to false ends Deut. 13. 1 2 3. Mat. 24. 24. 2 Thâ—s 2. 9 10. 11. If Magick or Astrologie be in accurate speaking a Science as they contend then let them see with the Schoolmen how the same thing can be at once the object of Science and of Faith And if they agree with some of them to say that the clearer part may be of Science and the obscurer of faith Then as the clear part must both be true and revealed by God so the obscure must be answerable to the first and not repugnant to the last But how prove they that 12. Whether a thing Contingent can be the object of Faith save only so farre forth as something necessary is included and supposed in it For a thing meerly contingent is indifferent to either part and not only so but uncertain to both it may be and it may not be And what faith can there be Indeed an Hypothesis of the divine ordination may make it to be necessary immutable inevâ—â—able and in that relation only it pertains to Faith And therefore that remains to be proved ere it ought to be believed 13. Contingents especially singular contingents are directly known to the senses and but indirectly to the understanding but how fall they under faith 14. Is not this Faiths order in apprehending and assenting to the truth of things future and fortuitous 1 To believe that it is God sole property to know all things simply in himself whether past present or to come 2. That the blessed Angels which alwayes behold his face notwithstanding have not a perfect prescience even of naturall things whether in the heavens or in the earth much lesse of singular accidents and effects but so as God is pleased at the instant to reveal it to them 3 That the revevelation of things future to the Prophets and men of God was extraordinary temporary singular 4. Though the Devils by their experimentalâ— sagacity and busie curiosity may presume to ghesse at many things altogether hidden to us yet they are for the most part deceived as well as deceiving in their presaging or predictory suggestions Because God many times does many things besides the ordinary way of his providence and contrary to the common order of Nature And much more disposes things contrarily in his speciall conversions of men to Grace Neither yet doth he permit the Devill a power over men free-wills to act necessarily or produce effects according to the Devils predictions 6. That God hath taught Men to look after things future no otherwise than temporally by a solid providence and eternally though a sound faith 7. That the Creatures in heaven or earth may be signes either naturall or prodigious and so tokens either of his mercies or judgements which although they may be particularly intended yet are not to be before-hand but universally apprehended 8. That no such Art is of Gods institution which teaches men to pry into his Secrets and to pronounce upon them otherwise than he hath revealed in his Word 15. How can a Faith in astrologicall Predictions be true and right when as by how much they are propounded or attended with more peremptoriness or confidence by so much they are the more superstitious and unlawfull For an indifferent opinion and a moderate suspicion in these things is nothing so inordinate as an anxious fear or vehemently affected expectation 16. With what faith or conscience can we believe their Astrologicall predictions In as much as God hath resumed the fore-knowledge and fore-shewing of things future to himself and hath discharged Angels Devills and Men from all such curiosities and presumptions and hath expresly forbidden us so often both the consulting with and assenting to them Levit. 26. 31. Isa 41. 22 23. Jer. 27. 9. Dan. 2. 27 28. Prov. 27. 1. Eccles 8. 7. Mat. 24. 23 24. Act. 1. 7. 17. How can we be perswaded that Divining Magicians or Astrologians are either profitable to the Church or tolerable in a Christian Common-wealth In that God himself hath not only given the expresse Law or Precept for their non admission but made it a peculiar promise to his Church for their utter exclusion even in all the kinds of them Numb 23. 23. Deut. 18. 10. 2 King 23. 24 Ezek 1â— 24. Mich. 5. 12. Yea and hath made that to be the mark of separation and note of distinction betwixt his own people and other Nations Deut. 18. 14. Jer. 10. 2. Isa 2. 6. 18. Should we once but admit of Astrologicall Predictions to come into our Creed would they not infinitely prejudice the Prophecies and promises of the Word Would they not seduce us from destiny to predestination by the starres And from naturall inclinations to propensions to Grace as depending upon Constellations Would they not perswade us that the Miracles of Christ his Mysteries and Ordinances have all of them a reference to the Starres And the infusions of the Spirit to respect the influxes of the Planets Would they not make our Wills servile while their decrees are taught to inforce a necessitation to Good or Evill And then what praise what punishment either for one or other Yea how careless should we be in the one and how excusing in the other Nay would they not make us believe our very Souls to be mortall because thus acted by materialls and made passive under them and so what should Conscience of Religion be thought but a meer imagination or hope of slavation eternall but a vain dream 19. Whether it be lawfull for a Christian man to study for the attainment of that which his faith dares not pray for And how can he there pray with faith where he hath not a promise And if it be a tempting of God to invoke or desire the revelation of future accidents what is it then to seek to wrest the same from him by a conjuring at least by an over-inquisitive Art and over-daring practice thereupon 20. Whether God may not work by a speciall grace of illumination and sanctification even in the forming of Nature as in John the Baptist and then what have the qualitative influxes of the Planets or their dominion there to doe But ordinarily whether the forming of the new Creature be not alwayes wrought by speciall inspirations and immediate infusions How shall it then be believed that a mans religion or religious qualities may be genethliacally prognosticated from the Starres and their influentiall Constellations 21. Is the observation of the Sarres because of their force or their force because of their observation Is mens faith because of their vertue or their vertue because of mens faith For it hath antiently been doubted whether any such power as is ascribed to them or any such effects as are pretended from them would ever have followed but for mens superstitious observations affectations perswasions and expectations 22. For what cause are Magicians and Astrologers so earnest to require Faith as principall both in the Agent and Patient Is it not to help out
each of theirs was the finger of Beelzebub 7. When the Magicians were smitten with boyls and blains so that they could not stand before Moses ch 9. 11. Why did they not conjure up all their Art and force to infect Moses again if that they had been able to do any thing really as Moses did 8. How stands the comparison of hereticks resisting the truth like as Jannes and Iambres withstood Moses 2 Tim 3. 8. But that these did it by fallacies or appearances of spiritual truth as they did it by phantasmes or appearances of corporeal truth Many Philosophical reasons might be added but these so clear from the Text are sufficient to prove them impostors What may we then judge of the later Gipsies since it it was no otherwise with their forefathers these Aegyptians 16. Whether the gift of working miracles be not now ceas't Miracles were never but extraordinary and temporary Their very gift not perpetual and simply no saving Grace but might instâ—umentally be acted even by reprobates as well as by the elect Having no principles of working habitually remaining in the Soul Were intended onely to be certain signes upon great occasions and present helps in the defect of ordinary means Needful in the beginning of the Church to strengthen weak Faith They have had their main end already the sufficient confirmation of the truth and the end accomplished that which was destinated to the end might well cease Christ was not onely the most eminent in miracles but in him they had their perfection and completion His Disciples believed in him before ever they saw him do a miracle how much more then may his Church without them that together with the memory of them hath the ordinances and ordinary means The permanency of miracles would but have diminished the efficacy of Faith because it would have been an occasion not to have believed without them The truth of the Gospel would still be called in question and thought dubious and uncertain if it always needed such confirmation The promises and faith would thus be evacuated because the walking would be not by Faith but by sight There would be no end of seeking after sensible signes and means and so prophane men would still be tempting unto them and weak Christians would be discouraged in their defect Not onely ordinary graces would so grow vile but even miracles themselves for they would be thought no miracles by being so commonly obvious and assiduous What need we to stand upon such when the greatest work of God and most profitable for man is not alwayes the greatest miracle Have we not perpetually Gods spiritual miracles in our vocation conversion justification regeneration sanctification c. And his ordinary miracles in our creation propagation conservation c. And what need we more To conclude was there no other cause our sinnes are sufficient to make divine miracles to cease shall we then look after Magical miracles signes and wonders such as are set up by the sins of men CHAP. XXIII From the fables of Miracles IS not the rarity of miracles already proved enough to prove the stories of Magical Mirables to be but meer fables We need not therefore their pardon to call them so nay they ought to gratifie us that we call them not worse then so Seeing the vertue of miracles and miraculous operation is in Gods word alone and neither in Nature nor Art nor Artifice What can we say lesse then that all such natural Mirables are onely for meere naturals to admire Whose Authors have been some of them spurious most of them obscure all of them in that particular vain and nugacious Who take up their authorities by tradition from paganish story poetical fiction and mythological relation of such wonderful things as were never in Nature or the world Who use to cite their mirables with such a they say as if they themselves were not onely ashamed to own them but afraid to report them Who stuffe up their legendary stories of magical mirables with tales of such strange things and they so incredible and under strange Names and they so unknown and in such strange places and they so remote as that they are not worth seeking after or if they were yet neither name nor thing nor place is to be found Who urge us onely with this that such their wonders are not to be proved by reason but referred to experiment and yet we are as far from seeing the one as from hearing the other Neverthelesse all these are impudently urged and imposing upon our Faith to admit and admire what wonderful effects of configurations constellations influences impressions seales characters upon Elements Minerals Stones Vegetables Animals yea and Rationals not excepted Nay and a many of these so imposed as tending effectually to Prophecy Divination Prediction Prognostication And therefore omitting the ridiculous rabble of magical mirabilariâ—s for I have neither list nor leasure to meddle with them at large I shall onely instance in a few of them which they not onely report confidently but impudently prescribe to this very purpose Advising the Reader by the way that for all this they cannot be believed without superstition nor practised without sorcery 1. There is an herb among the Chaldeans called Ireos among the Greeks Mutuchiol among the Latins Elitropia this herb is of so admirable vertue that if it be gathered in August while the Sun is in Leo and wrapt in a Lawrel leaf adding thereunto the Tooth of a Wolf and so at night laid under a mans head if any thing be stoln from him he shall see the Thiefe and all his conditions 2. The herb called by the Chaldeans Aquilaris by the Greeks Valis by the Latines Chelidonia if it be taken with the heart of a Mole and be laid upon the head of a sick man it may so be discerned or divined whether he shall dye of that disease or recover ye or no for if he now sing out it is a signe he shall die but if he weep then shall he not dye at that time By the like the conquering of an Enemy and recovery of a Suite is to be foreknown 3. The herb which by the Chaldeans is called Luperax by the Greeks Esifena by the Latins Viscus querei this herb with another herb called Martegon if it be put into a mans mouth and he begin to forethink who is a coming be it friend or foe if he shall come it will fixe upon his heart if he shall not come it will leap from it nay will it not leap out of his mouth 4. The herb which the Chaldeans call Tsiphilon the Greeks Orlegenea the Latins Centaurea this herb the Magicians say hath admirable vertue for if with the blood of a female Lapwing and oyle it be put into a Lamp it makes all that stands by believe themselves to be Magicians and that their heads are in heaven and their feet upon the earth and if the same be cast into the fire the stars shining
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
Πῦς-μαντία THE MAG-ASTRO-MANCER OR THE Magicall-Astrologicall-Diviner Posed and Puzzled Isaiah 44. 24 25 26. Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer and he that formed thee from the womb I am the Lord that maketh all things that stretcheth forth the heavens above that spreadeth abroad the carth by my self That frustrateth the tokens of the Lyars and maketh Diviners mad that turneth wisemen backward and maketh their knowledge foolish That confirmeth the word of his servant and performeth the counsels of his messengers Aug. De Doctrina Christiana Lib. 2. Superstitiosum est quicquid institutum est ab hominibus ad facienda colenda Idola pertinens vel ad colendam sicui Deum creaturam partemve ullam creaturae vel ad consultationes pacta quaedam significationum cum Daemonibus placita atque foederata Qualia sunt molimina Magicarum artium Noque illi ab hoc genere perniciosae superstitionis segregandi sunt qui Genethliaci propter natalium dierum considerationes nunc autem vulgo Mathematici vocantur Nam ipsi quamvis veram stellarum positionem cum quisque nascitur consectentur aliquando etiam pervestigent tamen quod inde conatur vel actiones nostras vel actionum eventa praedicere nimis errant vondunt imperitis hominibus miserabilem servitutem Omnes igitur artes hujusmod vel nugatoriae vel noxiae superstitionis ex quadam pestifera societate hominum Daemonum quasi pacta infidelis dolosae amicitiae constituta ponitus sunt repudianda fugienda Christiano By John Gaule Minister of Great Staughton in the County of Huntingdon LONDON Printed for Joshua Kirton at the Kings Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1652. To his Excellency the Lord Generall CROMWELL SIR BEcause I have found your immerited and superabounding favours for these sundry years past therefore it is that I have now presumed in dedicating this Book to your name to the intent that I might ingenuously make some acknowledgment of my humble thankfulness before the world It is known to some and hoped by all that you love the Truth The truth not only of divine mysteries but even of humane Sciences And withall hate falshood The falshood not in Religion only but of Arts also Especially of all such arts as are utterly inconsistent with the very fundamental truths of Religion Of which sort I dare boldly aver is this fictitious art of Magicall Astrologie And whether I have by Gods mercifull enablement here so proved it that I humbly refer to be judged of by your own prudence and the most truly discerning among Christian professours First it began as a Religion amongst the vilest of Heathenish Idolatours Then the Jewish Apostates Idolized with it and by it to the unredeemable prejudice of their own Religion But after the Christian Religion came to be graciously promulged this Darkness durst not now set up it self for a Religion before that Light only then it pretended to an art and under that masked notion through some kind of Christianizers sought craftily to insinuate into the Church as lawfull Till Christian Conventions of Councils Synods Senates and Parliaments truly examined it and so justly condemned it for unlawfull Since that this Black Aart lurkt only in obscure corners and durst never appear in publick Save only in troubled times to their further distraction Because it then presumed Religion and Laws to be at a loss or at least not at leasure to examine and suppress it And so it took confidence to ominate alwaies most enviously against the Church For that being clouded it then presumed that Planetarian Edicts might the more easily be imposed upon a people yea and Starry Laws and Ordinances soon after that given even to a State it self And in truth Sir it was the imposing upon the peoples faiths by them of this way late start up amongst us with unsufferable peremptoriness and impudence that urged me not a little to employ some spare time from my other studies upon this enterprize For it was notorious both in City and Country and not only so but greatly scandalous how that they began to look into and commune of their Almanacks before the Bible and to make themselves more infallibly assured of a Prognostication as touching the government of the world and of the Church also than either of a prophecy or a promise Only their gross hallucinating in their prodigious portending upon the last Eclipse hath proved not a little to Eclipse their credit with them And I hope all true measuring and sober Astronomers will detest Distinguish and detect these mad ominating Astrologers which none indeed can doe so exactly as concerning their pedanticall cantings and mysterious juglings as can they For my part I know I must expect the utmost of their malice and malignity else it would fare better with me than with others that have opposed them in all ages But I heartily believe that God will bless me from their imprecating malefice And I humbly beseech you to bless me from their conspiring violence And the Church I trust will bless me against their cursed calumny And then let me alone to bless my self against the fallacie of their art or artifice So maugre all their malice I shall live by Gods grace and blessing a Minister of Christ a Preacher of the word a teacher of truth a pursuer of peace a refeller of falshood minding herein the glory of my God and the edification of my Brethren In all which I shall greatly rejoyce to be approved Your Excellencies most humble Servant John Gaule To the Readers Intelligent and Orthodox HAving neither had the hap to see two Magicall or Astrologicall writers old or new worthy to be called Authours save only in some few fragments of theirs nor yet the happiness to peruse twice two just Treatises of all that have been written against them except only of some certain Godly and learned men that have occasionally and dispersedly toucht upon them in brief and as it were by the way In regard hereof I could neither plenarily confute them from themselves which otherwise might have been done with no great difficulty nor yet sufficiently argue against them from others a thing of much facility Now seeing their Sun hath been shrouded from me or but appeared to me only in some kind of twilight I have ventured to light my lesser candle by which I have waded through much of their black darkness and not only so but have been bold to set it up in a candlestick that others also may thereby take a view either of my progress or my slips and faylings therein In which as I refer my self to their judgment so I implore their charity First neither these kind of men nor any else ought to stumble at the new coynd name I have here prefixt since the thing it self is so old For who hath read the Fathers the Philosophers the Historians the Poets or but some of the Magicians and Astrologers themselves but must observe and acknowledge Magick
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
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
hath not a natural and particular cause Nor yet what particular impediment may hinder that natural cause from effecting Now I would ask of Magicians and Astrologers whether they can foresee or foretel more then the devil himself can do Yet I would ask again whether the Magical and Astrological prescience and presagition be not much after the same manner as the diabolical is For the devil acquires his by long observation and often experience of things He knows well natural causes and can see their following effects as present in them He understands mens bodily temperaments and to what passions or affections they usual dispose and which way mens sensitive appetites may ordinarily prevail to incline their wills He can recollect the wickedness of Times and Nations and can guess by the multitude lawlesness and impunity of their iniquities among men how neâ—r they are to the judgements of God And accordingly can conjecture and predict the punishment of a people by war famine pestilence c. He can certainly foretel these things that depend upon necessary causes and have no other natural cause to hinder them as the motions of the stars Eclipses conjunctions c. But if they be not necessary although falling out for the most part but may have some other natural causes hindring them those he can foretel but probably and by conjecture as showers storms tempests c. He can certainly foretel those malefices which by Gods permission he intends to act either by himself or by his sworn instruments He can disclose such corrupt cogitations as himself hath injected especially so far forth as he observed them to take impression with complacency And for secret lusts manners and actions such as himself hath been an intimate witnesse of he can reveal them to his Magical instruments and make them if God will permit object them to mens faces and bewray them to the world He is continually so going to and fro in the earth that he can tel what is doing even in remotest places and such is his agility can suddenly convey it to his absent instruments or Artists and make them relate itas if they were present Hidden treasures lost goods thefts murders secretly committed these because done in his presence and kept in his remembrance he can disclose to and by his Agents if men will consult and God give leave Yea he can presage many things from the prophecies of the Word whose historicall part he understands better then men 5. Why God permits the devil and Diviners oft times to predict things future Is it not to distinguish betwixt his special spiritual and saving graces and his extraordinary temporary and transient gifts That none might presume of an inlightened minde or a conformed will because of such acts as may be without the least touch either of the one or the other Nor arrogate to themselves a likeness to Angels for such presagitions as wherein the beasts may surpass them Is it not that ungodly men and profane may thus so much the more be given over to their own superstitions and diabolical delusions And to teach the faithful and godly not to covet affect admire or undiscreetly approve of those gifts which are no perpetual and infallible tokens of Gods grace and favour Especially neither to be acting in nor attending to those vain curiosities which Satan may suggest and wicked men and infidels may attain unto 6. Whether the devil or divining predictors ought to be believed should they foretel truth The Devil abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it Joh. 8. 44. Eve ought not to have believed him because he spake of his own Gen. 3. Aâ—ab was not bound to be perswaded by him 1 King 22. 20 21 22. Because though he had a Commission or permission from God yet he exceeded it and spake of his own But I make a question whether Saul ought not to have believed him 1 Sam. 28. 19. Because he now spake not of his own God is to be believed even in the Devil himself But then it might be evident that he not onely speaks the things of God but from God that is both the truth and by a special warrant Otherwise there 's no accepting of his Testimony be it never so true if he take it up of his own Authority And therefore our Saviour Christ would neither assent to nor approve of the Devils although they spake the truth Mark 7. 24 25. 3. 11 12. No more did St. Paul to the truth that was spoken by the Spirit of Divination Act. 16. 16 17 18. We are taught that Satan may transform himself into an Angel of light and so may his Ministers like-wise And therefore we held our selves not obliged simply to believe either the one or the other even in the best they can say Because they may lye in telling truth may tell truth to deceive may prejudice a greater in uttering a lesser truth may usurp it of themselves may arrogate it to themselves When did God send the devil on a message to instruct his Church in the truth or to promise good unto his children If he be sent extraordinarily to pronuntiate to the wicked and reprobates their destinated judgements and deserts they may be so conscious within themselves as to have cause to believe them But as for holy men and elect if they be not tyed to believe their truth how much rather ought they to take heed of their strong delusions as not to believe their lyes 7. Whether a wicked man may prophesie or a godly man divine Although godly men are more subject to wicked mens sins then wicked men are capable of godly mens graces Yet godly men as godly men cannot be infected with wicked mens divining neither can wicked men as wicked men be endowed with godly mens prophecying Joseph is pretended to divine yet is it but a pretence of a pretence if it be taken in the worst sense as hath been said before Balaam took up his parable a dark saying which he himself understood not and God put a word in his mouth which never affected his heart But Balaam had no more the gift and spirit of prophesying then his Asse had the gift and spirit of speaking May we not then determine it thus God may be pleased so to dispense prophecying as sometimes to prompt a wicked man with the act sound or prolation of it but inspires or indues godly men alone with the gift sense and spirit of prophecy For the spirit of prophecy delights in sanctity and purity And to perfect prophecy is required not onely the illumination of the minde but the assent also of the will as to Gods revelation authority pleasure message truth glory which indeed cannot be in an ungodly man In Scripture a good man and a Prophet are Synonyma's and a man of God and a Prophet convertible terms And a bad
it by blasphemy or cover one lie with another saying a wise man ruleth over the Stars when as in truth neither doth a wise man overrule the Stars nor the Stars a wise man but it is God that ruleth over them both or else they say that some ineptitude or incapacity of the receiver hindred the celestiall influxes And they are angry at them who require any further faith or proofe Notwithstanding these circulators finde Princes and Magistrates that believe them in all things and adorn them with publique stipends when as indeed there is no kind of men more pestilent to a Commonwealth then those that spread vaticinations and promise things future from the Stars and inspected Ghosts from dreams and such like artifices of divination Besides they are men alwaies offensive or abominable to Christ and to all that truly believe in him Of whom Cornelius Tacitus complaineth saying The Mathematicians for so they vulgarly named them are a kind of men trecherous to Princes and deceitfull to those that give credit to them they have alwaies been prohibited our City and yet we could never have them expelled thence Yea and Varro a grave Author testifieth that the vanities of all superstitions have issued from the bosome of Astrologie There was in Alexandria a Tribute which the Astrologers used to pay called Blacenominon for the folly of it because by an ingenuous folly they got their gain and because that none but fooles and rash men used to consult them For if from the Stars be mens lives and fortunes why feare we why are we troubled Rather let us leave these to God and the Heavens who neither can erre nor doe evill And since we are but men let us not be over wise in high matters and more then is meet and above our powers but only so far forth as behooveth humane creatures And moreover in as much as we are Christians let us leave to Christ the houres and to God the Father the moments which he hath put in his own power But if our life and fortune be not from the Starres then doth not every Astrologer run in vaine But there is a kind of men so timerous and credulous which like as children doe their Goblin tales more believe and are more affraid of those things that are not then those that are and by how much a thing is lesse possible they feare it the more and by how much it is lesse like to truth so much the more firmly doe they believe it who truely if there were no Astrologers and Diviners would die for hunger And the foolish credulity of these men forgetfull of things past and negligent of things present and headsâ—â—ong upon things future doth so favour these deceivers that whereas in other men the faith of the speaker is rendred or suspected by one lie that all the rest of truths are thereby obscured on the contrary as concerning these lying Masters one fortuitous truth must get credit even to notorious lies To which truely they who trust most are rendred of all men the most unhappy As these superstitious vanities are wont to bring destruction to their observers which antiquity witnesseth in Zoroastes Pharaoh Nebuchadonosor Caesar Crassus Pompey Diotherus Nero and Julian the Apostate who as they were most addicted to these toyes so they perished most miserably in the confidence of them And to whom the Astrologers had promised all things fortunate and joyfull all things fell out most dolefull and unfortunate as to Pompey Crassus and Caesar to none of whom they promised other then that they should die old at home and with glory and yet every one of them perished miserably and untimely Verily this is a pertinacious and preposterous kind of men who professe themselves to foreknow things future and yet are ignorant of things past and present and while they professe themselves to all men that they can declare all things although most occult yet very often they know not what is done in their own houses in their own beds Such an Astrologer More the Englishman taxes in this handsome Epigram Thou aery Prophet to whom every Starre Opens it selfe and straight way makes a warre Of each mans future Fate Thou hast a wife That ope's herselfe to all she is so rife This the Sunne sees and all the Stars and yet Not one of them forewarneth thee of it Saturn's aloofe as blind as e're nor can Though nigh discerne betwixt a stone and a man The beauteous Moon can with her bashful eye Being a virgin a virgin onely spie Jove heeds Europa Mars Venus Venus Mars Sol looks to Daphne and Mercury to Heres Hence thy wifes Loves to thee they make not known They have enough to do to tend their own Moreover it is known to all how the Jewes Chaldeans Aegyptians Persians Arabians do dissent in the very rules of the Judiciary way and how Ptolomie rejecteth the whole Astrologie of the Antients and as Avenrodam defends him so Albumasar inveighs against him And all these doth Abraham Avenezra the Hebrew lash To conclude Dorothaeus Paulus Alexandrinus Ephestion Maternus Homer Tebith Alchiudus Zahel Messahalla and almost all the rest conceive and think otherwise And since what they say they cannot prove to betrue they only defend themselves by way of experiment neither do they all of em unanimously agree even about that Neither do they differ lesse about the proprieties of the houses out of which they prole the predictions of all events which Ptolomie assignes one way Heliodorus another Paulus another Manlius another Maternus another Porphyrius another Abentagel another the Egyptians another the Arabians another the Greeks and Latines another the Antients another the Modern another And for as much as it is not evident amongst them after what manner they ought to constitute the beginnings and the ends of those houses since the Antients fabricate them after one fashion Ptolomie after another Campanus after another Johannes Regiomontanus after another whence it comes to pass that they themselves by their own observations do diminish all faith and credit to themselves in that divers of them do ascribe divers properties to the same places and not only so but beginnings also and ends An impious kind of men who attribute those things to the stars that are belonging to God alone and do make us free-born to be the stars born slaves And whereas we know that God created all things good they deliver that there are certain stars malevolous and authors of wickednesses and of evil influxes not without the greatest injury of God and the heavens that may be defining that in those coelestials and in that divine Senate evils and wickednesses are decreed to be done And impute wholly to the stars whatsoever is committed by us through the fault of our own will and what may fall out against order in nature through the fault of the matter Yea they fear not to teach most pernicious heresies and infidelities namely while they prophâ—sse with impious temerity that
of this world and not onely over them but over all that are made therein Teaching yet more heretically that they who will attain to the perfection of their Myst gogie must dare to do any thing yea must do any filthy thing otherwise they cannot escape the Prince of this world unlesse by such secret operation they pay their debt to all And what was this operation of absolving the debt in the body but a nefarious coition of men and of women and therewithal an abhominable operating of incantations venefices and Idolatries upon every member of the body Marcus with his podalitial Marcesites was most skilful expert in al magical impostures by which he seduced many men and not a few women to turn to and attend him as one most sciential and perfect and one that had gotten great vertue from invisible and unnameable powers places Wheras he onely mixed the ludicrous fopperies of Anaxilaus together with the wicked subtilties of Magicians and so deluded into admiration or astonishment such simple and senseless people as could not discern his ludibrious incantations For faigning himself to give thanks over a cup of white wine by his long invocations and incantations he turned it to red or made is so appeare that it might be thought by that grace from them that are above all he distilled his own blood into the cup through the invention thereof and that they which were present might desire to tast of that cup that so there might distil upon them that grace which the Magician invoked or which the Magician called Grace Understand withal that he had a Devil his Paredrial or assessor by which he himself did seem to prophesie and so many women as he thought worthy to be partakers of his grace he made to prophesie especially he busied himself about women that were noble and rich and gayly clad and thus blasphemously he would flatter and allure them I will that thou shouldest partake of my grace because the Father seeth every Angel of thine alwayes before his face now the place of thy greatnesse is in us and it behoveth us to convene in one receive first from me and by me grace and be thou prepared as a Spouse to entertain her well-beloved that thou maist be as I and I as thou place thou in thy chamber the seed of light take from me thy well beloved and receive thou him and be received of him behold grace descendeth upon thee open thy mouth and prophesie Thus she being enticed seduced and puffed up and her heart beating and burning within her out of a hope or presumption to prophesie she dares to speak any doting follies and that from the heat of the spirit boldly impudently confidentlyvainly emptily And from thenceforth reputes her self a prophetesse gives thanks to Marcus who hath communicated his own Grace to her and now labours to recompense and reward him not only with all her wealth and substance but with her corporal copulation that in all things they may be one A certain Deacon in Asia who had received Marcus into his house fell into this very kind of calamity he having a very beautiful wife this Magician corrupted her both in body and minde or opinion so that she followed after him a long time at length after the brethren had converted her with great pains she spent her whole time in confession bewayling and lamenting the corruption that she had suffered by this heretical Magician or magical Heretick Priscillianus was very studious of Zoroaster the Magician and of a Magician made a Bishop He himself subjected Christ his actions and passions to the stars And the Priscillianists determined all men to be bound to fatal stars and that our body is composed according to the twelve signes as those they vulgarly call Mathematicians use to do constituting Aries in the head Taurus in the neck Gemini in the shoulder Cancer in the breast and so running over the rest by name till they came to the â—â—les of the feet which they attribute to Pisces called the last signe by the Astrologers These and the like fabulous vain and sacrilegious things hath this heresie woven together which is too long to prosecute And so is it to speak particularly of the Ebonites Valentinians Gnosticks Colarbasians Heracleonites Heraclites Ophites Cerdonians Marcionists Montanists Euchetanes Eupbratians Senophians c. which were as infamous for praestigious Magick as portentous heresies I passe by the heresies of the Magical and Astrological Philosphers about the principles tearms matters efficacies and ends of all things celestial and terrestrial and their Magical opinions mixt with Idolatry Superstition Atheism and prophanenesse Of all the rest Ptolomie and the Ptolomaites would not be left out and it were but for names sake but Ptolomie was a bud or branch of the Gnosticks and the Valentinians and then he must needs be a piece of a Magician But I onely put the Ptolomaites heathenish or heretical to the construction and application of these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For hereupon I conclude that if Ptolomie the Genethliack was not an heretick yet Ptolomie the heretick was a Genethliack And that he and his followers are as easie to be posed puzzled and confuted in the one as the other 10. Of the inveterate malice and envy of Magicall operators and Astrologicall diviners in maligning defaming opposing and persecuting the Church and more especially the Ministers of Christ BEsides the canonicall history of Jannes and Iambres resisting Moses and of Simon Magus and Elymas withstanding St. Peter and St. Paul Ecclesiasticall story makes this relation betwixt St. Peter and Simon Magus Nerâ— being captivated with the effascinating allurements of Simon Magus who had gotten his heart by promising him through his wicked arts victory dominion health long life safety c. all which he believed that knew not how to prove the truth of things so that he held the chiefe place in his friendship for he took him to be the overseer and guardian of his life and health But after that Peter had detected his flagitious vanities and had demonstrated how that he onely belyed the species and appearances of things and that he effected no true solid thing at all then was he had in scorn and therefore consumed himselfe with griefe and envy And although he had experience of Peters power in other parts for under Claudius Caesar he was stricken with madnesse after that he was found to have dealt so maliciously against the Apostle Peter in Iudaea he wandred from East to West and comming to Rome first he boasted that he could raise the dead It so fell out that a Noble young man a kinsman of Caesars died about that time to the griefe of all Most of them advised that an experiment should be made whether he could be raised again from the dead Now Peter was accounted very famous for such mighty works but as yet the Gentiles had no faith as touching any such fact of his Yet their griefe