜΑÎΙΑ 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. Esay 44. 24. I am the LORD that maketh all things that stretcheth the Heauens aboue that spreadeth abroad the earth by my selfe that frustrateth the Tokens of the Lyars and maketh Diuiners Mad that turneth Wise-men backeward and maketh their knowledge Foolish London Printed by W. Iaggard for W. Turner of Oxford 1624. To the Worshipfull my very good Cousin M. THOMAS CARLETON of Carleton Hall in Cumberland Esquire and one of his Maiesties Iustices of the Peace for the Couties of Cumberland Grace and Peace SIR THE Sun hath runne ouer the Zodiake in his periodicall Motion almost twenty times since this Learned Treatise was first penned During which time you haue not bin wanting with diuers other intelligent and Iudicious Schollers who had a sight of it what by Letters what by word of mouth to solicite the Reuerend and worthy Author for a publication And the Prayers of you and the requests of others well affected haue at the length preuailed Now then then that this Discourse hath gotten Feete to walke abroad in the Light it desires earnestly to runne into your embracements being assured of welcome vpon that good experience of your former loue kindnes towards it while it was but yet a breeding And for my selfe sithence I haue had the Honour vouchsafed me to conferre a little paines though it bee nothing to speake of in sending abroad of this worthy worke into the world for the good of Christians in general and more especially for their benefit who haue bene a long time bewitched with Sorcery and Astrologie I was verily induced to thinke that I could neyther please my selfe nor the Author better then if I should make choyse of you for the Dedication whose heart as it is truly touched with Piety to beare loue vnto the Saints of God such as excell in vertue so I perswade my selfe it is also affected with a Godly hatred of all such as imagine euill things and that hold of Superstitious vanities Superstitious vanity is a farre spreading Tree one maine branch of it is Astrologie Diuination whether it bee a more Artificiall delusion which Sathan worketh in the Learned and great Clearkes of the world or a more simple and grosse kinde of insinuation which he practiseth vpon the ruder and vn-lettered people the matter is not much neither is the difference substantiall but graduall the former exceeding onely in complement being a more formall imposture and refined Villainy Both are heere euicted to be impious both to be diuellish and the whole Art to be an vnwarrantable profession superstitious vanity And because we desire not to be mistaken in ipso limine to open our selues a little here we professe not to meddle with Astrologie as it is the same with Astronomia or Ouranoscopia which is an ingenuous part of good Learning and one of the seuen Liberall Sciences But take Astrologie for Astromantia or Genesiologia as the Knight doth in his Book and then we are right when we call it an Imposture Iugling Superstition Vanity Quae nulla solidaratione firmetur nullo certo experimento insistat nulla sapientum authoritate probetur sed quam Philosophi ceu ludibrium é scholis explodant Caesarea iura damnent pontisicum decretae Synodicaeque Sanctiones interdicant diuinae Scripturae detestentur omnium Theologorum iudicia reprobent Which I do find condemned by the Lord himselfe Deut. 18. in the Canaanites whom hee destroyed before the Israelites for this very abhomination condemned by the Lords Prophet Esay 47. in the Babylonians destinied to destruction condemned by the practise of those Conuerts in the prime Age of the Gospell Acts 19. who had vsed those curious Artes but they burnt all their Books and esteemed nothing of the great price of them though it amounted to fiftie thousand peeces of Siluer condemned by the iudgement of S. Austen other Fathers Councils and diuers famous later Diuines and lastly condemned by the neuer-too-much admired Pen of the most Noble and most Learned Prince incomparably that liues this day in Christendome and that is His most Excellent Maiesty our Gracious Soueraigne whose Iudgement is clearly this That the Diuell who is the Doctor and Teacher of the Blacke Art according to a double curiosity in his Schollers learned or vn-learned hath a double meanes to feede their Curiositie thereby to make them for to giue themselues ouer to this study and so at the last to his seruice These two meanes He cals the Diuels Rudiments and the Diuels Schoole His Rudiments are Charmes and Spels for simple and vn-learned people The Diuels Schoole is Iudiciarie Astrologie and that 's for the Learned onely The place is in HIS First Booke of Daemonol cap. 3. 4. where you may read more at large touching this point So then this impious and vaine Art hauing receyued such a faire Triall ful condemnation by competent Iudges what with-holdeth it from execution but the methods and slights of Sathan who worketh in the Children of Disobedience such a liking of the Art that notwithstanding all that can be said against it they will not stick to defend the Practitioners of it and applaud them many times in their sinnefull and mis guided speculations And because they will not be mad without Reason they haue a specious Argument whereof they boast very much which they are wont to produce for them selues in fauour of all Diuiners and it is taken for the truth of Astrologicall Predictions In breefe it is this The Euents fore-knowne and foretold by these wisemen fall out true therefore the Art of Diuining is not vaine but vsefull and profitable in the life of man Equidem haec est illa singularis ac praecipua diuinatorum demonstratio cui ceu immobili fundamento vniuersum diuinationis suae aedificium imponâ—…t But as a Learned Writer of our owne said in another dispute Miseri homines mendicant argumenta nam si mercarentur profecto meliora afferrent Silly men that they are that are faine thus to goe a begging for Arguments for sure if they went to the Market where there is choice they would bring home farre better Ware then this Let vs examine their reason and we shall finde it carries no weight at all with it Sixtus Senensis according to the opinion of Basil Chrysostome and other Christian Doctors saith That the truth of Astrologicall Predictions is not to be referred to the Constâ—…llations of Heauen but to foure other more apparant causes namely Ad sortem ad pacta ad prudentiam consultorum stultitiam consulentium the secret dispose of Gods Prouidence the
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
and whosoeuer stand in his way are thus charged Sir bee contented and quiet your selfe and you shall sooner see the truth The Conclusion which you would proue is as you tell vs a thing naturall wee looked for a naturall reason of a naturall Conclusion You goe to proue it by Scriptures confessing thereby that you finde no reason in nature for it Wee need no Scriptures to proue things naturall they are for higher matters then nature can reach But you say the Starres haue Dominion ouer the successe of mens actions because it is said that the Starres fought from Heauen in their order against Sisera Did euer any Diuine expound this as you doe And what warrant haue you to make the word of God serue your fancy First you charge not onely the words but the sense of the place which thing either you should not haue done ot else not so rashly and without considering of your owne words charge M. Chambers of false suggestion or false translating as you doe Pag. 47. For whereas M. Chambers citeth the words of Iob thus Dost thou know the order of Heauen and wilt thou reduce the course of it to the Earth You say he doth falsly translate the words because the Originall hath Knowest thou the Lawes or Ordinances of Heauen and canst thou dispose the Dominion thereof vpon the Earth Let a man not transported with affection tell me the difference betweene your words and his and giue a sensible distinction betweene Dost thou know and knowest thou betweene the order of Heauen and the Ordinances of Heauen betweene reducing the Course of Heauen to the Earth and disposing the Dominion thereof vpon the Earth Is not one sense kept in both But now how the sense and words of the other place is chopt changed by you let vs consider The place which you cite in the originall and in all Translations certainly in all that I haue seene The Hebrew Text hath it the old Latine Translation the Septuagint Tremelius Leo Iuda the English all I say without exception reade the place thus They fought from heauen euen the Starres in their Courses fought against Sisera The Interpreters of this place old and new vnderstand it so that this fighting from Heauen was by Hayle Raine and tempest And true it is that the Starres by their Cosmicall rising or setting are obserued to further raine and tempest And thus wee haue the words of the Scripture faithfully translated in all Translations expounded by ancient and later Expositors shewing how the Heauens fought against Sisera This is confirmed by the circumstances in the Text. For in the next words it followeth The Riuer Kison swept them away The inundation of the Riuer is declared caused by the Hayle and Raine which fell from Heauen whereby the Canaanites were ouerthrowne by the tempest from Heauen and drowned in the Riuer Thus much is euident by the Text and confirmed by the testimonies of all that haue touched this place Against this the Knights Book for Alas the Knight himselfe may be guiltlesse of many things contained in the Booke against this I say this writer taketh vpon him to translate it anew and to expound it as him listeth That the Starres fought from Heauen in their Courses against Sisera and expoundeth it that the Starres by their Influences gaue successe to the Action against all Expositors But if the Influence of the Starres gaue successe in this Action wee would know whether the Astrologer could haue giuen Prediction hereof by looking vpon the Starres In the destruction of Babilon you say hee could not and why could hee more in this For in this a Miracle was shewed euidently Againe if the Starres did signifie successe whether was it good successe or euill For wee know the ancient cosenage of Astrologers and Oracles If the Astrologer should haue told the King of Canaan that the Starres signified good successe hee should haue but deceiued him as many doe Further if this be a good reason because the Starres did fight against Sisera therefore the Influence of Starres reacheth to successe in mens actions Why should not this bee as good The Riuer Kison helped the people of God against Sisera therefore the Influence of the Riuers doe the like For there is no more giuen to the Starres then to the Riuer It is true that all the Creatures of God are at his command and are vsed as Instruments to doe his will in the protection of his Church and against his enemies What is this to Astrologie But you say why did Moses testifie that they were created to bee signes whose signification you affirme to be barbarous or no signes at all to vs if they bee not vnderstood Your meaning is that Moses witnessing Gen. 1. 14. That whereas God in creating the Lights of Heauen said Let them be for signes for seasons and for dayes and yeares These words must bee so vnderstood let the Starres bee created to signfie particular Euents of warres of troubles of the Estate of Cities and Common-wealthes of the death of Kings of particular Euents of mens actions that the Astrologers by looking vpon them may foretell those things For if they bee made for signes they must signifie these things And if they doe not signifie these things then are they vainly created And is not this a great meruaile that the Diuell did not set some Astrologers a worke to interpret Scriptures For if you had the testimony but of some one Expositor of Scriptures you might haue some pretence to excuse the impiety but hauing none what Astrologicall Sorcery hath bewitched you to dare without reuerence offer force compulsion to Gods holy word to make it serue your turne All Expositors that euer I could see with one consent expound this place so that your Astrologicall significations are quite shut out August Lib. Imperf in Gen. ad literam Chrysost. in Cap. 1. Gen. Homil. 6. Beda in Cap. 1. Gen. Origen in Gen. 1. Theodoret in Gen. 1. Abeuleus in Gen. 1. Lyra in Gen. 1. Glossa ordinaria Caluin in Gen. 1. Franciscus Vatabalus not a Translator of the Bible as you call him but a diligent Expounder All doe agree in this that this signification is of things in the knowne Course of Nature for times yeares and seasons And some doe expressly reiect Astrologicall supposed significations The Knight will haue it only for Astrologicall significations Sir doe you thinke in your inward iudgement that God hath written a Booke in the Heauens onely for the vnderstanding of Astrologers If this signification bee such as you would haue it it is onely for Astrologers for none other can open the significations that you meane and yet you know many Doctors doubt whether the Astrologers can open them This is your Diuinity But we thinke that it may much better become a Christian Knight to take Diuinity as the Church receiueth it then to make it new Some expound these signes of the moments of times some of seasons
reuealed will His reuealed will was to Abraham that Isaac should bee offered in a Sacrifice yet God wrought against it Nay the case may bee so that the will of God and the will of man may bee contrary one to the other and yet both good The Father lyeth vpon his death-bed the Sonnes will and desire is that the Father should liue and this desire of the Sonne is agreeable to Gods reuealed will for that reuealed will containeth what wee ought to doe But Gods secret will is contrary to this desire of the Sonne and the Father dyeth will this Gentleman accuse God because hee concurreth to some effects against his reuealed will When Adulterie is committed and Bastards begotten it is against the reuealed will of God But hee that shall affirme that God hath no will nor power nor part in genegation shall take away part of his power and giue it to some other thing and so make moe Gods The people and principall of Israell conspired to put Christ to death this was an vnlawfull action Now hee that shall say that the hand and Counsell of God did not concurre in this action shall denye the plaine Scripture Act. 4. 27. Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israell gathered themselues together to doe whatsoeuer thy hand and counsell had determined before to bee done Neither doth it follow hereby that God doth aduance the credit of an vnlawfull practise to the derogation of his glory for God ordereth all things in nature himselfe being pure from sinne and punisheth all sinners punishing both Adulterers and Astrologers But when I say that God ordereth all things in nature this doth not teach Astrologicall Predictions which are out of the compasse of nature No better is that Theologie which hee vttereth Pag. 480. There is no place in Scripture in which blasphemy is named but doth describe it to be a verball iniury vttered in detestation of God Whence hee seeketh to proue that except it bee euill speaking of God himselfe it is no blasphemy His knowledge and sense in these things whereof hee is bold to speake is rather to bee pittied then refuted I tell you Sir that you doe nothing throughout your Booke but blaspheme when you speake euill of M. Chambers though then your intent is not to offer a verball iniury to God Yet when you speake euill of such as for conscience maintaine Gods truth and therefore speake euill of them because they maintaine the truth then you blaspheme This is true and if you repent not of this sinne you will finde it to bee true another day But therefore wee labour to doe this seruice both to the Truth and you that when the knowledge of your sinne is brought to your sight you may the sooner finde the way to repentance Now that blasphemy is not as you say onely a verball iniury vttered in detestation of God and so taken in euery Scripture where it is named but that it is also against the truth of God and against the Saints that maintaine the truth may appeare out of these places and many moe Act. 14. 45. When the Iewes saw the people they were full of enuy and spake against those things that were spoken of Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is contradicting and blaspheming Act. 18. 6. When they resisted blasphemed he shooke his rayment S. Paul speaking of himselfe and other his fellow Apostles saith Rom. 3. 8. We are blasphemed And 1. Cor. 4. 13. Being blasphemed we pray And 1. Cor. 10. 30. For if I through Gods benefit bee partaker why am I blasphemed for that wherefore I giue thanks To omit many places they are also said to blaspheme who dissemble in hypocrisie making shew of an holy Profession themselues being vnholy Apoc. 2â—…9 I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Iewes are not but are the Synagogue of Sathan Which placeâ—… I note the rather because the Knight out of his worâ—…ed confidence doth boldly giue it out that there is not one place of Scripture where blasphemy is named but it doth describe it to be a verbal iniury vttered in detesta tion of God If the places of Scripture were numbred there will be more found against this then for it But his aduantage is he is no professed Diuine therfore may erre in these points and we must pardon the imperfections of a Knight in Diuinity Which kinde of pleading as I would neuer deny to a man that did descry a sound minde or were compelled to write so if our Knight looke for the same fauour we may iustly answere him as Cato answered A. Posthumius Albinus who being Cos. wrote some Romane Stories in Greeke desiring all men to beare with his imperfections Because quoth he I am a Romane and therefore of me the exact knowledge of the Greek tongue is not to bee required But Cato told him that this was but trifling to intreat pardon when he might haue beene without fault For who compelled him to doe that for which hee thought fit to craue pardon so may we say to the Knight by silence hee might haue beene blamelesse By writing so vnskilfully of vnknowne tihngs vpon hope of pardon because his place requireth not such exact skill in Diuinity and of by vpholding a corrupt cause hee hath shut himselfe from the benefite of that fauour which otherwise he might looke for And if ignorance bee to bee excused in a Christian Knight I should rather excuse ignorance in Astrologie then in Diuinity But must wee pardon this also which followeth Where M. Chambers had found fault with one for ascribing so much to numbers tâ—…t therby he thought to attainâ—… 〈◊〉 mystery of hiâ—…â—…tion and to haue his name registred in the 〈…〉 God The Knight defending that irreligious speech writeth thus Pag. â—…19 It 〈…〉 to him that is not blind by malice â—…at hee intendeth nothing in that Hyperbolicall and excessiue speech but such a sequestration of our thoughts from all materiall things as thereby wee may the more freely contemplate the mystery of the Trinity in Vnity vntill through our whole conuersion to the same wee come to bee registred in the number of those that are sealed to saluation Thus farre the Knight If any man contradict this Gentleman he is presently charged to be blinded with malice And yet M. Chambers did not intend to contradict him but opened an irreligious speech of another But the Knight will take the defence of all vpon him It were to bee wished that hee would deale more aduisedly and not take vpon him the defence of euery foolish Astrologer Wee hope vpon better aduice hee will thinke least malice in such as deale most plainly with him And truely if wee should suffer such prophane speeches to passe without reprehension it were enough to spill him Wee reproue that prophane speech your Defence makes the speech no better but your selfe worse then wee tooke you For you tell vs that by that Hyperbolicall and excessiue