Prophet or dreamer of dreames and giveth thee a signe or a wonder and it come to passe c. thou shalt not hearken to them for the Lord your God proveth you And the Prophet or dreamer shall be put to death c. Jer. 23.25 c. I have heard what the Prophets sayd that prophesie lyes in my name saying I have dreamed a dreame c. By which places it appeares that that we cal Divination by dreames the Scripture calls Prophesying by dreames condemning it as unlawful That we may be cleer in the thing note that there are foure sorts of dreames First Divine Secondly Naturall Thirdly Humane Fourthly Diabolicall The first must needs be lawfull and pre-significative The second and third may be lawfull Namely lawful as to the essence of dreaming as thinking and speaking according to the actings of reason and they may be somehow significative But the fourth cannot be either lawfull or pre-significative or significative unlesse it be to shew that which may be seen without a dreame Viz. that such a man is much under the power of the Devil Divine dreames are either immediately presented to a mans understanding by the spirit of God Numb 12.6 Job 33.15 Or mediately by an Angel presented to the phantasie and by the phantasmes thereof conveighed to the understanding Matth. 1.20 Matth. 2.13 For as the Devil being a most intelligent and subtile spirit can as we know by sad experience inject into our phantasies both waking and sleeping such evil things and make our minds receive them thence and thinke upon them which not onely our grace but our very reason abhorrs so much more a good Angel deputed by God to that end can good things Now for these extraordinary divine dreames First It is most probable that they are ceased Keckerman a godly and most learned man both in Divinity and Philosophy hath these words in his natural Philosophy Syst Phis l. 3. Cap. 29. Cum somnia c. i. e. Seeing that Diabolical dreames may impose themselves upon men as if they were divine therefore they are to be judged and discerned or discriminated by these two rules First That after the light of the Gospel is manifested God doth no more act by dreames Secondly Whatsoever dreame is conjoyned with the danger of some sinne or superstition albeit it may seeme divine yet it is a Diabolical dreame You see how his judgement is that divine dreames are ceased to Christians And it seemes so to me because 1 Cor. 13.8 t is sayd Prophesies shall faile Greek be done away Tongues cease And knowledge done away i.e. Knowledge of Mysteries of Revelations Vers 2. Now we see the gift of tongues gone and the interpretation of Mysteries and so in like manner Prophesies Therefore in opposition to all former wayes of manifestation the Apostle Heb. 1.1 puts an emphasis on Christ speaking God speakes to us in these last dayes by his Son Christ by his Apostles to be the last extraordinary speaking til Christ come againe Secondly It is evident that the divine Prophetical dreames of them mentioned in the Scripture are faâ—r different from divinatory or divineing dreames which this evil Age runs after First difference Those truely divine dreames concerned the great affaires of God were of high concernment to his Church As first of the comming of Christ Matth. 1.20 Secondly The alterations of States and Kingdomes that have opposed the Church As that of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 2. He had the Shel of the dreame but Daniel the Kernel Thirdly The preservation of the Church as that dreame whereof Pharoah had the Shel the type but Joseph the Kernel Gen. 41. Fourthly Or to bring his Saints into request for interpretation of dreames as an introduction to some great designe therefore God put dreames into carnal men that his Saints might interpret them and be advanced for the good of the Church So Gen. 40. in the Story of the Butler and Baker And so in part to that end was Nebuchadnezzars dreame 5. To pull down Antichrist Dan. 7. Dan. 11.12 Second Difference Divine dreames were alwayes very evident in the thing The type was plaine to signifie what it meant as Jacobs Ladder c. to signifie Gods presence should be with him Or the type was doubled in application to the person As Gen 37. Your Sheaves did obeysance to mine The Sun and Moone and eleven starrs made obeysance to me Or else there was a plaine interpretation given to him that dreamed as to Daniel Chap. 7. or to others as to Daniel of Nebuchadnezzars dreame to Joseph of Pharoahs dreame or to both As to Joseph and to his Parents and Brethren who all understood the meaning or the type was plaine and doubled and an interpretation too was given as of that of Pharoahs eares of Corn and the Kine God either made impressions of assurance on good mens heatts that dreamed what was the meaning or God sent his Angels to expound to them as to Daniel or else exceedingly inlightened the Saints by his spirit to interpret the dreames of others As they sayd of Joseph interpreting of dreames that he was full of the spirit of God Gen. 41.38 Third Difference Divine dreames are agreeable to the revealed will of God They doe not contrary it but Comment and enlarge upon it See all along the Bible the dreames that come after enlarge upon the truth revealed afore Fourthly Divine dreames alwayes tend to promote truth holinesse godlinesse edification and the glory of God by these We heard what Keckerman sayd afore to which we add what he adds Whatsoever dreames tend to superstition and not to the glory of God are Diabolicall So that dreames are not to be judged but by all these jointly not by the subject at all for badd men as well as good men have dreamed true divine dreames Nor by the object onely because some things may be lawful in all dreams but by the weightinesse of matter by the cleernesse of the manner by their agreeablenesse to the Word and their end to promote godlinesse and Gods glory But we have no such dreames of future things in these dayes and therefore we are not to pretend a justifiable Divination by dreames If we by heavenly mindednesse and by helpe of the spirit of God dreame of the future judgement eternall blisse the ruine of the Churches enemies or any thing else knowne to us by the Word of God these are dreames of Prophesies not propheticall dreames or meditationall not divinatory dreames And if we have no propheticall divine dreams which proceed from God and carry our mindes towards God according to his Word we have no sort of divinatory dreames left us but such as we are to speak against as to the matter of divination and foretelling by them accordingly as God we heard afore speaks against them in his Word Secondly Therefore wee come to Naturall dreames which arise from meer naturall causes as either from the predominant qualities of a mans complexion in health or from
in the swimming imagination of their own braine Fifthly Satan doth oft tempt the sonnes of men to doe according to the dreames of dream-regarders that so he may bring his Diabolical dreames by this introduction into credit of which we shall speake by and by So that in this artifice the dreames of men predict nothing but onely Satan by permission effects an event sutable to the dreame Just as one should be talking of his adversary that he dreamed his adversary gave him a blow on the eare and an ill neighbour hearing this discourse should goe forth and perswade that adversary when hee meets-that dreamer to give him a blow on the eare and he doth it but had not done it but by perswasion of that ill neighbour Now doth it at all follow that there was any prediction in this dreame Just so is it in the Devils temptings and effectings according to mens dreames And this may be as well in other men and their affaires of which another man dreames as wel as in the man and his owne affaires who dreamed that dreame Sixthly God in just judgement on dreame-heeders doth permit and by his providence give way that their dreams should be somewhat fulfilled so that these things come to passe not according to a vertue of prediction in dreames but by the just judgement of God because men afore they sleep doe not pray against sinfull dreames and after sleep doe not slight their dreames but credit them and confide in them 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. Thus of the third sort of dreames which we cal Humane dreames Fourthly wee come to Diabolicall dreames That the Devil can be the maine cause of dreames which we call Diabolical is apparent in that First He hath been such a cause of dreames as we shal shew by and by therefore he can be so still his wit and wickednesse not ceasing and these times not better in reformation of manners but rather worse Secondly He can suggest as appeares by woful experience evill thoughts to us when we are awaking different from the many objects and things that then our senses and thoughts are drawne after therefore much more to us when the operation of the senses cease Thirdly If he could represent evill dictates before the minde of Christ Matth. 4. He can inject them into us Fourthly That Devill that can present the shape of a dead man to living Saul can represent other Images and imaginations of things Fifthly Good Angels have caused good dreames Matth. 1. Matth. 2. Therefore proportionably and by the rule of contraries badd Angels can cause badd dreames Quest How may wee know any of these Diabolicall dreames seeing evill dreames may arise from inward corruption Answ First by the contraries to the notes of divine Prophetical dreames as when dreams seem never so good in the matter of them yet they are darke and confused in the digest and are of personal slight things and doe not promote the revealed truth of the Word and godlinesse of conversation and the glory of God but rather have a tendency and consequence to lead to superstition For such dreames as these are without the sphere of proper naturall causes or humane actions and therefore must be from Satan Especially when Secondly A man hath a strong impression on his minde that such dreames are Propheticall or divinatory Thirdly They must needs be Diabolical when they proceed neither from any observation of the senses or actions of the body or phantasies of the minde in the day time Fourthly When they are horrid not onely to grace but where no grace is even to morality civility common reason and the instinct of poor lapsed nature If all these signes be not sufficient that which followes of the general and specials of Diabolicall dreames as we have it in Keckerman Valerius Maximus Master Perkins and Alsted who tel us First That Diabolicall dreames are when the Devil whiles a man is asleep doth as it were obsesse besiege environ yea and in a manner possesse his thoughts forming and fashioning in them representations and dreams whereby he is stirred up to Idolatry superstition or c. Which dreames for the most part are obscure uncertaine and mixt with vaine phantasies and lyes which is a prime symptome of Diabolical Somnispicine or Divination by Satanical dreames Secondly They tel us that some Diabolical dreames are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solicitous dreames which are solicitously obtained of the Devil by adjurations vowes devotions sacrifices oblations or other religious performances as of those Somnispices those Diviners by dreames counted in a kinde religious Such were the dreames of the Heathens who having purified themselves by their Sacrifices to fit themselves to receive full manifestations by dreams did to that end lye downe in the night and sleep in the Temple of Pasithea q. d. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Omnibus dea one of three Graces called Charites the first Aglaia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 splendor the same as Pasithea Secondly Thalia of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Alwayes green never withering Thirdly Euphrosyne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joy I say in the Temple of Pasithea among the Lacedemonians at the Altar and in the Temple of Aesculapius and at the Altar of Apollo And in their sleep the Devil formed dreames in their phantasies as answers to what they desired in which the Devill spake to them as if at an Oracle Secondly Such were the dreames say they of the Maniches in the time of the Primative Church as appeares abundantly out of Ecclesiastical Stories For though at the comming of Christ Oracles the greatest and strongest delusions that ever Satan used then ceased yet hee hath since by visions and dreames wrought in the heads of many men most strange conceits for the raising up of Heresies as he did in the Maniches holding that there was a good God and a badd God that were eternal the authors of all things That the soules of Man and Beasts were all one That the soule was a part of God taken from him That what creature any man did kill or eate into that his soule was turned when he dyed c. who had their damnable opinions inspired and confirm'd to them in and by dreams Thirdly Such were the dreames of the Monks at their Altars to receive revelations the Devil in their sleep in the night in dreames appeared in the appearance of the Virgin Mary or some other He or Shee Saint manifesting and confirming the observation of such and such Popish superstitions Thirdly They tell us that there are other Diabolicall dreames named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. dreames which were not with those solemnities and with such earnest labour sought for but suggested and formed in mens mindes by the Devil perceiving them to be given to novelties strange opinions and unheard of Revelations Such were 1. those that pretended to be imspired with some divine fury or strange rapture called Lympathici q. d. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The Enthusiasts or
foretold the evils of the last dayes doth likewise set a conspicuous marke upon the times to signifie hee meanes the same times as Paul did Namely those that foregoe next before Christs appearance and Kingdome 2 Pet. 3.2 3 4. That yee may be mindfull of the words which were spoken before by the HOLY PROPHETS that is saith Marlorat the words which the Prophets spake concerning false Prophets which Peter had repeated 2 Epist Chap. 2. Vers 1. and of the last times Knowing this FIRST that there shall come in the last dayes scoffers saying Where is the promise of his COMMING For since the Fathers fell asleepe all things continue as they were from the creation As if they should say We see nothing of Christs appearances but outward providences or spiritual Ordinances But of Christs visible appearance at his COMMING we see no signe or symptome But saith Peter Verse 8. to the Saints Be yee not ignorant of this one thing that one day with the Lord is a thousand years and a thousand years as one day As if he should say in that hee makes this repetition according to the judgement not onely of all the most learned Hebrews but also of most learned Mede that Christs comming wil be sudden to these Scoffers as if it were but a day or two hence every thousand years and parts of a thousand years shal be but in proportion to a day and so much of a day The seven thousand years of the World is but as the seventh day of its age when at farthest if our account of years from the creation be so short as we make it of which we have cause to doubt shal be the Sabbatisme of rest on Earth as Paul must needs meane Heb. 4. demonstrated largely in our Treatise of the thousand years And that day a thousand yeares of refreshment to the people of God And it must be saith Peter Verse 12 13. at his comming that for their refreshment they must have injoy and be in New Heavens and a new Earth wherein though not afore shall dwell all righteousnesse And these new Heavens and new EARTH must be such as he hath promised which promise is Isa 65.17 to the end of the Chapter wherein this state of the new Heavens and new Earth is so explained as cannot not onely in my judgement but the judgement of most learned Mede be understood of supernatural glory in the highest Heavens Thus also we see Peter marks out unto us that the evill times and the evils of the times hee speaks of doe in his sense antecede and usher in the next appearance or COMMING of Christ to set up his Kingdome on Earth One word of Judes marks upon the times of evil he speaks of and then we shal lanch forth into the deepe and Sea of the evils of those times One marke is Vers 14. Enoch the SEVENTH from Adam prophesied of these or such as these saying Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousands of his Saints Enoch evidently according to the computation of Moses Gen. 5. and of Luke Chap. 3. was the seventh from Adam thus Adam Seth Enos Cainan Mahaleel Jared Enoch that is Exclusively making Adam onely the beginning of the All of mankinde Enoch was the seventh Father that came out of Adams loynes which is according to the minde of the Text The seventh FROM Adam that is The seventh of the Fathers that were FROM Adam Between Adam and Enoch were but six Fathers So between Adam and the Age of which Enoch Prophesied that the Lord should come with ten thousands of his Saints to judge are at most but six Ages six thousand yeares and then the state of things in the seventh Eòdem recidit the second Adam Christ restores the World to the perfection of the first Adam but with more stability The emphasis of the seventh from Adam must of necessity signifie some such thing and not meerly signifie the antiquity of the quotation For if that had been all the Apostle mentioning the story of Sodom and as an example of judgement by fire might also have quoted Lot but doth not of a certainty therefore the seventh from Adam hath some notable thing in it as all sevenths in the Old Testament have And the constant tenor of the Jewes in all ages is and hath been that towards the end of the six thousandth yeare of the World great will the change be And our Text tels us that according as Enoch was a seventh so in a proportion to that the Lord should come to judge now after the Apostles times in the last dayes of the World Immediatly afore which shall be mockers walking after their own ungodly lusts spoken long afore by the Apostles of Jesus Christ as our Apostle Jude tels us Vers 17 18. which is a second marke of those evil times he speaks of to be the forerunners of the very last times before Christs appearance For if the Apostles foretel these things long afore then they are the last times when these things shal come to passe CHAP. II. Shewing in GENERAL That these present times in which we now live are those evill times that precede next before that first appearance of Christ which is yet to come THIS wil appeare by an exact weighing the agreement that is between our times and the general expressions of our three Apostles of the last dayes Jude saith Vers 18. Men should walke after their owne lusts Peter saith 2 Epist Chap. 3. Vers 3. the selfe same words And in Epist 2. Chap. 2. Vers 1. There shall be false Teachers that shall bring in damnable heresies Paul saith 2 Tim. 3.1 They shal be perilous times And in 1 Epist Chap. 4. Vers 1. Men shall depart from the faith The summ of all is That men shal depart from their Principles they shal depart in opinion and practise from their once received Principles of truth and mor all enlightened consciences Just as t is sayd of the foolish Virgins Matth. 25. they had no Oyle in their Vessels to maintaine their Lamps of former profession Principia essendi Principles of the being of Godlinesse they never had namely True sanctifying grace for that could never have gone out or been utterly lost But Principia cognoscendi Principles of knowledge what as Christians they ought to think and doe namely The knowledge of the Word to some conviction on the conscience that they had Now from these Principles immediately afore Christs comming they were departed And so t is now in these our dayes Men once called Professors are turned topsy turve as wee Proverbially say from what they were both in opinion and practice They are most perilous times above all times afore them for wicked opinions and practises The wickedest times afore as the Jewes in the worst of times held the Old Testament and the Papists both Old and New though with many false glosses but these times with open mouth cast away all the Scriptures the ground of all divine truth And what
facts which true Philosophers and Artists can declare unto them But the Delusion we speak of is above any true natural cause wrought by the help of the Devil not of God or of nature Instances of Delusions we have Exod. 7 8 and 9. Chapters Where the Magicians turned Rods into Serpents Rivers into blood Waters into Froggs Which could not be really done by them but onely they made an appearance of some such things First because the real working of such things is mediate creation like the making of Adams body of Earth Now Creation is so the immediate worke of Gods Divine power that wee justly in our Creed according to the Scriptures make it the peculiar distinguishing title of God Therefore onely those that are assisted extraordinarily with the immediate concurrence of God can doe so As the Prophet in raising the dead Childe to life Christ in turning Water into Wine and Moses in doing these and the Apostles other Miracles But these men of Aegypt are called Magicians and their Art Inchantment both which are abhorringly forbidden every where in the Scriptures and therefore they did not act by the power of God Secondly because in token of Gods defiance against their wicked artifice Moses Serpent swallowed up theirs as a sufficient token that Moses wrought by the power of God which overmastered their devices Thirdly Because there are such testimonies given to the Miracles done by Moses through the power of God that they were done really as are not given to them done by the Magicians namely That the Rivers turned into blood stunk killed the Fish were so loathsome that the Aegyptians could not drinke of them And that the Froggs had really life so that when by the power of God they were killed they putrified and annoyed all Aegypt with the evil favour of their putrifaction Fourthly Because the Magicians could not doe lesser things as to keep off the Boyles inflicted upon all Aegypt off of themselves nor could they make the shew of Lice But which is the fifth reason they confessed there was the finger of God in that Miracle And by the same proportion there was the finger of God in the other Miracles seeing they were greater Thus much of Diabolical operation of strange things Next of the other general namely of Declaration of hidden things either past present or future called Divination These things the Devil can help his Agents to declare so farr as God permits partly by his skill in the Prophesies of the Scriptures as before we gave an instance of his telling Alexander future things out of Dan. 11. partly by his swiftnesse as a spirit quickly to be any where and so the Legions of these evil spirits are at all the consultations of state in several Nations and places Dan. 10.13 Job 1.7 Matth. 4. Luke Chap. 4 Vers 5 6 7 8 9. Partly by his great knowledge above all naturall men of the Complexions of men nature of Hearbs Stones Beasts and all Creatures as appeares in part in the Story of possessing the Swine of the Gadarens and their discontent that owned them Partly by his effectual power God permitting to make men and things to doe as he doth predict For hee can by Divine permission possesse a man within or obsesse him without or suggest present and inspire into his phantasie strange imaginations CHAP. V. Of Divination by immediate helpe of the Devill THE Devil in this Art of Divination either maketh the Witch or Diviner his Instrument or else maketh other things the Diviner or Witches instruments the Devil stil concurring 1. The Devil makes the Witch or Diviner his immediate instrument in Divination when hee immediately informing the Witches and Diviners inableth them to tel many hidden things he speaking in them or by them In this respect in part is the Devill called a Familiar spirit and the Diviner is called one that hath a Familiar spirit so frequently in Scripture as we touched afore shewing there that the ground of this familiarity was a Diabolical Covenant and now we add that the Devils continuall presence in or with the Diviner or Witch to assist in Divination is the manner of the familiarity In the Diviner giving answers and predictions as in Acts 16.16 A certaine Damosell possessed with a spirit of divination met us which brought her Master much gaine by soothsaying Sooth is an old English word to signifie truth as in stead of in good truth men were wont to say In good sooth Marke it in this Text shee is said to have a spirit of Divination and it was in her for he possessed her and that spirit gave answers thence for shee brought her Master profit by Soothsaying And Vers 18. that spirit is commanded and accordingly is remanded out of her Whereby its plaine that from within her he gave the answers Of the manner we spake afore in discussing the name Obh of one that had a Familiar spirit Weigh well Isa 29.4 The Devill is with the Diviners or Witches when he by his wonderful inspirations and putting them into strang transes and furies revealeth hidden things to them as we have Histories of experiences in this kinde Which transes of Diviners are farre different from divine heavenly extasies namely both because those deprive the Witches of their reason for that time mixing a kinde of madnesse and frenzie with their imaginations Isa 44.25 Hos 9.7 these on the other side preserve the reason of Saints and speak distinctly to reason As also those in Witches may utter some peices of truth yet doe tend to disparage it or draw men to doubt of it But these in the Saints are altogether for manifestation and confirmation of the truth We read in the Scriptures and in Histories what madd fits the Diviners had crying out and clamouring like frenzie men And though the Devill in them confessed Jesus Mark 1.24 yet with a prejudice cast upon him that he was of Nazareth which was in Galilee Matth. 2.22 23. which names of Nazareth and Galilee were both prejudical to the Jewes receiving Christ because it was prophesied he should come out of Bethlehem which though he did Matth. 2.1 Yet this the Devill in his possessed would not confesse but proclaimed him to be of Nazareth and this took with the people generally especially because he had dwelt there a while because of persecution See Matth. 21.10 11. And when hee came to Jerusalem all the City was moved saying Who is this And the multitude sayd This is Jesus the Prophet of NAZARETH of GALILEE So Matth. 26.71 They accuse Peter one saying This fellow also was with Jesus of NAZARETH And then another saying Thou also wast with Jesus of GALILEE And this made them that were good men that knew not so perfectly his birth at Bethlehem as his living at Nazareth in Galilee to wonder at a good Prophets arising out of Nazareth So good Nathanael John 1.46 Can any good thing come out of Nazareth But the unbeleevers upon this account refuse him
and endeavour to keep Nicodemus off John 7.52 Search and looke for out of GALILEE ariseth no Prophet This is just like those furies that are in the Ranters of this present Age they pretend to Preach and speak some good things but mix many abominable blasphemies to the dishonour of God and Religion But divine extasies in good men are wholy for the revelation and confirmation of the truth See in that of Peter Acts 10. And that of Paul 2 Cor. 12. By the first is revealed and confirmed the call of the Gentiles By the second the call of the Apostle the knowledge of the excellency of Christ and the glory of locall Heaven which are things now doubted of by this present Age. Thus you see how in Divination the Devill makes Diviners or Witches his immediate Instruments he speaking in them or to them to informe their Clients Next followes how in Divination the Devill makes other things the instruments of the Diviners or Witches whereby to make knowne his minde to them for predictions to others that seek to them for that purpose and these Instruments with the art of using are as really the doctrines of Devils as the Apostle speaks as any of all that hath been sayd touching Witchery Inchantment c. And all as truely the Doctrine of Devils as Doctrines of Heresie and impiety if not more immediately of the Devill then Heresies and Impieties which are compounded partly of the wicked reason and lusts in men and partly of the Devils suggestions These instruments wayes and devices with the artifice of using and understanding them of which we are now to speak are specifically and principally eight First Auspicie that is Aves aspicere to Divine by beholding the flying of Birds Secondly Augurie that is Avium garritus to Divine by the noyse of Birds Thirdly Pullarie of Pulli to Divine by Pullen or Chickens Fourthly Aruspicie that is to Divine Aras inspiciendo by looking on and into Sacrifices on the Altars Fifthly Sortilegie sortilegium that is Divination by lots Sixthly Necromancie that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Divining by the dead that is making as is pretended the dead to rise and declare that which is desired which we English men commonly call the Black Art Seventhly Oneiromancie or Oneirologie that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Divining by a judgement given upon dreames Eighthly Astrologie that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Divine by judgement on the effects of Planets c. Lawful Astronomie having another name is the measure motion distances c. of the Starrs obvious to sight And because there is a lawfull naturall Meteorologie from apparant causes as touching Weather Tydes of the Sea c. therefore for more distinction the unlawfull Astrologie of secret events from pretended hidden vertues in the Starrs and their power upon the arbitrary wils and judgements in men is called Judiciary Astrologie Of these eight we shall speake both because to these all other Magical Doctrines of the Devill may be reduced as also because most of these in whole or in part are in these most evill dayes in credit with persons named Professors or Christians CHAP. VI. Of Diabolicall Divination by Auspicie the flying of Birds Augurie the noyse of Birds Pullarie the Chickens eating their meat and by other Occurrences of Beasts and Things either conducing to or concurring with the sayd Arts or are Appendices of this kinde of Divination in generall OUR first worke must be to heare the voice of the Word of God what it intimates of and speakes against these things as observing the inclinations of men to these Deut. 18.10 There shall not be among you an Inchanter The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which by the consent of most both Jewes and Gentiles in all the learned ancient languages signifies such a one as practiseth the aforesayd Arts. The Chaldee Paraphrase renders it by a word neer the same namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Translators of the Chaldee render Qui observat auguria The Syriack Augur The Arabick Augur The Samaritan Qui auguretur The Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one augurating Hierom in his latine Translation Qui observet auguria R. Abraham in his Commentary on this place renders it There shall not be found in thee one augurating The Hebrew Doctors say of our word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it signifies one that Divines by food falling out of the mouth by the falling of ones Staffe out of the hand by ones Son calling his Father back againe by a Crow crying towards or after one by an Hart Kidd Goate Roe interrupting a man in his way by a Serpent on the right hand or a Fox on the left hand or by a Weesell or by Birds or by Starrs It appears already by that which hath been sayd 1. That men are inclined to the foresayd Diabolical Arts. Evil manners occasion good Laws 2. That as Augurie is sometimes taken precisely for divination by the chattering or noyse of birds so sometimes by the figure Synechdoche for many other kindes of Divinations which we call Soothsayings 3. That all these are condemned by the word of God both in the fore quoted Deut. 18.10 And also in Levit. 19.26 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood neither shall ye use inchantment nor observe times The word ye shall not use inchantment are in the Arabian language do not Auspicate or use not Auspicie that is as we explained afore Divine not by beholding birds or observing the flying of birds in the Syriack do not augurate by a winged living creature The Samaritan is Neither shall ye augurate Augurie being properly taken signifying as we said afore Divining by the noise of birds Hierome also in latine and the Septuagint in greek render it ye shall not Augurate So the Caldee also The sinful superstition and diabolical art used in these three kinds of divination that we here put together in this chapter because of the interchangeable intermingling of them in several circumstances and appendices is in briefe this The Augure or Augurer or hee that useth Auspicie sate on some kinde of Tower the ayre being clear without dark Clouds or raine with his Lituus a crooked Staffe in his hand clothed in his Laena a robe adorned with Scarlet and Crimson guards his head covered his face towards the East in which posture he quartered out with his Staffe the Heavens into certaine Temples Regions or divisions observing in which of them the Birds did appeare If they came towards his left hand then that was a token of good luck because it shewed that they came from their Heathenish God his right hand For the givers right hand is towards the receivers left hand From this superstitious divination sprang those phrases among the Latines and Greeks Auspicari rem to begin a matter with auspicie to doe a thing Bonis avibus with lucky Birds or Bonis auspicijs with
pretended Revelationists 3. A kinde of Anabaptists as they cal them who in the time of Reformation from Popery by Hus Prague Luther Wickliffe c. pretending visions and dreames to reveale things unto them did commit many horrid things in Westphalia Thuringia c. 4. The Familie of love mightily boasted of their Revelations by dreames and they must come to the height by degrees A man must ascend by steps before he can be of them an Elder eluminate and a man deified as they speake And when he hath attained to this then he hath strong illusions by visions and dreames I need not labour to make a parallel of these times to these practises every one of you almost heares and knows what abundance now heed visions and dreams and pretend they have revelations by them some of which I might easily name their persons alive and their Books in Print And how like they speake to the Manithes that the Creature is God and God the Creature And like to the Family of love saying A man is Deified c. Nor need I labour to shew the evill of these dreames in regard of the Author the Devill the subject Men usually departing from holinesse the matter a mixture of vanity if not sin and the end to draw men from the infalible word of truth you have heard enough by that which hath been spoken Nor is there need of much indeavour to shew that these do not presignifie otherwise then lyes Nor doe they signifie any other thing then this that there is much Communion between them and Satan Therefore I shall conclude this Chapter concerning dreames onely with this caution You that professe a knowledge of the truth stick to the word of truth afore any revelations by one from the dead Luke 16. Vers last Isa 8.19 20. or visions or voyces from Heaven 2 Pet. 1.19 or from any Angel if he agree not with the Gospel Gal. 1.8 9. CHAP. X. Of Astrologie or Divination by the Starrs commonly called Judiciall Astrologie whereby men undertake to predict divine and foretell the good and badd successes of humane affaires concerning Nations or Persons THIS is another Doctrine of Devils which the Apostle foretels in 1 Tim 4. 1â— which in the last dayes shall be taught learned and practised For much of the Devils concurrence is found in this Art or else nothing of God either by institution of Creatures or inspiration of his spirit to that end and then whither that Art is to be referred let wise men judge That I may not seeme to beat the ayre or set up a Mopp of mine owne imagination and then shoot at it let me in a word in the very entrance of this discourse shew you how in this also these times in which we live appeare to be the last dayes according to the Prophesies of the Scriptures For now men generally are much given over to unlawfull Astrologie they write Books greater and lesser Volumes of it They daily put forth in Print their predictions of humane events They associate to countenance the Art with selemnities of meetings They diligently teach many their unlawfull Art They cast Figures or forme Schemes and by them pretend to foretell almost if not altogether any kinds of things many flock to them many speake if not Preach for them Whereby as one cause the Word of God in generall and that particular rule of being wise to sobriety is much layd aside as by wofull experience we finde So they leave the truth for lies I say for lyes as we shall by Gods grace afterwards demonstrate T is cleare then that this age sick very sick of this disease had need of the Physick of this or the like Treatise if they will apply it if not haply it may prevent others from infection with the same malady That which we shall by Gods assistance do is First To give you some distinctions descriptions and observations touching the nature of Astrologie Secondly The opinion of learned men touching it Thirdly The condemnation of it by the word of God Fourthly Strong reasons against it Fifthly A confutation of the objections that are brought for it SECTION I. Of the nature of Astrologie in some distinctions descriptions and observations If I should distinguish of Astrologie as Alsted doth calling it Astrologia judiciaria that is Judiciall Astrologie as Master Perkins and Master Geree call it or should I distinguish as Doctor Willet that this Art is partly Theoricall partly Practicall and the practicall as partly allowed and partly rejected as if hereby wee would separate and set a part for lawfull use the name and thing of any kinde of Astrologie t is of our indulgence and more then we need to doe For keeping to our tearmes either first to the tearme Astrologie it is no where allowed in the Scripture under that notion but every where spoken against as we shall see afterward As other things that are naturall which are brought to countenance Astrology are not tolerated by the Eucyclopaedia and general order and seats of all Arts and Sciences within their owne spheres to be accounted Astrology For instance first some urge that we know the Tydes of the Sea by the state of the Moone and tempests by other Starrs c. but these and or the like nature say we are properly handled in that part of naturall Philosophy which we cal Meteorologie as also are all fiery Meteors Comets c. of all which the essentiall internall causes matter and forme and one externall namely the end belong thereunto are there handled and thereby are made an integral part of Physicks For if you will say because of their externall efficient cause Viz. the Starrs they are to be handled as a part of Astrologie by the same reason there will be left no such Science as naturall Philosophy because all inferiour bodies below the Moon as saith the great Philosopher Aristotle depend upon the superiour Celestiall bodies of the Heavens Secondly Others say that by Astrologie we know Ecclipses and changes of the Moon But say we Astronomy doth challenge this whose proper worke is to teach us the Spheres Planets and nominated fixed Starrs with their motions measures distances conjunctions and oppositions whence arise Ecclipses of the Sunne or Starrs and changes of the Moon I give but a touch upon some particulars as an hint to understanding men to conceive of the rest Thirdly If any urge that Astrologie handles of the qualities and effects of the Starrs We reply that so doth Astronomie of their qualities namely of their light and colour and naturall Philosophy of their effects in watery aiery and firy Meteors Or secondly if we admit of another terme or title which Alsted gives to Astrologie calling it Astrologia Planetaria i. e. Planetarie Astrology then we demand what becomes of almost all the System of pretended Astrology if its ground-worke be founded mainely on the Planets the maine part of Astronomy What then becomes of the notions about the