foretold the evils of the last dayes doth likewise set a conspicuous marke upon the times to signifie hee meanes the same times as Paul did Namely those that foregoe next before Christs appearance and Kingdome 2 Pet. 3.2 3 4. That yee may be mindfull of the words which were spoken before by the HOLY PROPHETS that is saith Marlorat the words which the Prophets spake concerning false Prophets which Peter had repeated 2 Epist Chap. 2. Vers 1. and of the last times Knowing this FIRST that there shall come in the last dayes scoffers saying Where is the promise of his COMMING For since the Fathers fell asleepe all things continue as they were from the creation As if they should say We see nothing of Christs appearances but outward providences or spiritual Ordinances But of Christs visible appearance at his COMMING we see no signe or symptome But saith Peter Verse 8. to the Saints Be yee not ignorant of this one thing that one day with the Lord is a thousand years and a thousand years as one day As if he should say in that hee makes this repetition according to the judgement not onely of all the most learned Hebrews but also of most learned Mede that Christs comming wil be sudden to these Scoffers as if it were but a day or two hence every thousand years and parts of a thousand years shal be but in proportion to a day and so much of a day The seven thousand years of the World is but as the seventh day of its age when at farthest if our account of years from the creation be so short as we make it of which we have cause to doubt shal be the Sabbatisme of rest on Earth as Paul must needs meane Heb. 4. demonstrated largely in our Treatise of the thousand years And that day a thousand yeares of refreshment to the people of God And it must be saith Peter Verse 12 13. at his comming that for their refreshment they must have injoy and be in New Heavens and a new Earth wherein though not afore shall dwell all righteousnesse And these new Heavens and new EARTH must be such as he hath promised which promise is Isa 65.17 to the end of the Chapter wherein this state of the new Heavens and new Earth is so explained as cannot not onely in my judgement but the judgement of most learned Mede be understood of supernatural glory in the highest Heavens Thus also we see Peter marks out unto us that the evill times and the evils of the times hee speaks of doe in his sense antecede and usher in the next appearance or COMMING of Christ to set up his Kingdome on Earth One word of Judes marks upon the times of evil he speaks of and then we shal lanch forth into the deepe and Sea of the evils of those times One marke is Vers 14. Enoch the SEVENTH from Adam prophesied of these or such as these saying Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousands of his Saints Enoch evidently according to the computation of Moses Gen. 5. and of Luke Chap. 3. was the seventh from Adam thus Adam Seth Enos Cainan Mahaleel Jared Enoch that is Exclusively making Adam onely the beginning of the All of mankinde Enoch was the seventh Father that came out of Adams loynes which is according to the minde of the Text The seventh FROM Adam that is The seventh of the Fathers that were FROM Adam Between Adam and Enoch were but six Fathers So between Adam and the Age of which Enoch Prophesied that the Lord should come with ten thousands of his Saints to judge are at most but six Ages six thousand yeares and then the state of things in the seventh Eòdem recidit the second Adam Christ restores the World to the perfection of the first Adam but with more stability The emphasis of the seventh from Adam must of necessity signifie some such thing and not meerly signifie the antiquity of the quotation For if that had been all the Apostle mentioning the story of Sodom and as an example of judgement by fire might also have quoted Lot but doth not of a certainty therefore the seventh from Adam hath some notable thing in it as all sevenths in the Old Testament have And the constant tenor of the Jewes in all ages is and hath been that towards the end of the six thousandth yeare of the World great will the change be And our Text tels us that according as Enoch was a seventh so in a proportion to that the Lord should come to judge now after the Apostles times in the last dayes of the World Immediatly afore which shall be mockers walking after their own ungodly lusts spoken long afore by the Apostles of Jesus Christ as our Apostle Jude tels us Vers 17 18. which is a second marke of those evil times he speaks of to be the forerunners of the very last times before Christs appearance For if the Apostles foretel these things long afore then they are the last times when these things shal come to passe CHAP. II. Shewing in GENERAL That these present times in which we now live are those evill times that precede next before that first appearance of Christ which is yet to come THIS wil appeare by an exact weighing the agreement that is between our times and the general expressions of our three Apostles of the last dayes Jude saith Vers 18. Men should walke after their owne lusts Peter saith 2 Epist Chap. 3. Vers 3. the selfe same words And in Epist 2. Chap. 2. Vers 1. There shall be false Teachers that shall bring in damnable heresies Paul saith 2 Tim. 3.1 They shal be perilous times And in 1 Epist Chap. 4. Vers 1. Men shall depart from the faith The summ of all is That men shal depart from their Principles they shal depart in opinion and practise from their once received Principles of truth and mor all enlightened consciences Just as t is sayd of the foolish Virgins Matth. 25. they had no Oyle in their Vessels to maintaine their Lamps of former profession Principia essendi Principles of the being of Godlinesse they never had namely True sanctifying grace for that could never have gone out or been utterly lost But Principia cognoscendi Principles of knowledge what as Christians they ought to think and doe namely The knowledge of the Word to some conviction on the conscience that they had Now from these Principles immediately afore Christs comming they were departed And so t is now in these our dayes Men once called Professors are turned topsy turve as wee Proverbially say from what they were both in opinion and practice They are most perilous times above all times afore them for wicked opinions and practises The wickedest times afore as the Jewes in the worst of times held the Old Testament and the Papists both Old and New though with many false glosses but these times with open mouth cast away all the Scriptures the ground of all divine truth And what
Margin of our greater English Bibles Namely Hee armeth them say those Notes against the Soothsayers of Babylon which would have borne them in hand that they KNEVV BY THE STARRS that God would not deliver them and that Babylon should stand But let us come more particularly to the words First T is evident here is mention of Diviners a word in our English generally taken in an ill sense to signifie those that by unlawfull Arts undertake to foretell future things And the Chaldee Syriack Arabick Greek and Ancient Latine and that of Vatabbus and Junius render the Text in part by Diviners and Divinations And Vatablus in his Notes upon this place saith Mendacium that is of Liars is in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of Astrologers And Junius in his Notes on this place saith Signa mendacium c. that is The signes of the Lyars of which see following in the 47. of Isa Vers 10. and so forward to Vers 14. And sure enough there in Isa 47.10 Astrologers expresly and under severall other names and notions also are bitterly inveighed against as we shall see after in the particular scanning of that place Let us add to all a little more particular sifting of the words of this 44. of Isa 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lyars is of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He feigned lyed and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Isa 44.25 are understood as Buxtorfe and R. Solomon and R. David affirme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inspicientes astra Astrologi that is Gazers upon the Starrs Astrologers And for the other word in this 44. of Isa Viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that you have here rendered in English Diviners wee scanned it afore in Deut. 18. shewing you how the Hebrews yea the Astrologer himselfe confesseth that it signifies Astrologers The intimations against Astrologie in this Text are first That it seemes prejudicate to Gods Creation and Redemption and Providence For when God would here comfort his people against Astrologers Predictions threatning evil to them the Lord that is most wise to order his words begins with this preface Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer and he that formed thee from the wombe that maketh all things and that Stretcheth forth the Heavens and spreadeth abroad the Earth Intending plainly thus much Feare not bondage under evill men and things as the Astrologers threaten for I am thy Redeemer that redeemes thee from troubles in spight of all Astrology Feare not those Astrologicall Genethliacos that is Casters of Nativities for I formed thee from the wombe Feare not their Predictions by the Starrs and Heavens for I spread and rowle them as I please Feare not their predicted evils for I make all things and spread the Earth as I please So that God pleads these of his Creation Redemption and providentiall preservation against the Astrologers opposing these by raising false feares from their lying Arts in the hearts of his people The second intimation is That God doth call and can and will make those Astrologers and Diviners Lyars and madd men All their predictions shal prove but lyes and madnesse and turne their pretended knowledge into foolishnesse Thirdly That the Lord will confirme the word of his servants and the counsell of his Messengers that is the Prophesies of his Prophets in opposition to all Astrologers Astrology opposeth the Word but that shall overthrow it The fourth place against Astrologie is Isa 47.12 13 14 It is spoken to Babylon Vers 1. The words are these Stand now with thine INCHANTMENTS and with the multitude of thy SORCERIES wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth if so be thou shalt be able to profit if so be thou mayst prevaile Thou art wearyed in the multitude of thy counsels let now the Astrologers the Starr-gazers the Monethly Prognosticators stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee Behold they shall be as stubble the fire shall burne them c. We see in the generall if we read but according to the English how Astrologers under all names and titles are enveighed against by God himselfe and in a holy way of Divine taunting of them The Original also is very ful and home to the same effect the first word or name in the 13. Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our English renders Astrologers is also by the ancient Greek Septuagint rendered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And by Junius also Astrologi that is Astrologers whose businesse according to the Hebrew is to view and behold the Heavens for Predictions For the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his prime and native signification signifies to play the Astrologer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Pagnin and Schindler is the Root whence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Astrologer Isa 47.13 Let now the Astrologers of Heaven c. stand up and save thee And this is the righter rendering of the word The Herbrew Doctors also expound it Astrologers R. Kimchi doth derive it from the Arabian Language in which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alhabram signifies the Decision of a matter as saith he the Astrologers are so called who decide and determine things by the prescript of the Starrs And to put the matter out of doubt that the Lord meanes Astrologers he useth another word by which he gives them a second name to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Gazers IN the Starrs Astronomers looke upon the Starrs to know their colour distance motion but Astrologers saith the Lord gaze in or into the Starrs that is theit businesse is to know the influence and predictions by Starrs as they pretend The Chaldee Targum doth also so render it namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gazers in or into the Starrs And their third name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our English renders Monethly Prognosticators Vatablus renders those who declare what shall come to passe every severall moneth The Arabian Version of this Verse renders them all three thus Let them arise and deliver thee who presage future things by the Starrs of Heaven who contemplate the Starrs and foretell thee what event shall be to thee All you see amounts to this that without faile Astrologers are here spoken against And how First As opposite to confidence in God As our Notes on the Bible affirme in these words He derideth say they their vaine confidence that put their trust in any thing but in God condemning also such Sciences which serve to no use but to delude the people and to bring them from depending on God Secondly As of the same ranke and much of the same abomination with Enchanters and Sorcerers Babylon useth both and as we heard afore from them that went farr in Astrologie that Astrologers that usually hitt any thing right cannot doe it but by helpe from the Devil Thirdly As a thing to be derided that any men should undertake to presage good when t is the counsell of God to bring evill upon a people Fourthly As a just thing with God
to curse and seduce the people of Israel So they make merchandise of Professors selling their soules to sin and Hell for the gaine they receive by teaching such Doctrines And on the other side if people will maintaine such Impostors for teaching such their Doctrines there must be something in those Doctrines that must exceedingly please that people Now the two ingredients mentioned in this Chapter and Preached in this Age by these Varlets please unsound hearted Professors exceeding wel namely Doctrines of adultery of lusts of the flesh and of much wantonnesse and Doctrines of heresie that there is no need of a Christ no need to labour or trouble themselves with faith and repentance and the rules of the Gospell Though they were once carryed on in a way of reformation in and through the knowledge of Christ yet now they may lay aside Christ and t is their LIBERTY so to doe and their corruption of practice is their perfection as they openly professe it in these evill dayes and though in the judgement of the Scriptures and of good men they are as BRUTE BEASTS and SPOTS and BLEMISHES to the beauty of the Church yet they count it pleasure to ryot in the day time of the Gospel and if need be of the naturall day and sporting themselves in their lascivious ways though good men count them deceivings But that nor our eares nor this place wil beare it many horrid particulars might be here recited of the practises of these times They speak great swellings but are but WORDS and of vanity Though they seeme to be Wells yet not to hold the waters of life Doctrines of godlinesse but onely pitts to catch mens soules in And though they seem to be high they are but Clouds and not set to raine and drop downe the Doctrines of truth but empty Clouds carryed up and downe with the tempests of temptations of motions of their lusts and admiration of a fresh auditory to adore them for their licentious and flesh-pleasing Doctrines Sixteenthly T is prophesied in 2 Pet. 3.3 4. That in the last dayes there shall be Scoffers walking after their owne lusts and saying Where is the promise of his comming for since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation Most exactly fulfilled in these dayes thousands of people alleadging the Scriptures as these doe for their licentiousnesse but refuse them where they are against them They settle themselves in a way of walking after their owne lusts and then turne Scoffers and despisers of the Doctrine of Heaven and Hell and the immortality of the soule as mine and others eares in part can witnesse Seventeethly and lastly T is prophesied in Jude Vers 18 19. That those scoffers in the last times walking after their owne ungodly lusts should separate themselves but are sensuall not having the spirit A most high impudence yet fulfilled in these times upon many These scoffers openly making local Heaven and Hell and the reunion of soule and body after death a meer fiction they utterly make voyd the whole frame and System of the Scriptures wherein we are taught the spirit and doe receive the spirit 2 Cor. 3. and yet wil pretend the spirit They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meer vegetable or animals in comparison of the spirit of grace yea live most sensually and contrarily to the operation of the spirit where it dwels and yet pretend to have the spirit They 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they separate segregate or put a notion of distinction on themselves in their owne opinion that they have the spirit that they are better then others that are more strict and yet the Apostle wil allow them to be but animals at the best yea Bruit beasts as yee heard 2 Pet. 2. as their lives testifie against them in that they walke after their owne lusts and not after the rules and ruleings of the spirit as it acts in them that have indeed the holy spirit Thus yee have a short survey of the mighty masse of evils of the last dayes yee have had also a parallel of those sinnes and these present times we now live in And not onely here in these Nations we live in but of other Nations beyond the Seas especially where peace and liberty have abounded after great troubles Their rotten hearted men their hellish Books and Writings and so their damnable opinions and wayes of practice have been transmitted hither so that the whole Earth the whole Christian World is corrupted before the Lord. What therefore can we expect but that the Lord should take up some such resolutions as he did Gen. 6. immediately afore the Flood to bring an universal destruction or desolation upon the generality of them that are called Professors or Christians called there the Sons of God And surely a thing to be trembled at God hath not been silent to tel as wel what shal be the judgement upon the sins of the last times as the sins of the last times And therefore if the sins of the last times be ours the judgements of the last times wil be ours unlesse some effectual course be taken For Gods threatnings are conditional in the meaning however expressed as we see in the story of Nineveh Though judgements are threatned in the same places of Scripture where we had the sins fore-prophesied 2 Tim. 3.1 Those last impious times shal be perilous times And 2 Pet. 2. Vers 1. 8. they shal bring upon themselves swift destruction whose judgement now of along time lingereth not and their damation slumbereth not 2 Pet. 3.10 The day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night in the which the Heavens shal passe away with a great noyse and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up Yet in the same Scriptures are directions for escape to them that repent and beleeve and pray For the Apostle there tels us Vers 11. Seeing all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy Conversation and Godlinesse And what then What shall this availe against an epidemical disease of sin and a general ruine upon the Earth The Apostle answers both there and Chap. 2. That the destruction shal be to the wicked not to the godly his words there in 2 Pet. 3. Vers 13. are Neverthelesse we according to his promise expect new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwells righteousnesse And in 2 Pet. 2.4 5. c. to Ver. 10. his words and comforts are That God kept the obedient Angels though the sinning Angels he cast downe to Hell And though he spared not the old World yet he saved Noah the Preacher of righteousnesse c. And albeit hee turned the Cities of Sodom and Gomorah into ashes yet he delivered just Lot c. And upon or from all the Apostle draws an universal close of comfort that the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations though he punish the ungodly You see then it shal not be in vaine for the little flock of the godly to humble and pray when an universal storme is comming If there had been but ten righteous in Sodom it had been spared One wise Woman in Abel delivered the City And Jer. 5.1 to the same purpose So Ezek. 9.4 Mal. 3.16 17. And the Prophet speaks in general Isa 3.10 Say to the righteous it shall be well with them Therefore whereas the prophane Hereticks adulterous swearers blasphemers Atheists Papists debosht men have been eaten up by the late Warrs by thousands and a kinde of religiâ—â—s irreligious swarme and spawne of Hereticks adulterers swearers blasphemers Atheists and all sinning miscreants are risen up in their stead whose sins are worse because sinned upor pretended principles so to doe and may so doe and therefore the cry of their sins greater let us that feare the Lord indeed cry mightily to the Lord that through the blood of Christ that cryes better things then the blood of Abel we may outcry their sins Their sins are stil extant and insolent new Warrs threatned t is no time for true Christians to be secure So shal the Catastrophe be to us as to the Israelites going to Warr with Canaan if the Achans be punished and the godly Israelites humbled Canaanites though once their Brethren yet worshipping God according to the inventions of men and not accepting Peace according to Gods rule when offered are overthrowne and the Israelites possesse their Land This is more considerable because Joshua is made a type of Christ and called Jesus and the rest in Canaan a type of our rest in a glorious estate on Earth Hebr. 4. weigh the Chapter and the Original they that can and they shall finde it so And what is sayd in that first of Joshua and in a particular case of that Warr Vers 5. Is by the same Epistle to the Hebrews Chap. 13. applyed to all beleevers in all cases And that which is spoken in that first of Joshua that all the ground â—he Israelites shall tread on should be theirs is promised to all beleevers according to Dan. 2. Dan. 7. c. in Revel 20. Amen
doe they walke after or according to then Even after their owne lusts both corporall lusts namely those Principles that please the flesh and also intellectual lusts and mentall wantonnesses phantasies of their owne spirits What ever pleasant dreames they dreame or new devises they imagine to sooth up themselves and put away all true feare of God and the thoughts of judgement to come of locall Hell and Heaven and the immortality of the soule such dreames and imaginations I say as these that put away all fundamental truths and the thoughts of them are their Principles of truth And like Principles like conclusions Upon such premises must needs follow damnable heresies That the Creature cannot sin because God acts in him That the Creature hath done nothing that he should torment himselfe by denying himselfe any contentment That all things are common and to be enjoyed in common And thus they depart from the Faith As in that 1 Tim. 4.1 of the evil times the Apostle speaks of he saith Some shall depart from the Faith Est fides quâm fides qua There is either the Faith which we beleeve that is the object and ground of Faith namely the Doctrine of Faith the holy Scriptures or the Faith with which we beleeve namely the quality of Faith The parallel of our times to this is that there is in this Nation such an apostasie of Men and Women called formerly Professors from the Faith as I never heard or read of in any Ecclesiastical Story of any Nation We have them that deny the Scriptures and with those blasphemous reproaches cast upon them and with such audacious equalizing yea preferring of their owne dreames above them as it wil be safer to be silent touching the particulars then to carry the sound of them to your eares And if they depart from the object of Faith the Doctrine of the Word of God they must necessitatedly depart from the quality of so much Faith as may be in an Apostate before his faling away As from a fundament all Faith to wit That there is a God and from an historical Faith whereby hee once did beleeve that the Scriptures were the truth of God and so becomes worse then the Devill James 2. And worse then the generality of Heathens * For the Devill cannot be an Atheist but his sinne is properly the sin against the holy Ghost maliciously to hate and persecute that truth of which he is fully convinced And the generality of Heathens could not be Atheists because of the Common Law of nature Rom. 2.15 whoever of them as generally they all did set up any thing to be their God did withal acknowledge some Oracle secret conference or tradition c. whereby they knew the minde of that God And lastly these Apostates are worse then the Jewes or Papists whom they pretend to detest for they both in all their Heresies and Errors in opinion and practice stil in the maine keep to those Scriptures they first imbraced Nor is it a sufficient excuse for them to pretend they have all things dictated to them by the spirit because we are commanded to try the spirits by the Doctrine of the Scriptures 1 John 4.1 And if this place of Scripture is not of weight with these Anti-scripturians let them heare reason How were they two both ledd by the good Spirit when at the same time the one of them preteuded to Preach by the Spirit strange high Hyperphysicall transcendencies and the other in the auditory at the same time breakes out into lowd expressions of sublime spirituall raptures pretended to be upon the parties spirit to the occasioning of the Preacher to hold his peace a while til by and by he cryes out to the other Be silent O flesh Sure the spirit of God is not contrary to it selfe nor the author of confusion And if there be a lying spirit as wel as a spirit of truth how shal we know to distinguish the good from the lyer but by the old good way ever since there was a written Word on Earth namely by the written Word Isa 20.8 CHAP. III. A particular parallell of our times with that in the 1 Tim. 4.1 that men shall give heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils SSould seeme that in the last times there shal be seducing Spirits and their Doctrines as wel as the Spirit of truth and his Doctrines And as Satan is called a lying spirit so hee is sayd to be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs foure hundred false Prophets for one Michaia that spake by the spirit of truth so that mens spirits are also sayd to be lying spirits or spirits or error 1 John 4.1 prompted no doubt also by Satan The Parallell of these times to our times in this suits thus Men yea nominal Professors First are Levellers which was the Devils Doctrine to Adam Secondly Familists saying that men are Deified and God is the Creature which also was in effect the Devils Doctrine Thirdly are much given to heed and beleeve Diabolicall Magick and Divinations under the notion of lawfull Mathematicks and laudable Art to tel and foretel things which God doth not and nature cannot declare or Predict I speake not against proper lawful Art which I am ingaged to honour but against such practises as are above Art and belong to Diabolical assistances whereby many in these dayes are at last decoyed into the Circle of the Devils power of prevailing suggestions and bewitched Obsession if not also most probably by what I could tel you unto possession In Revel 12. Vers 10 11 12. in the type of the last times afore Christs appearance t is sayd Now is the Kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ and the Saints overcome by the blood of the Lamb. But immediately afore shal be a Woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth for the Devill is come downe unto you I say immediately AFORE because t is sayd first That the Devill and Satan were cast out And then it followes Now is salvation and the Kingdome of our God and his Christ Secondly t is sayd The Devil is come downe having great wrath because hee knoweth he hath but a short time * And Master Perkins shewes in his Booke of Witchcraft that a man that doth confidently beleeve that upon such Figures Circles and the like Diabolical traditions he shal be told such and such things not knowing any divine or natural reason WHEREFORE it should be so may be in an implicit Covenant with the Devil .. It is not enough for a right knowledge by Art to know That it shal be so but to know justly why and wherefore it shall be so The knowledge of wherefore promiseth Art But the knowledge of onely THAT it shal be so may be suspected of farr worse And doubtlesse some good men in these times whose returne to the truth witnesse their goodnesse of which we have but rare examples have been really bewitched being forced with an irresistable
to send such to their Astrologers in the day of evil of judgement on them to see if they can deliver them Fifthly As that God will the rather bring irresistible judgement on a people that besides their evils doe beleeve Astrologers that they shall doe wel Sixthly That in the day of calamity especially Astrologers and those that beleeved them shall fall by the hottest furie of the judgement The fifth place of Scripture against Astrology is Jer. 10.2 3. Thus saith the Lord Learne not the way of the Heathen and be not dismayed at the signes of Heaven for the Heathen are dismayed at them For the customes of the people are vaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a signe or token doth sometimes and especially when joyned with Heaven signifies a prodigious portentous ominous signe The word is the same and the intent of the Text the same as in Isa 44.24 c. afore discussed that frustrateth the Tokens or signes of the Lyars The Geneva Notes on our Bibles on the word SIGNES say thus God forbiddeth his people to give credit or feare the Constellations and Conjunctions of Starrs and Planets which have no power of themselves but are governed by him and their secret motions and influences are not knowne to man and therefore there can be no certaine judgement thereof Deut. 18.9 And the same Geneva Notes on the word Customes say thus Meaning say they not onely the observation of the Starrs but their Lawes and Ceremonies whereby they confirme their Idolatry so the Geneva Notes I quote them and others the more that yee may see not onely mine but the judgement of the generality of the godly and Learned touching Astrology I add As Astrology and Idolatry are conjoyned here in the prohibition so also was it in the practise of men For they Idolatrously made Gods of the Starrs as of Saturne Jupiter Mars c. as the names of our week-dayes doe unhappily to this day signifie And they also did Astrologically use them to foretel by And indeed in Prediction by them they made Gods of them For future things are in Gods hands and not for us to know till he will make them knowne by his Word or performe them Acts 1.7 The Chaldee Paraphrase renders that of the Text of Signes thus And be not afrayd of the signes that are put in Heaven which must needs signifie the Starrs And the Hebrew word for Feare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to cast downe upon the earth with feare which must intimate rather a feare of evill significations then of adoration The intimations against Astrology here are First That it is the way of the Heathen Now we whom God hath with so much cost and care distinguished from the World must not imitate the World Matth. 6.32 Rom. 12.2 Secondly That the Customes of the people in that and other things are vaine and t is not for Gods people to run after vaine things but rather as a signe of their repentance to doe as Solomon Eccles 1.2 and Paul Phillip 3.7 8. Thirdly That the regarding of such things causeth in men an evill feare opposite to their confidence and comfort in God So the Prophet intimats in exhorting them not to fear them Fourthly That to feare any Astrology or signes c. is an Heathenish thing Wee doe not as Beleevers but as Heathens Godly men yea all men that professe the true God ought to goe to that God and to him onely to know the hidden things that are future For it is the priviledge of God onely to foretell such things to come either by himselfe or by his spirit extraordinarily in his Prophets and therefore not communicated to Starrs And whatsoever we set up as imagining they are able to predict such future things we advance up into the place of God which are not Gods as is manifest by this very thing that they cannot really and truly predict such things And therefore to goe to any thing to know such things to come but to God himself is to doe as Heathens that set up false Gods and not as men that acknowledge the true God And this is fully and plainely held forth to us in Isa 41.21 22 23 24. In Vers 10. to 21. the Lord having prophesied and foretold good things to come to passe for his people he in a holy manner thus taunteth all other things that are set up by men in which they put confidence as if they were Gods to declare hidden things past or to come Vers 21. c. Produce your cause saith the Lord bring forth your strong reasons saith the King of Jacob let them bring them forth and shew us what shall happen Let them shew the former things what they be that we may consider them and Know the latter end of them or Declare to us things to come Shew the things that are to come hereafter that we may know yee are GODS c. Behold yee are of nothing We doe not count it considerable to our businesse to discusse here what is the thing mainly meant in this place as whether Idolatry or Astrologie sure enough in Astrologie by them that confide in it for predictions there is Idolatry enough as this Text sufficiently intimateth but we attend the Argument to confute it Viz. Because it cannot foretell things to come Because that is Gods Prerogative alone And therefore nor Idolls nor Starrs neither Idolatry nor Astrologie can predict things to come For as Idolatry is but vanity as t is oft called in Scripture As the vanities of the Nations or Gentiles c. So Astrologie is a lye Jer. 50.35 36. A Sword is upon the Chaldeans c. and upon her Princes and upon her wise men a sword is upon the Lyars and they shall dote Upon which words Learned Buxtorfe ad vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the word in this 50. of Jeremie onely an emphaticall article is prefixed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Lyes and Lyars Isaiah 44.25 by which understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gazers upon the Starrs Astrologers according to Rabbi Solomon And so understand that Jer. 50.36 Rabbi David on the same And the Chaldee Paraphrase renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oft times which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Foretellers But Jer. 50.36 the Chaldee renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diviners The result of all is this First Astrologers are by God himselfe called Lyars Secondly They that seek to them for predictions are Idolaters therein making them Gods Thirdly That God hath exprest so much against both both against the Astrologer and his Clients because God will vindicate his owne priviledge that he alone is the God of truth that can truely foretell things to come The sixth place is Dan. 2.1 2 3 4 5 c. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams and the King commanded to call the MAGICIANS and the ASTROLOGERS and the SORCERERS c. to shew the
neither named nor knowne Yea thirdly thousands of Starrs cannot be so much as seen a minuit together as the Philosophers confesse in their discourse of Via lactea the Milky way in the Heavens to be seen in a most starry night especially in Winter Fourthly Because all the Starrs doe shine upon the earth at once joyntly and promiscuously so that they that are under them cannot by any rule from nature know what influences shall be predominant in their effects Fifthly They have more time to alter the Complexions of young people from the Cradle to manhood carryed and walking abroad I say to alter their complexion by radiation and influence then to stampe upon them an unchangable impression upon them in the secret Chamber of their birth as we see many natural men and Women not differenced by grace much altered from Melancholly to Cheerfulnesse c. So that if some Starrs in one position in an instant at birth have a power to imprint other Starrs and perhaps more prevalent have likewise a power to blot out that in many yeares and to instill a new one Sixthly There are many causes below between us and the Starrs to alter the influence of the Starrs or interrupt their native operation as the various complexion of the ayre diversity of windes the different postures and situations of men as somtimes under a direct sometimes under an oblique radation c. Seventhly Astrologers depend on Clocks and Dyals to know the posture of the Heavens at the houre of their prognosticating which Dyals and Clocks oft are false which may make a wide difference in a minuit in which as we heard some motions of the Heavens run sixty Miles Eightly The Astrologer cannot be able to allow exactly for the exaltation in the Apoge and descension in the Perige of the Planets with their swifter motion in the one then in the other so as to determine justly how much power of prevalence there may be in their influences at such changes Ninthly A man can never certainely conclude of a particular event from a cause that is most universal most remote and so but a partial cause of the thing predicted But the Starrs are no other but such a kinde of cause of mens complexions and actions and therefore are no sure grounds of prediction concerning the future afaires of men The Parents complexion Divine dispensations occasions and opportunities among men and a mans owne obedience or disobedience to God have farre more influence into man to dispose him to be or doe this or that then all the myriads of Starrs Tenthly Astrology contending for such a power of Starrs over the soule of man which is the principle of all actions inferrs as if the soule of man were ex traduce generated by the Parents First Contrary to many Scriptures Psalm 102.18 The people that shall be Created shall praise the Lord. Eccles 12.7 The spirit returnes to God that gave it whiles the body returnes to the Earth Heb. 12.9 We have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits Secondly Contrary to the rules of art reason and experience Calum non agit in animam c. The Heavens cannot act directly upon the soule nor can a mans body complexionate alter or master his naturall spirit So that the To intelligere and To Velle the Acts of reason and wil doe not depend on sense For in sleep wee have strong actings of reason And when awake in the time of deepest rationall meditations the senses are uselesse and their acts suspended as if we did neither see nor heare The fourth and last Argument against Astrologie that I shal urge passing by innumerable others is That a maine part of the baâ—s and bottom on which Astrologers build the structure of their Art of Prediction is but meer imagination for there is no such thing as the tenth or ninth Sphere And therefore the Zodiack placed by Astrologers in them is but a dreamed fiction yea and one of the Quondam great Astrologers M. P. will dare to say that the twelve Signes bounded as they suppose within the demensions of such a thing as a Zodiack namely the Signes of Aries Taurus Gemini c. that is a Ramme a Bull c. feigned to have power over the twelve parts of mans body are onely twelve imaginary Signes For in the HEAVENS saith he there is no such matter as a Ram a Bull c. And how saith he can it stand with reason that in a firmament FEIGNED by Poets and Philosophers a FORGED Signe which indeed is NOTHING should have any power or operation in the bodies of men Againe the very order of Government of these signes in mans body is fond and without shew of reason For according to this platforme when the Moon commeth into the first Signe Aries shee ruleth in the head and when shee commeth into the second Signe Taurus shee ruleth in the neck and so descends downe from part to part ruling two insome three dayes c. Where observe saith hee that the Moon is made to rule in the cold and moyst parts when shee is in the hot and dry Signes whereas in reason a more consonant order were this that when the Moon were-in hott and dry Signes as in Aries Leo and Sagittarius shee should rule in hott and dry parts of the body and when shee is in cold and moyst Signes she should rule in the cold and moyst parts of the body and so still governe those parts which in temperature come neerest to the Signes wherein the Moone is Beside this some learned Physitians have upon experience confessed that THE OBSERVATION OF THE SIGNE IS NOTHING MATERIALL and that there is no danger in it for guelding of Cattell or letting of blood And the vanity of the old conceit and imagination of them that have put much in the Signes appeares in the common practice of men who commonly upon Stevens day use to let blood be the Signe where it will The truth is saith he the Signe in its owne nature is neither way available being but a phantasie grounded upon supposed premises and therefore ought to be rejected as meer VANITY Thus farr he Now let me add some particulars suiting to what he hath sayd to illustrate the same and so I shall not onely confirme him but also what I affirmed my selfe in the beginning of this Argument First Touching those feigned Firmaments or Heavens called the ninth and tenth Heavens besides that the ancient famous Astronomers Plato Aristotle Hipparchus and many others knew no such thing sense also doth evince that we can be sure of no more but eight For wee see distinctly the seven Planets Sun Moon c. and their severall motions in twenty four hours c. And we can perceive the eighth Heaven of fixed Starrs knowne by their twinckling to move in one motion round the Earth in twenty foure houres
because we can see the heeles of the lesser Northerne Beare adjacent to the North Pole to be downward towards the Earth in the evening and to be upward in the morning But we have no sure ground to conclude that there are more Heavens either the Chrystall ninth or the first moving tenth The grand reason brought to prove them from the two other motions of the eighth Heaven of fixed Starrs beside that from East to West in twenty foure houres as that the eighth Heaven of fixed Stars moves from West to East comming to be in the same posture as when they began that motion by the end of forty nine thousand yeares And that the same eighth Heaven hath another motion from South to North and thence to South againe which processe and recesse is a finishing seven thousand yeares and therefore that that motion of the eighth Heaven from East to West in twenty foure houres must needs be violent as forced from some tenth Heaven naturally so moving and that from West to East in forty nine thousand yeares must be also violent as forced from some ninth Heaven naturally so moving and the last motion of the eighth Heaven Viz. From South to North and back againe in seven thousand yeares to be the naturall peculiar innate motion of that eighth Heaven seeing that as they forme the Argument one simple single moveable body can have but one natural motion I say this Argument doth not evince my reason in the least to beleeve the existence and being of a ninth and tenth Heaven For God that by his Word at the beginning sayd to the Earth Stand thou still and to the Sea Move thou continually with severall motions as of flowing and reflowing twise every twenty foure houres and they obey his voice to this day the same God commanding the eighth Heaven to runn from East to West every twenty foure houres and withall to linger and slinck back every day a little from West to East as suppose with the Astronomer as much as comes to one Degree or sixty miles in an hundred yeares which is about three quarters of a mile in one yeare and halfe a quarter and also to roule forward from South to North and back againe from North to South so gradually till in seven hundred yeares it is as it was cannot choose but obey the voice of God and so move without ceasing And to throw away Traditions in Philosophy as well as in Divinity t is a readier way and surer to say God commanded the Heavens so to move at first creation and they obey then to say Primus motor God moves the Angels or Intelligences they move a tenth Heaven a tenth heaven moves the other heavens And to the clause of one natural body we say that there is hardly any naturall motion without some violent as the Philosopher cals violent For if fire ascends no more of the flame ascends in a pure natural motion but that which ascends in the Mathematical indivisible line in the point of the Pyramis pointing from the center-point of the earth to its correspondent point in the Sphere of the lowest Heaven Indeed if the Pyramicall forme of the flame were turned upside downe then all the flakes of flame might seeme to take their natural order proportionable from one center-point in the Earth to their severall correspondent points in the Sphere of the lowest Heaven So of any heavy body Stone or Bowle c. falling downe from some high places to the Earth no more of it moves naturally in a precise notion of naturally then the very middle of it tending downward in a Mathematicall strait Line to the Center-point of the Earth the corners of such a Stone or the circumference of that Bowle falling not with the like naturall motion because there is but one universal Center-point in the middle of the Earth to answer to all downward motions which is the Physicall demonstrative reason why naturally the Earth is round the heavy parts more pressing to the general Center-point the lighter lesser So the Water in its motion in a River it naturally tends downeward yet desires not to be so low as the Center of the Earth And the meane while it tends progressively forward and in this progressive motion no more is precisely naturall but what proceeds in a strait line For the water hath no minde of it selfe to goe out of its Line that being out of its way and besids its design So that either we must say one body may have many naturall motions or we must no more feigne more Heavens then eight to move the rest in their several motions then we dare feigne more Elements then foure to manage the severall motions that are in each one of them Secondly Touching the imaginarie Sphere the Zodiack this must needs be an infalible conclusion so far as the Heaven or firmament of the Zodiack is feigned so farr of necessity must the Zodiack supposed in that Heaven or firmament be a meer feigned thing We heard afore that most Learned Philosopher and Astronomer Keckerman lay it down for a sure rule That Astronomers may make and use Hypotheses that is Suppositions but Astrologers may not But the ninth and tenth Sphere or Heaven are feigned therefore the Zodiack imagined in them is also feigned T is worth the while to heare Alsted which is to our purpose what he sayth concerning the Zodiack The Zodiack saith he of the first mover that is the tenth Heaven is IMAGINARY of the eighth Sphere real The imaginary is Primaryly and ORIGINALLY in the first Mover or tenth Heaven in the inferior Spheres it is secondarily conceited The Reall changeth its situation the IMAGINARY doth note The signes also of the real Zodiack are wonderfull UNEQUAL but in the imaginary equall In accounts the imaginary Zodiack is more commodious but not so in predictions Thus you see how much fiction there is about the Zodiack and more honour ascribed to the feigned then to the reall Thirdly Touching the twelve imaginary Signes There is no such formes of Starrs as of themselves seeme such Compare Taurus and Aries And Aries lying under Balaena Tradition and Globes tell us such things but the Starrs of themselves cold never make us so imagine See the Celestial Globe Fourthly Touching the disorderly placing of the hott dry Signes in parts that are not hott and dry Note that Alsted a Learned Philosopher and was also an Astrologer at least in opinion affirmes in his System or Treatise of Astrologie that the twelve Signes are divided into foure Trigonos that is Ternions or Threes In primo trigono sunt signa ignea videlicet ARIES LEO SAGITTARIUS In his dominatur Calor siccitas quae dominantur cholerae sapori amaro that is In the first Ternion are the fiery Signes ARIES the Ram LEO the Lyon and SAGITTARIUS the Archer In these Signes are predominant heat and drynesse which have dominion and rule over Choler and bitternesse So Alsted
of the Starrs are mingled with the qualities of the Elements of them above in their radiation afore they reach to us and of them beneath by exhalation of them and reflection of the beames of the Starres which is a second mixture and so a further confounding of humane understanding how to judge of them what they will effect Obj. Sol Luna post Deum omnium viventium vita sunt Herm. Trism The Sun and the Moon next under God are the life of all living creatures Answ If they be the life of all living creatures then no more of men then of beasts or plants What is this then to the actings of their understandings and wills wherein they are distinguished from and sublimated above all corporal things whose formes are materiales materiall not Spirituall Food is the cause of mans life yet that hath no influence upon the soule The soule of man acts pure yea purest reason when the body is as dead by deep sleep Therefore all this objection makes nothing for Astrologie Obj. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. Jud. de mund Opif. Movings and Earthquakes proceed from the concussions of the Heavens c. because the Starrs are made for Signes This objection out of FORGED Philo as learned Broughton calls him is nothing for the praise of Astrologie In Meteorologie are handled earthquakes They are passions of the Earth not of men the earth hath a fitt of the winde and makes it in part to tumble for ease till it belcheth it up againe If the attractive Starrs that at least draw light things upward are become depulsive to make the Aire descend I wonder t is not so sayd in all the body of Philosophie And if any thing be ascribed to the Starrs in the ascent of that Earthquake-ayre t is needlesse for it would as surely ascend of its owne levitating quality as soone as the Earth gives way without the help of the Stars as without them water will descend If Starrs be sayd mediately to cause Earthquakes I know not how their Hosts and Myriads bespangled over the Heavens surrounding the Earth operate in common as well as constantly and the Earthquaks are so seldome in time and so particular to petty places in comparison of the Vniverse that no just reason can predict this event by them To say that because the Starres are signes of some things as of Day and Night Heat and Cold c. which are naturall therefore they are signes of all or most things even of Contingencies Arbitraries and Moralities and to a ground of prediction of such is such a grosse Non-sequitur that no man that hath and useth reason will or can beleeve it Obj. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Clem. Alex. Strom. l. 6. Democritus foretold many things by the Observation of things above and it was called Wisedome Answ By what things above For there are some Elements above and in them many ayrie fierie and watery Meteors as well as Starrs If by the Starrs then what things did he foretell If that in Clemens Alexandrinus That Starrs are instruments of time Or that of Thales Milesius to foretell Ecclipses of the Sun c. Or finde out Vrsa minor or the like Starrs to direct the Marriner in Navigation these belong not to Astrologie but to Physiologie and Astronomie Nor doe they conduce to predictions of humane actings If hee foretold any thing being an Heathen which is not cleerely pre-visible by nature or reason his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wisedome was falsly so called But to doe him lawfull right as farr as we can know He was saith the Story an Astronomer which produceth nothing for the honour of Astrologie Obj. Augustin saith Astrologia perscrutanda est ad cognoscendum proprietates istorum syderum ut hunc locum intelligere possimus that is Astrology is to be searched into to know the properties of those Starrs that we may be able to understand this place Therefore in the judgement of Augustin there is a lawfull use of Astrologie Answ I have sought this place in Augustin most diligently but could not finde it Nor doth the Quoter of it direct me where I might If there be any such place in Augustin it can import no more but this That some place of Scripture speaking of some Starrs the knowledge of the qualities of those Starrs would further the fuller understanding of that place of Scripture But what makes this to predicting Astrology more then Meale Leaven c. Matth. 13. or the Precious stones a Jasper and Sardine and Emerald Revelat. 4. whose properties well understood helpe more fully to know the meaning of those Scriptures Surely Augustin never intended in that expression if any such be in his Workes to advance Astrologie or Astronomie or the consideration of Starrs and Constellations for understanding of the Scriptures or any other good use For in his Workes * he hath these expressions Edit Basil per Frob. A.D. 1569. opposite to any such intent Astronomia parùm aut nihil commodat Scripturae Aug. Tom. 3. Col. 38. that is Astronomie little profits or lends to the Scripture Syderum cognitio parù utilis Scripturae Aug. Tom. 3. C. 38. that is The knowledge of the Starrs or Constellations is little profit to the Scripture Augustin in his T. 1. C. 761. T. 8. C. 197. speaks against Astrologos eorum curiositates Astrologers and their curiosities In his 1 T. C. 90.100.102.126.418 Hee detests the vanity of Astrologie In his 4 T. C. 742. He pronounceth that Astrologi veritatis inimici Astrologers are enemies of the truth In his 5 T. C. 279 c. he abundantly disputes of the uncertainty of Astrologie And in his 5 T. C. 291. Augustin hath this terrible speech against Astrologers namely Astrologorum res ponsa ex malis esse spiritibus that is That the answers of Astrologers are from or by evill Spirits And in his 8. T. C. 165. Augustin affirmeth that Astrologie is not necessary to this life Astrologia huic vitae non est necessaria Augustin in his 10. T. C. 625. sheweth the vanity of Astrologers And in his 8. T. C. 197. is his INVECTIVE against the new Astrologers Augustin in his fifth Book ' De civitate Dei Cap. 1. to which some give this title Contra Astrologorum ineptias i. e. Against the FOOLERIES of Astrologers Jo. Crisp hath these words Illi verò qui positionem stellarum quodammodo decernentiùm qualis quisque sit quid ei proveniat boni quid ve mali accidat ex Dei voluntate suspondunt si easdem stellas putant habere hanc potestatem traditam sibi â summà illius potestate ut volentes ista decernant magnam Caelo faciunt injuriam in cujus velut clarissimo senatu ac splendidissimâ curiâ opinantur scelera facienda decerni qualia si aliqua terrena civitas decrevisset genere humano decernente fuerat evertenda Quale deinde judicium de