Vindication of His Annotations, Annotations
The Annotations on Jerem. Chap. 10. Verſe 2. and part of Verſ. 3.
Verſ. 2. THus ſaith the Lord, Learn not the way of the Heathen,] Becauſe the Jewiſh people, were a great party of them to go into captivity into Babylon, and other the regions adjacent, yea, many of them in likelihood were there in captivity already, (See ver. 11. Chap. 24.1. & 29.1, 2.) God by the Prophet endeavoureth to confirm and ſtrengthen them, the pious eſpecially among them, (for ſuch alſo there were there of them, Chap. 24.5. Ezek. 11.16.) againſt thoſe ſuperſtitions and vanities that were rife in thoſe parts; and they might be in danger, being exiles and captives in a ſtrange land, to be ſtrongly tempted unto: Heb. Learn not to the way: where either the particle is ſuperfluous, omitted therefore, Pſal. 106.35. Chap. 12.16. or elſe it may be rendred, Accuſtome not your ſelves to the way of the heathen; and ſo ſome render it; do not imitate them, See Chap. 9.5. their way; that is, their ſuperſtitious courſes, Lev. 18.3. & 20.23.
and be not diſmaied at the ſignes of heaven] The firſt head of ſuperſtitions, which he beginneth with, is Aſtrologie, a ſtudy and practice ſo rife among them in thoſe parts, Eſay 47.13. that the profeſſors and practiſers of it, not with them alone, Dan. 2.2. & 5.7. but among other nations alſo, are generally deſigned by the name of Chaldeans; See Strabo l. 17. Cicero of divination, l. 2. Pliny l. 6. c. 26. Aſtrologie, I ſay, not that which we commonly term Astronomie, whereby the true nature and motion of the celeſtial bodies are by grounds of reaſon, and rules of art thence taking their riſe, enqired into, and diſcovered; but that Judiciary Aſtrologie, as it is uſually ſtyled, whereby men take upon them, from the poſtures and aſpects of them, to foretel the iſſu of humane affairs, either publike, or private, and what caſual events, ſhall befal either perſons or people: a practice grown of late with us into great eſteem, being either countenanced or connived at, by thoſe in authority with us, tho having entred themſelves, and cauſed others with them, to enter into a religious bond of a ſolemn oath and covenant, to endeavor the extirpation of all thoſe things among us, that are contrary to ſound doctrine, and the power of godlineſſe, whereof this is none of the leaſt. For the original whereof, (ſince it hath not, nor can be ſhewed to have any ground from the light of nature, or natural reaſon) we ſhal not need to go far to find it out: We have a blind, but inſolent, buzzard (I may wel ſo term him) among us, one that profeſſeth himſelf no ſmall Doctor in theſe impoſtures, and dotages (wherewith he hath bewitched not a few with us, eſteeming his predictions, as no other then divine oracles) and taketh upon him by the Stars, to ſteer the affairs of our State, pretending to read in the Book of Heaven, all that he writes▪ who will ſufficiently inform us herein. Now this man, to juſtifie the warrantablenes of this his practice, telleth us, that the good Angels of God in former ages, at firſt by perſonal conference, acquainted the ſons of men with this learning of the Stars; and thoſe holy men, (ſaith he) ſo inſtructed, living many years, and in purer airs, where they curiouſly obſerved the Planets and their motion, brought this Art to ſome maturity, without the leaſt hint of ſuperſtition. But as the ſons of men fell from God in divine worſhip, ſo in flitting and ſhifting their habitations, they forgat the purer part of this art; and in ſome Countries added ſuperſtitious conceptions. The holy Angels then belike by this mans relation, did at firſt inform thoſe holy men, which they could not otherwiſe have known, of the nature of the Planets; to wit, that Saturn was a melancholick malignant planet, Mars, a cholerick and litigious one, Mercury, a theeviſh, Venus, a laſcivious and wanton one: and that they do accordingly affect and diſpoſe ſuch people, or perſons, as are either bred under them, or whom they have ſpecial relation unto. For theſe, and the like ridiculous fopperies, and impious calumniations of thoſe glorious creatures, are with them, as the Popiſh Purgatory with the Papiſts, the main grounds and principles of their whole Art, which being taken away, the whole fabrick and frame of their ſuperſtitious ſuperſtructures, will preſently fail and fall flat to the ground; as with thoſe other, all their maſſes, dirges, obites, pardons, and indulgences, if you deny them their Purgatory; which becauſe they can produce no clear Scripture for, they run with theſe men to their forged revelations. But whence theſe frivolous conceits, and irreligious ſurmiſes concerning thoſe celeſtial bodies, (which if you queſtion, you ſhake the ground of all their conjectural skil,) had their original, may wel be conjectured from the very names, the heathen impoſed upon them, being borrowed from their counterfeit deities, whom they deemed ſo qualified: aſſure our ſelves we may, that Gods holy Angels never raiſed any ſuch foul aſperſions and groundleſſe defamations, upon thoſe pure and ſpotleſſe creatures, far from, and wholy uncapable of any tincture of ſuch vicious diſpoſitions. But all that this man relateth, we may if we pleaſe, and be ſo ſelie as ſo to do, take upon his credit; for he telleth us not what times thoſe were, wherein it was thus, or who thoſe holy men were, unto whom the holy Angels at firſt revealed thoſe things; or out of what records he hath theſe relations, concerning ſuch pretended revelations. And as litle reaſon have we, to engage our faith to his Antagoniſt, another fowl of the ſame feather, that flieth yet ſomewhat higher then he, and pretending his predictions, to be grounded on Art and Nature, telleth us (that we may not miſ-doubt or queſtion his Art) that this art was deduced from God to Adam, to Seth, to Abraham; for proof whereof, he referreth us to a Knight of note, for his ſtudies in this kind; who in favour indeed of this Art, which he was overmuch addicted to, and beſotted with, affirmeth in part what he ſaith, but bringing no better proof of it, then a tale out of Joſeph the Jew, who in his Antiquities l. 1. c. 3. telleth us, that thoſe of Seths iſſue living long and without diſturbance, gave themſelvs to the ſtudy of heavenly things, and the conſtitution or adminiſtration of them; and becauſe Adam had foretold, a twofold deſtruction of the world that ſhould come, the one by water, the other by fire; they left the ſumme of what they had, of that kind of learning obſerved, engraven on two pillars, of brick the one, of ſtone the other: but neither is any word in the Jew, of this their Judicial Aſtrologie, nor of any skil in this kind or any other by God imparted unto Adam, which they yet father upon him: and the whole relation of the two pillars ſeems as tru, as that which he addeth of the continuance of the latter of them in Syria unto his time. And indeed, if any ſons of Adam ever had any ſuch immediate communion, either with God himſelf, or his holy Angels, it muſt be thoſe Ancient Patriarks, Abraham, Iſaak, and Jacob, and thoſe Prophets of God among his people; unto whom God uſed ſometime immediately, ſometime by the Miniſtery of Angels, to impart his mind, concerning future events, as well publike, as private: but no where in Scripture read we, that God did this, either by the natural courſe of the celeſtial ſigns, or, as from thence to be obſerved; nor undoubtedly had any ſuch art and skil, been taught the godly ones among Gods people, whether by God himſelf, or his Angels; would they either have concealed it from them, or much-leſſe committed it unto Paynims, and Pagans, and by ſuch, have tranſmitted it unto poſterity, for from ſuch in corrupt times, it crept in among Chriſtians, being yet ever among them liable to cenſure; nor was any in the Ancient Church, that had profeſſed ſuch arts, admitted into the profeſſion of Chriſtianity, unles that firſt they renounced thoſe damnable practices, and recanted ſuch their ſuperſtitious conceits. But men may eaſily gueſſe what Angels they were, that acquainted men at firſt with theſe things, and ſet them on work, to buſie their brains about ſuch matters, as neither light of nature, nor grounds of reaſon, were able to inform them of, but muſt have ſome revelation; either Divine, or Angelical, or Diabolical rather, for the finding of them out. So far are God himſelf and his Prophets, from taking notice hereof, as ſome ſuch heavenly diſcovery, or giving any approbation thereunto, that God by them ſometime derideth it, Eſay 44.25. & 47.13. and ſometime diſſwadeth and condemneth it, as an heatheniſh practice, not befitting his people to heed; as here, ſo elſewhere, Deut. 18.10—14. From the Prince of the air therefore, it may juſtly by this mans own grounds and grants, be deemed to have proceeded; at firſt by him taught the heathen that were ruled and ſwaied by him; and from them, together with the worſhip of them in their dols, conveyed unto Gods own people: For what of further obſervation he ſubjoyneth; to omit, that thoſe ridiculous principles muſt firſt be made good, ere any obſervation can be grounded upon them: the like did the Heathen Magicians report of their charms, and other ſuperſtitious divinations by the flight of fowls, and from the bowels of beaſts; to wit, that obſervations had been made of them, for many hundreds of years. See Pliny l. 28. c. 2. and this and thoſe may well go together, one with the other, unto him, that was the firſt founder of them, the father of lies, Joh. 8.44.
and be not diſmaied at the ſigns of heaven] As if the event of things, or the iſſue of your affairs depended upon them; which thoſe fond star-gazers bare people in hand, and took upon them thereby to determine and foretel, what good or bad ſucceſſe mens deſigns ſhould have, Eſay 47.12, 13. Howbeit, ſigns there are of two ſorts; firſt, natural, and ordinary, the Stars themſelves being ſet in the skie, to diſtinguiſh the times and ſeaſons of the year; to which may be added, the conjunctions of them one with another, or oppoſitions of them one to another, whence the Eclipſes of ſome of them at ſome time do proceed; and theſe are thoſe ſigns, which coming in a conſtant courſe, and continued tenor, (in regard whereof men skilful therein, are able either going backward, to tel how it hath been with them for thouſands of yeers paſt, or looking forward how it will be for as many, if the world it ſelf ſhould ſo long continue:) God would not have his people to be affected or affrighted with, as if in regard of them, or from them, any evil in the ſucceſſe of their affaires could betide them: other ſigns there are extraordinary, in dreadful apparitions, beſides the ordinary courſe of the creature, by which the Lord doth ſometime give notice unto his people, of his diſpleaſure, and warning of enſuing wrath; and theſe God doth not inhibit his people to be affected with, and taking of them unto heart. See Joel 2.30, 31. Luk. 21.11, 25.
for the heathen are di…maied at them] Or, rather, though the heathen be diſmaied at them. Though they be ſo ſelie or ſuperſtitious, as to be therewith thus affected, yet ought ye not ſo to be. So is the particle very freqently uſed, in our verſions alſo not ſeldome expreſſed, Gen. 8.21. Joſh. 17.18. Pſal. 23.4. Eſay 12.1. Dan. 9.9. Mic. 7.8. Hab.3.17▪
V. 3. For the cuſtomes of the people are vain] Heb. The ſtatutes, or, ordinances of the people; (that is, thoſe courſes of this nature, which people of ſeveral Countries herein concurring do, as if it were ſome ſacred or divine ordinance, very preciſely and ſuperſtitiouſly obſerve) vanity it; that is, are each of them exceeding vain, as vain as vanity it ſelf; and a matter therefore very ill-beſeeming ſuch as profeſſe themſelves to be Gods people, as did the Jews then, and as Chriſtians at this day do, to be taken and carried away, with ſuch frivolous and ridiculous fancies and fopperies: the pronoun, for the verb ſubſtantive, as Chap 6.16, 28. the abſtract, for the concrete, as verſ. 15. Eccl. 11.8, 10. and the ſingular diſtributively joyned with the plural, as Chap. 5.8.
FINIS.