contingent if it once be plainly foreseen or certainly foretold Because the nature and property of a meer contingent is to be so both in respect of the active and of the passive power viz. unknown sudden indeterminate incogitate rare seldome alike potentiall not actuall not necessary from no naturall or necessary cause And all this yet more especially when the externall contingent or accident depends upon the internall contingent the arbitrariness or liberty of the will and actions 28. How can a contingent be foreknown or foreseen that is seen before it be seen In as much as the knowledge of such a thing is primarily and directly to the senses and but secondarily and accidentally to the understanding 29. How the positions and motions of the stars can either cause or sign a future contingent when as divine providence disposes of both these after a quite contrary manner For the positions and motions of the stars are disposed of according to a necessity that they must needs so be but future contingents are disposed of according to a contingency that they may be otherwise or may not be at all The Stars as they are so they work Now what congruity betwixt a necessary cause and a contingent effect 30. Are not Fate and Fortune two contraries and respectively two inconsistencies how then are the Stars the mistresses both of Fate and Fortune in one and the same effect And how can there be one way of predicting a thing of absolute necessity and of meer contingency 31. For as much as the same Starres or Planets have not the same aspects or conjunctions in all places and some starres are to be discerned in one place and not in another Now then must not the judiciall Astrologer make his judgement either from one place and not from another or else must he not be in many places at once to make his observation compleat Or else what judgement can he make 32. Seeing the heavens and starres are so distant the eye-sight so infirm and the senses so oft deceived in the proper object and the Artists observation tyed up to one single and weak sense Is it not now with starre-gazers peeping at the Planets as with Saylors to whom the Earth Castles Woods and Mountains doe seem to move and as things single afarre off seem double and black things white or white things black and as a straight oar part in the water and part out of it appears crooked and broaken what certain judgement then can here be to reason from a solitary sense so easily and oft deceived 33. Since things inanimate or livelesse are naturally subordinate and subject to things of life things lively to things sensible things sensible to things reasonable and things reasonable to things spirituall how comes it to passe that men should be bound and constrained by the starres and Devills through the starres bound and compelled by Men What reason can the Magician give for this binding of devills and Spirits and the Astrologer for this binding of men and wills For to me it seems unreasonable rhat unreasonable creatures such as the starres are should have the Dominion and power assigned over reasonable Souls 34. Whether both the swiftness and the slowness of the starres motions hinder not their influences and impressions upon inferior and sublunary matters at leastwise inhibit not the observation above all forbid not the prognostication thereupon For if as themselves have sayd the heavenly bodyes move with such concitation and celerity as to change their face ten thousand times a day how is it possible there should either be any impression on the starres part or observation on the Artists and art in a transiency so imperceptible 35. In as much as the starres move so rapidly as in a poynt or moment of time and every point or moment of time makes an immense alteration in the heavens and every point of alteration is of moment to alter the Constellation and the least altering of the Constellation occasions a vast aberration to the Calculator Adde to all these how hard it is to observe and compare the points and moments of the Childs birth What point of discretion was it then to make any matter of moment of a Genethliacks calculation 36. What naturall reason is to be rendred why the starres should be more notable for influentially operating and efficaciously inclining at the point of the edition parturition or birth and not rather in the generation conception formation delineation animation besides the whole course of life and conservation Since not in that but in these is the great operation of the vitall spirits the disposition mixture and temper of the Elements the composition constitution union and perfection of the whole Will they have their Planets to respect more an extrinsecall act than the intrinsecall more an accidentall and adventitiall than the essentiall and substantiall more a lesse principall than the more principall acts Is not this somewhat semblable to that superstitious observation for a man to measure his fortune or successe that day by his first setting his foot over the threshold or stepping forth of his own doors 37. Whether doe those starres bear more sway that rule at the beginning or those that rule at the end of a business would not one impute most to them that are in force at the making up of the match Wherefore then doe they teach men not only so superstitiously but so preposterously to look only to those starres that reign at the undertaking of an enterprize and not to heed those rather that have the dominion at the dispatch 38. Are the starres only signing things future and not designing things present And doe the ruling Planets enact decrees and make lawes contrary to all other Rulers only to be in force or take effect after their own deposition or decease Else how is it that the conjunction or constellation at the Birth should be so powerfull at the death it self being past and as it were decreast long before Suppose there be a malign and exitiall aspect at the Birth and a benign and auspicious in the life and so at the death why may not the fortunateness of the latter prevail so farre as to prevent the infortunity of the former Unless it be so that these Planetary dominations I mean Aspects Positions Conjunctions Constellations govern not by their present power but by the lawes of their predecessors 39. Whether the life and being of one mans nativity be depending not upon his own but upon the Constellation of another mans Nativity For if it be not so how then can the Caloulator or Birth-caster tell that such a man shall have so many wives or that such woman shall have so many husbands but that the very lives of the one must needs be subordinate and subjected to the fortunes of the other 40. Whether the Horoscope or the Ascendant in the birth of one particular person doth comprehend the judgement of the whole disposition of a Country Kingdome or
in like manner obnoxious to vices 44. That the Stars are numerable and the number of them is 1600. saith one 1022. saith another 800. saith another more and less say others 44. That the least Star in the Heavens or the least visible is eighteen times bigger than the earth 45. That the Stars of the first honour and magnitude are bigger than the earth 107. times of the second 86. or 90. times of the third 72. times of the fourth 54. times of the fift 31. or 36. times of the sixt 18. times Have not they judged these old dimensions to be errors that have since altered them and whether theirs be not errors too let others judge or let them judge one another by their various opinions in this kind 46. That the Planets when they are lowest or are nearest the earth yet are they so many Semidameters distant from it viz. the moon 53. Mercury 65. Venus 167. The Sun 1122. or as some say 1124. Mars 1216. Jupiter 8854. Saturn 14378. 47. That when they are highest or most remote then are they thus distant viz. the Moon 64. Mercury 167. Venus 1070. the Sun 1210. Mars 8022. Jupiter 14369. Saturne 18500. 48. That the sphear of the fixed Stars is 14000. Semidameters distant from the earth others say 19000. others say 20081½ 49. That a Semidameter is 913. German miles 50. That the Moon is distant from the center of the earth 33. Semidameters or 30129. German miles so that the singular regions of the ayr have 11. Semidameters or 10043. German miles if the distance be computed from the center of the earth Likewise Mercury 64. Semidiameters or 58584. Germane miles Venus 167. semidiameters 152471. German miles the Sun 1120. semidameters 1022560. German miles Mars 1220. semidameters 1113860. German miles Jupiter 6678. semidameters 8103788. German miles Saturn 20100. semidameters or 18360430. German miles The eighth sphear 40220. semimidameters 36720860. German miles 51. That Saturn is 22. times bigger then the whole earth Jupiter 14. Mars lesser 13. The Sun greater 139 2 8. Venus lesse 6 1 â— Mercury 19. the moon 42. And again Saturn greater 91 1 â— Jupiter 95½ Mars 1â…“ The Sun 162. and 166 Venus lesse 37. Mercury 22. the Moon 1900. 52. That it is from the earth to the Moon 15150. miles From the Moon to Mercury 12812. miles From Mercury to Venus as many From Venus to the Sun 23438. miles From the Sun to Mars 15425. miles From Mars to Jupiter 68721. miles From Jupiter to Saturn as many From Saturn to the firmament 120485. miles 53. That for the order and placing of the Stars and Planets the Sun is in the midst of the Seaven and above that Mars and above that Jupiter and above that Saturn but beneath the Sun Venus and beneath that Mercury and beneath that the Moon 54. That Mercury follows next to Mars and next it Venus and next it the Sun and next it the Moon 55. That the Sun is in the last place but one or two and Venus above it and next after Mars 56. That Mercury is next to the Sun and under that Venus 56. That both Sun and Moon are above the fixed Stars 57. That the Sun is the Center of the world 58. That the Light of the Stars is materiall is a body is void of matter is a spirituall substance 59. That the Light of the Stars is of a middle nature betwixt corporeall and incorporeall 60. Is a substantiall form 61. Is a manifestation of colour 62. Is a fire 63. Is an accident reall or intentionall either or both 64. That the Light of the Stars is proper is mutuatitious is partly one partly another 65. That the Heavens are unmoveable 66. That the lower world turns round 67. That the moving Intelligences or Angles are the assisting forms of Stars 68. That the Stars fly like Birds in the ayr 69. That the Stars make a melodious harmony in their motion or revolution 70. That the celestiall bodies not only move with an insensible Musick but are moved by a sensible musick 71. That there is in sounds a vertue to receive the heavenly gifts and that the Heavens doe consist by an harmonicall composition and doe rule and cause all things by harmonicall tones and motions 72. That there are two half Orbes carryed about the earth the one all fire the other most ayr and they two as they wheel about make the day and the night 73. That the Stars erratile are some male some female yea sometimes male and sometimes female 74. That the Heavens and celestiall bodies are animated and have souls and souls properly so called 75 That the world the Heavens the Stars and the elements have a soul with which they cause a soul in these inferior and mixed bodies 76. That they have also a spirit which by the mediating of the soul is united to the body 78. That the souls of the Stars are not created together with their bodies but are extrinsecally added to them 79. That the world lives hath a soul and sense 80. That the above named souls have reason 81. That the soul of the world is placed chiefly in the Sun 8â— That the â—oul of the earth is not to be thought as it were the soul of some contemptible body but to be rationall and also intelligent yea and to be a 〈◊〉 83 That the souls of creatures and men are infuâ—ed into their bodies by the Stars 84 That Comets are the souls of famous 〈◊〉 triumphing in heaven 85. That Comets be fiery animals walking upon the superficies of the Elements 80. That the first principle of all things is water from which all things proceed and into which all are resolved 87. That all things are generated through the condensation and rarefaction of the ayr 88. That the Sun Moon and Stars have their originall from the earth 89. That the Sun and the Stars are begotten of clouds 90. That the whole body of nature hath the originall from the Sun and the Moon That the Sun makes Stars out of clean Chrystalline water 91. That the Heavens are a book in which the manners actions fortunes and fates of all are singularly written 92. That by the Mathematicall we receive the caelestiall vertues as motion sense life speech c. 93. That amongst all Mathematicall things Numbers as they have more of forme in them so also are more efficacious by which the next access to prophecying is had 94. That in Gestures there lyes the reason of numbers and great vertues c. 95. That the very elements of Letters have some divine numbers by which collected from the proper names of things we may draw conjectures concerning occult things to come 96. That by the number of Letters we may find out the ruling Stars of any one that is born and whether the husband or wife shall dye first and know the prosperous or unlucky events of the rest of our works 97. That the child cannot be long-lived that is born under the horned moon
what they had heard Now when they were neer the fenne no wind stirring Thraemnus looking into the Sea pronounced with a loud voyce as he had heard Great Pan is dead Which being proclaimed there was presently heard many and great and strange groanes As soon as they came to Rome the rumour hereof filled the whole City so that Tiberius sent for Thraemnus to confirme the truth thereof Then Demetrius told his story Beyond Britaine there are many desolate Islands some of which are dedicated to Daemons and Heroes and I sailed said he towards an Isle neere to Britaine where there are few inhabitants but all accounted hallowed by the Brittaines As I was there a great tempest arose in the ayre with stormes and lightnings that made us all afraid which thing the Islanders said fell out because some of the Daemons and Heroes were dead The grave Author gives this note upon them that these things were said and done in the time of Tiberius in which time our Saviour was conversant upon earth and then both silenced and expelled Devils 6. Of the Magicall Oracles and or aculous Magicians the causes of all Idolatry especially that inhumane abhomination of humane Sacrifices or immolations THe Rbodians did sacrifice a man to Saturne which they afterwards willing to mitigate did reserve unto those Saturnials one condemned to death whom being loaden with Wine they immolated at that feast In the I le Salamis which of old time they called Coronea untill the time of Diomedes a man was slaughtered to Agravala the daughter of Cecrops afterwards in the Temple of Pallas Agravala and Diomedes one of the three a man was immolated whom led by youths about the altar at length was smitten by the Priest with a speare and so laid upon the fire and burnt which thing Dyphilus the King of Cyprus in the time Seleâ—cus abhominating appointed that not a man but an Ox should be sacrificed to Diomedes Amongst the Aegyptians in Heliopolis they sacrificed men To Juno they sacrificed three in a day To Dionysius called Omadius by those of Chios a man was sacrificed being cruelly torn in pieces The Lacedaemonians were wont to sacrifice a man to Mars The Phaenicians in the calamities of warre and pestilence were wont to immolate their dearest friends to Saturne The Curetes sacrificed of old their children to Saturne In Laodicea of Syria a Virgin was offered to Pallas The Arabians every yeere sacrificed a child and buryed it under the Altar All the Graecians commonly immolated a man before they went out to warre In the great City of Latinus a man was sacrificed upon the solemnity of Jupiter Not onely in Arcadia to Pan Lyceus nor in Cartbage to Saturne but all men in common upon the appointed day of sacrificing a man did sprinkle the Altar with mans blood It was the manner of the Ancients in great calamities dangers that the Prince of the Nation or City should give up the best beloved of his children to a vengefull divell as a reward of redemption and mystically to slaughter him so delivered up Saturnus the King of that Region which the Phaenicians call Isracl who after he had put off man being brought to the starre of Saturne having a deare and onely sonne of Anobret his new married Spouse called Iâ—ud for so the Phaenicians call an onely sonne because the City was pressed with a most great and dangerous warre Him clad in regall ornaments he offered upon the Altar built and prepared to that purpose Aristomenes Messenius sacrificed three hundred at once to Jupiter whom they call Ichometes among whom Theopompus the King of the Lacedaemonians was a Noble and Regall Hoste The Tauroscythians whatsoever stranger they took and they took many driven thither by tempest they were wont forthwith to sacrifice them to Diana In Pella a City of Thessalia a man of Achaia was sacrificed every yeere to Peleus and Chirou The Cretians did immolate a man to Iupiter The Lesbians to Dionysius The Phocensians to Diana Hereâ—hteus the Atticke and Macharius the Roman one sacrificed his daughter to Proserpina the other to a Daemon his defensor Jupiter and Apollo is said to have brought great calamity upon Italy because the tenth part of men was not sacrificed to them The Pelasgi and the Aborigenes the earth being fruitlesse vowed to sacrifice to Iupiter and Apollo the tenth part of all that should be born The Celti and almost all the more Easterly people did sacrifice by homicide Saturne was angry with the Carthaginians because whereas formerly they had sacrificed to him the more excellent of their sonnes afterwards they immolated to him infants privily bought and obscurely educated instead of their children whereupon to appease him they publiquely sacrificed to him two hundred of their most Noble young men The Athenians being afflicted with famine because of the slaughter of Androgeus and flying to the Gods for helpe Apollo did not answer that the Gods were to be pacified with righteousnesse humanity repentance or contrition but he adding death to death and plague to plague and cruelty to cruelty commanded that seven males and as many females not infants but men grown should every yeere be sent into Creet and there sacrificed Cepheus King of the Aethiopians and â—assiope his wife had one onely daughter named Andromeda in his time a huge sea monster infested the Countrey whereupon they consulting the Oracle for remedy answer was returned that could not be till Andromeda was exposed to that monster to be devoured Thus cruel were the Stars to those that afterwards were made Stars themselves Tiresias promised victory to the Thebanes but upon this condition that the sonne of Creon should be sacrificed as a victime for his Countrey Chalcas did vaticinate or prognosticate the destruction of Troy but upon the successe enjoyned that Iphigenia the daughter of Agamemnon should be immolated The Delphian Oracle being consulted about a great plague grassating among the Ionians it was answered that it could not be remedied unlesse Menelippus and Cometho and not onely so but unlesse a young man and a mayd were yeerely offered up at Diana's altar The Messenians consulting about some issue of their long warre with the Lacedaemonians it was predicted that theirs should be the victory but upon this condition that they should sacrifice an incorrupted virgin of the Aepytidaean family unto their God whereupon Aristodemus to gratifie his Countrey destinated his onely daughter to the immolation After the death of Julian the apostate there was found in Antioch sundry heads and carcases of men women and children hidden in chests wells pits and other secret holes all which he had idolatrously and barbarously caused to be slaine for Necromancy and divinations sake Especially in Carras in the Temple where he had performed his execrable abomination immediately before his going into Persia and had straitly commanded that the doores should be kept lockt and none to enter in till his return There was found a woman hanged up by the
another mans wife and yet every day Mars must needs come there into the midst of heaven and that in so great a Region that men are born there every houre is not to be denied Among the Indians and Bactrians there are many thousands of men which they call Brachmans they both by traditions and laws of their Fathers neither worship Images nor eate any thing that is animate they neither drink wine or beere but farre from all malignity are onely attending upon God but yet all the other Indians in the same Region are involved in adulteries murder drunkennesse idolatry yea there are found some of them dwelling in the same climate which hunting men and sacrificing devoure them And yet not any of the Planets which they call good and happy could prohibite these from slaughter and mischiefe neither could the malefick starres impell the Brachmans to malefice or malefacture Among the Persians there was a law of marrying daughters sisters and mothers themselves neither did they celebrate these nefarious marriages in Persia onely but also in all other climates of the world wheresoever they came whose wickednesse other Nations abominating called them Magusiaeans and there are in Aegypt Phrygia and Galatia very many of the Magufiaeans that by succession from their fathers are still polluted with the same wickednesse And yet we cannot say that in the Nativities of them all there was Venus in termes and in the house of Saturne and with Saturne Mars aspecting Among the Getulians this is the law or custom the women till the fields build houses and doe all such like works and moreover they may meet with whom they please neither are they accused for it by their husbands nor called therefore adulteresses though they mingle indifferently with all and especially with strangers Also their women contemne all perfumes neither weare they dyed garments but goe bare footed On the contrary their men delight in vestures and odours and various colours yet doe they it not out of effeminacy for they are valiant and warlike above other Nations Neverthelesse all the women that are born among them had not Venus ill affected in Capricorne or Aquarius nor were all the men born under Venus constituted with Mars in Aries which the fopperies of the Caldaeans can claim makes men both valiant and delicate at once Among the Bactrians the women use gallant ornaments and precious oyntments and are more reverenced by their handmayds and servants then their husbands are and ride abroad in a singular pompe their horses adorned with trappings of gold and precious stones neither doe they live chastly but mingle with servants as well as strangers nor are they accused by their husbands because they Lord it over them Notwithstanding the nativity of every Bactrian woman had not Venus with Iupiter and Mars in the midst of heaven and termes of Venus Amongst the Arabians all adulteresses are put to death and those punished that are onely but suspected In Parthia and Armenia homicides are executed sometimes by the Judges sometimes by the kindred of him that was murdered but he that shall kil a wife a sonne or a daughter or a brother or sister unmarried is not so much as accused for it for so is the law Contrarily we see among the Grecians and Romans parricide is not expiated but by the greater penalty Among the Atrians or Adroams he that stole the least thing was stoned but among the Bactrians he that stole but petty things was onely spit upon yet among the Romans such an one was beaten and wounded From the river Euphrates to the orientall Ocean he to whom murder or theft was objected was not much aggriâ—ved or tormented but if he had abused himselfe with a masculine and that come to light he was forced through paine to kill himselfe And yet the wise men of Greece were not ashamed to pursue specious boyes In the same orientall coast the parents and kindred if they had known their sonnes and kinsfolks subjecting themselves to turpitude they both killed them and would not vouchsafe so much as to bury them Amongst the Gaules the children marry publikly and by the law are noted with no reproach for it and yet truly it is not possible that all they among the Gaules who betray the flower of their youth should have Venus and Mercury in the house of Saturne and of Mars tearmes occident Among the Britaines many men have but one wife Among the Parthians many women on the contrary have but one husband and yet they all live chastely and obedient to lawes The Amazâ—ns have no men but at spring time they goe into other Countries and couple with their bordering neighbours and thus by a naturall law they all bring forth about one time and the males they slay the females they cherish and are all warlike women Mercury in his house with Venus is said by the Chaldaeans to make man covetous and money-mongers and devisers and paynters but in the house of Venus to make them unguentaries or perfumers and such as exercise their voyces as Stage-players and actors of fables And yet among the Saracens and Moores and in upper Lybia and in nether Germany and among the Sarmatians and the Sâ—ytâ—ians and other Nations that inhabit the Northern parts of the Sea Pâ—ntus in Alania also and Albania and Othene and Sauniâ— and Aurea there is found no money-hoorder no paynter no Architect no Geometrician no exerciser of his voyce no actor of fables but such a conjunction of Mercury and Venus is found to be altogether ineffectuall and vaine in so many and great parts of the world All the Medes nourish Dogges with no little cost and care to which they cast men dying and yet gasping notwithstanding all of them had not in a diurnall nativity the Moon with Mars under the earth in Cancer The Indians burn their dead with whom their wives are willingly burned together yet all those women that thus willingly endured the fire of their husbands had not in a nocturnall nativity the Sunne with Mars in the tearm of Mars in Leo. Many of the Germans use strangling yet is it not possible that all they who so hang themselves should have the Moone intercepted of Saturne and Mars Among all Nations men are born at all houres and we see laws and manners prevaile every where from the power of a mans free will Neither doth any mans nativity enforce him to doe any thing against it Neither doth it compell the Serans to homicide nor the Brachmans to the eating of flesh nor are the Persians thereby restrained from unlawfull marriages nor the Indians kept from the fire nor the Medes from the dogges nor the Parthians from marrying many wives nor are the Mesopâ—tamian women debarred from chastity nor the Graecians from their exercises nor the Romans from their rule nor the French from their muliebriousnesse nor can all the Nations which we call Barbarians be thus brought to approve the learning of the Muses All the Iewes by the
those nostrils by the which it self also entred into this corporeall man And by the which as Job testifieth the most lively spirits are sometimes sent forth which cannot be retained in mans heart A fortunate place conduceth much to favour Neither without cause did the Lord speak to Abraham that he should come into the land which he would shew him and Abraham arose and journyed towards the South In like manner Isaac went to Gerarah where he sowed and gathered an hundred fold and waxed very rich Make elections also of hours and dayes for thy operations magicall operations for not without cause our Saviour spake are there not twelve hours in the day Concerning that Phiolsophie which you require to know I would have you know that it is to know God himself the worker of all things and to passe into him by a whole image of likeness as by an essentiall contract and bond whereby thou mayst bee transformed and made as God as the Lord spake concerning Moses saying Behold I have made thee the God of Pharaoh This is that true high occult Philosophie of wonderfull vertues We must dye I say dye to the world and to the flesh and all senses and to the whole man animal who would enter into these closets of secrets occult Philosophicall Magicall secrets not because the body is separated from the soul but because the soul leaves the body Of which death Paul wrote to the Colossians Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ And elsewhere he speaks more clearly of himself I knew a man whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knows caught up into the third Heaven By this their theomancy they suppose that Moses did shew so many Signs and turned the rod into a Serpent and the waters into blood and that he sent Frogs Flys Lice Locusts Caterpillers fire with Hail botches and boyles on the Egyptians c. By this art of miracles Joshua commanded the Sun to stand still Elisah called down fire from Heaven upon his enemies restored a dead child to life Daniel stopt the mouths of the Lyons the three children sang songs in the fiery furnace Moreover by this art the incredulous Jews affirm that even Christ did so many miracles Salomon also very well knew this art and delivered charms against Devils and their bonds and the manner of conjurations and against diseases This is that Alphabetary and Arithmeticall Theologie which Christ in private manifested to his Apostles and which Paul speaketh to the perfect only 1 Cor. 2. 6 7. John 37. 7. He sealeth up the hand of every man that all men may know his work This place the Chirosophers or Câ—iromancers abuse to proove their Palmistry and their jugling Prognostications by the fictitious lines and mounts in the hand Isa 1. 16. Wash ye make you clean all this they apply to the ceremoniall emundations or purifactions which they prescribe as requisite to the operations of Theurgicall Magick 1 Kings 4. 33. Hereupon they believe that King Salomon exceeded in Magicall skill and that all those things here spoken of doe bear before them certain powers of naturall Magick Dan 4. 33. Nebuchadnezzar being driven from among men and eating grasse as Oxen c. This they urge as a proof of the possibillity of veneficall and metamorphosing or transforming Magick That the Brazen Serpent set up by Moses in the wildernesse was but a meer Talisman which drove away Serpents and healed the bitings of them And that the Iews made the Golden Calf to no other end than to serve as a â—alisman as their Astrologers think to aucupate the favour of Venus and the Moon against the influences of Scorpio and Mars which are adverse unto them I know not whether or no by the very same vertue of Resemblance which is found betwixt God and man Let us make man in our image after our likenesse it hath not rightly been affirmed by some Divines that the Son of God would nevertheless have become man yet without suffering death though Adam had not fallen The art of Divination of Dreams is grounded upon resemblance as may appear out of the holy Bible where Joseph foretold the Cup-bearer that within three dayes he should be restored to his office because he had dreamed that he pressed three clusters of Grapes into Pharaohs Cup c. So at the seven years of plenty and dearth by the seven fat and lean kine Eccles 1. 16 17. 7. 25. By the words spoken in the good sense sayes R. Salomon we understand Sciences divine under which he comprehends Astrologie and by the other words in the bad sense those that are unlawfull in which number he reckons the Magick of the Aegyptians to which some will also intitle Moses They the later Rabines say that Moses who was a learned Astrologer making use of his knowledge in these secrets gave the Jewes those Lawes which he grounded upon the harmony of the Planetary Zepheros As for example he instituted the fourth Commandement Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day because this day was governed by Saturn who might cause those works that were undertaken on this day to be unprosperous and that Moses therefore thought it fit that the people should rest on this day The fifth Commandement Honour thy father and thy mother hath reference to the Sphere of Jupiter which is benign The sixth thou halt not kill to Mars who hath the government of Wars and Murders The seventh thou shalt not commit adultery to Venus who rules over concupiscentiall motions and so of all the rest That our Saviour Christ Saturn having part in his Nativity and so rendring him sad and pensive seemed to be older than he was Whereupon the Jewes took occasion to say unto him Thou art not yet fifty years old c. Abarbanel saith that Sol was the chiefest from whom they the Rabbinicall Astrologers took their Omens of good and this was the reason saith the same Authour that when God caused King Hezekiah to be born again as it were the second time hee made choyse of the Sun to be the sign by which this miracle should be wrought Psal 19. 4. Their line is gone out through all the earth We may understand it spoken of the starrs which are ranged in the heavens after the manner of letters in a book or upon a sheet of Parchment Ier. 1. 14. Out of the North an evill shall break forth c. or shall be opened We may render this Prophecie in these words all evills shall be described or written from the northward And if written then certainly to be read from this side Most properly therefore doe wee in this coelestiall writing begin to read disasters and misfortunes from the Northern part Iesus Christ when he was on earth with the dust of that earth he made the blind to see and of meer water he made wâ—ne These were the visible elemenrs of his Physick or rather so the notion offend you not of
water of silver Mercury of the Sun secret water water of the Sea of life miraculous white water permanent water the spirit of the body the unctuous vapour the blessed water the vertuous water the water of the wisemen the Philosophers vinacre the minerall water the dew of heavenly grace the seed of divine benediction heaven of earth earth of heaven stone salt fire caement balsome venerable nature our Philosophicall Chaos first matter matrix mother mother of the Chaos quintessence Nothing And yet the waters upon whose face the spirit of God moved must needs be understood of this chymicall chimericall fancy and foppery This earth to earth is just the doctrine of the Magi. Metals say they and all things may be reduced into that whereof they are made They speak the very truth it is Gods own principle and he first taught it Adam Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou return And so let all vain arts and vile adulteratings of holy Scripture But I am weary with writing and have nauseated the Christian Reader yet had I not troubled my self or them with these collections had I not found them dispersed in English to the great dishonour of our Church and danger of our people Nor would I have added a word of reply to the confidence of asserting there 's enough in that to overthrow it self but for the impudence of challenging And for that cause I could willingly have said more but that I had an eye to the question and that part of it whether the recitation be not refutation enough I am not altogether ignorant or unaware that these are but the scatterings and sprinklings in comparison of those wherewith the Rabbinizing and Christianizing Magicians and Astrologers yea and Chymists too seek to stuff out their portentous volumes yea to fraight their very fragments and paint their very Pamphlets glad to snatch at and crowd in any place of Scripture upon any occasion that so they might pretend some consistency nay and convenience of their imposturous Arts and Artifices with the pure word of God But let all those depravations perish in their own dung for any further raving of mine who am loath to rake further into them unforced CHAP. II. 2. From the truth of Faith 1. WHether it be not the sole property of the prime verity to require simply a Faith or belief unto himself and to the Doctrine of his divine authority and revelation and therfore not belonging to any humane art science discipline or institution whatsoever much lesse to be arrogated to any that is diabolicall and prestigious yea vain unnecessary and unprofitable Wherefore then should Faith pure Faith be so precisely required and severely exacted above all other helps and means to the study and profession proficiency and successe of Magick and magicall operations 2. Whether Magick and Astrologie as indeed all ascititious and commentitious errours and heresies of any art study or profession whatsoever have not proceeded from a false and superstitious Faith and such as is no whit analogall either to the object or to the end of true religious Faith and not only so but altogether excessive and repugnant thereunto 3. For as much as Almighty God requires not a Faith in those things which he hath not revealed Why then should Magicians exact it to their mysteries which they so often check at themselves and one another for revealing nay professe or pretend themselves whether through envy or ignorance as adjured not to reveal 4. All Faith is not only in the Intellect but also in the Will And therefore ere it be believed how prove they that Magick ought either to be assented to as true and demonstrable or yet to be affected as good and lawfull 5. Whether all that can be supposed to those they call the Mathematicall arts and sciences be sufficient to acquire unto them an assent of Faith properly so called suppose some probable truth is not an assent of opinion enough to that Suppose some necessary truth is not an assent of reason sufficient for that Suppose some reall effect will not assent of experiment now serve the turn Is nothing answerable to all or the best of these but only a Faith which properly is either in God or of the things of God or at least to those things which are directly in order to God But suppose there be none of those must now this prime assent be allowed where all the other are justly to be denied 6. Right and pure Faith is neither of a bare proposition although true nor yet of a meer prediction although probable but of a divine promise only and that not only because certain and infallible but because good and beneficiall neither is there in either of the other the substance or evidence of things hoped for but in this last alone And therefore if Magicians and Astrologers cannot afford us such a promise ought we not justly to disclaim an adherence acquiescence affiance or confidence in any of their propositions or predictions whatsoever 7. Faith is properly in the heavenly mysteries of divine revelation such as cannot be otherwise attained unless they be infused nor otherwise comprehended but by faith alone Now as for the Secrets of Philosopâ—…e are they not acquisite and such as may be attained by industrie study discourse reading observation art science experience yea and sufficiently assented to by the light of nature lense reason opinion perswasion And though peradventure some Secrets of Philosophie such as are true and usefull may be divinely revealed or infused yet for as much as that is but to the common light of Nature Sense or Reason which for assent considers not the authority of God revealing but the evidence of the thing revealed How then can this be of Faith which is speciall and supernaturall altogether 8. A divine supernaturall infused theologicall Faith is given not because of the appearance or evâ—dence of the thing propounded but because of the authority and infallibility of the proposer And daâ—e they arrogate thus much to their Art or excuse their defect of evidence through a presumption of infallibility But if it be a naturall acquisite humane or civill faith or assent which they expect then we ask where the evidence proof demonstration reason For though reason follows the first yet it precedes the second kind of faith 9. Whether a miraculous faith or the faith of Miracles such as must needs be the faith of Magicall miracles and Astrologicall Predictions abovt suâ—uâ—e contingents as it is defective in Theologie so it be not excessive to Philosophie That is although it be very incompleat in relation to divine doctrine yet whether it be not too transcendent for any humane discipline to exact 10 Whether it may be verily called a faith of Miracles to give credit unto Magick or Astrologie because of some mirandous or stupendious things either effected or foretold in as much as we are taught to believe that such things may be done both by false arts and
it as of other Sciences but that it did still muscitate in dark corners and durst never proclame it self but in darkened distracted times But doe not true Artists themselves call it Mechanicall And is not the highest speculation of it percepted and perfected by manuall instruments and those fallacious too as themselves complain So that it is a question whether is likeliest to be the greatest proficient the Student or the Apprentice in Astrologie 7. Can that indeed be a true laudable art or profession Many of those principles and most of whose practices abuse and overthrow the very principles and practices of other laudable and liberall arts and Sciences 8. What certainty or credit of such an art whose principles are Hypotheses or meer suppositions the conclusions but conjecturall and hardly probable at best the Authours obscure and of dubious saith the opinions contrary and oft-times contradictory and the practices imposturous nay prestigious 9. How can Astrologie be accounted as a liberall distinct and usefull art When as take away from it what it begs or rather steals to cover and colour it self withall from Physicks Opticks Geometry Arithmetick Astronomie and nothing is left of its own or peculiar to it self but a bare goeticall Genethliacism a fantasticall figure-flinging and a collusive calculating or casting of Nativities 10. Whether it be a clear and receptable distinction of Magick Theurgicall and Goeticall divine and Diabolicall white and black Magick and Astrologie good and evill 11. Seeing all the kinds of Magicall and Astrologicall Divination tend to one undue end the inordinate precognition and prediction of things future whether the object matter or signall means of Divining by things in heaven or on earth be sufficient to distinguish the art or act unto lawfull or unlawfull good and bad 12. Whether those Magicall and Astrologicall Writers that would seem so nicely busie in distinguishing doe not confound themselves ere they are aware and while they would pretend to sift from their art and reject so many opinions and practices as vain fabulous superstitions idolatrous imposturous prestigious diabolicall doe not themselves nevertheless retain and seek to establish too many of the same branne 13. Whether the Divination of things future especially such as concern the Soul mind will affections be a Science naturall spirituall artificiall or diabolicall If naturall where are the innate principles primely seminated common to all men perspicuous to perceive and profitable to life and actions If spirituall where 's the extraordinary revelation speciall illumination universall edification If artificiall where are the true and certain rules reasons demonstrations all opposite to vanity chance delusion 14. May not an art be justly suspected nay censured for diabolicall not only because of a compact either explicite or implicite or of an invocation adjuration imprecation c. but also because of a superstitious assent proud curiosity presumptuous temptation inordinate means and incommodious nay pernicious end and use 15. If Magicall divining or Astrologicall predicting had any thing of a lawfull and laudable Art or Science would God have forbidden it Nay would he not have taught it his own People If it had been usefull to his Church why suffred he none of his Servants to professe or practise it why permitted he it to begin and proceed amongst Pagans Idolaters Atheists but that the Devill had a hand in it and mens corruptions led them to it 16. Whether Magick and meer Astrologie was more simple and innocent of old than of late If so what glory of Pagans what shame of Christians Wherefore vaunts one of the Arts growing to perfection and complains another of its falling into degenerateness Alas what perfection of a thing not proved to be good and what degeneratness of a thing too evidently evill from the very first 17. How can such an art or science be true and certain which teaches no right end for the most part reaches not its own end and uses means ordained to no such end 18. Wherefore have the Artists pickt or rather patcht their words of art out of all languages orientall and occidentall Is it on purpose to impose upon mens admiration and upbraid ignorance to those that understand them not as they would themselves I cannot think as they doe themselves For then why are they so various in accepting translating paraphrasing and explaining a many of them Why conclude they the most barbarous insignificant words to be most efficacious in operating Is not this strange that words which operate nay signify nothing to the apprehension should be made the great significators and operators of things both in heaven and earth while their words or tearms are worse than secoud notions exotick barbarous non-significant non sensuall is not there the vanity of their art but when they once grow to be blasphemous execrable profane diabolicall what vileness and abhomination must that of necessity be 19. For as much as every true science abhors equivocall tearms and voyces what may we call that art that besides them uses equivocall sentences and conclusions And indeed knows not well how to use any else and therefore wholly rejoyces in them Of the two which is more ambiguous the Oracles of Apollo or the divining predictions of Magicall Astrologers But what marvell is it that the Scholars should speak altogether after their own Schools dialect only on would think they should hate themselves in their own precocity 20. Whether the very principles and rules of Astrologie or any proposition or prognostication as well touching weatherly events as arbitrary contingents may not be directly proved among them both pro and con 21. Whether Astrologers old and new have alwaies used the same names figures characters instruments calculations computations hieroglyphicks houses suppositions significations distinctions order c. And wherefore were they altered and with what concent yet remaining between them 22. How many new inventions and devices in Astrologie so that almost every later writer accounts it his only glory in the art to have found out that himself which he confidently avers the learned before him never once observed 23. Whether the sundry ways of calculating computing inventing or finding out of altitudes longitudes latitudes amplitudes magnitudes multitudes c. be all demonstrable and doe not rather enervate and impede the certainty and facility of one another 24. Who of them is able to reconcile and salve all the anomalies irregularities obliquities epicicles fictitious circles retrogradations intercalations intervals contrary motions inequalities of appearance peregrinations corrections suppositions oppositions c. that they usually talk of in their art 25. When will the Genethliacks compose the differences among themselves about the best way of calculating about the constituting of the natalitiall theame about some significations of the Stars about the choice of significators which they say are so hard to be judged of because of the equall reasons and authorities on both parts Now must not such variousness of their science beget erroneousness of their
the directions which are not only inobservable by the Attenders but in explicable and so confest by the propounders themselves But wee l take them at their word let wisedome be pursued to some purpose and then all their other cautions or conditions will prove to no purpose 17. Whether the confused cautions of dayes hours minutes points numbers measures degrees orders harmonies similitudes congruities dispositions compositions elections preparations observations fabrications c. argue not their art or artifice a difficult vanity an unprobable fiction an imposible operation 18. What fickle tickle fallible arts are Magick Astrologie Alchymie to have so many cautious directions ceremonies circumstances and they so difficult to be apprehended more difficult to be observed and yet the ignorance as they say neglect or miscarriage of the least circumstance enough to frustrate the whole substance or effect 19. Upon what pretexet is it that ther are such caveats in Magick Astrologie Alchymie yea and Sorcery it self for fasting abstinence cleanness of affections members garments habitation instruments c. since the arts themselves are unclean and the best of them by their own confession not throughly purged therefrom 20. Is it not well known that the Devill even in the most execrable arts and acts of conjuration inchantment sorcery witch-craft hath cautioned admonished and exhorted to fasting prayer chastity charity justice forbearing of certain sins frequenting of divine ordinances Now will any say these arts or acts were any whit the better or safer for those cautionings and conditionatings so pâ—erequired 21. What good end else can there be of their own counselling and warning that an Astrologer be a man both expertly Ethicall and Physicall Save that as he should not exercise his own so he should not Prognosticate of others manners beyond all grounds of morality And that he should correct or rather prevent his Astrologicall Prognostications by true physicall principles 22. Whether this be not a proper caution for all Astrologers to forewarn one another of gazing so long upon the stars till they fall as one of them did into the ditch 23. Whether it be not the best caveat that can be given to an Astrologer and so confest by some of them to account it most safe and sure after all inspection of the stars to look to the Parents for the constitution to the temper for qualities to the will for actions to industry and externall means for acquisitions and to divine providence for events 24. VVhether any sound Orthodox Christian ever did write in the approof of judiciary and predicting Astrologie And if any such have treated of the speculation if their recantation followed not after it then with what moderation and reiterated caution yea and that so severe so sincere as that a Christian Reader might easily perceive it was the caution which he intended through the main of the discourse and not the Institution CHAP. XIII 13. From the contrariety of opinions IF that be not worthy to be called a Science which consists only in opinion what then shall we call that which is nothing else almost but a contrariety of opinions A contrariety about the grounds of the art about the operation upon those grounds and about the effects of those operations Such a contrariety as is irreconcilable the Opinors or Opinionists old and new each of them contending to plant his own and supplant the others opinions And such a variety of contrarieties that were all their Authors at hand it might be inquired if a glancing eye might not soon observe and a running hand transcribe about every point and particular of their art almost ten for one of these that are here set down 1. About the nature and office of the Gods Spirits Angels Demons and Heroes 2. About the principles of good and evill 3. About the originall and defect of oracles 4. About the first Author and inventors of Magick and Astrologie 5. About the causes in vaticinating good and bad 6. About the figure and durance of the world 7. About the principles of all things especially of the celestiall bodies 8. About the number and site of the celestiall orbes 9. About the solidity of the celestiall orbes 10. About the order of the orbs or sphears 11. About the motions of the eighth sphear 12. About the revolution of the ninth sphear 13. About the magnitude of the Stars 14. About their number 15. About their form 16 About their order 17. About their light 18. About their distance both one from another and from the earth 19. About their scintillation or their trepidation 20. About their fixation and volitation 21. About the motion of the fixed Stars 22. About the variation of the latitude of the fixed Stars 23. About the antick and postick the right hand and left hand of Stars 24 About the time or space of the Stars fulfilling their degrees or courses 25. About the names numbers and order of the Planets 26. About the magnitude and distance of the planets 27. About the influences of the Planets 28. About the prime generation and ultimate resolution of those influences 29. About the benevolence and malevolence of Planets generall and particular corporall and mentall 30. About the proper Houses of the Planets and their efficacities there 31. About the fabrefaction of the twelve Houses 32. About the Suns being the center of the visible world 33. About the latitude of the Moon 34. About the Semidameters of the Sun Moon and shadow of the earth 35. About the proportion and magnitude of the three great bodies the Sun the Moon and the Earth 36. About the tearms limits bounds or ends of the Planets 37. About the new Stars 38. About Comets their nature substance site figure portent 39. About the appellations and the operations of the twelve Signs 40. About the assigning of the severall parts of the body to severall Planets and Signs 41. About the subjecting of such and such Cities and Countries to such and such Stars and Planets and parts of the Zodiack 42. About the visible and invisible Sun and Moon 43. About the motion and quiescency of the Earth 44. About the Earths being a meer Star one of the Planets and having her annuall motion round about the Sun 45. About the propriety and inconstancy of the Moons light 46. About the more powerfull acting of the Stars whether from their light or motion 47. About the Galaxia or milkie way 48. About the number of the zones the torrid the frigid and their habitableness 49. About the elevation of the Pole and its investigation 50. About the Meridian the constitution elevation and the difference thereof from divers Cities and places 51. About the circumference of the sensible Horizon 52. About the computation of times 53. About the Kalendar and its reformation or correction 54. About the beginning and end of the year 55. About the Solar year and the quantity thereof 56. About the beginning of the naturall day 57. About the equation of civill dayes 58.
About the election of dayes to such and such actions 59. About the planetary hours and the divisions of them 60. About the inherency and efficiency of the first qualities heat cold drought and moysture 61. About the effectualness of Symmetricall and harmonicall proportions 62. About the way of constituting the figures of Heaven 63. About the erecting and the correcting of theams and scheams 64. About the best and truest way of calculating 65. About the Astrologicall Tables 66. About inequalities 67. About elections 68. About rectifications 69 About the number of aspects 70. About the Lord of the geniture and his election 71. About the making choice of significators 72. About the deducing of the space of life 73. About judging of the morall disposition of the mind 74. About judging of the configuration or stature of the body 75. About the way of judging upon fortune and riches 76. About the reserving their yearly judgement to the true or apparent rising or setting of the Stars 77. About the searching out the Genius of a man by the Stars 78. About matters to be more or lesse regarded and esteemed in astrological judgement 79. About the reading of the Stars by hieroglyphicks characters letters syllables words sentences aspects conjunctions constellations oppositions configurations resemblances c. 80. About the portents of prodigies celestiall or terrestriall 81. About the vertue and power of contract sight sound voice breath numbers characters rings seals images c. 82. About the force of imagination 83. About the causes much more the interpretation of dreams 84. About the use and verâ—ue of lots 85. About the authentiqueness of their own authors old and new out of whom might be collected many a century of contrary and contradictory opinions Now since they themselves are not agreed upon the grounds and means of their art why should they expect that we should consent to such effects and issues of it as they pretend Is it not just and meet that they should first reconcile one another to truth ere they require our faith who will believe a certain or probable prognostication or prediction by such means and wayes as they themselves believe not but contradict and impugn not only as uncertain and improbable but as vain and false While some of them are so modest as to plead only for a probability what is this but to confesse that this art or science is nothing else but an opinion or conjecture But while there are such varieties diversities contrarieties and contradictions of opinions what does this prove but that all their conjecturings and opinings are but opinions against opinions or but opinions upon opinions or else nothing at all CHAP. XIV 14. From the absurdity of Errours VVHether the grosse errours that have been and are and ever will be some or others of them in Magick and Astrologie arise from the evill disposition of the Authors or of the Arts And in the Arts whether from the misapplyed circumstances or ceremonies and not rather from the misimagined substance and scope For from some accidentall mistakes only how can it be credible or possible that such puerile hallucinations and anile delirations should once have sprung or spread in the world as touching the nature originall matter form quantity quality site orders numbers figures motions and effects of the celestiall bodies As namely 1. That the Sun is nothing else but an Oven or hollow furnace full of fire 2. That the Sun is a golden turf or clod 3. That the Sun is made either of burning stone or iron 4. That the matter of the Sun is glassey or made of glasse 5. That the sun is the compact of severall flames 6. That there are two suns in the firmament one archetypall and invisible and the other sun which we see but the image or shadow of that which we see not 7. That the sun rising out of the Sea and setting in the Sea is kindled in the East and quenched in the West 8. That the sun is no bigger than it seems 9. That the sun is of the same breadth as is the earth 10. That the sun is bipedall or hath two feet 11. That the sun is not above a foot broad 12. That the sun is sometimes bigger sometimes lesser 13. That the sun stands still and the earth moves round about it 14. That the sun was at first a mortall man and first reigned in Egypt and because of his common benefits was translated into Heaven and immortalized there 15. That the moon is in magnitude equall to the sun 16. That the moon is bigger than the earth about nineteen times bigger than it 17. That the moon is an earthy substance covered over with a mist 18. That it is inhabited by many huge living creatures 19. That it is planted in a much more flourishing manner with trees and herbs than is the earth in its prime 20. That there are in it Fields and groves and mountains and vallys c. 21. That the moon consists of an unequall constitution earthy and frigid 22. That it is of an hot and fiery constitution 23. That it is partly conspicuous partly obscure 24. That the moon is endowed with an intellectuall mind 25. That it is an half fiery sphear a fiery compacted cloud 26. That it is mingled of ayr and fire 27. That it is an ascension or rather an accession collected from the vapours of sweet waters 28. That it attracts to it earthly dregs 29. That in the globe of the moon as in a glasse the received species of mountains are represented 30. That the inequality of the moon is caused because of some bodies interjected betwixt it and the sun 31. That the moon sometimes leaves the heavens 32. That an Asse once dranke up the moon That a great Dragon devoured it 33. That the moon dyes when she is in the Eclipse 34. That there is another earth within the concave of the moon and that men live there after the same manner as they doe here 35. That the moon is made of green Cheese and that there is a man in the moon with a bush at his back this I adde from the vulgar which doubtless took it up from such authours and urge it with like authority 36. That the Stars are made of an earthy porish matter much like to that of a pumice stone 37. That every Star is a world by it self containing in it both ayr and earth 38. That the Stars are composed of fiery clouds which like coals are quencht all the day time and kindled again at night 39. That the Stars are formed of ayr and are turned about like wheels and being full of fire spit out flames 40. That the Stars are fiery stones and the Sun the great burning stone amongst them 41. That the Stars are nourished by vapours abstracted and ascending from the ayr and the earth 42. That the Stars are animate sensible rationall and intelligent creatures 43. That the Stars are capable of vertues morall vertues and
in disposing the creature neither ought men so to do beyond the great Law of using the creature aright and to those very ends for which God ordained it For it can never be lawful or warrantable so to transgresse natures order as to abuse the creature in any kinde Now do they not know that the creature may as well be spiritually and speculatively abused by superstition and curiosity as practically and carnally by violence or sensuality 9. Why amongst all the Miracles that Christ wrought against the Devils among men and in the other creatures he did work none at all from or by the heavenly bodies the stars Besides the reason above mentioned why he refused to shew a signe from heaven this may now be added above all the rest It was because there now was a greater Miracle wrought upon the earth then ever was wrought in the Heavens Even the mysterious Miracle or miraculous Mystery of God and Man Doing such works upon earth as whereat the Angels and whole powers of heaven might well stand amazed with admiration Indeed there was a wonder in Heaven a star a new star at his birth and another wonder in Heaven an Eclipse of the Sun a new Eclipse at his death Such a star and such an Eclipse as were miracles in their nature site motion portent to all other stars and Eclipses Such a star and such an Eclipse as were the mysteries of all other stars and Eclipses Set apart to signifie his power in Heaven at the greatest instants of his infirmity upon earth Thus they testified of him and yet was not among these Miracles nor mighty works that were wrought by him 10 Whether Miracles may be wrought out of the Church Although we make not the power of working miracles to be the perpetual note of Gods Church yet we determine the Church to be the proper seat of them And in determining we do thus distinguish That God may be pleased to work miracles all the world over and that by his Angels as his Ministers in the Government thereof but employs not men to that purpose sâ—ve onely within his Church And do distinguish again that privative miracles or those of wrath and judgment may be wrought out of the Church but not positive or those of Grace and mercy And our reasons are 1. Because the main end of working Miracles is for the plantation and confirmation of the Gospel the truth of Gods word and that cannot be without the Church 2. The power of working Miracles is from a promise and that belongs to the Church alone 3. In a Miracle is considerable not so much the evident effect as the secret intent and this consideration is onely for the faithful in the Church 4. The truth of the word is not to be measured by miracles but the truth of miracles by the Word and where is that but in the Church 5. Miracles tend as to the glory of God so to the edification of the Godly and who looks for that or them out of Gods Church 6. Satans stupendous prodigies are mostly wrought out of the Church but Gods wonderful miracles within it 7. Though it hath been said that miracles were intended for Infidels yet were they not effected but by believers and by believers either to convince or to convert those Infidels 11. Whether wicked men and reprobates may be workers of miracles Not by Angelical assistance not by diabolical confederation not by the secret of Nature not by the study of Art but by divine dispensation they may 1. Because God may be pleased to employ them to this purpose and yet give them no more but a faith of miracles which is common to reprobates 2. Because that of miracles is a gift not simply making accepted but may be given onely for others sakes 3. God hath wrought miracles by dead instruments and why not by men of a dead faith and dead in trespasses and sinnes 4. Wicked men may be used in the working of miracles for a testimony of Gods truth yet not in a manifestation of their own graces 5. Bad men have been imployed in working of miracles that good men might not be proud or overweening of common gifts 6. The working of miracles is not appropriated to godly men lest ordinary Graces might be undervalued and weak Christians might take scandal and despair in their defect of the extraordinary gift 12. Wherein differ true and false miracles or divine and diabolical Theological and magical 1. The one kind are wrought by God by Angels Prophets Apostles and sometimes by the Saints the other not but by devils magicians Juglers ungodly men 2. The one are solid and real in effect the other are phantasmatical and praestigiously deceiveing the sense 3. The one God freely calls to do the other are not done but by tempting both God and the Devil 4. The one are serious and upon occasions of importance the other are ludicrous and serve to make vain men sport 5. The one tend to confirm the Church the other to seduce from it 6. The one are liberal the other mercenary 7. The one profitable the other pernicious 8. The one make humble and modest the other arrogant and full of ostentation 9. The one serves to instruct the other onely to astonish 10. The one are wrought with devout Prayer Supplication Thanksgiving the other by superstitious imprecation adjuration incantation with many ridiculous signes and execrable ceremonies nothing pertaining to the producing of the effect And thus they differ in their Authors instruments dignity quality duration utility end and effect 13. Whether Magicians Conjurers Inchanters Witches c work not their miracles or rather signes wonders prodigies portents by the devils means It is affirmed that they do so for these reasons 1. Because they do them not by God Angels Nature or Art as appears sufficiently by what hath been said already and therefore they must needs do them by the devil 2. Because they operate upon a compact which is evident in that invocation adoration sacrifice immolation c. is hereunto required 3. Because they operate by idolatrous superstitious sorcerous execrable ridiculous signes rites and ceremonies 4. Because they secretly invoke although they outwardly would seem to command which imploration and imperiousnesse yea and dissimulation between both these is to God and good Angels abominable 5. Because their Prayers and preparations are blaspheming railing execrating threatning prophane superstitious absurd ridiculous which neither God nor good Angel can indure 6. Because they seek either to allure or compel their operating power by things sensible 7. Because the fact exceeding Natures order and Arts efficacy yet there can be no reasonable cause why such an effect should be ascribed either to God or good Angels 8. Because the effect is by them ascribed to times places figures characters rites ceremonies c. 9. Because there are used hereunto words besides names of God and Angels barbarous unknown insignificant incoherent apocryphal superstitious sorcerous detorted absurd
therefore in every work and application of things affect vehemently imagine hope and believe strongly for that will be a great help Therefore he that works in Magick must be of a constant belief be credulous and not doubt at all of the obtaining the effect 13. The Arabians say that mans minde when it is most intent upon any work through its passion and effects is joyned with the mind of the stars and intelligences and being so joyned is the cause that some wonderful vertue be infused into our works and things And according to this is verifyed the Art of Characters Images Inchantments and some speeches and many other wonderful experiments to every thing which the minde affects For all those things which the minde acts and dictates by characters figures words speeches gestures and the like help the appetite of the soul and acquire certain wonderful vertues as from the soul of the Operator in that hour when such a like appetite doth invade it so from the opportunity and coelestial influence moving the mind in that manner And it is a general rule in them that every minde that is more excellent in its desire and affections makes such like things more fit for it self as also more efficacious to that which it desires Every one therefore that iâ— willing to work in Magick must know the vertue measure order and degree of his own soul in the power of the universe 14. Those words are of greater efficacy then others which represent greater things as intellectual coelestial supernatural as more expresly so more mysteriously Also those that come from a more worthy tongue or from any of a more holy order for these as it were certain signes and representations receive a power of coelestial and supercoelestial things as from the vertue of things explained of which they are the vâ—hicula so from a power put into them by the vertue of the speaker 15. Proper Names of things are very necessary in magical operations Hence Magicians say that proper Names of things are certain rayes of things every where present at all times keeping the power of things as the essence of the thing signified rules and is discerned in them and know the things by them as by proper and living images According to the properties of the influences proper Names result to things Every voyce therefore that is significative first of all signifies by the influence of the coelestial harmony Secondly by the imposition of man although oftentimes otherwise by this then by that But when both significations meet in any voice or name which are put upon them by the said harmony or men then that name is with a double vertue viz. Natural and arbitrary made most efficacious to act as oft as it shall be uttered in due place and time and seriously with an intention exercised upon the matter rightly dispofed and that can naturally be acted upon by it 16. In compoâ—ing of verses and orations for the attracting the vertue of any star or Deity you must diligently consider what vertues any star containes as also what effects and operations and to infer them in verses by praysing extolling amplifying and setting forth those things which such a kind of star is wont to cause by way of its influence and by vilifying and dispraising those things which it is wont to destroy and hinder And by supplicating and begging for that which we desire to get and by condemning and detesting that which we would have destroyed and hindred And after the same manner he make an elegant oration and duely distinct by Articles with competent numbers and proportions 17. Moreover Magicians command that we call upon and pray by the names of the same star or name to them to whom such a verse belongs by their wonderfull things or miracles by their courses and waies in their sphere by their light by the dignity of their kingdome by the beauty and brightness that is in it by their strong and powerfull vertues and by such like as these Besides with the divers sorts of the names of the stars they command us to call upon them by the names of the Intelligences ruling over the starres themselves 18. Magicians command that in every worke there be imprecations and inscriptions made by which the Operator may expresse his affection That if hee gather an herbe or a stone he declare for what use he doth it if he make a picture he say and write to what end he maketh it 19. When thou art working any thing which belongs to any planet thou must place it in its Dignities fortunate and powerfull and ruling in the day houre and in the figure of the Heaven Neither shalt thou expect the signification of the worke to be powerfull but also thou must observe the Moon opoortunely directed to this for thou shâ—lt doe nothing without the assistance of the Moon And if thou hast more patternes of thy work observe them all c. 20. Thou shalt observe that the Angles of the Ascendant and a tenth and Seventh be fortunate as also the Lord of the Ascendent and place of the Sunne and Moon and the place of part of the Fortune and the Lord thereof and the Lord of the foregoing conjunction and prevention c. 21. Magicians advise us that in casting or in graving Images we would write upon it the name of the effect and this upon the back when evill as destruction on the belly when good as love Moreover in the forehead of the Image let be written the name of the species or individuum which the Image represents or for whom or against whom it is made Also on the breast let the name of the signe or face ascending and the Lord thereof be written also the names and characters of its Angles Moreover in making the Image they advise that prayer for the effect for which it is made bee used Now they use the Images being made diversly according to the vertues thereof Sometimes they hang them or bind them to the body sometimes they bury them under the earth or a River sometimes they hang them in a chimney over the smoak or upon a tree that they may be moved by the wind sometimes with the head upward and sometimes downward sometimes they put them into hot water or into the fire For they say as the workers of the Images do affect the Image it selfe so doth it bring the like passions upon those to whom it was ascribed as the mind of the Operator hath dictated it 22. To make one fortunate we make an image in which these are fortunate viz. the significator of the life thereof the givers of the life the signes and planets Moreover to the Ascendant the middle of the heaven and the Lords thereof be fortunate also the place of the Sunne and place of the Moon part of Fortune and Lord of conjunction or prevention made before their nativity by depressing the malignant planets But if we will make an Image to procure misery
certaine supplications and fumes being made the event of the thing did appeare in the glasse There was also not farre from Epidaurus a City of Licaonia a deep Fume which was called the water of Iuno into which cakes of Corn being cast answers were given fortunate if the waters did quietly retaine what was cast in but unhappy if they did as it were scorning of them cast them back We read that Hermes Socrates Xenocrates Plato Plotine Heraclitus Pythagoras and Zoroastes were wont to abstract them selves by rapture and so to learne the knowledge of many things Also there was in Proconnesus a Philosopher of wonderfull knowledge called Atheus whose soule sometimes went out of the body and after the visitation of places farre remote returned again into the body more learned Also the soule of Harman Clezomenius was wont to wander abroad his body being left and to bring true tidings of things very farre off And there are even to this day in Norway and Lapland very many who can abstract themselves three whole daies from their body and being returned declare many things which are afar off Amphiarus the Prophet commanded those who would receive Oracles to abstaine one whole day from meat and three daies from wine that the soule could not rightly prophecy unlesse it were free from wine It was a custom amongst the Antients that they who should receive Answers certaine sacred expiations and sacrifices being first celebrated and divine worship ended did religiously lie down even in a consecrated chamber or at least in the skinnes of the sacrifices The Rulers of the Lacedaemonians were wont to lie down in the Temple at Pasiphae that they might dreame The same was done in the Temple of Aesculapius from whom true dreames were thought to be sent forth And the Calabrians consulting Podalyrius the sonne of Aesculapius did sleep neere his Sepulchre in Lamb skinnes for so doing they were told in their dreames whatsoeuer they desired to know There was formerly at Bura a town in Achaia an Oracle of Hercules constituted by a Chest board where he that went to consult of any thing after he had prayed cast foure Dice the cast of which the Prophet observing did finde written in the Chest board what should come to passe There was once at Pharis a City of Achaia in the middle of the Market a statue of Mercury where he that went to receive omen did Frankincense being fumed and candles being lighted which was set before it and that Countrey Coyne being offered on the right hand of the statue whisper into the right eare of the statue whatsoever he would demand and presently his eares being stopped with both his hands did make haste away from the Market place which when he was past did presently his eares being opened observe the first voyce he did heare from any man for a certaine Oracle given unto him The Pythagorean Philosophers being taken with desire of Oracles divine praises being celebrated did wash themselves in a river as in a bathe and did put on white rayment and linnen c. In like manner the Brachmanni the wise men of the Indians were wont to wash themselves naked in a fountain which is called Dirce in Boeotia their heads being first annointed with amber drops and odors fit for that purpose then after they were according to custome sufficiently cleane they were to goe forth about noon cloathed in white linnen with a white attire having rings on their fingers and staves in their hands In like manner among the Gymnosophists it was a custom to wash themselves thrice a day and twice in the night in cold water before they entred into the holy place c. The Brachmani did admit none to their Colledge but those that were abstinent from wine from flesh and vices saying that none could understand God but they that emulate him by a divine conversation which also Phraortes in Philostratus taught the lower Indians The Priests of the Athenians who are called in Greek Hierophantae as Hierome reports that they might live the more chastly in their sacred employments and might follow their divine affaires without lust were wont to castrate themselves by drinking of Hemlock Zoroastes the father and Prince of the Magicians is said to attain to the knowledge of all naturall and divine things by the solitude of twenty yeeres when he wrote and did very strange things concerning all the art of divining and sooth-saying The like things doe the writings of Orpheus to Musaeus declare him to have done in the desart of Thracia So we read that Epimenides of Crete because learned by a very long sleep for they say that he slept fifty yeeres idest to have laine hid so long Pythagoras also in like manner to have laine hid ten yeeres and Heraclitus and Democritus for the same cause were delighted with solitarinesse The Brachmanni of the Indians the Magicians of the Parsians the Gymnosophists of the Aegyptians the Divines of the Greekes and Chaldeans which did excell in divine secrets did apply themselves to divine vowes and prayers and thereby did effect many wonderfull things Abbot Ioachim proceeded no other way in his prophecies but by formall numbers 4. Of the diabolicall originall and obscure and spurious Inventers Authors and Tutors to praestigious Magick and divining Astrologie THe Delphian Oracle was first invented by a Goat and that 's the reason why a Goat is there immolated by the consulters For a goat looking into a great chink or cleft of the earth began to insult with strange voyce and gesture which made the admiring shepheards peepe in too and so were corrupted with fury to prediction The fame of this made it to be adjudged an earthly oracle and so a Tripode was built over it for divination It was first ascribed to Tellus Tellus gave it to Thenus and Thenus to Apollo Tages the nephew of Iupiter the sonne of a Genius or a Divel yea an evill Genius or a Divel himselfe taught the Hetrurians the aruspicinall discipline or the art of divining For as a certaine Plowman was plowing in the Tarquinian field there suddenly starts up from under a clod this Tages in the forme of a little child and spake to the Plowman at which he astonished cried out whereupon in came all the Hetrurians and then he taught them this art or discipline for the space of six houres together and they wrote it from his mouth and so he died or disappeared Some say that this Tages was onely a base obscure fellow and that he grew famous on a sudden from the art of divining Sosipatra a prophetesse the wife of Aedesius the Sophister had two Daemons in the form of old men that taught her the secrets of Magick for the space of five yeeres together A strange old woman came to Tarquin the proud and offered him nine books to sale which she said were divine Oracles and asking him a huge price for them the King laught at her for making so monstrous a demand whereupon