sufficient to moderate all fond hopes and fears Or what is able to doe that but a lively faith voyd of these heathenish superstitions and assuredly believing That there is an all-provident God that only foresees all things necessarie and to whom nothing is contingent or casuall That can will and doth work for the best of his both with second causes and exteriour means as also without them yea and against them That binds not the world much lesse tyes his Church unto them That hath written his childrens names in the book of life and much more then they may be assured hath numbred the hairs of their heads as concerning all earthly accidents That shines and moves in the Sun and Moon and starres and makes their generall influxes more or lesse effectuall as he is pleased to adde or abstract his speciall motion or oppose his immediate administration or interpose the office of his more excellent Ministers Angells and reasonable Souls CHAP. XIX 19. From the affinity to Witch-craft 1. WHat difference betwixt Astromancy Magomancy or Magastromancy as touching a sorcerous both superstition and operation and all these after-named viz. Stareomancy or divining by the Elements Aeromancy or divining by the ayr Pyromancy by fire Hydromancy by water Geomancy by earth Theomancy pretending to divine by the revelation of the Spirit and by the Scriptures or word of God Daemonomancy by the suggestions of evill Daemons or Devills Idolomancy by Idolls Images Figures Psychomancy by mens souls affections wills religious or morall dispositions Antinopomancy by the entrails of men women and children Theriomancy by Beasts Ornithomancy by Birds Icthyomancy by Fishes Botanomancy by herbs Lithomancy by stones Cleromancy by lotts Oniromancy by dreams Onomatomancy by names Arithmancy by numbers Logarithmancy by Logarithmes Sternomancy from the breast to the belly Gastromancy by the sound of or signes upon the belly Omphelomancy by the navell Chiromancy by the hands Paedomancy by the feet Onychomancy by the nayles Cephaleonomancy by brayling of an Asses head â—uphramancy by ashes Capnomancy by smoak Livanomancy by burning of Frankincence Carromancy by melting of Wax Lecanomancy by a basin of water Catoxtromancy by looking glasses Chartomancy by writing in papers Macharomonâ—y by knives or swords Chrystallomancy by glasses Dactylomancy by rings Coseinomancy by seives Axinomancy by Sawes Cattabomancy by vessells of brasse or other metall Roadomancy by starrs Spatalamancy by skins bones excrements Sciomancy by shadowes Astragalomancy by dice Otnomancy by Wine Sycomancy by Figgs Typomancy by the coagulation of cheese Alphitomancy by meal flower or branne Crithomancy by grain or corn Alectromancy by Cooks or Pâ—llen Gyromancy by rounds or circles Lampadomancy by candles and lamps And in one word for all Nagomancy or Necromancy by inspecting consulting and divining by with or from the dead The question is not about the difference of all these from the first to the last in matter instruments ceremonies or circumstances but whether they be not of like maleficall sorcery for main substance and formality And whether divining by the Starres and Planets be not a cause enclining and disposing at least an occasion inviting and encouraging what through imitation estimation toleration to all these sorts of sorcerous divination and the like 2. Whether there be any kind of Magick simply so naturall or laudably so arted as many serve to abstract it from the maleficall and diabolicall For though there be many occult qualities and miracles of nature and actives and passives there which perfectly known and fitly applyed might help to work wonders without either tempting of God or the Devill yet because of the difficulty of such things and not that alone but their uselessnesse and because of mens ignorance and for all that their curiosity and because of the Arts insufficiencie and besides that the fallacie and chiefly because of Satans privie suggestions and delusory seducements the study and search after these things proves very confused indiscerned unsafe and pernicious And because of all these the abuse of this astro-magicall art is as palpable as the practice but the use as occult as the Art it self But especially as touching the practice of this art if there be an artifice of doing wholly separate from malefice why then are the same things done by those that are altogether ignorant of the art so they have but a faith and why without such a faith is nothing to be done by the Art it self How many things have been done by all manner of Magicians that can have no naturall causes no true rules of art no power or comprobation from God and therefore must needs be acted by a confederation and familiarity with some evill spirit How many things have they presumed to predict or foretell which neither divine wisdome is pleased to reveal neither is it ordinarily for humane reason or art to find out but must only be done by a demoniacall sagacity or suggestion what sounds and syllables and words and sentences doe they murmure or pronounce and that to the very inanimates whom words can in no wise effect or move or else are so barbarous and insignificant as that if they were uttered to the intelligent they cannot conceive them their extent or use Now by whose invention is it that such words should be most operative in magick art that are operative upon no understanding How many rites solemnities ceremonies preparations doe they use which have naturally no force or vertue to the producing of the effect not yet can any way prepare the matter to the receiving thereof What sacrifices iâ—molations consecrations prostrations adorations invocations execrations imprecations attestations comminations exorcisms adjurations c. And none of all these commanded by God and therefore not done to him how easy is it then to suspect by whom all these are suggested and for whom they are intended 3. Whether if be in Magick and Astrologie that the art hath power over the heavenly bodies or the heavenly bodies power over the art not the first because for the Art to have power over the heavenly bodies so as to stop or turn the course of the stars or by odes and incantations to fetch down the moon from her orb as the old Magicians have boasted this is beyond the power of a Devill or an Angell and were not only against the particular order of nature but would utterly confound the whole course of it And by conjurations or confections so to prepare the matter as to allure or force down influences and to make it by art capable and sufficient both to receive and retain them this were to mingle heaven and earth to subjugate the superiour bodies to their inferiors to preferre accidents to substances and turn the whole universe upside down Not the second for not only the speculations but also the practicks of their art a many of them are meerly intellectuaâ—l rationall arbitrary over which theâ— stars and planets can have no power The stars are corporall things arts or sciences are mentall how come
them which Moses himself in Deuteronomie calleth Gods of the earth To the which all Nations were attributed not signifying others than the heavenly starrs and their souls That the heavens and the heavenly bodies are animated with certain divine souls is not only the opinion of Poets and Philosophers but also the assertion of the Sacred Scriptures and of the Catholicks For Ecclesiastes also describeth the soul of heaven Coelestiall bodies are animated because they are said to receive commands from God which is only agreeable to a reasonable nature for it is written I have injoyned a command on all the stars Moreover Job seemeth to have fully granted that the starâ—s are not free from the stain of sin for there we read The stars also are not clean in his sight Which cannot verily be referred to the brightnesse of their bodyes The Masters of the Hebrews think that the names of Angells were imposed on them by Adam according to that which is written he Lord brought all things which he had made unto Adam that he should name them and as he called any thing so the name of it was Hence the Hebrew Meculiabs think together with the Magicians that it is in the power of man to impose names upon Spirits Many prophecying Spirits were wont to shew themselves and be associats with the souls of them that were purified examples whereof there are many in sacred writ As in Abraham and his bond-mayd Hagar in Jacob Gedâ—on Elias Tobias Daniel and many more So Adam had familiarity with the Angell Raziel Shem the Son of Noah with Tophiel Abraham with Zadkiel Isaac and Iacob with Peliel Ioseph Joshua and Daniel with Gabrâ—el Moses with Metattron Elias with Malhiel Tobias the younger with Raphael David with Cerniel Mannoah with Phadaâ—l Cenez with Cerrel Ezekiel with Hasmael Esaras with Uriel Solomon with Michael There is a kind of frenzy which proceeds from the mind of the world This doth by certain sacred mysteries vows sacrifices adorations innovations and certain sacred arts or certain secret confections by which the Spirit of their God did infuse vertue make the soul rise above the mind by joyning it with deities and Daemons So we read concerning the Ephod which being applyed they did presently prophesy Rabbi Levi affirmeth that no propheticall dream can be kept back from his effect longer than twenty two years So Joseph dreamed in the seventeenth year of his age and it was accomplished in the 39. year of his age A humane soul when it shall be rightly purged and expiated doth then being loosed from all impurity break forth with a liberall motion ascends upwards receives divine things instructs it self when happily it seems to be instructed elsewhere neither doth it then need any remembrance or demonstration by reason of the industry of it self as by its mind which is the head and Pilot of the Soul it doth imitating by its own nature the Angels attain to what it desires not by succession or time but in a moment For David when he had not learning was of a Sheepheard made a Prophet and most expert of divine things Salomon in the dream of one night was filled with the knowledge of all things above and below So Isaiah Ezekiel Daniel and the other Prophets and Apostles were taught If there be a deprecation a magicall deprecation made for the destruction of enemies let it be commemorated that God destroyed the Gyants in the Deluge of waters and the builders of Babel in the confusion of tongues Sodome and Gomorah in the rayning of fire the hoste of Pharaoh in the Red Sea and the like adding to these some maledictions out of the Psalms or such as may be gathered out of other places of Scripture In like manner when we are to deprecate still magically deprecate against dangers of waters let us commemorate the saving of Noah in the flood the passing of the children of Israel thorough the Red Sea and Christ walking dry shod upon the waters and saving a Ship from shipwrack commanding the winds and waves and lifting up Peter sinking in the waters of the Sea and such like But if a prayer be necessary for obtaining oracles or dreams whether it be to God Angels or Hero's there are many places offer themselves out of the old Testament where God is said to talk with men promising in very many places presages and revelations besides the propheticall dreams of Jacob Joseph Pharoah Daniel Nebuchadnezzar in the old Testament and the Revelation of John and Paul in the new In consecrations magicall consecrations of Fire Water Oyl Books Swords c. Read holy Writ and thence apply such attributes names words phrases examples as are suitable c. We call Daemonâ— holy because in them God dwels whose name they are often said to bear whence it is read in Exodus I will send my Angell who shall goe before thee observe him neither think that he is to be despised for my name is in him In like manner certain confections magicall confections are called holy into which God hath put the speciall beam of his vertue as we read in Exodus of the sweet perfume and Oyl of annointing We reverence the image of a Lamb because it representeth Christ and the picture of a Dove because it signifieth the Holy Ghost and the forms of a Lynn Oxe Eagle and a Man signifying the Evangelists and such things which we find expressed in the Revelations of the Prophets and in divers places of the holy Scripture Moreover these things confer to the like Revelations and dreams and therefore are called sacred pictures Amongst the Jews black dayes are the 17. day of June because on that day Moses brake the â—ables Manasses erected an Idoll in the Sanctum Sanctorum and the walls of Jerusalem are supposed to have been pulled down by their enemies Likewise the 9. of July is a black day with them because on that day the destruction of both the Temples happened And every nation by this way may easily make the like calculation of dayes fortunate or unfortunate to them And the Magicians command that these holy and religious dayes be observed no less than the Planetary dayes and the celestiall dispositions c. Whosoever rhou art who desirest to operate in this faculâ—y in the first place implore God the Father being one that thou mayst be one worthy of his favour be clean within and without in a clean place because it is written in Leviticus Every man which shall approach those things which are consecrated in whom there is uncleanness shall perish before the Lord. God accepteth for a most sweet odour those things which are offered to him by a man purified and well disposed and together with that perfume condescendeth to your prayer and oblation as the Psalmist singeth Let my prayer O Lord be directed to thee as incense in thy sight Moreover the soul being the off-spring and image of God himself is delighted in these perfumes and odours receiving them by
those nostrils by the which it self also entred into this corporeall man And by the which as Job testifieth the most lively spirits are sometimes sent forth which cannot be retained in mans heart A fortunate place conduceth much to favour Neither without cause did the Lord speak to Abraham that he should come into the land which he would shew him and Abraham arose and journyed towards the South In like manner Isaac went to Gerarah where he sowed and gathered an hundred fold and waxed very rich Make elections also of hours and dayes for thy operations magicall operations for not without cause our Saviour spake are there not twelve hours in the day Concerning that Phiolsophie which you require to know I would have you know that it is to know God himself the worker of all things and to passe into him by a whole image of likeness as by an essentiall contract and bond whereby thou mayst bee transformed and made as God as the Lord spake concerning Moses saying Behold I have made thee the God of Pharaoh This is that true high occult Philosophie of wonderfull vertues We must dye I say dye to the world and to the flesh and all senses and to the whole man animal who would enter into these closets of secrets occult Philosophicall Magicall secrets not because the body is separated from the soul but because the soul leaves the body Of which death Paul wrote to the Colossians Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ And elsewhere he speaks more clearly of himself I knew a man whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knows caught up into the third Heaven By this their theomancy they suppose that Moses did shew so many Signs and turned the rod into a Serpent and the waters into blood and that he sent Frogs Flys Lice Locusts Caterpillers fire with Hail botches and boyles on the Egyptians c. By this art of miracles Joshua commanded the Sun to stand still Elisah called down fire from Heaven upon his enemies restored a dead child to life Daniel stopt the mouths of the Lyons the three children sang songs in the fiery furnace Moreover by this art the incredulous Jews affirm that even Christ did so many miracles Salomon also very well knew this art and delivered charms against Devils and their bonds and the manner of conjurations and against diseases This is that Alphabetary and Arithmeticall Theologie which Christ in private manifested to his Apostles and which Paul speaketh to the perfect only 1 Cor. 2. 6 7. John 37. 7. He sealeth up the hand of every man that all men may know his work This place the Chirosophers or Câ—iromancers abuse to proove their Palmistry and their jugling Prognostications by the fictitious lines and mounts in the hand Isa 1. 16. Wash ye make you clean all this they apply to the ceremoniall emundations or purifactions which they prescribe as requisite to the operations of Theurgicall Magick 1 Kings 4. 33. Hereupon they believe that King Salomon exceeded in Magicall skill and that all those things here spoken of doe bear before them certain powers of naturall Magick Dan 4. 33. Nebuchadnezzar being driven from among men and eating grasse as Oxen c. This they urge as a proof of the possibillity of veneficall and metamorphosing or transforming Magick That the Brazen Serpent set up by Moses in the wildernesse was but a meer Talisman which drove away Serpents and healed the bitings of them And that the Iews made the Golden Calf to no other end than to serve as a â—alisman as their Astrologers think to aucupate the favour of Venus and the Moon against the influences of Scorpio and Mars which are adverse unto them I know not whether or no by the very same vertue of Resemblance which is found betwixt God and man Let us make man in our image after our likenesse it hath not rightly been affirmed by some Divines that the Son of God would nevertheless have become man yet without suffering death though Adam had not fallen The art of Divination of Dreams is grounded upon resemblance as may appear out of the holy Bible where Joseph foretold the Cup-bearer that within three dayes he should be restored to his office because he had dreamed that he pressed three clusters of Grapes into Pharaohs Cup c. So at the seven years of plenty and dearth by the seven fat and lean kine Eccles 1. 16 17. 7. 25. By the words spoken in the good sense sayes R. Salomon we understand Sciences divine under which he comprehends Astrologie and by the other words in the bad sense those that are unlawfull in which number he reckons the Magick of the Aegyptians to which some will also intitle Moses They the later Rabines say that Moses who was a learned Astrologer making use of his knowledge in these secrets gave the Jewes those Lawes which he grounded upon the harmony of the Planetary Zepheros As for example he instituted the fourth Commandement Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day because this day was governed by Saturn who might cause those works that were undertaken on this day to be unprosperous and that Moses therefore thought it fit that the people should rest on this day The fifth Commandement Honour thy father and thy mother hath reference to the Sphere of Jupiter which is benign The sixth thou halt not kill to Mars who hath the government of Wars and Murders The seventh thou shalt not commit adultery to Venus who rules over concupiscentiall motions and so of all the rest That our Saviour Christ Saturn having part in his Nativity and so rendring him sad and pensive seemed to be older than he was Whereupon the Jewes took occasion to say unto him Thou art not yet fifty years old c. Abarbanel saith that Sol was the chiefest from whom they the Rabbinicall Astrologers took their Omens of good and this was the reason saith the same Authour that when God caused King Hezekiah to be born again as it were the second time hee made choyse of the Sun to be the sign by which this miracle should be wrought Psal 19. 4. Their line is gone out through all the earth We may understand it spoken of the starrs which are ranged in the heavens after the manner of letters in a book or upon a sheet of Parchment Ier. 1. 14. Out of the North an evill shall break forth c. or shall be opened We may render this Prophecie in these words all evills shall be described or written from the northward And if written then certainly to be read from this side Most properly therefore doe wee in this coelestiall writing begin to read disasters and misfortunes from the Northern part Iesus Christ when he was on earth with the dust of that earth he made the blind to see and of meer water he made wâ—ne These were the visible elemenrs of his Physick or rather so the notion offend you not of
water of silver Mercury of the Sun secret water water of the Sea of life miraculous white water permanent water the spirit of the body the unctuous vapour the blessed water the vertuous water the water of the wisemen the Philosophers vinacre the minerall water the dew of heavenly grace the seed of divine benediction heaven of earth earth of heaven stone salt fire caement balsome venerable nature our Philosophicall Chaos first matter matrix mother mother of the Chaos quintessence Nothing And yet the waters upon whose face the spirit of God moved must needs be understood of this chymicall chimericall fancy and foppery This earth to earth is just the doctrine of the Magi. Metals say they and all things may be reduced into that whereof they are made They speak the very truth it is Gods own principle and he first taught it Adam Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou return And so let all vain arts and vile adulteratings of holy Scripture But I am weary with writing and have nauseated the Christian Reader yet had I not troubled my self or them with these collections had I not found them dispersed in English to the great dishonour of our Church and danger of our people Nor would I have added a word of reply to the confidence of asserting there 's enough in that to overthrow it self but for the impudence of challenging And for that cause I could willingly have said more but that I had an eye to the question and that part of it whether the recitation be not refutation enough I am not altogether ignorant or unaware that these are but the scatterings and sprinklings in comparison of those wherewith the Rabbinizing and Christianizing Magicians and Astrologers yea and Chymists too seek to stuff out their portentous volumes yea to fraight their very fragments and paint their very Pamphlets glad to snatch at and crowd in any place of Scripture upon any occasion that so they might pretend some consistency nay and convenience of their imposturous Arts and Artifices with the pure word of God But let all those depravations perish in their own dung for any further raving of mine who am loath to rake further into them unforced CHAP. II. 2. From the truth of Faith 1. WHether it be not the sole property of the prime verity to require simply a Faith or belief unto himself and to the Doctrine of his divine authority and revelation and therfore not belonging to any humane art science discipline or institution whatsoever much lesse to be arrogated to any that is diabolicall and prestigious yea vain unnecessary and unprofitable Wherefore then should Faith pure Faith be so precisely required and severely exacted above all other helps and means to the study and profession proficiency and successe of Magick and magicall operations 2. Whether Magick and Astrologie as indeed all ascititious and commentitious errours and heresies of any art study or profession whatsoever have not proceeded from a false and superstitious Faith and such as is no whit analogall either to the object or to the end of true religious Faith and not only so but altogether excessive and repugnant thereunto 3. For as much as Almighty God requires not a Faith in those things which he hath not revealed Why then should Magicians exact it to their mysteries which they so often check at themselves and one another for revealing nay professe or pretend themselves whether through envy or ignorance as adjured not to reveal 4. All Faith is not only in the Intellect but also in the Will And therefore ere it be believed how prove they that Magick ought either to be assented to as true and demonstrable or yet to be affected as good and lawfull 5. Whether all that can be supposed to those they call the Mathematicall arts and sciences be sufficient to acquire unto them an assent of Faith properly so called suppose some probable truth is not an assent of opinion enough to that Suppose some necessary truth is not an assent of reason sufficient for that Suppose some reall effect will not assent of experiment now serve the turn Is nothing answerable to all or the best of these but only a Faith which properly is either in God or of the things of God or at least to those things which are directly in order to God But suppose there be none of those must now this prime assent be allowed where all the other are justly to be denied 6. Right and pure Faith is neither of a bare proposition although true nor yet of a meer prediction although probable but of a divine promise only and that not only because certain and infallible but because good and beneficiall neither is there in either of the other the substance or evidence of things hoped for but in this last alone And therefore if Magicians and Astrologers cannot afford us such a promise ought we not justly to disclaim an adherence acquiescence affiance or confidence in any of their propositions or predictions whatsoever 7. Faith is properly in the heavenly mysteries of divine revelation such as cannot be otherwise attained unless they be infused nor otherwise comprehended but by faith alone Now as for the Secrets of Philosopâ—…e are they not acquisite and such as may be attained by industrie study discourse reading observation art science experience yea and sufficiently assented to by the light of nature lense reason opinion perswasion And though peradventure some Secrets of Philosophie such as are true and usefull may be divinely revealed or infused yet for as much as that is but to the common light of Nature Sense or Reason which for assent considers not the authority of God revealing but the evidence of the thing revealed How then can this be of Faith which is speciall and supernaturall altogether 8. A divine supernaturall infused theologicall Faith is given not because of the appearance or evâ—dence of the thing propounded but because of the authority and infallibility of the proposer And daâ—e they arrogate thus much to their Art or excuse their defect of evidence through a presumption of infallibility But if it be a naturall acquisite humane or civill faith or assent which they expect then we ask where the evidence proof demonstration reason For though reason follows the first yet it precedes the second kind of faith 9. Whether a miraculous faith or the faith of Miracles such as must needs be the faith of Magicall miracles and Astrologicall Predictions abovt suâ—uâ—e contingents as it is defective in Theologie so it be not excessive to Philosophie That is although it be very incompleat in relation to divine doctrine yet whether it be not too transcendent for any humane discipline to exact 10 Whether it may be verily called a faith of Miracles to give credit unto Magick or Astrologie because of some mirandous or stupendious things either effected or foretold in as much as we are taught to believe that such things may be done both by false arts and
World Else how can the fortunizing Genethliack foretell that the child new born shall be a Traveller shall live and dye in a Strange Country shall have friends or enemies abroad and at home shall have losse or advantage by Sea or by Land c. 41. How can the starres be sayd so much as to dispose or incline unto common events and such as depend upon and follow multitudes Have those multitudes all of them the same Constellations and they inclining to the same acts and so ordinating to the same events 42. Should not the same Aspects and influences be of the same vertues and operations How comes it to passe then that during these children are begotten and brought forth not only of different complexions proportions feature qualities but which is most different sexes also And how comes it to paste that persons of dâ—â—â—â—rent constitutions complexions tempers humours statures features qualities dispositions manners religions fortunes fates are born under the same Starrs or starry conjunctions and men of the same or the like in all these although born under divers and different Constellations Because they say that Whoremongers are born under Venus and Quarrellers under Mars and Worldlings under Mercury c. will they say that all are such or so disposed that are so born and that none are so nor so disposed that are born under other Planets 43. How many hundreds and thousands have been slain at one battell and dyed upon the place although of severall Nations constitutions qualities manners religions Now had all those the same ascendant at their birth that had the same fate at their death That so many have perished by water so many by fire so many by Pestilence so many by Famine so many by heat so many by cold so many by the Gallows or other executions will they now say that all those had but one kind of Constellation 44. What say they to those Twinns born under the same Aspects and Constellations and nevertheless of divers nay of contrary tempers manners religions conditions ends Such as were Jacob and Esau in the Scriptures The Twinns in Augustine Hector and Polydamus in Homer Proclus and Euristhenes in Tully c. Let them not say there may be difference in their conception for Twinns are commonly of one conception and superfetation of all other is most rare among mankind Besides what 's that to the Constellation which they fix upon the birth 45. What are they able to say to the unknown beginning of Cities and Kingdomes to the uncertain moments of conceptions and parturitions to adulterous mixtures in generation to numberless numbers born in the same moment here and there and yet of them some wise some fools some vertuous some vicious some beautifull some hard-favoured some high some low some rich some poor some healthfull some sickly some long-lived some short-lived c. 46. Makes it not in reason most strongly against the credit of their Predictions in that they themselves cannot but confess that the decrees of the Stars are very often varied and changed by the circumstances of Regions Religions Lawes Institutes manners commerces Parents educations disciplines times places c. 47. If the Starres decree dispose guide govern impell necessitate mens actions naturall morall civill religious what power of reason and free-will What necessity of Lawes and Magistrates What justice of penalties What merit of reward Why then may we not as some of the same Principles have done excuse all other faults and offences against either God or men from this their fatall necessitie 48. Because some things may be certainly foreknown and foretold from the position and motion of the starres as Eclipses some things also of probable consequence in part as heat cold drought rain wind c. some accidents also to be conjectured in the generall as Pestilence diseases barrenness dearth c. Are there therefore the same grounds or reasons to conclude peremptorily upon contingencies arbitrary actions casuall events yea and such things as are reserved to Gods free pleasure and power 49. VVhether it be not the Prognosticators failing of grounded reasons rather than their failing in their feigned directions that hath caused them to fail so often in their Prognostications or Predictions 50. VVhether as the Magicians and Astrologers declaiming against Reason argues the defect of reason So whether the defect of reason argue not the defect of Art For where Reason is not the ground or principle it cannot be an Art what ever be the experiment or event CHAP. X. 10. From the Prestigiousness of Experiment 1. VVHether it may not please Almighty God to permit some experiments or effects of Magick and Astrologie for the same intents as he doth those of malefice and sorcery Nay and indeed as in all other wicked wayes Namely 1. For the magnifying of his own wisedome justice and power His power in that though the fallen creature may will evill of it self yet is it not able to act all it wills without his power or permission His justice in deserting the creature to its own pravity and malice and so punishing sinne with sinne His wisedome in so directing it as to work good out of evill 2. For the convincing of the Devill of the malice of his own will of the wretchedness of his own power and of the fallacy of his own Art In that he would doe more malefice if he might can doe nothing but by permission promises nothing but ambiguously because he is not certain himself till he have tempted God 3. For the dereliction of the Artists or Actors to the delusion of a false Faith a bold temptation and proud curiosity Because they believe without a promise and so believe the Devill more than God They tempt the Devill as well as God that is tempt the Devill to tempt God They are inquisitive after the knowledge of those things which are neither for them nor Devills but for God alone to know 4. For the execution obduration and delusion of their credulous and superstitious Proselytes and Clients in the vanity of their carnall hopes and fears Because they will not receive the love of the truth but will choose their own delusions and trust to lying wonders after Satans working which are praestigious experiments for this cause God also chooses their delusions yea sends them strong delusions confirmed not only by inward perswasions but outward experiments that they should believe a lye sc vain observations prognostications and predictions 5. For the tryall of the Faith Patience and Prudence of the saints That they may learn to believe not because of a sensible experiment but because of a spirituall promise And may submissively admire Gods permission not believing rashly every presaging spirit but discreetly trying the spirits whether they are of God 2. How can that be a sufficient proof of the verity of any Science or of the lawfulness of any Art which the Devill makes to be the chiefest means of his own science and the only proof
About the election of dayes to such and such actions 59. About the planetary hours and the divisions of them 60. About the inherency and efficiency of the first qualities heat cold drought and moysture 61. About the effectualness of Symmetricall and harmonicall proportions 62. About the way of constituting the figures of Heaven 63. About the erecting and the correcting of theams and scheams 64. About the best and truest way of calculating 65. About the Astrologicall Tables 66. About inequalities 67. About elections 68. About rectifications 69 About the number of aspects 70. About the Lord of the geniture and his election 71. About the making choice of significators 72. About the deducing of the space of life 73. About judging of the morall disposition of the mind 74. About judging of the configuration or stature of the body 75. About the way of judging upon fortune and riches 76. About the reserving their yearly judgement to the true or apparent rising or setting of the Stars 77. About the searching out the Genius of a man by the Stars 78. About matters to be more or lesse regarded and esteemed in astrological judgement 79. About the reading of the Stars by hieroglyphicks characters letters syllables words sentences aspects conjunctions constellations oppositions configurations resemblances c. 80. About the portents of prodigies celestiall or terrestriall 81. About the vertue and power of contract sight sound voice breath numbers characters rings seals images c. 82. About the force of imagination 83. About the causes much more the interpretation of dreams 84. About the use and verâ—ue of lots 85. About the authentiqueness of their own authors old and new out of whom might be collected many a century of contrary and contradictory opinions Now since they themselves are not agreed upon the grounds and means of their art why should they expect that we should consent to such effects and issues of it as they pretend Is it not just and meet that they should first reconcile one another to truth ere they require our faith who will believe a certain or probable prognostication or prediction by such means and wayes as they themselves believe not but contradict and impugn not only as uncertain and improbable but as vain and false While some of them are so modest as to plead only for a probability what is this but to confesse that this art or science is nothing else but an opinion or conjecture But while there are such varieties diversities contrarieties and contradictions of opinions what does this prove but that all their conjecturings and opinings are but opinions against opinions or but opinions upon opinions or else nothing at all CHAP. XIV 14. From the absurdity of Errours VVHether the grosse errours that have been and are and ever will be some or others of them in Magick and Astrologie arise from the evill disposition of the Authors or of the Arts And in the Arts whether from the misapplyed circumstances or ceremonies and not rather from the misimagined substance and scope For from some accidentall mistakes only how can it be credible or possible that such puerile hallucinations and anile delirations should once have sprung or spread in the world as touching the nature originall matter form quantity quality site orders numbers figures motions and effects of the celestiall bodies As namely 1. That the Sun is nothing else but an Oven or hollow furnace full of fire 2. That the Sun is a golden turf or clod 3. That the Sun is made either of burning stone or iron 4. That the matter of the Sun is glassey or made of glasse 5. That the sun is the compact of severall flames 6. That there are two suns in the firmament one archetypall and invisible and the other sun which we see but the image or shadow of that which we see not 7. That the sun rising out of the Sea and setting in the Sea is kindled in the East and quenched in the West 8. That the sun is no bigger than it seems 9. That the sun is of the same breadth as is the earth 10. That the sun is bipedall or hath two feet 11. That the sun is not above a foot broad 12. That the sun is sometimes bigger sometimes lesser 13. That the sun stands still and the earth moves round about it 14. That the sun was at first a mortall man and first reigned in Egypt and because of his common benefits was translated into Heaven and immortalized there 15. That the moon is in magnitude equall to the sun 16. That the moon is bigger than the earth about nineteen times bigger than it 17. That the moon is an earthy substance covered over with a mist 18. That it is inhabited by many huge living creatures 19. That it is planted in a much more flourishing manner with trees and herbs than is the earth in its prime 20. That there are in it Fields and groves and mountains and vallys c. 21. That the moon consists of an unequall constitution earthy and frigid 22. That it is of an hot and fiery constitution 23. That it is partly conspicuous partly obscure 24. That the moon is endowed with an intellectuall mind 25. That it is an half fiery sphear a fiery compacted cloud 26. That it is mingled of ayr and fire 27. That it is an ascension or rather an accession collected from the vapours of sweet waters 28. That it attracts to it earthly dregs 29. That in the globe of the moon as in a glasse the received species of mountains are represented 30. That the inequality of the moon is caused because of some bodies interjected betwixt it and the sun 31. That the moon sometimes leaves the heavens 32. That an Asse once dranke up the moon That a great Dragon devoured it 33. That the moon dyes when she is in the Eclipse 34. That there is another earth within the concave of the moon and that men live there after the same manner as they doe here 35. That the moon is made of green Cheese and that there is a man in the moon with a bush at his back this I adde from the vulgar which doubtless took it up from such authours and urge it with like authority 36. That the Stars are made of an earthy porish matter much like to that of a pumice stone 37. That every Star is a world by it self containing in it both ayr and earth 38. That the Stars are composed of fiery clouds which like coals are quencht all the day time and kindled again at night 39. That the Stars are formed of ayr and are turned about like wheels and being full of fire spit out flames 40. That the Stars are fiery stones and the Sun the great burning stone amongst them 41. That the Stars are nourished by vapours abstracted and ascending from the ayr and the earth 42. That the Stars are animate sensible rationall and intelligent creatures 43. That the Stars are capable of vertues morall vertues and
in 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
the body is there not a medicine and meat to cure it but if it could intend any evill upon the soul or mind yet is there not education and discipline to prevent it Many things may be effected besides nature may they not much more then besides Fate If every man may fabricate his own Fortune why not also contrive his own Fate If Fate had never had name or nature or power would things have fallen out otherwise than they doe fall out why then should Fate be inculcated since without Fate there is Nature and Fortune to which all things necessary or casuall may be aptly referred In this old Philosophicall dispute what easie Moderator would not give this censure That either side hath said sufficient to overthrow his Adversaries opinion but neither of them enough to establish his own 7. Hath not the constellatory Fatation introduced so many starry Gods into the world Yea made so many providentiall and tutelary Gods and Goddesses some Select others Ascriptitious to have a hand in the whole administration of the Universe But particularly so many Geniall or Genitall Gods and Goddesses and their sundry ordinations and offices at every mans geniture As of Janus Jupiter Saturn Genius Mercury Apollo Mars Vulcan Neptune Sol Orcus Liber Pater Tellus Ceres Juno Lucina Fluona Luna Diana Minerva Venus Vesta Moreover Vitumnus Sentinus Mens Mena Iterduca Domiduca Abaona Adeona and Dea Fatua too not of the least ordination and operation either in the birth or life or death And no marvell that they make so many Consent-Gods goe to the fate of a Man when they will have so many to be busie about the fate of an herb As Seia fatally president of the sowing Segetia or Segesta at the comming up of the Corn Nodotus or Nodinus at the knitting or knotting Volutina at the involving of the leaves Batellina or Datellea at the opening of the blade Proserpina at the budding Hostilina at the equall shaping of the eare Flora at the flourishing Lasturtia at the nourishing Tutilina in the keeping Matuta or Matura at the ripening Messia at the mowing and Runcina not only at the weeding but at the plucking up by the roots 8. Whether Fate be one or many If it be one simply then what needs any reduction if it many why is it not reduced to one And then in vain is that done by many which may be done by one and it is prophane l to ascribe that to many which ought to be a scribed to one If it be one truly then is it undivided in it self and divided from all others which how can that which is a series or connexion of so many things be especially having its inherence in movables or mutables If it be but one accident why should it imply all under a necessity If it be but one by aggregation collection connexion so are things fortuitous as well as fatall Besides such an unity is in the meanest degree of entity Wherefore then should it order and subordinate things of a more perfect degree then it self If it be many or a multiplicity then is it unequall indeterminate uncertain and next to a nullity If it be one why then so they make it do diverse according to divers conjuctions and constellations If it be many how can they make any certain and particular pronouncing upon it 9. Whether that they call Fate be in the first or among the second Causes If in the first that is as much as to make it equall unto God If among the second then is it inferiour unto man For among second causes and especially in involuntary actions and all such as fall under humane counsell and deliberation the intellectuall mind and rationall will hath no superiour And what more contrary to the order of nature and creatures than that the lesse noble should be disposing and governing those more noble than themselves 10. Whether there be a fatall necessity upon all acts or events If upon all acts where 's Liberty if upon all events where 's contingency And whether upon these both good and evill and that whether naturall civill or spirituall If upon naturall acts and events good or evill then what use of means either to preserve or to prevent If upon acts civill and good what merit what praise if upon acts civill and evill what laws what punishments If upon events civill and good what thanks if upon events civill and evill what hopes If upon acts spirituall and good what free grace if upon acts spirituall and evill what free will If upon events spirituall and good what free bounty If upon events spirituall and evill what free mercy 11. How can there or why should there be such a thing as Fate imposing a necessity upon actions and events when as divine providence it self doth it not so as to exclude liberty contingency or casualty from things But works with second causes according to their own motion and manner Permitting sometimes their exuberancy sometimes their deficiency preserving to them their sundry orders offices and degrees of efficiency Suffering the remoter causes or agents to be impedited by the more proximate that all effects might not be taken for naturall and necessary but that his own free disposing might appear Although nature and every naturall agent be of it self and ordinarily determinated to one effect and to the producing of it after the same way yet he suffers it to be impedited by one debility and indisposition or another either to come to pass otherwise or else to be altogether prevented that so he might preserve a contingency in all naturall causes to the intent nothing might be thought absolutely necessitating but his own will and pleasure above Much more doth he confirm a freedom to the rationall will not only that good may the more chearfully be done and accepted but the evill also that is done or suffered may not unjustly be imputed to providence because of a necessity imposed 12. If fate be as they define it the Series order nexure ligation complication constitution disposition of second causes c. what feeble things are all those seconds put together without the first what can their own motion work to without his speciall concurrence what if he work not with them what if without them what if against them Leave them to themselves and what knot in a rope of Sand Can there be a perpetuall series or indissoluble connexion betwixt causes so disparate yea so adverse as naturall internall necessary and arbitrary adventitious accidentall yet after this order is fate oftentimes finished A languishing man not only consumes away within himself but the ayr meats drinks poyson act the fatall consummation To an ordinated destiny of an unfortunate end comes in inordinately fire water a fall a gun a sword an unlucky hand c. and hath not this necessitating fate now the complement by accident and is there not a casuall intervention of more force to the fatall effect than all the causall connexion How
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
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
Provinces that that God which prevailed to confound all the other should be accounted as the only God To this purpose they carry their Idol Fire in a Censer up and down with them and commit it to conflict with the other Idols of Gold Silver Wood Stone c. and it consumes them all The fame of the Chaldaean Fire devouring all where it came coming to the eares of the Priest of Canopus an Aegyptian god in whose Temple was taught Magick by Aegyptian letters and not unlike Astrologie too or divining by the Stars since they have a Star also of that name this put him upon a crafty device to save the credit of his god He took a great earthen water pot full of holes and stopped them with Wax and filled it with water and painted it over and set it up instead of his God or rather this water pot was the belly of Canopus himselfe so fashioned In come the Chaldaeans and as the two gods are put to the bickering the Wax melts and the water runs out and so the Fire is quenched and now is Canopus accounted for the victor After this comes Theophilus a Christian Priest to contest with him and he by the power and providence of God makes the very creature Fire to consume all in despight of all magicall force or fraud and so works the reformation The Alexandrians not well knowing how to prohibit the Astrologers directly did it subtilly They exacted a yeerly tribute not onely of the Astrologers but of all those that consulted them And this exaction they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fooles tribute thinking that either the charge or the shame of it would thus restrain if not reform it Augustus gathered up here and there all the fatidicall books he could and those that were spread abroad under none or no apt authors he caused them to be all burnt to the number of two thousand and onely retained the Sibylline books and them too with choice commanding that even they should not be lookt into by any others but the Quindecemvirs onely In the too long protraction of the second Punick warre their religion became so distracted by the turbulencies of the times that all sexes ages and degrees of people turned sacrificers and vaticinators Complaint hereof was brought to the Senate and they laid the blame on the inferior Magistrates for not inhibiting them At length the businesse was committed by the Senate to M. Aemilius the Vrbane Praetor who made proclamation that whosoever had any books of vaticination or written Orisons or arts of sacrificing letters c. that they should bring them all to him within such a day And thus he freed them from such confusions as were crept into their religion As they were plowing in the field of L. Petilius the Scribe certain books of Numa were there found in a chest of stone Which Q. Petilius the Vrbane Praetor hearing of sent for them and reading onely the summe or contents of them and observing that they tended to the utter dissolving of religion told L. Petilius that he intended to burn them The Scribe appealed to the Tribunes of the people they referred it to the Senate where it was decreed that the Pretor should keep his vow or resolution and so they were burned by the victimaries or sacrificers themselves in the sight of all the people It being related to the Fathers by Quintilian a Tribune of the people concerning a book of the Sybils which Caninius Gallus a Quindecemvir would have received among the rest of the prophecies Tiberius hereupon sent letters to the Senate severely checking at Caninius who being versed in the ceremonies would admit of an ode or a charm whose authour was uncertain which the masters had not read nor the Colledge approved putting the Fathers in mind of Augustus his edict to carry all such to the Vrbane Praetor and that the Sibylline verses belonged to the care of the Priests to discern which were true and which false And that they should especially acquaint the Quindecemvirs therewith and not transact any thing rashly in a cause of religion Under Valentinian one Hilarius a Car-man was brought before Apronius the praefect of the City because he had committed his sonne to a venefick necromancer or sorcerer to be brought up or traded in such arts as were interdicted by the laws and was therefore condemned Amantius an aruspick was solicited by Hymetius to sacrifice for depraved and maleficall intents which being proved by papers found in his house the consulter was banished and the practitioner condemned Lollianus a very young magician being accused that he had written a book of pernicious arts for feare that Maximinus would banish him appealed to Valentinian who more grievously punished him Palladius a veneficke and Heliodorus a genethliacke or one that interpreted fate by genitures were therefore accused before Modestus the praetorian praefect Palladius impeached Fidustius Praesidatis Irenaeus and Pergamius for their abhominable charms Fidustius confesses his vaticinating malefice and joyns with him Hilarius and Patricius Pergamius accuses many thousands as conscious of the same arts Hilarius and Patricius confesse the sortilegious fact with all the circumstances Wherefore all these and many other Philosophers are punished with fire and sword as Pasiphilus Diogenes Alypius Simonides and others And last of all that no mention might be found of these unlawfull arts innumerable books and volumes are all heaped together and burnt in the Judges sight Under Manuel Commenus one Araon was accused in that there was found in his house the image of a Tortoise and within it the picture of a man chained and pierced through the breast and that he carried about him the old conjuring book that was called Solomons which while he read it legions of divels would appeare and ask him wherefore he called them and would quickly execute his commands Of which being convicted he had his eyes put out the usual punishment of those times Sicidites about the same time was impeached for casting prestigious mists before mens eyes and for sending out his devils to terrifie and torment men The same man sitting by the water side with some of his companions askt them what they would give him and he would make the Boatman that then passed by with a load of earthen vessels to break all his own wares with his own Oare Something they promised him and he muttered a few words and it came to passe accordingly The man being askt after that why he was so mad as to break his wares answered he thought he saw before him an ugly great Serpent ready to devour◠him which still crept neerer to him the more he struck at it and when all his pots were broken in pieces then it vanished For this and other ridiculous pernicious tricks he was served as Araon was sc had his eyes put out an apt punishment for all peepers and Star-gazers In vain was all the Pagan reformation of Magick and Astrologie For they put the