was given for the things of Faith and true worship Divination hath onely been used to seduce from both 28. Prophecy was inspired by God for the prevention of Idolatry superstition sorcery Divination hath been suggested by the devil as an occasion and promotion of them all 29. All things are subject to prophetical illumination as things past present and to come things necessary contingent casual things natural supernatural spiritual things intellectual rational arbitrary things moral religious temporal and eternal so are they not to divination or Astrological prediction 30. Prophecy hath been of the very thoughts of the heart themselves because immediately from God who knoweth the heart but Divination can discern of no thoughts simply as they are in the intellect neither of affections as they are meerly in the will but onely guesses at them by certain external species signes or effects Yea though they be thoughts of the devils own injecting yet he discerns not their affirmation or negation sc their complacency or reluctancy in the immanent act of the understanding or the will save onely as transeunt or breaking forth externally by certain signes and symptomes of passions and affections 31. Prophecy is then most high and admirable when it exceeds all humane reason Divination or any such kinde of prediction is then most vile and abominable when it is not subject to it 32. The devil can neither prophesie nor make prophets but the devil can both predict and make predictors 33. Prophecy as it is not hereditary by nature so neither is it propagatory by art but Magical divination is the one and Astrological is the other 34. Prophecy in obscurest things is sincere Divination in plainest things is equivocal 35. Prophecy is not venal or to be bought and hired with mony and preferments as Magical divinations and Astrological predictions are Neither were the true Prophets mercenary covetous ambitious as the false Prophets and Diviners were 36. Holy men were alwayes humble in the gift of Prophecy prophane men have been proud of the Art of divination or prediction 37. True Prophets never prophesyed things formally false much lesse those wittingly and willingly as false Prophets and Diviners have done 38. True Prophets never hunted the favors of men in place and power by flatring predictions even to evil men and sad presages even against good men as Magical and Astrological Diviners have alwayes used to do 39. Prophesies were then most rigorous and the Prophets most zealous when they themselves were most persecuted and despised but let Magicians Necromancers Diviners Soothsayers fortunetellers Gipsies Juglers Prognosticators and Predictors c. be severely examined according to Lawes and then the sortilegious spirit straightway leavs them And now they are able to forespeak no mans fate or destiny they are so distracted in suspecting their own Thus the Art perishes in the peril of the Artificer as the malefice is prevented or cured in the execution of the Witch 40. It was a curse and expresly threatned as a curse for the Church of the Old Testament to want her Prophets but it was a blessing and expressely promised as a blessing that Diviners Soothsayers and all such like should be expelled out of her And what faithful man and wise would not think it a like blessing to a Christian Church and Commonwealth Now if any man will take the pains to order this accumulation of differences how easitly might he observe through various particulars Prophecy and Divination to be two things utterly different in Author means matter form subject object end and effect 3. Whether these true signes of false prophesyings serve not sufficiently to discern falseness or superstitiousness of Magical and Astrological predictings As 1. If the prophesying or predicting be of such things as humane reason or prudence might justly suspect or easily finde out without it 2. If it serve to set open such presumptions as are not according to the eternal Law of the written Word 3. If it pretend to put extraordinarily upon such actions to which the ordinary rules of the word are a plain guide and the exhortations a sufficient spur without it 4. If it intends falshood under a pretext of truth or evil under a colour of good 5. If it directly tend to a discouraging of vertue and vertuous men or an encouraging of vice and vitious men 6. If it be of some lesser good to hinder a greater good 7. If it be for the use of unlawful means although to seeming good ends 8. If it tend to heresie errour innovation schism and faction in the Church of Christ 9. If to the subversion or obstruction of good Lawes in a Christian Commonwealth 10. If to set civil States in a combustion especially such as are Christian 11. If it be to the advancement of a few and to the disadvantage of a Many and those as dear children of God as eminent in parts and piety and every way as hopeful as useful for Gods glory and the publike good 12. If the prophesyer or predictor shall presume himself for singularly and extraordinarily chosen out and stirred up to reveale secrets amongst a hundred both of more eminent places and graces then himself 13. If he shall pride himself in a singular gift or prefer it to the favour and comfort of a saving grace 14. If vain or corrupt imaginations immediately forego or follow the revelation 15. If erroneous inordinate passionate affected words and phrases accompany the delivery or pronuntiation thereof 16. If the person of the prophecyer or predictor be noted for idolatry infidelity superstition heresie schism athiesm hypocrisie prophaneness carnality insobriety covetousness ambition sedition curiosity vanity levity sorcery envy flattery c. Oh that we did but observe these and the like to examine upon them Doubtless we might with sounder judgements and safer Consciences pronounce upon our predictors and their predictions then either of them could do upon us 4. Whether the Devil can Prophecy and Predict Prophecie he cannot for that 's to speak from the Holy Spirit which the devil cannot will not do Yea it is to speak so as moved by the Holy Ghost Now though the Holy Ghost may move or command the devil to speak whether he will or no yet for him to do it as moved that was not onely to be inspired but to receive the inspiration with approbation or some conformity of affection and intention which to a devil is incompatible Nevertheless predict he may in some things through the divine both permission and injunction And but in some things For the devil cannot foreknow or foretel such things as depends absolutely upon Gods wil. Nor yet thosethings which depend arbitrarily upon mans own will Nor the thoughts and immaginations of mans heart Nor what entertainments his own suggestions have there at their first motion Nor what the good Angels intend Nor what they are sent to effect in the world or the Church Nor can he foresee any thing in it self nor any thing that
understood their way but who can say that he did either own or practise it Oh! but he pleaded for them chap. 2. 24. what did that argue any complyance with them Seeing it was but to save their lives not to excuse their art And was there not good reason for it First the Decree was rash vers 15. Next unreasonable menacing an extreme penalty upon an obligation to an unpossibility vers 10 11 27. And lastly it was unjust involving the innocent and unconcerned For the slaughter of Daniel and his fellows together with the rest was not only intended but pursued verse 13 1â— Act. 7. 22. And Moses was learned in all the wisedome of the Egyptians c. Whether Moses was an Artist in Magicall and Astrologicall learning Must the Holy Ghost needs be understood to mean by the wisedome of the Egyptians their Magick and Astrologie which in truth was their most superstitious folly Ought we not rather to interpret it of their politick prudence in that it followes thereupon Hee was mighty in words and in deeds that is eminent both for counsell and action And if his words and deeds be understood his lawes and miracles and their wisdome their magicall Astrologie would the Holy Ghost have connexed these inconsistencies in one commendation Would God have spoken to Moses as a man speaketh unto his friend Exod. 33. 11. if he had been one that had spoken with the Devill as with his familiar Does not the Lord distinguish and prefer him to other kinds of his own Prorophets Numb 12. 6 7. How then presume we to compare and conjoyn him to such kind of Prognosticators and Presagers He was learned or educated brought up from a child His Tutors while he was brought up in Pharaohs Court might indeed be such but does it necessarily follow that he himself was so Suppose as some doe that hee might be partly tainted with it while a youth and under their institution but when he came to be a man did he make it his profession Hee that when he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter Hebr. 11. 24 would he indure to be called a Son of Art an Astrologer a Magician Say rather that he was instituted in the Theory of it is it evill to know evill Might not his understanding be somewhat informed without the depravation of his will and affections He might know it to detect it to reprove it to inhibit it but did he teach approve or practise it When or where made he use of any such kind of Science in any kind of enterprise or attempt Nay did not Moses oppose himself to Pharaohs Magicians and did not Jannes and Jambres resist Moses Were they now of one society Nay why did they not now upbraid it to him if ever it had been so In brief who would once imagine him to be one of them whom God himself had selected as his Minister to promulge his â—…gainst them and every kind and act and use of them Levit. 19. 〈…〉 and 20. 6. Deut. 3. 1 2 3 5. and 18. 10 11 14. Mat. 2. 1 2. Behold there came Wisemen from the East to Jerusalem Saying Where is he that is born King of the Jews for we have seen his Star in the East c. 1. Whether the Magi that came to Christ were so called in the good or in the bad or else in a middle sense Because in this place and in this place alone the name of a Magician hath with many the favourable translation and interpretation to be accepted as a middle word and a middle word not in relation to their common and profane art but in consideration of their speciall and extraordinary vocation and office shall therefore the profession and practice of Magick be held a thing indifferent Yea will they therefore boast it to be not ungratefull or not distastfull to the Gospell it self Is it not so to it when it speaks of Simon Magus and of Elymas the Sorcerer or Magician Doth not the holy Scripture often make mention of the Devill and Sin and are these therefore to be collected as not ungratefull to it And what if a word be not ungratefull or distastefull to it because therein is properly no turpitude and because it serves but to discern and discover the evill and so is not evill is the same therefore to be concluded as concerning the thing signified should it once be so much as imagined by understanding and consciencious men that the Holy Ghost having so often reproved and abhominated the thing should here approve of it yea or of the name with reference to it Although among profane Authors the name of a Magician was taken sometimes in the good part and sometimes in the bad as the art or practice was presumed to be of things lawfull or unlawfull yet why should such a thing be admitted in sacred Scripture where it is wholy condemned If we look unto the origination of the word which is various and in various languages we find it commonly noted with an ill notation of the name But leaving the originall and signification of the word for obscure and uncertain as the greatest Criticks are fain to doe let them who have a mind to commend this word unto us shew us what good they can observe in the use and practice of it or of those that have been named by it And after they have done all what can they doe but beg a fair interpretation by way of some equivalence or resemblance to conceive that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Persians was as â—he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Greeks and the Sapientes among the Latines Or that the Magi among the Persians were like to the Chaldeans among the Babylonians the Hierophants among the Egyptians the Scribes among the Hebrews the Gymnosophists and Brachmans among the Indians the Philosophers among the Grecians the Helvonians among the Romans the Druids among the French the Bards among the Brittains c. Alas say they were so yet what have they gained by all this But if they let goe the name and will sit down with the definitions or descriptions of Magicians done by Rabbins Greeks Latines Philosophers Poets Historians but I may say nothing of Divines and Christians will they not find themselves at a further loss But to look again upon the Text grant they are here called not Magicians barely but Magicians of the East though the construction will not well bear it for from the East has reference to their profection not their profession what of all that were the Magi the honester for comming from that coast or place And if they were so there does not that cast a brand upon Magicians in all others coasts and places And what though they were still called the Magi after their comming to Christ or conversion was not Saul called Saul after his conversion and Matthew called the Publican and Simon called Zelotes after their vocation Is it necessary
naturall Magick sometimes enclined towards Goetie and Theurgie is insnared very osten in the wiles and errours of evill spirits Of ceremoniall Magick there are two parts Goetie and Theurgie Goetie unfortunately began by the commerce with unclean spirits compacted of the rites of wicked curiosity unlawfull charms and deprecations is exerated banished by the verdicts of all Lawes These are they who carry about them familiar spirits doe feigne themselves to prophecy Some of them study to call and compell evill spirits adjured by some certain powers especially of divine names c. Others most wicked and by mischiefe detestable and to be punished with all fires submit themselves to devils sacrifice to them and adore them and are become guilty of idolatry and the vilest abasements to which crimes if the former be not obnoxious yet they expose themselves to manifest dangers For even compelled divels doe watch to the intent they may alwaies deceive us in our errours From this Sect or rather sinke of the Goeticks have issued all these books of darknesse c. excogitated by men of deplored wits Which books to him that more acutely looks into them and into the canon of their precepts the custome of rites the kind of words and characters the order of extruction and the insulsate phrase doe openly bewray themselves to containe nothing else but mere toyes and impostures and to be pulcht up in latin Hims by the forlorne artificers of perdition ignorant of all ancient Magick out of certain profane observations mixt with the ceremonies of our religion many unknown names and seales inserted that they might terrifie the rude and simple and be an amazement to the sencelesse and such as know not good Letters But this is the reason why these Goeticks onely make use of evill spirits because good Angels will hardly appeare for they expect the command of God and assemble not but with men of clean heart and holy life but the evill ones easily exhibite themselves to be invoked falsly favouring and belying a divinity are alwaies at hand to deceive by their subtilty to the intent they may be worshipped and adored Many think that Theurgie is not unlawfull as if this were governed by good Angels and a divine power when as very often under the names of God and Angels it is obstringed with the fallacies of evill spirits Of this schoole are the art Almadel the art Noterie the Pauline art the art of Revelations and many more of the same superstition which are so much the more pernicious as to the unskilfull they seem the more divine The Cabalie is an art as is reported very ancient and yet the name hath not been known among Christians but of later times This art of Cabalie which the Hebrews so boast of I sometimes have searched with much labour and I finde and confesse it to be nothing else but a meer rapsodie of superstition a certain theurgicall magick but if proceeding from God as the Jews boast it any whit conduced to the perfection of life to the salvation of men to the worship of God to the understanding of the truth verily that Spirit of truth which the Synagogue rejected came unto us to teach us all truth would not have concealed it from his Church until these last times which truly knoweth all things that are of God But that we try and see that by the revolutions as they call them of this art wonderful sentences of great mysteries are wrested out of sacred Letters the whole is nothing else but a certain playing upon Allegories which idle men busied in every letter point and number which this tongue and the manner of writing easily suffer do feign refeigne at their pleasure Therefore this Cabalie of the Iewes is nothing else but a certaine pernicious superstition which collecteth divideth transferreth words and names and letters scatteringly placed in the Scripture and as they list making one thing of another they dissolve the parts of truth the speeches the inductions and making parables here and there of their own fictions they would adopt unto them the words of God defaming the Scriptures saying that their figments do consist of them they calumniate the Law of God by their impudently extorted supputations of dictions syllables letters numbers they attempt to inferre violent and blasphemous proofe of their perfidiousnesse Furthermore being puft up with these trifles they boast themselves to finde out and to know the ineffable mysteries of God and secrets that are above the Scriptures by which they are not ashamed to lie with great boldnesse and without blushing that they themselves can prophecy and work miracles and mighty works But let us return unto Magick parcell where of is the artifice of prestigious things that is of illusions which are only done according to appearance by which Magicians shew phantasms play many miracles by circulatory frauds and cause dreams which is done not so much by Goeticall incantations imprecations and deceits of devils as also by certain vapors of perfumes lights phyltres collyries alligations and suspensions and besides by rings images glasses and such like drugs and instruments of magicall art and by a naturall and celestiall vertue Also many things are done by a prompt subtlety and industry of hand of which sort we see some are done daily by Stageplayers and juglers which therefore we call Chirosophists that is slight-handed And now by what hath been said it is plaine that Magick is nothing else but a collection or compact of idolatry Astrologie and superstitious Medicine And now also there is by Magicians a great company of Hereticks risen up in the Church who as Iannes and Iambres resisted Moses so have they resisted the Apostolicall truth All this is uttered against them by one Arch magician I mean Cornelius Agrippa not a little to the like effect might be collected out of another of them namely Johannes Trithemius yea undoubtedly he that had but the opportunity to peruse their Authors old and of late needs for their confutation to urge them with no more then their own confession Onely I would aske of them this one thing what doe they think of this one Magician for this one act of his Whether doe they conceive him in charity to have thus confessed retracted recanted repented returned c. or doe they uncharitably account him for it to be humorous cynicall satyricall invective distracted mad male content c And whether for this one undertaking of his will they have him called a Philosopher a Daemon an Heroe a God all things or nothing Does not he himselfe tell us what kind of censure he suspects from all kinds of Mag-astro-mancers Alas quoth he with how many of their machinations will they oppugne me with how many devices will they assaile me with what ignominies will they persecute me The impious Mathematician will prescribe me both earth and heaven The sortilegious Pythagorist will suppute for me unlucky numbers The pointing Geomantick will cast unhappy figures
the validitie of their art by the vertue of a vehement and strong imagination For will not a strong imagination and a superstitious faith work as well without a magicall fibrication or Astrologicall configuration as with them Nay are they not in themselves such a kind of art and can they not invent or erect to themselves such a kind of operation and that every whit as effectuall as those already invented and erected 23. Is it not one and the same kind of Faith in a magicall Operator and Astrologicall or genethliacall Calculator a maleficall Sorcerer a prestigious Juggler and a superstitious Consulter or Assentor If not it s their part who would discriminate themselves to shew us the differences that are between them 24. Whether Astrologers as touching their way of Predicting and Presaging ought to be believed although they speak true and it come to passe accordingly In regard that truth is spoken ignorantly unwittingly conjecturally out of uncertain grounds out of multiplicity of words out of ambiguous equivocation by accident and not only by a divine permission but by a Satanicall suggestion and all this with purpose to delude with greater untruths Doe we not use to mistrust many truths in others for the telling of one lye why then should we believe many lyes in These for the telling of one truth 25. If this be a thing credible that there is an ordinary and perpetuall sufficiency and efficiency whereby to foretell of future events generall and particular in Starrs and Planets wherefore then did God still raise up his own Prophets to foretell what should befall and them extraordinary called and but temporally inlightened to that purpose 26. How can Christians have a faith in Magick or Astrologie which since the time of Christ have occasioned so many idolatrous superstitious sacrilegious atheisticall prophane and dissolute Heresies and all of them so utterly repugnant to the faith 27. Whether the magisteriall Dictates of a Jewish Rabbine or a Pagan Philosopher or a Christianizer compact of them both be sufficient either to ground or move a rationall credence much lesse a religious Creed or belief 28. Whether a faith in the contrary hath not prevailed to evacuate the vertue and annihilate the efficacy of a magicall operation and Astrologicall Prediction And what reason else is there why their arts and abilities have so often failed them and they failed in them before the face and presence of faithfull and pious men 29. What faithfull Christian professor sometimes peradventure addicted to the study and practice of Magick and Astrologie whose very Faith upon his conversion moved him not to repent recant reprove reject both his presaging arts books and Societie 30. Whether Magicians and Astrologers have verely and indeed a faith in their own arts and artifices If so wherefore then use they so manifold ambiguities amphibologies equivocations obscurities insignificancies reticencies restrictions cautions fallacies and evasions CHAP. III. 3. From the temptings of Curiosity 1. HAth not the Scripture sufficiently forbidden to tempt God by a curious scrutinie after all such things as pertain to his secret Will Deut. 29. 29. Prov. 25. 27. Eccles 3. 22. Psal 131. 1. Eccles 7. 16. Job 21. 21 22. Act. 1. 7. 19. 19. Coloss 1. 18. 1 Thess 5. 1. 2 Tim. 1. 4. Deut. 6. 16. Psal 78. 8. 19. Mat 16. 1. Luk. 1â— 16. 2. Are there not many naturall things imperscrutable to humane curiosity and therefore not to be attempted without a tempting of God Psal 139. 6. Eccles 11. 6. Prov. 304. Job 38. per tot â—9 per tot 41. 1 2 c. Joh. 3. 8. 3. If it behoves a Christian man to be wise according to sobrietie even in divine things how much more then in things humane Exod. 19. 21 Exod. 33. 23. Job 11. 7 8 9. Iob 26. 13 14. Psal 131. 1. Eccles 7. 16. 23 24 25. Rom. 12. 3. 4. Whether a curious indagation of things hidden absent future be not a strong argument of an ignorant mind an impatient spirit and a discontented heart a guilty conscience a sensuall concupiscence and an idle life As not capable of what he inquires not submitting to his own condition not satisfied with the present not pacified as concerning his own deserts and feares not leaving his own soul but his body only and not occupyed in any true vocation 5. Whether all such curious inquisitions and supervacaneous investigations as are above tearmed toyes obstruse vanities difficult follies studious impertinencies unquiet sloaths or lazy businesses pertain any whit to the perfection of the understanding and be not rather the distemper and disease of the fansie and the very phrenzy and madness of the mind 6. To what end is a curious prying into or interrogating after future accidents Of whose ignorance there 's no unhappinesse punishment reproach and of whose knowledge there 's no glory reward comfort That makes a man neglect the present certain in looking after the uncertain future and so lose the substance in gaping after the shadow Whose Prediction or precognition if of good and true forestalls a man so in his expectation that it wholly takes off the edge of the fruition if of good and false it nourishes only with vain hopes and makes but more unhappy in their frustration if of bad and true it makes a man miserable in his own apprehension before he be so in the event if of bad and false it makes him make himself miserable whereas otherwise he needed not 7. What arguments are these so old so oft repeated to urge or invite men to a curious investigation of things future and fortuitous Because it likens men to the Gods it argues the diviness of the Soul it prefers men to Beasts And doth it so indeed Nay rather hath not his curiosity brought men to be like the Devill What was the first depravation of the divine Image in the soul but that And have not beasts by their own confession a more perfect presagition by their senses than men with all their reason can attain unto 8. Wherefore are Astrologers and especially the Genethliacks so curious in inquiring into others fates and fortunes and yet of all men most incurious in looking into their own 9. Whether the speculation and whole practice of Magick and Astrologie besides the superstition and sorcery be not a very tempting of God at least through vain curiosity 10. Whether the curious Artists doe not indeed tempt God in his present power perfection truth wisedome goodnesse holinesse mercy justice prescience and providence and that according to one or other or many or most if not all of these ensuing particulars 1. In presuming of or pretending to Gods knowledge approbation power and assistance without nay and against his word and will 2. In prescribing and circumscribing him to circumstances and especially such as are their own superstitious ceremonies 3. In labouring to allure God unto their own wils rather than submitting theirs to his 4. In searching not only
dignity be not contorted jejune frigid absurd ridiculous and those accepted in the bad sense and signifying malefice be not more proper apt orthodox genuine and generally received among knowing Christians and the other left to Pagans and Parasites alone 4. Whether Divination simply was ever taken in the good part or approved by any good and approved Author However is it not in sacred Scripture taken in the bad part altogether 5. Whether it be not a Jewish blasphemy although an heathenish glory to father the Magicall art of Starre-divining upon Adam Seth Enoch Noah Abraham Jacob Joseph Moses Job Salomon Daniel And not only so but upon Christ himself 6. Whether it be not of all other the most probable opinion that the black art of Astrologicall Magick or Magicall Astrologie had its first Professours and Practisers in Cain and in his posterity before the Flood and after that in Cham and his posterity And that those Pillars if indeed there were any such as they traditionally talk of were of Chams setting up rather than Seths 7. Whether the Astro-magicall divining was not antiquely founded and grounded upon the idolatrous Oracles of the Pagans for they pretended to make their answers or predictions from the Starres And these once silenced after it ceased to be a religion was it not then wholly taken up as an art 8. With what execrable blasphemy do they affirm their Primitive magick to be in God eternall a notion of the divine wisedome an operation of the divine Spirit c How much more evident is it to be from the Devill from his fall a notion of his prevaricating knowledge since the depravation of his will and an operation of that same Spirit working now in the children of darknesse and disobedience 9. From whence else but from the Devill can the Magicall arts and operations come originally who the first of creatures that abused himself seeks ever since to abuse the creatures caelestiall terrestriall infernall against their own nature and institution Did not he himself first excogitate and invent this metamorphosing and prestigious Magick in first turning himself into an Angell of darkness and again into an Angell of light Did he not first teach it in the deception and prevarication of our first Parents Gen. 3. First practice it in abusing the Serpent to his purpose First communicate it in telling them they should bee as Gods knowing good and evill For what was that ambition of knowledge which he then suggested to them but a vain curiosity tempting God by being inquisitive after things and measures altogether beyond the creatures naturall inclination proper condition and present perfection 10. Whether the Devill did not institute and ordain Augurs vaticinators Diviners Presagers Predictors Sooth sayers Prognosticators Fortune-tellers c. in an apish emulation and prestigious imitation of Gods Prophets and Christs Apostles 11. Whether those Angells to which they impose names of their own inventions Spirits good Daemons and Souls of the Blessed c. which the Magicians make to flye in the ayr and to be the Authors of their arts be not very Devils Else why talk they of their veneration as the Tutors of their arts and sometimes again of their coaction as the ministers thereunto 12. Whether many professors and practitioners of Magicall arts in all kinds although while they have flourished and been favoured they have pretended and vaunted them to be innocent lawfull commodious nay divine yet when they have been brought to severe examination and execution by Magistrates have they not then been Convicted and confessed all was proceeding from the Devill and tending to them 13. Whether such an art may not without injustice be imputed to and from the Devill where at least an occult secret tacite implicit compact or covenant is more than to be suspected from a curiosity temerity superstition of believing assenting hoping expecting inquiring requiring conjuring adjuring pretending promising endevouring and attempting and all this concerning such events or effects as can neither religiously nor reasonably be expected from God or Nature nor yet from orderly and sober Art it self 14. Whether judiciary Astrologie was first founded upon diligent observation or palpable event and not rather upon diabolicall suggestion and superstitious imagination For how can they say it was grounded upon observation or experiment When as by their own rules the very same face of the heavens and positure of the starres seldome or never happens Because innumerable starres shall not have absolved their circuit and return to the same habit if the world should last more than six times six thousand years 15. Was ever heard a more sensless shameless fable That the Chaldaeans have had the Monuments of Astrologicall observation for four hundred and seventy thousand years How long is it then according to that account since the world began Nay how long before the starres began was Astrologie on foot The next lye is not altogether so lowd but a great deal too big for truth and credibility That the Aegyptians have profest Astrologie for this hundred thousand years 16. Whether the Magicians and Astrologers after all their search among Jewes Aegyptians Chaldaeans Phoenicians Persians Syrians Graecians Romans c. are able to find out exactly the true originall of their own art or precisely set it forth as touching the first professors of it Doth it not require a brighter and safer Spirit of divining than ever was in Astromagicall Diviners to divine when Astrologicall Magick had its first profession among men and by whom 17. Whether Magick and Astrologie was invented by oâ—e person or many one Nation or many in one place or many one Age or many And whether those many Authors so uncertain so obscure are worth the reciting or the asking after Nay whether the sundry names numbers and operations of the Starres themselves were not invented and divulged some by one man some by another some at one time and some at another and whether wee have not new inventions still broached and vented and those condemning and despising the former for fictitious and ridiculous 18. Whether the first Inventors and professors of Magick and Astrologie were not men Heathenish Idolatrous superstitious impious profane hereticall hypocriticall And how far their followers came short of them in all or most of these 19. If Magick was at first as some say no more but a morall kind of divinity or disciplinary institution how grew it then into an Idolatrous Religion superstitious speculation and prestigious operation 20. Whether Star-gazing Sooth saying prognosticating presaging c. began first within the Church or without it If within why are Gods people admonished against it as the way and custome of other nations If without then was it not a doctrine of Gods gracious instituting neither yet necessary nor usefull to his Church Let them tell us who brought it first into the Church of what note he or they were by what warrant they did so and to what fruit or edification Nay can they
not to impugn free grace from God free will in men divine providence in governing religious conscience in exhorting or disswading humane prudence in consulting and justice divine and humane in punishing and so mercy in rewarding 8. Whether the audacious usurpation and proud intrusion of Magicians and Astrologers in Christian Churches and states have not signed them for the horns or at least the tayl of Anti-Christ sc either forerunning or following him whose comming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders 9. Whether these Artists operate not artificially to the inducing of Popery For as much as diverse of the Popes usurped the very Popedome intruding into it by these very arts And amongst the Monasticall crew he was heretofore accounted no body in learning that was not with Simon Magus some great one in these arts And if it had not been for such like prestigious artifices where had been all or most of their vaunted miracles And are not their Exorcists an Ecclesiasticall office among them at this day 10. Whether it be not a thing greatly to be suspected and feared lest the pretended science called Astrologie may introduce a pretending sect called Astrologus an heavenly society a celestiall fraternity and such like Nay whether the Art so believed and imbraced by Christians may not bring in the Religion as it was held and used among Pagans In as much I speak this sadly as the vulgar already are so effascinated as to begin to account their Planetary presages for divine prophecies and which is more to be lamented men such as would seem to have stept somewhat beyond the common sort stick not to accept them at least as the preadmonitions of divine providence yea and we of an order and calling above both these I speak it to our shame are some of us not sufficient to refute them some of us negligent to reprove them and some of us over easy to assent unto them 11. Whether the Magicall operators and Planetary predicters their notorious malice and envy in defaming disgracing deriding caluminating contemning opposing the true Ministers of the Gospell be not indeed of the same root with that of Jannes and Jambres resisting Moses and of Elymas the Sorcerer withstanding St. Paul And whether such their Disciples men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith full of subtlety and all mischief Children of the Devill and enemies to all righteousness doe it not on purpose that so they may more easily and uncontradictedly resist the truth pervert the right wayes of the Lord and so seek to turn away both Governours and people from the Faith 12. Whether Astrologicall predictings and presagings have not proved greatly to dishonour and disadvantage both the promises and thrâ—atnings in the word of God In as much as a fortunate presagition is by many more confidently expected than a precious promise and an unfortunate more sadly dreaded than a divine commination Yea have not their Astrologicall falsehoods too often prevailed both to instigate over daringly and dishearâ—en too shamefully in enterprizes politick warlike publick private without beyond against the Theologicall truth 13 Whether the secure expectati on or desperate fear of Astrologicall predictions doe not infinitly hinder mens Prayers Making them to become dull and slothfull in seeking after God in the way of his promises while they are taught to rest themselves contented in waiting for the promises of the stars or else forlornely to submit themselves unto the issue of their sullen and inevitable fate and seek no further 14. Whether the ascribing to the propitiousness of the fortunate and inauspiciousness of the unfortunate stars hath not alwaies proved to rob God Almighty of the honour both of his Mercy and Justice While men have been thus wholly diverted both from being duly thankfull for blessings and truly humbled under judgements Nay is it not thus come to pass that the profane phrase is grown to a profaner use of blessing and cursing their stars 15. Whether the fatall necessitations supposed from sydereall conjunctions and constellations have not brought people to this pass not only to excuse their iniquities from an astrall necessity of sinning but to cast the cause upon those kind of creatures and not only so but even upon God himself making him to be the author of evill as they have done heretofore 16 Whether the fatidicall predictions of manners and fortunes make not men slothfull and careless under the means both of eschewing evill and doing good For to endeavour is to doe nothing without the stars and to performe the thanks or blame is nothing to them but to the stars only 17. Whether judiciary Astrologie mightily impugn not divine providence implying God either carelesly to neglect all humane affairs or else to be limited in the government of the world as having committed all either to inevitable fate or valuable fortune 18. Whether it be not much to be feared if not already to be bewayled that the encroching doctrine of Magick and Astrologie is gotten into many mens faith and affections even above the heavenly doctrine of Divinity And so not by superstitious creeping only but by athesticall daring will Lord it over mens consciences at last Awing them so as that they shall not dare to act in matters naturall civill or religious without an Astrologicall prediction 19. If manners and Religion be admitted shall we not then have predestination in the acts of election and reprobation urged to depend upon the destinating stars At leastwise will not men be prying unto Gods secret Cabinet through starry spectacles What care or conscience but to act as the stars are foretold to dispose what meditation of death while the stars promise life what fortunate presumptions what fatall despairs And thence what credulity carnall security pride ambition lust covetousness slothfulness unthankfulness c And hence what stupidity forlornness discontentedness dissoluteness factions insurrections distractions c 20. If Astrologicall predictions have neither truth nor power but only over anâ—â—al men and uncalled nations as say some of their Apologists what use then can there be of all such among spirituall men and Gods people And moreover whether it be not from the malice of the Star-gazers rather than malignity of the stars that our Astrologicall Predictions are altogether from aspects and conjunctions so greatly malevolent so little benevolent either to Christian Church or state 21. When did Magick and Astrologie ever confer any thing to true piety It hath been an old question and was never yet answered To which we may adde another on the contrary what have not these conferred to all manner of impiety and it might easily be resolved in all kinds and degrees 22. Whether the word of God his Church or true Religion ever flourished or was established in any Kingdom or Nation where Magicians Diviners Astrologers Soothsayers Canters Gypsies Juglers c. were countenanced or connived at Nay where they were not condemned and suppressed 23. What good
their nature substance magnitude number position motion influences and effects whether upon Elements stones metalls trees herbs living creatures or especially reasonable Souls How often I would I could say ingenuouâ—ly have the skilfullest of their Artists complained of their fellows ignorance and confessed their own And therefore let no man lay to heart the audacious and scurrilous calumnies and exprobrations of the ignorance of Peripetaticks naturall Philosophers Moralists Fathers Councills Schoolmen Casuists Divines Lawyers Physicians since it is their proper garb and gift to be so bitterly invective and not without cause one against another for the very same 32. Where is the Man in the Moon modified or qualified with manners fit for magicall operation I mean such an one as the pretenders to it pretend to require Even the man that is dignified to this so sublime vertue and power Not overwhelmed by too much commerce with the flesh not busied aboâ—â— the sensible soul of the body But leaving carnall affections frail sense and materiall passions and ascending to an intellect pure and conjoyned with the powers of the Gods What are those dignifications of his which nature desert and a certain religious art doe make up Where is his naturall dignity in the best disposition of the body and its organs not obscuring the Soul with any grossnesse and being without all distemper c. But in defect of that who so is such an one that recompences the defect of nature by education and the best ordering and prosperous use of naturall things untill he become compleat in all intrinsecall and extrinsecall perfections Where is his dignity in learning and practice and how is that meritorious who of them applies his soul to contemplation and to convert it self into it self and is not prohibited by passions opposing him from his birth and vain imaginations and immoderate affections And who among them all is a man perfect in the sacred understanding of religion in piously and most constantly meditating on it and believing without doubting or such an one on whom the authority of holy Rites and nature hath conferred dignity above others and one whom the divine powers contemn not Such an one peradventure may work wonders But is not such an one a wonder himself And will they blame us if we credit not the Art till they produce us such an Artist as themselves would seem to require when should magicall operation be adventured on if it were let alone till this black Swan be found out 'T is their own task and till they absolve it they must give us leave to tell them in their own words Whosoever beyond the authority of his office without the merit of sanctity and learning beyond the dignity of nature and education shall presume to work any thing in Magick shall work in vain and deceive both himself and those that believe in him and with danger incurre the displeasure of the divine powers And we take leave to tell them according to our own truth that if a man be indeed so dignified or qualified and those qualities properties or manners be soundly true and rightly good it is hard for such an one to be a Contemplator but impossible as such an one to be an operator in Magick CHAP. XVIII 18. From the fatuity of Fate 1. WHether the very word tearm or name of Fate and Fortune be not of Paganish origination and withall of superstitious derivation and acception As Fate or fatation from praefation or fore speaking And I pray whose speaking not Gods but the starres nay not the starres but the constellated Oracles For these were the first Faticanes and their hills or cells the first Vaticanes that ere were heard of Although I rejoyce not much in etimologizing neither do account an argument from the Notation to be very strong especially in names of humane imposition Yet something may not amisse be affirmed or denyed from the notation of the name though it be not so exquisite but allusive only keeping the principall letters and comming neer to the nature of the thing Let them therefore give me leave a little to play upon the word and if they will undertake to doe otherwise let others judge if they be not more ridiculous Fatum à fando vates quasi fates à fando vel à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fatuus à fando Fate and Fatories and Fatiloquists and Fooles all taken from talking they know not what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why any of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not all rather of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in as much as fatidicall men and Fooles both fore-speak many things but fore-see nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of making furious and phantasticall both connexions and Predictions vel quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supposing the hand or power of the Moon or coelestiall bodyes to be therein vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doubting whether the coelestialls doe signifie or presage any such thing yea or no vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether moneths or dayes or years doe indeed distribute such things as they prognosticate vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether there be any such part or lot indeed vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether there be any such thing asFate in destiny remaining vel quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thing not coherent congruous convenient necessary But why not of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rather than of all the rest save that there is nothing in this their fatall Destinie to be loved or desired Sic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quare non à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aeque ac à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take them one as well as another and then they note all together that Fate may as easily be occurred and prevented as that it must necessarily have its fact or finishing And that it may as well be passed by as passe upon Sic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 happening any way vel a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of every one 's own fabricating or making vel quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a thing at best but in a mans vowes wishes or desires rather than in any reality Sic Fortuna quasi vortuna à vertendo of turning every way Vel quasi forte una peradventure something peradventure something peradventure nothing But to cease from descanting upon names the very nature of both these hath alwaies caused the learnd to call them the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most vain and foolish things of themselves that a man could either fear or confide in 2. Whether Fate or Fortune ought once to be named among Christians And how many eminent Saints of Gods Church have retracted and repented that ever they have so done And how ma-many of them have and do daily warn men to be wary how they rake
in disposing the creature neither ought men so to do beyond the great Law of using the creature aright and to those very ends for which God ordained it For it can never be lawful or warrantable so to transgresse natures order as to abuse the creature in any kinde Now do they not know that the creature may as well be spiritually and speculatively abused by superstition and curiosity as practically and carnally by violence or sensuality 9. Why amongst all the Miracles that Christ wrought against the Devils among men and in the other creatures he did work none at all from or by the heavenly bodies the stars Besides the reason above mentioned why he refused to shew a signe from heaven this may now be added above all the rest It was because there now was a greater Miracle wrought upon the earth then ever was wrought in the Heavens Even the mysterious Miracle or miraculous Mystery of God and Man Doing such works upon earth as whereat the Angels and whole powers of heaven might well stand amazed with admiration Indeed there was a wonder in Heaven a star a new star at his birth and another wonder in Heaven an Eclipse of the Sun a new Eclipse at his death Such a star and such an Eclipse as were miracles in their nature site motion portent to all other stars and Eclipses Such a star and such an Eclipse as were the mysteries of all other stars and Eclipses Set apart to signifie his power in Heaven at the greatest instants of his infirmity upon earth Thus they testified of him and yet was not among these Miracles nor mighty works that were wrought by him 10 Whether Miracles may be wrought out of the Church Although we make not the power of working miracles to be the perpetual note of Gods Church yet we determine the Church to be the proper seat of them And in determining we do thus distinguish That God may be pleased to work miracles all the world over and that by his Angels as his Ministers in the Government thereof but employs not men to that purpose sâ—ve onely within his Church And do distinguish again that privative miracles or those of wrath and judgment may be wrought out of the Church but not positive or those of Grace and mercy And our reasons are 1. Because the main end of working Miracles is for the plantation and confirmation of the Gospel the truth of Gods word and that cannot be without the Church 2. The power of working Miracles is from a promise and that belongs to the Church alone 3. In a Miracle is considerable not so much the evident effect as the secret intent and this consideration is onely for the faithful in the Church 4. The truth of the word is not to be measured by miracles but the truth of miracles by the Word and where is that but in the Church 5. Miracles tend as to the glory of God so to the edification of the Godly and who looks for that or them out of Gods Church 6. Satans stupendous prodigies are mostly wrought out of the Church but Gods wonderful miracles within it 7. Though it hath been said that miracles were intended for Infidels yet were they not effected but by believers and by believers either to convince or to convert those Infidels 11. Whether wicked men and reprobates may be workers of miracles Not by Angelical assistance not by diabolical confederation not by the secret of Nature not by the study of Art but by divine dispensation they may 1. Because God may be pleased to employ them to this purpose and yet give them no more but a faith of miracles which is common to reprobates 2. Because that of miracles is a gift not simply making accepted but may be given onely for others sakes 3. God hath wrought miracles by dead instruments and why not by men of a dead faith and dead in trespasses and sinnes 4. Wicked men may be used in the working of miracles for a testimony of Gods truth yet not in a manifestation of their own graces 5. Bad men have been imployed in working of miracles that good men might not be proud or overweening of common gifts 6. The working of miracles is not appropriated to godly men lest ordinary Graces might be undervalued and weak Christians might take scandal and despair in their defect of the extraordinary gift 12. Wherein differ true and false miracles or divine and diabolical Theological and magical 1. The one kind are wrought by God by Angels Prophets Apostles and sometimes by the Saints the other not but by devils magicians Juglers ungodly men 2. The one are solid and real in effect the other are phantasmatical and praestigiously deceiveing the sense 3. The one God freely calls to do the other are not done but by tempting both God and the Devil 4. The one are serious and upon occasions of importance the other are ludicrous and serve to make vain men sport 5. The one tend to confirm the Church the other to seduce from it 6. The one are liberal the other mercenary 7. The one profitable the other pernicious 8. The one make humble and modest the other arrogant and full of ostentation 9. The one serves to instruct the other onely to astonish 10. The one are wrought with devout Prayer Supplication Thanksgiving the other by superstitious imprecation adjuration incantation with many ridiculous signes and execrable ceremonies nothing pertaining to the producing of the effect And thus they differ in their Authors instruments dignity quality duration utility end and effect 13. Whether Magicians Conjurers Inchanters Witches c work not their miracles or rather signes wonders prodigies portents by the devils means It is affirmed that they do so for these reasons 1. Because they do them not by God Angels Nature or Art as appears sufficiently by what hath been said already and therefore they must needs do them by the devil 2. Because they operate upon a compact which is evident in that invocation adoration sacrifice immolation c. is hereunto required 3. Because they operate by idolatrous superstitious sorcerous execrable ridiculous signes rites and ceremonies 4. Because they secretly invoke although they outwardly would seem to command which imploration and imperiousnesse yea and dissimulation between both these is to God and good Angels abominable 5. Because their Prayers and preparations are blaspheming railing execrating threatning prophane superstitious absurd ridiculous which neither God nor good Angel can indure 6. Because they seek either to allure or compel their operating power by things sensible 7. Because the fact exceeding Natures order and Arts efficacy yet there can be no reasonable cause why such an effect should be ascribed either to God or good Angels 8. Because the effect is by them ascribed to times places figures characters rites ceremonies c. 9. Because there are used hereunto words besides names of God and Angels barbarous unknown insignificant incoherent apocryphal superstitious sorcerous detorted absurd
existence of the world and induces an Aegyptian Priest talking with Solon and affirming that Athens of the Greekes and Sais of the Aegyptians were built one nine the other eight thousand yeeres before their time The Aegyptians fained that the Starres from their first originall had four times runne their courses and the Stars doe not once absolve their course but in 36000 yeeres and that the Sunne had twice set where it now rises and that their Kings to Ptolomy had raigned there above seventy thousand yeeres and that for more then an hundred thousand yeeres Aegypt had been skilfull in comprehending the way of the Starres The Indians bragd of their historicall monuments that from the time of Liber Pater to Alexander the great there were an hundred fifty and three Indian Kings through the space of six thousand foure hundred and two yeeres and three moneths The Chaldaeans from their first observation of the Starres to Alexanders time number foure hundred thousand yeeres Pliny reports from Eudoxus that Zoroaster lived six thousand yeeres before Platoes death Hernippus saith the same man was five thousand yeeres before the Trojane warre Betwixt Vulcan the sonne of Nilus the Aegyptian and Alexander of Macedon were they say forty eight thousand eight hundred sixty three yeeres in which time there hapned three hundred seventy three Defects or Ecclipses of the Sunne and eight hundred thirty two of the Moon The Aegyptians record in their annals above thirteen thousand ages of yeeres and three hundred and thirty Kings before Amesis Betwixt Osiris and Isis and Alexander of Macedon some reckon ten thousand others twenty three thousand yeers Other fable the Gods and Heroes to have raigned there no lesse then eighteen thousand and men little lesse then fifteen thousand yeeres unto the hundred and eighty olimpiad Alexander in an Epistle to his mother Olympias wrote the narration of a certaine Aegyptian Priest insinuating the Kingdom of the Assyrians to exceed five thousand yeeres the Empire of the Persians and Macedonians unto Alexander more then eight thousand yeeres The Assyrians through the vastnesse and plainnesse of their Region whence they might on all parts behold the trajections and motions of the Starres these being noted they first committed to memory what was thereby signified to every one in which Nation the Chaldaeans so called not from their art but their countrey by continuall observation of the Stars are thought to have made the science whereby it might be predicted what should befall every one and with what fate every one was born 5. Of Paganish Oracles founded upon the starres founding divinatory Magicke and Astrologie confounded by Divinity and Christianity A Certaine big-bellied woman enquiring of Apollo whether it was a male-child or a female that she went withall and should bring forth he answered a female declaring that he had perceived so much from the time of her conception saying thou mayst not hope for a male-child seeing the Moone is darkned by the rayes of Venus To another enquiring as concerning his health it was answered by the course of the Starres predicting sicknesses that his lungs were vexed with ill humours because Saturne was pressed with unevennesse or roughnesse either in leaping or speaking In answer to another Thy fatall day quoth he is at hand because Saturne and Mars have both agreed together to determine it Apollo himselfe being interrogated by a certain Souldier why he laboured so hazzardous a thing as the fatation of a mans free will answered because genethliacall Mars so stirred him up or else thus why he laboured under such hazzard or perill himselfe because fatiduall Mars had stirred up such a thing against his fatiduall Oracle For thus tamely they took their own fatations and confessed they were not able to defend their own Temples from firing Pythius Apollo contended that fates might be dissolved by maleficall arts For when one enquired why he was judged of Apollo as unapt for any thing and what was to be done whereby he might be received as fit for something It was answered by the Oracle that the force of the Fates did hinder him and yet he might avoyd that by Magicall arts Porphyrius confesseth that the gods will lye saying that an exquisite knowledge of things future is not onely incomprehensible to men but to many of the gods Neverthelesse did they not alwaies lie or their own accord but were wont to predict that they themselves could not answer truly and yet men out of their madnesse would obstinately compell them to answer Therefore Delphick Apollo when the affection or disposition of the Heavens and the continent was so that he could not foresee the truth forbeare said he by his diviner this forcible urging and utter not those powerfull words for I shall tell false if thou thus compellest And in another answer the way of the Starres saith he afford me to say nothing to day Where is the Delphian Oracle that men did so religiously adore where is Apollo Pythius or Clarius where is Iupiter Dodonaeus The Delphicke Oracle truly is related to have been thrice burnt by the Thracians yet was not that calamity once foreseen or foretold by Apollo himselfe We have heard the same of Jupiter Capitoline in the time of Ptolomy when the Temple of Vesta was also burnt That great Image of Jupiter which they say was the glory as it were of all Greece in the time of Julius Caesar burned being from above stricken with thunder and lightning in the Olympick bickerings And in more ancient times they say the Capitoline Temple was burnt and Pantheus is said to be cast down and destroyed with thunder and lightning and we are not ignorant how the Sacrary of Serapis in Alexandria was burnt in like manner Augustus Caesar consulting the Oracle of Apollo Pythius about the succession in the Empire it gave no answer thereunto and being importuned to give a reason of its silence answered to this effect That an Hebrew child a Ruler of the Gods themselves had commanded him to depart that place and get him down to Hell Aemilianus the Rethorician was heard to report that his Father sailing towards Italy about the Isles which they call the Echinades the wind lying still towards night they came neere to Paxas and they that sailed being more attently vigilant on a sudden was heard a great voyce from the Isle Paxas calling on one Thraemnus now this Thraemnus was an Aegyptian and Governour of that ship they all wondred but he answered not till the third call and then it cryed louder thus When thou commest neer the Fenne proclaime that great Pan is dead Which being heard all of them were stricken with great feare and doubted whether they should obey that voyce or not at length they approved this counsell of Thraemnus the Governour that if the winds blew faire and prosperous they would say nothing but if the Sea were calme and the winds ceased when they came in that very place then there was no concealing of
any imperiall edict but first set on foot by an imposterous Diviner who stirred up the multitude of the Heathens to promote their own superstition and oppresse the Christian profession Olerian was very clement and favourable to the Christians till the Magicians put him upon the persecution as the greatest enemies to and impediments of their acts and operations All the Philosophers Sophisters Magicians Aruspices Augurs Negromancers gathered themselves together against Athanasius alledging nothing could succeed in their art or to them by their Art till Athanasius was first taken out of the way Therefore they greatly excited Iulian against him Another time they most calumniously accused him of the same devillish art that they themselves were guilty of Iulian Maxentius and Maximinus were great divining Magicians and great favourers and promoters of divining Magicians and as such and by such great tyrants and persecutors and such as especially laboured to destroy not onely the Priests but the Priesthood Henry the third purposing to ayde his brother against Lewis the French King was disswaded therefrom by the disastrous predictions of William de Perepond a great Astrologer and his counsellour But the main intent of the divination was from the Popes Oracle â—est Lewis might so be interrupted in his persecuting enterprize against the Albigenses The Magicians as the Ecclesiasticall historians relate it pursued Daniel with envy calumny and treachery before Cambyses or Cyaxares till they brought him to the Lyons denne till the Prince repented that he was led so farre by the Magicians and delivered Daniel from the denne and cast them into it The Magicians of Persia by false calumny and barbarous cruelty raised and maintained thirty yeeres persecution against the Christians devising and inflicting horrid tortures upon Abdas or Audas a Bishop upon Benjamin a Deacon and also upon Hormisda a Nobleman Theoteclinus a Magician of Antioch under Maximinus by magicall force caused an Image of Iupiter to poure forth Oracles and such they were as served to whet on the Emperours persecution and to exasperate the hatred of the Citizens against the Christians 11. Of the divining envy dissimulation calumny blasphemy and enmity not onely against Christian Religion but even against Christ himselfe MIlesian Apollo being consulted about Christ whether he was God or man gave this answer That he was mortall according to flesh or body wise in portentous or monstrous workes but being apprehended by armes under Chaldean Judges with nailes and clubs he made a bitter end Upon which Lactantius his comment is That although the Oracle as it was forced began to speak truth yet it did it so subtilly and perversely as with intent to deceive the consulter being altogether ignorant of the mystery of God and man and so seems to deny him to be God by confessing him to be man But in that it acknowledgeth him to be mortall according to the flesh it is not inconsequent although against the mind of the Oracle but that he was immortall and God neverthelesse according to the Spirit And why must he needs make mention of the flesh when as it was enough to say him mortall but being pressed with truth he could not deny the thing to be as it was as he also was forced to confesse him to be wise And what saies Apollo to himselfe If he be wise then is his doctrine wisdome and no other and they are therefore wise that follow it and no other Why then doe their vulgar account us vain and foolish since we follow a master and Teacher wise by their Oraculous gods own confession In that he saith that he did portentous works by which he merited the faith of a Godhead he seems to assent unto us because he saith him to doe those very things which rightly understood and believed we glory in Neverthelesse he recollects himselfe and returnes to his daemonicall frauds of calumny and blasphemy For albeit he spake some truth as necessitated yet he seems to be a betrayer of himselfe and the gods in as much as he would have enviously concealed through an inimicall and deceiving lie that which the truth partly wrung from him And therefore he saith him to have done wonderfull workes but he meant it should be understood not by a divine but by a magicall or divining power But whereas he saith further that he was apprehended under Chaldaean Judges c. I demand hereupon whether they were Chaldeans by nature or by profession The first is not to be conceded as concerning Herod and Pilat nor yet properly as touching Annas and Caiaphas and therefore since he will needs call them Chaldeans the latter is rather to be supposed it is not strange to be believed that any one of them might be of the Chaldean profession or addicted to it And why might not the Chaldaeanizing Oracle be drawn to confesse so much against it selfe And might it not be one end of the Ecclipse at his passion to make even all the Chaldaeanizing Astrologers to confesse with some of their fellows that it was no other but the God of nature that now suffered One asking Apollo what God he might appease whereby to recall his wife from Christianity The Oracle gave this answer as St. Augustine cites it from Porphyrius a great enemy of Christ and Christians Sooner mayst thou write in water or fly in the ayre like a bird then remove the opinion of thy impious wife let her goe on as she will and sing a dead God in vaine fallacies and false lamentations whom the Judge rightly determining an ill death hath ended This Porphyrius cites and expounds blasphemously as if Christ died deservedly from the just sentence of his Judges But St. Augustine conceives Apollo spake not thus but his vaticinating Diviner and yet not he but this magicall calumniator that durst blaspheme above the devill himselfe For Apollo himselfe durst not but speak well of him saying he was such a God and King as made the heavens the earth and Sea and the deep things of Hell to tremble of whom both he and his fellow Daemons were afraid Such also was the answer of Hecate concerning Christ and so were all the rest of them Among some forced and dissembled truths abundance of blasphemy and calumny against Christ and Christian religion The Pythian Oracle being consulted again and again by the Athenians what religion was best to be set up would stil answer their Fathers or Countries customes rites or ceremonies Not but that he would false religion in all variety but that he feared a change of religion might make way to reformation of Christianity 12. Magicians Astrologers Diviners Diabolically praedicting maliciously envying malefically imprecating and venefically murdering such as inhibited opposed confuted contradicted them or their arts That is either by violence treachery or sorcery seeking and venturing their adversaries destruction whether they were Kings or Priests Christians or Persians VItellius having commanded by his Edicts that the Chaldaeans Mathematicians Magicians judiciall Astrologers and Diviners should
not undeservedly Wenceslaus sent for a wagon full of Conjurers to play tricks and make sport amongst the rest he called Zyto who comming in with a wide mouth cloven to both his eares swallowed up the chiefe Conjurer and voyds him again downward c. but was himselfe carried away by the divel which so moved Wenceslaus that he thence forwards seriously applied himselfe to the meditation of sacred things Pope Sylvester the second of a Monke became a Magician infinuated himselfe into the familiarity of a Necromanticall Saracene and stole from him a Conjuring-book and studying or practising that art obtained by the divels meanes the Popedome Which dignity so soon as he had ascended he dissembled his black art under that holy vestment but kept a brazen head in a secret place from which he sought and received divining answers And enquiring of the divell how long he should live in the Papall dignity he answered aequivocatingly that he should live long if he came not at Hierusalem Now in the fourth yeere of his Pontificate as he was sacrificing in the Church of the holy Crosse in Hierusalem at Rome he was suddenly stricken with a grievous feaver and began to be convinced that thus the divell had deluded him and now he must die Whereupon he began to be penitent and confessing before the people deplored the wickednesse of his magicall errour Exhorting all men avoyding ambition and diabolicall deceits to live well and holily intreating them every one that after his death the trunke of his body torne and dismembred as it justly deserved might be laid upon a Cart and buried in that place whither the horses carried it of their own accord And in the extremity of his death besought that his hands and tongue might be cut out by wâ—ich he had blasphemed God and sacrificed to divels Trithemius retracted his opinion concerning the seven spirits in the seven Planets governing the world in their course by 354 yeeres apiece and four moneths protesting after this manner in the conclusion that of all these he believed and admitted nothing but as the Catholick Church believed and for the rest he refuted and contemned all as vaine fained and superstitious And as he disclaimed this to Maximilian the Emperour so he exclaimed against the Artists to Another Away with these rash men vayne men lying Astrologers deceivers of minds and pratlers of frivolous things For the disposition of the Stars makes nothing to the immortall soule to naturall science to supercelestiall wisdome A body hath power onely over a body The mind is free and not subject to Stars and neither receives their influences nor follows their motions c. Cornelius Agrippa in his youth wrote a Magicall book of occult Philosophy but in his sager yeeres wrote another of the vanity of Sciences wherein he confutes and condemns Magick Astrology and all kind of divination and cals the latter his recantation of the former But if towards his death he said indeed to his black Dog Away wicked beast thou hast utterly undone me without all doubt and notwithstanding all apologie his recantation was truer then his repentance For that was sufficient to convince others whereas this was not sufficient to convert himselfe Rodaick of Toledo hoping to finde treasures caused a Palace to be opened that had been kept shut for many yeeres there he found nothing but a coffer and in it a sheet and in it written a prophecy that after the opening thereof men like those painted in the sheet should invade Spaine and subdue it The King was therefore sorry and caused the coffer and castle to be shut again Phanias an Hierosolymitane servant by the advice of certain Magicians had emancipated himselfe to the divel in his hand writing for the obtaining of his masters daughter by vertue of their art But at length repenting he was converted by the prayer of St. Basil and the divel casting in the chirograph he was publiquely received into the bosome of the Church Cyprian a Magician while he sought by Magicall arts to inchant and dementate Iustina the Virgin was by her means converted to Christ For whose truth they both suffered Martyrdome Socrates offended at the bold and blind vagations of men in their disputations about the measures of the Sunne and of the Moon and other Stars wherein they laboured more in babling words then solid arguments undertaking to comprehend the whole circuit of the world with all the events therein from the beginning to the end Hereupon he withdrew his mind from these â—nlearned errours and applyed it wholy to consider mans fraile condition and the vitiousnesse and vertuousnesse of affections and to teach such manners as most pertained to honest and happy life A Priest of an oraculous Temple who had perceived that his divining divell had receded at the presence of Gregory Tâ—eametargus at the first calumniating but afterwards admiring his power desired to learn of him that mystery of commanding divels He taught him therefore the mysterie of godlinesse and confirmed it by a miracle whereupon he was converted forsaking his praestigious Idolatry yea wife children goods and all to follow him and so became an excellent servant in the Church and a great opposer of satan himselfe Marcellus and Apuleius two martyrs who first adhering to Simon Magus but seeing the miracles that were wrought by the Apostles converted from the Magicians praestigiousnesse and gave themselves wholy to believe and follow the Apostolicall doctrine for which they were martyred afterwards Hermogenes a magician disliking his own art brought a many of his magicall books and offered them to Iames the Apostle to be burnt 16. Of Magicians and Astrologers idolatrous account and other vain confident and servile superstitions they wrought in simple and credulous men THere was a câ—rtain man called Simon which before time in the same City used Magick or sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria giving out that himself was sâ—me great one To whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest saying This man is the great power of God And to him they had regard because that of a long time he had bewitched them with sorceries or magick Act. 8 9 10 11. To the same Simon a Statue was set up at Rome with this inscription To Simon the Holy God These Magicians and Astrologers in their generations were numbred among the Gods and had their Statues Images Oracles Temples Altars Sacrifices and Services viz. Zoroaster Trismegistus Mopsus Amphiaraus Apollonius Tyanaeus Amphilocus Accius Nanius Porphyrius Diodorus Thor Ollerus All these Mag-astro-mancers and many more arrogated a divinity to themselves from their divinations and had it attributed unto them by the superstitious people of several Nations Theagenes was so superstitious that he had in his house the Image of Hecate and durst at no time offer to stir out of doors till he had first consulted it For which his slavish su-perstition he grew into a Proverb among the very heathens themselves Archimedes the
conjecturing art The question was how many Figs there were upon such a tree or how many Pigs there were in such a sowes belly Which Mopsus guest at and mist not a hair but Calchas because he could not do somuch pining with grief or envy took pet and dyed Eudoxus the chief Astrologer of his time affirmed that the Chaldeans are not to be credited in their natalitial prognostications or predictions Panaetius a Stoical Philosopher and yet rejected the predictions of the Astrologers Anchialus and Cassander excelling in all parts of Astrology yet used it not or rather abused it not to predictions Scylax Halicarnassaeus although eminent in Astrology neverthelesse abandoned the whole Chaldaical way of it Servius Tullius sleeping his head seemed to shine or burn some of the Diviners said that signifyed he should perish by lightning others that it was a token he should obtain Regal dignity Darius dreamed that the Camp of the Macedons was on fire and that he saw Alexander coming to him in clothes of the same fashion as his own were and that he was carryed on horseback through Babylon and so vanisht out of sight At this the dream-spellers were divided in their divinations some interpreting it a fortune some an infortune some to the one side some to the other Betwixt the Tyrians and the Macedonians was a semblable prodigie blood on the one part seen in iron and on the other part in bread They of either party interpret it as a token of good successe to themselves But Aristander the most skilful of the Diviners expounded it thus on the Macedonian behalf if the blood had appeared outwardly it had signifyed ill fortune to the Macedons that were without but for as much as it was within it portended the like to them that were within the City which they now besieged Again a huge sea-monster appeared in the sight of both parties and they both made themselves merry in prognosticating according to their Magastromantick teachers good luck to themselves but were both of them deceived in the truth if not both in the event Alexander having left off to consult with his diviners because he found them so various and uncertain had yet again an itch to the superstition and called his Aruspicks to inspect the entrayls commanding that the signification should be be shewed to none but himself Aristander is the man of art and credit but he notwithstanding communicates the matter unto Erigius who takes advantage thereby to disswade Alexanders resolution Upon which he calls for the artist rebukes the betraying of his privy counsels and commands The skilful man is now more amazed then at a prodigie yet gathering his wits together to make some Apology for himself he confessed some difficulty and danger from the inspected entrails but deeply professed his love to and care of his King notwithstanding The King perceiving the flexiblenesse both of the mans nature and of his art wishes him to have a confidence of fortunate successe as well in this as in former things Whereupon the Aruspick pores again and comes in with his second prognosticks and professes to have found signs quite contrary to the first Philip of Macedon dreamed that he did seale up his wives belly and that the seal left behinde the print of a Lion upon it Certain wise men or wizzards told him that this gave him warning to look straightly to his wife and keep her close At which the King was troubled but Aristander to make all good told him his wife was with child and had in her belly a treasure worth the sealing up The same day that Alexander was born the Temple of Diana at Ephesus was burnt This made the distracted Priests and vaticinators prognosticate that some great misfortune was that day born to all Asia But soon after news was brought to Philip of three great victories which made him rejoyce exceedingly now these predictors to make up the triumph praesaged that his son which was born with three great victories should be an invincible Emperour Dion being about to free his Country from the tyranny of Dionysius there happened an eclipse of the Moon which terrified the souldiers not a little Thereupon stood up one Miltas a soothsayer and bad his fellow souldiers be of good chear for the signe imported the impairing of dignity meaning the tyranny of Dionysius But as touching the swarm of Bees that lighted on the Poop of Dions ship he told him and his friends secretly that he was afraid his acts would flourish onely for a while and soon fade away Again Dion getting upon Dionysius his Clock or Diall and thence making an Oration to the Syracusans to promote their own liberty the soothsaying prognosticators liked it wel and said it was a good signe for that he did now tread the sumptuous edifice and artifice and yet an Astrological artifice of the Tyrant under feet But because the hand of the Dyal sheweth the course of the Sun which never leaveth moving they were afraid that Dions affairs should have a suddain change of fortune A certain Noble man of Silesia was very inquisitive with three several Astrologers to know the manner of his own death The first answered he should die of a feaver the second said of a fall the third answered in the waters And to make all good thus they say it fell out First the Feaver forsooth seized on him then the frenzy thereof made him cast himself out of a window and that window was over a Moate and so he fell into the water and there perished The like tale do the Country people tell of our Merlin the the King talking with Merlin about mens fates caused a Faulconer of his to passe by disguised and demanded what kind of death should that man dye Merlin answered he should be hanged The same man comming by the second time in another disguise and the like demand made he answered he should be stabd and the third time it was resolved he should be drowned And thus they say it happened The King being on hawking the Hawke took pearch on a tree hard by a River side the Faulconer climing up to fetch down his Hawke a grayne of a branch got hold of his neck and there he hung that breaking he fell upon a splinter and it stabd him that not holding he fell into the River and so was drowned That the Magastromancers may thus contradict themselves and one another is easily to be believed but that their various praedictions were thus compleated let the faith thereof be with the Authors Iohannes Albertus Archbishop of Magdeburgh had the Moon in Aries in the sixth house which signified health but the Moon was invironed by Mars and he in Aries and by Saturne and he in Taurus and the Sunne and Mercury opposite and those more manifest signes of daily and cruell diseases Tarestius or Tarchetius a great Mathematician who being given to the calculation of Astronomy for the delight of speculation onely was entreated by Marcus Varro to