nay more not so much as admit to know and not only so but forbid it But by their leaves there may be a sufficient knowledge of the truth and integrity of an art or a thing although a man be not so precisely and pedantically versed in the obliquity and vanity thereof Learned and Godly men though they be not altogether acquainted with the maleficall formalities and ceremonies of witch-crafts yet can they discern of such better than the most expert can doe of themselves A prudent Magistrate knows well enough how to judge of a jugling gypsie or prestigious impostors albeit he cannot tell how to cant with him exactly in his own foysting gibborish But I return to you Judicious Readers and what I present you I submit unto you judge both of me and of the Judiciary Astrologers And fear not the signs of heaven as heathens but as Christians fear God believe in his Son and apply to his Spirit and so magre all their fatall or fortuitous previsions or predictions Fare ye well Yours JOHN GAULE To the sober and skilfull Astronomers Learned Gentlemen YOu may be pleased to take notice all along this Disquisition how that I had alwaies an eye to some wary moderation in distinguishing betwixt you and Astrologers who are no more able to distinguish themselves really from Magicians than Magicians can from Sorcerors I doe verily believe this name of Mag-astro-mancer cannot disgust you because it hath no intent to inure upon you whose Astrall consideration is so pure and moderate as that it abhors to enter upon any thing that is Magicall or to end with any thing that is Manticall As for those other you are not ignorant what Authors antient and modern ours and their own have recorded and confessed that Magick and Astrologie are so mingled or confounded together as that they cannot be consisting no nor operating one without another It is not undiscerned by you how frivolously and fruitlesly some of them have gone about to discern Astrologie from Magick and both from Sorcery nay how impiously and blasphemously some have sought to reconcile the Divinations of them all to Divinity But let the Divines alone to commonstrate the impossibility of communion with their old enemies the Diviners As for your part in the name of truth doe both your selves and your science that right as to pluck off your feathers from those ominating Night-birds Why should they borrow or rather purloign your principles Hypotheses notions terms that altogether neglect or exceed your ends When the Apostle gives the caveat against the spoyling Philosophie what other means he but the Mercenary the sacrilegious the curious the fallacious the prestigious the superstitious the contentious the oraculous I am perswaded better things of your Philosophie That it praetends not to Divination but contents it self to attend on Divinity And then let the Hand-maid on Gods name be still entertained yea and respected in her place since she so wel knows her distance and so modestly keeps her bounds as she is bound to doe Believe me I love and honour Nature that is not adverse to Grace and Reason that is not opposite to Faith and Art that is not contrary to the gift and the studious speculation of all these so farr forth as it may be conducing to devout contemplation Wherefore as I measure you by your Science I pray you measure me by my Conscience and accordingly for I must not pass much upon the others account conceive me to be Yours John Gaule Πῦς-μαντία THE MAG-ASTRO-MANCER OR THE Magicall-Astrologicall-Diviner Posed and Puzzled Chap. 1. FRom the spirit of the Scriptures 2. From the truth of Faith 3. From the temptings of curiosity 4. From the testimony of Authority 5. From the vanity of Science 6. From the obscurity of Originall 7. From the Law of Nature 8. From the order of causes 9. From the strength of Reason 10. From the prestigiousness of experiment 11. From the pooreness of Supposition 12. From the consciousness of Caveats 13. From the contrariety of Opinions 14. From the absurdity of Errours 15. From the abhomination of Heresies 16. From the cursedness of Consequents 17. From the propension to manners 18. From the Fatuity of Fate 19. From the affinity to Witchoraft 20. From the ominating of vain observation 21. From the singularity of Prophecy 22. From the variety of Miracles 23. From the fables of Mirables 24. From the ceremonies of Preparation 25. From the folly of Interrogations and Elections 26. From the conviction of Confession 27. From observation upon Story Πῦς-μαντία THE MAG-ASTRO-MANCER OR THE Magicall-Astrologicall-Diviner posed and puzzled CHAP. I. 1. From the Spirit of the Scriptures SECT I. 1. Whether those places of Scripture which the Astrologers pretend to make for them make not according to the mind of the Holy Ghost altogether against them As Gen. 1. 14 15. And God sayd Let there be Lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night and let them be for signes and for seasons and for dayes and years And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth WHat Signes Prodigious and ominous signes How can that be believed seeing now in the Creation it was not the terrour and astonishment but the perfection integrity beauty and felicity of the pure and spotlesse Universe which God intended What signes Artificiall and fantasticall signes Shall wee dare to obtrude mens chimericall fancies upon Gods incomprehensible Idaea Were his thoughts now like to our thoughts that the starres must be purposely set up for signes and Significators of whatsoever prophane men in a vain art should afterwards imagin Doubtless it was not mans imaginary art which he now intended but his own reall artifice for Natures wholsome and harmless use What Signes Magisteriall fatall necessitating Signes Ah! then wete they not signes only but Causes And yet not sole causes because necessited to necessitate Indeed we read of their rule or dominion vers 16. Psal 136. 8 9. Jer. 31. 35. if we may call it theirs because they were made for it and it given to them and that by a superior Ordinance And therefore all their prefecture and power but derivative subordinate ministeriall And not only derived but limited and determined expresly to be of by and over Time and the distinctions and vicissitude of time but not therefore over every thing and act in time with their distinctions and vicissitudes What Signes Indefinite indeterminate signes That is because signes of some things therefore signes of every thing Because signes of some things naturall as in Physick Navigation Husbandry therefore signes of all things rationall arbitrary morall politicall and religious Is it not sufficiently here expressed to what ends and uses they are said to be Signes To divide between the day and between the night That by such a signall distinction men might discern what part or division of time is fittest for labour and what for rest And to be
for Seasons The signall opportunitie is to actions Naturall Morall Politicall or Religious And for dayes and years Times shorter or longer as may be fittest for the account and order in the aforesaid actions To rule the day and the night There 's their proper use designed by or over time and the vicissitudes thereof To be Lights set in the firmament of the heaven There 's their end as respecting the perfection and beauty of the Universe And to give light upon the earth There 's their main end and use in respect of all inferiours But may we not couch and expound them thus For signes and for seasons and for dayes and years that is For signes of seasons of dayes and of years Is it not to be noted in the Text that the commanding or effective word speaks first of the Creation of the Starres of Planets and after that of their operation or use for which they were created When it speaks of their Creation it speaks singularly to note they were all of them for nature and substance out of one being But when it speaks of their Use it speaks plurally to note their sundry uses yet as it speaks plurally it speaks conjunctively to note that if Signes be abstracted from Seasons and dayes and years then are they either no Signes at all or else no such signes as are here intended and defined Again the commanding and instituting word sets forth their perpetuall Law of their ministeriall service to the whole Universe and how can this agree with their particular and temporary aspects together with their magisteriall domineering May we not well understand Seasons not only for appointed and stated but for solemn and sacred times as also dayes and years for ordinary common times more or lesse Certainly God ordained them for dividing and distinguishing signes even of his time as well as ours So then they serve to be signes for observation of sacred and religious times and likewise of naturall and civill times but as touching the observation of superstitious and genethliacall times where 's the least word for that in the Text Why doth the Holy Ghost here omit to express hours and moneths Is it not because he would not give the least occasion to Planetary horoscopists and monethly Prognosticators Doubtless though he implies them here within his own distinction yet he would not have them involved in their calculation How are their imagined influences of the Stars and their signall Prognostications of them grounded upon this place When as themselves say from their Rabbines in that profound cabalisticall parable of Malcuth cut off from the Ilon c. that from the Sin and fall of Adam these influentiall Channels were broken and their water-course was no more The divine Light retreated and the descents were restrained c. Did God indeed curse the heavens for mans sake as well as the earth How were they created and instituted for signes and for seasons and for dayes and years Seeing they were but created on the fourth day and all by their account was undone on the Sixt day To whom were they for Signes for a day or two To Man He was not yet created And so soon as he was created say we he fell and so soon as he fell say they these Signes failed What use then or observation of them could there be to him Well since they will have these to be the Signes before the curse we are sure theirs are not only the signs after the curse but cursed signs and therefore by their own argument can have no placing here Nay and moreover what say the presaging Astrologers to their magicall Rabbines who thus translate the place Let them be not for Signes but for Letters Letters to be read not Signs to be ghessed at If there may be such a spelling of their letters what need or use of their other spelling Signs But what should hinder us who are orthodox not to rest our selves satisfied with these moderate and safer explications Signs of division of distinction Signs of the seasons of the year Signs of the seasons of the weather Naturall Signs although not artificiall indefinite Signs because not precisely of particulars and yet not so indefinite as if signs in generall of all things whatsoever Signs of the alteration and alternation of times and weathers but not of the mutation and termination of humane Societie and destiny Signes of signification and for direction in some ordinary actions but not of Prognostication for prediction of contingent events In a word such Signes as God hath here established but not such as he hath there frustrated Isa 44. 25. Gen. 30. 11. And Leah said A troop cometh and she called his name Gad. Who but gadding Astrologers that follow a troop of magicall Rabbines could here by their kind of peepings spy out a child born under a Constellation Nay and more could pretend the same to be taught by the Husband before hand and here now gloried in by the wife Alas poor Mother that bare the child how chance she also is not taught for some joy in her travell to rejoyce in such a judiciary constellation Nay how chance no such starre is observed at the nativity of the rest of the twelve Patriarks they many of them being not only so obscure but more noble and designed by God to more eminent offices and greater actions among Gods people What ill luck was it that there was not a staire then invented by the name of his next uterine brother verse 13. since the signification of the name had been much more suitable to the Starres benignitie Why doe not Jacob Gen. 49. 19. and Moses Deut. 33. 20 21. in their propheticall benedictions intimate any thing of this New Star Since the Prophecy is of a troop of Sons who would not looke for a troop of Stars to attend the rest of the Sons as well as this but in saying sooth or sooth-saying will they have Gad to be the Planet Jupiter and he because Lord of the ascendant and great dominator turning God-father and giving the name of Gad to the babe new born under him And if it be he and he so wholly benign and fortunate as they would make him wherefore then is the prediction of any kind of malignity or adversity For so Jacob expounds it in his prediction A troop shall overcome him Are not they good Hebricians who say thus upon the place Ubi Kamets propter athnach legendum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tales voces quindecim sunt quae scribuntur ut una ac leguuntur ut duae teste Masora magna Not only as themselves translate it written imperfectly and yet to be read as perfect but written as one word and to be read as two and therefore drawn out at length or into two words still in the margin But again is Gad Jupiter And is the Planet Jupiter a troop of Starres himself Doe not their own divining Rabbines refer it likewise to Mars to the conjunction
in like manner obnoxious to vices 44. That the Stars are numerable and the number of them is 1600. saith one 1022. saith another 800. saith another more and less say others 44. That the least Star in the Heavens or the least visible is eighteen times bigger than the earth 45. That the Stars of the first honour and magnitude are bigger than the earth 107. times of the second 86. or 90. times of the third 72. times of the fourth 54. times of the fift 31. or 36. times of the sixt 18. times Have not they judged these old dimensions to be errors that have since altered them and whether theirs be not errors too let others judge or let them judge one another by their various opinions in this kind 46. That the Planets when they are lowest or are nearest the earth yet are they so many Semidameters distant from it viz. the moon 53. Mercury 65. Venus 167. The Sun 1122. or as some say 1124. Mars 1216. Jupiter 8854. Saturn 14378. 47. That when they are highest or most remote then are they thus distant viz. the Moon 64. Mercury 167. Venus 1070. the Sun 1210. Mars 8022. Jupiter 14369. Saturne 18500. 48. That the sphear of the fixed Stars is 14000. Semidameters distant from the earth others say 19000. others say 20081½ 49. That a Semidameter is 913. German miles 50. That the Moon is distant from the center of the earth 33. Semidameters or 30129. German miles so that the singular regions of the ayr have 11. Semidameters or 10043. German miles if the distance be computed from the center of the earth Likewise Mercury 64. Semidiameters or 58584. Germane miles Venus 167. semidiameters 152471. German miles the Sun 1120. semidameters 1022560. German miles Mars 1220. semidameters 1113860. German miles Jupiter 6678. semidameters 8103788. German miles Saturn 20100. semidameters or 18360430. German miles The eighth sphear 40220. semimidameters 36720860. German miles 51. That Saturn is 22. times bigger then the whole earth Jupiter 14. Mars lesser 13. The Sun greater 139 2 8. Venus lesse 6 1 â— Mercury 19. the moon 42. And again Saturn greater 91 1 â— Jupiter 95½ Mars 1â…“ The Sun 162. and 166 Venus lesse 37. Mercury 22. the Moon 1900. 52. That it is from the earth to the Moon 15150. miles From the Moon to Mercury 12812. miles From Mercury to Venus as many From Venus to the Sun 23438. miles From the Sun to Mars 15425. miles From Mars to Jupiter 68721. miles From Jupiter to Saturn as many From Saturn to the firmament 120485. miles 53. That for the order and placing of the Stars and Planets the Sun is in the midst of the Seaven and above that Mars and above that Jupiter and above that Saturn but beneath the Sun Venus and beneath that Mercury and beneath that the Moon 54. That Mercury follows next to Mars and next it Venus and next it the Sun and next it the Moon 55. That the Sun is in the last place but one or two and Venus above it and next after Mars 56. That Mercury is next to the Sun and under that Venus 56. That both Sun and Moon are above the fixed Stars 57. That the Sun is the Center of the world 58. That the Light of the Stars is materiall is a body is void of matter is a spirituall substance 59. That the Light of the Stars is of a middle nature betwixt corporeall and incorporeall 60. Is a substantiall form 61. Is a manifestation of colour 62. Is a fire 63. Is an accident reall or intentionall either or both 64. That the Light of the Stars is proper is mutuatitious is partly one partly another 65. That the Heavens are unmoveable 66. That the lower world turns round 67. That the moving Intelligences or Angles are the assisting forms of Stars 68. That the Stars fly like Birds in the ayr 69. That the Stars make a melodious harmony in their motion or revolution 70. That the celestiall bodies not only move with an insensible Musick but are moved by a sensible musick 71. That there is in sounds a vertue to receive the heavenly gifts and that the Heavens doe consist by an harmonicall composition and doe rule and cause all things by harmonicall tones and motions 72. That there are two half Orbes carryed about the earth the one all fire the other most ayr and they two as they wheel about make the day and the night 73. That the Stars erratile are some male some female yea sometimes male and sometimes female 74. That the Heavens and celestiall bodies are animated and have souls and souls properly so called 75 That the world the Heavens the Stars and the elements have a soul with which they cause a soul in these inferior and mixed bodies 76. That they have also a spirit which by the mediating of the soul is united to the body 78. That the souls of the Stars are not created together with their bodies but are extrinsecally added to them 79. That the world lives hath a soul and sense 80. That the above named souls have reason 81. That the soul of the world is placed chiefly in the Sun 8â— That the â—oul of the earth is not to be thought as it were the soul of some contemptible body but to be rationall and also intelligent yea and to be a 〈◊〉 83 That the souls of creatures and men are infuâ—ed into their bodies by the Stars 84 That Comets are the souls of famous 〈◊〉 triumphing in heaven 85. That Comets be fiery animals walking upon the superficies of the Elements 80. That the first principle of all things is water from which all things proceed and into which all are resolved 87. That all things are generated through the condensation and rarefaction of the ayr 88. That the Sun Moon and Stars have their originall from the earth 89. That the Sun and the Stars are begotten of clouds 90. That the whole body of nature hath the originall from the Sun and the Moon That the Sun makes Stars out of clean Chrystalline water 91. That the Heavens are a book in which the manners actions fortunes and fates of all are singularly written 92. That by the Mathematicall we receive the caelestiall vertues as motion sense life speech c. 93. That amongst all Mathematicall things Numbers as they have more of forme in them so also are more efficacious by which the next access to prophecying is had 94. That in Gestures there lyes the reason of numbers and great vertues c. 95. That the very elements of Letters have some divine numbers by which collected from the proper names of things we may draw conjectures concerning occult things to come 96. That by the number of Letters we may find out the ruling Stars of any one that is born and whether the husband or wife shall dye first and know the prosperous or unlucky events of the rest of our works 97. That the child cannot be long-lived that is born under the horned moon
prescience 26. Whether all kind of starry conjunctions have been heretofore or whether some of them are not yet come or whether some of them that have already been shall ever be again And how can so long an art as their mathematicall is pretended be attained to in so short a life seeing as themselves say the same revolution position constellation happens not in so many ages nor in so many thousands and scores of thousand years Where 's then the observation memory comparison experiment 27. Whether the new Astrologers may ground their predictions upon the old or the domestick upon the forrain seeing all Stars their conjunctions aspects appearances are not for the same horizon meridian latitude region And therefore not semblably corresponding in every part how then serve they for the same or the like observation and collection 28. Wether there can be any universall rules principles demonstrations of this presaging or prognosticating art seeing the same Stars signifie not the same things to severall places especially the remoter regions 29. What certainty of presaging can there be by observation of the Stars when as there are infinite Stars altogether unknown and not only so but sundry motions of certain Planets not sufficiently known as they confess to the Star-gazers themselves 30. Whether the Stars in their constitutions constellations conjunctions aspects configurations progressions radiations influences significations portents respect not universalls rather then particulars And thereupon whether the skilfullest Astromantick even in his precisest observations be not convinced within himself of more causes of errour and doubting than ground of truth and certainty for peremptory and particular pronouncing 31. As there are infinite Stars whose names natures numbers motions vertues are yet altogether unknown so may not all those they know not to be opposite in all to those they know what certain judgement then can there be where although it were known what might incline or dispose yet it is unknown what may alter and impede 32. May not the positions of the Stars be such as may signifie some health some sickness some wealth some poverty some honour some disgrace some prosperity some adversity And then how can the Judiciall Astrologer certainly say which shall be more which less which first which last 33. Which of all the Artists is able to inform us directly what defluxions or effects the severall Stars have at this present in the divers and distant regions of the world And what influentiall vertues have they all jointly and severally upon all things either animate or inanimate 34. What convinc't and confest uncertainty of Astrologie and ignorance of Astrologers as concerning the substance quality magnitude multitude of the Stars the nature and quantity of the heavens the number of the celestiall orbes all their order their difference of dignity their variety of motion their comparison among themselves in greatness light power and effect their proper vertues upon elements living creatures Plants Herbs Stones metals and things artificiall Besides the new Stars and the unknown is not all their observation even of those they account to be more notorious and familiar tyed onely to one sense and that often deceived through the undiscoverable distance the imperceptible velocity of the heavenly bodies motion the indisposition and pravity of the mean the imbecillity of the eye the fault or defect of the Astrolabe and of other their Tables and tools or instruments Is not there in all this ignorance enough both argued and acknowledged and must there not then needs be errour accordingly 35. Whether not only the Planets may change their houses but the parts and Signes of the Zodiack in time change their places and so the severall Regions and coasts of the world may be now assigned under one of them and now under another and accordingly alter both their natures manners and religions As for our selves among the rest was it not judiciously and profoundly delivered by one that from the time of Ptolomie to his own the Spaniards the Normans and also we Britains were under the Scorpions heart and so were both crafty and covetous who before were both faithful and honest while we were under Sagâ—ttarius But belike Aries is now gotten over us or we gotten under the Ramme nay and one part of us about London under one Signe and another part of us about York under another I now doe but ask of them what shall be our natures manners fortunes and religions when we come under the next 36. What are all those influences they talk so much of whether palpable or occult vertues If palpable why not plain to sense if occult how known perfectly to the understanding And how far penetrate they whether to the surface of the earth and moving things there or else to the immoveable Center If to the surface by what property if to the center to what purpose 37. How prove they some Stars their conjunctions aspects influences operations to be benign and fortunate others Malignant and unfortunate If they talk of the inequalities of the first qualities heat cold moysture dryness may we not speak to such a purpose of a minerall or of an Herb as well as a Star But grant they be indeed so as they say yet when is the benignity of the one or malignity of the other verily predominant and upon what certain particulars and by what naturall causes and to what ordinate ends 38. Whether a Planet or a Comet be more significant and presaging future events Or say at the same time the Planet signifies one way and the Comet another which of them shall prevail Or what need the extraordinary portents of Comets if the ordinary significations of Planets be sufficient 39. Can an Astrologer as easily foresee and foretell a Comet as an Astronomer can an Eclips If so how chance it hath not been hitherto done if not then are they not ignorant of Prognosticating and presaging of and by those things that portend the greatest mutations 40. Whether Comets naturally portend effects or consequences good or bad If good how stands their own conclusion That there is no Comet but brings evill with it If bad how stands that story of Sybilla Tiburtina who they say shewed Augustus Caesar of Christs nativity from a stupendious Comet 41. Whether those they call the new Stars betoken not greater mutations than the old Stars and in that regard argue not a greater defect in the old Stars designs and especially in the old and new Star-mongers art 42. Whether those letters or characters composed of Stars by whose reading presagition may be made of all things future be Hebrew Arabick Samaritan Egyptian Ethiopick c And why not the letters or characters of other languages as well as these seeing the Stars signify to one Nation as well as to another But in truth if there be any such art as reading or spelling by letters and characters what need now of any such art as reading and spelling by aspects and conjunctions 43. Whether there
upon so many and contrary causes and considerations Namely of Stars erratick and fixt and they more efficacious than these of rayes manifest and occult of influxes simple and mixt of light cognate and mutuatitious of motions proper and common and the proper more active than the common of Planets amicall bâ—nevolous auspicious fortunate and â—nimicall maleficall unfortunate exitiall as also ancipitous and indifferent to both and all these sometimes roborated and holpen sometimes infirmed and hindred one by another of Planets masculine feminine androgynous and these again now strengthning now weakning one another of Stars auc't and dimiâ—ute diurnall nocturnall and ambiguous ascending and descending slow swift and â—ean direct Stationary and retrograde Of the Signs of the Zodiack their Quadrants and Trigons and how they are masculine or feminine imperant or obedient right or crooked humane brute reptile vocall and without voyce fruitfull or barren beautifull or deformed happy-witted or unhappy conjunct or distinct of the essentiall dignities of the Planets or increments with their contrary dejections or detriments their houses exaltations triplicities tearms thrones decurions faces joys of the accidentall dignities of Planets in respect of motion positure aspect sc combust peregrine captive afflicted oppressed c. sextile quadrate triangular c. partile platick solitary ferall applicate defluent c. of the celestiall houses their number opposition representation and in every house the order nomenclature signification joy consignificator colour condition and temperament of the severall wayes of erecting Theams Scheams Figures c. All these generals considered besides infinite more particulars to be added what a wild wood or imaginary mist is here to find out a future contingent or fortuitous event For so clearly doe even the exactest of them make their grounds and means whereby to passe with great peremptoriness their prognosticating judgements upon all accidents Nay for as much as some of them say there are 120. divers conjunctions of the 7. Planets and moreover of them generally 13092. Considerations besides innumerable myriads of them in particular are not these direct to use their own word directions not only to ghesse at but conclude upon things future and fortuitous 21. Whether this order of arguing be with probability much lesse infer any causall necessity viz. From the constellation of the Nativity of a child to the naturall constitution from the naturall temperament to the humours of vegetation and growth from the humours of the body to the manners of the mind from the manners or naturall dispositions to the politick morall yea and religious actions and from the manners and actions to such and such determinate fortunes and events Seeing all these may bee quite otherwise altered by the constitution of the Parents by natures work different to both their constitutions by the complexion of the Nurse by adventitious nutriments by education by Art by Discipline by freewill and reason by grace and conscience by the wisdome power and goodness of Gods providence yea and by externall accidents or occurrents 22. If this way of argument were admitted in some part and probability that the Starres may have their vertue and efficacy upon this sublunary orb and so upon the inferior Elements and so upon Bodyes compounded of those elements and so upon the humours in those bodyes and so upon certain passions and affections of the mind that follow those humours or tempers would it therefore follow that they have the like though not as efficients yet but as instruments upon the Soul Spirit Understanding Will Conscience not only not to compell or enforce but so much as to incline or dispose them to actions rationall voluntary politick morall or religious and so bring them to reach the end or runne into the events of all those actions good or evill What rationall man can be perswaded that it is in the influences of the Starres to beget in a propension either to vertues or to vices and that it is in those vertues or vices as so begotten to hasten or prevent the hoped or feared effect However what Christian man will be brought to believe that wicked men and godly men their temporall prosperity or adversity is from their auspicious or their unfortunate starres how much lesse then their spirituall endowments or defects together with their eternall rewards or punishments 23. Whether in all Planetary Constellations Aspects Cojunctions there be a necessary conjunction betwixt all causes and all effects Though we may grant much of these in the Eclipses themselves yet what necessity of all these may move us to admit so much as touching the portents of those Eclipses And therefore I demand further of Eclipses as I doe of Comets also if they have no more but naturall causes and common apparitions whether have they then more than naturall significations and common effects If the significations and effects be to be thus doubted of in the eminent and visible what may we doubt of concerning the invisible or else but imaginable conjunctions 24. Why are the daily effects of the same starres as touching the weather so different in divers Horizons And why are the prognosticks of them so different although within the same Horizon Now if Prognosticators have so often hallucinated or deceiving been deceived about naturall effects or consequences of heat cold fair weather rain wind snow haâ—l thunder c. how can they be credited in their Predictions upon arbitrary actions and fortuitous events 25. Whether there be not a sufficient end and use of the starres substance and motion in the ornament of the Universe the beauty of the heavens their rising and setting in their own order their light and heat upon inferiors their distinctions of times and seasons with other their unknown motions actions services all tending to the glory of the Creator and benefit of the creature although their Astrologicall and Genethliacall yea and magicall benevolences and malevolencies had never been excogitated or invented CHAP. IX 9. From the strength of Reason 1. ALthough some certain demonstrations or demonstrative reasons borrowed from Arithmetick Geometry and Opticks may be conceded to Astronomie because it is a Science that keeps it self to naturall motions and measures ends and uses yet whether all they ought to be usurped by or allowed to Astrologie in as much as it transgresses all these 2. Whether besides the exaction of a blind and implicite Faith the rejection and derision of sound and explicite reason and demonstration done by Magicians and Astrologers be not a necessary demonstration of the vacuity or want of reason to the Artists or their Art 3. Whether Reason be not superiour and predominant to the power of the Starres For say after their own order the starres may have their influences upon tempers and humours and so upon passions and affections and so upon manners and actions and so upon issues and events yet Reason is not destitute of such means and succours as may temper those humours moderate those passions prevent those
About the election of dayes to such and such actions 59. About the planetary hours and the divisions of them 60. About the inherency and efficiency of the first qualities heat cold drought and moysture 61. About the effectualness of Symmetricall and harmonicall proportions 62. About the way of constituting the figures of Heaven 63. About the erecting and the correcting of theams and scheams 64. About the best and truest way of calculating 65. About the Astrologicall Tables 66. About inequalities 67. About elections 68. About rectifications 69 About the number of aspects 70. About the Lord of the geniture and his election 71. About the making choice of significators 72. About the deducing of the space of life 73. About judging of the morall disposition of the mind 74. About judging of the configuration or stature of the body 75. About the way of judging upon fortune and riches 76. About the reserving their yearly judgement to the true or apparent rising or setting of the Stars 77. About the searching out the Genius of a man by the Stars 78. About matters to be more or lesse regarded and esteemed in astrological judgement 79. About the reading of the Stars by hieroglyphicks characters letters syllables words sentences aspects conjunctions constellations oppositions configurations resemblances c. 80. About the portents of prodigies celestiall or terrestriall 81. About the vertue and power of contract sight sound voice breath numbers characters rings seals images c. 82. About the force of imagination 83. About the causes much more the interpretation of dreams 84. About the use and verâ—ue of lots 85. About the authentiqueness of their own authors old and new out of whom might be collected many a century of contrary and contradictory opinions Now since they themselves are not agreed upon the grounds and means of their art why should they expect that we should consent to such effects and issues of it as they pretend Is it not just and meet that they should first reconcile one another to truth ere they require our faith who will believe a certain or probable prognostication or prediction by such means and wayes as they themselves believe not but contradict and impugn not only as uncertain and improbable but as vain and false While some of them are so modest as to plead only for a probability what is this but to confesse that this art or science is nothing else but an opinion or conjecture But while there are such varieties diversities contrarieties and contradictions of opinions what does this prove but that all their conjecturings and opinings are but opinions against opinions or but opinions upon opinions or else nothing at all CHAP. XIV 14. From the absurdity of Errours VVHether the grosse errours that have been and are and ever will be some or others of them in Magick and Astrologie arise from the evill disposition of the Authors or of the Arts And in the Arts whether from the misapplyed circumstances or ceremonies and not rather from the misimagined substance and scope For from some accidentall mistakes only how can it be credible or possible that such puerile hallucinations and anile delirations should once have sprung or spread in the world as touching the nature originall matter form quantity quality site orders numbers figures motions and effects of the celestiall bodies As namely 1. That the Sun is nothing else but an Oven or hollow furnace full of fire 2. That the Sun is a golden turf or clod 3. That the Sun is made either of burning stone or iron 4. That the matter of the Sun is glassey or made of glasse 5. That the sun is the compact of severall flames 6. That there are two suns in the firmament one archetypall and invisible and the other sun which we see but the image or shadow of that which we see not 7. That the sun rising out of the Sea and setting in the Sea is kindled in the East and quenched in the West 8. That the sun is no bigger than it seems 9. That the sun is of the same breadth as is the earth 10. That the sun is bipedall or hath two feet 11. That the sun is not above a foot broad 12. That the sun is sometimes bigger sometimes lesser 13. That the sun stands still and the earth moves round about it 14. That the sun was at first a mortall man and first reigned in Egypt and because of his common benefits was translated into Heaven and immortalized there 15. That the moon is in magnitude equall to the sun 16. That the moon is bigger than the earth about nineteen times bigger than it 17. That the moon is an earthy substance covered over with a mist 18. That it is inhabited by many huge living creatures 19. That it is planted in a much more flourishing manner with trees and herbs than is the earth in its prime 20. That there are in it Fields and groves and mountains and vallys c. 21. That the moon consists of an unequall constitution earthy and frigid 22. That it is of an hot and fiery constitution 23. That it is partly conspicuous partly obscure 24. That the moon is endowed with an intellectuall mind 25. That it is an half fiery sphear a fiery compacted cloud 26. That it is mingled of ayr and fire 27. That it is an ascension or rather an accession collected from the vapours of sweet waters 28. That it attracts to it earthly dregs 29. That in the globe of the moon as in a glasse the received species of mountains are represented 30. That the inequality of the moon is caused because of some bodies interjected betwixt it and the sun 31. That the moon sometimes leaves the heavens 32. That an Asse once dranke up the moon That a great Dragon devoured it 33. That the moon dyes when she is in the Eclipse 34. That there is another earth within the concave of the moon and that men live there after the same manner as they doe here 35. That the moon is made of green Cheese and that there is a man in the moon with a bush at his back this I adde from the vulgar which doubtless took it up from such authours and urge it with like authority 36. That the Stars are made of an earthy porish matter much like to that of a pumice stone 37. That every Star is a world by it self containing in it both ayr and earth 38. That the Stars are composed of fiery clouds which like coals are quencht all the day time and kindled again at night 39. That the Stars are formed of ayr and are turned about like wheels and being full of fire spit out flames 40. That the Stars are fiery stones and the Sun the great burning stone amongst them 41. That the Stars are nourished by vapours abstracted and ascending from the ayr and the earth 42. That the Stars are animate sensible rationall and intelligent creatures 43. That the Stars are capable of vertues morall vertues and
travell toyl plow sow obey submit c 32. Whether the prediction or prenotion of things future makes not men more careless and slothfull both in publick affairs and in the works of private callings For if they be evill does not the fear of them make men saint and if they be good does not the presumption of them make men secure How many have let goe the present substance with looking after the future shadow 33. Whether Physick or Medicine the ordinary means of health being applyed according to art hath not been greatly dishonoured yea and infected by the charming cures of words syllables sounds numbers characters configurations ligatures suspensions c And whether these have not provoked God to suspend his blessing and the naturall vertues of vegetables and minerals And what Magicall practitioner in Physick but tempted God tyred nature deluded minds bewitched bodies and endangered souls 34. What Husbandmen that regarded the Astrologicall Ephemerides in his rurall occupation of plowing sowing c. ever reapt the inward satisfaction of his conscience or an outward harvest answerable to his expectation but in stead of filling either his hand or his bosome sat down empty of them both 35. Whether the Magicall Astrologicall Daemoniacall Atheisticall abuse of the stars against nature and providence be not the most fearfull sign and prognostication that divâ—ne providence is putting an end even to the naturall use of the stars And that he is near about to shake the powers of heaven to make the stars fall from heaven to cause the Sun to be darkned and the Moon no more to give her light and to shorten these dayes and to bring to appearance the sign of the Son of man that the elect may not be deceived as the world hath been with the lying signs of the Sons of men CHAP. XVII 17. From the propension to manners 1. IF this be the order of Astrologicall judgement to proceed from the Planets to the temper from the temper to manners from manners to actions from actions to events Now say that this calculatory chain be not only crackt in every linck but quite broken in the midst must not then the way of genethliacall conjectation needs be totally interrupted 2. Is not the Probleme in Physicks become a sophism in Astrologie sc Whether the manners of the mind doe follow the temper of the body Which way doe they determine it in the most moderate science Naturally necessarily principally immediatly directly particularly effectually or else accidentally occasionally mediatly indirectly generally instrumentally potentially dispositively or how else Though something might be admitted as concerning rude sensuall appetites meer animal affections and inconsult or passions in their prime motions relishing altogether of the inferiour part and not yet brought within the power of reason But as for manners properly and exactly which are the elections habits customs acts operations of the rationall soul may not the morose judiciaries be thus urged If manners proceed from or depend upon the elementary temper or constitution Then are they not naturall principles both good and bad In things innate have we not the faculty before the function but in manners is not the act before the habit Doe not manners by their severall actions oppose their severall kinds Who sees not that the good actions correct the bad manners and the bad actions corrupt the good manners Now things that are generated and corrupted by extrinsecall actions how can they be intrinsecall and naturall Should not nature thus work to confound it self Should not men have innate and inâ—ite causes of vertues and vices which Grace institution education assuefaction c. could not alter till the naturall temper be altered A mans manners may oft times be contrary in the very extreams is his temper so too His manners may change with his age condition private preferment publick state of times in a day in an hour is his temper changed withall or else must not his morall disposition be contrary to his naturall constitution Must not the body consisting of an influentiall and elementary mixtion be the principall subject of ethicks or morality and not the soul that consists of an Understanding and a will Must not a man now be made and said capable of and prone to manners one or other more or less from sensible constitution not reasonable institution What need or use of exhortation dehortation praise dispraise reward punishment If manners grow wild and out of the nature of the soyl and be of no good culture what hope or credit can there be of such What labour of vertuous manners what struggle against the vitious Are not manners then most laudable and illustrious when they are clean contrary to a mans naturall temper or humour Are not the worst of manners thus made necessary violent involuntary ignorantly acted and so excusable Nay is not the principall cause of nature and naturall disposition thus accused And hath not the soul of man been thus thought materiall corporeall drawn out of the power of the matter living in and dâ—ing together with the body yea have not the souls of beasts been thus concluded for iâ—dewed with manners as well as the souls of men In a word have not the Physiognomists hereupon been bold to make their morall judgement not only from tempers but of statures figures features colours c. 3. If the elementary temperature were admitted for one of the generall remote imperfect and infirm causes of manners yet are there not many much more potent to correct and prevent both it and them As God Grace Religion conscience natures Law reason will Parents nutrition education institution care exercise custome company example humane Laws ayr climate soyl Physick some adde Musick and make it prevalent for the exciting or remitting of affections and manners above the modulation or harmony of the sphears to their efficacy upon blood choler plague melancholy and the like 4. Although there might be some generall operation of the heavenly bodies upon elementary tempers and humours and so some hability to passions and affections and so some proclivity to manners and actions yet how know they particularly and wherefore so pronounce they that it is Saturne that makes men sullen c. Jupiter merry c. Mars angry c. Mercury subtle c. Venus wanton c. 5. If there be a temperamentall consecution of inordinate passions and affections and so a naturall disposition or proness to bad manners that flow mainly from the sensuall appetite yet how can that be said of good manners which proceed from a rectitude of reason Neither doe bad manners arise properly from the appetite of the animal but from the assent of the rationall part So that good or bad what ever they be from the body or sense manners they are not but from the will and mind 6. Whether the naturall semination or insition of a propensity or inclination to manners good or evill be with a subordination unto mans liberty or freewill either
therefore in every work and application of things affect vehemently imagine hope and believe strongly for that will be a great help Therefore he that works in Magick must be of a constant belief be credulous and not doubt at all of the obtaining the effect 13. The Arabians say that mans minde when it is most intent upon any work through its passion and effects is joyned with the mind of the stars and intelligences and being so joyned is the cause that some wonderful vertue be infused into our works and things And according to this is verifyed the Art of Characters Images Inchantments and some speeches and many other wonderful experiments to every thing which the minde affects For all those things which the minde acts and dictates by characters figures words speeches gestures and the like help the appetite of the soul and acquire certain wonderful vertues as from the soul of the Operator in that hour when such a like appetite doth invade it so from the opportunity and coelestial influence moving the mind in that manner And it is a general rule in them that every minde that is more excellent in its desire and affections makes such like things more fit for it self as also more efficacious to that which it desires Every one therefore that iâ— willing to work in Magick must know the vertue measure order and degree of his own soul in the power of the universe 14. Those words are of greater efficacy then others which represent greater things as intellectual coelestial supernatural as more expresly so more mysteriously Also those that come from a more worthy tongue or from any of a more holy order for these as it were certain signes and representations receive a power of coelestial and supercoelestial things as from the vertue of things explained of which they are the vâ—hicula so from a power put into them by the vertue of the speaker 15. Proper Names of things are very necessary in magical operations Hence Magicians say that proper Names of things are certain rayes of things every where present at all times keeping the power of things as the essence of the thing signified rules and is discerned in them and know the things by them as by proper and living images According to the properties of the influences proper Names result to things Every voyce therefore that is significative first of all signifies by the influence of the coelestial harmony Secondly by the imposition of man although oftentimes otherwise by this then by that But when both significations meet in any voice or name which are put upon them by the said harmony or men then that name is with a double vertue viz. Natural and arbitrary made most efficacious to act as oft as it shall be uttered in due place and time and seriously with an intention exercised upon the matter rightly dispofed and that can naturally be acted upon by it 16. In compoâ—ing of verses and orations for the attracting the vertue of any star or Deity you must diligently consider what vertues any star containes as also what effects and operations and to infer them in verses by praysing extolling amplifying and setting forth those things which such a kind of star is wont to cause by way of its influence and by vilifying and dispraising those things which it is wont to destroy and hinder And by supplicating and begging for that which we desire to get and by condemning and detesting that which we would have destroyed and hindred And after the same manner he make an elegant oration and duely distinct by Articles with competent numbers and proportions 17. Moreover Magicians command that we call upon and pray by the names of the same star or name to them to whom such a verse belongs by their wonderfull things or miracles by their courses and waies in their sphere by their light by the dignity of their kingdome by the beauty and brightness that is in it by their strong and powerfull vertues and by such like as these Besides with the divers sorts of the names of the stars they command us to call upon them by the names of the Intelligences ruling over the starres themselves 18. Magicians command that in every worke there be imprecations and inscriptions made by which the Operator may expresse his affection That if hee gather an herbe or a stone he declare for what use he doth it if he make a picture he say and write to what end he maketh it 19. When thou art working any thing which belongs to any planet thou must place it in its Dignities fortunate and powerfull and ruling in the day houre and in the figure of the Heaven Neither shalt thou expect the signification of the worke to be powerfull but also thou must observe the Moon opoortunely directed to this for thou shâ—lt doe nothing without the assistance of the Moon And if thou hast more patternes of thy work observe them all c. 20. Thou shalt observe that the Angles of the Ascendant and a tenth and Seventh be fortunate as also the Lord of the Ascendent and place of the Sunne and Moon and the place of part of the Fortune and the Lord thereof and the Lord of the foregoing conjunction and prevention c. 21. Magicians advise us that in casting or in graving Images we would write upon it the name of the effect and this upon the back when evill as destruction on the belly when good as love Moreover in the forehead of the Image let be written the name of the species or individuum which the Image represents or for whom or against whom it is made Also on the breast let the name of the signe or face ascending and the Lord thereof be written also the names and characters of its Angles Moreover in making the Image they advise that prayer for the effect for which it is made bee used Now they use the Images being made diversly according to the vertues thereof Sometimes they hang them or bind them to the body sometimes they bury them under the earth or a River sometimes they hang them in a chimney over the smoak or upon a tree that they may be moved by the wind sometimes with the head upward and sometimes downward sometimes they put them into hot water or into the fire For they say as the workers of the Images do affect the Image it selfe so doth it bring the like passions upon those to whom it was ascribed as the mind of the Operator hath dictated it 22. To make one fortunate we make an image in which these are fortunate viz. the significator of the life thereof the givers of the life the signes and planets Moreover to the Ascendant the middle of the heaven and the Lords thereof be fortunate also the place of the Sunne and place of the Moon part of Fortune and Lord of conjunction or prevention made before their nativity by depressing the malignant planets But if we will make an Image to procure misery
we must doe contrarywise and those which wee place here fortunate must there be infortunate by raising malignant stars Also for the destroying or prejudicing any let there be made an Image under the ascension of that man whom thou wouldst destroy and prejudice and thou shalt make unfortunate the Lord of the House of his life the Lord of the ascending and the Moon and the Lord of the house of the Moon and the Lord of the house of the Lord ascending and the tenth house and the Lord thereof c. 23 The youth to be initiated to Diaination by magick spells ought to be chosen sound without sicknesse ingenious comely perfect in his members of a quick spirit eloquent in speech that in him the divine power might be conversant as in the good houses that the minde of the youth having quickly attained experience may be restored to its divinity If therefore thou shalt be a man perfect in the sound understanding of Religion and piously and most constantly meditatest on it and without doubting believest and art such an one on whom the authority of holy Rites and Nature hath conferred dignity above others and one whom the divine powers contemn not thou shalt be able by praying consecrating sacrificing invocating to attract spiritual and coelestial Poems and to imprint them on those things thou pleasest and by it to vivifie every magical work 24. Sacred words have not their power in Magical operations from themselves as they are words but from the occult divine powers working by them in the mindes of those who by faith adhere to them by which words the secret power of God as it were through Conduit pipes is transmitted into them who have eares purged by Faith and by most pure conversation and invocation of the divine Names are made the habitation of God and capable of these divine influences whosoever therefore useth rightly these words or Names of God with that purity of minde in that manner and order as they were delivered shall both obtain and do many wonderful things 25. To work Miracles by divine names words seales characters all must be done in most pure gold or virgin parchment pure clean and unspotted also with Inke made for this purpose of the smoak of consecrated waxe lights or incense and holy water The actor also must be purifyed and cleansed by sacrifice and have an infallible hope a constant Faith and his minde lifted up to the most high God if he would surely obtain this divine power 26. There are four kinds of divine phrenzy proceeding from several Deities viz. from the Muses from Dyonisius from Apollo and from Venus The first phrenzy therefore proceeding from the Muses stirs up and tempers the minde and makes it divine by drawing superiour things to inferiour things by things natural Of which there are nine degrees c. The second phrenzie proceeds from Dionysius this doth by expiations exteriour and interiour and by conjurations by mysteries by solemnities rites temples and observations divert the soul into the minde the supreme part of it self and makes it a fit and pure temple of the Gods in which the divine spirits may dwell which the soul then possessing as the associate of life is filled by them with felicity wisdome and oracles not in signes and marks and in conjectures but in a certain concitation of the minde and free motion c. The third kinde of phrenzy proceeds from Apollo viz. From the minde of the world this doth by certain sacred mysteries vowes sacrifices adorations invocations and certain sacred Arts or certain secret confections by which the spirit of their God did infuse vertue make the soul rise above the minde by joyning it with Deities and Daemons c. The fourth kind of phrenzie proceeds from Venus and it doth by a fervent love convert and trans-unite the minde to God and makes it altogether like to God as it were the proper image of God The soul therefore being converted and made like to God is so formed of God that it doth above all intellect know all things by a certain essential contract of divinity Doth besides that it hath by its integrity obtained the spirit of prophecy sometimes work wonderful things and greater then the nature of the world can do which works are called Miracles 27. It was a custome amongst the Ancients that they who should receive Answers certain expiations and sacrifices being first celebrated and divine worship ended did religiously lye down even in a consecrated chamber or at least on the shrines of sacrifices c. 28. Whosoever would receive divine Dreams let him be well disposed in body his brain free from vapours and his mind from perturbations and let him that day abstain from supper neither let him drink that which will inâ—briaâ—â— let him have a clean and neat ehamber also exâ—rcized or consecrated in the which a perfume being made his temples annointed things causing dreams being put on his fingers and the representation of the heavens being put under his head and paper being consecrated his Prayers being said let him go to bed earnestly meditating on that thing which he desireth to know so shall he see most true and certain dreams with the true illumination of his intellect c. 29. Every one that works by Lots must go about it with a minde well disposed not troubled not distracted and with a strong desire firm deliberation and constant intention of knowing that which shall be desired Moreover he must being qualified with purity chastity and holinesse towards God and the coelestials with an undoubted hope firm faith and sacred Orations invocate them that he may be made worthy of receiving the divine spirits and knowing the divine pleasre For if thou shalt be qualified they will discover to thee most great secrets by vertue of Lots and thou shalt become a true Prophet and able to speak truth concerning things past present and to come of which thou shalt be demanded 30. Whosoever being desirous to come to the supreme state of the soul goeth to receive Oracles must go to them being chastely and devoutly disposed being pure and clean to go to them so that his soul be polluted with no filthinesse and free from all guilt He must also so purifie his Minde and Body as much as he may from all diseases and passions and all irrational conditions which adhere to it as rust to iron by rightly composing and disposing those things which belong to the tranquility of the minde for by this means he shall receive the truer and more efficacious Oracles 31 We must therefore first observe cleanness in food in works in affections and to put away all filthinesse and perturbations of the minde and whatsoever sense or spirit that offends and whatsoever things are in the mind unlike to the heavens not only if they be in minde and spirit but also if they be in the body or about the body for such an external cleannesse is believed not to help
a little to the purity of the minde c. 32 They that desire to have this spirit pure and potent 〈◊〉 them use dryer meats and extenuate this grosse body with fastings and they make it easily penetrable and lest by the weight thereof the spirit should either become thick or be suffocated let them preserve the body clean by Lotions Frictions exercises and cloathings and corroborate their spirits by lights and fumes and bring it to be a pure and thin finenesse 33. We must acquit and avert our mindes from all multitudes and such like passions that we may attain to the simple truth which indeed many Philosophers are said to have attained to in the solitude of a long time For the minde by solitude being loosed from all care of humane affairs is at leasure and prepared to receive the gifts of the coelestial deities 34. It is believed and it is delivered by them that are skilful in sacred things that the minde also may be expiated with certain institutions and sacraments ministred outwardly as by Sacrifices Baptisms and Adjurations Benedictions Consecrations sprinklings of Holy water by annointings and fumes not so much consecrated to this as having a natural power thus to do 35. Moreover the Magicians when they made any confection either natural or artificial belonging to any star this did they afterward religiously offer and sacrifice to the same star receiving not so much a natural vertue from the influence thereof being opportunely received as by that religious oblation receiving it divinely confirmed and stronger c. Moreover to the coelestial and aetherial Gods white sacrifices were offered but to the terrestrial or infernal black c. 36. Moreover we must petition for and to the effectors of the thing desired viz. Such an Angel Star or Heroe on whom the office lies but observing that our invocation on them must be made with due number weight and measure and according to the rules delivered concerning inchantments 37. Consecration is a lifting up of experiments by which a spiritual soul being drawn by proportion and conformity is infused into the matter of our works according to the tradition of Magical Art rightly and lawfully prepared and our â—ork is vivified by the spirit of understanding So in the consecration of water fire oyle places paper swords c. Let there be commemoration made c. 38. Whosoever therefore thou art who desirest to operate in this faculty in the first place implore God the Father being one that thou also maiest be one worthy of his favour bee cleane within and without in a cleane place Wash your selves oft and at the daies appointed according to the mysteries of number put on cleane cloaths and abstaine from all uncleannesse pollution and lust Be not thou coupled to a polluted or menstruous woman neither to her who hath the Hemachoides touch not an uncleane thing nor a carkase Thou shalt wash and annoint and perfume thy selfe and shalt offer sacrifices Further perfumes sacrifice and unction penetrate all things and open the gates of the elements and of the heavens that through them a man may see the secrets of God heavenly things and those things which are above the heavens and also those which descend from the heavens as Angels and Spirits of deep pits and profound places apparitions of desert places and doth make them to come to you to appeare visibly and obey you 39. Moreover whatsoever thou operatest do it with an earnest affection and hearty desire that the goodnesse of the heavens and heavenly bodies may favour thee whose favour that thou mayest the more easily obtaine the fitnesse of the place time profession or custome diet habit exercise and name also do wonderfully conduce for by these the power of nature is not onely changed but also overcome For a fortunate place conduceth much to favour What place is congruous to each one must be found out by his nativity c. 40. Make election also of houres daies for thy operations For not without cause our Saviour spake Are there not twelve houres in the day and so forth For the Astrologers teach that times can give a certaine fortune to our businesses The Magicians likewise have observed and to conclude all the antient verse men consent in this that it is of very great concernment that in what moment of time and disposition of the heavens every thing whether naturall or artificiall hath received its being in this world for they have delivered that the first moment hath so great power that all the course of fortune dependeth thereon and may be foretold thereby All these are not ashamed to shew themselves in English ere this I have onely now collected them here and there with a running hand to the intent that at one view it might be discerned at least by comparison examined whether these dignifications qualifications dispositions preparations of Magick and Astrologie be not onely so superstitious as for conscience and religion to abhor them but so ridiculous as for reason and sense to deride them And whether these their preparations be not meer pollutions in themselves and these their dignifications very vilifications to natural and moral men and these their consecrations be not utter abominations to God and all good men Nay and whether the most damnable witches have not been initiated by such kind of preparative solemnities and their most execrable witch-crafts operated by such effectual ceremonies as these yea and they more fair seeming then the fairest of them CHAP. XXV From the folly of Interrogations and Elections WHether besides the superstition and vain curiosity it be not extreme folly and madnesse to make observation inquisition election of dayes and hours from a mans geniture and the disposition of the stars wherein to auspicate a businesse be it greater or lesse Especially seeing the directing Art it self is not onely depraved commentitiously as themselves confesse by the arrogance ambition vainglory covetousnesse and deceitfulnesse of the Artists but how are they able to vindicate it from a more commentitious invention and idle speculation or inspection according to such numbers additions substractions such days hours minutes scruples c. of such a star or planet in such a positure or aspect such a conjunction constellation configuration such a house such a Lord of the Ascendant such a Lord of the Horoscope such a significator such a Promissor such a Peregrinator such an ambulator such a prerogator such a dispositor such an Emissary c. with such motions congressions profections fortifications oppositions corrections rectifications directions elections c. And how do they prove that such fictions not onely of things but of names at least such disorderly confusions of both should not onely be the Rulers ordaining and ordering but the rules of foreknowing and foretelling mens fates and fortunes manners actions businesses successes fortunate or unfortunate c. Is it not great imprudence then for any to be here enquiring And as great impudence for them to
of Gyration And Rabbi Levi saith he thinks with Averroes that the Diurnall motion is done by the whole Heavens Again they no more agree about the measure of the motion of the eighth Orbe and of the fixed Stars For Ptolomy thinks that the fixed Stars are moved one degree in an hundred yeers Albategni contends this to be done in sixty six Aegyptian yeers To whom assent Rabbi Levi Rabbi Zacutus and Alphontius in the correction of his Tables Azarcheles the Moore saith they are moved one degree in seventy foure yeeres Hipparchus in seventy and eight Many of the Hebrews as Rabbi Iosue Moyses Maymonides Rabbi Avenezra and after them Hay Benrodam in seventy yeeres Johannes Regiomontanus in eighty yeers Augustinus Ritius holds the middle betwixt the opinions of Albategni and the Hebrews thinking that the fixed Stars are not moved one part of the Heavens sooner then sixty yeeres nor slower then seventy yeers But Rabbi Abraham Zacutus as Ritius tels us testifieth out of the tradition of the Indians that there are yet in Heaven two Stars Diametrally opposite one to the other which contrary to the order of signes fulfill not their course in lesse then an hundred forty foure yeeres Also Alpetragus himselfe thinks that there are in the Heavens various motions yet unknown to man which if it be so there may be Stars and bodies there to which those motions may agree which either men cannot discerne by reason of the exceeding altitude or no Arts as yet have by observation found out To which Phavorinus the Philosopher in Gellius assents in his oration against the Genethliacks It therefore remaines to conclude that no Astronomer as yet hath descended from Heaven who could teach us the inerrant motion truely and certainly Neither hath the true motion of Mars hitherto been known which also Johannes Regiomontanus complaines of in a certain Epistle to Blanehinus Also one Gulielmus de sancto Clodoaldo an excellent Astrologer hath left written the errour of the same motion in his observations two hundred yeers since and more and none of the latter hath hitherto corrected either him or it Moreover it is unpossible to finde out the true ingresse of the Sunne into the aquinoctiall points which Rabbi Levi proveth by many reasons But what should we speake of those that are found out since how the former have erred about them For many with Tebith have thought the greatest declination of the Sunne to be continually varied when neverthelesse it is alwaies carried in one measure Yet Ptolomy thought otherwise of it and it wat otherwise found out by Rabbi Levi Avenezra and Alphonsus In like manner concerning the motion of the Sunne and measure of the yeere they have found it otherwise then Ptolomy and Hipparchus have delivered Likewise as touching the motion of the Stage of the Sunne Ptolomy conceives one thing but Albategni and the rest another Moreover of the images and considerations of the fixed Stars the Indians have delivered their opinions after one manner the Aegyptians after another the Chaldeans another the Hebrews another the Arabians another Timotheus another Arsatilis another Hipparchus another Ptolomy another and the moderne writers another I passe by here to tell how they befoole themselves about the right and the left principle of the heavens concerning which St. Thomas Aquinas and Albertus the Almaine two superstitious divines while they seriously endeavoured to say something could finde nothing to say neither could any man certainly ever finde out any thing Moreover the Galaxia or the milkie circle what it is the Astrologers are yet ignorant of I also forbeare to lengthen my speech about the excentricks concentricks apicyeles retrogradations trepidations accesses recesses raptures and other motions and circles of motions seeing all these are not are neither the workes of God nor of nature but monsters of the Mathematicians and trifles of Feigners derived from corrupt Philosophy and the Fables of Poets to which neverthelesse as it were to true things and created by God or established in nature these Masters are not ashamed to give so much Faith as to referre unto these trifling vanities as unto causes whatsoever things are done in these inferiours and say that those feined motions are the principles of all inferiour motions Such Astronomers as these Anaximenes his mayd hath opportunely castigated by a saying not to be despised for she using to walke abroad with her master Anaximenes who on a certain day going early out of his house to inspect the Starres while he was surely intent in looking up to the heavens he unmindfull of the places site fell suddenly into a ditch then said his mayd I wonder Master upon what reason you should perswade your selfe that you can foreknow such things as are in Heaven when as you cannot foresee those things that are before your own feet The same facetious passage is reported concerning Thales Milesius in like manner reproved by his hand-mayd Tressa And it is not unlike to these that Tully saith The Astrologers while they are searching after the coastes of Heaven none of them perceives what is before his own feet I my selfe of a child have taken in this Art from my parents and further I have lost much time and labour in it at length I have learned that this whole art and every part of it leaves you no other foundation but meere toyes and figments of imagination And it now irketh and repenteth me of my labour lost heretofore and I did desire to bereave my selfe of all memory and use of it and had long since cast it out of my mind nor would I ever have reassumed it but that the violent intreaties of some potent ones who are wont sometimes to abuse great good wits to unworthy artifices had compelled me to fall upon it again yea and my own domesticall utility did perswade me that I ought sometimes to enjoy their folly and to observe them with trifles that so greatly coveted after trifles I truly say trifles for what else hath Astrologie but meere trifles of Poets and Fables and portentous figments with which they faine the heavens to be fully stored Neither doe any kind of men agree more together then Astrologers and Poets doe excepting that they dissent about Lucifer and Vespâ—r the Poets affirming that on what day Lucifer appeares before the Sunne rising on the same day it followes the Sunne setting which almost all the Astrologers deny to be done besides those who place Venus above the Sunne because those Starres which are more remote from us they seem in their rising to rise sooner and in their setting to set later But this discord of Astrologers about the site of Stars and Planets had I not now remembred it I had passed it by in as much as it belongs not to Astrologers so much as Philosophers For Plato after the Moon places the second Sphere of the Sunne or the Sphere of the Sunne second c. the same doe the Aegyptians placing the Sunne betwixt the
the gift of Prophecy the power of Religion the secrets of Conscience the command over devils the vertue of miracles the efficacy of supplications and the state of the life to come do all depend upon the stars are vouchsafed by them and may be known from them For they say that the star of the Twins ascending with Saturn and Mercury joyned under Aquarius in the ninth coast of heaven a Prophet must be born and that therfore the LordChrist was excellent in so many mighty works because in the same place he had Saturn in Gemini Also the sects of Religion over which they place Jupiter as chief patron they distribute by commixtion of other stars so as Jupiter with Saturn should make the Religion of the Jews with Mars of the Chaldeans with Sol of the Egyptians with Venus of the Saracens with Mercury of the Christians with Luna that of Antichrist which they say is yet to come And that Moses from Astrological rules and reasons instituted the Sabbath of the Jews to be observed as a Religious day and that the Christians therefore do erre in not resting from labour and keeping holy day on the Jewish Sabbath seeing it is Saturns day Also they think that the fidelity of every one towards men or towards God and profest Religion and secrets of Conscience may be deprehended from part of the Sun and from the third ninth and eleventh houses of heaven and they delivering many rules of foreknowing the thoughts and as they say the intentions of men And they set up the coelestial configurations as the causes of the very miraculous works of divine omnipotence as namely of the universal flood of the Law given by Moses and of the virgins child-birth and they fable that the death of Christ the Redeemer of man-kind was the work of Mars and that Christ himself in his miracles used the election of hours in which the Jews could not hurt him while he went up to Jerusalem and therefore he said to his Disciples diswading him are there not twelve hours of the day They say moreover that whosoever hath Mars happily placed in a new house of heaven he shall by his sole presence expel devils out of the possessed And he that shall make supplication to God the Moon and Jupiter with the Dragons head being conjoyned in the middle heaven shall obtain all things whatsoever he shall ask And further that the felicity of the life to come is bestowed by Jupiter and Saturn And that if any man in his geniture hath Saturn happily constituâ—ed in Leo his soul after this life being freed from innumerable miseries shall passe to heaven the first beginning of its original and be applyed to the Gods But for all this to these execrable fopperies and pernicious heresies Petrus Apponensis Roger Bacon Guido Bonatus Arnoldus de nova villa Philosophers and Alyanensis a Cardinal and a Theologue and divers other Doctors of a Christian name not without an infamy of heresie do subscribe yea and dare testifie and defend that they have experienced these for truth But Johannes Picus Mirandula of late yeers hath written against Astrologers in twelve Books and that in so great copiousnesse that scarce any argument hath escaped him as also with so great efficacy so that hitherto neither Lucius Balnutius an eager propugnator of Astrologie nor yet any other defender of this Art could save it from those reasons that Picus hath brought against it For he proveth by most strong arguments it to have been the invention not of men but of Devils Which self-same thing Firmianus saith by which they have endeavoured to abolish all Philosophie Medicine Laws and Religion to the utter extermination of man-kind For first it detracts from the faith of Religion it extenuates miracles it takes away providence while it teaches that all things come to passe by the force of constellations and that they doe depend by a fatal necessity upon the stars Moreover it patronizes vices excusing them as descending from heaven upon us It defiles and overthrows all good Arts especially Philosophie traducing causes from true reasons to fables and Medicine in like manner turning from natural and effectual remedies to vain observations and perverse superstitions destructive both to body and minde Further it utterly undoes Laws manners and whatsoever Arts of humane prudence while it would have Astrologie onely consulted at what time after what maner and by what means any thing is to be done as if it alone drawing its authority over all down from heaven did hold the scepter over life manners and all both publike and private matters and as if all other things were to be reputed vain that did not acknowledge it for patron Indeed an Art most worthy for devils to professe from the first to the deceit of man and dishonour of God Moreover the heresie of the Manichees wholly taking away all liberty of will flowed not elswhere then from the Astrologers false opinion and doctrine of Fate From the same fountain also sprung the heresie of Basilides who pronounced 365. heavens made of one another by succession and similitude and the ostension of these to be the number of the dayes of the yeer or the number of the days of the yeer to be the ostension of these assigning to every one of them certain principles and vertues and Angels and feigning names for them but the chief of them all is Abraxas which name according to the Greek letters containeth in it 365. which namely are the local positions of those heavens commentitiously divised by it These things are therefore shown that ye may know that Astrology is the begetter of hereticks Furthermore as all the most eminent Philosophers do explode this divinatory Astrologie so Moses Esaias Job Jeremias and all the other Prophets of the old Law do detest it And of the Catholike Doctors Augustin censures it as meet to be expelled Christian Religion Hierome disputes it to be a kinde of Idolatry Basil and Cypâ—ian do deride it Chrysostome Eusebius and Lactantius do refute it Gregory Ambrose and Severianus inveigh against it the holy Toletane Councel forbids and damns it also it was anathematized in the Synod of Martin and by Gregory the younger and by Alexander the third Popes and was punished by the civil Laws of the Emperours Among the antient Romans under Tiberius Vitellius Dioclesian Constantine Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius the Emperours it was prohibited the City ejected and punished and by Justinian himself condemned capitally as is manifest in his Code This place admonishes me to speak of the other Arts of divination which yield vaticinations not so much by observation of the coelestials as of inferiour things having a certain shadow or imitation of the coelestials that they being understood ye may the better know this Astrological Tree from which do falâ— such fruit and from which as a Lernaean Hydra a beast of many heads is generated Amongst the arts therefore that are hasty to divine for their own
another mans wife and yet every day Mars must needs come there into the midst of heaven and that in so great a Region that men are born there every houre is not to be denied Among the Indians and Bactrians there are many thousands of men which they call Brachmans they both by traditions and laws of their Fathers neither worship Images nor eate any thing that is animate they neither drink wine or beere but farre from all malignity are onely attending upon God but yet all the other Indians in the same Region are involved in adulteries murder drunkennesse idolatry yea there are found some of them dwelling in the same climate which hunting men and sacrificing devoure them And yet not any of the Planets which they call good and happy could prohibite these from slaughter and mischiefe neither could the malefick starres impell the Brachmans to malefice or malefacture Among the Persians there was a law of marrying daughters sisters and mothers themselves neither did they celebrate these nefarious marriages in Persia onely but also in all other climates of the world wheresoever they came whose wickednesse other Nations abominating called them Magusiaeans and there are in Aegypt Phrygia and Galatia very many of the Magufiaeans that by succession from their fathers are still polluted with the same wickednesse And yet we cannot say that in the Nativities of them all there was Venus in termes and in the house of Saturne and with Saturne Mars aspecting Among the Getulians this is the law or custom the women till the fields build houses and doe all such like works and moreover they may meet with whom they please neither are they accused for it by their husbands nor called therefore adulteresses though they mingle indifferently with all and especially with strangers Also their women contemne all perfumes neither weare they dyed garments but goe bare footed On the contrary their men delight in vestures and odours and various colours yet doe they it not out of effeminacy for they are valiant and warlike above other Nations Neverthelesse all the women that are born among them had not Venus ill affected in Capricorne or Aquarius nor were all the men born under Venus constituted with Mars in Aries which the fopperies of the Caldaeans can claim makes men both valiant and delicate at once Among the Bactrians the women use gallant ornaments and precious oyntments and are more reverenced by their handmayds and servants then their husbands are and ride abroad in a singular pompe their horses adorned with trappings of gold and precious stones neither doe they live chastly but mingle with servants as well as strangers nor are they accused by their husbands because they Lord it over them Notwithstanding the nativity of every Bactrian woman had not Venus with Iupiter and Mars in the midst of heaven and termes of Venus Amongst the Arabians all adulteresses are put to death and those punished that are onely but suspected In Parthia and Armenia homicides are executed sometimes by the Judges sometimes by the kindred of him that was murdered but he that shall kil a wife a sonne or a daughter or a brother or sister unmarried is not so much as accused for it for so is the law Contrarily we see among the Grecians and Romans parricide is not expiated but by the greater penalty Among the Atrians or Adroams he that stole the least thing was stoned but among the Bactrians he that stole but petty things was onely spit upon yet among the Romans such an one was beaten and wounded From the river Euphrates to the orientall Ocean he to whom murder or theft was objected was not much aggriâ—ved or tormented but if he had abused himselfe with a masculine and that come to light he was forced through paine to kill himselfe And yet the wise men of Greece were not ashamed to pursue specious boyes In the same orientall coast the parents and kindred if they had known their sonnes and kinsfolks subjecting themselves to turpitude they both killed them and would not vouchsafe so much as to bury them Amongst the Gaules the children marry publikly and by the law are noted with no reproach for it and yet truly it is not possible that all they among the Gaules who betray the flower of their youth should have Venus and Mercury in the house of Saturne and of Mars tearmes occident Among the Britaines many men have but one wife Among the Parthians many women on the contrary have but one husband and yet they all live chastely and obedient to lawes The Amazâ—ns have no men but at spring time they goe into other Countries and couple with their bordering neighbours and thus by a naturall law they all bring forth about one time and the males they slay the females they cherish and are all warlike women Mercury in his house with Venus is said by the Chaldaeans to make man covetous and money-mongers and devisers and paynters but in the house of Venus to make them unguentaries or perfumers and such as exercise their voyces as Stage-players and actors of fables And yet among the Saracens and Moores and in upper Lybia and in nether Germany and among the Sarmatians and the Sâ—ytâ—ians and other Nations that inhabit the Northern parts of the Sea Pâ—ntus in Alania also and Albania and Othene and Sauniâ— and Aurea there is found no money-hoorder no paynter no Architect no Geometrician no exerciser of his voyce no actor of fables but such a conjunction of Mercury and Venus is found to be altogether ineffectuall and vaine in so many and great parts of the world All the Medes nourish Dogges with no little cost and care to which they cast men dying and yet gasping notwithstanding all of them had not in a diurnall nativity the Moon with Mars under the earth in Cancer The Indians burn their dead with whom their wives are willingly burned together yet all those women that thus willingly endured the fire of their husbands had not in a nocturnall nativity the Sunne with Mars in the tearm of Mars in Leo. Many of the Germans use strangling yet is it not possible that all they who so hang themselves should have the Moone intercepted of Saturne and Mars Among all Nations men are born at all houres and we see laws and manners prevaile every where from the power of a mans free will Neither doth any mans nativity enforce him to doe any thing against it Neither doth it compell the Serans to homicide nor the Brachmans to the eating of flesh nor are the Persians thereby restrained from unlawfull marriages nor the Indians kept from the fire nor the Medes from the dogges nor the Parthians from marrying many wives nor are the Mesopâ—tamian women debarred from chastity nor the Graecians from their exercises nor the Romans from their rule nor the French from their muliebriousnesse nor can all the Nations which we call Barbarians be thus brought to approve the learning of the Muses All the Iewes by the
requiring remedy to Peter they went and some of them thought it meet that Simon Magus should be called also Both of them being present Peter bad Simon begin first to raise the dead if he could and if he could not then he himselfe would not be wanting to the raising of the dead by the help of Christ Simon supposing that his art would avayle much in a City of the Gentiles proposed this condition that if he raised the dead then Peter should be slaine who injuriously provoked so great a power for so he was called but if Peter prevailed in the fact he should in like manner be avenged of Simon Peter is content and Simon begins and drawing to the dead mans bed so soon as he began to inchant and murmurre his charms the dead corps seemed to move the head thereupon great was the cry of the Gentiles that he was alive already and spake with Simon and a greater indignation against Peter that he durst offer to compare himselfe to such a power The holy Apostle desiring silence said if the dead be raised indeed and live let him rise walke speake all this is but a phantasme and no reality call but Simon away from the bed side and then shall ye see not so much as the least shew of it Well Simon was brought from the bed and there remained not so much as a signe of any motion in the dead man Then Peter intent on prayer a while within himselfe and standing aloofe off from the corps cryed with a loud voyce Young man arise the Lord Jesus healeth thee and straight way he arose and spake and walked and received meat and he delivered him to his mother who desired him that he would not depart from him to whom he said he shall not be forsaken of him who hath made him to rise again whose servants we are and thou mother be secure of thy sonne and feare not for he hath his keeper Then the people arising up to stone Simon Peter said let this suffice for his punishment now that he understand his arts are nothing available let him live yet and see the Kingdome of Christ increase even against his will The Magician was much tormented in himselfe at this glory of the Apostle and collecting himselfe and summoning up all the force of his charmes he gathers the people together and complaines that he had been greatly offended by the Galilaeans and therefore would now leave the City which he was wont so to defend And appoints a day on which he would goe flie and so would ascend into those supernall seats for the heavens was open to him when he pleased upon the said day he gets up the Capitoline Mount and so casting himself from the top of a Rock began to flye Thereat began the people to wonder and worship many of them saying it was the power of God and not of men to flye with a body and that Christ himself did no such thing Whereupon Peter praying Christ to magnifie his own power by detecting the vanity of such tempting arts and so to undeceive the people Simons wings were forthwith clipt and he fell down headlong and died either in the place or soon after Now Nero indigne in the fall and losse of so necessary a friend and familiar took occasion against Peter and persecuted him to his martyrdome Cynops a great Magician and adversary to St. Iohn inveighed against his doctrine detracted from the miracles which he wrought in the name of Christ and defamed his person through the false criminations of Apollos Priests And provoking him to behold and admire his power in raising the dead out of the sea which was no other then divels appearing in forms of men where he himselfe diving to fetch up more dead men with a great noyse of the Sea and acclamation of the superstitious bewitched people at the prayers of St. Iohn the sea roared indeed and swallowed up Cynops among the dead so that he never appeared above water any more Then commanded he those divels to depart that place and get them againe to their cave Yea he made the divels to confesse the mutuall compact or covenant that was betwixt them and Cynops And likewise expelled devils out of divers places for which Domitian commanded that he should be banished into the Isle of Pathmos Wardacheus King of Babylon being foretold by his Diviners of the great danger and losse which he should suffer in his warre against the Indians at which he being dejected the Apostles Simon and Jude then present smiling said they had brought peace with them into his kingdome and therefore bad him not feare for the Indians should be glad to make peace with him on the morrow But the Magicians derided both this and them and bad him not believe those vaine men for it should so be as they had said But they proved the vain men for the event fell out contrary to theirs and according to the Apostles prediction Those two Apostles also were mocked and derided by Zaroes and Arphaxat two Magicians but at the very houre of the martyrdome of the two Apostles the two Magicians were stricken dead with Thunder and Lightning Maruthas Bishop of Mesopotamia being sent in embassage to Isdigerdes King of Persia he much honoured the man for his â—ingular piety and began to attend unto his doctrine Now the Persian Magicians fearing lest he might perswade the King to receive the Christian faith and envying the man be cause he had by his prayers cured the King of that paine in his head whereunto all their spels and charms were nothing available they began whereby to despite this Religious man to play this imposture namely they caused one to be hidden under the ground and to presage or proclaime in this wise as the King was at his devotions that the King should be cast out of his Kingdome for giving heed to a Christian Priest Hearing this voyce though he much reverenced Maruthas yet was he minded to remove him rather then runne so great a hazzard But Maruthas by his wisdome and diligence detecting the circulatory and praestigious fallacy the King caused every tenth Magician to be beheaded Maruthas after this departed Persia and yet returning thither again after a while then began the Magicians to play their imposturous prankes afresh For they caused a noysome and poysonous stinke in the place still when the King and Maruthas met together and this they â—oysted upon the Christians and presaged how perilous it was to the Kings health But they being formerly suspected were the more easily discovered and punished accordingly After the death of Isdigerdes his sonne Baratanes was stirred up by the Magicians to bitter persecution against the Christians Sapores also bitterly persecuted the Christians and especially Simeon the Bishop and the Ministers because they refused to worship the Planetarian god the Sun in which persecution the Magicians were the onely instigators and actors The persecution under Decius was not begun by