let us hear what those predictions are that Will. Ramsey is pleased in his Epistle to the Reader to disavow or grant Which are the very same that the Doctour denyes or grants and William speaks them in higher words then the Doctour I will give them unto you in his own words His heads upon a just particular account are six 1. Saith he the rules of Astrologie doth so W. Ramsey is pleased to joyn a Nown plurall and Verb singular together but this is a small matter with him who after is miserably out in his Latine Greek and Hebrew But for present I was forced to touch his English upon whose score it lyes because I promised to give you his mind in his own words I say Will. Ramsey saith in the first place that the rules of Astrology doth not meddle with vain contingencies or such as have an indifferent respect to the opposites as depending upon unknown or indeterminate causes which may happen one way or other 2. Will. Ramsey saith Mans will is not subject to the influence of the stars neither hath Astrology to do with it but accidentally so farre as the soul with the faculties thereof follow the temperature of the body which the friends of Astrology themselves acknowledge is impeded and altered so many wayes as that Astrologicall predictions of man come to nothing See the Doctours Demonologie chap. 10. § 4. 3. Neither doth Astrologie meddle with the Providence of God 4. Or shew cause of miracles 5. Or meddles with the secrets of God for they are past finding out Astrologers are but men that contemplate naturall causes 6. Astrologie or the influence of stars have no fatall necessity except some contingency be mixt therewith for this were to deny the providence of God Thus W. Ramsey whereof the last is delivered with that wonderfull contradiction of fatall necessity and contingency But you have them as he gives them Now let the Reader that hath a mind to understand the right compare the Doctours and W. R. his stateing of the Question together and he shall find those six things afore said set down by William in that his Epistle to the Reader fully to agree with the Doctours Tenet in the main Therefore W. R. in his great warfare in his ensuing Pamphlet against the Doctours Demonologie either as a distracted man departs from his own principles or else plainly fights against himself let William take his choyse And if he be like some of his brethren he will choose the former For however they state the question in words I am sure they practise in deeds quite contrary undertaking to know by the starres who and where are the Theeves and stollen goods of such and such a robbery the cattle and Drovers that carried them away from such and such a ground at such a time and the like feits and these they practise for money Yea they are bold to predict the events of warres the successes of marriages and thousands of such meer humane events which the Scripture pronounceth uncertain to us The battle is not to the strong nor the race to the swift Promotion cometh not from the East starres nor the VVest starres c. but all fall out as Gods providence disposeth Yet those Astrologers will boldly undertake to predict such things as their Almanacks and Astrologicall Predictions c. do testifie By which writings they gain credit and custome of miserable seduced souls to fee them and feed them with money for meer impostures as many of their Clients do daily complain saying the Astrologers had their money not forbearing to name the men and the money but they were never the neerer to find that they promised them But if this were all that Astrologers did do it were not so intolerable But they have practised some things that are not to be indured in any Common-wealth viz. to disswade men of quality from marrying worthy Gentlewomen using lies for their arguments An intolerable practise of Astrologers forgeing those things of the Gentlewomen to disinable their persons and to reproch them in their repute as are not fit here to be named but at due time and place shall be made good before any Court of Justice by undenyable proof And at the rate of Will. Ramsey's sounding the Trumpet the battle is likely speedily to begin And William Ramsey himself for all his stateing of the question aforesaid undertakes to predict many humane events quite without the sphere of the state of his question in his discourse of the Eclipse of the Sun at the end of his rayling reply to D. Homes his Demonologie Amongst the rest he predicts In the last page save one that before that Eclipse hath finished its effects Ministers shall be in lesse esteem then they would fain perswade the vulgar concerning the students in Astrology Whatever the Epithets be he gives to Ministers there he intends not them for distinction but for agnomination to them all good as well as bad or else he would not lay the cause of that prediction to be the Ministers opposing Astrologers and upbraid Doctour Homes And let me tell thee William a prophesie out of the Word of God against Judiciall Astrologers A Prophecy against Astrologers that as Aarons rod swallowed up the Enchanters rods Exod. 7.12 Balaam was killed when the Priests and Levites of the Lord were preserved Numb 13.22 Daniel the Prophet is preserved and honoured when sentence of death was pronounced against the Astrologers Dan. 2. vers 2.14.27.28 c. to the end of the chapter and the persons having familiar spirits and the Diviners and Exorcists c. fell before the Apostles Acts chap. 8. chap. 19. c. So these last and greatest sort of wicked men that lead poor souls from God to the Devill from his word to their circles and figures shall without repentance according to all the prophecies of the old Testament against Astrologers Magicians Enchanters Sorcerers c. quoted in the Doctours Demonologie perish with Antichrist and all Christs enemies at the great destruction of the wicked near approching for making way for the Saints Triumph a while on earth over all their enemies Revel 21.8 22.15 Now William and thy brethren runne your course in Judiciall Astrology according to your wonted manner of practise at your perill and venture it whither your Eclipse or the light of our Sun the word of God will prophesie more truly I wonder in what starre or constellation or their postures William could reade this goodly change that godly Ministers must be discountenanced and lying Astrologers as the Scripture calls them shall be advanced His telling me there of ☽ to a □ of ♄ c. with many the like anticks figures gibberish and cantings is lesse is worse then nothing unlesse he could demonstrate to me for that 's the honour of a true Mathematician to demonstrate most potently by reason why such postures and features of starres and constellations must needs pre-signifie such and such
speaking those words as 't is clear in the said place there is no mention of Manichees or of adoration of Starrs the Question is whether Austin did not seriously and positively speak those words which is the intent of Doctour Homes viz. That Astrological predicting or foretelling of events from the Births of men is a great errour and madness And whether it be not now under consideration that Austin all along his Works was of the same minde and that justly against Judicial Astrology be it but as Ptolomy sets it forth wherein he affirmes for it which is bad enough and too bad And particularly for Austin against Faustus William R. doth most abominably abuse him For in his fifth Booth cap. 4. or 20. Book cap. 6. Austin hath not one word of his being a Manichee or of his Conversion or non-conversion or of the occasion of those words So all Will. Ram. quotations of Aug. de Civitate Dei to make the Reader that hath not Austin to believe the contrary doth but justly lay open Will. Ram. juggling the shame of Astrology and the glory of Truth Will. Ram. quotation of that fifth Book of Aug. de Civitate Dei cap. 1. shall be judge and I will give it you according to the English Translation of Aug. de Civitate Dei commonly to be had that the Reader may see if he please whether I deal truly with him or no To omit Austin's Preamble he fals upon the question word for word thus The God of Heaven by his onely providence disposeth of the Kingdoms of the earth which if any man will say is swayed by fate and mean by that fate the will of God he may hold his opinion still but yet he must a mend his speech for why did he not learn this of him that taught him what fate was The ordinary custome of this hath made men imagine fate to be A POVVER OF THE STARS so or so placed in Nativities or conceptions which some do separate from the determination of God and other some do affirm to depend wholly thereupon But those that hold that the Starrs do manage our actions or our passions good or ill without Gods appointment are to be silenced and not to be heard be they of the true Religion or be they bond slaves to idolatry of what sort soever for what doth this opinion but flatly exclude all Deity Against this opinion we profess not any disputation but onely against those that calumniate Christian Religion in defence of their imaginary gods As for those that make these operations of the stars in good or bad to depend upon Gods will if they say they have this power given them from him to use according to their own wills they do Heaven much wrong in imagining that any wicked acts or in juries are decreed in so glorious a Senate and such as if any earthly City had but instituted the whole generation of man would have conspired the subversion of it And what part hath God left him in this disposing of humane affairs if they be swayed by a necessicy from the Starrs whereas he is the Lord of men and Starrs If they do not say that the Starrs are causes of these wicked acts through a power that God hath given them but that they effect them by his express command is this fit to be imagined for true of God that is unworthy to be held true of the Starrs But if the Starrs be said to po tend this onely and not to procure it and that their positions be but Signes not Causes of such effects for so hold many great Scholars though the Astrologians use not to say Mars in such a House SIGNIFIETH this or that no but MAKETH the childe born a Homicide to grant them this Errour of speech which they wust learn to reform of the Philosophers in all their presages derived from the Stars positions how cometh it to pass that they could never shew the reason of that diversity of life actions fortune profession art honour and such humane accidents that hath befallen TVVINNES Nor of such a great difference both in those aforesaid courses and in their death that in this case many strangers have come nearer them in their courses of life then the one hath done to the other be notwithstanding born both within a little space of time the one of the other and conceived both in one instant and from one act of generation Thus Austin in VVill. Ram. quoted place to a word Now let the Reader having all Austin's words in this Chapter at once before his eye judge whether he be not absolutely against all judicial Astrology disputing against it as the Analysis and method of the Chapter plainly manifests in a way of Dilemma's under all divisions distinctions and notions and because not to be admitted in this or that or t'other way c. therefore not to be admitted at all And comes up close against Judicial Astrology to explain he means that by the instance of Twinnes the same in conception and birth yet exceeding different in life and death But let me not forget one passage wherein VVill. Ram. doth extremely abule Austin and the Reader and it is that noted with *** in his third Section aforesaid here now under the hammer the right reading of which words are those words noted by us with †so that contrary to VVill. Ram. report and falsification Austin is far from encouraging Astrolgers to continue in their opinions Austin saith onely that if any man means by fate the will of God that swayeth all things he may hold this his opinion speaking in the singular number but yet he must mend his phrase of speech So that Austin doth not mention Astrologers or if he meant them yet doth he not say they may hold their opinions in the Plural Number much less their Astrological opinions Then Austin would be heautontimoroumenos a fighter against himself a self-vexer But for all this VVill. Ram. will not leave Austin so nor will I the while leave him For all that Austin hath said de Civitate Dei lib. 5. cap. 1. and his prosecuting his great argum ent from Twinnes ibid. cap. 2. cap. 3. cap. 4. and the head and summ of his fifth Chapter is How the Mathematicians may be convicted of PROFESSING VANITR and therefore farr from concurring with Astrologers as Will. Ram. would make us believe in his marginal note yet Will. Ram. hopes to collect out of Austin's sixth Chapter of the same Book something to favour Astrology Non usque quaque absurdè dici possit saith William picking a Daisie here and there and then stripping off the leaves of grass about it I mean his ill translating Where we see saith Will. Ram. nothing is exempted from subjection to the Starrs that is bodily but onely our spiritual part c. and so William goes on concluding this his third Section with a mighty outcry against the Doctour for as William saith his false and
pretty piece of Magick performed by a Roman Priest who had it not out of any place of the Scripture I am sure that invited a company of Ladies to a Banquet In Epicureo bidding them bring good stomacks with them The Ladies came were welcommed by him entertained by delicate Musick and were seated at the last at the Table according to their Births There were such variety of rare and strange Dishes that they thought that others not their own Nation did furnish their Table they eat well drunk well and were merry and which is better then a piece of Cheese Pippins or Carroways to close up the mouth of the stomack after Supper they were welcome When this Feast rather this Fast was ended and which is not very usuall with Courtiers Grace being said they rendred the Priest hearty Thanks for their Banquet and went home But they had not been there at the most half an hour but their stomacks began to call upon them for meat for they were all as hungry as if they had eat nothing at the Banquet therefore did much wonder at themselves that they should have such a great desire to meat seeing they did but newly come from such a royal Entertainment But this queint delusion the Priest afterward revealed to them For although he invited them to a Feast yet they had never a bit of meat For his Art did delude both the Eye that thought it saw such things and the Pallat that seemed to taste those delicates I my self have seen a Fellow that would make people believe that they saw Orange trees spring out of his Forehead having Birds sit and sing on the Boughs which in an instant would vanish away again This Fellow was at Cambridge drinking at the Dolphin and made a Drawer that fill'd him bad Wine believe that he would geld him if he would not bring him of the best Claret in the Cellar which the Drawer laugh'd at and the more to cross him fetch of the worst he could finde This Juggler swore he would be even with him before it be long but the Drawer went away laughing bidding him do his worst But the Conceit came at the last like a Jest in the last Lines of an Epigram for when the Drawer lest thought of it as he was running down stairs to fetch Wine he felt something trickle down his Thighes at the first thinking it had been some Wine he had spilt on his Breeches but putting his Hands into his Hose he pull'd them out bloudy again so that he came running up stairs and with a wide mouth came roaring into the Room where we were drinking crying the lame man had gelt him and that he was utterly undone At the first this Vox exclamantis did beget such a Laughter in us that we were not able to speak to him but yet at the last by giving the Fellow good words and good Wine he made him a perfect man again This was but deceiving of the Senses and so not done or if done the work of the Devil Lib 9. Rhodoginus makes mention of one Syreneus that would run his Horse a straws breadth a Mile together and make him amble curvet trot pace and gallop within the compass of a Bushel Martin Berrhaus reports that he saw a Dancer carry two men on his shoulders two on his arms and one upon his neck yet would dance and vaunt with such agility that a Baboon with his drinking-glasse could not tumble nimbler Rhodoginus and Erasmus makes mention of an Indian that by a trick he had learnt of a Witch l. 12. c. 40 would shoot through the narrow circumference of a small Hoop-ring standing a furlong off Julius Piscarius reports Quiuti l. 2. c. 2. that a Dice-player who commanded that after he was dead his skin should be made a Cafpet for Gamesters to play on his bones Dice to play with and Tressels for stooles to sit on by a Magicall trick he had would cheat the most cheatingst Gamester Therefore if these that are but Mataotechnia vain imitations of Art seem so wonderfull to people beholding them on Stages and Theaters how lesse miraculous is it if the devil by Elements can make stranger apparences or by secret inspirations delude the sense by framing the Phantasmes of Images by which he will deceive men running Phantas sleeping or walking Why may not these Spirits be turned into as many shapes as Diomedes companions were that were in the Island called Diomede not far from the mountain Garganus that is in Apulea Why not as well as Vlysses companions that were turned into beasts and whom Circes the famous Sorceresse inchanted Why not as well as the Arcadians that were turned into Wolves Why may not there be a transmutation in these incorporeall spirits as in these terrestriall bodies And why may not there be as strange Metamorphosis in these dayes as there was in the dayes of Ovid and Varro nay I will stand to it that in these dayes there are as marvellous changes and more true for I have known a Gallant that at the age of fiveteen hath been a pregnant witty youth but before twenty he hath been turned into a right Asinego There have been many Citizens that have been very handsome personable men in the morning who before the Exchange hath been done have been turned into monstrous beasts There are many tradesmen that at their first setting up have been very honest men but after the third or fourth breaking have been turnd into most fearful Sergeants I have known many that have been accounted wise fellows in the University that have no sooner peept into the Temples or one of the Innes of Court but have been transformed into monstrous Asses Then seeing there is such a transmutation in earthly bodies why should we think it so strange and rare in incorporeall spirits Yet these and the like are not recited as if they were true but to shew how the senses may be deluded and the like may appear by those women that oftentimes are perswaded that they are riding on the backs of beasts Yet for all this I will not grant there is any virtue in the words or charms of a Negromancer to raise up these forms Also there is no virtue in those ceremoniall Exorcisms with which Priests exorcise Wine Salt Water and the like which I will manifestly shew you First in respect of the Matter for the Matter is but Aire or Water or Ink which can have no virtue in them for by that reason every substance of the like kind should have the same virtue Secondly in respect of the Accidentall Form which is nothing else but a configuration of divers Characters either in writing or speaking for Phylosophy teacheth that Accidentall forms have no Action of themselves Thirdly in respect of the thing signified as the word fire to burn this paper or the word Death to kill this Man or the word God to save this Soul or to raise up any dead
Scriptures or any other good use for in his Works Edit Basil per Frob. Anno Domini 1569. he hath these Expressions opposite to any such intent Astronomia parùm aui nihil commodat Scripturae Aug. Tom. 3. Col. 38. that is Astronomy little profits or lends to the Scripture Syderum cognitio parùm utilis Scripturae Aug. Tom. 3. cap. 38. that is The knowledge of the Stars or Constellations is little profit to the Scripture Augustine in his tom 1. cap. 761. tom 8. cap. 197. speaks against Astrologos eorum curiositates Astrologers and their Curiosities In his 1. tom cap. 90,100,102,126,418 He detests the vanity of Astrology In his 4. tom cap 742. He pronounceth that Astrologi veritat is inimici Astrologers are Enemies of the Truth In his 5. tom cap 279 c. he abundantly disputes of the uncertainty of Astrology And in his 5. tom cap 291. Augustin hath this terrible speech against Astrologers namely Astrologorum responsa ex malis esse spiritibus that is That the Answers of Astrologers are from or by evil Spirits And in his 8. tom cap 165. Augustine affirmeth that Astrology is not necessary to this life Astrologia huic vitae non est necessaria Augustine in his 10. tom cap. 525. sheweth the vanity of Astrologers And in his 8. tom cap 197. is his Invective against the new Astrologers Augustine in his fifth Book De civitate Dei Cap. 1. to which some give this Title Contra Astrologorum ineptias idest Against the Fooleries of Astrologers Jo. Crisp hath these words Illi verò qui positionem stellarum quodammodo decernentium qualis quisque sit quid ei proveniat boni quid ve mali accidat ex Dei voluntate suspendunt si easdem stellas putant habere hanc potestatem traditam sibi à summa illius potestate c. id est As for those that make these operations of the stars in good or bad to depend upon God's will if they say that they have this power given them from him to use according to their own wills they do Heaven much wrong in imagining that any wicked Acts or Injuries are decreed in so glorious a Senate and such as if any earthly City had but instituted the whole generation of man would have conspired the subversion of it And what part hath God left him in this disposing of humane affairs if they be swayed by a necessity from the stars whereas he is the Lord of stars and of men If they do not say that the stars are Causes of these wicked Acts through a power that God hath given them bu that they effect them by his express command is this fit to be imagined for true of God that is unworthy to be held true of the stars But if the stars be said to portend this onely and not procure it and that their Positions be but signes not Causes of such Effects for so hold many learned men Truly the Astrologians use not to say Mars in such a House signifieth this or that no but makech the childe born an Homicide But to grant them this errour of speech c. how cometh it to pass that they could never shew the reason of that diversity of life actions state profession art honour and such humane accidents that have befallen two Twins Nor of such a great difference both in the things aforesaid and in their death that in this case many strangers have come nearer them in their course of life then the one hath done to the other c. Upon which words at * Erasmus of himself and out of Firmicus saith Mars is a star bloudy fiery and violent Being in the seventh House saith Firmicus lib. 3. in a Partile aspect with the Horoscope that is in the West doth presage that is maketh men Murtherers wicked and heinous Augustine in the same Book Cap. 7. hath to this purpose Jam illud quis ferat quod in eligendis diebus novae quaedam suis actibus fata moliuntur Non erat videlicet ille ita natus ut haberet admirabilem filium sed it a potius ut contemtibilem gigneret ideo vir doctus elegit horam quà misceretur uxori Fecit ergo fatum quod non habebat sed ex ipsi◠fato cepit esse fatale quod in ejus nativitate non fuerat O stultitiam singularem Eligitur dies ut ducatur uxor credo propterea quia potest in diem non bonum nisi elegatur incurri infeliciter duci Vbi est ergo quod nascenti jam sydera decreverunt An potest homo quod ei jam constitutum est diei electione mutare quod ipse in eligendo die constituerit non poterit ab alia potestate mutari c. that is But who can indure this Foolery of theirs to invent a new destiny for every action that a man undertaketh That wise man aforesaid it seems was not born to have an admirable Son but rather a contemptible one and therefore elected he his hour wherein to beget a worthy one so thus did he work himself a destiny more then his stars portended and made that a part of his Fate which was not signified in his Nativity O singular fondness A day must not be chosen for Marriage because otherwise one might light on an unlucky day and so make an ill Marriage But where then is the destiny of your Nativity Can a man change what his fate hath appointed by chusing this day or that and cannot the Fate of that day which he chuseth be altered by another Fate Again if men alone of all the Creatures on Earth be under the starry power why do they chuse days to plant and days to sow and so forth days to tame Cattle days to put to Males for increase of Oxen or Horses and such like If the election of those days be good because the stars have dominion in all earthly Bodies living Creatures and Plants according as the times do change let them but consider how many Creatures have original from one and the same instant and yet have such divers ends as he that but noteth will deaide those Observations as Childrens Toyes For what Sot will say that all Herbs Trees Beasts Birds Serpents Worms and Fishes have each one a particular moment of time to be brought forth in Yet men do use for trying of the Mathematicians skill to bring them the figures of the Births of Beasts which they have for this end diligently obobserved at home and him they hold the most skillfull Mathematician that can say by the figure this portendeth the Birth of a Beast and not of a Man c. Thus far Augustine out of whom I might have quoted much more but they that list may in his Works easily finde it of themselves Thus you see evidently even by this of the Doctour that Will. Ramsey hath given no real Answer to him where he seems to give an Answer as 1. Touching Melancton 2. Touching Austin 3. Touching the Doctours deniall of the natural Effects of the stars c. there VVill. Ramsey tells us notorious untruths as hath been most evidently demonstrated by the precedent Treatise Of the same brain are those passages of VVill. Ramsey touching the star that appeared at Christ's Birth and of his yielding that stars are not signes of arbitrary Events c. For his Crew do mightily cry up that Book as the Friend of their Astrology wherein that star is handled And VVilliam in this his Lux hath stood for arbitrary Effects of stars and hath by figures shew'd his practise therein as hath been abundantly demonstrated And therefore VVill. Ram. doth plainly juggle with his Reader and play Legerdemain as they say or Bo-peep as Children speak For in the beginning of his Book he lays down a definition of Astrology by the natural Effects of Stars with some Glosses to the same effect in his Epistle to the Reader to which if he had adhered there had been no Controversie between us but when he comes upon the Stage of Dispute in his Book he changeth his Habit untill again he be quite stript by his Opponent and then he runs to his definition again And when he is ferretted that he cannot tell where to be he puts Queries that when he cannot fairly win he may fouly beg the Question But that will not be granted FINIS