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
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
frequently to be observed from the same cause by the same means and to the same end 11. Whether it be good and safe to gather an universall proposition or make a generall conclusion of experiment from examples of a particular event Especially when those examples are extraordinary singular rare accidentall obscure fabulous c. Likewise when the causes are uncertain and the effects unanswerable and the ends contrary 12. Whether the truth and reality of an experiment be sufficient to justify the goodness and lawfulness of the art Who will say because the effect was palpable therefore the means are laudable Because some Astrologicall predictions have proved experimentally true peradventure will any one therefore argue that the principles and practices of it are therefore morally good Who can deny that even diabolicall predictions have too often come to passe 13. Whether of one Magicall divination or Astrologicall prediction that hath had any reality of effect morethan ten of them have not been found to have been as false in the intention so fayling in the execution And wherefore doe they so vauntingly proclame those few that have by chance taken effect and so cunningly conceal those many that have proved false and frustrate And why should one or two fortuitous and casuall events win credit to the Art and yet not ten nor an hundred false and frustrate predictions prevail to disparage it Since one lye may make many truths to be suspected why should one accidentall truth be taken for a confirmation or covert of many lyes 14 May not the peremptory prediction of Magicall Astrologers that swear upon their own Prognostications prove so to dementate and bewitch people as that they can now dream of nothing else and if Good so elevate them with transported hopes as that they cannot now choose but goe on with uncontrollable confidence in the attempt But if bad so distract them with confounding despayrs as that they cannot but carelesly give them-themselves over to such wayes and means as must necessarily bring them to such fearfull ends 15. Doe we not know the force of Imagination that it may very often produce reall and palpable effects and yet the imagination not less vain and absurd for all that In like manner why may not the strong imaginations that are here betwixt the Actors and Assenters be effectuall to the producing of some such notable experiment or event 16. Whether an experiment in Magick and Astrologie may not be like unto an experiment in Physick or Medicine sc brought to effect many times Empirically Quack-salvingly ignorantly blindly upon a rash adventure and without yea against all rules of art 19. Whether the complement of some prognosticated effects even naturall as well as accidentall may not fitly be thus compared viz. To many arrows shot at rovers and one now and then hitting the mark To many small bullets shot out of a great Guns mouth and one or so among all doing execution To a Dice-player that in often throwing sometimes names his cast before-hand To the many words of a loquacious babler whereof some may prove true although without his understanding and against his intention To a man stumbling upon that by chance and in the dark which with all his light and diligence he could hardly have found out 18. Have not dreams ordinary dreams very often proved true Is there therefore any certainty to be had of such dreams Have not conjurations and enchantments wrought stupendious effects Are these arts therefore to be approved because of such proofs as these 49. Whether the Prognosticators themselves are not very doubtfull of the event or experiment Seeing that they studiously deliver their predictions either with such cautions or equivocations as whether they fall out or not or whether this way or that yet something however may be pretended to have been foretold 20. What 's the reason that none of the Diviners or calculating predictors dare once scarcely so much as offer to tast of their own drugs or dregs which they propine to all the world and would willingly make the whole earth drunken withall that they might see mens nakedness Nor yet wage their own law wherewith they seek to set all others in a contention I mean scarce any one of them not once begun to try an experiment of their own Theams and Scheams upon themselves Think they we would envy their foreseen felicity Or are they conscious and affraid of their so often experienced infortunity which their very art without such precise erection hath justly made them obnoxious unto So that no marvell they had rather pretend an experiment of their art upon others than find it in themselves 20. Whether those Theams and Scheams they tell us of concerning so many famous mens deaths sicknesses victories advancements liberties captivities learnings errors c. were not most of them erected by them after the events And then what a rare art is this to make a man a prophesier à posteriori And though he can hardly deduce the event from the presignification of the stars yet he can easily which is all one extoll to the Stars the presignification of the event 22. Whether mens fortunes or successes especially for the constant yea and ultimate experiments of them doe not more follow their manners than depend upon their Stars For let them resolve us if a man according to his manners may not either live a happier life than his Stars promise or dye a dreadfuller death than his stars threaten 23. Whether this be not a true conclusion That all experiments pretended from sydereall positures and effluxes besides some certain distinctions of times some naturall temperaments some medicinall operations some nauticall arts and some seasonable observations about husbandry are nothing else but prestigious impostures jugling leiger de mains or prodigious illusions CHAP. XI XI From the pooreness of Suppositions 1. IS not that a poor Art whose very principles run a begging being nothing else but bare Hypotheses Suppositions Postulates Petitions craved Concessions implored admissions bargained beliefs and to use the Apostles phrase weak and beggarly elements or rudiments Yea I may say further not only in his phrase but according to his scope Philosophie and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the Elements or rudiments of the world and not after Christ Col. 2. 8. 2. Whether such Hypotheses or suppositions as may be conceded to Astronomie for necessary and usefull intents ought to be indulged or licensed to Astrologie for unnecessary vain and vile ends 3. Why may we not say of the Astrologers as they say of the Alchymists That they take true or probable Hypotheses from other Arts and make false and impossible inferences uâ—â—n them in their own 4. Whether that saying may not more aptly be spoken of Magicall Astrologie than of any other art besides One absurdity being supposed or granted a thousand absurdieies will â—ollow upon it And as every peradventure yea may be answered with a peradventure nay so why
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
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
any imperiall edict but first set on foot by an imposterous Diviner who stirred up the multitude of the Heathens to promote their own superstition and oppresse the Christian profession Olerian was very clement and favourable to the Christians till the Magicians put him upon the persecution as the greatest enemies to and impediments of their acts and operations All the Philosophers Sophisters Magicians Aruspices Augurs Negromancers gathered themselves together against Athanasius alledging nothing could succeed in their art or to them by their Art till Athanasius was first taken out of the way Therefore they greatly excited Iulian against him Another time they most calumniously accused him of the same devillish art that they themselves were guilty of Iulian Maxentius and Maximinus were great divining Magicians and great favourers and promoters of divining Magicians and as such and by such great tyrants and persecutors and such as especially laboured to destroy not onely the Priests but the Priesthood Henry the third purposing to ayde his brother against Lewis the French King was disswaded therefrom by the disastrous predictions of William de Perepond a great Astrologer and his counsellour But the main intent of the divination was from the Popes Oracle â—est Lewis might so be interrupted in his persecuting enterprize against the Albigenses The Magicians as the Ecclesiasticall historians relate it pursued Daniel with envy calumny and treachery before Cambyses or Cyaxares till they brought him to the Lyons denne till the Prince repented that he was led so farre by the Magicians and delivered Daniel from the denne and cast them into it The Magicians of Persia by false calumny and barbarous cruelty raised and maintained thirty yeeres persecution against the Christians devising and inflicting horrid tortures upon Abdas or Audas a Bishop upon Benjamin a Deacon and also upon Hormisda a Nobleman Theoteclinus a Magician of Antioch under Maximinus by magicall force caused an Image of Iupiter to poure forth Oracles and such they were as served to whet on the Emperours persecution and to exasperate the hatred of the Citizens against the Christians 11. Of the divining envy dissimulation calumny blasphemy and enmity not onely against Christian Religion but even against Christ himselfe MIlesian Apollo being consulted about Christ whether he was God or man gave this answer That he was mortall according to flesh or body wise in portentous or monstrous workes but being apprehended by armes under Chaldean Judges with nailes and clubs he made a bitter end Upon which Lactantius his comment is That although the Oracle as it was forced began to speak truth yet it did it so subtilly and perversely as with intent to deceive the consulter being altogether ignorant of the mystery of God and man and so seems to deny him to be God by confessing him to be man But in that it acknowledgeth him to be mortall according to the flesh it is not inconsequent although against the mind of the Oracle but that he was immortall and God neverthelesse according to the Spirit And why must he needs make mention of the flesh when as it was enough to say him mortall but being pressed with truth he could not deny the thing to be as it was as he also was forced to confesse him to be wise And what saies Apollo to himselfe If he be wise then is his doctrine wisdome and no other and they are therefore wise that follow it and no other Why then doe their vulgar account us vain and foolish since we follow a master and Teacher wise by their Oraculous gods own confession In that he saith that he did portentous works by which he merited the faith of a Godhead he seems to assent unto us because he saith him to doe those very things which rightly understood and believed we glory in Neverthelesse he recollects himselfe and returnes to his daemonicall frauds of calumny and blasphemy For albeit he spake some truth as necessitated yet he seems to be a betrayer of himselfe and the gods in as much as he would have enviously concealed through an inimicall and deceiving lie that which the truth partly wrung from him And therefore he saith him to have done wonderfull workes but he meant it should be understood not by a divine but by a magicall or divining power But whereas he saith further that he was apprehended under Chaldaean Judges c. I demand hereupon whether they were Chaldeans by nature or by profession The first is not to be conceded as concerning Herod and Pilat nor yet properly as touching Annas and Caiaphas and therefore since he will needs call them Chaldeans the latter is rather to be supposed it is not strange to be believed that any one of them might be of the Chaldean profession or addicted to it And why might not the Chaldaeanizing Oracle be drawn to confesse so much against it selfe And might it not be one end of the Ecclipse at his passion to make even all the Chaldaeanizing Astrologers to confesse with some of their fellows that it was no other but the God of nature that now suffered One asking Apollo what God he might appease whereby to recall his wife from Christianity The Oracle gave this answer as St. Augustine cites it from Porphyrius a great enemy of Christ and Christians Sooner mayst thou write in water or fly in the ayre like a bird then remove the opinion of thy impious wife let her goe on as she will and sing a dead God in vaine fallacies and false lamentations whom the Judge rightly determining an ill death hath ended This Porphyrius cites and expounds blasphemously as if Christ died deservedly from the just sentence of his Judges But St. Augustine conceives Apollo spake not thus but his vaticinating Diviner and yet not he but this magicall calumniator that durst blaspheme above the devill himselfe For Apollo himselfe durst not but speak well of him saying he was such a God and King as made the heavens the earth and Sea and the deep things of Hell to tremble of whom both he and his fellow Daemons were afraid Such also was the answer of Hecate concerning Christ and so were all the rest of them Among some forced and dissembled truths abundance of blasphemy and calumny against Christ and Christian religion The Pythian Oracle being consulted again and again by the Athenians what religion was best to be set up would stil answer their Fathers or Countries customes rites or ceremonies Not but that he would false religion in all variety but that he feared a change of religion might make way to reformation of Christianity 12. Magicians Astrologers Diviners Diabolically praedicting maliciously envying malefically imprecating and venefically murdering such as inhibited opposed confuted contradicted them or their arts That is either by violence treachery or sorcery seeking and venturing their adversaries destruction whether they were Kings or Priests Christians or Persians VItellius having commanded by his Edicts that the Chaldaeans Mathematicians Magicians judiciall Astrologers and Diviners should
not undeservedly Wenceslaus sent for a wagon full of Conjurers to play tricks and make sport amongst the rest he called Zyto who comming in with a wide mouth cloven to both his eares swallowed up the chiefe Conjurer and voyds him again downward c. but was himselfe carried away by the divel which so moved Wenceslaus that he thence forwards seriously applied himselfe to the meditation of sacred things Pope Sylvester the second of a Monke became a Magician infinuated himselfe into the familiarity of a Necromanticall Saracene and stole from him a Conjuring-book and studying or practising that art obtained by the divels meanes the Popedome Which dignity so soon as he had ascended he dissembled his black art under that holy vestment but kept a brazen head in a secret place from which he sought and received divining answers And enquiring of the divell how long he should live in the Papall dignity he answered aequivocatingly that he should live long if he came not at Hierusalem Now in the fourth yeere of his Pontificate as he was sacrificing in the Church of the holy Crosse in Hierusalem at Rome he was suddenly stricken with a grievous feaver and began to be convinced that thus the divell had deluded him and now he must die Whereupon he began to be penitent and confessing before the people deplored the wickednesse of his magicall errour Exhorting all men avoyding ambition and diabolicall deceits to live well and holily intreating them every one that after his death the trunke of his body torne and dismembred as it justly deserved might be laid upon a Cart and buried in that place whither the horses carried it of their own accord And in the extremity of his death besought that his hands and tongue might be cut out by wâ—ich he had blasphemed God and sacrificed to divels Trithemius retracted his opinion concerning the seven spirits in the seven Planets governing the world in their course by 354 yeeres apiece and four moneths protesting after this manner in the conclusion that of all these he believed and admitted nothing but as the Catholick Church believed and for the rest he refuted and contemned all as vaine fained and superstitious And as he disclaimed this to Maximilian the Emperour so he exclaimed against the Artists to Another Away with these rash men vayne men lying Astrologers deceivers of minds and pratlers of frivolous things For the disposition of the Stars makes nothing to the immortall soule to naturall science to supercelestiall wisdome A body hath power onely over a body The mind is free and not subject to Stars and neither receives their influences nor follows their motions c. Cornelius Agrippa in his youth wrote a Magicall book of occult Philosophy but in his sager yeeres wrote another of the vanity of Sciences wherein he confutes and condemns Magick Astrology and all kind of divination and cals the latter his recantation of the former But if towards his death he said indeed to his black Dog Away wicked beast thou hast utterly undone me without all doubt and notwithstanding all apologie his recantation was truer then his repentance For that was sufficient to convince others whereas this was not sufficient to convert himselfe Rodaick of Toledo hoping to finde treasures caused a Palace to be opened that had been kept shut for many yeeres there he found nothing but a coffer and in it a sheet and in it written a prophecy that after the opening thereof men like those painted in the sheet should invade Spaine and subdue it The King was therefore sorry and caused the coffer and castle to be shut again Phanias an Hierosolymitane servant by the advice of certain Magicians had emancipated himselfe to the divel in his hand writing for the obtaining of his masters daughter by vertue of their art But at length repenting he was converted by the prayer of St. Basil and the divel casting in the chirograph he was publiquely received into the bosome of the Church Cyprian a Magician while he sought by Magicall arts to inchant and dementate Iustina the Virgin was by her means converted to Christ For whose truth they both suffered Martyrdome Socrates offended at the bold and blind vagations of men in their disputations about the measures of the Sunne and of the Moon and other Stars wherein they laboured more in babling words then solid arguments undertaking to comprehend the whole circuit of the world with all the events therein from the beginning to the end Hereupon he withdrew his mind from these â—nlearned errours and applyed it wholy to consider mans fraile condition and the vitiousnesse and vertuousnesse of affections and to teach such manners as most pertained to honest and happy life A Priest of an oraculous Temple who had perceived that his divining divell had receded at the presence of Gregory Tâ—eametargus at the first calumniating but afterwards admiring his power desired to learn of him that mystery of commanding divels He taught him therefore the mysterie of godlinesse and confirmed it by a miracle whereupon he was converted forsaking his praestigious Idolatry yea wife children goods and all to follow him and so became an excellent servant in the Church and a great opposer of satan himselfe Marcellus and Apuleius two martyrs who first adhering to Simon Magus but seeing the miracles that were wrought by the Apostles converted from the Magicians praestigiousnesse and gave themselves wholy to believe and follow the Apostolicall doctrine for which they were martyred afterwards Hermogenes a magician disliking his own art brought a many of his magicall books and offered them to Iames the Apostle to be burnt 16. Of Magicians and Astrologers idolatrous account and other vain confident and servile superstitions they wrought in simple and credulous men THere was a câ—rtain man called Simon which before time in the same City used Magick or sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria giving out that himself was sâ—me great one To whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest saying This man is the great power of God And to him they had regard because that of a long time he had bewitched them with sorceries or magick Act. 8 9 10 11. To the same Simon a Statue was set up at Rome with this inscription To Simon the Holy God These Magicians and Astrologers in their generations were numbred among the Gods and had their Statues Images Oracles Temples Altars Sacrifices and Services viz. Zoroaster Trismegistus Mopsus Amphiaraus Apollonius Tyanaeus Amphilocus Accius Nanius Porphyrius Diodorus Thor Ollerus All these Mag-astro-mancers and many more arrogated a divinity to themselves from their divinations and had it attributed unto them by the superstitious people of several Nations Theagenes was so superstitious that he had in his house the Image of Hecate and durst at no time offer to stir out of doors till he had first consulted it For which his slavish su-perstition he grew into a Proverb among the very heathens themselves Archimedes the