afterwards were vitiated and corrupted with human opinions and by the instigation of evil spirits who sow tares amongst the children of disobedience as it is manifest out of St. Paul Hermes Trismegistus There is no other manner of restoring these arts than by the doctrine of the holy spirits of God because true faith cometh by hearing But because thou mayest be certain of the truth and mayest not doubt whether the spirits that speak with thee do declare things true or false let it only depend upon thy faith in God that thou mayest say with Paul I know on whom I trust If no sparrow can fall to the ground without the will of the Father which is in heaven How much more will not God suffer thee to be deceived O thou of little faith if thou dependest wholly upon God and adherest only to him Aphor. 13. The Lord liveth and all things which live do live in him And he is truely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who hath given unto all things that they be that which they are and by his word alone through his Son hath produced all things out of nothing which are in being He calleth all the stars all the host of heaven by their names He therefore knoweth the true strength nature of things the order and Policy of every creature visible and invisible to whom God hath revealed the names of his creatures It remaineth also that he receive power from God to extract the virtues in nature and hidden secrets of the creature to produce their power into action out of darkness into light Thy scope therefore ought to be that thou have the names of the spirits that is their powers and offices how they are subjected and appointed by God to minister unto thee even as Raphael was sent to Tobias that he should heal his father and deliver his son from dangers and bring him to a wife So Michael the fortitude of God governeth the people of God Gabriel the messenger of God was sent to Daniel Mary and Zachary the father of John Baptist. And he shall be given to thee that desireth him who will teach thee whatsoever thy soul shall desire in the nature of things His ministery thou shalt use with trembling and fear of thy Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier that is to say the Father Son and holy Ghost and do not thou let slip any occasion of learning and be vigilant in thy calling and thou shalt want nothing that is necessary for â—hee Aphor. 14. Thy soul liveth for ever through him that hath created thee call therefore upon the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve This thou shalt do if thou wilt perform that end for which thou art ordained of God and what thou owest to God and to thy neighbour God requireth of thee a mind that thou shouldest honour his Son and keep the words of the Son in thy heart if thou honour him thou hast done the will of thy Father which is in heaven To thy neighbour thou owest offices of humanity and that thou draw all men that come to thee to honour the Son This is the Law and the Prophets In temporal things thou oughtest to call upon God as a father that he would give unto thee all necessaries of this life and thou oughtest to help thy neighbour with the gifts which God bestoweth upon thee whâ—ther they be spiriâ—ual or corporal Therefore thou shalt pray thus O Lord of heaven and earth Creator and Maker of all tâ—ings â—isible and invisible I though unworthy bâ— thy assiâ—â—ance call upon â—hee through thy only-begâ—tten Son Jesus Christ our Lord that thou wilt give unto me thy holy Spirit to direct me in thy truth unto all good Amen Because I earnestly desire perfectly to know the Arts of this life and such things as are necessary for us which are so overwelmed in darkness and polluted with infinite human opinions that I of my own power can attain to no knowledge in them unless thou teach it me Grant me therefore one of thy spirits who may teach me those things which thou wouldest have me to know and learn to thy praise and glory and the profit of our neighbour Give me also an apt and teachable heart that I may easily understand those things which thou shalt teach me and may hide them in my understanding that I may bring them forth as out of thy inexhaustable treasures to all necessary uses And give me grace that I may use such thy gifts humbly with fear and trembling through our Lord Jesus Christ with thy holy Spirit Amen The third Septinary Aphor. 15. They are called Olympick spirits which do inhabit in the firmament and in the stars of the firmament and the office of these spirits is to declare destinies and to administer fatal charms so far forth as God pleaseth to permit them for nothing neither evil spirit nor evil destiny shall be able to hurâ— him who hath the most high for his refuge If therefore any of the Olympick spirits shall teach or declare that which his star to which he is appointed portendeth nevertheless he can bring forth nothing into action unless he be permitted by the divine power It is God alone who giveth them power to effect it Unto God the maker of all things are obedient all things celestial sublunary infernal Therefore rest in this let God be thy guide in all things which thou undertakest and all things shall attain to a happy and desired end even as the history of the whole world testifieth and daily experience sheweth There is peace to the godly there is no peace to the wicked saith the Lord. Aphor. 16. There are seven different governments of the Spirits of Olympus by whom God hath appointed the whole frame and universe of this world to be governed and their visible stars are ARATRON BETHOR PHALEG OCH HAGITH OPHIEL PHUL after the Olympick speech Every one of these hath under him a mighty Militia in the firmament ARATRON ruleth visible Provinces XLIX BETHOR XXXII PHALEG XXXV OCH XXVIII HAGITH XXI OHIEL XIV PHUL VII So that there are 186 Olympick Provinces in the whole Universe where in the seven Governors do excercise their power all which are elegantly set forth in Astronomy But in this place it is to be explained in what manner these Princes and Powers may be drawn into communication Aratron appeareth in the first hour of Saturday and very truly giveth answers concerning his Provinces and Provincials So likewise do tâ—e rest appeâ—r in order in their days and hours Also every one of them ruleth 490 years The beginning of their simple Anomaly in the â—oâ—h yeâ—r before the Nativity of Christ was the beginning of the administration of Bethor and it lasted until the year of our Lord Christ 430. To whom succeeded Phalâ—g until the 920th year Then began Och and continued until the year 1410. and thenceforth Hagith ruleth until the year 1900. Aphor. 17. Magically the Princes of
is twofold in its first division the one is of God which he bestoweth on the creatures of light the other also is of God but it is the gift which he giveth unto the creatures of darkness and this is also two-fold the one is to a good end as when the Princes of darkness are compelled to do good unto the creatures God enforcing them the other is for an evil end when God permitteth such to punish evil persons that magically they are deceived to destruction or also he commandeth such to be cast out into destruction The second division of Magick is that it bringeth to pass some works with visible instruments through visible things and it effecteth other works with invisible instruments by invisible things and it acteth other things as well with mixed means as instruments and effects The third division is There are some things which are brought to pass by invocation of God alone this is partly Prophetical and Philosophical and partly as it were Theophrastical Other things there are which by reason of the ignorance of the the true God are done with the Princes of Spirits that his desires may be fulfilled such is the work of the Mercurialists The fourth division is that some exercise their Magick with the good Angels instead of God as it were descended down from the most high God such was the Magick of Baalim Another Magick is that which exerciseth their actions with the chief of the evil Spirits such were they who wrought by the the minor Gods of the heathens The fifth division is that some do act with spirits openly and face to face which is given to few others do work by dreams and other signs which the ancients took from their auguries sacrifices The sixth division is that some work by immortal creatures others by mortal creatures as Nymphs Satyrs and such-like inhabitants of other elements Pigmies c. The seventh division is that the Spirits do serve some of their own accord without art others they will scarce attend being called by art Among these species of Magick that is the most excellent of all which dependeth upon God alone The second them whom the Spirits do serve faithfully of their own accord The third is that which is the property of Christians which dependeth on the power of Christ which he hath in heaven and earth Aphor. 39. There is a seven-fold preparation to learn the Magick Art The first is to meditate day and night how to attain to the true knowledge of God both by his word revealed from the foundation of the world as also by the seal of the creation and of the creatures and by the wonderful effects which the visible and invisible creatures of God do shew forth Secondly it is requisite that a man descend down into himself and chiefly study to know himself what mortal part he hath in him and what immortal and what part is proper to himself and what diverse Thirdly that he learn by immortal part of himself to worship love and fear the eternal God and to adore him in spirit and truth and with his mortal part to do those things which he knoweth to be axceptable to God and profitable to his neighbours These are the three first and chiefest precepts of Magick wherein let every one prepare himself that covets to obtain true Magick or divine wisdom that he may be accounted worthy thereof one to whom the Angelical creatures willingly do service not occultly only but also manifestly and as it were face to face Fourthly whereas every man is to be vigilant to see to what kind of life he shall be called from his mothers womb that every one may know whether he be born to Magick and to what species thereof which every one may perceive easily that readeth these things and by experience may have success therein for such things and such gifts are not given but only to the low and humble In the fifth place we are to take care that we understand when the Spirits are assisting us in undertaking the greatest business and he that understands this it is manifest that he shall be made a Magician of the ordination of God that is such a person who useth the ministry of the Spirits to bring excellent things to pass Here as for the most part they sin either through negligence ignorance or contempt or by too much superstition they offend also by ingratitude towards God whereby many famous men have afterwards drawn upon themselves destruction they sin also by rashness and obstinacy and also when they do not use their gifts for that honour of God which is required Sixthly The Magician hath need of faith and taciturnity especially that he disclose no secret which the spirit hath forbid him as he commanded Daniel to seal some things that is not to declare them in public so as it was not lawful for Paul to speak openly of all things which he saw in a vision No man will believe how much is contained in this one precept Seventhly In him that would be a Magician there is required the greatest justice that he undertake nothing that is ungodly wicked or unjust nor to let it once come into his mind and so he shall be divinely defended from all evil Aphor. 40. When the Magician determineth with himself to do any incorporal thing either with any exterior or interior sense then let him govern himself according to these seven subsequent laws to accomplish his Magical end The first Law is this That he know that such a Spirit is ordained unto him from God and let him meditate that God is the beholder of all his thoughts and actions therefore let him direct all the course of his life according to the rule prescribed in the word of God Secondly Always pray with David Take not thy holy Spirit from me and strengthen me with thy free Spirit and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil I beseech thee O heavenly Father do not give power unto any lying Spirit as thou didst over Ahab that he perished but keep me in thy truth Amen Thirdly Let him accustom himself to try the Spirits as the Scripture admonisheth for grapes cannot be gathered of thorns let us try all things and hold fast that which is good and laudable that we may avoid every thing that is repugnant to the divine power The fourth is To be remote and clear from all manner of superstition for this is superstition to attribute divinity in this place to things wherein there is nothing at all divine or to chuse or frame to ourselves to worship God with some kind of worship which he hath not commanded such are the Magical ceremonies of Satan whereby he impudently offereth himself to be worshiped as God The fifth thing to be eschewed is all worship of Idols which bindeth any divine power to idols or other things of their own proper motion where they are not placed by the Creator or by the order of
naturae unicus inventor c. Thus saith Zoroaster word for word God the first incorruptable everlasting unbegotten without parts most like himself the guide of all good expecting no reward the best the wisest the father of right having learned justice without teaching perfect wise by nature the only inventor thereof So that a Magician is no other but divinorum cultor interpres a studious observer and expounder of divine things and the art itself is none other than quam Naturalis Philosophiae absoluta consummatio than the absolute perfection of natural Philosophy Nevertheless there is a mixture in all things of good with evil of falshood with truth of corruption with purity The good the truth the purity in every kind may well be embraced as in the ancient worshiping of God by Sacrifice there was no man knowing God among the Elders that did forbear to worship the God of all power or condemn that kind of Worship because the Devil was so adored in the Image of Baal Dagon Astaroth Chemosh Jupiter Apollo and the like Neither did the abuse of Astrology terrify Abraham if we believe the most ancient and religious Writers from observing the motions and natures of the heavenly bodies Neither can it dehort wise and learned men in these days from attributing those virtues influences and inclinations to the Stâ—rs and other Lights of heaven which God hath given to those his glorious creatures I must expect some calumnies and obtrectations against this from the malicious prejudiced man and the lazy affecters of â—gnorance of whom this age swarms but â—he voice and sound of tâ—e Snake and the Goose is all one But our stomachs are not now so queazy and tender after so long time feeding upon solid Divinity nor are we so umbragious and startling having been so long enlightened in Gods path that we should relapse into that childish Age in which Aristotle's Metaphysicks in a council in France was forbid to be read But I incite the Reader to a charitable opinion hereof with a Christian Protestation of an innocent purpose therein and intreat the Reader to follow this advice of Tabaeus Qui litigant sint ambo in conspectu tuo mali rei And if there be any scandel in this enterprize of mine it is taken not given And this comfort I have in that Axiome of Trismegistus Qui pius est summe philosophatur And therefore I present it without disguise and object it to all of candor and indifference and of readers of whom there be four sorts as one observes Spunges which attract all without distinguishing Hour-glasses which receive and pour out as fast Bags which retain only the dregs of Spices and let the Wine escape and Sieves which retain the best only Some there are of the last sort and to them I present this Occult Philosophy knowing that they may reap good thereby And they who are severe against it they shall pardon this my opinion that such their severity proceeds from Self-guiltiness and give me leave to apply that of Ennodius that it is the nature of the Self-wickedness to think that of others which they themselves deserve And it is all the comfort which the guilty have Not to find any innocent But that amongst others this may find some acceptation is the desire of R. TURNER London Aug. 1654. To his special friend Mr. R. Turner on his judicious Translation of Corn. Agrippa AS one that just out of a trance appears Amaz'd with stranger sights whose secret fears Are scarcely past but doubtful whether he May crâ—dit's eyes remaineth stedfastly Fix'd on those objects just like him I stand Rapt in amazement to behold that can By art come near the Gods that far excel The Angels that in those bright spheres do dwell Behold Agrippa mounting the lofty skies Talking with Gods and then anon he pries Int ' earths deep cabinet as t' Mercury All kinds oâ— spirits willing subjects be And more than this his book supplies but we Blind mortals no ways could be led to see That light without a taper then thou to us Must be Agripga and an Oedipus Agrippa once again appears by thee Pull'd out o' th' ashes of Antiquity Let squint-ey'd envy pine away whilst thou Wear'st crowns of Praise on thy deserving brow I· P. B. Cantabrigiae To his ingenious friend Mr. Turner upon his Translation THrice noble Soul renown'd Epitome Of Learning and Occult Philosophy That unknown Geomancy dost impart With profound secrets of that abstruce Art T' expound Natural Magick is thy task Not hell born Necromancy to unmask Exposing mysteries to public view That heretofore were known to very few Thou dost not keep thy knowledge to thy self As base covetous Misers do their pelf Whose numerous bâ—gs of rust-eaten gold Profits none till themselves are laid in mold But studious of public good dost make All of th' fruits of thy labours to pertake Therefore if some captious Critick blame Thy writings surely then his judgment 's lame Art hath no hater but an empty pate Which can far better carp than imitate Nay Zoilus or Momus will not dare Blame thy translation without compare Excellent So that if an hundred tongues Dame nature had bestow'd and brazen lungs Yet rightly to ebuccinate thy praises I should want strength as well as polite phrases But if the gods will grant what I do crave Then Enoch's translation shalt thou have W. P. S. John's Cambr. To his friend the Author on his Translation WHat not a Sibyl or Cassandra left Apollo ceas'd has sharp-fang'd time bereft Us of the Oracles Is Dodan's grove Cut down Does ne'er a word proceed from Jove Into the ears of mortals that inherit Tiresias soul or the great Calcha's spirit What is become o' th' Augurs that foretold Nature's intents Are the Magi dead that could Tell what was done in every sphere Shall we Not know what 's done in the remot'st Country Without great travel Can't we below descry The mind o' th' gods above All 's done by thee Agrippa all their arts lie couch'd in thee Th' art that before in divers heads did lie Is now collect in t ' one Monopoly But all 's in vain we lack'd an Oedipus Who should interpret's meaning unto us This thou effect'st with such dexterity Adding perhaps what the Author ne'er did see That we may say thou dost the art renew To thee the greater half of th' praise is due J. B. Cantabrigiae To the Author on his Translation of Cornelius Agrippa PAllas of learning th' art if Goddess â—am'd Which Prototype thy knowledge hath explain'd Which nature also striving to combine Science and Learning in this form of thine To us not darkly but doth clearly shew Knowledge of Mysteries as the shrine in you By thy permission 't is we have access Into Geomancy which yet unless Thou hadst unmask'd a mystery 't had lain A task too hard for mortals to explain Which since thou hast fâ—om the Lethaean floods Preserv'd we 'll
that they may thrust men into errors and draw them from the worship of the true God through whom alone eternal death can be escaped Pollux It is expedient for me now to be more inquisitive in this discourse whether there be power given to the Devils to foretell things to come concerning which thing hitherto I have not been able to dart at the right mark for this question seemeth sufficiently doubtful unto me Castor St. Augustine in his book De Natura Daemonum dissolveth this Gordoneus knot saith that the damned spirits being filled full of all manner of impiety and wickedness do sometimes challenge to themselves power of foreseeing things to come because in the sense of their airy bodies they have a far more strong prevalent power of foreknowing than men of earthly bodies can have or because of the incomparable swiftness of their airy bodies which wonderfully exceedeth not only the celerity of men and wild beasts but also the flying of birds by which means they are able to declare things long before they come to be known which we by reason of the earthly slowness of our sense cease not to wonder at and admire or because of the benefit of their continual life they obtain this wonderful experience of things which we cannot attain to because of the shortness of our momentaneous life which is but as it were a bubble Poll. This last assertion of St. Augustine seemeth unto me to be more true than the rest because the series of many years doth cause great experience Cast. If any one shall deny these opinions of Augustine as erroneous Damascenus setteth a greater witnesâ— of these things without all exception before our eyes who in his second book of Orthodox faith saith thus That the devils cannot foreknow things to come for that belongs only unto God but so much as they are able to know they have from the disposition of the celestial and inferior bodies Poll. Why therefore do the Devils so willingly and of their own accord undertake Prophecies and to answer Oracles what benefit have they from hence Cast. Nothing but that hereby they seek to get great estimation and covet to be counted worthy of admiration and to be adored instead of Gods Poll. We know that the devil is the father of lyes Castor from whence we are piously to believe that those things which he foretelleth he extracteth from his own lyes Cast. Furthermore the Prophet Esaias saith thus Shew the things that are to come hereafter and tell us that we may know that ye are Gods And the Apostle Peter also saith The prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Poll. No man therefore will deny that they do sometimes fortel things to come Cast. No man certainly but for what cause that it attained to Crysostome doth most clearly teach in these words It is granted he saith that sometimes the devil doth speak truth that he might commend his own lying with verity whereas if he should never tell the truth he could deceive no man neither would his lying suffice him to tempt with Thus far Chrysostome Notwithstanding If he understand that he hath not grace granted unto him of himself to foretel the truth he fortelleth things nevertheless but so obscurely saith St. Augustine that he always layeth the blame of the things by him so foretold upon the interpreter thereof Porphyrius in his book of Oracles although he be the greatest maintainer of Devils and the most expert teacher of diabolical Arts nevertheless he saith with the aforesaid Doctors that the foreknowledge of things to come is not only intricate to men but uncertain to the gods and full of many obscurities Poll. Thou hast said that the predictions of the devils are done in this manner that they may gain authority to themselves amongst the credulous people and be worshiped instead of Gods for what end do the evil spirits work miracles Cast. What is a Miracle Pollux Poll. A new and unwonted accident which cometh to pass contrary to its course and custom and draweth men into admiration thereof Cast. But do they work Miracles Poll. They do for whereby dost thou believe that Aesculapius was honoured in his consecration for a God but only by the means of a miracle when he conveyed a serpent from Epidaurus to Rome What gave so great authority to Juno but only the working of a miracle when her Image of wood was asked by Furius Camilluâ— whether it would be carried to Rome and it answered with a human voice It would Also from thence Fortune was made a Goddess because her Statua in the way of Latium in the hearing of many people not once but oftentimes spoke with a human voice In the 8 Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles we read of miracles done by Simon the son of Rachel and in Exod. 8. of the Magicians of Pharaoh who in the sight of many people brought forth frogs and serpents and turned the waters into blood Apuleus doth testify the power of men to be so great in Inchantments that the Devils do not only work miracles by the means of men but they are able also to subvert nature and with a Demoniacal Incantation make violent streams to stay their course to turn the winds to make the sun stand still to break the course of the moon to lay impediments upon the stars to prolong the day and to shorten the night as Lucanus excellently sheweth Cessaverre vices rerum dilataque longa Haesit nocte dies legi non paruit aether Torruit praeceps audito Carmine mundus The course of things did cease obstructed light Opprest stuck fast in dusky shades of night Amazed skies their usual laws forbear The world was scorch'd when it her charms did hear And Tibullus of a certain Demoniacal Charm Hanc ego de coelo ducentem sydera vidi Fulminus ac rapidi Carmine vertit iter Haec cantu funditque solum manesque sepulchris Elicit tepido devorat ossa rogo Cum libet haec tristi depellit lumina coelo Cum libet aestivo convocat orbe nives Her have I seen draw down nights sparkling eyes With a dead Palsie swiftest streams surprize Turn earth to water from a desart tomb Make the departed drowsy Manes come With charms she 'll muffle the sad skies in mist In Summer Winters snow bring when she list Cast. I do not any more wonder that Moses called God Wonderful that he doth so connive at this sink of wickedness and most wicked seducers that he granteth them power to act such things so freely Poll. Firmianus excellently sheweth why God doth so in his last book but one of the works of God De opificio Dei for he saith that virtue is not virtue unless it have some like in ruling whereof it may shew and exercise its power for he saith As Victory cannot stand without virtue so neither can virtue
hell she saith thus Procul O procul este profani Tuque invade viam vaginaque eripe ferrum Hence hence all ye profane do thou invade The way and from'ts confinement take thy blade Philostratus writeth that he compelled Apollonius a spirit obvious to him his companions to flight with contumelies and direful imprecations that the vision making a noise and with great horror vanished away from them Very many do much commend a perfume of Calamint Piony mint Palma Christi Parsley to be used in this case Many do keep present with them red coral mugwort hypericon rue or vervin for this purpose Some do use for this business the tinkling of keys sounding of consecrated bells or the terrible rattling of Armour Poll. I have sometimes heard from our Elders that they made them Sigils inscribed with Pentapentagones by virtue whereof the spirits might be expelled and driven away What sayst thou to these Cast. Averrois writeth against Algazelus affirmed such things to be almost nothing worth unless to them that have confederated with the spirits If therefore Averrois saith the truth how then can the dâ—vils kingdom stand divided against itself Poll. But we read that Solomom a singular man with God did make such Sigils Cast. We do read truly that Solomon did make them but it was at such time when he worshiped Idols and not when he was in the state of salvation Tertullian offered a more certain antidote than all the former and exhorteth us as Job the most strong champion of God to fight against all the assaults of temptation he admonisheth us to be cloathed with the silken garment of honesty the purple robe of modesty and shame-facedness and the cloak of patience and he perswadeth us to meditate upon all those things which the devil doth devise and invent to overthrow our integrity that his falling may be proved the glory of our constancy and that we be willing constantly to war against all machinations which are permitted by God for this end And the Prophet Jeremiah teacheth the same in these words The Lord of hosts is the approver of the just D. Maximus in his book de charitate commandeth us to bind and kill the devils He saith we do then bind them when by diligent observation of the Commandments of God we do diminish and quash those affections that do boil up in us and we are said to kill them when we so truly mortify our lusts that we cut him off from all occasions of accusing saying with the Prophet Depart O homicide the Lord the strong warrior is with me thou shalt fall and shalt be vanquished from me for ever Olympiadorus 10 cap. when he interpreteth the Ecclesiastical history saith that all sensual appetites are to be shut out and excluded so that the devil may not be admitted neither by the allurements of the eyes nor by itching ears nor by the petulancy and frowardness of an hurtful tongue for this he accounteth to be the most absolute seal against the power of the devils Some do admonish us in our going forth to war against the devil to use two sorts of weapons the one is pure prayer which may raise up our affections unto heaven and true and perfect knowledge which may communicate and fill our understandings with wholesome doctrines and may suggest unto us what we are to pray for that we may pray ardently according to St. James and not doubtingly In the Prophecy of Isaiah and the Epistles of St. Paul we may find the same things Isai. 59. Eph. 6. and 1 Thess. 5. which may be as a remedy against vain Ghosts that they may be expelled Poll. For a remedy against Ghosts dost thou conceive that a Ghost is diverse and different from a spirit Cast. I know not truly what I may think hereof for flowing in so spacious a sea of many opinions I am so led in doubt that I cannot easily attain to a certain Port of judgment for there are some which do suppose that these Ghosts are devils by reason of the great fear and terror wherewith they ragingly molest men by night in their houses and sometimes for their innate nature to do hurt There are others that do believe these spirits are deceitful fantasies deceiving those that are of evil belief who by their fallacious visions and Imaginations do deceive and frighten the Inhabitants in their houses and do deny that they are spirits indeed because the spirits have a body without hands or feet wherefore they can hurt no man nor make any tumult being ignorant that the Angel who also hath a body without hands and feet did carry Habakkuk with his whole dinner by the hair of his head into Babylon and afterwards brought him back again and set him in his own place neither considering that the spirit of the Lord also without a body snatched up Philip and carried him to Azotus that I may forbear to speak concerning a certain incorporeal spirit which did so disquiet the house of my grandfather that by the space of almost thirty years he caused it to be uninhabitable unless it were when a lamp was burning therein neither did that then sufficiently quiet the same for going out of the house they did so molest them with stones from above in the streets that the would cast out of their hands the hearts of Pine-trees which they used for torches Concerning the Ghost that haunted the house of Anthenodorus the Philosopher and the tumultuous spirit of C. Caligula there may more be spoken but thou hast understood the relations of them already in the foregoing discourse From all which we may easily convince the opinions of those who deny that the spirits can walk or make any motion but of how much truth we may hold the assertions of them who do suppose that these tumultuous spirits are neither devils nor phantasms but the souls of the dead now hearken unto Poll. Are there they who are of that opinion Cast. There are they who are of both opinions for they do declare that these are the souls of them who have departed from their bodies laden clogged in their sins which are therefore heard to be more or less turbulent in houses according as they have any sensible ardent spark of that sin more or less so that except in the mean time they are expelled and driven away from thence or expiated by Alms or intercessions they are compelled to a certain bound or liberty wandering thereabouts in expectation of the last Judgment Poll. Wherefore Cast. Because I believe that the souls of them which sleep in Christ do live with Christ do not wander about the earth and the souls of them who are oppressed and burthened with the grievous weight of their Sins since they are the members of Satan are bound with Satan in the chains of darkness expecting judgment in hell Poll. But Firmianus a Writer of no mean judgment thinketh the contrary in his Book which he hath written de devino
he saith also that they do contrive with occult inspirations forms and fantasies of images to delude human sense wherewith waking or sleeping they may be deceived Thus far Augustine But if thou wilt I will produce also another witness without exception Pollux Poll. I would have thee tell me who that is Cast. Abbas Tritemius in his third Question to St. Maximus Emilianus which is spoken of before saith thus The devils amongst unfaithful people do seem to raise up the dead to life and to shew miracles to curious men that they might as it were swallow them up with error instead of miracles and are altogether pertinatious and obstinate but they cannot truly and realy raise up the dead but do variously deceive the senses of men shewing them feigned resemblances of the dead For it is certainly manifest that the devils can do all things but only in a false similitude of holy miracles in truth Poll. Some say that the devils are obedient to wicked men because of the similitude of their malice How seemeth that to thee Cast. It seemeth to me that they are obedient to evil men but not to all men Poll. But to whom Cast. To those certainly with whom they have contracted and made compacts covenants as those women which they call Pythonists are accounted who have vowed themselves by promise unto him Poll. But although they are compelled to be so serviceable unto them yet is this service true or feigned Cast. It is feigned certainly for they are subservient unto men of their own accord and genuine work that they may deceive them and allure them to themselves Although we do not deny that their service is sometimes true but only towards those men whose faith in the Lord Jesus Christ by the merit of his holiness hath caused them to be acceptable and friends unto him And that Lactantius also testifies in these words in his second book De origine Erroris 16 Chap. That the devils do fear the just that is those that worship God in whose Name they are conjured â—o depart out of bodies and with whose words they are beaten with scourges and they do not only confess that they are devils but do declare their names neither can they lye unto the just And the same Lactantius in his fourth book De vera Sapientia Chapter 27. saith It is necessary that they who are of the true Christian Religion should know the course and order of the devils and understand their subtily and restrain their force and conquer and subdue them with Spiritual weapons and force them to obey him Poll. I am now by thee sufficiently informed of all things which I have hitherto desired to know wherefore I shall not any further trouble thee with my questions or rather riddles but leave thee to thy own occasions Cast. Neither have I counted myself idle in answering thee but let the use thereof yield us each to other an equal recompence Farewel therefore Poll. And thee also GERARD CREMONENSIS OF ASTRONOMICAL GEOMANCY BEcause Astronomy is so transendant and subtil an art in itself that therein a man ought to have respect unto so many things before he can attain to true judgment thereby because the eye of the understanding will not pierce unto the half thereof and few Doctors of our latter time have been found so experienced therein that they know sufficiently how to judge thereby therefore I have composed this work which I will have to be named Astronomical Geomancy wherein I will sufficiently teach how to judge with less labour and study For in this present science it is not requisite to behold neither the Ascendant nor the hour in a Table as it is in Astrology It is expedient therefore to make four unequal lines by the points casually set down and to join together those points and out of the points which are not joined together which do remain in the heads of the lines as it is done in Geomancy extract one figure and the sign of the Zodiack that answereth to the figure put for the Ascendant for the words sake If Acquisitio arise from the heads of those four lines let Aries be placed in the Ascendant if Laetitia or the lesser Fortune put Taurus in the Ascendant if Puer or Rubeus place Gemini if Albus Cancer if Via Leo if Conjunctio or the Dragons head Virgo if Puella Libra if Amissio or Tristitia Scorpio if the Dragons Tail Sagittary if Populus Capricorn if Fortuna major Aquary if Carcer then put Pisces for the Ascendant Afterwards in the second house let that sign be placed which immediately succeeds the other In the third house the third sign and so place the rest in order until you come unto the end of the signs and make one square figure divided into twelve equal parts and therein place the signs in order as it is in Astrology as you may find them in this figure neither are we here to regard the witnesses or Judge or any other thing which belongs to Geomancy but only the sixteen figures that by them we may have the twelve signs to which they agree and observe the manner of the figure as it is here placed Look how the twelve Signs are placed in the figure and so may any other Sign be ascending in his turn as Aries is here Afterwards it is requisite to make four lines by course for every Planet by points casually pricked down and likewise for the Dragons Head as you have done for the Ascendant and divide those points by twelve and that which remaineth above twelve or the twelfth itself if a greater number doth not remain retain and the Planet for which the projection was made place in that house of which the superabounding number shall be that is if there remain twelve let the Planet be placed in the twelfth house if ten in the tenth house if one in the first house if two in the second house and so of the rest And you ought always to begin from the Sun and afterwards from the Moon then from Venus and Mercury and from Sâ—turn Jupiter and Mars and the Dragons Head and Dragons Tail but you must always take heed that you do not make a question in a rainy cloudy or a very windy season or when thou art angry or thy mind busied with many affairs nor for tempters or deriders neither that you may renew and reiterate the same Question again under the same figure or form for that is error Questions of the first House IF you are desirous to know concerning the life of any man whether it be long or short behold the Lord of the Ascendant who if he be in strong Angles it signifies long life in succedents a middle age and in cadent houses a short life and if he be in strong Angles he signifies greater years if in Succedents meaner years if in Cadents lesser years The lesser years of Saturn are thirty the meaner are forty four years and the
holy things to dogs nor to cast pearls befoâ—e swine Observe this Law and the eyes of thy Understanding shall be opened to understand secret things and thou shalt have whatsoever thy mind desireth to be divinely revealed unto thee Thou shalt have also the Angels and Spirits of God prompt and ready in their nature to minister unto thee as much as any human mind can desire Aphor. 2. In all things call upon the name of the Lord and without prayer unto God through his only-begotten Son do not thou undertake to do or think any thing And use the Spirits given attributed unto thee as ministers without rashness and presumption as the messengers of God having a due reverence towards the Lord of Spirits And the remainder of thy life do thou accomplish demeaning thyself peaceably to the honour of God and the profit of thyself and thy neighbour Aphor. 3. Live to thyself and the Muses avoid the friendship of the multitude be thou coveteous of time benificial to all men Use thy gifts be vigilant in thy calling and let the word of God never depart from thy mouth Aphor. 4. Be obedient to good Admonitions avoid all procrastination accustom thyself to constancy and Gravity both in thy words and deeds Resist the temptations of the tempter by the word of God Flee from earthly things seek after heavenly things Put no confidence in thy own wisdom but look unto God in all things according to that sentence of the Scripture When we know not what we shall do unto thee O God do we lift up our eyes and from thee we expect our help For where all human refuges do forsake us there will the help of God shine forth according to the saying of Philo. Aphor. 5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy strength and thy neighbour as thy self and the Lord will keep thee as the apple of his eye and will deliver thee from all evil and will replenish thee with all good and nothing shall thy soul desire but thou shalt be fully endued therewith so that it be contingent to the salvation of thy soul and body Aphor. 6. Whatsoever thou hast learned frequently repeat and fix the same in thy mind and learn much but not many things because a human understanding cannot be alike capable in all things unless it be such a one that is divinely regenerated unto him nothing is so difficult or manifold which he may not be able equally to attain to Aphor. 7. Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee and thou shalt glorify me saith the Lord. For all Ignorance is tribulation of the mind therefore call upon the Lord in thy ignorance and he will hear thee And remember that thou give honour unto God and say with the Psalmist Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give the glory The second Septinary Aphor. 8. Even as the Scripture testifies that God appointeth names to things or persons also with them hath distributed certain powers and offices out of his treasures so the Characters and names of Stars have not any power by reason of their figure or pronunciation but by reason of the virtue or office which God hath ordained by nature either to such a name or character For there is no power either in heaven or in earth or hell which doth not descend from God and without his permission they can neither give or draw forth into any action any thing they have Aphor. 9. That is the chiefest wisdom which is from God next that which is in spiritual creatures afterwards in corporal creatures fourthly in nature natural things The spirits that are apostate reserved to the last judgment do follow these after a long interval Sixthly the ministers of punishments in hell and the obedient unto God Seventhly the Pigmies do not possess the lowest place and they who inhabit in elements and elementary things It is convenient therefore to know and discern all differences of the wisdom of the Creator and the Creatures that it may be certainly manifest unto us what we ought to assume to our use of every thing and that we may know in truth how and in what manner that may be done For truely every creature is ordained for some profitable end to human nature for the service thereof as the holy Scriptures Reason and Experience do testify Aphor. 10. God the Father Almighty Creator of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible in the holy Scriptures proposeth himself to have an eye over us and as a tender father which loveth his children he teacheth us what is profitable and what not what we are to avoid what we are to embrace then he allureth us to obedience with great promises of corporal eternal benefits and deterreth us with threatning of punishments from those things which are not profitable for us Turn over therefore with thy hand both night and day those holy Writings that thou mayest be happy in things present and blessed to all eternity Do this and thou shalt live which the holy Books have taught thee Aphor. 11. A number of four is Pythagorical and the first Quedrate therefore here let us place the foundation of all wisdom after the wisdom of God revealed in the holy Scriptures and to the consideration proposed in nature Appoint therefore to him who solely dependeth upon God the wisdom of every creature to serve and obey him nolens volens willing or unwilling And in this the omnipotency of God shineth forth It consisteth therefore in this that we will discern the creatures which serve us from those that are unwilling and that we may learn how to accommodate the wisdom and office of every creature unto ourselves This art is not delivered but divinely Unto whom God will he revealeth his secrets but to whom he will not bestow any thing out of his treasuries that person shall attain to nothing without the will of God Therefore we ought truly to desire from God alone which will mercifully impart these things unto us For he who hath given us his Son and commanded us to pray for his holy Spirit how much more will he subject unto us the whole creature and things visible and invisible Whatsoever ye ask ye shall receive Beware that ye do not abuse the gifts of God and all things shall work together unto you for your salvation And before all things be watchful in this that your names be written in heaven this is more light that the spirits be obedient unto you as Christ admonisheth Aphor. 12. In the Acts of the Apostles the Spirit saith unto Peter after the Vision Go down and doubt not but I have sent them when he was sent for by Cornelius the Centurion After this manner in vocal words are all disciplines delivered by the holy Angels of God as it appeareth out of the Monuments of the Aegyptians And these things