The Magical-Astrological-Diviner Posed and Puzzled, Treatise · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
3. From the temptings of Curioſity.
1. HAth not the Scripture ſufficiently forbidden to tempt God, by a curious ſcrutinie after all ſuch things as pertain to his ſecret Will? Deut. 29. 29. Prov. 25. 27. Eccleſ. 3. 22. Pſal. 131. 1. Eccleſ. 7. 16. Job 21. 21, 22. Act. 1. 7. & 19. 19. Coloſſ. 1. 18. 1 Theſſ. 5. 1. 2 Tim. 1. 4. Deut. 6. 16. Pſal. 78. 8. 19. Mat 16. 1. Luk. 1…. 16.
2. Are there not many naturall things imperſcrutable to humane curioſity; and therefore not to be attempted, without a tempting of God? Pſal. 139. 6. Eccleſ. 11. 6. Prov. 304. Job. 38. per tot. & …9. per tot. & 41. 1, 2, &c. Joh. 3. 8.
3. If it behoves a Chriſtian man to be wiſe according to ſobrietie, even in divine things; how much more then in things humane, Exod. 19. 21 Exod. 33. 23. Job 11. 7, 8, 9. Iob 26. 13 14. Pſal. 131. 1. Eccleſ. 7. 16. 23, 24, 25. Rom. 12. 3.
4. Whether a curious indagation of things hidden, abſent, future, be not a ſtrong argument of an ignorant mind, an impatient ſpirit, and a diſcontented heart, a guilty conſcience a ſenſuall concupiſcence, and an idle life? As not capable of what he inquires; not ſubmitting to his own condition; not ſatisfied with the preſent; not pacified as concerning his own deſerts and feares; not leaving his own ſoul, but his body only, and not occupyed in any true vocation.
5. Whether all ſuch curious inquiſitions and ſupervacaneous inveſtigations (as are above tearmed toyes, obſtruſe vanities, difficult follies, ſtudious impertinencies, unquiet ſloaths, or lazy buſineſſes) pertain any whit to the perfection of the underſtanding; and be not rather the diſtemper, and diſeaſe of the fanſie, and the very phrenzy, and madneſs of the mind?
6. To what end is a curious prying into, or interrogating after future accidents? Of whoſe ignorance there's no unhappineſſe, puniſhment, reproach; and of whoſe knowledge there's no glory, reward, comfort. That makes a man neglect the preſent certain, in looking after the uncertain future; and ſo loſe the ſubſtance in gaping after the ſhadow▪ Whoſe Prediction, or precognition (if of good and true) foreſtalls a man ſo in his expectation, that it wholly takes off the edge of the fruition: if of good, and falſe, it nouriſhes only with vain hopes, and makes but more unhappy in their fruſtration: if of bad, and true, it makes a man miſerable in his own apprehenſion, before he be ſo in the event: if of bad, and falſe, it makes him make himſelf miſerable, whereas otherwiſe he needed not.
7. What arguments are theſe (ſo old, ſo oft repeated) to urge or invite men to a curious inveſtigation of things future, and fortuitous? Becauſe it likens men to the Gods; it argues the divineſs of the Soul; it prefers men to Beaſts. And doth it ſo indeed? Nay rather, hath not his curioſity brought men to be like the Devill? What was the firſt depravation of the divine Image in the ſoul, but that? And have not beaſts (by their own confeſſion) a more perfect preſagition by their ſenſes; than men with all their reaſon can attain unto?
8. Wherefore are Aſtrologers, and eſpecially the Genethliacks, ſo curious in inquiring into others fates and fortunes: and yet (of all men) moſt incurious in looking into their own?
9. Whether the ſpeculation, and whole practice of Magick and Aſtrologie (beſides the ſuperſtition and ſorcery) be not a very tempting of God; at leaſt through vain curioſity?
10. Whether the curious Artiſts doe not indeed tempt God in his preſent power, perfection, truth, wiſedome, goodneſſe, holineſſe, mercy, juſtice, preſcience, and providence; and that according to one or other, or many, or moſt, if not all of theſe enſuing particulars? 1. In preſuming of, or pretending to Gods knowledge, approbation, power, and aſſiſtance; without, nay and againſt his word, and will. 2. In preſcribing, and circumſcribing him to circumſtances; and eſpecially ſuch as are their own ſuperſtitious ceremonies. 3. In labouring to allure God unto their own wils, rather than ſubmitting theirs, to his. 4. In ſearching not only beſides the Scriptures; but beſides all that God hath been pleaſed to reveal. 5, In deſerting of Gods known way; to invent or preſcribe their own way for the cognition, acquiſition, or effection of any thing. 6. In tempting the Devill, to tempt God. 7. In conſulting diabolically; yea and compacting with the Devill; either explicitly, or implicitly. 8. Interrogating Angels, Devils, Daemons, Spirits, Geniuſes, Souls, Dead men, Planets, Prodigies, Sacrifices, Carcaſſes, Entrayls, Beaſts, Birds, Fiſhes, Serpents, Idols, Images, Figures, Characters, &c. and ſo making them their tutours, and inſtructers as concerning theſe things; to which they themſelves were never inſtituted by God. 9. In aſſimilating, and comparing men to God ſo mainly, for ſuch things, as belong to no part of the image and ſimilitude of God in man; or elſe have but the leaſt, and moſt imperfect foot-ſteps thereof. 10. In pretending thoſe arts, and acts, to manifeſt and make known God; yea, and (in peculiar manner) to conduce, and direct to him: which (in truth) ſerve but to obſcure him, alien him, and utterly ſeduce from him. 11. In pretending to religion, devotion, conſcience; even in matters of more impiety, and profaneſſe. 12. In being irreverent in the exerciſe of a true, and ſuperſtitious in that of a falſe religion. 13. In aſſerting a true, and due religion, or adoration, as well among Jews, and Pagans: as among Chriſtian profeſſors. 14. In acting without faith; or out of a preſumption, by placing faith upon a wrong object, or to a wrong end. 15. In having a faith in ſuch things, as God hath neither propoſed, nor revealed. 16. In truſting to, and being more affected with humane predictions and preſages; than divine promiſes, and providence. 17. In wavering in a truth, and doubting of a thing moſt certain: and yet being peremptory in a falſehood, and making themſelves moſt certain in things very doubtfull. 18. In preſuming to have ſuch a knowledge extraordinarily infuſed; which is ordinarily acquiſite. 19. In placing, the deepeſt knowledge, and boaſting the higheſt learning to be in the loweſt, and meaneſt matters. 20. In neglecting the acquiſition of the greater truth, and gift; through a ſtudious inquiſition after a leſſe. 21. In prying or diving into profound, ſublime, abſtruſe, occult ſpeculations; without due application, or true relation unto life, practice, ſtate calling, manners, vertue, conſcience, religion, the Goſpell, or God himſelf. 22. In ſeeking only that they may know, to know: or elſe for pride ambition, vain glory, faction, contention, policy, covetouſneſſe or other ſiniſter ends. 23. In not referring the knowledge of the Creatures to their due and neceſſary ends. 24. In referring the information of the intellect, chiefly to the indulging and promoting of the ſenſe. 25. In being buſily inquiſitive after thing improper and impertinent; and ſuch as directly concern not Gods glory, their own ſanctification, and the edification of others. 26. In making profeſſions of ſuch arts, and artifices, as are neither neceſſary, nor uſefull, either to Church, or Common-wealth. 27. In making it their main ſtudies, to know thoſe things, whereof a man may be innocently ignorant, and can hardly be profitably inſtructed. 28. In attributing much (or all) to thoſe kind of ſciences, diſciplines, arts, occupations, which good men are little acquainted with: and in which they that are moſt verſed, and occupyed, are not good. 29. In arrogating to themſelves a knowledge, above their proper ingenie, capacitie, facultie, education, office: and ſo eaſily putting truth for error, and error for truth. Inſetting up and admiring their own inventions, and fancies; for the ſecret gifts, and peculiar inſpirations of Gods ſpirit. 31. In proclaming themſelves for admitted unto Gods counſels; ere they can endeavour themſelves to be entred into his Court. 32. In ſetting after the book of the Scriptures, to the book of nature, and of the Heavens. 32. In thinking to imitate God, and nature in thoſe things, for which they have neither precept, nor liberty 34. In pretending a ſearch, and examination of nature; where nature hath really neither being, cauſe, effect, ſignes, means nor end. 35. In elevating and extolling nature as a ſoveraign deity: or elſe in preſſing and torturing her, as a ſervile ſlave. 36. In abuſing the creatures to ſuch end and uſes, as God never ordained them, their own nature never inclined them, neither is a power extraordinary working or conſenting to apply them. 37. In asking or requiring a ſingular ſign, without any ſingular inſpiration, or inſtinct; or any juſt cauſe, reaſon, or neceſſity. 38. In ſetting up their own ſignes, and making them to ſignifie according to their own imaginations. 39 In attempting to proove, approove, purge, clear, ratify, conform, find, and find out, by inordinate and undue explorations and tryals. 40. In labouring long and much, to make an experiment of thoſe things, whoſe utmoſt uſe and profit ends in the experiment. 41. In ſtill nothing but making experiment, of what they have had already vain experiment enough. 42. In making experiment a proof; where experiment ſerves for no uſe. In waſting, or hazzarding the loſſe of time, health ſubſtance, credit, conſcience; for the gaining an experiment of that, which is no way reparable, or proportionable. 44. In expecting anſwerable effects, from unapt, and unlikely cauſes. 45. In being ſloathfull, and impatient of Gods time, and means. 46. In preſuming to attain to the end; without the uſe of ordinary, and lawfull means. 47. In uſing inordinate, and undue means. 48. In looking for extraordinary and miraculous ſatisfaction; where the ordinary means are ſufficiently afforded. 49. In applying grave and ſerious means, to light trifling intents and purpoſes. 50. In admitting and approving of ſuch means, and wayes; as they cannot but be convinced, muſt needs be of a diabolicall introduction. 51. In acting out of their proper and laudable callings. 52 In expoſing themſelves to Satans temptations. 53. In not avoyding the occaſion, nay urging, and expoſing to it; and nevertheleſſe preſuming to eſcape the danger, temptation, infection, participation. 54. In being ſuperſtitiouſly affected with vulgar and vain obſervations. 55. In attributing vertue and efficacy (corporeall or ſpirituall) to bare ceremonies, circumſtances, forms, figures, words, characters, ligations, ſuſpenſions, circumgeſtations, &c. 56. In imagining, diſcourſing, practiſing againſt the light of nature, ſenſe, reaſon conſcience and the Scriptures. 57. In an impiety, or (at leaſt) temerity of invoking provoking voting, devoting, imprecating deprecating execrating conſecrating, adjuring, conjuring, perjuring, &c. 58. In prying into what peradventure may befall others: and never looking into what may worthily happen unto themſelves. 59. In making long diſcurſations, to learn ſtrange tongues ſtrange characters ſtrange doctrines, ſtrange manners, ſtrange habits: and then returning home, to make long and ſtrange diſcourſes of them. 60. In publiſhing ſtudies, and works of a light ſubject unprofitable uſe, and dangerous conſequence; and that eſpecially in times of publike calamity, and judgments, to take up mens minds with vanities, when they ought every day to meditate upon, and expect their deaths. Now let them (or any one elſe, that can but read what hath lately been compiled, or tranſlaſlated into the Engliſh tongue) conſider all theſe, and therewithall compare thoſe circulatory, and joculatory Pamphlets, and volumns: and they may plainly perceive how much of them may eaſily be brought in, by way of inſtance, upon theſe ſeverall particulars; of tempting God, through vain curioſity.