The Magical-Astrological-Diviner Posed and Puzzled, Treatise · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
15. From the abhomination of Hereſies.
WHether Magicians, and Aſtrologers, have not been the moſt abhominable and deteſtable Hereticks of all ages? And their Hereſies moſt Blaſphemous, Idolatrous, Superſtitious, Atheiſticall, Impious, Profane: Perverſly and Obſtinately impugning the great truth of God, and main fundamentals of Chriſtian Religion? Witneſs theſe few that follow, in compariſon of the many that might be collected, eſpecially out of their Rabbins, and apoſtate Authors.
1. That God himſelf is the chief Mathematician, and teaches Mathematicall things to the ſouls of men, making them capable of the ſcience, before they flit into bodies: which otherwiſe could not be, unleſs they had ſeen God acting the Mathematician in Heaven. 2. That not only nature, but God himſelf is ſubject to Chaldaicall, or Aſtrologicall fate. 3. That Heaven is the body of God, and the Stars are his eyes. 4. That God is aſſiſted and holpen by the Stars, in the prediction of effects upon things ſublunary. 5. That it is not God that make men juſt, but Jupiter. 6. That the Stars (both fixt, and errant) are Gods.
7. That the Meſſiah expected by the Jews, ſhould come in the year 1464. after Chriſts nativity. Becauſe then would be the ſame conſtellation of the Stars, as was when Moſes brought the Hebrews out of Egypt. 8. That it is lawfull and neceſſary to calculate the Horoſcope of Chriſt. 9. That from ſome ſiniſter aſpects in Chriſts nativity, his fortune and fate might eaſily have been predicted. 10. That Chriſt therefore was eminent in ſo many vertues, becauſe Saturn was in Gemini aſcendent: For Gemini aſcending together with Saturn and Mercury, ſignifies the birth of ſome great Prophet. 11. That the death of Chriſt was from the configuration of Mars. 12. That as the nativity, or firſt comming of Chriſt, was prefigured by a great wonderfull Planetary conjunction: ſo ſhall his ſecond comming, or the day of judgement likewiſe. 13. That Saturn having part in Chriſts geniture, rendred him ſo ſad, and penſive, as that he was often ſeen to weep, never to laugh. 13. And that alſo made him ſeem older than he was: ſo that they took him to be near fifty, when he was not but about thirty years of age. 14. That Saturn meeting with Venus, was the cauſe of his having certain red ſpecks in his face. 15. And that becauſe of thoſe ſpecks, all his parts were not from God. 16. That all the miracles of the prophets, and of Chriſt, were wrought by the vertue of the Hebrew Letters. 17. That Chriſts hanging upon the croſs might have been foreſeen and foretold from his natalitiall ſtars. 18 That the ſtar which happened at Chriſts nativity, had the dominion, and regulation of his life, manners, actions, miracles, wiſedom, doctrine, &c. 19. That Jeſus Chriſt being a man perfectly ſolary, was therefore raiſed again, upon the day aſſigned to the Sun. 20. That the Sun is the true light, and the moſt exact image of God himſelf: whoſe eſſence reſembles the Father, light the Son, and heat the Holy Ghoſt, called the conſpicuous Son of God, the divine image of divine intelligences, the perſpicuous ſtatue of God. 21 That the vertue of reſemblance betwixt Chriſt, and an image (a Taliſmanicall, or conſtellationall image) did not only invite him to his naturall, but now alſo doth to his ſpirituall preſence amongſt us.
22. That Magick is Primitively in God, Derivatively in the Creature. 23. That it was in Adam from the creation; and in him as a great part of that Image, or ſimilitude according to which he was created. 24. That Magick is nothing elſe but the will of the Creator revealed to, and planted in the Creature. 25 That the ſpots in the Moon, and about the Sun, ſucceeded upon Adams tranſgreſſion and fall. 26. That the Deluge, or univerſall Flood, was from the conjunction of Planets in Aquarius. 27. That the patefaction, or giving of the Law by Moſes, did depend upon certain configurations. 28. That the brazen Serpent, as alſo the Golden Calf, yea and the Teraphim, were nothing elſe but Taliſmans, or figures made under certain conſtellations. 29. That Moſes commanded to reſt the Sabbath day, and to doe no work thereon, becauſe Saturn (who governs that day) might make the work unproſperous. 30. That Jacob bleſſed his Sons, by what he had read in a book of Aſtrologie, as concerning their ſeverall fortunes. 31. That the Urim and Thummim (whereby it was conſulted about the ſucceſs of difficult affairs) had to that end, the figures of an Aſtrolabe.
32. That the Jews (from the diſpoſition of the ſtars) were born to Religion. 33. That the Jews Religion was unproſperous; becauſe it was founded upon a malevolent ſtar. 34. That the Jews Religion is governed by Saturn; the Turkes, by Venus; and the Chriſtians, by Sol: which is the reaſon of their ſeverall Sabbath dayes. 35. That a mixture of Religions is governed by a mixture of ſtars and Planets. 36. That Mahomet, and his Alcoran, hath a greater Dominion than Chriſt, and his Goſpell: becauſe the aſpect of the ſtars is more favourable to the one than to the other. 37. That the Chriſtian Law (according to aſtrologicall prediction) ſhould not laſt above 1460. years at moſt. 38 That Magick did afford the firſt profeſſors of Chriſtianity. 39. That it may be judged by the ſtars, whether a mans Religion be true or falſe. 40. That a man may judge by the ſtars, whether he ſhall abide in the faith, or not. 41. That it may be judged by the ſtars of a mans conſcience, of the moſt ſecret ſcruples, and inward feelings of it. 42. That by the ſtars it may be judged of mans love towards God; and of Gods again towards him. 43. That Aſtrologicall predictions may be made infallibly as concerning life everlaſting.
44. That every kind of Divination is to be received and honoured as a token of Gods benign providence. 45. That Magicall and Aſtrologicall prediction is a gift of that nature, as was the gift of healing, and ſpeaking with tongues. 46. That prophecy (the divine inſpired prophecy) is to be attributed to the influences of the ſtars. 47. That that which in nature firſt exerciſeth Magicall efficacy, is the voice of God. 48. That the Hebrew Letters are the moſt efficacious of all, to Magicall and Aſtrologicall operation: becauſe they have the greateſt ſimilitude with celeſtials; and the world; and becauſe of the vertues of their numbers, which he that ſhall know, ſhall be able in every language, to draw forth wonderfull miſterys by their Letters: as alſo to tell what things have been paſt, and foretell things to come. 49. That the ſign of the Croſs hath very great power; and that is the moſt firm receptacle of all the celeſtiall powers, and intelligences; and is inſpired with the fortitude of the celeſtials. 50. That the ſtars are moſt potent, when they make a croſs by the projection of their rayes mutually.
51. That God ordained it ſo, that men ſhould live ſo long, in the beginning of the world; on purpoſe that they might perfect their Aſtrologicall obſervations; and tranſmit them to poſterity. 52. That the Heavens are a Book, wherein is written (in legible Characters) all things that ſhall happen in the world, from the beginning, to the end: and not only ſo, but that the names of good children, and elect are there, and thus written, 53. That in the ſeaven Planets there are ſeaven Spirits, governing the world by turns, 354 years, and four months a piece; from the firſt creation, to the laſt diſſolution. And thoſe ſeven Spirits, in thoſe ſeven Planets working all changes, and chances in the world.
54. That mens ſins and iniquities doe proceed neceſſarily from the ſtars: for they not only ſignify, but cauſe the ſame. 55. That it is not mans will that commits adultery, but Venus; nor that commits murder, but Mars; nor that commits theft, but Mercury. 56. That all mens actions (good or bad) and the events of either, doe (by an indiſſoluble bond) depend neceſſarily upon the motions of the ſtars as the Lords of fate; and are therefore to be worſhipped. 57. That there are Angels, or Spirits, which have their reſidence in the ſtars: and may (not amiſs) be prayed unto. 58. That the ſtars being prayed unto, doe hear our prayers; and beſtow celeſtiall gifts: not ſo much by any naturall agreement, as of their own free will. 59. That he who ſhall make any prayer (the Moon conjoyned with Jupiter, in Leo) ſhall be ſure to obtain of God whatſoever he askes. 60. That the direfull and malignant Planets are to be appeaſed and made propitious by Sacrifices.
61. That it is lawfull to conjure up Devils; ſeeing they are ordained to be miniſtring ſpirits▪ for the ſervice of the Faithfull. 62. That Mars being happily conſtituted in the ninth heaven, gives power to expell Devils. 63. That a man who hath Mars happily poſited in a new Houſ… may (by his ſole preſence) expell the Devill out of the obſeſſed. 64. That a man cannot overcome the Devils temptations, but by Magicall experiments.
65. That conjunctions and influxes of the ſtars are potent, not only to raiſe dead bodies; but to make their ſouls appear viſible. 66. That (by Magicall and Mathematicall vertue) the ſame body and the ſame ſoul are united together again in 440. years. 67. That there be two Planets the authors of all humane felicity: Venus of this preſent life; and Jupiter of the life to come. 68. That Saturn placed in Leo, frees mens ſouls from afflictions here on earth: and brings them to Heaven, where they had their firſt beginning.
Now what naturall truth of a divining art, that hath begotten and broached ſuch Hereſies and Blaſphemies, againſt the ſupernaturall, and divine truth it ſelf?