that they can make the Brachmanni commit folly By the lawes in Persia men might marrie their daughters and mothers neither did they this in Persia only but when they change their country and climate they retaine and vse these abominations for which cause other countries detesting their filthines call thē Magussaeos And there be to this day in Egypt Phrygia and France many of these Magussaei which by succession from their fathers are stained polluted with this geare Yet we cannot say that they were all borne in the house of Saturne or Mars being in coniunction with Venus The Amazones haue no husbands but in the spring time go to their neighbour countries lie with the men so it cōmeth to passe that by the course of nature they must all bee deliuered at once and killing the males they bring vp only the females becomming all warlike by a great care of actiuitie It were folly to thinke that all these women were borne vnder the same constellation This may be fortified and confirmed by the example of the Iewes who liuing dispersedly continually circumcise on the eight day rest the Sabbath day Now all the Iewes had not the same position of heauen in their natiuities neither could any celestial power hale and pull them from the rites and customes of their fathers But what shall wee say of Christians who being scattered infinitely all ouer the world keepe the same kind of life and doctrine from which we cānot be moued a whit with rewards threats or punishment Will they say that all Christians had one Horoscopus But that of all others is most forcible that they which before their conuersion were most earnest in the waies of their ancestors after they were once conuerted changed religion maners kind of life so cleane as if they had neuer beene the same men Wherefore so manie Parthians as be Christians keepe not many wiues nor the Medes cast their dead to the dogs nor the Indians burne their dead nor the Persians marrie their daughters and sisters nor the Egyptians worship the dogs or Apes and such like but in all places they follow the same lawes rites and maners To be short daily men are borne euery where and euery where we see them obserue their own lawes and fashions neither do the birth-stars force the Seres to commit murther or the Brachmanni to eate flesh neither can they reclaime the Persians from their incestuous mariages nor the Medes from casting their dead to the dogs nor the Parthians from multitude of wiues for all nations as they list c. when they will vse their libertie in obeying their lawes and customes Hitherto Bardesanes With like arguments to these you might fill whole volumes and ouercharge the world Ethiopians were all blacke were they belonging to one constellation Farther it is no fable which is receiued of Hermophrodites which play both the man and womans part as they list and at their choise Such are the people beyond the Nasamones and their next neighbours Madians as saith Calliphanes and such bee found also in Europe not only among the people called Lumenses among whom it is seuerely looked to prouided that euery one shall at the first chuse whether sexe hee will and hold himselfe to it in paine of death must these therefore for this conuenience be all borne vnder one starre And should not the same constellation make Hermophrodites here as well as there The like may be said of the great people called Arimaspi who are all borne with one eye only which accident Eustathius vpon Dyonys doth refer not to the stars but to their winking of one eye when they shoote for with much winking in aiming that eye waxed lesse first in the fathers then in the sons then in their children and so still lesse and lesse till at last it was quite out and so continued Herodotus in Thalia reporteth that the braine or sculs of the Persians were so soft and tender that one might pierce them with a small peble stone but the sculles of the Egyptians so hard that they would not breake with a great stone which difference he referreth not to any constellation but to the diuersity of education the Egyptians vsing to shaue their heads and go in the sunne whereby their sculs were hardened the Persians contrarie neuer shauing but keeping their heads warme with caps and tires Therfore we may see that there is more required to the conueniences and differences then the position of starres according to that of Aristotle Sol homo generant hominem not Sol alone nor homo alone whence it will follow that for the foreseeing of future effects there is more required then the knowledge of celestiall causes Philosophie teacheth vs that vt res habet ad esse sic se habet ad cognosci that is by what causes any thing is made by the same it must be knowne if we seeke for sure and certaine knowledge With those prophane testimonies alleaged a little before agreeth that of Ecclesiastes cap. 7. vers 1. For who can shew what is good for man in the life and in the number of the dayes of the life of his vanitie seeing he maketh them as a shadowe for who can shew vnto man what shall be after him What a vaine question were this if euerie Astrologer could by casting of natiuities and setting of figures foretell our actions and accidents But more vaine were it if that brasen head made by Albertus magnus placed in his study could answere ad omnia quaesita as is reported by Tostatus Num. to 1. fol. 22. col 2. This head by like was wont to tel schooletales and therefore S. Thomas his scholler getting into his study fell vpon it and brake it and defaced it this head was made by Astrologie and arte magike as witnesseth the same Tostatus He also relateth the like of another brazen head shrined at Zamara in Spaine That euer any such head spake we neede not to beleeue but if it did it was the diuell that answered within it whom God doth often permit thus to delude vs because we delight in errour and willingly deceiue ourselues harkening to lies rather then truth When men broch such bables to the worlde affirming them to be done by Astrologie or a certaine wicked concealed Arte called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are they not worthily derided and called coniurers yea though they haue studied manie yeares spent much money and trauelled many countries For their long study if it be but of toyes they may worthily heare that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For their great charges and expences they may heare that of Horace Dedecorum pretiosus emptor a child will giue more for a rattle or a hobby-horse then a wise man will doe for some good thing And lastly if after such long trauell they can make no more vse of their labour but to tell vs tales of Hobgoblin and Will with wispe let them pitie them that list only the pitie
the abolishing of Astrologicall blasphemie with an incouragement of them that haue to deale in the reformation of that vngodly abuse CHAP. XXII An Appendix to the 8. Chap. prouing that their predictions cannot be true as not being comprehensible by reason of these inferiour causes which being many much alter the working of the superiour causes which also is confirmed by abundance of testimonies of the best Astrologers CHAP. XXIII The vanitie of Criticall dayes howsoeuer deduced whether from Galens new moneth Hippocrates numbers or Conciliators teiragonicall aspects A TREATISE AGAINST IVDICIAL ASTROLOGIE CHAP. I. A iust complaint against the long toleration of Astrologicall superstition of their titles how they be called and of their profession what it promiseth ALthough I looke for no great effect or reformatiō of that which I intend to say against Astrologers yet I hope I may freely vse that ancient and accustomed libertie of all ages to talke and say my mind against them For doe what I can that of Tacitus will be still true pronouncing them to be a profession alwaies condemned and misliked yet still retained and vsed Notwithstanding to speake for our selues for the present time it may seeme strange that in so long professiō of the Gospel so grosse heathenish a superstition shuld go so currant I may well call it heathenish me think since the Church in all ages with Emperours Doctors Fathers Councels haue euer condemned it Witchcraft because it toucheth our hogges cattell sometime findeth now then some hard entertainment as it well deserueth But this damnable superstition which dishonoreth God polluteth heauen deceiueth and seduceth men goeth without touch or check the Astrologer scaping while the Witch is punished may not that well be said Dat veniam coruis vexat censura columbas Might not this egernesse and vehemency which we haue vsed among our selues about caps and copes haue bene much better bestowed vpon this so prophane an abuse While we straine a gnat we swallow a camel while we build our owne conceits toyes in the ayre we leaue the house of God vnbuilt What should be thought that so many honorable and graue assemblies of parliament and so many reuerend conuocations in so long time should not once goe about the redresse of an abuse so grosse and palpable that euen the offenders themselues are readiest to condemn themselues In so much that some of them of late haue set out certaine reformed Almanacks wherein they haue not medled at all with winde weather dismall dayes purges and such like but only with changes of the Moone Eclipses Festiuall daies both mouable vnmouable and such like When themselues are ashamed of themselues what reason haue others to forbeare them No doubt as the great impostors of the world so oft as they meet they are ready to laugh one of another These mē are called by the names of astrologers prognosticators almanack-makers figure-flingers wise men wisards and such like And in Latine Chaldaei Astrologi Mathematici Magi Planetarij Genethliaci Babylonij Diuini Fatidici In greeke also they are termed known by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in derision of some they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of S. Hierome they are sometime called Augures and by a decree of Pope Gregory the yonger Astrologers are anathematized vnder the name of Aruspex And S. August in a book de natura daemonū sheweth that they which obserue daies houres in their busines are signified by the name Aruspex So in the olde time they were not called by the name of Astronomers Mathematiques or Astrologers but for their iudging by the planets they were called Planetarij for casting natiuities Genethliaci and of the countrie that sent them out abroad by swarmes they were termed Chaldaei The quid nominis of this art is as here is said for the farther definitiō or quid rei see Sextus ab Heminga who bringeth three diuers definitions of three diuers authors for the diuision of it Whereas commonly it is diuided into foure parts he diuideth it into two partes only of purpose reiecting the other two as derided by the astrologers themselues For the subiect of Astrology he deuideth it into two parts actiue passiue making heauen the actiue part and earth the passiue Where also he relateth a proper conceit of Cardan that heauen is like the earth the stars like moūtaines and stones vpon the earth The actiue subiect of heauen he also deuideth into foure parts pag. 10. To discourse seuerally of those points wold but spend time therefore I thought best only to point to them These men being altogether ignorant of all good learning not only in the stars which they professe beare vs in hand that all our actions and enterprises depend vpon certaine constellations and aspects of stars and reuolutions extending this their skill to natiuities questions elections intentions thoughts and the foretelling of things to come intermedling and busying themselues euen in the secrets of Gods prouidence In which they do not onely most lewdly and impiously make many to giue ouer al care of their life and actions as being forced by the stars which they cānot resist but also most blasphemously impeach the diuine prouidence For if all our actions depend of the stars then may God haue an euerlasting playing day and let the world wag CHAP. II. Diuinitie proofes against Astrologie first authorities and then reasons and that Christianitie and Astrologie cannot stand together Because therfore the chiefe impietie of these mē is against God himself we wil first assault them with reasons out of diuinitie Hieremie cap. 10. The Iewes are willed to giue no credite to star-gazers nor to feare them a whit Learn not the waies of the Gētiles neither feare the signes of heauen as they doe because the lawes and ordinances of the people are vain With Hierem. agreeth Esay cap. 47. where he derideth Southsayers trusting in their predictions obseruations Let thy Soothsayers stand and saue thee which gazing vpon the starres and counting the moneths take vpō them to foretel thee what is to come In the same chapter he saith there shal ill come vpon thee but whence thou shalt not know that is such as no constellation shal forewarn calamitie shal rush vpon thee which thou canst not auoide to wit by elections of houres or other superstitious tricks of Astrologie And cap. xliiij of the same prophet God saith I am the Lord that do frustrate and disappoint the signes of wisards making the Southsayers made foiling their wisemen and making their skill foolish Of them the Prophet Micha saith Chap. 3. vers 7. that they shall blush at their lies and hide their faces for shame With these three Prophets agreeth Salo. Eccl. cap. 8. No man knoweth that which is past neither can any tel him that which is to come Deuteron xviij ver x. it is said that whosoeuer vseth this trade is an
of 88 would be by water and therefore very politikely they began to prepare for it betime longer a great deale then euer Noah did for the flood And sure they might haue done well if they had bin prouided of a pilot such as was Hen. Nicholas in Chaucer But it fell out reasonable well with them for they sped almost as well in their Calloones as if they had bin in his tubs Some of these figure-flingers vpon their skil haue bin so confident that before hand vpon their predictions they would venter neuer to keep shop longer in that trade if their predictions failed Their predictions failed they haue bin as good as their word by neuer medling that way since A maine maister in these matters no lesse then Leouitius Iliad 1. vers 91. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wold needs giue out to the world the day of his death The day being past and the man aliue and as well for health as euer he was one told him of it maruelling that so learned a man wold be so fowly ouershot but he seeking to put it off with a iest answered that he neuer made a more happielie Pope Iohn the 22. was also very presumptuous this way giuing out to all his friends in a solemne meeting and feast to their great comfort as he thought that he was to liue a long time yet for all his skill he died within foure dayes after In 88. what cause had men to beleeue that prediction when in all the yeares before they saw no preparation to any such matter neither in heauen nor in earth If the world was then to die there would haue gone some signes of decay as it were sicknesse before except they thought it was to die in a sound or an apoplexie When men are thus readie to father all their follies vpon heauen imputing to it the cause of whatsoeuer hapneth who can hold and not exclaime with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alacke how men do heauen accuse When they themselues do it abuse Neither are their predictions only false but also most infortunate as running still vpon infortunate and dismall effects or euents as may appeare by their learned Almanackes where you shall find such catalogues of diseases warres treasons and such like without anie one mention of anie good to come that a man would thinke there were no goodnes in heauen For such dismall Wisards may well serue that of the Poet Iliad 1. vers 106. where Agamemnon brauing Chalcas vseth these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Could Prophet most infortunate that neuer yet could tell Of any thing that should befall or happen to me well Thou lou'st such things to prophecie as meanes no good but ill Thou neuer spake good word as yet or did good with thy will CHAP. IX Of the subiect of Predictions BVt some are woont to oppose them thus Of things wee see done because some are necessarie some casuall and some in our free power The Astrologers must needes say that their predictions hold either in necessarie things or in casuall euents or in those things which are in our power If they say in necessarie things then are their predictions in vaine for that which hapneth necessarily wee cannot auoid but will we nill we it wil come to passe whereas predictions are then onely auailable when by them we can escape Secondly if they say in casuall euents then they do professe an impossibilitie For casual euēts are vncertain but of vncertainties which may happen this way or that way there can bee no certaine or sure prediction It remaineth therfore that their predictions be in things which are in our power which also is impossible For that which is in my power whether it shall happen or no neither hath any further cause at the first that can no man foretell the Astrologers therefore haue no certaine subiect for their predictions The same reason as serued Tullie against the Wisards of his time may likewise fit vs against these whom we now deale with in the secōd de Diuinat thence we reason thus Astrologie auaileth neither where Sence Arte Philosophie or ciuill policie is vsed therefore it auaileth no where nor in anie subiect First for Sence To iudge colours we haue our eyes to iudge sounds our eares for smelles our nose and such like Neither were an Astrologer if he were blind able to iudge of colors or if he were deafe of sounds were he neuer so skilfull As for matters of Art who wold leaue the Physitian to know of him what physicke he should take or what diet he should keepe or what veine he should open what humour he were to purge and how much and with what dosis in what forme of purge whether with pilles potions or bole and such like The squaring of circles the doubling of cubes and such like haue alwayes beene left to the Geometrician For Arithmetike who euer went to him to learne to adde or subtract For Musike to learne to frame his voice to know how to diuide the Monochord or whether Diatessaron be a concord or a discord For Astronomie to know of him whether the earth or Sun were greater whether the interposition of the earth be the cause of the eclipse of the Moone For Philosophie who euer went to them to know his dutie toward his friend or fo kiffe or kin prince or subiect How he was to frame a syllogisme what were the elements whereof all things are made What Prince for gouerning his realm did euer vse them rather then wise and sage Councellours If the question be of the best forme of gouernement what lawes what fashions are fittest who in these causes conferreth with the Astrologer and not rather with the States-man If for answer to these and the like obiections they shall tell vs that their predictions are in another maner of subiect as in particular actions of men depending vpon their natiuitie who doth not see how they seeke shifts and euasions such as at this time my leisure can not stand vpon For particulars can they tell vs whether Peter was euer at Rome where King Arthur died and how and where he was buried and such like CHAP. X. Of the small vse of Predictions though they were true FArther we say that if their predictions or prognostications be true thē they are of necessitie and if of necessitie they cannot be auoided and if they cannot bee auoyded they are knowne in vaine for to what end should we know things so before if wee cannot preuent and auoide them Nay by this meanes we should be in much worse case then if wee knew nothing being tormented and vexed not onely with the present euils but with expectation of them long before This well knew Seneca as may well appeare by those words Epist lib. 13. Epist 89 Whether the starres saith he be causes of euents what auaileth the knowledge of a thing immutable or signifie onely to what end wouldest
were they neuer good poets for they haue not wel learned that poeticall axiome mendacem memorem nor that of Horace Sibi conuenientia finge for if they had then once hauing deliuered that our euents actions end and enterprises do necessarily depend vpon the natiuitie they would neuer haue obtruded to vs their doctrine of elections they might easilie see how ill these two could stand together for if our natiuitie do necessitate as it were and force our actions what place can there be left for elections except it be such elections as is sometime vsed among children chuse whether you will haue this or none If the stars in our natiuitie dispose of our actions and future euents then must our actions of force fall out thereafter Otherwise how can they truely be said to dispose Againe if our actions be in our owne election to make them better or worse by chusing a fit or vnfit day for them how can the stars be said to rule and guide them for if the stars rule them they are not in our election and if they be in our election the stars do not rule them We see therefore that these men can not be better confuted then by themselues Their positions haue no coherence nor hang any better together then a rope of sand Belike here must that great saying take place Sapiens dominabitur astris but who shal be their Sapiens or wise man then sure the Astrologer only for ought that I see for he seing by his natiuitie that such an action vpon such a day cannot fal wel out vpon such a day must fall well out may change the day therwith the successe of his enterprise or action at his pleasure this euery man cannot doe for lack of Astrologie therefore all the world be like are fooles sauing the Astrologer I will not here stand long to discourse of their Egyptian and dismall dayes nor of their deriuation whether they come of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and mala or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and mala Egyptian sure they must needs be because they are of those opprobria Egypti which so long as we retaine we are still in Egypt Difference of times we grant that somtimes they are cleare and quiet sometime cloudy and troublesome according to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The time sometime a stepdame is both fierce and fell and eke The same sometime a mother is exceeding kind and meeke Time was no stepdame to Croesus till he came at Halys but when he cried O Solon Solon then the case was altered Otherwise we are to confesse that as God is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so is he not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ' that is no accepter either of times or persons Genes 1. ver 18. God saw that the day was good and shall we say that they are infortunate or dismall This heathenish superstition is disallowed by the preacher forbidden by the Apostle and exploded by S. Augustine Eccles 11. ver 4 he that obserueth and waiteth for winde and weather shall neuer make good haruest and therefore we are there warned to put the seed in the ground earely and late because we know not whether is most like to take what was the cause why the Apostle feared the Galath what would become of them but their superstitious obseruing of monthes times and yeares S August willing to shew them how they entangle themselues not being able to reconcile their elections and constellations hath said both very fitly and fatherly to them de ciu dei lib. 5. cap. 7 his words are as follow Now what an intolerable thing is it that by choise of dayes they seeke to change their old destinies with new For example one had it not in his natiuitie to haue a worthy sonne but rather a base child and therfore like a profound clarke he made choise of a good hower to lie with his wife By this meanes he framed himselfe a new destiny which he had not before and by this new destiny that became destiny to him which was neuer his destiny by natiuitie O madnesse of all madnesse we must take heed what day we marry one Belike least for lacke of heed and choise we should light vpon a dismale day But by this meanes what is become of our birth constellation can a mā by choise of a day alter his destiny cānot another power alter that which he hath chosen Farther if onlie men not all other things be ruled by constellations wherefore do they for planting and sowing make choise of these dayes of other dayes for gelding their catell breaking their coltes couering their mares and such like But to leaue Augustine euen Ptolemy confesseth that if thy natiuitie be against thy enterprise the elections of dayes will be to small purpose Of this point Mirandula discoursed more at large lib. 2. aduersus Astrologos but in effect the same you shall finde more briefly in S. Augustine in the place aboue cited To this cōfuting them out of their owne principles must be added that of Alpetragius teaching that if there be a motion in heauen yet vnknowne thē there is a body yet vnknown too for that motion which opinion may also bee confirmed by those motions which haue of late bin diuised by our moderne Mathematiques which they say their predecessours neuer knew Now for the sight and order of the planets how doe they agree while they that follow the Egyptians place the moone next immediatly vnder the Sun as doth also both Plato Aristotle For Aristotle in his booke de coelo Plato in Timaeo placeth the Moone next to the Sun still vnderstanding the Moone to be the lowest of al the planets Ptolemy the Chaldeans and the latter men place the Sun in the middest of the planets thinking that place meetest for it as King ouer the rest Geber and Theon in their cōmentaries vpon Ptolemy hold that the Sun is nere the Moone Andreas Sūmarius holdeth Saturne Iupiter and Mars to be higher then the rest but which of them among themselues is highest or lowest neither is knowne saith he nor can be knowne Moses Egyptius saith there is no certaintie what is the order and site of the planets especially of the three vppermost of the number of spheares aboue the planets what doutfull worke haue they made some holding the eight sphear in which are the fixed stares to be the vttermost others imagining a ninth orbe to compasse the eight which is inuisible some also suppose ther is a tenth spheare vtmost of all The authours of the first opinion were the Egyptians and the Chaldeans which Plato and Aristotle after embraced and Hipparcus and Ptolemy the same was lastly maintained by Leo Hebraeus Proclus the Platonike The second opinion follow most of our modernes as Alphonsus who first made supputations of planets by this sphear thinking it to be the vttermost Of the same minde were Leopoldus Mahala and Campanus and Albertus all fathering this
Christ by whose death his tyranny ouer mankind was to be abolished and dissolued neither would he be so busie in tempting and molesting the Saints of God if he knew before he should be foiled by them and so increase their glorie But what do we speake of the diuell seeing neither the Angels nor blessed soules of the faithfull who still behold God and see into the course of starres as farre as any Wisard cannot certainely know our actions before hand without some speciall reuelation from God What madnesse were it then to giue that to the diuell which is denied to Angels and Saints Againe whatsoeuer belonged to Christ or the state of his Church we see hath beene euer foretold long before by the Prophets most distinctly and plainely which things if they could haue beene foretold by the starres and starre-gazers then were the foundation of all true religion shaken Neither by this meanes is religion and Diuinitie shaken onely but also all morall doctrine and philosophie for whosoeuer is perswaded that all dependeth on heauen and therefore thinketh that all mens deeds and euents may be foreknowne and foretold by tooting vpon the starres he must needs thinke withall that the soule is mortall and the prouidence of God not to be such as our faith teacheth and that the mysteries miracles of our religion though they be indeed supernaturall yet depend vpon celestiall causes and powers How ill Christianitie and Astrologie stand together may appeare by the fact and practise of the Ephesians Act. 19. who as soone as they were conuerted by the Apostles preaching bid farewell to figure-flinging and flung their curious books into the fire The speech of S. Augustine receiuing a certaine penitent figure-flinger into the church is very notable in these words after the exposition of the 61. Psal This man being seduced by the enemy was a long time a figure-flinger being seduced himselfe and seducing others he deceiued entised spake manie lies against God who hath giuen men power to do good and not harme This man denied that his owne will committed adulterie but Venus and that his owne will committed murther but Mars and that iustice was done not by God but Iupiter and many such blasphemies did he vtter And after a few lines continuing the same speech he saith This man was lost but he hath beene sought and is now found brought home the books that would haue burnt him he bringeth with him to be burnt that they being cast into the fire himselfe may find refreshing Epiphanius in his booke de ponderibus telleth of a Bishop that was depriued for studying figure-flinging Farther all our religion faith the comming of our Sauiour the labour and paines of his Apostles and Prophets in planting the Church by this meanes should be in vaine vnlesse some perhaps will not sticke to say that the miracles of Christ with his death birth c. depend vpon constellations and aspects of starres And then wee may also go on and say that we are by destinie called to Christ and that either there is no difference betweene good and euill or that God is the authour of euil Some of them say there is such vertue in Mars wel placed in the ninth house that by our only presence we chase diuels out of possessed bodies Others by this arte thinke they can iudge of mens thoughts and consciences Maternus saith that they which are borne Saturne being in Leo shall first liue long here afterward go to heauen Albumasar saith that he that shall pray to God for any thing when the Moone and Iupiter are ioyned in the head of the Dragon shal obtaine whatsoeuer he asketh Of this Petrus Aponensis saith that he had triall in himselfe For in that coniunction when he had asked learning of God he perceiued he said that he was thereby mightily furthered yet I thinke that many haue had as much wit as he had without asking and of those that haue asked without the help of that constellation no doubt many haue far passed him for all manner of gifts Wherfore it should seeme that there be some constellations better for wit then this for himselfe it was wel that he asked in pudding time as they say for if he had not perhaps we should haue had a very wise man of him But that it hath bin alwaies pernicious and hurtfull to the Church may thence appeare because alwaies the greatest astrologers haue made religion as well as any humane or politique lawes subiect to constellations Ptolemy in the second booke of his Centiloquium ascribeth to the nature of celestiall formes starres that this motion hath one religion and that another And a certaine greeke interpreter of Ptolemy attributeth the miracle of Moses passing the red sea on foote with the people to the skil of Moses obseruing the fluxe and refluxe of the sea as if in the same water both Gods people were not saued and Pharao with his astrologers drowned as if Iosue had not passed Iordan drie foote where was not fluxe nor refluxe to yeeld to him Albumasar deriueth from heauen both our religion and the Turkes and all other lawes and his interpreter Henricus Macleuiensis found a ship in heauen by which Noe framed his arke which deuise Halliacensis admitteth with great applause Abraham Iudeus very impiously and ridiculously referreth to diuerse constellations the law of Moses the departing out of Egypt and whatsoeuer els hapned to that people Guido Bomattus also most prophanely and madlie saith that Christ vsed elected howers when he answered the Apostles desiring him not to goe into Iudea that there were twelue howers of the daie He made choise of an howre saith he in which the Iewes could not hurt him as if we did not reade in the same Gospell that he ouerthrew them and passed through the midst of them vnseene euen at none day Others thinke that when they reade in Paul of the fulnesse of time and in the Gospell now is your hower and the power of darkenesse and in an other place my howre is not yet come that by these places are meant their constellations For answer to them I would gladly know of thē whether they thinke it eating time whē they are hungry and drinking time when they are thirsty how soeuer it fareth with heauen at the same time If they be not starke staring madde they will graunt that euery thing hath a time howsoeuer heauen goeth according to the nature of the thing in hand and the oportunitie of Doing So diuine miracles haue their time but according to the purpose of God not according to the constitution of heauen The same Guido saith that the Christian religion is the religion of Iupiter and in the proems of his Theorickes against Gerardus he writeth that wee must praie deuoutly to Mercurie in choosing of a new Pope Roger Bacon saith that Christians might doe well to keepe Satterdaie holie daie with the Iewes becāse it is no good day for worke as belonging
to Saturne With the like madnesse some of them haue said that Venus giueth felicitie in this world and Iupiter in the world to come These things therefore being thus who doth not see how Christianitie and Astrologie will sute together how a Christian and an Astrologer cannot wel mantle in one coate But for heretiques we knowe how well they haue alwaies bin seene in these artes Tertullian Lib. 1. contra Marcionem saith that the Marcionistes were commonly Astrologers in his booke de Idololatria he inueigheth mightily against them They thinke saith he that we are not to seeke after God presuming that the starres raigne ouer vs and force vs with an immutable decree Epiphanius saith of Manes that he was good at such these magicall knacks and studied them hard S. Augustine tom 1. Confessionum saith that the writings of the Manicheans were full of Astrologicall toyes which they vnderstoode not themselues As for Priscillian all knew how worthily he is condemned for tying euen our reprobation and election to the course of heauen and starres Of the Priscillianists saith Saint Augustine cap. 70. de Haeres They affirme also that men are bound with certaine fatall starres and that our bodies are framed according to the twelue signes of heauen as do they which are commonly knowne by the name of Mathematiques placing Aries in the head Taurus in the necke Gemini in the shoulder c. And a little after he saith These fables vanities and sacriledges doth this heresie embrace Wherefore by Saint Augustines opinion these men may well be counted heretiques whom of the 12. signes which they abuse we may very fitly call Dodeafemoriani Neither do I well see how that of Origen can be allowed where he saith that this science was permitted till the Gospell came that as soone as Christ was borne none should cast natiuities by the starres lib. de Idolol Much better is that said of him in the sixt Homely vpon Iosuah where among other shames and reproches of Egypt he reckoneth vp Astrologie and hauing named diuers in the end hee inferreth thus Which obseruations if thou admit and entangle thy self with anew thou dost doubtles plunge thy self into Egyptian reproches if therefore saith he at any time this curiositie tickle thee by the instigation of the enemie in thine heart say to thy selfe I doe follow my guide Iesus in whose power are things to come and what things so euer he will those things shall come Though there bee small hope that wee will heare the dead when we regard not Moses and the Prophets yet for our deeper condemnation in this point let vs see what the dead that is Heathen and prophane Philosophers will say for mine owne part I would be glad to take any course for the ouerthrow of this monster Fectere si Superi nequeant acherontamouebo Since God cannot preuaile with fooles I le trie the force of humane schooles If any will perish wilfully in this Idolatrous impietie to them I will protest that Testor in occasu vestro nec tela nec vllas vitauisse vices Witnesse I haue not spar'd my bloud Nor anie thing to do you good CHAP. III. That the difficulties of this Arte by ignorance first of the number of stars then of the constellation thirdly of the birth-houre are such as must needs spoyle this Arte as also may appeare by examples brought FIrst therefore the ignorance of these Wisards shall be sufficient to ouerthrow all their arte the greatest and grauest Philosophers are not agreed of manie controuersies in heauenly matters And Aristotle lib. 2. de Coelo text 17.34.60.61 confesseth himselfe in many of these points to be so far to seeke that he is forced oft in steed of sound arguments to vse probabilities and coniectures And if it fared thus with Aristotle the prince of Philosophers what is to bee thought of these companions but euen that which is commonly said who is so bold as blind Bayard No doubt there are in heauen a number of starres which since because of their distance no man can discerne no man can know which notwithstanding haue their operation If therefore the starres which cause the effects be vnknowne how can the effects themselues be knowne seeing euerie thing must bee knowne by his causes Further Astrologers confesse that they haue no certaine knowledge euen of many of those starres which are seene how then can these paltry wisards of a few starres which they know so confidently pronounce of things to come as if by the influence of those which they know not the effects of those which they know might not be hindered and altered Vnlesse perhaps to this they will answere that the vnknowne starres are without force or influence which were most sottish and absurd Among Astrologers it is plaine that in the eight Spheare are starres 1022. euerie one bigger then the earth wherefore their force and power must needs be such as the poore star-gazers can hardly apprehend considering their arte is bounded and limitted specially principally with the obseruations of Planets only their spending and occupying it selfe But that the starres haue no such force or power at all is plaine for if they haue it they must haue it of God but of God they neuer had it for then he would not haue forbidden the vse of them no more then he hath the vse of meates fruits herbes c. to which he hath giuen power to nourish cure mans bodie As we are bidden to take meat and drinke with thanksgiuing so no doubt he would haue willed vs to vse the helpe of starres if there had beene anie such force in them But now that he hath forbidden them what shall we thinke Againe to what end had he forbidden the tree of knowledge if he had left a star of knowledge The Magi were led to Christ by a star but not by a figure Hence it is plaine that the starres do not performe that which is said for were there not starres enough before but they must haue a new one to guide them Will a figure mention the death of meane and base people and say nothing of Christ where when and how he was borne but we must haue a new starre Although indeed Iulius Firmicus lib. 2. cap. 33. seemeth to be of opinion that certaine persons are so great that the starres do not reach to their natiuities and actions his words be these Only the Emperour is not subiect to the course of starres neither haue the starres any power in his destinie so that Figure-flingers and wisards cannot certainely foretell anie thing either of the state of the cōmon-wealth or of the life of the Emperor If this be true great reason it is that Christ should be free from the necessity of starres Neuerthelesse some of them haue beene busie calculating and casting his natiuitie As for this starre because it was directed immediately and extraordinarily by God let them not meddle with it nor pollute it with their diuelish arte if