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
World Else how can the fortunizing Genethliack foretell that the child new born shall be a Traveller shall live and dye in a Strange Country shall have friends or enemies abroad and at home shall have losse or advantage by Sea or by Land c. 41. How can the starres be sayd so much as to dispose or incline unto common events and such as depend upon and follow multitudes Have those multitudes all of them the same Constellations and they inclining to the same acts and so ordinating to the same events 42. Should not the same Aspects and influences be of the same vertues and operations How comes it to passe then that during these children are begotten and brought forth not only of different complexions proportions feature qualities but which is most different sexes also And how comes it to paste that persons of dâ—â—â—â—rent constitutions complexions tempers humours statures features qualities dispositions manners religions fortunes fates are born under the same Starrs or starry conjunctions and men of the same or the like in all these although born under divers and different Constellations Because they say that Whoremongers are born under Venus and Quarrellers under Mars and Worldlings under Mercury c. will they say that all are such or so disposed that are so born and that none are so nor so disposed that are born under other Planets 43. How many hundreds and thousands have been slain at one battell and dyed upon the place although of severall Nations constitutions qualities manners religions Now had all those the same ascendant at their birth that had the same fate at their death That so many have perished by water so many by fire so many by Pestilence so many by Famine so many by heat so many by cold so many by the Gallows or other executions will they now say that all those had but one kind of Constellation 44. What say they to those Twinns born under the same Aspects and Constellations and nevertheless of divers nay of contrary tempers manners religions conditions ends Such as were Jacob and Esau in the Scriptures The Twinns in Augustine Hector and Polydamus in Homer Proclus and Euristhenes in Tully c. Let them not say there may be difference in their conception for Twinns are commonly of one conception and superfetation of all other is most rare among mankind Besides what 's that to the Constellation which they fix upon the birth 45. What are they able to say to the unknown beginning of Cities and Kingdomes to the uncertain moments of conceptions and parturitions to adulterous mixtures in generation to numberless numbers born in the same moment here and there and yet of them some wise some fools some vertuous some vicious some beautifull some hard-favoured some high some low some rich some poor some healthfull some sickly some long-lived some short-lived c. 46. Makes it not in reason most strongly against the credit of their Predictions in that they themselves cannot but confess that the decrees of the Stars are very often varied and changed by the circumstances of Regions Religions Lawes Institutes manners commerces Parents educations disciplines times places c. 47. If the Starres decree dispose guide govern impell necessitate mens actions naturall morall civill religious what power of reason and free-will What necessity of Lawes and Magistrates What justice of penalties What merit of reward Why then may we not as some of the same Principles have done excuse all other faults and offences against either God or men from this their fatall necessitie 48. Because some things may be certainly foreknown and foretold from the position and motion of the starres as Eclipses some things also of probable consequence in part as heat cold drought rain wind c. some accidents also to be conjectured in the generall as Pestilence diseases barrenness dearth c. Are there therefore the same grounds or reasons to conclude peremptorily upon contingencies arbitrary actions casuall events yea and such things as are reserved to Gods free pleasure and power 49. VVhether it be not the Prognosticators failing of grounded reasons rather than their failing in their feigned directions that hath caused them to fail so often in their Prognostications or Predictions 50. VVhether as the Magicians and Astrologers declaiming against Reason argues the defect of reason So whether the defect of reason argue not the defect of Art For where Reason is not the ground or principle it cannot be an Art what ever be the experiment or event CHAP. X. 10. From the Prestigiousness of Experiment 1. VVHether it may not please Almighty God to permit some experiments or effects of Magick and Astrologie for the same intents as he doth those of malefice and sorcery Nay and indeed as in all other wicked wayes Namely 1. For the magnifying of his own wisedome justice and power His power in that though the fallen creature may will evill of it self yet is it not able to act all it wills without his power or permission His justice in deserting the creature to its own pravity and malice and so punishing sinne with sinne His wisedome in so directing it as to work good out of evill 2. For the convincing of the Devill of the malice of his own will of the wretchedness of his own power and of the fallacy of his own Art In that he would doe more malefice if he might can doe nothing but by permission promises nothing but ambiguously because he is not certain himself till he have tempted God 3. For the dereliction of the Artists or Actors to the delusion of a false Faith a bold temptation and proud curiosity Because they believe without a promise and so believe the Devill more than God They tempt the Devill as well as God that is tempt the Devill to tempt God They are inquisitive after the knowledge of those things which are neither for them nor Devills but for God alone to know 4. For the execution obduration and delusion of their credulous and superstitious Proselytes and Clients in the vanity of their carnall hopes and fears Because they will not receive the love of the truth but will choose their own delusions and trust to lying wonders after Satans working which are praestigious experiments for this cause God also chooses their delusions yea sends them strong delusions confirmed not only by inward perswasions but outward experiments that they should believe a lye sc vain observations prognostications and predictions 5. For the tryall of the Faith Patience and Prudence of the saints That they may learn to believe not because of a sensible experiment but because of a spirituall promise And may submissively admire Gods permission not believing rashly every presaging spirit but discreetly trying the spirits whether they are of God 2. How can that be a sufficient proof of the verity of any Science or of the lawfulness of any Art which the Devill makes to be the chiefest means of his own science and the only proof
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
but universal not vocational onely but personal not an act common to reprobates but an habit peculiar to the Saints Not of propounding things of future times but of expounding the future things of eternity Be it in heaven or earth Prophecies shall fail when that which is perfect is come 1 Cor. 13. 8. In heaven they must needs fail because there 's no future to be contemplated or expected all is an eternal present And in the Church of Christ they must needs fail because there is no future truth not another Gospel to be expected the present truth is eternal Prophecie failed in the Church as did the other extraordinary and temporary gifts viz. Working of miracles and speaking with Tongues Neverthelesse I conceive God hath absolutely denyed his Church none of all these but that the Spirit may be pleased to stir up some men at some times and to some particulars to act in any of them if just cause and necessity be Yet though a man should be raised to prophesie now and that by the same Spirit I cannot think it to be by the same degree or authority of the Spirit as the former Prophets were Because the authority of the Spirit in them was not onely prophetical or historical but sapiential and dogmatical And so their prophesies were recorded not onely for a particular and certain prediction of truth but for an universal and perpetual instruction of Faith And therefore either there must be no end of adding to the Scriptures or else none such must now be raised There may be some prudential predictings of good men and suspicious presagings of evil men and shrewd conjecturings of common men but what are all these to the prophesyings of holy men of God in old time Yet we say Gods hand is not shortned but that he can still raise up such but who can say that he will do it Or that there is just cause why he should so do We conclude therefore in the general that Prophecy is ceast And that of an extraordinary gift at first it is become more extraordinary to after ages What reason then have we to be so blind of Faith as to admit of a stated art of divination in its stead CHAP. XXII From the rarity of Miracles 1 WHether every thing that is affected above besides or against the course and order faculty and power hope and expectation of nature may truly be said to be miraculous Not every thing 1. Because it is not a thing effected against particular nature but against whole nature that makes a Miracle 2. Because in particular nature there are antipolliges or occult qualities of actives and passives naturally acting or disposed to act one against another 3. Because it is neither nature acting contrary to some part of her self nor is it Art urging or tempting Nature but it is God totally exceeding the law vertue and order of Nature that makes it to be a Miracle 4. Because many things may be done against Nature or natural propensity which notwithstanding are but ordinary and trivial as the causing of heavy things to ascend upwards c. 5. Because there are many sins and vices that are against Natures law and vertue which who will say that they are miraculous Therefore we conclude against Magical Mirabilaries that although every Miracle be an act or effect above Nature yet every act or effect besides or against Nature is not a Miracle 2. Whether that may absolutely be said to be a Miracle whose effect is manifest and whose cause is occult or unknown to us No. Except it be acted simply by the first cause and for causes onely known to him 2. Except it exceeds all mans exact knowledge indifferently one as well as another 3. Except the cause be altogether past such finding out even to sober and prudential observation art industry Otherwise it should not be a Miracle so as it is in itself but so as it appears to us Our ignorance should necessarily come into the cause of Miracles That should be miraculous to one man which is not so to another And a prophane curiosity of Art would boast of more light and experiment in divine works then indeed is vouchsafed to the perswasion of a pious faith 3. Whether the power of working Miracles be not proper to God alone This must be affirmed and cannot be denyed 1. Because He onely can work a Miracle of himself to whom nothing is a Miracle 2. Because He onely can work against the order of Nature and second causes whose will is sufficient to institute Order alter all things 3. Because God is a transcendent and is not under nor yet within the predicament of any part of the whole order of Nature as the creature is and therefore he onely can act that against and besides above the order of Nature which the creature cannot 4. Because a divine power requires not a subject to work upon for it is able to create all things of nothing neither looks it at the possibility or propensity of that subject to the producing of the effect as every created power doth 5. Because the proper cause of a Miracle must not onely be uncreated infinite omnipotent indeterminate c. But it must also be occult unsearchable incomprehensible now no cause is simply so but the hidden God himself 6. Because it cannot be a Miracle unless it be absolutely and universally wonderful or to be equally admired of all creatures of the same kinde Now it is onely for God and neither for Angels or men to do such things as shall be admirable to their fellows and not so to themselves 7. Because if any other could work Miracles but God or but by God then Miracles could not be the indubitable signes and proofs of a God nor of Gods Word and Truth 4. Whether the good Angels can do Miracles Ministerially and instrumentally they may but not principally and authoritatively For Angels are finite both in their nature apprehension and power And divine Miracles absolutely considered are as strange and wonderful to them as they are to us men Yet Angels out of the vertue and perspicuity of their own nature may know how to do many things that may seem miraculous or be marveilous to us Because they are a superior power or vertue unknown to us and may have a particular power over inferiours not known to us and therefore may act above besides against the particular order of Nature that is known to us But being part of whole created nature themselves they cannot act against it the main reason of a Miracle for so they should act against themselves 5. Whether Devils can do Miracles If not Angels much lesse devils Neither doth the Lord make use of the devils to be instruments of his mighty works as he doth of the Angels For Miracles were never intended or effected immediately or mediately but for the confirmation of the truth to which the devils are no apt instruments because all that they do is with
viz. If you would drive away any venemous serpent or noysom beast make the figure thereof in some certain matter under some convenient constellation and inscribe thereupon the name of the signe ascending and the name of the thing you would expell c. And for the contrary effect do it after a contrary constellation c. And observe the like in alluring to love or in provoking to hatred in curing of diseases and procuring of health c. But by no means so conscientious or cautious they are ascribe the effect to the Image for that 's say they idolatry superstition witchcraft but to the constellation and I pray what 's that But I am weary with reckoning up in part things of so great folly and of greater impiety Onely I ask not them but the sound and sober if indeed they be not so I mean if the businesse and folly of the world brought and sought to be directed by the businesse and folly of an Art be not very much repugnant to humane prudence and to divine providence much more CHAP. XXVI From the conviction of Confession WHether Magicians and Astrologers themselves have not plainly and plentifully discovered and acknowledged the vanity and impiety of Magick and Astrology And whether it be not an Argument irrefragable against an Art or operation whenas the Arch-Artists are so far convinc't as to confesse the pravity and obliquity thereof themselves For who can more truly and fully set them forth then they that have given themselves over to study and practise them How many things of old and of late have been spoken either through a spirit of recantation a conscience of conviction or a fury of exclamation by magicians against Magick and by Astrologers against Astrology Hear what one of them saith both against himself and all the rest of what kind or sort soever Whatsoever things have here already and shall afterward be said by me I would not have any one assent to them nor shal I my self any further then they shall be approved of by the universal Church and the Congregation of the faithful Magicians and those who were the authors of this Art amongst the Antients have been Chaldeans Aegyptians Assyrians Persians and Arabians all whose Religion was perverse and polluted idolatry We must very much take heed lest we should permit their errors to war against the grounds of the Catholike Religion For this was blasphenious and subject to the curse and I also should be a blasphemer if I should not admonish you of these things in this science Wheresoever therefore you shall find these things written by us know that these things are onely related out of other Authors and not put down by us for truth but for a probable conjecture which is allyed to truth and an instruction for imitation in those things that are true Of Magick I wrote whilst I was very young three large books which I called Of Occult Philosophie in which what was then through the curiosity of my youth erroneous I now being more advised am willing to have retracted by this Reeantation For I have heretofore spent very much time and cost in these vanities At length I grew so wise as to understand how and by what reasons I was bound to dehort others from this destruction For whosoever do not in the truth nor in the power of God but in the delusions of Devils according to the operation of the evil spirits presume to divine and prophecy and by magical vanities exorcisms inchantments love potions allurements and other devilish works and deceits of Idolatry exorcising prestigious things and making ostentation of phantasms boasting themselves to work miracles presently vanishing all these with Jannes and Iambres and Simon Magus shall be destinated to the torments of eternal fire The antient Philosophers teach us to know the nature of the genius of every man by stars their influx and aspects which are potent in the nativity of any one but with instructions so diverse and differing amongst themselves that it is much difficult to understand the mysteries of the Heavens by their directions c. Cicero following the stoicks affirms that the foreknowing of future things belongs onely to the Gods And Ptolomie the Astrologer saith that they onely that are inspired with a deity foretel particular things To them Peter the Apostle consents saying Prophesying is not made according to the will of man but holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Take heed that you be not deceived by them that are deceived Neither can the great reading of books direct you here since they are but as riddles How great writings are there made of the irresistible power of magical Art of the Prodigious Images of Astrologers of the monstrous transmutations of Alchimists of the blessed stone by which Mydas like all mettals that were touched were presently transmuted into Gold or Silver All which are found vain fictitious and false c. Whatsoever the monstrous Mathematicians the prodigious Magicians the envious Alchymists and bewitching Necromancers can do by spirits See where their Faith is placed where their hope is reposed who endeavour to subject the Elements Heavens Fate Nature Providence God and all things to the command of one Magician and seek for the preservation of a kingdom from Devils the enemies of publike preservation Saying in their heart with Ochoziâ—s there is not a God in Israel let us go and consult Beelzebub the God of Acbron c. Are they not delivered over to a reprobate sense who desire the certainty of secret counsels from the Devil the father of lies and hope for victory elsewhere them from the Lord of Hosts All these ungodly follies are wont to bring destruction to the admirers thereof to which truly they who especially confide are made the most unfortunate of all men Surely it is unknown to these Fools and Slaves of the Devil for to finde out things to come and to pronounce truth concerning those things which hang over our heads and are occult and from heaven portended unto men and to effect things which exceed the common course of Nature c. O Fools and wicked Who by these Arts would establish a kingdom by which formerly most potent Empires have fallen and have been utterly overthrown It is now time to speak of the Mathematical disciplines which are reputed to be the most certain of all other and yet they all consist not but in the opinions of their own Doctors to whom much faith is given who also have erred in them not a little Which Albumasar one of them attests to us saying that the Antients even since Aristotles time have not plainly known the Mathematicks For seeing all these Arts are chiefly conversant about the spherical or round whether figure or number or motion they are forced at length to confesse that a perfect round or spherical is no where to be found neither according to Art nor according to Nature And these disciplines although they have
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