The Magical-Astrological-Diviner Posed and Puzzled, Treatise · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
XI. From the pooreneſs of Suppoſitions.
1. IS not that a poor Art, whoſe very principles run a begging? being nothing elſe but bare Hypotheſes, Suppoſitions, Poſtulates, Petitions, craved Conceſſions, implored admiſſions, bargained beliefs, and (to uſe the Apoſtles phraſe) weak, and beggarly elements, or rudiments. Yea, I may ſay further, not only in his phraſe, but according to his ſcope, Philoſophie, and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the Elements, or rudiments of the world, and not after Chriſt, Col. 2. 8.
2. Whether ſuch Hypotheſes, or ſuppoſitions, as may be conceded to Aſtronomie; for neceſſary, and uſefull intents: ought to be indulged, or licenſed to Aſtrologie; for unneceſſary, vain, and vile ends?
3. Why may we not ſay of the Aſtrologers, as they ſay of the Alchymiſts: That they take true or probable Hypotheſes from other Arts; and make falſe and impoſſible inferences u…n them, in their own?
4. Whether that ſaying may not more aptly be ſpoken of Magicall Aſtrologie, than of any other art beſides? One abſurdity being ſuppoſed, or granted, a thouſand abſurdieies will …ollow upon it. And as every peradventure yea, may be anſwered with a peradventure nay: ſo why may not every ſuppoſe ſo (eſpecially in this Aſtrologie) be anſwered with a ſuppoſe otherwiſe?
5. Whether (in any art or ſcience whatſoever) a bare Hypotheſis, or ſole ſuppoſitary argument, may not gratis, and with the ſame facility and authority, be denyed, as it is affirmed? Nay and eftſoons with more reaſon; namely, when it is meerly ſuppoſititious; and neither of a thing divine, rationall, naturall, neceſſary, poſſible, probable, known, received, undeniable, univerſally true, proving it ſelf? but the contrary in moſt, or all: Not orthodoxall, but paradoxall, heterodoxall, adoxall; not determinate, but confuſed; not to be underſtood or apprehended at firſt propoſing; not proved, or approved; not having in it any thing like to demonſtration; but corrogating gratis, fraudulently bargaining, infinitely borrowing, impudently begging, &c.
6. Why an Hypotheſis that ſhould be of a thing poſſible, probable, demonſtrative, convenient, facile, direct, evident, and tending only to explore, infer, and explain truth; ſhould be abſurdly imagined, and arrogantly corrogated, for the planting, or promoting of error, and falſhood?
7. Beſides that their principles are granted by themſelves to be but meer ſuppoſitions, or imaginations; how many of them are erected by ſome, and rejected by others? Rejected (I mean) by themſelves, for entia rationis, Egyptian ſtars, Ptolemeick hypotheſes, fictitious Chymaera's, figments of mens brain, monſters of nature, devious extravagants, adventitious fancies, &c.
8. Whether the ſuppoſition or imagination not only of ſphears, orbes, circles, ſemicircles, poles, poynts, lines, arches, angles, excentricks, epicicles, &c. in the Heavens; but of Buls, Bears, Goats, Rams, Dogs, Dragons, Fiſhes, Serpents, &c. nay and of heads, tayls, faces, backs, hearts, hands, eyes, armes, ſhoulders, &c. right, left, &c. be not much like to the boyiſh fancying of forms, and faces in the clouds?
9. Wherefore ſhould the Artiſts feign to themſelves, or ſuppoſe ſo many circles, lines, triangles, quadrates, &c. in the Starry Heavens; …en as there are not to be obſerved (to any ſenſible view) three Stars or more in all the firmament, that ſtand in an equall proportion to any ſuch like frames, or ſigns?
10. May not their twelve Houſes of the Zodiack be (not amiſs) called ſo many Caſtles in the ayr? what reediſh nay ſtrawy, ſuppoſitors doe they ſtand upon? Suppoſe a man will not admit of ſuch imaginary ſupporters, or props of imagination (for what may compell him?) will not then their whole machination, or fabrick of judiciall Aſtrologie fall to the ground? Seeing the judgement depends upon them, and they upon ſuppoſititious circles, and angles.
11. Whether their own feeble, and feeble hypotheſis of the Stars magnitude (ſome ſo much bigger one than another, ſome ſo much bigger than the whole earth, ſome leſs by ſo many degrees;) As alſo of their motion (ſome of them not fulfilling their courſes, or periods, but in ſo many years; yea ſcores, hundreds, and thouſands of years) be not enough to overthrow and confound the conjunctions they ſpeak of, their judgement upon thoſe conjunctions, and their experience upon that judgement?
12 Where there is but a ſuppoſition, upon a ſuppoſition; or a probability, but upon a probability: is not there the latter probability, or ſuppoſition, ſtill more unprobable, and leſs to be ſuppoſed? As firſt to ſuppoſe a child to be born under ſuch a conſtellation; then to ſuppoſe that conſtellation to beget ſuch humours; then to ſuppoſe thoſe humours to diſpoſe to ſuch manners; and then to ſuppoſe ſuch manners to be urging to ſuch events. Are not all theſe hard to be ſuppoſed (either at once, or one after another:) ſeeing they may all of them be ſo eaſily impedited, from the firſt to the laſt? And are not all theſe ſound rules, and ſtrong proofs of judiciall Aſtrologie, that are not to be proved, unleſs they be ſuppoſed?
13. Whether of all the ſuppoſitions in Magick and Aſtrologie, theſe be not moſt ſuperſtitious and ridiculous? Firſt to ſuppoſe the Stars to be of ſuch and ſuch figures; then to ſuppoſe thoſe figures to be ſo and ſo efficacious; then to ſuppoſe thoſe very figures to have a ſimilitude or reſemblance to things of like figure here below; then to ſuppoſe that the ſimilitude or reſemblance makes the conſtellation effectuall between them; and laſtly to ſuppoſe ſuch a conſtellation to be effectuall to ſuch and ſuch purpoſes.
14. What a deluſive art, or practice is that; which ſo many ſuppoſitions or conceſſions can bring to no reall effect? For ſuppoſe or grant there were ſome efficacies of the Stars in a mans nativity; yet how can they certainly collect it? Suppoſe a Mathematician already prepared, not only with his rules within him, his directions before him, but his tools about him; yet how many motions of his are but delays, letting ſlip the firſt and imperceptible motions of the Stars? Suppoſe him perpetually peering and gazing; yet how rapidly and conciſely is all paſt, in leſs than the twinckling of his eye? Suppoſe his accurate diviſion of ſo many ſixties, into ſo many ſixties; yet in which of the ſixties will he have the moment of the nativity to conſiſt?
15. Whether (ſeeing all the learning of Judiciary Aſtrologie conſiſts ſo mainly, if not only in ſuppoſition) any ſuch learning be to be ſuppoſed in it; as may make the Artiſts ſo arrogatingly ſuppoſe themſelves learned above all others? and arrogantly boaſting their corrogating arts abſoluteneſs and perfection; above all other arts, and ſciences? when as all other well grounded ſciences have their proper principles, axioms, maxims, theoremes, common rules, &c. and thoſe univerſall, true, certain, irrefragable, undoubted, underſtood at firſt utterance, prooving themſelves, well known to all, denyed by none, &c. whereas this their art is glad to ſuffice it ſelf with hollow hypotheſes, precarious poſtulates, and ſimulated ſuppoſitions. No marvell! they ſhould ſtrut it ſo proudly, that know not how to appear, but in borrowed feathers. Or that they ſhould (in a bravado) offer to challenge all men; that firſt are fain ſo poorly and ſneakingly, to crave their weapon at every mans hands.