night moneth year which are both measured and described by the course of the Sun and Moon and other Stars Gen. 1.14 And so the feast of the Israelites and the computation of the yeare in our Church dependeth thereupon and without them there would be great confusion both in the common wealth and Church 4. Fourthly they serve to be signs that is to foretell things to come And they are signs either of extraordinary things or things which be ordinary When they are signs of extraordinary things then there is and appeareth in them some extraordinary work of God as appeareth in these examples which follow At the suffering of Christ not onely the vail of the temple rent and the dead rose forth of their graves Matth. 27. but also the Sun was wholly eclipsed the Moon being in the full At which sight Dyonisius Areopagita a good Astronomer spake these words Either the frame of the world is destroyed or the God of nature suffereth The Prophet Ezek. cha 32. v. 78. being commanded to prophecy the destruction of Egypt he first putteth down such extraordinary signs Before the second coming of our Saviour Christ there shall be signs in the Sun and Moon and in the Stars Lastly the extraordinary going back of the Sun signified the lengthning of the life of King Ezekias Secondly the Stars are signs of generall things which happen ordinarily every year in nature among us As of 1. Approching and declining of 1. The Spring 2. Summer 3. Harvest 4. Winter 2. Ordinary weather in these quarters 3. Ebbing and flowing of the Sea 4. Seasons of 5. Plowing 6. Sowing 7. Setting 8. Planting 9. Cutting 10. Felling 11. Reaping I say generall because the particular estate and affairs of men can in no wise be fore-signified by the stars I say ordinary because the things which fall out seldome and are besides the common course of nature as plenty of all things famine plague war eversions of Kingdomes c. Do not depend upon the Stars For the confirming of this I have three reasons First in the 1. of Genesis v. 14 15. God saith that he made the lights to be signs and yet the same God in the 47. of Esay v. 13.14 saith he will destroy the signs of them which divine flatly forbidding us to use Stars as means to judge of any thing to come saving onely of those of which they are expresly made signs of God in the creation all which are put down before Secondly this is manifest by the order of the creation Gen. 1.12.14 The third day God created upon the earth hearbs and trees and the earth brought forth fruits and was fertile the fourth day God commanded lights to be made in the firmament of heaven to separate the day and the night and to be for signs and for seasons and dayes and moneths and then it was so and then God saw it was good Out of which I gather that it cannot be a sign causing famine or plenty and fertilenesse because fertility went before the creation of the host of heaven Also of warres and plagues and the particular estates of men they can be no signs because man was not yet created and yet even then they were signs Some will say they were no signs of those matters in the creation but now they may be and are No for the works which God created he now preserveth neither increasing nor diminishing any thing in them Philo Judaeus in his book de opificio mundi saith he was perswaded that God foreseeing the minds of men given to search strange matters to come did in this order create the heavens to confute and disprove their imaginations Thirdly the Heavens and Stars were made for the use of man and man is their end so that it is absurd to imagine they have any force in the affairs of man Now then Prognosticatours if they will foreshew of strange things to come they must undo the work of their Creatour and give unto it new uses otherwise they shall not be able to Prognosticate as they yearly do The providence of God is his decree by which he appointeth how every thing shall come to pass The continuall execution of this decree is ordinarily by meanes but often without meanes The means which God useth are either generall or speciall Generall are these by which he governeth all the whole world and every particular thing which concerneth this life unto this kind are referred spirituall creatures called Angels by whom the Philosophers say the heavens are governed and we see that whole Kingdomes Provinces and Citties have been kept and defended by them as also consumed and destroyed Again the starrs and heavenly bodies are used of God to govern and order things here below as it is the 19. Psal Nothing is hid from the beat of the sunne And by the Prophet Hosea the Lord speaketh thus I will hear the heavens the heavens shall hear the earth the earth shall hear the corn the corn shall hear Israel But this instrument is onely a generall instrument and hath his work in ordinary matters of nature Beside these means there be many other by which God ruleth the world In the beginning he set man over the whole world that he might have rule over fishes fouls and beasts and al things els He apointed husbands to govern their wives he set the first-born before their brethren as Cain before Abel Princes over Cities Kingdomes Common-wealths and therefore by reason of their dignity calleth them Gods There be Governours of Families Fathers over their Children Masters over their Servants Yet God hath more near care in preserving and governing his chosen as appeareth in the 43. of Esay Thus saith the Lord God that created thee O Jacob and he that formed thee O Israel fear not for I have redeemed thee I have called thee by my name thou art mine when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the flouds that they do not overflow thee When thou walkest thorough the very fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee for I am the Lord thy God the holy one of I srael thy Saviour This is also manifest by that Sympathy which is in the Lord when his children are afflicted as appeareth by the 11. of Zechariah He which toucheth you toucheth the appleof mine eye And in the 9. of the Acts Saul Saul why persecutest thou me that is my elect Wherefore therebe also speciall means by which he more carefully governeth the elact As be Angels whom Paul to the Hebrews calleth Ministring spirits it is certain they defend every one of the elect particularly Hitherto may be referred the preaching of the Word of God the ministring of the Sacraments All these means God's provid ence useth first that he might shew his goodnesse towards us secondly that he might be known to be the Lord over all thirdly that we might be thankfull because he not onely himself governeth us but also
maketh his creatures to serve our turns But this must be noted as I said before that in all these secondary causes beside their naturall work which God hath given them there is also the speciall work of God his speciall hand shewed God worketh not by second causes as Magistrates govern their Common Wealths by their inferiour officers For they so govern by them that they do nothing or very little themselves and peradventure never know what is done God governeth not the world so but in every particular work he hath his particular stroke That the thunder burneth moveth hurteth it is the generall providence of God but that it burneth or hurteth this or that man on this or that part in this or that manner it is the special providence of the same God The Lord hath shewed his speciall providence in one excellent example If the hatchet saith God fall forth of the hand of him which loppeth the tree and kill a man in the way I the Lord have killed him God also governeth the world immediately and his providence worketh without means and many things he bringeth to pass against all means which is manifest by that of Matthew Man liveth not by bread onely but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God Now to come to our Prognosticatours and Moon-prophets how shall they be able to know what will come to pass hereafter For first the Heavens being onely one particular Instrument of Gods providence amongst many they cannot certainly and truly say this thing or that thing proceedeth from the Heavens Secondly they cannot determine whether God in extraordinary matters as Plague Famine Barrenness distempered Weather Earthquakes Wars c. Doth work immediately or with means if with means they cannot determine whether the Heavens or Angels or men or any other things be the means of his providence Thirdly if they were able to know what the Heaven worketh naturally yet they were never the better for God beside the power of the Heavens hath in all things his particular working providence altering and framing and bending as Wax his Instruments to his good will The third Reason the want of experience If our Prognosticators have any means to foretell things to come they have those means either without experience or with experience if they have them without experience then must thou account all which they do to be foolish Dreams and deceit For all kinde of humane Learning which is profitable and hath use in the Life of Man is taken from often observations and experience If it be said that they have their Directions in prognosticating from experience and that of all times I will convince them thus True experience of the Causes of Things is an often observing of the Effects of the same Causes with this Ground that they can proceed from no other thing The Physician saith Rheubarde doth purge Choller Well how knoweth he this he hath often tried this and that in old men young men children and hath found that in the Bodies of all Men the Cause of purging this Humour could be ascribed to nothing else Wherefore he may peremptorily conclude Rheubarde purgeth Choller Our Prognosticatours in the Heavens can have no such experience For they cannot observe often the same position of Stars in the Heaven The order and cause of the fixed Stars and Planets which we finde in the Heavens this day the next day will be changed and never the like again They will say in deed although the same position of the whole Heaven never happen yet the same Conjunctions of notable Stars the same Risings and Settings and the same Constellations of the chiefest Stars are marked often I say again that when these Eclipses and great Conjunctions happen the rest of the Stars being otherwise affected then they were before and having new Positions may either increase or diminish their Effects or else hinder them and quite take them away As we see when the Sun casting his beams into a Chamber the light of Candles and Torches and Fires do make it shine dim yet these being absent it will shine bright Again they are not able to say that Constellations which they have marked are Causes of those Effects which follow as Wars Diseases distempered Weather Earthquakes Famine c. For in those things which happen together the one is not the cause of the other When Nero played upon his Harp Rome was on fire yet Nero's playing on the Harp was no Cause of the burning of Rome Also these Effects may have other Causes in the Heaven then those which they mark and they may come immediately from God they may come onely from the will of man wherefore seeing that they cannot assure themselves that those Eclipses and Conjunctions are the Works of such Effects upon Earth and they cannot have often Observations of the course of Heaven their Rules of Predictions are feigned and supposed and not built upon true experience Let a man which knoweth not one Herb take all kindes of Herbs and put them into a great Vessel yet so that there be more of some Herbs and less of other some let him beat them all together and make a compound virtue of all their virtues Can he now tell the nature and operation of every particular Herb Can he divide and sever by any help the virtue of one Herb from another No indeed The same thing may be said of the Stars of Heaven all their Lights and all their influences as they term it are in the lower Bodies more plainly every earthly Body hath in it all the secret powers and working of every particular Star so that they make as it were a compound operation rising of all or of the most of their virtues joyned together for the Astrologers hold that although the Light may be hindred by the thickness of the Body yet the heavenly influence pierceth through all Therefore they are not able to sever and learn the nature of these Stars except they can stop the influence of what Stars they list and bring them into what compass they will Yet thus much I will grant them that they may have a little knowledge of the virtue of the Sun and Moon and some other Stars as we see those Herbs in the former composition whose virtues be the chiefest though not fully yet somewhat do represent their nature and shew themselves above the rest But what is this to the purpose If I confess the operations of the Sun and Moon If I shall grant that Saturn is in nature cold and dry Jupiter warm and moist Mars hot and dry Venus cold and moist Mercury in nature mixt the notable fixed Stars in the Zodiack to be of the nature of the Planets and to have manifest operations as the rising of the Dog to make heat and tempestuous Seas the rising of Arcturus to make rain and showres Pleiades to be of the nature of Mars and the Moon c. what will all this suffice to make a
will say is fulfilled in the words following viz. And God made two great lights the one to rule the day the other to rule the night Gen. 1.16 To which then I answer by way of Quere to what end then are these invincible irresistable and innumerable hosts of Heaven were they made for no other use then to gaze on the Sun and Moon will sufficiently serve our turn for matter of light if we look no further into their uses but the Scripture further putteth this matter quite out of doubt if we will believe Gods own word Job 28.31 For he speaking of his Omnipotent power asketh his servant Job whether he or any one else Can restrain the influence of the Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion On which words S. Austin on Job referreth all men to the study of Astrology for the understanding of that place and not onely so but shews us that under these two constellations the Lord doth comprehend the influence of all the Celestiall host figuratively expressing pars pro toto and to shew you by experience the verity hereof if you will neither believe S. Augustine Moses nor God himself except you see and feel not to insist long on this point which is cleared by such strong and invincible witnesses one whereof is able to be sufficient testimony against all Master Homes his learned Judges and condemners of Astrology for confirming and clearing hereof then I might here again instance that palpable experience we have of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea by the influence of the Moon as abovesaid but to manifest it yet further let him call to mind the increase and decrease of Shel-fish the mutation and variation of times and innumerable other effects of the Stars which if time and conveniency would permit migh◠〈◊〉 recorded and let him then study the cause hereof and he will then without doubt be of another tenet let him observe also when ♄ and ☉ is in □ or ☠or when ♂ and ◠is in □ or ☠or ♃ and ☿ are so posited and let him tell me then what alterations they produce in the air both by Rain Snow Wind Tempests Thundering and Lightning and the like according to their severall positions the nature of signs and houses and mansions they are in which if he be not altogether ignorant of the Art he may daily see These and the like effects are most vulgarly known by experience so that therefore he might even as well have confessed those signs he speaketh of to be the Stars and causes their influence since he doth not nor cannot shew me any other thing they are without wronging and slandering the Art and contradicting the most learned therein as also the Father S. Austine Moses nay and GOD himself D. Homes might as well then have left out that other addition of Doctour Willets where he saith That the Stars have not the same influence in Summer and in Winter Spring and Autumn and so consequently will conclude them First not to be signs contradicting Moses and the word of God Gen. 1.14 as aforesaid Secondly Nor causes Quia ex unitate causae sequeretur similitudo effectûs Of the same cause there should follow the same effect but there followeth not the same effect from the same signs appears by experience As much to say the Stars are neither causes nor signs because they produce not fruits in Winter as well as in Summer or because they cause not snow in Summer or Buds and Blossoms in Winter O rare cavill but since he is already by what is abovesaid confuted I shall here adde nothing but this that since the question is whether they are causes and signs because that passage in the first of Genesis manifelts they are signs I will if he will be convinced by the word of God here give him to know they are also causes I will hear the heavens and the heavens shall hear the earth and the earth the corn and the wine c. Hos 2.2 And in another place the increase of the earth is referred to the Influence of the Sun and the Moon Deut. 33.14 By all which we may clearly see unless blinded with malice and wilfulness that they are both signes and causes of all our earthly injoyments and happinesses Et si Scriptura ipse Deus nobiscum quis contranos W. R. his SECT III. Wherein his allegations against the ground of the Art are condemned and his bringing S. Augustine and Galen against it proved fallacious SEeing then it is most clearly so that the Stars are signes and causes as abovesaid what need these envious carpers or malicious gainsayers of the truth be heeded or regarded but let these perverse rags of paper perish with themselves not worthy the least remembrance And indeed had it not been rightly to insorm the vulgar and to make them see that high language serveth not to condemn truth I had buried both them and their filthy rags in perpetual oblivion but I hope since they must be remembred it will be but for their disgrace not chronicled for their worthiness but perpetual infamy But this is not all he comes next to condemn Astrology by Keckerman and that with as weak Arguments as he did the rest Keckerman saith he a most learned Philosopher and Christian although he favours some things which men now a dayes call part of Astrology did not in all his two great Volumes in fol. of Arts and Sciences Jet forth any Astrology A wise story indeed because Keckerman writeth not of Astrology therefore there is no such thing but if Keckerman hath not yet as wise and as learned and greater Philosophers have as if the being of Astrology depended on his writing hereof Look the second Chapter of this Treatise or it were a whit farther from being an heavenly Science and a lawfull Art because he omitteth it fine Logick and rare reason if rightly understood and the depth thereof throughly searched because Aristotle knew not the reason of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea therefore no body else doth neither is there such a thing in Nature and because Moses writeth not of the Creation of Angels Ergo there is none O profound and invincible reason But to proceed he saith he is sure he hath these words against it Manent tamen c. The Starrs abide as of other sublunary effects so of effects in man the common and remote cause which many wayes may be hindred not onely by the first cause God but also by particular causes partly in the Heavens partly in the Air and other Elements so that the Predictions of Astrologers are with ifs and ands c. which is as much to the purpose as comes just to nothing for first that God can alter the course of the Starrs there is no Astrologer but will confesse but whether he will or no or ordinarily uses so to do is the question so that Master Homes gets little by this querk since he affirmeth nothing
what was become of him v. 1. And the Proclamation vers 5. of keeping a feast in relation to it was express thus To morrow is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. A Solemnity or Feast to Jehovah yet the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.7 expresly calls their respect to God in through or by that image by the name of Idolatry saith he Be ye not Idolaters as were some of them as it is written meaning in Exod. 32.6 The People sate down to eat and drink and rose up to play The Doctour in his exercitation upon this place of Jeremy presented to the Reader afore did effectually urge that the scope of it was to assert that those that go to the Starrs to fore-know future humane events do therein make them Gods in attributing to them thereby prophesying which is peculiar to God either immediately by oracle or mediately by his extraordinary inspiration in the Prophets To which as I said Will. Ram. hath answered nothing But I will leave Williams triflings and come to Sir Christopher who argues like a Gentleman and a Scholar for whose sake this Survey is carried on thus farr for without him Will. had lain so naked that he would of himself soon have sterved or beaten himself with striving unto death All that Sir Christopher saith is but two things First that this place speaketh of things viz. Starrs not of persons viz. Starr-gazers Secondly That adoration of Starrs is here forbidden not Astrological Predictions by them To the first my Reply is Persons viz. Gazers upon Starrs are here meant for Sir Christopher confesseth persons adoring or worshipping the Starrs are here reproved which adoration could not be without gazing or looking on the Starrs But as the adoration of them that have worshipped the Starrs must needs begin from the beholding the glory of them or else they worshipped they knew not what so their worship was acted by looking upon them Job 26.27 If I beheeld the Sun when it shined or the Moon walking in brightness my heart hath been secretly enticed or my mouth hath kissed mine hand Secondly it is at the beginning and ending of this Text of Jeremy Learn not the way of the heathen and the customes of the People are vain Therefore Persons acting in relation to Starrs must necessarily here be understood To the two particulars of Sir Christopher that here is forbidden Divine worship of Starrs c. not Astrological contemplation and Prediction of and by them I say that Sir Christophers first Reason that fear is often used to signifie worship is too weak for his design here for first when fear is put with its object unless the object named be the true God or Idol it doth not that I know signifie worship as fear not them that kill the body Matth. 10.28 Give fear to whom fear is due Rom. 13.7 Ye shall fear every man his Mother Lev. 19.3 Fear not the People of the Land Numb 14.9 with hundreds more of instances where fear doth not at all signifie divine worship But secondly which is farr more considerable Sir Christopher is extremely mistaken in the Hebrew word that in Isay 29.13 signifieth fear how different it is from the word in Jer. 10.2 Sir Christopher Heydon extremely mistaks the English Text yea most inconsiderately runs away with a notion in his own head that he regards not the English Text. For this of Jeremy in both the old Translations is Be not afraid for the signes of Heaven the heathen be afraid of such And in our last English Translation it is Be not dismayed All most sutable to the force of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as the Doctour you see afore admonished signifies to cast down upon the earth with fear which must intimate rather a fear of evil significations then of Adoration And therefore W.R. is infinitely more to be blamed shamed that would not take warning but own the allegation of Text with so palpable a gross mistake For was there ever such a phrase extant or imaginable that to be afraid or to be dismayed should signifie worship That consternation throwing or casting a man down with horror as rightly Arias renders our word by consternari should signifie divine adoration But there is more then that to be considered which lies in the phrase besides the single word viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A signis coclorum ne consternemini 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod consterncntur Gentes ab iis which fully imports that here is meant a passive surprisal or possession with fear Timor occupat artus by reason of the direfull aspects of the Stars in the opinion of those that gaze after them not an active fear as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Isay 29.13 to reverence and worship as 't is interpreted Matth. 15.9 you see then clearly that the Scene and face of Sir Christophers argument is changed now the vizard is taken away and the paint rubb'd off To Sir Christophers second reason I say first he hath well prompted me to tell his Client Will. that in that fifth verse of this tenth of Jeremy where idolatrous fear or worship of images is forbidden the phrase is altered according to our sense afore viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fear not with an active fear in a way of worship of them or setting them up in your hearts for gods and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not dismayed or amazed as the phrase is in 2. vers of fearing the signes of heaven 2. The Authours of the Geneva Notes were not engaged in any wrangling as Sir Christophers phrase is of them that yield not to him yet you heard afore in the Doctours Exercitation the place presented to you how those Notes interpret the second vers of the Conjunctions and influences of the Stars and their Ceremonies or Laws to make a judgement by them Nor was Calvin moved by any or disposed to wrangle when he wrote his Commentary on Jeremiah yet he largely beyond his wont doth interpret this second vers of the tenth Chapter of Judicial Astrology to the value of near one whole leaf or half sheet in folio in which he hath some strong and stinging passages against it Ne metuatis vel ne expavescatis signis coelestibus The opinion of Caloin against Astrology grounded on Jer. 10.2 with his reasons hoc est ne fortunam c. i. e. Be not afraid c. that is let not men feign to themselves good or ill fortune by the position or aspect of the Stars If the Stars do presage to us good or ill fortune we have cause to be afraid of them But the Prophet calls them here Signes in an improper sense because he hath no respect to their true original but accommodateth his speech to those perverse Errours which then prevailed And we must remember what I touched afore that the Egyptians and Chaldeans were given to that Astrology which at this day we call Judicial or Judiciary For the bare name in
of the Heavens were as Will. Ram. saith in relation to the circumference of the Heavens and not of the Earth why then doth Will. and his Fellow Astrologers consider their motion such as it is in relation to earthly Bodies here below Why do they distinguish of their Motions by minutes Do they not confess that which they cannot deny that every half yea quarter of a minute by the Conjunction of other Stars how slow soever the Ascensions of some may be there is a new specifically different beam of influence radiated upon the Earth all taking their circular turns to dart their efficacy though upon the same Centre-point if the Earth aad its Bodies were so small So that let the Heavens be never so swift their varieties of influences doth touch by turn the things below Onely here is the Knot which the Doctour put not yet solved how such suddain touches of influences coming on and going off as in a moment should make any change on the Complexions of men on Earth so as to specificate them to such a temper by proportion to the temper of the Heavens at such a minute if the temper of the Constellation of the Heavens at that minute could possibly be known To VVill. Ram. instant of seperation of the Infant from the Womb to be the Radix of the Infants Nativity we need say no more but 1. That locomotive motion is the time not in an instant Tempus est mensura motus Arist 2. That if a minute is in reason as hath been argued too short by reason of the swift motions of the Heavens to make or make known any specifical different impression upon the Infant how then shall an instant that is too small to be any part of time be long enough to be the Radix of a Prognostication from the Nativity To VVill. Ram. his I would fain know the non-moving of the fixed Stars and the Planets consiguration with them noted with X Y Z a few words will serve He needed not have been so fain to know if he had observed the Doctours Argument afore or to have put the Quere he would fain know if like an Artist he had given the Doctour a Logical distinct Answer His poor suggestion of the fixed Stars motion once round the Earth every four and twenty hours adds nothing but confusion to the solution of the Argument to Astrological Predictions and to William his own words For presently at Y he saith that the Stars we call fixed move not at all c. Surly Will. Ram. would fain tell us some News if he could but we cannot gather up any thing but Contradictions For 1. do not the Planets as well move in and together with their Spheres as well as the fixed in theirs 2. If the eighth Sphere be about seven thousand years finishing its course then of necessity so long are the Stars fixed in that Sphere finishing their course 3. That if some Planets and some fixed Stars should come into configuration in less then seven thousand years yet perpetually in every minute many other Stars successively intermingle themselves so that a distinct and certain Prognostick or experience touching humane Events cannot be gathered from any posture of the Heavens W. R. his SECT III. of CHAP. IV. Wherein the Doctour indeavours to prove Astrology of no truth or certainty as also its Rules and principles are themselves of less truth or ground nay and indeed sensless HIs third Argument against Astrology is to prove the Maximes Theorems Axiomes and Canons of the Art inconsistent with truth or foundation but first he denieth absolutely any such viz. Ground or Principles at all to be in the Rules of Astrology but with what apparent falsehood that is done shall appear to the World by these Examples following being some few Questions and Resolutions which by my own experience I can against all malicious Adversaries affirm to be most punctually true wherefore I have thought good here to divulge them to the World that such envious Carpers at this most true Art may be for ever silenced or at least that their perversness may be apparently and vulgarly known in their colours but see how in veterately they traduce it notwithstanding millions of the like Examples which they know not otherwise what to say for themselves unanimously this surpassing the natural capacities of their profound judgements when they so clearly see themselves by experience convinced they presently say It is impossible this should be true Sure this is very strange Nay I am confident this could not be done by Art this is a plain dealing with the Devil It is Witchcraft and the like simple and malicious Censures or rather Scandals hereon but to the business intended Where Will. Ram. draws three Schemes or Figures One to shew a Gentleman whether he should receive some Money from his Vncle which he expected The second to resolve a Gentlewoman that said no Astrologer would undertake to resolve an unbelieving Quaerent whether she should receive any Money from the Parliament The third to resolve an incredulous Gentlewoman also viz. Where her Husband was and when he would return And in all these Will. Ram. saith the Prognostications proved true And he brings them to confure the Doctour's third Argument For besides these all the rest in this his third Section hath no shew of an Answer and therefore not worthy the transcribing or reprinting SURVEY We will give you in Answer to this Section 1. The Doctour's third Argument word for word 2. We will shew you Will. Ram. juggling in the said Schemes or Figures 3. We will give you Proofs that under Astrology is couched the Assistance of the Devil and the Quaerents or Consultours confidence in that diabolical Art as necessarily concarring to have a true Prediction 4. The summ or main Heads of M. Perkins Resolution to the Countryman shewing the wickedness of Astrology 1. The Doctonr's third Argument The third Argument All Rules of Sciences Arts by the fundamental Position of Artists are Axiomes Maxims Theorems Canons c. that is Most worthy and most special Principles I experiments or Rules for their verity and certainty But such are not the Rules of Astrology First because of the for said various varieties and uncertainties of Stars both in their own motions and in comparison with others Secondly because no man knoweth the particular qualities or essicacies of all the Stars No Artist yet ever undertook to speak of more then the seven Planets and some few nominated Fixed Stars of some few several magmtudes leaving out millions that are neither named nor knewn Yea Thirdly thousands of Stars cannot be so much as seen a minute together as the Philosophers confess in their Discourse of Via lactea the Milkie way in the Heavens to be seen in a most starry Night especiall in Winter Fourthly because all the Stars do shine upon the Earth at once joyntly and promiscuously so that they that are under them cannot by any Rule from
Small love amongst Kinsfolks 11 Much unlawfull Lust this year and secret Fornication 12 Some Ecclesiastical Person shall be in trouble and some Nobleman shall die this is ever at one place or other 13 Many ship-wrecks and other stirs on the Seas 14 Many shall addict themselves to the study of Necromancy Thus far M. Perkins SECT IV. of CHAP. IV. Wherein the Doctour thinketh the ground of the Art wholly shaken and overthrown by affirming it meerly imaginary viz. the ninth and tenth Sphere and in them the Zodiack therein proveth and sheweth his own ignor ance the more apparently manifest BUt what doth this so phistical Cavil avail him to the subversion of the verity or certainty of Astrology when the motions and Effects of the stars are known but even as well may he condemn the Rules and Precepts of all Arts which are also gathered by experience and Reason as Astrology because the signes of the Zodiack are devised by men but the reason they attribute these Names as Aries Taurus Gemini and the like to the Constellations of the Heaven is by reason of their forms and particular virtues expressed under these figures for Ptolomy hath delivered the nature of the particular stars in them by themselves as also their particular Complexions and efficacies as also the Houses exaltations triplicities terms and faces and other Dignities of the signes as they follow the nature of the Planets and since these are known to what end are all these his Cavils whether there be a ninth or tenth Sphere for let there be none at all as he saith nor any think called a Zodiack as he would fain perswade the World yet since clear experience and practice evinceth him as also demonstration that there are such Constellations call them what you will his sophistical weak Argument will no wise serve his turn for I may as well deny there is a Dog a Bear both lesser and bigger a Swan a Crown a Waggoner and the like as he denieth there is not a Bull a Ram or a Lion in the Heavens when it is not desired literally by any Astrologer to be understood * ⎠* that not proved SURVEY First that men may see whether Will. Ram. hath not been impertinent in his Answer we will insert the Doctours third Argument The fourth and last Argument saith the Doctour against Astrology that I shall urge passing by innumerable others is that a main part of the Basis and bottome on which Astrologers build the structure of their Art of Prediction is but meet 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 dimensions of such a thing as a Zodiack namely the signes of Aries Taurus Gemini c. that is a Ram a Bull c. feigned to have power over the twelve parts of Man's 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 Sign which indeed is nothing should have any power and operation in the Bodies of men Again the very order of Government of these Signes in Man's body is found and without shew of reason for according to this Platform when the Moon cometh into the first Sign Aries she ruleth in the head and when she cometh into the second Sign Taurus she ruleth in the Neck and so descends down from part to part ruling two in some three dayes c. Where observe saith he that the Moon is made to rule in the cold and moist parts when she is in the hot and dry Signes whereas in reason a more consonant order were this that when the Moon were in hot and dry Signes as in Aries Leo and Sagittarius she should rule in hot and dry parts of the body and when she is in cold and moist Signes she should rule in the cold and moist parts of the Body and so still govern those parts which in temperature come nearest to the Signes wherein the Moon is Beside this some learned Physicians have upon experience confessed that the observation of the Sign is nothing material and that there is no danger in it for gelding of Cattell or letting of bloud And the vanity of the old conceit and imagination of them that have put much in the Signes appears in the common practice of men who commonly upon Stevens day use to let bloud be the Sign where it will The truth is saith he the Sign in its own nature is neither way available being but a phantasie grounded upon supposed premises and therefore ought to be rejected as meer Vanity Thus far he Now let me add some particulars suiting to what he hath said to illustrate the same and so I shall not onely confirm him but also what I affirmed my self 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 we see distinctly the seven Planets Sun Moon c. and their several motions in twenty four hours c. And we can perceive the eighth Heaven of the fixed stars known by their twinkling to move in one motion round the Earth in 24. hours because we can see the heels of the lesser Northern Bear 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 stars beside that from East to West in twenty four hours as that the eighth Heaven of fixed stars moves from West to East coming to be in the same posture as when they began that motion by the end of forty nine thousand years and that the same eighth Heaven hath another motion from South to North and thence to South again which process and recess is a finishing seven thousand years and therefore that that motion of the eighth Heaven from East to West in 24. hours must needs be violent as forced from some tenth Heaven naturally so moving and that from West to East in forty nine thousand years 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 again in seven thousand years to be the natural 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 believe the existence and being of the ninth and tenth Heaven for God that by his Word at the beginning said to the Earth Stand thou still and to the Sea Move thou continually with severall motions as of flowing and reflowing twice every twenty four hours and they obey his voice to this day the same God commanding the eighth Heaven to run from East to West every twenty four hours 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 years which is about three quarters of a mile in one year and half a quarter and also to roul forward from South to North and back again from North to South so gradually till in seven hundred years it is as it was cannot chuse 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 and a tenth Heaven moves the other Heavens And to the clause of one natural body we say that there is hardly any natural motion without some violent as the Philosophers calls 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 at the Centre-point of the Earth to its correspondent point in the Sphere of the lowest Heaven Indeed if the Pyramical form of the flame were turned upside down then all the flakes of flame might seem to take their natural order proportionable from one Centre-point in the Earth to their several correspondent points in the Sphere of the lowest Heaven So of any heavy Body Stone or Bowl c. falling down from some high places to the Earth no more of it moves naturally then the very middle of it tending downward in a Mathematical strait Line to the Centre-point of the Earth the corners of such a stone or the circumference of that Bowl falling not with the like natural motion because there is but one universal Centre-point in the middle of the Earth to answer to all downward motions which is the Physical demonstrative reason why naturally the Earth is round the heavy parts more pressing to the general Centre-point the lighter lesser So the Water in its motion in a River it naturally tends downward yet desires not to be so low as the Centre of the Earth and the mean while it tends progreffively forward and in this progressive motion no more is precisely natural but what proceeds in a strait Line for the Water hath no minde of it self to go out of its Line that being out of its way and besides its design So that either we must say one man may have many natural motions or we must no more feign more Heavens then eight to move the rest in their several motions then we dare feign more Elements then four to manage the several motions that are in each one of them Secondly touching the imaginary Sphere the Zodiack this must needs be an infallible Conclusion so far as the Heaven or Firmament of the Zodiack is feigned so far 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 or tenth Sphere or Heaven are feigned therefore the Zodiack imagined in them is also seigned 'T is worth the while to hear Alsted which is to our purpose what he saith 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 primarily and originally in the Mover or tenth Heaven in the inferiour Spheres it is secondarily conceited The Real changeth its situation the imaginary doth not The signes also of the real Zodiack are wonderfull unequal but in the imaginary equal 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 real Thirdly touching the twelve imaginary Signes there is no such formes of stars as of themselves seem such Compare Taurus and Aries and Aries lying under Balaena Tradition and Globes tell us such things but the stars of themselves could never make us so imagine See the Celestial Globe Fourthly touching the disorderly placing of the hot dry Signes in parts that are not hot and dry Nore that Alsted a learned Philosopher and was also an Astrologer at least in opinion affirms in his System or Treatise of Astrology that the twelve Signes are divided into four Trigonos that is Ternions or Three In primo trigono sunt signaignea videlicet Aries Leo Sagittarius In his dominantur calor siccitas quae dominantur cholerae sapori amaro that is In the first Ternion are the fiery Signes Aries the Ram Leo the Lion and Sagittarius the Archer In these Signes are predominant heat and driness which have dominion and rule over Choller and bitterness so Alsted Vranosc Par. 4. Cap. 4. Now that these Signes are thus affigned to have dominion Aries on the head and Leo on the heart and Sagittarius on the Reins and Loyns your Astrologers shew you in your ordinary and common Almanacks But your Philosophers and Physicians will assure us upon strong reason that a man hath the coldest Brain and moistest Heart and humid'st Reins Fifthly touching the imagined Signes and their supposed dominion over the parts of Man's Body this would be taken into consideration that the Traditions about them is such a Fiction in the eyes of some Astrologers that some of them omit them in their Almanacks others expresly deride them So that which goes under the name of Master Pond Should I but dare to omit the Anatomy Which long enough hath gull'd my Countrey Friend He with contempt would straight refuse to buy This Book and 't is no Almanack contend Ask him its use hee 'll say he cannot tell No more can I yet since he love'st so well I le let it stand because my Book shall sell And for my part I have of purpose tried the experiment of letting Bloud in that part where the Sign hath been as the Almanacks prescribe with good success Thus the Doctour which Will. Ram. hath in no measure answered neither in quantity nor quality either to M. Perkins or Alsted nor to the Doctour Will Ram. saith Let there be no ninth or tenth
great emphasis on these places But you see here what the matter is upon true account 3. 'T is true that Fernelius saith Purae simplicisque pestilentiae causa c. i. e. The cause of the meer and simple Pestilence is the configutation of the Heavens by their vertue But withall he presently avoucheth Quae neque temporum mutatione neque ulla manifestâ qualitate sed solo eventu deprehendi potest i.e. That that efficacy of the Heavens cannot be discerned either by the change of times or by any manifest quality but meerly by the event 4. Williams quoting of Ficinus was to him to use an Astrological phrase for their use though not approved by me most unlucky of all the rest For he though professing himself a Physician doth bang Judicial Astrology all over his vast works I shall here give but a touch In his book in Plotin cap. 2. the title of the second Paragraph or Head is That for many causes the judgement concerning future things is most difficult And then begins his discourse thus Quod autem nec homo nec daemon c. that is that neither man nor devil is able by the sole inspection of the Heavens to see the lesser matters accurre among us c. which he there proves strongly by many reasons too long for me to epitomise in this intended breif Survey Now let the observant Reader judge what Will. Ram. hath got by those names he so rattled together From them all not such a word as Astrology much less Judicial Least of all any inference that if there be a consideration of the Heavens for sickness Physick c. that therefore they can tell me where is my lost Cow who was the Thief that robbed me By this my soul loathes the silly weakness of the rest in this Section and shall kick it off for naught By experience we all know any observable effect of the Moon as all men Physicians or others are often enough deceived in judging the Crisis meerly by that Planet by reason that the different natures of the Patients and various change of Windes and Weathers to which Hippocrates ascribes much c. do much alter the case Hipp. lib. 3. Aphor. 5 And Will. Ramseys notion upon Health is to me non-ens or non sense as I have touched afore For Husbandry the Clownes can tell more then the Astrologer as presently he doth intimately confess that he learned Henhouswifry of the Northern women not they from the Astrologer A very sutable observation to usher in his Fable of the Climacterical years unless he mean that which we have by experience that every seventh year a man that observes shall finde a great change in his body in regard of diet c. otherwise that Scripture assures us that every man by Gods decree hath an appointed time And for conclusion William tells us a Tale of Columbus c. which the Astronomer without Astrology can do onely if he be honest he cannot tell a Lie to get Victuals or Money But the story and the practise is tolerable enough in the opinion and practise of divers Astrologers about London c. W.R. his CHAP. II. I Am come now to Mr. Homes his second Section wherein we shall see how he vents his malice most invectively all along against Astrology thinking he bringeth the learned to condemn it but what are the learned Schoolmen or great Philosophers to me or their sayings in this matter further then they have truth and reason on their side If they follow their own opinions and conceits without sound reason and warrant I see no warrant or reason why I should regard either them their words or quoters W.R. his SECT I. Wherein is further shewn the legality of Astrology HIs first learned man then he begins with is Tostatus who he saith in his Commentary on Levit. 19. Quaest 28.29 c. hath these words the which Doctour Willet gâ—ves him viz. Of things which are as to us accidental as the success of business or their causes internal as mens will and free choice as to undertake a journey or to build or not build predictions are not onely uncertain but superstitious and the same is to be said of casting of Nativities by the conjunction of the Planets But if he had considered what reason or ground Tostatus hath for these words he had never thus laid them open and I much wonder he being a Divine he had not first himself considered and weighed the Text which that he may now do I will here set it down Regard not them that have familiar spirits neither seek after wizards to be defiled by them I am the Lord your God Levit. 19.31 Where we clearly see there is no part of the Text once in the least mentioneth or meaneth Astrology it is against the seeking after those that have familiar Spirits and Wizards W. R. his SECT II. Wherein is shewn that the Stars are Signes and Causes HE then brings Doctour Willet in these words All manner of conjecturing which saith he is meant by Astrology is not unlawfull whereof any Natural or Divine cause can be yielded as first there be Natural Signes in the Heavens and Air as of the alteration of weather of windes of rain c. This doth no whit hurt Astrology mark but the words all manner of conjecturing is not unlawfull c. and saith M. Homes see he calleth it meaning Astrology but conjecturing onely but doth M. Homes conjecture it to be no other if he do it is his ignorance But let me not forget my self and spend too much time about him It hath been already shewn that the Starrs have the applause of power on the natural things of this world as also the great Ptolomy whose word in this case I believe will be taken before Doctour Willets or M. Homes his gives his word for it besides experience also as above shewed and you know Experientia docet there is no more to be said but that Astrology is not as Doctour Willet saith unlawfnll neither doth he in any wise condemn it for in his following words he tells us There are natural Signes in the Heavens and Air which cause rain winde c. The cause of which is no other then the influence of the Starrs which if he deny all Writers on this Art are contracted as also the Scripture to boot if then this be not a strong Argument let himself judge But to clear this point more fully What saith Master Homes is the cause of Rain alteration of Air and the like If his Master Doctour Willet did not these words shew it me thinks he should not have left the Reader unsatisfied and not onely so but have proved the Starrs to have no influence thereon nor to be causes of these alterations and then his argument had been good But they are causes And first let me give you Moses judgement herein who plainly tells us The Stars are for signs and seasons Gen. 1.14 which M. Homes
truch and reason on their side Will. Ramsey being JVDGE For that 's the Genuine result of his speech And by consequence if all the Learned men in the world beside Astrologers should condemn Astrology Will. would slight them as he doth in his Book because he judgeth them not to speak according to truth and reason To W. R. his first Section of his second Chapter a word will serve viz. onely to intreat Will. that so calls on others for consideration that he himself would consider that Tostatus or Doctour Willet doth not educe those words at A out of the text Levit. 19. But are his liberty of expatiating upon unlawfull Arts in generall and therein to declare his judgement concerning unlawfull predictions Tostatus and Doctour Willet had more wit then to take a text of Familiar Spirits to confute Astrology Though some Astrologers are not free from Familiarity with such And B. C. proves an implicite complyance Thus much onely hath given such a blow to Will. Ramseys first Section that the whole Fabrick of it falls to the ground in the eyes of them that will understand To his second Section and first to that Will. saith and so labours to prove that Stars are Causes the Doctour denies it not though that man of vast learning Mars Ficinus a famous Platonick Philosopher in his works hath a Tract against it 2. To Williams catching at the word CONJECTV RING of and concerning things which are naturall causes as of alteration of weather c. experience daily and evidently doth tell all men that have eyes to read Almanacks and to see the weather that how naturall and necessary soever the causes may be the Astrologers predictions of it are but conjecturing and daily prove false Yet neither Doctour Willet nor Doctour Homes do move the question touching the thing which commonly is called Naturall Aftrology And therefore as they do not justifie Judiciall so they do not condemn naturall touching weather c. and therefore Will. is at the Labour-in-vain uttering nothing against the Doctour for me to take cognizance of till he mentions S. Austins referring us as Will. saith to the study of Astrology in his Annotations on Job chapter 38. v. 31. But how untruly W. R. reports Saint Austine let S. Austines words testifie which are Intellexisti nexus Pleiades c. Num Astrologia perscrutenda est ad cognoscendum proprietates istorum Syderum ut hunc locum intelligere possimus Miror et si hoc congruit sermoni nostro c. Where S. Austine asks the question whether we need search Astrology to understand that place And wonders if that should agree to his speech elsewhere And in the conclusion interprets the place of morall not naturall things Omnium saith S. Austine it a syderum nomine omnes in ecclesia tales intelligend sunt qui conversationem habent in coelis c. But the Doctour is not against the thing of naturall Astrology but 't is judiciall Astrology and the calling of predicting of naturall effects by naturall causes by the name of Astrology that the Doctour is against and therefore Will. Ramsey in his discourse of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea of thunder rain snow c. is again at the Labour-in-vain or at a combat with his own shadow and so goes on to the end of the second Section For Will. Ramsey miserably mistakes to say Doctour VVillet denyed the Stars to be signs or causes as to naturall effects which the Doctour expresly granted a little afore and as meanly doth VVill. Viz. Ex varierate causae c. and Ex unitate causae c. go off of Doctour VVillets Two mighty reasons against signs of humane events and speaks not one pertinent word to them Let the Reader compare and judge in the thing Quem penes arbitrium est et vis et norma loquendi To VVill. R. third Section being a great body with little soul in it as was Doctour Ames his Character of Bellarmines works Moles absque nervis I need not add much to the substance of what D. Homes hath sayed For let me but tell VVill. Ramsey that he hath not fairly repeated Doctour Homes touching Keckerman and he must needs be non-plus't in his quibble It was the fault of the Devil he quoted not the whole period of the Scripture he alleadged And certainly the Astrologer is not blamelesse in his curt quoting the Doctour whose words you may see afore are That Keckerman a most learned Philosopher and a Christian although he favours some things which men now a dayes call Astrolology did not in all his two great volumes in folio of the Arts and Sciences set forth any Astrology BVT IN HIS VVORKS HATH THESE PASSAGES AGAINST IT c. Now this last clause here in capitall letters are left out by VVilliam Ramsey to the immediate ruine of all he saith till he come to MANENT TAMEN a fresh matter Yea if that Capitall clause had not been in it had been good Logick and reason to say what the Doctour concludes That Keckerman handling of purpose of the main body of Arts and Sciences and among them all the reall Mathematicks and leaving out Astrology doth shew that Keckerman was rather against then for Astrology Or that Keckerman did think there was no such lawfull Science Even as if Moses of purpose had set himself to handle all Pneumatology i.e. a System of Spirits and Souls and handling of the Souls of Animals and of the Souls or Spirits of men and of the Holy spirit had quite left out the doctrine of Angels it would well have inferred there were no Angels But the whole Bible is not a System but a graduall discovery of truths according to the growth of the Church with explications and repetitions And though Moses included the creation of the Angels in the creation of the Heavens as Will. Cousin Philosopher acutely well observes in his Enchiridion Physicae restitutae but expresseth them not that as Divines observe the sons of men might not dream the concurrence of Angels in the Creation till Gen. 18. and afterwards much that was enough to clear it Moses owned the being and Doctrine of Angels But Keckerman from first to last doth not approve of the thing and doctrine of Judiciall Astrology Now for VVil. answer to Keckerman's MANENT TAMEN c. i.e. The Stars abide c. unto Cometis in genere which you have here inserted out of the Doctours Demologie word for word let the understanding Reader judge 1. Whether VVill. Ramsey hath confuted it 2. Whether the Doctour by the rule of reason or Art was bound to argue out Keckermans assertions seeing he alledgeth him onely as a particular example of one learned man among others that was against Astrology 3. Whether VVill. doth not evidently contradict himself in saying That the words of Keckerman are as much as comes to nothing and yet presently labours but in vain to confute them For Keckerman doth not say That
shall be saved saith the Scripture it is clear the Devils believe and tremble Ergo I shall conclude them not damned rare Logick indeed W. R. his SECTION III. Wherein his third Text is convinced viz. Esay 44.25 THirdly he produceth the 44. Chapter of Esay v. 25 c. I am the Lord thy Redeemer which do frustrate the signes of Wizards making the South-sayers mad foiling their wise men and making their skill foolish This is to as little purpose brought to condemn Astrology as it is weakness in him to alleadge it or affirm it How can M. Homes or any one living prove Astrology to be signified by any of these names when it is clear as abovesaid it dependeth meerly on the natural influences and effects of the Starrs which is not to foretell by the flying or voice of Birds observation of the intrails of Beasts and the like nor indeed is it properly to be termed Divination for to divine is or doth not naturally signifie the foretelling of future events by natural causes but by some divine instinct But to come to the words in the Text which he would needs inforce against Astrology the same Sir Christopher Heydon further faith upon these words That they are purposely uttercd to advance the omnipotency of God so greatly diminished by Idolatry but to imagine that God would set forth the greatness of his power by oppoposing the same against that which in it self is fruitless infirm and of no force at all were not onely against sense but in truth to frustrate the words and meaning of God himself wherefore it doth necessarily follow that so long as it pleaseth him to suffer the course of nature to proceed without interruption Astrological signes must be confessed effectual and not to be frustrated but by miracle and by his omnipotent power to which that the Starrs are subject all our Astrologers do confess and none but an Atheist will deny For as God is the Creatour of all things so is he the first cause of all causes to whom all causes are but his instruments and therefore as the instrument worketh not of it self but when it is imployed by the hand of the Artificer so the Heavens being Gods instruments do not exercise their force upon these inferiour things but as God doth use their Ministery in the Government of the world And this he saith is taught us by the Prophet Hosea as abovesaid Chap. 2.21 22. where saith he he saith not simply the heavens shall hear the earth but first I will hear the heavens to shew them the power the heavens have over the earth and that it dependeth on God In which sense the Scripture saith also God worketh all in all things and that we live move and have our being in him And therefore whether we respect the natural course of things or those accidents which happen besides the order of nature we are to acknowledge it to be the supereminent power of God as the first cause of every thing which nevertheless can be no impeachment to Astrology because God doth govern ordinately and therefore seldom perverteth or disturbeth that order whereby in his eternal providence he doth govern his Workmanship W. R. his SECT IV. Wherein he saith the Doctour fourth proof is refelled viz. Esay 47.12 13 14. FOurthly he brings the 47. of Esay 12 13 14. Stand now with thine inchantments and with the multitude of thy Sorceries Let now the Astrologers the Star-gazers the monethly Prognosticatours stand up and save thee c. Behold they shall be as stubble the fire shall burn them they shall not deliver themselves c. This very place as I would have the Reader observe is enough to confute his former injury to Astrologers in reckoning them no other then South-sayers Wizards Sorcerers and the like when he sees clearly the Lord here makes a particular distinction between the one and the other for you see Astrologers Monethly Prognosticatours Sorceries and Inchanters paicicularly named But to come now to the clearing of the Text which he thinks doth absolutely strike the fatal blow to Astrology inferring from thence that Astrology is opposite to confidence in God and that Astrologers are much of the same abomination with Inchanters and South-sayers and that they are to be derided and no wise to be trusted in c. But as I said before the wit of man is not able to answer these his vain wrests and interpretations of the Scriptures better then by that honourable Gentleman Sir Christopher Heydon I here give you as he hath it in his second Chapter in answer to M. Chamber bringing in the same place of Scripture and indeed with the same conclusions as doth M. Homes I will not deny that because God and his Prophets were not believed by the Chaldeans who reposed in their Magicians South-sayers and Mathematicians the Prophet here in a scorning Sarcasmus biddeth them save their Empire from ruine therein contemning their Power and not their Predictions and expresly noting that it shall not be in them to save themselves from the judgements to come This I do plainly acknowledge although were I disposed to stand upon all advantages with M. Chamber sith both Vatablus and M. Calvin in their Commentaries confess that word Chabar doth indifferently signifie such observers of Heaven as were Inchanters thereof I could easily avoid him as not disputing ad idem sith not Astrologers simply but such as withall joyned Magick seems here to be mentioned And it is manifest by the example of Moses and the Egyptians and of Balaam and Balack that though they were Astrologers yet they reposed their safety against God and his people onely in their Magical power by which as their Poets and others report they profess themselves able to pull the Moon and the Starrs out of Heaven and so doth Diodorus Siculus testific Lib. 2. cap. 8. that though they were cunning in Astrology yet they did onely prevent the cvils which they did fore-see by Inchantments and Charmes For in truth Astrology professeth onely to fore see natural mutations and accidents and not power to prevent and save But to return to that which he most expects I will admit as much as M. Chamber himself can desire that the Prophet here derideth the trust which was put in the skill of Astrologers which is indeed M. Homes his chief drift also now let him frame his argument and he shall never be able to bring the proposition of this Chapter which is That Christianity and Astrology cannot stand together which indeed is M. Homes his argument also concluding Astrology to be opposite to confidence in God within this conclusion For it followeth not that because upon some circumstance a thing may be derided that it is unlawfull If this were any consequence then because confidences in Princes Psal 1.16 in Riches Psal 52. in Horses and Chariots Esay 31. in Cities Jer. 5. in Physicians 2 Chron. 16. in Negotiation or Trade of Merchandise In the last verse
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 womb that maketh all things and that stretcheth forth the Heavens and spreadeth abroad the Earth Intending plainly thus much Fear not bondage under evil men and things as the Astrologers threaten for I am thy Redeemer that redeems thee from troubles in spite of all Astrology Fear not those Astrological Genethliacos that is Casters of Nativities for I formed thee from the womb Fear not their Predictions by the Starrs and Heavens for I spread and rowl them as I please Fear 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 providential preservation against the Astrologers that oppose these by raising false fears 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 mad men all their predictions shall prove but Lyes and madness and turn their pretended knowledge into foolishness Thirdly that the Lord will confirm the word of his Servants and the counsel of his Messengers that is the Prophesies of his Prophets in oppofition to all Astrologers Astrology opposeth the Word but that shall overflow it The fourth place against Astrology is Isai 47.12 13 14. It is spoken to Babylon v. 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 maist prevail Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels let now the Astrologers the Star-gazers the Monethly Prognosticatours stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee Behold they shall be as stubble the fire shall burn them c. We see in the general if we reade but according to the English how Astrologers under all names and titles are inveighed against by God himself and in a holy way of divine taunting of them The Original also is very full 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 business 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 Isai 47.13 Let not the Astrologers of Heaven c. stand up and save thee and this is the righter rendering of the word The Hebrew Doctours 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 means Astrologers he useth another word by which he gives them a second name to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Gazers in the Starrs Astronomers look upon the Starrs to know their colour distance motion but Astrologers saith the Lord gaze in or into the Starrs that is their business 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 Prognosticatours Vatablus renders Those who declare what shall come to pass every several 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 fail Astrologers are here spoken against And how First as opposits to confidence in God as our Notes on the Bible affirm in these words He derideth say they their vain 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 rank and much of the same abomination with Inchanters and Sorcerers Babylon useth both and as we heard afore from them that went farr in Astrology that Astrologers that usually hit any thing right cannot do it but by help from the Devil Thirdly as a thing to be derided that any man should undertake to presage good when 't is the counsel of God to bring evil upon a people Fourthly as a just thing with God 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 do believe Astrologers that they shall do well Sixthly that in the day of calamity especially Astrologers and those that believed them shall fall by the hottest fury of the judgement The fifth place of Scripture against Astrology is Jer. 10.2 3. Thus saith the Lord Learn 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 vain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sign or token doth sometimes and especially when joyned with Heaven signifies a prodigious portentous ominous sign The word is the same and the intent of the Text the same as in Isai 44.24 c. afore discussed that frustrateth the Tokens or signes of the Lyars The Geneva on our Bibles on the word Signes say thus God forbiddeth his people to give credit or fear 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 known to man and therefore there can be no certain 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 Laws and Ceremonies whereby they confirm their Idolatry so the Geneva Notes I quote them and others the more that ye 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 Saturn Jupiter Mars c. as the names of our week-dayes do unhappily to this day
yet let it not be that the Reader forget what Doctour Homes urged from that place now the Copy of it is afore presented to his eye viz. Authours of late times commonly use the word to express Divination in general But to come closer to the word learned Arias Montanus doth as well as I derive our word from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 time yea so doth R. Solomon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 same word in substance and descent of whose signifying Astrology ye heard afore abundantly So the Doctour To all which Will. saith upon the matter nothing nor hath he or his Sir Christopher clawd off as we say what was discussed on Deut. 18.10 to which the Doctour referred us to better understand this If the Hebrew word is derived of Time then in its native signification it doth more then barely signifie Divination in general it specially relates to Astrology that undertakes to predict touching humane affairs by or from the times or turnings of the Heavens And seeing William is so peremptory he shall now have the proper idiom of the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Isay 2.6 whose speciall signification is by experience and inquisition to ominate and fore-tell which is the character of the pretended skill of Astrology And Williams brave reason is a weak reason that ponderating Translatours should use words for brevity of oration T is true indeed that it is their wisedome as farre as the word will bear to give the most comprchensive signification because the mind of the holy spirit is such But every generall comprehends the particulars as he that saith William Ramsey to be an animal saith true he that saith he is an ignorant man c. saith he is an animal ergo he that saith he is an ignorant man saith true This is better logick then Williams endeavour to make the Scriptures opposite to themselves Where the word saith He that believeth shall be saved the circumstances of the place shew the meaning to be of justifying faith in Christ whose property is saith the Apostle to work by love But by the Devils believing Saint James plainly signifies such a faith as works not by love And therefore if Williams or any mans faith hath no love it is no better then the Devils faith That 's true Logick and according to the mind of S. James Beside all this note that W. R. saith nothing to the Doctours reason from the word EAST proving thereby Chaldeans or Astrologers to be there meant We add here nothing touching the aptnesse of the word Sooth-saying to signifie Astrologicall predicting because before discussed To W. R. his third Section touching Isay 44.25 and in it to Sir Christoph reason I will say nothing because the Doctours exercitation upon the words set down afore in his Demonologie stands still as a wall of Brasse William hath onely alleadged a fragment of the text and in a different Translation from the Doctour and our best translation And Sir Chr. reason viz. that Astrologicall signes must be confessed effectuall and not to be frustrated but by miracle c. is a most unwarrantable speech contradicted by many friends to Astrology and by Will. Ram. himself in severall expressions in his Epistle to the Reader Therefore I have nothing to do here but to passe hence to the fourth Section of Will. Ramsey on Isay 47.12 13 14. In answer to which if the Reader will be pleased but to turn back and read the Doctours short discourse upon that 47 of Isay he will find that there is little need I should speak much to Will and Sir Chr. words here Briefly therefore 1. William here confesseth that the Lord here with particular distinction names Astrologers Starre-Gazers and Monethly Prognosticatours whereby he gives faire way that this Text may have its full blow at the head of Astrology 2. That Will. doth think that in the judgement of some this text may seem to give a fatall blow to Astrology yet saith never a word himself to stave it off 3. He calls in Sir Christopher to speak for him in whose words there are severall great mistakes For 1. Vatablus hath nothing at all in his Commentary on that 47. of Isay 12 13 14. touching Chabar 2. Sir Christopher urging of Chabar and Calvin is against himself and his cause For Chabar is in the 12. verse to signifie enchantments and therefore by Sir Christophers argument there also Astrology is forbidden as well as v. 13. and so also contrary to W. R. struggle enchantment goes along with Astrology 3. In that criticisme on Chabar Calvin is greatly against Sir Christophers Astrology Calvin on verse 13. STENT NVNC Hîc perspicimus quos potissimùm consiliarios intelligat Propheta nempe divinatores illos qui vano scientiae nomine sese populo venditabant quasi futura omnia tenerent ex ASTRORVM CONSPECTV Sed de JVDICIARIA ISTA ASTROLOGIA ejus VANITATE priùs diximus Si quis objiciat istorum non fuisse pericula cula quae impendebant amoliri respondeo horum monitu idfacturos fuisse Babylonios si cladem praevidissent Cùm non praeviderint sequitur VANISSIMAM ipsorum esse APIEM Frustà verò nonnulli obtendunt inscitiamartis non artem ipsam exagitari à prophetâ Alloquitur enim Chaldaeos à quibus haec soientia profecta est Sulsè autem dicit coclos ab ipsis sociari quia perinde proferunt sua decreta ac si stellarum colligatione complexu constrictum tenerent humanum genus Quanquam si quis malit incant ores vertere sensus non male verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utrunque significat Etsi verò Astrorum ordinem speculari per se malum non est longius quam liceat prorumpere dicit propheta qui obscuros rerum event us inde colligunt ac videtur obliquè speculatores istos opponere prophetis quo magis detestabiles reddat quia divinas omnes praedictiones extinguant c. So that by this of Calvin touching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 William and Sir Christopher are shot with their own Bowe Wherein Calvin doth declare that this place doth not onely condemn Judiciall Astrology as opposite to confidence in God but also as opposite to divine prophecying as being an Art of very vanity in it self As an are that would pretend by the stars to know future events yet could not fore know to fore-admonish of the judgements that were coming And that the Prophet doth not reprove onely the ignorance of the art as some would pretend but the Art of Astrology it self in that the Prophet speaks to the Chaldeans from whom this Science sprung As a presumptuous art that would bear men in hand as if they held all man-kind by the colligation and complex of stars c. As likewise the Doctour before shewed that a many evils in all Judiciary Astrology are here forbidden So that if disobedience to Gods word and Christianity cannot stand together then Judiciall Astrology and
it self it may be easily admitted but long since By wicked Knaves it was made a prophane thing For that Art was adulterated among the Chaldeans That therefore the minde of the Prophet may be certainly clear to us let that Principle stand fixed that the Sun and the Moon the rest of the Planets and the fixed Stars which are in the Firmament are Signes But withall here must be noted the relation Wherefore would then God have the Sun and the Moon to be for Signes Namely that the course of the Moon might perfect one moneth the course of the Sun one year c. Again the Sun as it hath respect to the twelve Signes one while it makes Spring another while Summer c. and other things blonging to the Order of Nature But whosoever will stretch out these Signes beyond that doth utterly confound the order propounded of God Even as formerly when the Egyptians and Chaldeans would sware higher then reason did bear they would conjecture by the position of the Stars What should be the events of all Nations After that they durst descend to all particular men Hence sprung the Nativity-casters Therefore they first began to philosophize more subtilly that the Sun when it was under such a Sign it portended the ruine of the onely childe happy events to another But these things are without the bound of the accustomed course of Nature For instance to be Summerand Winter this is natural and ordinary but that warr is moved by one Nation against another this is not of the accustomed course of Nature nor from thence but from the ambition and covetousness of men Indeed a secret providence of God over-ruleth but we speak of causes which may be weighed and comprehended by us as falling under sense Albeit this also is to be noted The course of the Stars of themselves have no matter of moment For we see how God varieth times we have not equal Winters or Summers neither is there a constant temper no year but is unlike to the former and the third unlike to the second c. Sometimes the air will seem temperate yet the Plague will destroy Sometimes there cannot be found a reason why the year should bring scarcity and yet men may be pined So that God according to his own good pleasure tempers the world otherwise then any the acutest is able to divine by Stars But they that will transcend the bounds that God hath set will also conjecture by the Stars whether war should be in that countrey or peace in another They therefore that will collect by the Stars the things that are beside the course of Nature they surely mingle Heaven and Earth together Neither is there any doubt but that the Prophet chastiseth this madness whiles he forbids the Jews to attend unto the Signes of Heaven as to be afraid of them But withall the reason is to be attended why the Prophet so grievously condemneth that Fear which reigned among the Heathens to wit because where this opinion prevailed That all events of things depend upon the Stars the fear of God is taken away faith is extinguished c. For all Astrologers who falsely usurp that name to themselves I say those Knaves Lat. Nebulones istos dico who for their Impostures pretend the name of Judiciary or Judicial Astrology do conclude that a Judgement or determination or Prognostick touching the life of man ought to be made by the Horoscope as if both fortunes depended on the Stars If therefore any man be born at this hour according to their opinion that condition shall abide him so together they feign a fate to wit some necessity which may hold a man bound to the rule of the Sun and Moon and Stars For one born when the Sun was in the tail of such a Sign or when it was in the head of another this Nativity portends such or such a fortune this man shall be of a short life the other of a longer At length they also gather to themselves more boldness and will pronounce concerning every day such an event waits upon this expedition c. After that when or where the Nativity cannot be brought into consideration they subject all man-kinde to the necessity of the Stars behold if thou undertake any Expedition this or that day it shall be well with thee but if thou hasten afore noon ill success attends thee So therefore they divine of the whole life of man and each single action when as God would not have the Conftellations and Stars to be for Signes to this end or use Now as I said hence it follows God doth not govern as to reign so faith is extinguished and all duties of piety are reduced to nothing For whosoever is perswaded that he is bound by this necessity that because such is the Horoscope he must necessarily perish in that hour and also necessarily perish by this kinde of death he therefore being thus perswaded will he call upon God Will he commend his life to him Again if any adversity befall him will he impute it to his sins Will he acknowledge that he is called unto judgement by God Or if it be prosperous with him will he be excited to sing praises to God We see therefore how this Divination extinguisheth all Godliness because there will be no faith and then no acknowledgement of punishments no acknowledgement of the benefits of God no industry in praying If once that diabolical Errour hath possessed or surprized our mindes that we are subject to the Stars such is our Nativity and further that the Stars each single day and moment portend some kinde of death This therefore we ought chiefly to think upon when the Prophet forbiddeth the Jews to be afraid of the Signes of Heaven Neither is there any doubt but that the Chaldeans did predict that a new Empire was promised unto them so terrified the poor Jews far well to us For so the Astrologers spake among the Chaldeans And then on the other part the Egyptians saw this to be foretold by the position of the Stars so it was that the Jews sunck as spiritless or unsouled And so it came not into their mindes that God had so often and so many years threatened them by his Prophets whiles they ceased not to provoke his anger against themselves The judgement then of God they counted as nothing and yet the mean while this did astonish them that the Chaldeans had discerned by the Stars that there would be some change By this time we apprehend the minde of the Prophet where he saith We must not be afraid of the Stars I know how many at this day are foolishly curious and therefore some way given to Judicial Astrology and this Dotage hath violently curried away some men otherwise pious and very learned But we see what here God pronounceth by his servant And I wonder that some men are so addicted to the Stars who too too philosophically speak of free will Thus Calvin whom I
Woodcock fit for your Sprindge but to be plain with you Sir your Worship is deceived of me for I can perceive you to be an arrant Knave for your Tricks are so thin and sleight that a man of a very dim understanding may see clean through them Your Discourse is neither knit together with the Nerves of Understanding Wit Art Judgement or Discretion it hath no reality or essence in it but you huddle a company of Astronomical words together wanting both coherence method and congruity you pour out whole Dictionaries of strange words talk as though you could repeat Dutch Gallobelgicus or English Hollingshead without Book and lye as if you had held Herodotus Pen while he writ the Nine Muses To tell you true Sir I came not hither to finde out a Chain for indeed I have lost none but first to finde out then to express your Roguery therefore I think if you had been a true Wizard it were impossible I should put a Trick upon you that is so excellent at the most cousening cheating and conycatching Art of Astrology I perceive by your swearing I am very tedious to you but good Sir be patient for I have given your Tongue an uncontroulable liberty to speak in the defence of your Art that hath been so benesicial to you therefore I hope you will give me leave if not I now will be so bold as to take it to speak in the dispraise of it because it hath been so prejudicial to many If Figure-casting be an Art or Science why is it not a Liberal Science as well as all the other Or why is it not studied as freely and as lawfully as the rest but that the Professour of it is forced to flie into such by-places dark corners and Garden-allies as these If you are ashamed to shew the Reasons I will not but truly reveal them which are either because the general eye of the World may not take notice of the foolery of those people and so give them warning or that the Roguery of you that entice them may not be apparent and so you come to a deserved punishment Or that you may be thought more famous in the opinion of the ignorant who suppose that such melancholly places best suit with such as study these Arts. This may appear by the cunning Man on the Bank-side Mother Broughton in Chick-lane young Master Olive in Turnbole-street the shag-hair'd Wizard in Pepper Alley the Chirurgion with the Bagpipe Cheek Doctour Foreman at Lambeth and you here in Moor-fields and many such Impostours that like the Birds of Wonder flie the light of the City Again there is no Art or Science but the definition shews the excellency of it Grammar is the Science of speaking and writing truly the Fountain and Original of all Arts. Logick the Art of Arts the Science of Sciences that makes way for the beginning of all Methodes and an Art that by disputing findes out the Truth Rhetorick is an Art teaching to speak elegantly by Tropes and Figures Arithmatick is the Doctrine of Numbers Musick the harmonious faculty of weighing the differences of Sounds by sense and Reason Geometry the Discipline of immoveable Greatnesses and the contemplative description of Forms Astronomy a certain Law and Rule considering the Motion of superiour Bodies Philosophy the knowledge of Divine and Humane things joyned with the study of living well Physick the Art of curing and healing the sick and diseased But for your Astrology your sacred Astrology your divine Astrology I never read that any Divine Father or Preacher ever gave any commendable description of it indeed some of that wise Sect you profess your self to be of have endeavoured to illustrate and beautifie with one of whose Authority I will not allow of because Divinity the Queen and Mistress of the Arts doth deny it Therefore because there is no true description of this Art if the Students of it will think themselves beholding to me I will furnish them with one A new and true Description of ASTROLOGY AStrology is an Art whereby cunning Knaves cheat plain honest men that teacheth both the Theory and Practick of close Cousenage a Science instructing all the Students of it to lie as often as they speak and to be believed no oftner then they hold their Tongues that tells truth as often as Bawds go to Church Witches or Whores say their Prayers or never but when the English Nones and the Greek Calends meet together This is the true Description of your Art Now the virtue and power of your Art is to calculate Deaths and Nativities cast Figures finde out things that it may be were never lost gives Fools Flies to win if they can at Ordinaries and more of the like which I will not nominate because it will be troublesome to my self and tedious to your Doctourship whom I perceive to be as full of Frets as a Musician all which I will prove to be unlawfull to the disgrace of all the damnable and diabolical Students in that Art and if I do not artificially confute and confound all those that can raise a Spirit and cast a Figure and all other Mountebanks Emperick and Impostostours such as you are that pretend to do it then let them boldly and confidently say I am but a meer Fresh-man and no true Master in my Art Some Principles conducing to the perfect Science and knowledge of Astrology handle the Natures and the Parts of the Zodiack others the Qualities of the Planets some the Dimensions and abstruse significations of the Houses The Astrologers themselves divide the Zodiack into twelve Parts or Signes having every part consisting of thirty Degrees of Longitude and twelve of Latitude In these pretty Inventions they shew themselves Poets as well as Astrologers in feigning so neatly for can any of them make me beleive there are twelve Signes to be seen in Heaven as visibly as those on the Earth or that there are any such Creatures in Heaven as the crook-horn'd Ram the goring Bull the poyson-spitting Scorpion any lecherous Crab-fish unconscionable Scales roaring Lion or hot-rained Goat Can any of you make me believe there is such a Wilderness of wilde Beasts as these it may be indeed there is Virgo because she is seldome seen on the Earth but for the angry Bear snarling Dog venomous Dragon greedy Vultur hissing Snake horrible Hydra fearfull Hare or Man-loving Dolphin to be in Heauen I never will believe it howsoever I have heard a plain Countrey fellow stand in defence of it that if there were no such things in Heaven such wise men as Almanack-makers would never put them forth in Print But I will laugh at their ignorance and scoff at all weather-wise Wizards with Bion the Philosopher that held those Astronomers and Astrologers ridiculous that cannot see Fishes swim in the Sea yet affirm they have seen them in Heaven Or deride them as Diogenes did The same Philosopher hearing a Star-catcher make a long and as he thought a learned
Discourse about the Celestial Signes askt him if he ever were there he knew them so well or ever had any hope to come thither he did lye so much For is it possible saith he that you can truly know what is in Heaven or what is done there when in your absence you cannot see or know what is done at home But these are onely Jests put upon them not Arguments to confute them but I will prove there are no such things in Heaven as these they talk and shew the Reason why they feign such things to be in Heaven As the diversities of the Circles described in the Spheres are meerly imaginary so the division of the Zodiack is not material or of the first Creation but onely feigned by the will and arbitrement of Astrologers that thereby they may know the Beginnings and the End of the Heavens motion And the reason that they divide the Zodiack into twelve Signes neither more or less and that every Sign is divided into thirty Degrees and every Degree into sixty Minutes is because this Number is most fit for Calculations as the Astrologers themselves do witness as Hales Avenradon on the Exposition of Ptolomy and Abraham Avenozra in his Book of Astrological Reasons so that they might if it had pleased them have divided the Zodiack into more or fewer parts but they would not which Division is clean contrary to the Doctrine of the Caldeans for they teach that there are not twelve Signes but eleven Images so couple Libra and Scorpio together A man cannot alleadge a stronger Reason not to believe these Astrologers and artless Empericks then the strange opinions they hold and to hear how stoutly most of them will defend the gross absurdities of many Philosophers and Astronomers For do you not think Eudoxus and Aratus were mad when they would boldly affirm Aug. de Civ Dei that they knew how many Stars were in Heaven and the Names and Operation of them all Were not the ancient Astronomers out of their wits that held the Stars were stuck on the Roof of Heaven no otherwise then artificial Stars on the top of some sumptuous building Was it not a foundness in that Epicure that did certainly believe that when the Stars did shine in the Night that then they were but kindled of God and when they did vanish away by the approach of the Day that then they were quencht by him As if we would say when we see a man then he is born but when he is out of our sight then he is dead What an absurdity was it in Origen to affirm that the Sun and the Moon and the rest of the Stars were living Creatures being capable both of our Vices and Virtues grounding his wak argument upon the words of Job Laectant coufur hanc opinionem in lib. 1. Inst c. 5. who said That the Stars were not pure in in the sight of God which was not meant or spoken as they were rationable Creatures but as they were glorious Stars and of a most excellent and full brightness who although they were never so tralucent and bright yet they were but dim in the sight of their Maker Therefore in my minde what Astrologers or Astronomers soever they be that think Stars rationable Creatures are worthy to be accounted most unreasonable and sensless themselves What a vanity was it in that Astronomer that held that Stars had their motion from themselves which is most absurd for if a Star is moved by it self then Nature is defective which never gave any Figure or Organ to any Star for such a Motion But Nature never was defective in any thing doth not abound in superfluous things or doth any thing in vain Therefore we must conclude no Star hath the motion from it self but hath it from God Motue Stella rum that is the true prime Motor all the wise and learned Philosophers have so much talked of What an Errour is it in some again that doubt whether the World be Spherical or round or not which doubt is most vain and idle for this sensible World was made according to the example and similitude of the Intellectual the Arch Type and Idea of the Divine Minde in which is neither Beginning nor End Boetius de consolat lib. 3. Plato Mercus rius Tresmegistus such as you may perceive in a Spherical Figure Again it may be argued mathematically thus that it is a fit thing for that Body that contains within it all things should have the most capable Figure which is is Spherical Was it not a great oversight in Cicero Plato and many other Philosophers to believe that there is a musical consent and sound wrought by the ordinary motion of the Stars and Planets which cannot be Ambros lib. 2. for the celestial and superiour part of Heaven hath no Air in it without which there can be no sound made neither do celestial Bodies while they move in their Spheres touch any hard or harsh thing as the Finger doth the Lute or Harp which is the cause of such musical and harmonious Raptures Also to what purpose was it in many Writers to hold a difference whereabout the middle of the Earth should be But I fear I have erred too far out of the path I am bound to follow therefore I will come into it again There cannot be a greater argument of the falseness of Astrologers then the leadly Antypathy that is between them concerning the Art it self for some of them hold that the Degrees Planets Qualities Apparances Ends Exaltations Diversitatis qualtatum influentiarum Coeli ab effectihuâ— cognocuntur and Fallings they attribute to the Planets may be attained to by the diligent observation of the Effects of the Heavens who by degrees may come to the knowledge of the Causes for they think that in the beginning of the world God gave Men so long Lives that they might give their Mindes to Speculation whereby they might finde out Astronomy Astrology and such Arts and Sciences which require a long large and exact experience In this I believe they say true for some say it is a sin to bely the Devil by long observation they may learn many Experiments concerning Astrology yet if by meer experience they had attained to the Principles then not once but often they should have observed the same Constellation which is opposite to the Tenent of most of them who hold that the same Constellation cannot appear wholly again unless it be after the revolution of many thousand years and if they could perceive them sooner yet doth it not suffice to observe the same particular Constellation because seeing the influence of no Star tends upward it is decreed by Astrologers that it is uncertain whether the experimental effect is to be ascribed to this or that Planet unless by chance it be to the Sun or Moon which are often proposed to us in operation when oftentimes they are the influence of a lesser Star although
no wise possible in nature that Twins should be born both at the same instant of time this his frivolous Cavil is of no use unfitly brought for the matter in question and altogether inconsistent with reason But this by the way we come to his example of Jacob and Esau which he saith by reason of their Differences confuteth Astrology but if he could prove all the difference that possibly could be imagined yet is not this a sufficient ground for him to condemn Astrology sith it hath nothing to do with Divine providence or matters beyond the common course of Nature which may evidently appear that this Birth of Jacob and Esau is by the story of their Conception which you may see was absolutely a thing beyond the power of Nature for their Mother Rebecca the Scripture telleth us was barren wherefore this being so this I say alone is enough to silence all that he can say against Astrology by this Example of Jacob and Esau But sure notwithstanding if one should particularly examine their lives one should hardly finde such great difference between them as could justly be allead ged to condemn Astrology for if we look to their qualities they were both Princes if to the number of their Wives and Children look into the Antiquities of the Jews viz. Philo and you will finde their Children were alike in number within one and we know that Jacob had Leah Rachel Billa and Zilpah to his Wives four and Esan Bathshemah Mahalah Adah and Aholibamach four also if we again look to their Riches or Wealth they were both so abundantly wealthy as that one Country was not able to contain them both but if any one say they differed in the matter of their birth-right I answer that this simple Objection is of no validity for Astrology is not to decide or premonstrate or foreknow the cause of Divine matters neither the secret will of God which that this was Gods secret will there is none but knows for as he was chosen to be the root or foundation of God's people so by the obtaining of the birth-right of his Brother did clearly premonstrate both this his Election and the power of his Seed to exceed the power of the others Seed being the Elder And here I may also add they were both roots and foundations of two great Nations but as this maketh neither for nor against Astrology It may be saith he they will reade us a Lecture of difference from magnitudes and motions which Answer I must confess sutes just well enough with the Question neither of them both being fully to any purpose but to be farther satisfied herein let him look Ptolomy lib. 3. cap. 7. of his Quadripartite where he shall be clearly taught the Reasons of Differences in Twins and convinced of his erroneous Cavil that they are born at the same instant of time it is not from magnitudes or motions though somewhat might be said thereon and that so much as that I believe would trouble him to answer but let that pass and hear how he questions and answers for and against Astrology if so saith he if the ☽ be less then the Earth according to Keckerman at least twenty times and the rest of the Planets below the ☉ as ♀ twenty seven times less then the Earth and ☿ twenty two times how then shall these at any posture at one and the same time effect or signifie any thing to all the world It is the opinion indeed and with very much reason of all the Mathematicians and Astrologers that ever writ that these three Planets under the Sun are less then the Earth but amongst the most learned of them there is much dispute of the certain magnitude thereof but how equivalent this Quirk is against Astrology is wonderfull A Candle is not able to give light to a Bowl or any thing as big as a Peck because it is so much bigger then the Candle when we know and commonly see that it will give light to a great spacious Room a thousand times bigger then it self we know and see that the influence of a Planet extends it self ten thousand times beyond its visible light to our sight but to come closer to the matter hath not the ☽ ☿ and ♀ their ⚹ □ △ dexter and sinister and ☌ to all and every part or utmost parts of the Heavens that are millions of times bigger then both them and the Earth according to their severall motions And hath not these Aspects as much power and influence as a perpendicular ☌ and whereas he asketh what is the difference of Natures in Twins when the superiour Planets are proportionably bigger then the Earth but sure he never read that part of Ptolomy which I before cited concerning the severall Significatours in Twins which is the onely cause and reason that can be given for his frivolous Quirk but as he questions to bring his bald Arguments about so he answers his own Questions in hopes to confirm them If saith he this is because of the swift external violent motion of the Stars why then I again demand how the Stars can have time to make any distinct impression by any particular influence on one born especially on one who perhaps may lie in the mouth of the womb partly born partly unborn for a quarter or half an hour or many hours when the motion of the Zodiack is sixty times sixty miles in an hour which is sixty miles compleat in one minute But to answer to this weak Cavil I shall say no more but that though the Heavens be so swift yet in comparison of us it is not so much as an inch is to ten thousand Miles for we see by daily experience that the ☉ who is also by the same violence contrary to his own natural course carried in like manner doth not as to us move at all in two or three hours for mark how small a thing in a Diall gives this sixty Miles in a minute so that this doth no whit at all hinder the influence of the Stars if they should be hurried ten times swifter for this great course is in relation to the circumference of the Heavens not of the Earth besides we know that those Signes that are of longer ascensions as are ♋ ♌ ♠♎ ♠♠are sometimes an hour and a half nay perhaps two hours ascending or in the first House and so consequently may be in any House And for his long continuance of the Infant in the mouth of the womb VV this may somewhat refell but there is no Astrologer that will take that part of a Birth or the beginning of the Mothers Travell to be the Ground or Radix of the Infants Nativity but that instant in which He or She is perfectly seperated from the womb and entred the elementary world since no man can properly call that a Birth which is but half expelled or but half perfected when also sometimes the Infant may draw back again Saith he If Astrologers
their properties do depend so that every species hath it 's celestiall shape or figure that is sutable to it from which also proceeds a wonderful power of operating which proper gift it receives fromit's own Idea through the seminal formes of the soul of the world c. The same Agrippa in the same book cap. 13. hath these words Provenit ergo virtus primò ab Ideis c. i.e. The form therfore and virtue of things come's first from the Idea's then from the ruling and governing Intelligences then from the Aspects of the Heavens disposing and Lastly from the tempers of the Elements disposed answering the influences of the heavens by which the elements themselves are ordered or disposed These kinds of operations therefore are performed in these inferiour things by express formes and in the heavens by disposing virtues in Intelligencies by mediating rules in the originall cause by Idea's and exemplary formes all which must of necessity agree in the execution of the effect and virtue of every thing And the same Agroppa in the same Treatise lib. 2. cap. 53. whose title is That no divination without Astrology is perfect writes thus We have spoken saith Agrippa in the foregoing Chapters of diverse kinds of divinations but this is to be noted that all these require the use and rules of Astrology as a key most necessary for the knowledge of all Secrets and That all kinde of divinations whatsoever have their root and foundation in Astrology so as without it they are of little or no use Therefore whether the Physiognomists look upon the body or countenance or forehead or head or the Southsayer sercheth by Dreams or Auspicy that the judgement may be right the figure of heaven is also to be enquired into c. And in his next chapter he sheweth how Astrology concurs to help divination by lotts He that will have more of this let him read Cornelius Agrippa his occult philosophy of which we have here given you a tast by which you may evidently perceive the diabolicalness of Judiciall Astrology and the abominable meaning of Judiciall Astrologicall influencies And therfore we had little need affore to bestow the pains to answer W. Ram. about the signification of the words Augurate inchant witchcraft c. when Cornelius Agrippa one of Wil. Ram. Astrologicall tribe openly confesseth that Astrology concurs to All Divinations of what Sort soever But to go on with W. R. silly discourse at T whereas saith Wil. the Doctour asketh what is the difference of natures in Twinnes when the superiour places are proportionably bigger then the earth but sure he never read that part of Ptolomy concerning the several significato rs in Twins which is the cause of his frivolous Quirck Now Reader is this an answer to the Doctous I pray thee read afore that marked with * ⎠* where the Doctours words do fitlyer put the question that W. Ram. here reports and then judge Surely thou mayest easily conclude that as W. Ram. cause is astrologicall Inchautment so his defence is base jugling He tels us the Doctour hath not read Ptolomy and before at S he tels us that Ptolomy l. 3. cap. 7. of his Quadripartit shews us the reasons of the differences of Twins But nor here nor there doth he produce a line out of Ptolomy to convince the Doctour or to clear the mind of the Reader He tels the Doctour afore quoting the words of Keckerman and c he should have made good the matter of those quotations But W. Ram. here neither gives us the words of his quotations nor his own applications that we might have an hint to what to give an answer And therefore I must pass from this leaving onely a story with William but I think I must be fain to apply it for him One Mr. F. C. of H. in Hartford-shier a rich Gentleman and a Schollar of much reading but greatly affected with a retired life was wont to say unto me I might said he have been a Justice of Peace and have had offenders brought afore me and when I had wanted wit what to do with them I might have bound them over to the Quarter-Sessions So W. Ram. undertakes to be a judge in this great Question of Judiciall Astrology too heavy for his infant shoulders and when he finds he wants wit what to answer to many objections then he referres the Reader to Ptolomy or to Sir Christopher Heyden To that at V Will. shall answer Will. here he saith though the heavens be so swift yet in comparison of us it is not so much as an inch to ten thousand Miles and backs it with a lie apparently against sense viz. we may see saith W. R. that the Sun doth as to us move at all in two or three hours And but a little afore at F quite contrary he hath these words All that know any thing in Astrology know that four minutes of time in the Birth gives near upon a years time in directions Let them reconcile this with that who can 'T is no help for Will to talk of Quoad nos as to us when he is to answer quoad rem to the nature of the thing Romae Tybur amat vento sus Tybure Romam He shoggles in the socket of his principles when he is non-plussed with the swifnesse of the heavens then to us their motion is but slow viz. not so much as an inch to ten thousand miles which is a grosse untruth For according to our ordinary sun-dials on walls and towres the sun runnes a degree that is three thousand six hundred miles in an hour which is an inch upon the Dial. And when Ill-Will is confounded with the slowness of the motion of others of the heavens then four minutes difference of time gives near a years time in direction Which is also a gross untruth quoad veritatem rei if we speak according to the truth of the thing and not according to the Diabolicall traditions received by Judiciall Astrologers For not any of the Planets much less the fixed Starrs do finish their daily motions in four or four hundred minutes as we heard but now but in each hour conteyning sixty minutes run three thousand six hundred miles And none but the Moon wholly finisheth any other motion in a Moneth And in every minute the whole constellation of all the Starres is quite different the heavens running in their daily motion in each minute sixty miles Therefore strong must the principles of Judiciall Astrology be that lay the stress of their certainty of their Astrologicall predictions upon the Aspect of the heavens yet will now suppose at this pre sent minute prognosticate from an aspect that is passed three minutes after that is is gone ninescore miles off for W. Ram. if we follow his words takes in four minutes into one and the same consideration And who can truly tell the exact time of his Birth so near as four or fourteen minutes And though the great swiftness
nothing in the Mysteries of hid things but representatively by formal Numbers and Figures as they are governed and informed by Intelligences and divine Numerations which unite the extremes of the matter and spirit to the will of the Elevated Soul receiving through great affection by the celestial power of the Operatour a Power from God applied through the Soul of the Universe and observation of celestial Constellations to a matter fit for a Form the mediums being disposed by the skill and industry of Magicians And in the same Book Chapter 54. the same Agrippa hath these words Now that there is in Man's Soul a sufficient power and virtue to direct such kindes of Lots of Divination it is hence manifest because there is in our Soul a divine virtue and similitude and apprehension and power of all things and all things have a natural obedience to it and of necessity have a motion and efficacy to that which the Soul desires with a strong desire and all the virtues and operations of the natural and artificial things obey it when it is carried forth into the Excess of Desire and then all Lots of what kinde soever are assisting to the appetite of such a minde and acquire to themselves wonderfull virtues of passages as from that so from the Celestial Opportunity in that hour in which the excess of such a like Appetite doth most of all exceed in it And this is that ground and foundation of all Astrological Questions wherefore the minde being elevated into the excess of any desire taketh of it self an hour and opportunity most convenient and efficacious on which the figure of Heaven being made the Astrologer may then judge in it and plainly know concerning that which any one desires and is inquisitive to know Thus you see how the Mathematicians themselves cast great Blots and Blurrs upon Judicial Astrology and that in relation to the particulars afore mentioned viz. of the concurrence of Magick of the desires and confidence of Clients and Actours and of the Devil himself And therefore well may all ingenious men for ever be ashamed to speak in the behalf of Judicial Astrology 4. Hear what Master Perkins saith concerning the unlawfulness of Astrology in his Book intituled his Resolution to the Countryman A Resolution to the Countrey-man proving it unlawfull for him to buy or use our yearly Prognostications by W.P. Not convenient to have Prognostications Reasons 1. Concerning the buyer 1. Immoderate care joyned with distrust in God 2. Contempt of the providence of God in not reverently regarding it 2. Concerning the maker 1. His unability in Prognosticating proved 1. By the true end of the heavens 2. By want of good experience 3. By ignorance of particular causes 2. His manifold untruths 3. His impieties and profane speeches and actions not seeming a Christian 4. His tricks of deceit GOod Reader I have thought it convenient for some speciall causes in this short Treatise to disclose a part of my mind unto thee concerning the making of Prognostications and if it might be to perswade thee not to spend thy money in buying any of them I have long studied this Art and was never quiet untill I had seen all the secrets of the same but at the length it pleased God to lay before me the profanenesse of it nay I dare boldly say Idolatry although it be covered with fair and golden shews Wherefore that which I will speak with grief the same I would desire thee to mark with some attention My reason shall partly concern thee partly the Prognosticatour himself 1. First on thy behalf I reason thus 1. As a man doth see the blessings of God upon him so he must also labour with a carefull diligence to maintain the store of this life But because the affection of man is caryed headlong unto a greedy covetousnesse this defire of overmuch carping and careing must be bridled with two strong bitts First all our care must extend it self no further then the present day Secondly in careing we must not trust unto our selves but six all our confidence in the mercy and providence of God who blesseth all and without whose goodnesse nothing can come to passe do what we will 1. As touching the first we have the direction of our Saviour Christ who teacheth us to pray on this wise Matth. 6.11 Give us this day our daily bread whereby we are given to understand that we are onely to seek for the present time resting with this perswasion that he which hath blessed us this day will also to morrow and the next day shew his like goodnesse unto us Again in the same place our Saviour Christ speaketh on this wise Matth. chap. 6. v. 34. Care not then for the morrow for the morrow shall care for it self the day hath enough with his own grief By this welearn that God will provide for every day all things necessary though we do not encrease the present grief with caring and casting in our heads how we shall live in the time to come Now tell me what is the cause that thou yearly dost buy a Prognostication and one of those which tell the strangest things Is it because thou hast a delight to reade the style of Prognostications Or because thou wouldest learn to Prognosticate Or because the pictures and Characters which they make delight thy mind it were folly to be perswaded of this seeing the very cause it self is manifest Thy whole desire is to fill thy coffers and to heap up wealth thou art afraid lest thou shalt become poor therefore thou greedily buyest thee Prognostications and continually searchest all the corners of them to see the state of the year to come even thus in mind reasoning with thy self I can never be quiet nor take my sleep untill such time as I have known the state of the year ensuing that I may frame my businesse accordingly This next year there will be much rain it will rot corn upon the ground it will be spoiled I will keep my corn untill the next year following I find that corn will be dear about half a year hence I will not sell my corn now but keep it that I may have plenty of money for it and sufficient beside to maintain my house the sea and land is calm and quiet this year the next year many shipwracks and troubles in many countreys will fall now I will fraught my ships that then I may be quiet These imaginations are lively arguments of thy diffidence and despair in the goodnesse and loving kindnesse of God If thou fear God love God put thy whole trust in God thou art content to refer thy whole preservation unto the hands of God now these proling and ranging conceits of the time to come argue that either thou never thinkest on God or at the least perswadest thy self that either he will not or cannot help thee Wherefore seeing the having of Prognostications cometh of so wicked causes as is the greedy desire of
prosperity and wealth and argueth some kind of diffidence in God when thou readest these my words examine thine own heart if thou find my sayings true as certainly thou shalt never hereafter desire to know the state of the year before-hand except it be for the seasons of the year which I am perswaded thou mayst in some part without any skill even by thine own experience 2. Concerning the contempt of Gods providence thus much I say The Prognosticatour if he be asked whether he confesse the providence of God he will with all his heart confesse it but by his deeds he doth deny it for all the things whatsoever which can happen in a whole year he attributeth them to the stars and so he publisheth his predictions alwayes mentioning stars never or very slenderly making any signification of the power and justice mercy and everlasting wisdome of God And surely even for the very paring of thy nails for the cutting of thy hair for the putting on of thy shooes for taking a journey two or three miles from thine house for obtaining at Gods hands thy request for making thy bargain with thy neighbour for all thine actions be they never so small these wise men if thou wilt ask their advise will give thee counsell from the stars Now when these their irreligious predictions shall be had in thy bosome and read of thee daily thou being a man unlearned and worldly given never hearing any mention of the speciall providence and hand of God in every thing but long discourses of the virtues of Planets and signs doest never think upon the wonderfull and most infinite power of God working after a speciall manner in every matter but are drawn straight wayes into an admiration of the Astrologer and a great fear of the constellations of heaven An experience of this I found in thee about two years ago A learned man yet in this case far deceived wrote an Astrologicall discourse of the conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn wherein he shewed of great alteration in every thing to fall At this thou wast sore agast thy mind was incumbred with fettling thy goods to set them in order against that day thy song for half a year was nothing else but the conjunction the conjunction the day being come what staring was there and gazing into heaven to see the meeting of those two Planets Now all this while where was Gods providence where was that trust and rejoycing in him Wherefore me thinketh that in a Christian Common-wealth those onely books should be published for thy use which might beat into thy head and make thee every houre and moment to think on the providence of God Contrarywise to tell thee the means which God doth use to thunder out the aspects and constellations of stars and seldome to mention of his providence maketh thee to fear and admire and love the means quite forgetting the work of God in the means This fault was very rife amongst the Israelites who came yearly unto Astrologers and wise men Wherefore that which is spoken by Jeremy chap. 10. v. 12. unto them is also spoken unto thee Hear ye the word of the Lord that he speaketh unto you O house of Israel Thus saith the Lord learn not the way of the heathen and be not afraid for the signs of heaven though the heathen be afraid of such In like sort God forbiddeth his people of England to give credit or fear the constellations and conjunctions of Stars and Planets which have no power of themselves but are governed by him and their secret motions and influences are not known to man and therefore there can be no certain judgement thereof If thou wilt not hear and follow this which I say see what will ensue Thou seest that the greatest matters which these Diviners and Prognosticatours foretell fall out flat otherwise then they say to their perpetuall shame Truely I am perswaded that it is the judgement of God upon them although they cannot see it who maketh them when they think they are most wise to be most fools For so the Lord used the wise men and Astrologers of Chaldea as he speaketh by his Prophet Esay chap. 44. v. 24. I am the Lord that made all things that spread out the heavens alone and stretch out the earth by my self I destroy the tokens of Soothsayers and make them that conjecture fools and turn their wise men backward and make their knowledge foolishnesse Dost thou then O carelesse and miserable man think to escape the same or greater punishment being a cause of this fault for if none desired to know what is to come none would busie themselves in that vanity Wherefore reade the word of God in the 18. of Deut. verse 9. When thou shalt come saith the spirit of God into the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations In the words following Moses numbreth nine abominations As 1. To make his child go through the fire 2. To use witchcraft 3. To regard times this is thy fault 4. To mark the flying of fouls 5. To be a Sorcerer 6. To be a Charmer 7. To counsell with Spirits 8. To be a Soothsayer 9. To ask counsell at the dead All these horrible abominations being rehearsed mark what followeth Deut. 18.9 For all that do such things are an abomination unto the Lord and because of their abominations the Lord thy God doth cast them out before thee now seeing most of these abominations and especially the third is used of us why should we not fear the like judgements upon us unlesse we will repent and that with speed 2. The reasons which concern the Prognosticatour and may avail to the perswading of thee not to buy any more of their unprofitable books as these which follow First their unability in Prognosticating Secondly their manifest untruths Thirdly their impieties Fourthly their tricks of deceit What can they not foretell that which is to come can they not make conjectures of that which is like to ensue No surely And I will use arguments to confirm it unto thee The true use of the heavens consisteth in many points 1. To declare the glory of God The heavens saith David Psal 19.2 declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth the work of his hands It is an Alphabet written in great Letters in which is described the majestie of God and that by these four speciall points First the Majesty of the work it self 2. The infinite multitude of Stars 3. By the wonderfull variety of Stars 4. By the greatnesse of the Stars 2. Secondly it maketh sinners and wicked men inexcusable before the judgement seat of God Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him saith Paul that is his eternall power and God-head are seen by the creation of the world being consiaered in his works to the intent that they should be without excuse 3. Thirdly they serve to the appointment of times as day
Prognostication for seeing all stars have their own powers and peradventure also the least stars which we make no account of have great Effects amongst us as one Grain of Musk in the Apothecaries shop maketh a greater smel then all other Powders be they never so many nothing will the knowledg of the operation of some stars prevail the rest being not known and never regarded They wil say they have some experience but yet imperfect I have shewed how they have no true experience at all and their imperfect experience maketh them perfect Liars The fourth Reason the ignorance of Causes A man which will judge rightly of any matter by the Causes must not onely consider the common Causes but he must also with them confer the particular Causes of all things which happen amongst us so he shall judge aright In Heaven the stars be common Causes of all things amongst us because they shew their virtue on every matter one way or other The same things have their peculiar efficients and matters and forms by which and not by the Heavens they are made that whatsoever they are These proper Causes because their natures be unknown unto us I cannot see how the Prognosticatour is able to foretell any thing to come in good and convenient manner laying aside all deceiving and forging of untruths To make this more plain I will use this similitude Suppose an Hen to sit upon many Eggs some of her own some of divers other Fowls she impartoth her heat equally unto them at the length she hatcheth and some of her Chickens are Cocks some Hens some Crows some Partridges some Doves some black some white some like and live some die some are killed of the Kite some are rosted No man I think will profess so much skill as to say that he by the considering of the Hen and her heat which is a common Cause of the Chickens and all that befalleth them is able to tell why of this Egg came a Patridge of that a Crow why this Egg had no Chicken why that had a dead Chicken c. except he do therewith all adjoyn the consideration of the particular Effects The Heaven is as it were a Hen fostring under her Wings all earthly things imparting his virtue and heat unto all Can our Prognosticatour by the erecting of Figures by considering the Disposition of every Planet in their Houses and the significations of every thing judge why this man is wealthy that man a Begger why this Noble-man dieth this Year none the next Year why it is naught to travell this way good to travell that way why these Diseases abound and not other why Corn shall be dear this Quarter not the next why this Week is fair and temperate that Week that Moneth unseasonable and tempestuous Tiuly it is a thing flat impossible They must hereun to adjoyn the particular nature of the Countrey the particular Causes both in mens mindes and bodies as education place honesty birth bloud sickness health strength weakness meat drink liberty of minde learning c. and all other speciall circumstances which they never do as we may see in their Prognostications and if they would do it yet they could not Wherefore I must needs say this that their folly is great in publishing their Prognostications and thou also greatly to be blamed which by thy greedy desire givest them great occasion to be unprofitably occupied To shew more briefly and plainly of their unability in prognosticating Hos 2. although I grant the Stars have great force yet I say they cannot judge of things to come And there be six Impediments The first Impediment is imbecility of wit for as mans eye from the Earth beholding the Heavens and the Stars perceiveth them not in their just quantity but as very smal Lights for indeed the Sun is a hundred and threescore and six times bigger then the Earth Saturn ninety times Jupiter ninety and five Mars one and an half the Moon is the thirty and ninth part of the Earth the biggest fixed Stars contain the Earth an hundred and seven times the Stars of the second magnitude ninety the third seventy times the fourth magnitude fifty and four times the fifth magnitude thirty and five times the sixth magnitude eighteen times So the weakness of mans understanding is not able to conceive and learn the things which the Heavens do bring to pass on Earth The 2d Impediment the infinite number of Stars which no doubtall have great power although we do not finde it For the Prognosticatour onely maketh one thousand twenty and eight Stars and of these he taketh onely heed unto a very few which is as though a man should judge the power of an Army by the power of one or two Souldiers and Captains not by the power of the whole company The third Impediment is the infinite varieties of the virtues of Stars and the parts of Heaven which Astrologers grant to be yet they do not know them As touching the nature of the Fixed Stars they know nothing but by colour which is red leady white pale c. resembling some Planet And because they know not the virtue of all Stars and every part of Heaven they are not able to judge any thing but to their own shame no more then the Physician is able to know the nature of the compound Medicine without the knowing of every Simple The fourth Impediment the manifold and daily change of the Motions Positions and Configurations of the Stars for if a man could tell both the number and nature of Stars yet the variety of Positions breedeth Trouble and hindreth right judgement because by this means the powers of Stars are increased diminished and changed And these Rules which served for ancient times to foretell things will not serve us because all the Fixed Stars have changed their places and the reft are daily changed The fifth Impediment the infinite variety of inferiour things which do hinder pervert change receive or not receive the virtue and Predictions of Stars as the nature of the Soil the disposition natural of Air orders and Constitutions of the Common-wealth occasions education institution kindes of meat and drink c. The sixth Impediment the will of man which freely in common matters chuseth this and refuseth that There are many things which are caused without any work of Stars onely by the will of man and study as we see in Socrates Demosthenes and other c. Thus much shall suffice to shew that they cannot prognosticate of things insuing now follow their manifold untruths and most false Rules In disclosing them I will keep the same order they use in their Almanacks In the first or second leaf of their Books thou shalt finde a Picture of Man's Body with the twelve Signes round about it they call it the Anatomy of Man's Body shewing how the twelve Signes have Government of the same for the Moon or any other Significatour of any thing being in the Sign they
credit is not to be given to such Signs as the vulgar and credulous Astrologer doth imagine neither is there virtue and power altogether to be rejected Influences though they descend on man c. yet they do not Compell through any necessity For the free mind of man is not subjected and as it were enslaved to any Position of the Starres For Sapiens dominabitur Astris that is A wise man shall rule over the Stars Thus farre the great Friend of Astrology if not an Astrologer In which I much commend him for his ingenuous and candid dealing For according to this declaration there can be no due true and lawfull prediction of humane things by the Starres Though we grant Meteorologicall effects yet this inferrs nothing for rationall events But our lover of Astrology afore quoted allows not in his glosse on Luke chap. 12. vers 54. a certainty of effects of Starres in Meteorologicals How then shall we in Arbitraries Nor will the distinctions that some make help up the credit of judiciary or divinatory predicting Astrology They say there is a threefold Prognostication or Divination namely Superstitious Supernaturall natural And Superstitious is either Heathenish or Oraculous Not to spend time about the form of these distinctions either to note the low debasing Scripturelesse and unworthy phrases of Supernaturall Prognostication or Divination whereby to signifie the wonderfull Predictions of the extraordinarily inspired Prophets or to shew that the terms of the distinctions Coincidere are not distinct Superstitious and Supernaturall being both above nature God so acting in the Supernaturall and Satan in the superstitious and Heathenish and Oraculous all one those Oracles they mention of Apollo c. belonging to the Heathen I say not to spend time about words I shall briefly speak to the thing namely That by the Arguments the Scriptures use and urge against Astrology in generall without the least distinguishing in favour of any kind of Astrology properly so called it appears that all Astrology is Superstitious Heathenish c. To tell us of the effects of Starres in Meteors Elements Plants c. is onely to Physiology or Meteorology To discourse further as to say the effect of the Stars is a voluntary action by which the principall efficient God is Helped Assisted and Furthered in producing the effect as the Master Builder is helped by his servants to build an House is not onely an unwarrantable but a most sinfull I had almost said a blasphemous speech That God that can do all things immediately of himself as we see in the Creation and miraculous operations when he useth any of the Creatures in producing any effects He Assisteth them not they Him And we find not in the Scriptures that he used any Creatures to predict Voluntary actions but his Prophers Those that will defend Astrologicall predictions by a distinction between Non illicitium and Licitum that though Astrologicall predictions are not lawfull yet they are not unlawfull do not consider that lawfull and unlawfull are immediate contraries so that whatsoever cannot be truly asserted to be lawfull is unlawfull And as weak is their defence to presume to say that Astrologicall predictions are no where in the Word of God forbidden either explicitely or implicitely For not withstanding their superficiall glosses not worth a particular answer on two or three Scriptures that are against them whereby to abate their edge and to save the head of Astrology from wounding it hath been abundantly afore demonstrated out of many Scriptures that Astrology indefinitely without exception is condemned by the Word of God To whiffle off the dint of any Scripture expresly disliking Astrology as Isa 47.13 c. with the distinction that their superstitious or Heathenish Astrology is forbidden not lawfull Astrology hath been already answered That all Astrology properly so called is condemned in the Word of God by such and the like Epithites of superstitious heathenish c. as all vice is condemned by the names of filthy uncomely c. vice And those terms added to Astrology of superstitious heathenish c. are of the very dint of the Arguments in many places of Scripture whereby the holy Ghost intends to render all Astrology odious For the great matter that some would make of the mention of a Starre Matth. 2.2 appearing at Christs birth c. whereby to countenance Astrology I shall answer briefly because the Presse calls upon me to shut up Either we must consider this Starre singly or conjunctively If singly then if this was a reall Starre it was either ordinary or extraordinary If ordinary namely made and settled in its being in the first creation and ever since common in appearance how should it of its self signifie Christs birth an effect once onely to be from the beginning to the end of the World It is unpossible that a common cause or sign of it self can be a sure demonstration of a new single singular effect never to be but once If it was an extraordinary starre then either so it being newly created which inferrs that God did not create all things in the beginning no not all kinds of things for the Starrs say the Philosophers upon the ground of their different natures do Differre specie differ in kind If extraordinary onely in appearance now and not afore appearing how should it of it self teach any Astrologer the said event who mainly pretends experience If it were a seeming starre that is a Comet or Blazing star First that rather presageth death then birth by reason of the noysome and filthy fumes and exhalations of which it is compounded and being on fire diffuseth them into the air in which the Sons of men are enwrapped Secondly Then this starre belongs rather to Metereologie a part of naturall Philosophy then to Astrology If we consider this Starre conjunctively namely together with propheticall explanations upon it as the starres in Joel 2. And Matth. 24. then the consideration of this starre was more Theologicall then Astrologicall And this is supposed by the Learned both ancient and modern that the wise men of the East took into consideration the signification of this starre by the help of Scriptures either immediately coming to their view being Eastern neighbours of the Jews or mediately by the hands of them that had their glosses of such a thing to come out of the Scriptures T is put upon Chrysostome that he affirms that in the East in a City called Seth near the Ocean there was a society of men twelve in number studients in Astrology who learning out of Balaams prophecy Numb 24.17 that such a starre was to appear gave themselves from yeare to yeare to observe the heavens and to wait for the appearing of it and for continuation of that observation throughout many ages till it did appear did at the death of any of the twelve choose another in his room by which at last they saw this starre Calcidius likewise a Platonick Philosopher flourishing in the time