were in use among the Egyptians But with all Respect to so great a Scholler be it spoken I must take leave to say that he was never so farre wide of the Truth as Here and if any be so Curious as to desire to be satisfied in this Particular he may be pleased to take notice that Scaliger hath transcribed them word for word out of a Second Book of a Worke entituled Astrolabium Planum where they are all represented by Figures cut in Wood and are the Invention of Petrus Aponensis otherwise called the Conciliator being the very same which he caused to be painted in the Great Hall of the Palace of Padua where they are yet to be seen The Truth of this may be proved by the fore-named Booke of Aponensis whose very words he hath also made use of but contenting himselfe with the bare Names of these Figures he would not trouble himselfe with the Graving of them I shall only adde for the greater Confirmation of what I have said that this Astrolabium Planum where these Figures of Aponensis his Devising are to be seen was printed at Venice by Emery de Spir An. 1494. I should not have here made this Observation but only that I might be the better able hereafter to make knowne the Vertue of the Astrology of the Ancient Hebrewes which was in a manner the same with that of the Aegyptians and the more Learned among the Arabians out of whose Bookes Scaliger vainely saies that he hath bestowed much paines in collecting the said Figures For there hath long since been such a World of Strange things which never had Being foisted upon this Science that people generally now adaies sticke not to say to the great Disadvantage of Antiquity that there is no Truth or Certainty in these kind of Studies I thinke it necessary therefore for the better Informing of those who are thus abused to declare what it was that moved Aponensis to represent these different Postures of Men Women and diverse kinds of Living Creatures This Learned Astrologer having observed that those that are borne under certaine Conjunctions of the Planets with the Signes of the Zodiack were alwayes inclined to one and the same thing as for example the Planet of Mars being the Ascendent in the First Degree of Aries those that are then borne are commonly Laborious and lovers of War he figured a Man as we have said holding in one hand a Sickle which signifies Labour and in the other a Bow the Hieroglyphicke of War In like manner those that are borne when the same Planet is in the Second Degree of the same Signe are Quarresome and Envious as Dogs and this made him represent a Man with a Dog's head holding a Cudgell in his hand The Figure of the third Degree shews that the Child will be a lover of Peace The Fourth that hee will hardly be Rich scattering about what hee shall have gotten which is signified by the Flail and the Hawk When Mercury is found in the First Degree of Taurus the Child will be addicted to Blood and Butchery and therefore he sigured a Man with a Cudgel driving an Oxe to the Slaughter-house If in the Second Degree he will be given to Idlenesse as the Woman that holds a Hors-taile in her hand If in the Third a Woman will desire to marry in her Old Age and endeavour to be thought young according to the Figure of the Old Woman that is covered with a Vaile or else wearing a Paire of Breeches If in the Fourth the Child will be Quarrelsome which is signified by a Woman figured with a Whip in her hand And so of all the rest as you may see in the Author himselfe We may conclude then that these Astrologicall Devises are no more of the Hebrewes and Egyptians inventing then the Brazen Horse is of mine CHAP. XI VVhat in Truth was the Course the Patriarkes and Ancient Hebrewes tooke in their Observations at the Erecting of a Nativity THE CONTENTS 1. THe Celestial Constellations were anciently marked with Hebrew Characters 2. How the Celestiall Signes are figured in the Spheares and Globes of the Arabians That of Virgo hath a Mystery in it 3. A new Observation on the Hebrew Names of the Planets 4. A Table by which the Jewes erected their Nativities The use of it 5. Demonstrative Reasons why the Daies follow not the Order of the Planets A Genethliacall Table of the Ancient Hebrews 6. The Difference betwixt the Ancient's manner of giving Judgement upon a Nativity and that of the Astrologers of our times The Fable of Lucina laid open 7. The Moon why called Lunus and Luna and the Heavens Coelus and Coelum 8. A new and Certaine Reason why the Poets report that Saturne eat up his Children 9. What Qualities the Ancients acknowledged to be in the Celestiall Signes 10. The Authors Judgement upon the Astrologicall Writings of R. Abraham Aben-Are translated into Latine by the Conciliator 11. What Planets were accounted Benigne by the Ancient Hebrews What Ceremony the New-married Man used toward his Bride 12. This Astrology of the Ancients is proved out of the Holy Scriptures Reasons which prove that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God which was the name of one of the sonnes of Jacob is the Planet Jupiter 13. The Aegyptians the First that corrupted this Astrology It is False notwithstanding that they were the Inventers of the Characters of the Planets Fables introduced into Astrology by the Greeks 14. Athlon a word in Nativities used by Manilius rightly interpreted contrary to Scaliger NOw that we have seen what is Falsly attributed to the Astrology of the Ancients it remains that we in the next place shew what we have discovered of the Purity and Truth of it in the Writings of those who have handled this Subject and which are such as have been esteemed the most Free from Trifling by the Learnedst Men of Our Own Nation I shall then make my Collection of these Secrets which the world hath hitherto had little knowledge of partly out of Rabbi Moses to whom Scaliger hath given this Testimony †In lib. Horaiot passim in li. Mis Thorab Mor. Neb. lib. Taamin Astag Haâ—izr Lib. Milbanâ—t haschem tract 4 5 6. contr Aver In Chocmet bacoc In Thor. Jessod laghol In aghmouq In Thecum Primus inter Hebraeos nugari desivit and partly out of R. Aben-Esra whom the same Scaliger calls Magistrum Judaeum Et hominem supra captum Judaeorum Out of R. Eli whom Augustinus Riccius cals Virum utique Scientiarum omnium plenum Out of R. Isaac Hazan whom the Jewes conceive to have been the Author of the Astronomicall Tables of Alphonsus Out of R. Abarbanel R. Isaac IsraeÌ„lita R. Jacob Kapol ben Samuel Aben-Aré R. Chomer and some others of the most Learned and Knowing men of This Nation as their VVritings testifie of them First then the Ancient Hebrewes represented the Stars of Heaven either All Together or severally by the Letters
Quale but in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qomodo se res habet Isay c. 10. Certainly it would shew very strangely if when it is demanded Qualis est Imperator What manner of man is the Emperor it should be answered Bene se habet He is in very good health Neither is there any Language in the world that can beare this construction 6. Againe where Aristotle in the beginning of his Predicaments and elsewhere sayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Interpreters generally render it though extreamly ill Ratio substantiae for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Essentia so that they ought to have said Ratio Essentiae that is The reason of the Essence or The Definition which is the true and onely Reason of every thing and the Learned know that the substance onely of any thing is not defined but the Essence of it This Excellent Philosopher hath another manner of Phrase which we frequently meet with in his writings which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is alwayes translated Quod quid erat esse but so Obscurely that besides that it is no very good Latine it is a translation that was never yet understood by any man It is therefore an intollerable Oversight that is here committed in the Greek Text in not taking this Verbe of the infinitive Mood especially where the Article is expressely added to it for a Noune substantive So that I appeal to all Learned men whether these Greek words ought not rather to be rendered thus Quid est Essentia for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as Essentia and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quid est And although that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies erat this manner of speaking is notwithstanding very Elegant to use the Preterimperfect Tense for the Present in like manner as in French we may use the Infinitive Mood with an Article instead of a substantive thus Ce que est l' Estre de la chose That which is the Essence of the Thing It is also a very considerable Error which is comitted in these two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are used by the Philosopher in the sixt of his Moralls for almost all our Moderne Philosophers confound them and because that each of them may signifie both Agere and Facere this Conclusion is drawn from thence namely Artes esse Practicas Notwithstanding that Aristotle teacheth us expressely that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used onely in discoursing of Morall Actions Lib 6. Moral of Vertues or Vices In the same chapter you may observe also another Error our Philosophers are fallen into who thinke that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies onely an Exterior sensible Work whereas Aristotle himselfe sayes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is onely to do some Worke that hath an Externall End Neither is this Error lesse remarkeable 2. de Anim. that whereas he sayes 2. de Anima that the soule is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cicero and a great number of others have corrected it and read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is as much as to say that the soule is A Continuall motion which is False For the Soule is not this Continuall motion but onely The Perfection from whence this Motion proceeds and this is the meaning of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. And now of late another new Error as great as any of the rest is sprung up from the misunderstanding of another Text of Aristotle and it is grounded on the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For whereas Aristotle 4. Met. c. 4. in the Cap. 4. lib. 4. Meteor sayes Humidum facillimè alieno termino terminari or is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are some that conclude from hence that Fire is moist because it is Easily bounded by another Thing The discourse intitled Les Theses Curieuses published some yeares since by one that was a souldier of Provence in France and besides an Excellent Philosopher hath sufficiently confuted this Position We say therefore only here that which is most true namely that where Aristotle useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Interpreters render Perfacilè it should be translated Naturaliter Now that Fire cannot Naturally be Terminated by Another thing is most certainly proved by the experience of Canons and other Fire-Engines for the Fire being shut up or Terminated by them either breaks them in pieces or is broken it selfe So true it is that one onely word mis-understood is oftentimes the cause of the deducing of most Absurd Consequences 8. Let us now returne backe againe to his Morals Mor. c. 4. et Isago c. de differentia where as in divers other places we meet with the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is usually translated Deus or Dij doing hereby no small Injury to Aristotle in making him seem guilty of Admitting a Composition in God But what man of sense is there that sees not that according to the meaning of this Knowing Genius of Nature the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be rendered Angeli or Spiritus or else Mentes or Intelligentiae And this is plain because that in his Physic lib. 1. and else-where hee expressely saies that the nature of God admits not of any Composition but that Angels indeed are compounded of a Spirit and a Coelestiall Body according to the Opinion of the Platonists or rather as the Peripateticks will have it Ex genere differentia which is most true Now whereas he saies in the Chapter de Differentia that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is compounded of Parts and that he is in the Predicament of Substance I leave it to any man to judge whether or no he speaks not there expressely of the Angels Out of this Errour have sprung two other which gave occasion to the Ancient Christians to condemne this Philosopher saying first that hee affirmed that God was Animal But they mistooke the place in Aristotle and instead of reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Vivens they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Animal The First of these two Appellations is most proper to God but the other is so farre from the Truth that it never entered so much as into the Thought of this Excellent Philosopher who utterly denied that there was any Composition in God as wee have already sayd especially that of Animal as you may see in the First of his Politickes Polit. 1. where he disdains all those that attribute to God the Form of a Man The Other Error proceeds from their not understanding the Force of the Greek word used by Aristotle when they say that Aristotle conceived that he had demonstrated the World to have been from all Eternity which is very far from the Truth For he affirmes Lib. 1. Prior. cap. 4. that to make a Proposition to be Demonstrative it is necessary that it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say perse of it selfe Now in his
was good yet neverthelesse there were among the People that worshipped them and this is the reason they are reproved by God Now that hee had no intention at all to set up Idolatry by this Act appeares clearly in this that the Kings his Successors who all were of the same Beliefe are not any where reproved for this crime untill the Reigne of wicked Achab who was seduced by his wife Jezabell the most Imperious woman that ever was Thus we read in the History of Kings that Jehu did that which was right in the sight of the Lord Yet neverthelesse Non reliquit vitulos aureos qui erant in Bethel 4. Reg. 10.30 in Dan. And I would faine know if this King should have worshipped these Calves how he could have done that which was right in the sight of God who never punished his people so severely as when they had given themselves up to worship Idols And how Asa in like manner King of Samaria could have walked in the wayes of David if he had beene tainted with this horrible Crime Et fecit Asa rectum ante conspectum Domini sicut David pater ejus and yet notwithstanding Excelsa non abstulit He took not away the High places that is to say Vitulos the Calves As if the Author of the holy Scriptureshad purposed to prevent the Objection which is usually made concerning the erecting of these Calves to an evill End for these words seeme to have been set downe so expresly meerly for the confutation of those men that are wedded to their owne wills and for the clearing of the truth of that which I have here delivered Cor Asa perfectum fuit cum Domino etsi Excelsa non abstulerit Which is an Infallible Argument that they acknowledged in these Calves or Cherubins the same which they of Jerusalem did in those of the Arke namely the presence of the Invisible God sitting there as on his Throne notwithstanding that many out of simplicity worshipped the bare figure of this Work of Mens hands And this is that which God so often complaines of As if this were the Literall meaning of this Passage to wit that the Kings of Israel had indeed done that which was right in the sight of God and had lived according to his Lawes yet that they might have done better if they had taken away these Cherubins which were the cause of the destruction of many who made other use of them then that for which they were intended I remember to have read somewhere to this purpose of a Bishop of Marseille who seeing that many of his people behaved themselves toward the Images that are usually placed in Churches with so great respect as that one day he observed some of their actions that came within the compasse of Idolatry he caused them all to be broken to pieces leaving only a very few in some certain places of his Diocess So true it is that we often abuse those things which were instituted only to good ends I shall only adde one word more for the defending of the Innocence of the Samaritans which is that when Salmonazar had ransacked their Country he sent into it Colonies out of Persia who falling to commit Idolatry as they had used to doe in their own Country God sent Lions among them to destroy them For remedy of which calamity 4 Reg. 17 they could finde out no better expedient then to send for one of the Jewish Priests whom they had lead away captives for to instruct these Idolaters in the Worship of the true God which being done they were freed from that calamity which is a certaine Argument saith Abiudan that all the Samaritans were not Idolaters This observation of Abiudan Moncaeus takes no notice of yet He hath also an Observation which Abiudan passes by out of the hate I conceave that he bare to the True Messias and because that the Testimony made against himselfe namely that when our Saviour Christ uttered the Story or Parable of the Travailer that fell among Theeves the Samaritan is there said to have had more pity on him then the Priest of Jerusalem I shall adde here that the same God being become Man did not at all deny himselfe to be a Samaritan when he was called so by way of reproach which doubtlesse he would have done if he had knowne this people to be wholy Idolatrous 9. But now in the progresse of this Discourse the Curious Critick who uses to leave nothing unsifted may happily propose this Question to me If the Cherubins of the Arke were made in the forme of Calves what should move almost all Writers to maintaine that they were in shape like young Boyes I confesse I could willingly have put off the answering this Question which neither Abiudan nor Moncaeus have taken any notice of or else have purposely passed it by to some other time But seeing that I write to the Learned it concernes me willingly to omit nothing that makes for my subject that so I be not ranked in the number of those men that when they write of any argument doe voluntarily slip over the choycest things in it I say then in two words and without making any long discourse on it since that I handle this very Question in another place that all the Authors both Greek and Latine and the greatest part of the Jewish too as Aben-Ezra Scelomoh and the Talmudists who have attributed the forme of young Boyes to these Cherubins have done it upon such weake grounds that we need but onely to rehearse them to shew their insufficiency There is nothing say many of these last named Authors cited by Kimchi which more confirmes the opinion of the Cherubins being made in the figure of Young Men or Lads then the Etymology of their name For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cherub is compounded of the servile Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caph which signifies sicut and of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rabeia which signifies in Chaldee a Young Boy or Youth and in the plurall number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cherabaia that is to say sicut Adolescentes or Pueri Very good but Moses spoke not Chaldee but Hebrew and therefore if this controversie must be decided by the Etymology of the name why cannot I say with much more reason out of the Hebrew Etymology of the word that these two Cherubins were made in the form of Saddles seeing that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cherub is said to be derived by transposing the letters into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cherab which signifies equitare Cap. 15. v. 9. Cap. 22. v. 35. is in Hebrew a Saddle as you may see in Leviticus and in the first book of the Kings Or else we may say that these Cherubins were made in the form of Raine seeing that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cherabib a word that cometh very near Cherubin signifies sicut pluvia Let us now examine the Reasons
Lyranus Brugensis and others which are followed by Georgius Venetus Galatinus Franciscus Georgius and Steuchus account from the Creation of the World to the Nativity of our Saviour Christ  3760 Paulus Forosemproniensis 5201 Arnaldus Pontacus 4088 Pererius Bellarmine and Baronius 4022 Genebrard 4090 Suarez 4000 Ribera 4095 Onuphrius Panvinius 6310 Carolus Bovillus 3989 Malvenda 4133 Joseph Scaliger 3948 Sixtus Senensis Massaeus and many others 3962 Jo. Picus Mirandula 3958 Peter Gallisard 3964 Joannes Lucidus and many others 3960 Garardus Mercator 3928 Jansenius 3970 Paulus Palatius 4000 Hence we may safely conclude that neither the number of daies nor yet of yeare passed since the Creation can be exactly knowne without some speciall Revelation notwithstanding the endeavours of the Learned Pererius to prove the contrary who In Gon. lib. 1. taking occasion from these words of the Wise man dies seculi quis dinumerat affirmeth that he speaketh not here of the Yeares but of the Daies and that though the number of These cannot be knowne yet the Other may Ergo sayes he after a long Discourse Numerus annorum Munditeneri potest dierum autem non potest But he ought first to have reconciled these Authors among themselves and to shew how they have erred in their Computations And when all is done the nearest that a man shall be able to come to the Truth will perhaps be about Twenty five or Thirty yeares over or under and no otherwise 8. The 3. Object The third Objection brought by those that will not admit the Jewes bookes to be read seemes to have more Reason in it then all the rest For if they be indeed full of scoffings against the Life of Him who hath given Us Ours if they accuse his Actions detest his Doctrine and condemne his Memory as ignominious in a word if they are full of nothing but Blasphemies against Jesus Christ who is he that could endure to read them And here Sixtus Senensis triumphs over his Enemies and reckons up all the Impieties the Israelites were ever guilty of and there is scarcely any one kind of wickednesse or villany that he layes not to their charge In a word he numbers up as well all the erroneous points of their Beliefe as their Reproachfull speeches which they vomit up against the Sonne of God so that one that had not read their bookes and knowne the Truth of the businesse would judge them to have been written rather by Divels then by Men. But this Author The Answer who had not written against this Nation but as almost all others have done meerely out of the hatred is generally borne toward these Deicides thought peradventure that after the burning so many Jewish Libraries in Italy and after that himselfe had beene an Eye-witnesse of Twelve Thousand Volumes burnt to Ashes at Cremona he thought I say that after so rigorous an Inquisition there could have been no more books left by which wee might have been able to satisfie our selves in the Truth of those things that are objected against the Jewes But he had forgot to burne the writings of Galatinus too or rather of Sebondus for I shall make it appeare in another place that Galatine was never the Author of that Learned Booke intituled de Arcanis Catholicae sidei He had I say forgot to burne these Learned writings too which doe make it clearely appeare that the greatest part of those things that are written in this Particular is false and prove that the Blasphemies which the Ancient Rabbins uttered against Jesus Christ were not meant at all of Christ our Redeemer but of another Jesus very far different from Ours And this is so known a Truth that the most furious among the Iewes dare not deny it unlesse they deny their Talmud So that this Confession being so much the more forcible because it proceeds from the mouth of our Adversaries it quite overthrowes all that Senensis and those of his Perswasion have brought to the contrary I will not say but that the Later Rabbins doe more perversely handle the Controversy which is betwixt Them and Us namely Whether Jesus Christ be the true Messias or not and that among the Heats of so weighty a Dispute they doe sometimes speake irreverently of our sacred Mysteries But which is a very wonderfull thing and which ought to convince all the enemies to the writings of these men among so great a number of Arguments that are brought against us by R. David Kimchi and R. Joseph Alboni two Iewish Rabbins which were both very learned and very zealous for their owne Religion you shall not find one Opprobrious speech uttered against Jesus Christ as that he was a seditious person as he was called in his life time or a Magician or an Impostor or a Malefactor or any other the like Blasphemous termes notwithstanding there is scarcely any of our Christian Writers that have written against the Iewes which give them not very hard language They dispute indeed Whether the Gospel be a Law or not but not Whether the Author of it were a Wicked Man or no. Nay on the contrary they rather confesse him to have religiously kept all the Commandements of the Decalogue They say indeed that he was but meere Man and not God being blinded by the Confession which this God of Love made of himselfe Ego sum vermis non homo but they doe not say that he was a Wicked Perfidious Person They accuse his Apostles indeed of Ignorance but not of Falsehood as when S. Paul saith that the Israelites demanded a King of Samuel who gave them the sonne of Cis being about the age of forty years whereas the Scripture seemes to say otherwise As also when Saint Stephen said that those that went downe with Jacob into Aegypt were seventy five soules in number whereas in Genesis it is said they were but seventy in all And so likewise in diverse other Passages which have been long since often reconciled and cleared of Errour They deny indeed that in the Eucharist a Great Body with all its parts can possibly be in so small a Morsell but they doe not say that the Institution and use of it in the Christian Church is Diabolicall as the Hereticks say In a word they deny indeed that Jesus Christ is the true Messias but the doe not say that his Doctrine is against God Those that desire to be more fully satisfied in this Controversie may have recourse to a Tract written by Genebrard against those two Learned Jewes above named To conclude then both against Senensis and all of his Opinion I affirme that the Ancient Rabbins are so farre from reproaching our Saviour Jesus Christ as that on the contrary they allow of his Doctrine and confirme the History which is delivered us as I doe clearly prove in my Advertissement aux Doctes touchant la necessite des langues Orientales which I shall God willing put forth very shortly 9. The 4. Object I come
thus figured by the touch of any Fish of the Sea neither was it a Pearch which had been turned into a Stone for who should carry it saith he to the top of an unhabitable Mountain Plin. l. 3 is c. 5. Plinie reports that there was the Image of a Satyre found in a Marble stone sawed in two and Gesner a very learned Switzer makes mention of another Gamahe which represented two Roses and of another that was full of starres You may have recourse to the Tract which hee hath written of this subject Lib. de rerum fossil lap et gemmar figur divided into Thirteen Chapters where he tels you of many Gamahes which represent some Comets others Plants Fruits Fishes Living Creatures of the Land and some Artificiall things too I wonder notwithstanding that he should forget to speake of Embossed Gamahes which the earth produceth such as was that of the Virgin Mary holding her Sonne in her armes which was Natutally represented in a piece of a Rocke and with very great Reliefe and was found in one of the Isles of the Archipelago as Thevet testifies in his Cosmography And in the Caves that are found in a certaine Desart Loc. citat in Provence in France called l' Hermitage Sainct Maurin distant two leagues from Reiz and from Moustiers a Desart that is indeed a very horrid one by reason that it is encompassed with Rocks but which is much more to be admired then that of the Grand Chartreuse whether you consider the Aire of it which is for the most part sereene and pleasant or its Christall Fountaines whose Originall is wonderfull or the beauty of its Caves which seem to be a Palace fit for Nature to inhabit or the Flowings of its Verdon which being pent up by too small a Channell makes a noyse which causeth a Horror suitable to those holy Solitudes in these Caves I say are found good store of these Gamahes Embossed which represent almost all the severall sorts of Figures that can fall within a mans Imagination You shall see some of them as hanging on high others appeare as placed side-wayes as you see Images placed in wals as if Nature had not forgotten any thing that might serve to render a place commendable About seven leagues from Auxerre in those Caves which they call Antounoirs there are found almost the very same Gamahes or Figures and both the one and the other have all of them a little hole in them running along through them from the top to the bottome and my judgement of these Figures is that they are nothing else but water petrified or congealed to stone for they hang downe at least the greatest part of them as if they were fastened to a Roofe above Goropius Becanus speaking of this kind of Gamahe assures us that he hath seen Bones that have beene produced Naturally within the bowels of the Earth which were of a very Prodigious magnitude though they were generated of other Matter And of this Kind peradventure are those Bones whose vast bignesse hath caused people vainely to conclude that there have beene heretofore Gyants in the World So true it is that for want of the true knowledge of the Secrets of Nature men usually fall into most grosse Errors Now these Embossed Figures that are found in stones are of two sorts the first are whole Embossed round as was the Piece of Rocke in forme of the Virgin Mary and these Bones that the Earth Naturally produceth the Other are only in Reliefe or only halfe-embossed such as were those Rocks which Ortelius makes mention of scituate in the entrance of the most Western parts of Tartary on which are to be seen the Figures of Camels Horses Sheep and many other things the Marvellousnesse whereof this Geographer being not able to comprehend he saies Haec saxa hominum In Fab. Sciogr Russ camelorum pecorumque caeterarumque rerum formas referentia Horda populigregis pascentis armentaque fuit quae stupenda quadam Metamorphosi repentè in saxa riguit priori parte nullâ in parte diminutâ And then to make the story passe for a Truth he addes Evenit hoc prodigium annis circiter 300. retrò elapsis But leaving him to go along with the herd of ordinary writers who then they cannot give the Reason of any thing are faine presently to flye to Maracles I say that these Tartarian Rockes if there be any Truth in the Relation are only Gamahes generated by Nature Otherwise wee shall be forced to forge new Miracles for all the Places where ever any of the like Effects are produced which would be most ridiculous seeing that we shall by and by make it appear out of the Writings of one of the most Pious Learned Men the Ages past have brought forth that these Effects are the Workmanship of Nature only who produceth them no otherwise then shee doth Flowers Of this sort of Gamahes were those three Serpents figured within the hollow of an Oister-shell which were found by the King of Castile's Cookes in the belly of a Fish These Serpents were figured with their Head Relieved or swelling up and that so naturally as that they seemed to be alive The upper part of the Shell also afforded pretty Variety of the like Figures and which was most of all to be admired there was not one of them but had a Hole running along through it from the very Mouth to the Taile though it were indeed but a very small one Therfore saith Albertus Magnus Loc. Citat Constat per illud experimentum etiam Figuras elevatas super lapides aliquandò fieri à Naturâ 4. Those Figures that are Naturally Ingraven upon Stones are either graved Superficially only or Transparently so as the Graving passes through the body Of this later kind you shall oftentimes meet with some among the heapes of hollow stones that are found in the fields wherein you may observe the form of a Head by the little Holes which represent the Eyes the Nostrils and the Mouth and sometimes also you shall have of them that have the forme of a Death's head either of a Man or a Horse As for those other which are only superficially graved you may have store of them among the little stones on the Bankes of Rivers and upon the Sea-shore where you shall light upon some so exactly representing the figure of shells that you would think they were the Naturall shels of Fishes and this sort ought rather to be reckoned in the number of Embossed-Gamahes then those that are simply Graved My Brother hath sometime been very diligent in searching on the Sea shore and gathering together what Shels or other Stones of any rarity he could meet with and he hath presented one to Mr. Frey which perfectly resembleth a Goat's Horne and I am of opinion that it is one of those which the Ancients called Cornu Ammonis as you may see in Georg. Agricola in his Lib. 5. de Natura Fossilium
nothing in the whole businesse of Philosophy that hath more perplexed our new Philosophers then this Subject concerning Images or Figures made under some certaine Constellations The greatest part of them therefore have rejected the Practice of these Operations as Vaine and Superstitious yet some others who are not so overswayed with Passion have both allowed and defended it though they have I confesse suffered for it in their repute insomuch that Galeottus who is acknowledged by Paulus Jovius to have been one of the most Learned and Knowing men of his time only for having undertaken the Defence of this Truth as we shall make it hereaster appeare hath been handled by some like any base Inconsiderable Fellow and Camillus accounted no better then an Atheisticall Wretch And this is the usage they bestow upon all the Ablest Men whereas they ought rather to answer their Arguments pertinently and to shew the Insufficiency of them if they can but see the Mischiefe of it If any of these men chance to be in company where there is any mention made of the most Able Schollers or there be any Question started concerning any of those Choyse Points of Learning for which these men have been Deservedly ranked above the Herd of Vulgar Braines you shall have some giddy-headed fellows that will not stick to say without blushing that they never wrote any thing of any worth at all nor ever understood the matter they handled I my selfe have heard one say that Marsilius Ficinus understood not any thing of Plato's Doctrine nor Averroēs of Aristotles and that the Wits of these Times are much quicker then those of the Ages past And now Reader thou maist judge whether this Vanity of theirs be to be indured or no. But to leave these men to enjoy their owne Ignorance and referring these Considerations to some other time we shall only in this place prove against all those that have condemned them that the making of these Figures we here speak of is Lawfull and the Power they have is Naturall Constant and Certaine In the first place therefore let us consider their Name 2. They are called in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maghen that is to say a Scutcheon or Sheild in Chaldie Aegyptian and Persian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsilmenaia which signifies a Figure or Image in Arabicke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Talitsman or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsalimam and in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word Maghen though it signific a Scutcheon or any other thing noted with Hebrew Characters the Vertue whereof is like to that of a Scutcheon and although these Characters according to the Opinion of those that are most versed in these Theologicall Mysteries are sOme kind of Imperfect Images yet notwithstanding the word in this place is not properly taken for an Image that is Graven carved or painted because that the Jewes in making any such should have sinned against the Commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image Maghen therefore signifies Properly any piece of Paper or other the like Matter marked or noted with certaine Characters drawne from the Tetragrammaton or Great Name of Fowre Letters or from any other as we shall shew hereafter This word signifies also though Improperly these very Figures also and Images which we speak of because that these also as well as the Characters of the Tetragrammaton do serve as it were in stead of a Buckler or shield of Defence against Diseases Lightnings and Tempests The Chaldie word Tsilmenaija comes from the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tselem which signifies an Image and the Arabick word Talisman may likewise have been derived from the same root Talismam being corrupted from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tsalimam by the Transposition of one letter only Nat. in Flav. Vopisc But the truth of this Conjecture is yet uncertaine The Learned Salmasius gives it another Derivation for the takes an Occasion to fall fowle upon Scaliger who derives it from the Arabick for not considering that Talisman is derived from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc est saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut sunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anuli But how can the truth of this Derivation be proved and how shall we be assured that Talisman comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the other As for the last name that these Images are called by which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no Difficulty at all in the word so that it remaines now that we remember concerning these Names that when we speake of Figures we do not mean those that are properly signified by the Hebrew word Maghen which are nothing but Scutcheons noted with Characters such as many have seen in Paris at the Prince of Portugals the like whereof you have in Carlo Fabri his Scudo di Christo and in Agrippa Lib. 1. de Occult. Phil. we have elsewhere overthrown the Power of These Kinds of Characters and shewed the vanity of these Fooleries which are the Issue of some Ignorant Cabalists Fantasticall Braine Neither shall I speak at all of those Images of Waxe which Sorcerers are wont to baptize in the name of Beelzebub these are Abominations which we abhor although let me tell you by the way that the greatest part of those things our Demonographers stuffe their writings withall are nothing but meer Fables as ridiculous as the Dreames of the Alcoran Our Discourse shall onely be what Naturall Power Images that are made under certaine Constellations may have banishing from hence all Operations of Demons or Spirits and all superstitious Powers what ever I shall prove therefore this Power of Figures and Images three manner of wayes by the Influence of the Stars by the Power of Resemblance and by Experience I shall begin with the last of these 3. First then it is Certain and we cannot deny it without denying the most Authentick Historiographers that are that there have been seen both in Our dayes and in the daies of our Fathers some of these Talismans or Talismanicall Figures for so we shall now call them that have cured those that have been bitten by Serpents Scorpions Mad Dogs and divers other Mischances that are but too frequent withus The Ancient Arabians as Almansor Messahala Zabel Albohazen Haly Rhodoam Albategnius Homar Zachdir Hahamed and Serapion give us many examples of this kind which gave Haly occasion to conclude that Utilem serpentis imaginem effici posse quando Luna Serpentem Coelestem subit aut faelicitèr aspicit Similiter Scorptonis effigiem efficacem quando Scorpij signum Luna ingreditur c. Neither did he deliver this Doctrine without having had Experence of the Effects for he affirmes that himselfe being in Aegypt had in his hand one of these Images of a Scorpion which did cure those that were stung by this Venomous Beast and it was ingraven upon a Bezahar or as it is
certain Conclusion and Foundation That the Stars and their Influences in these Figures have no Power at all over our Wills And therefore do I account as Ridiculous Damnable and Scandalous those Operations which Albinus Villanovensis saies may be effected by means of these Images In Magia Astr Ad fugandos latrones Ut Mulieres transeuntes super imaginem rideant cantent Ad sistendum equum in cursu Vid. infrà cap. 7. Ad recipiendam substantiam ablatam Ad expugnandos hostes c. L * ΜΘΡΙΑ L * ΜΘΡΙΑ L * ΜΘΡΙΑ And now it is no hard matter to conceive how the Power of Talismans comes at this day to be so undervalued for those that have written of this Subject have mixed so many both Confused and Dangerous things together in their writings that people making no distinction at all betwixt the Good and the Bad do equally abhor all whatsoever beares but the very name of Figure or Talisman But we shall in the prosecution of this Discourse sever the good Corn from the Darnell and shall shew that in the Making of these Figures all words are indifferent and that they serve but to amuse the simpler sort of people As when Albinus Villanovensis saies that for to cure the Tertian and Quartan Ague the pain of the Nerves Ventricle and Privy parts you must grave the Image of a Scorpion upon a piece of Gold or Silver when the Sun is in his proper House and the Moone in Capricorne and while you are graving it you must say these words Exurge Domine gloria mea Exurge Psalterium Cithara exurgam diluculò and then rehearse this Psalme Miserere mei Deus miserere mei quia in te confidit anima mea From hence it is that so many Superstitions have sprung and that people at length begun to undertake the curing of Diseased persons meerly by the bare Reciting of Certain Words without any regard had either to the Stars or any thing else Let us now come to the First Quaere which we are to prove for the Establishing of the Power of Figures namely Whether the Starres have any Influence upon and doe cause any Motion in things here below 19. Primo Meteor Aristotle endeavouring to prove the Affirmative brings a most Excellent Argument and worthy of so great a Philosopher which is this That saith He from whom Motion took its beginning the same hath no doubt given to all other things the Power of Self-motion now without all Dispute the Motion of the Heavens was the First in Nature therefore whatsoever Moves Moves by the Motion of the Heavens Insomuch that if the Motion of these should cease both Growth and Motion would also cease in all things here below In Sphoer Sacr. c. 3. Junctin brings here an Example of a Man's heart which as it is the beginning of Life and Motion so doth it communicate Life and Motion to all the rest of the Members So that if it once be wounded not onely the Motion ceaseth in all the parts of he body but even Life also You may see this Position confirmed by Hippocrates who backs it with so many reasons Lib. de Aëre Aquis and so strongly asserts the truth of these Celestiall Influences as that he confidently affirmes that by the rising and setting of the Starres a man may foretell Tempests raine Stormes and other changes of weather through the neglect of which Observations Physitians are very often deceived in their Cures and Diseases Cùm temporum mutationes saith he Astrorum ortus occasus observaverit medicus quemadmodum singula horum eveniant praenoscit utique de anno qualis hic sit futurus c. And then afterwards shewing what time and what Seasons are dangerous for Sick People by reason of the diverse motions of the Starres he presently addes Periculosissima sunt ambo Solstitia maximè verò aestivum periculosum etiam Aequinoctium utrumque magis verò Autumnale Oportet autem Astrorum ortus considerare praecipuè Canis deinde Arcturi Plejadum occasum Morbi enim in his maximè diebus judicantur aliique perimunt alij verò desinunt aut in aliam speciem aliumque statum transmutantur It would be but lost time if I should stand longer upon the Proof of this so clear a Truth which all men ought to confesse to be so were there no other Argument for it but this that it hath been constantly observed ever since the first beginning of Astronomy in the World that the Rising and Setting of the Fixed Starres have been the cause of very great changes here on Earth and he must either be a very Ridiculous senselesse man or else a very Ignorant that should go about to deny that the Hyades and the Plejades are not Watry Cloudy Constellations that is to say do cause Rainy Cloudy Darks weather as Leo and the Dog-starre bring Heat and Drowth and Orion a Wet and tempestuous season and so of the rest And after all Vid. Gul. Rovill hist Plant. do we not observe that there are some certain Flowers that turn about as the Sun does and others that appear above the Water at his Rising and when He sets sinke downe againe and hide themselves as it were bewayling his absence Neither are the Influences of the Stars shed upon Hearbs alone but even upon Stones also Some wherof do so exactly observe the motion of those particular Starres whose Influences they bear as that they change their Aspects with them An Example of this Truth you have in the Stone called Lunaria which is indued with such wonderfull qualities as that it changeth its Appearance in like manner as the Moon doth whose name it beareth In a word do not the Humours in our bodies increase with this Planet and decrease when It decreaseth If any man yet desire to have more of these Instances backed with Convincing Reasons he may have recourse to the Astronomicall Praedictions of Ptolomy and he shall there finde that the truth of these Influences is too clear to be called in question 20. The other Point concerning the Resemblance of the Heavenly Constellations to Sublunary things is something more Difficult to prove though not lesse True Neverthelesse this objection is brought against it If the Constellations of the Ramme the Bull the Twins c. do resemble these Living Creatures it is either Really or else by Imagination If Really they are then either in the Eighth Sphear or else in some other but they are not in the Eighth For in the Constellations of the Ramme the Bull c. there is no signe at all of these Beasts being figured or represented by the Stars neither are they in the Christaline Heaven nor yet in any of the Sphears of the Planets for we should then see them as we do the other Starres nor yet in a Ninth Heaven as some have thought If they are only by Imagination then are their Effects also Imaginary and have no
any mans breast to imagine that these First Patriarks observing the Motions of the Heavens did worship the Stars it were a great Crime to entertain any such Thought Idolatry therefore took not its Beginning from Astrology 4. The second Reason is grounded upon All Story both Sacred and Profane where any one may see that there are very few Ages passed wherein there was not some Great Personage that was Famous for his Knowledge in Astrology without being condemned for it by any It is true indeed that the Primitive Christians condemned Aquila who is no other then the Famous Interpreter of the Bible knowne by the name of Onkelos but it was not till they found that this Overcurious Spirit rested not in the simplicity of Astrology but betook himselfe to the superstitious Observation of the Stars attributing to them the Power of over-ruling as well our Mind as our Body and that Inevitably too without leaving us any Power to Decline their Influences which he is said to have called by the name of Fatall In a word no man will ever be able to find what ever Picus Mirandula who is seconded by Delrio and many others sayes to the contrary that among so many Astrologers that are spoken of in History any One hath been reproved if so be that he only observed the bare Rules of Astrology as we have described it and followed the Tract which Nature hath laid down leaving us the Proper Freedom of our Will as our Religion teacheth us And in this sense Astrology is Good and Allowable but very Pernicious if it proceed otherwise Besides This Reason ought to satisfie us in this Particular that Moses himselfe who was a Man as Holy as Politicke was skillfull in the Puritie of This Science as well as in all the rest that Egypt and Chaldea had brought forth as is proved by Philo Judaeus whose words we have elsewhere quoted Theophylact saith that for to be able to convince the Superstitious Egyptians In Act. Apost c. 7. it was Necessary that he should understand not only the True Religion but also the Grounds of the False Dedi cormeum saith the Wise man ut scirem prudentiam atque doctrinam Ecclesiast erroresque ac stultitiam Vpon which Text R. Selomo sayes that by the two First Words Prudentia Doctrina we are to understand Sciences Divine under which he comprehends Astrology and by the two Last Errores ac Stultitia those that are Vnlawfull in which number hee reckons the Magicke of the Egyptians to which some will also intitle Moses And he that desireth to be informed more particularly how able a man in Astrology he was needs but to have recourse to Abarbanel or Moses Egyptius lately translated and corrected by Buxtorfe He may also see a Book intituled L' Homme d' Estat Chrestien written in Spanish by Jean Marquez and translated into French by le Sr. de Virion Counsellour to the Duke of Savoy Now the most excellent among all those Sciences that the Egyptians and Chaldeans were skilled in was without all Controversie This of Astrology who will not then conclude that Moses was learned in it But perhaps it will be answered that Idolatry was not as yet sprung up and that it was afterwards introduced by the Egyptians by their being too much addicted to the Contemplation of the Stars and that thus it will still appear to have taken its Originall from Astrology I answere first that it is False then that the Beginning of the one was the Beginning of the Other Besides it is certain that before Moses his time Idolatry had spread it self through the whole East and they offered Sacrifices to the Sun and to the Moon and to the rest of the Stars which this Divine Lawgiver applying himself to the usuall manner of speaking there cals The Host of Heaven the Worship whereof he interdicts the Israêlites But suppose that this Abominable Practise had been derived from the Observation of the Celestiall Signes either before or after Abraham and Moses which neverthelesse is was not Or else that the Contemplation of the Stars was the Cause not of Idolatry in Generall but of One certain Kind only which perhaps is the meaning of Paracelsus What can be hence concluded Heresie hath sprung from the Scriptures Mis-understood must we therefore condemn all that the Prophets and Apostles have written 5. We will now shew by way of a Third Reason that it is Vncertaine whence Idolatry tooke its Beginning whether from Astrology or otherwise Marsilius Ficinus reports De vit colit Comp. l. 3. c. 26. out of Mercurius Trismegistus that the Aegyptian Priests being unable by Reasons to perswade the People that there were any Gods or Spirits which were above Men were constrained to call downe Demons or Spirits into Statues and to bring These forth to the People to be an Object of their Adoration These are his words Addit Sapientes quondam Aegyptios qui et Sacerdotes erant cum non possent rationibus persuadere populo esse Deos id est Spiritus aliquos super homines excogitasse Magicum hoc illicitum quo Daemones allicientes in Statuas esse Numina declararent And from hence came Idolatry Bechal a Learned Rabbine who lived about the yeare of our Lord 1291. approves not of this Opinion For in his Tract of Strange Gods which is put at the end of his Comment upon the first Chapter of Genesis he assures us that Idolatry sprung meerely from the Presumption of Cham's Posterity which is not much different from that we read in Story For Ninus erected Altars to his Father and Belus caused himselfe to be called a God And thus other Proud Princes following their Example endeavoured to worke this Perswasion in the minds of the more Simple Vid. Jacob de Valentia in 1 Psal Fabr. in Scudo l. 2. c. 21. that Themselves were Gods though they appeared in the Form of Men. Thus Nero despoiled the Altars intending to have no other Deity acknowledged by the people save His Own Augustus called himselfe the Sonne of Apollo as Domitian did of Pallas by this meanes denying his own Mother that bare him Alexander believed himselfe to have been the son of Jupiter Ammon In a word Historians are full of these kind of Fooleries which passing for Truths among the simple Vulgar it at length became a Maxime with them that whosoever had lived well in this world and had by some generous Action deserved the title of a Heroe after he was Dead he presently became a God and so had Statues Erected to him by the People in memory of his high Exploits which they afterwards worshipped with such Veneration as is due to God alone And peradventure the Princes of the East especially those of Babylon for the more firme Imprinting of this Error into the minds of their Subjects added the Name of some Deity to their Owne as for Example that of Baal to Hanni which being joyned together make
Hanni-bal by leaving out one Letter for the more smooth Pronunciation and so in Hasdru-bal and many others This Conjecture may give some light to that Passage of Heurnius in his Philosoph Barbar where speaking of the Philosophy of this People hee saith Ille apud Principes Babylonicos mos vigebat Tract 2. cap. 4. ut aut Dei alicujus nomen sibi assumerent aut plurium Divorum Heroumque et fortitudine Excellentium virorum nomina aliquot combinata 6. This Opinion though it seeme to carry very much Probability with it yet doth it no way satisfy R. Moses who is of this Perswasion that Idolatry took it's Beginning from the too much honouring of Those Statues that were permitted in the Ancient Law as we have formerly said of those of Laban and of the Golden Calves of Jeroboam The Author of the Book of Wisdome is of another Opinion affirming that the Worshipping of I dols tooke beginning from hence that a Father being very much grieved for the death of his sonne caused his Image to be made to the end that by seeing his Resemblance his griefe might be somewhat asswaged But he honouring this Image too passionately hee began at length to worship it as a God Sa. 14. v. 15. c. so great is the power of Love Acerbo enim luctu saith this Excellent Author dolens pater cirò sihi rapti silij fecit imaginem Et illum qui tunc quasi homo mortuus fuerat nunc tanquam Deum colere coepit et constituit inter servos suos sacra sacrificia You may see the rest in the Booke it selfe which the Liberunisme of these times hath expunged out of the Canon The Observation which Mr. Selder hath made upon the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aghtsabim seemes to confirme this Later Opinion for this word saith He signifieth both Idola and Dolores Quòd quotannis statuis et monumentis mortuorum dolore afficerentur Notwithstanding he is in an Errour afterwards in the prosecution of this Truth when he saies that Terah Abraham's Father was the First that ever worshipped Idols But this is to adventure to say more then the History of Moses gives warrant for and to be so Uncharitable that I say not Insolent and Rash as to accuse the Ancients without Witness For as for the Testimony of Cedrē who saies that Abraham threw his Fathers Idols into the Fire and that his brother Aram endeavouring to preserve them was burnt I find no such thing in any of the Hebrew Historians so that one may say of this Opinion as S. Gregory did of another as gross as this Eadem facilitate contemnitur qua probatur In a word we must even be content to satisfie our selves with Justin Martyr S. Cyprian S. Hilary R. Moses Advers Gent. De Idol van De Trin. l. 1. Moreh Neboch l. 2. Divin Instit Colat. 8. Lactantius and the Abbot Serenus in Cassian and Conclude that as the Black Art is certainly known to be though it's Beginning is not no more is that of Idolatry And indeed these same Authors now mentioned that we may look after no other Witnesses are of Opinion that this Abomination was on foot before the Floud and many others thinke that it was not till after while the Wonderfull Works of God were yet fresh in the Memories of Men. And this in the Opinion of Alexander Halensis was the reason of Idolatry Part. 11. quaest 138. Propter recentem memoriam ejus qui fecit Coelum terram quam ex disciplina Patrum habuerunt And when all is done an Argument to prove the Uncertainty of the Spring whence Idolatry is derived might very well be raised from the Uncertainty and Diversity of the Opinions here delivered concerning this Particular were not That out of the Book of Wisedome to be received as the truest by reason of the Sanctity of the Book However we doe not yet see any thing to the Contrary but that Astrology is Innocent and cleare from the Crime that it is charged with We will now by the way set downe that we may leave no doubt behind us that which no Author either of the Greeks or Latines hath yet discovered and which Reason must needs allow as most true 7. Bechai then saith that the Ancient Chaldeans are very falsly accused to have been such wicked men as people would make them and to have worshipped the Starres For saith he if the First Nazarenes he meanes the Christians were so good men as they have been reported to have been in the first Ages of their Belief why may we not aswell believe the same of the First Men who were created with a thousand times more Simplicity then ever hath been found in any of their Posterity since And who can believe that they should so give themselves over to those Vile Abominations wherewith they now stand charged This Argument is not much different from that of Alexander Halensis Neverthelesse Bodine is quite of another Opinion and scoffes at those Authors who will have the First Ages to have beene such Golden and Silver ones But if he had weighed the businesse rightly he would have found that those Vices which the Ancients are accused of are so small in comparison of those that the Corruption of the Times hath since brought forth that they deserved rather to have passed for Merry Pranks only and to have been ranked among Veniall sins But to return to Bechai That which he observes of these First Men and which I say hath been observed by no man else is that those Fires which they made in honour of the Sun and Moon were Lawfull and Kindled to a good End For saith He they testified the same thing to God which God testified to them by the Sun and by the Moon which is nothing else but a Great Light They kindled these Fires then by way of returning Him thanks for His and looking up to the Stars they prayed to the Angels which God had there placed for to move them about to the End they might be Favourable unto them But as the best things come at length to be corrupted Cham or his Posterity looking no higher then to this Fire began to worship it and so terminating their Adoration in the Sun and Moon they paid them those Honours which the First Chaldeans meant to None but to the Author of these Stars alone 8. This Opinion of the Learned Jew may be proved by two or three Conclusions The First is that the Wise men of the Former Ages had knowledge of the Invisible God by the Things that are Visible Now of the things that are Visible there is none that more powerfully proves that there is a God then the wonderfull Effects of the Sun and Moon and the rest of the Stars They had knowledge of God therefore by the Stars And whereas the Apostle saith that though they knew him yet they glorified him not afterwards he speaks of those Philosophers
which had knowledge of him only by this Naturall way But the First Chaldeans besides this way of Knowledge had knowledge of him also by Revelation It is Probable then that this Later way joyned with the Former brought them to a just acknowledgment of Him which they expressed by these Fires which they kindled in Honour of Him Another Conclusion is that these Chaldeans had not as yet dealt with Spirits and although that after the Floud a great part of this People whom the Pride of Cham had corrupted had addicted themselves unto them yet notwithstanding the greatest part still kept themselves to the Lawes of their Fathers and would not acknowledge any other Demons save those Spirits which they conceived to have their Residence in the Stars But I should perhaps be thought to talk Idly with this Rabbin had I no other Proofes of this but what I have out of his Schoole But these Truths are acknowledged also by Jamblicus who is of the same Perswasion Chaldaeos verò saith Ficinus speaking of this Philosopher Daemonibus non occupates Aegyptijs antepoint See also what Porphyrie saies speaking of the Oracle of Apollo which was enforced to say that Chaldaeis quae vera esset sapientia tantùm Hebraeisque ipsis concessum agnoscere purâ Aeternum qui mente colunt Regemque Deumque The Fires then which they kindled before the Sun Porph. l. 1. de Phitosoph Resp and Moon were not consecrated to Demons And as for those Spirits which they prayed to in these Starres the Practise of it is so lawfull as that We our selves in our Litanies doe also invocate them And but that These Words would be an occasion of Scandall to the Ignorant I could very well say O Angell of the Sun and thou O Angell of the Moone pray for me And here I could give thee Reader some very Choise Observations concerning the Ancient Orientall men and their Adoration of Spirits and Ghosts but I consider that I have many Enemies I shall therefore hast to another Subject which is as little Known to the world though lesse subject to Suspition CHAP. IX Whether or no the Ancient Hebrews made use of any Mathematicall Instrument in their Astrology and what the Figure of their Instruments was THE CONTENTS 1. VVHat Instruments the Ancient Astrologers used The Fable of Atlas discovered 2. The Hebrew 's Sphere described 3. Certaine Doubts proposed concerning the Fabrick of it The strange Conceit of R. Moses concerning the number of the Heavens 4. A Conjecture upon the Antiquity of this Sphere 5. Of the Diall of Ahaz and it's Description not yet seen 6. Conjectures on the Figure of our Sun-dials THose who have had more then ordinary skill in the Science of Astrology and who have sometimes also taken the paines to erect Figures and cast Nativities have assured us that it is a very hard matter to practise these Curious Arts without the helpe of some Instrument Which hath moved some of the Rabbines to conclude that seeing their Fore-fathers were skilfull in this Science they must needs have made use of One or More of these Mathematicall Instruments that so they might be able the more easily to attaine to the end of those Operations which the Learned reckon to be of Astrologicall Cognisance Now that the Ancients had of these Instruments and in their practise made use of them may be made appeare out of Historians some of which have made mention of the Chaldean Astrologers as namely Q. Curtius who giving an account of all those that went forth of Babylon for to receive Alexander the Great Ibid. saith Magi deinde suo more carmen canentes post Chaldaei Babyloniorum non vates modò sed etiam Artifices Where by the word Artifices he meanes these Astrologers who made Instruments for the Practise of their Art And this is the Glosse of Heurnius Idest ij Astrologi In Chald qui Astrorum cursus observabant varia instrumenta in eum vsum fabricantes Hence we may discover what the ground was of that Fable of Atlas King of the Mauritanians or Phoenicians who fled before the Army of Josuah For the Heavens which the Greeks whom we may truly say to have been the Corrupters of all Antiquity say that This Man who was both a King and an Astrologer bare up with his shoulders was only a Globe or Sphere not much unlike ours which he made use of in searching after the motions of the Heavens Ac tum saies the same Heurnius disciplinas avitas ipsum excoluisse L sphaeramque Caeli effigiem confecisse Vnde posteà Poetae et mendacissimi Graeci Caeli gestationem ipsi affixerunt It is most certaine then that the Ancients had certaine Instruments which they made use of in their Practise of Astrology But to conclude now that those which are described by Chomer and by another Anonymous Rabbine that I have seen in the Library of Cardinall de Saincte Susane were invented by the Hebrewes the Conjectures which I shall afterwards produce will not suffer me to beleeve However I will here give you a particular Deseription of them as I find it delivered by these Authors 2. The first piece that you saw of these Instruments was the Base or foot of it which was made of a Thin Plate of Copper or some other Metall bowed and hollowed in manner of a Bason Three small Pillers rose up from the Superficies whereon were written these three words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Din Schalom Emet that is to say Judgement Peace Truth These Pillers bare up two great Semi-circles which made up a Triangle with so great Artifice that it was neverthelesse Round in the Superficies Within you had a Great perfect Circle which had within it two others and all of the same Metall with the Base The First which was the greatest of these Circles had these words upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schemai haschamaim THE HEAVEN OF HEAVENS The second had onely written upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schamaim THE HEAVENS and the Third had only this one word upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raquiagh which signifies as much as Expansum This Later Circle and the First were nothing so admirable as the Middlemost which was beset round with very many severall Little Circles which were all Moveable among which there were seven which appeared more Eminently then the rest by reason of their being placed nearer the Center of the Instrument All these Circles had little Stars on them and those which were upon these 7. Circles were marked each of them with one of these letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie the Planets in the order that we reckon them beginning with that which is furthest off from us which is Saturne Neare these letters there was seen these following words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jom Rischon Scheni Schelicsi Revighi Chamischi Schicsi Scevighi that is to say The First Second Third Fourth Fift Sixt Seventh Day Every one of the