Treatise of the Four Degenerate Sons, Treatise · Part 2 · Section 7
SECT. 7. Of the diverſe ſorts of divination.
VVHen God forbiddes his Church to commit any ſort of Idolatry, or to worſhip any creature, he forbids all creatures to be worſhipped either which are in heaven or in earth, or under the earth: In heaven, as the Sunne, the Moone, and the Starres; in earth, as men, beaſts, foules; neither under the earth, in the waters. So the Lord forbids all ſort of divination in the heaven, and this is foreign,Iudiciall aſtrologie is forbidden. or Iudiciall Aſtrologie: So in the earth when men obſerve dreames, and this is called foreign; So when they obſerved the intrales of beaſts, and this was called extiſpitium; ſo when they marked the flying of the foules, and this was called Augurium: So when hee gave his anſwers by lot, and this was called Sortilegium: And laſtly when hee gave his anſwers by thoſe who are under the earth by the dead, and this was called foreign; and ſometimes he gave his anſwers by the skull of a dead man, and this was called foreign.
The Scripture gives diverſe names to theſe Aſtrologers and condemnes them:What names are given to theſe Iudiciall aſtrologues in the Scripture. F rſt they are called Meggnonenin, Mic. 5.1.foreign agnanan, which ſignifieth a cloud, becauſe they give their anſwers under pretext of the clouds. Secondly, this Iudiciall aſtrologie is called haiidgnoni, foreignLev. 20.27. and the 70. tranſlate him foreign, and he is joyned with obh, which ſignifieth ventriloquious, him or her who gave their anſwer out of the bellie, and he is joyned often with the Pithoniſe, and with the Magitian, therefore they called this judiciall Aſtrologie clavim magiae, the key that openeth the way to all Magick.foreign Thirdly, they are called hachozim bakokebhim, intuentes ſtellas, beholders of the ſtarres, Eſay 47.13. chaza ſignifieth not onelyonly to ſee, but alſo to foretell things contingent; and therefore the Prophets were called chozim videntes, 1 Sam. 9.9. Fourthly they were called modignim lachodaſhim monethly prognoſticators,foreign Eſay 47.13. they made their predictions by the moneths. They reduced all things which they had to doe to ſeverall monethes, obſerving their Epimerides, and ſo Haman caſt his lot to fall in the twelfe monethmonth in the thirteenth day of the monethmonth for the deſtruction of the Iewes, Eſth. 9.1. And they tooke nothing in hand before they obſerved thoſe monethly prognoſtications. Theſe the Chaldees called Aſtagnine, foreign.and theſe were they who ſaid this day is an unluckie day to undergoe any buſineſſe, and this day is a good day; ſo they ſaid, we will not take a buſineſſe in hand, but in the firſt day of the monethmonth, or the Kalends. Fiftly, they are called Aſaphim, Dan. 2.2. and they were ſo called becauſe in the twilight they marked the heavens moſt, Naſaph ſignifies the twilight.
Iudiciall aſtrologie came firſt from Idolatrie.This Iudiciall Aſtrologie came firſt from Idolatrie, for Idolaters worſhiping the Sun, the Moone and the Starres, as gods, they aſcribed more to them then naturall influx, that by them things contingent might be foretold. The religion of the Babylonians was no other thing then the ſcience of the Chaldeans; and they gave the ſelfeſame names to the ſtarres which they gave to their gods. The Babylonian prieſts in their ſacrifices,Vide valeſium, pag. 211 ſaid theſe ſame things of their Gods, which the aſtrologer ſaid of the ſtars: When the Prieſts were asked who had ſtolen the oxe, they ſaid it was Mercurie that had ſtolen him; and the Aſtrologue ſaid that he was born under Mercurie who had ſtolne the oxe. Therefore Ier. 10.2. the Idolater and the Aſtrologue are joyned together; Learne not the way of the heathen, and be not afraid of the ſignes of heaven; here he puts the way of the heathen, their Idolatry with the feare of the ſtarres.
As this Iudiciall aſtrologie came from Idolatry;Who enlarged this Iudiciall aſtrologie. ſo it was inlarged much afterward by the Chaldeans, therefore a Chaldean is put for a Genethliacke, Dan. 2.10. He ſent for the Chaldeans, that is, the Genethliackes, as an Arabian is put for a theefe, Ier. 3.2. Thou lay like a Arabian by the way, that is, like a theefe; as a Cananite is put for a merchant, or one that tradeth, Hoſ. 12.7. and the Iewes learned much of their Iudiciall Aſtrologie from the Chaldeans, Iudg. 5. the Starres fight againſt Siſera. Vide Michol in radice Maſchah.They ſay that theſe Starres were unluckie Starres to him. And that the Aſtrologues foreſaw his ruine in the Starres and forbade him to goe out to battell that day; but the Lord they ſay hardened his heart and drew him to the river Kiſon, where he was killed. And laſtly, the wicked Mahumitans have much more enlarged this Iudiciall aſtrologie.
This deviliſh art is firſt injurious to God,This Iudiciall aſtrologie is firſt iniurious to God. for it takes away Gods providence and ties all things to a fatall neceſſitie. Secondly, it aſcribes to the ſtarres the foretelling of things contingent by them which is onelyonly proper to God, Eſay 41.23. for when there concurres a number of cauſes about one effect, which are not ſubordinate to aſcribe the effect to any one of theſe cauſes more than to any of the other, it is to aſcribe a contingent effect to a cauſe which it cannot be aſcribed to, for when there is no dependance betwixt the effect and the cauſe, then it is meere contingencie; & God only knows ſuch things which are contingent: a child is born at ſuch an houre under ſuch a conſtelation, therfore ſuch & ſuch things will befal him, to aſcribe theſe effects to his birth becauſe he was borne under ſuch a planet, that is follie, for there is no dependence here betwixt the effect and the cauſe: And here they had neede to looke to a nearer cauſe than to his birth, as to the conſtitution of the parents who begat the child, and to the nurſe who nouriſhed him, and to his foode, and they had neede more to looke to the time of his conception than to the time of his birth; for the ſtarres workes more in the time of the conception of the child, and when he is in his mothers bellie, than in his birth.
Obj. But they will ſay when they find the houre of the birth, they can eaſily know the time of the conception.
Anſw. Are all that are conceived at the ſame moment borne at the ſame time? I hope they will not ſay ſo, for ſome are borne in the ſeventh monethmonth, & ſome in the tenth month; therfore this their obſervation wil not hold: And let them looke rather to his education, both by nature and by grace, than to the ſtarres; for theſe will change him more than Mercurie or Venus.
They make the ſtarres in their conjunctions to be the cauſes of mens actions, both naturall and morall. And they goe further, that they are theſe which produces alterations in religion.This Iudiciall aſtrologie aſcribes the alterations and changes of religion to the ſtarres. They ſay when Iupiter is joyned with diverſe planets he produces diverſe religions; when he was joyned with Saturne, that conjunction bred the Iewiſh religion, & when he was joyned with Mars, then he bred the Chaldeans religion, & when he was joyned with the Sun that bred the Egyptian religion, and when he was joyned with Venus that brought on the Mahumets religion, and when he was joyned with Mercurie that bred the Chriſtian Religion; and when hee was joyned with the Moone, that bred the Antichriſts religion. But it is ſtrange to ſee how theſe men aſcribes more to the climates in the heavens and to the ſtarres then they doe to the ground wherein they live, or to the aire wherein they breath, or to the foode whereby they were nouriſhed: And if we ſhould demand of theſe men what is the reaſon that it hath fallen out that in theſe countries where Venus, Mercurie, and Saturne were of old worſhipped the ſignes remaining the ſame ſtill, yet it hath fallen out that their gods hath beene expelled, and caſt out of theſe nations againe, although the ſignes remaine: So we may demand of them what is the reaſon although the Iewes be baniſhed, wandering through the world, and changing ſo many climates, yet never altered their religion; and what is the reaſon that the Mahumets religion is profeſſed now, where the Chriſtian was profeſſed of old; and wee ſee ſundrie religions profeſſed in one place under the ſame conjunction; therefore this conjunction of Iupiter with the Sunne, or any other ſtarre cannot produce this effect of religion. Thirdly, if religion depend upon the vertue of the ſtarres, when the vertue in that conjunction ceaſeth, whether will the religion ceaſe or not, or ceaſeth ſoone after, as the light ceaſeth when the Sunne is gone from us; w…ce commeth it then that the Heatheniſh religion, and the Iewiſh religion hath endured ſo long,Ʋide Euſeb. lib. 6. c. 18. praeparatione evangelica. when as none of the aſtrologues can ſay, that the conjunction of the ſtarres, or the vertue of that conjunction hath indured ſo long, and what conjunction can they ſhew when the Chriſtian Religion aroſe to produce ſuch an effect, or what conjunction made this, when the Mahumetan religion aroſe. And we ſee contrary religions profeſſed where there is but little difference of place.
This iudiciall aſtrology is iniurious to man.As this Iudiciall aſtrologie diſhonours God, ſo it is injurious to man, for it takes away from him, liberty of will in civill things, which he hath by nature, and in religious matters, which he hath by grace, and brings him within the compaſſe of ſuch a neceſſity. Quando aſtra non neceſsitant, ſed inclinant; They bring no fatall neceſſity with them,foreign but inclines onelyonly a little. The ſtarres they have their influxes, into the bodies of men: therefore they are called Mozalim by the Hebrewes, a Nazal. influere. 2 King. 23. And the Rabbines call them Meſhartim, a Sharat miniſtrare, and therefore they ſerve ſomewhat to foretell mans inclination, and manners, for they commonly follow the temperature of the body. But ſimply to foretell by the ſtarres, what manner of men they will be, that cannot be foretold by the ſtarres Sapiens dominabitur aſtris: As to ſay, ſuch a woman will be an whoore becauſe ſhe was borne under ſuch a conſtellation. But onelyonly thus much they might ſay, her inclination would have led her to have beene ſuch a woman, but good education, good company, and moſt of all grace, may reſtraine her from that ſinne. So this Iudiciall aſtrologie, brings men under a continuall feare. As the Lord threatned, Iſa. 66.4. becauſe when the Lord called upon them they would not anſwer him. Therefore hee would chooſe their deluſions, and bring their feares upon th….
What uſe we may make of the ſtarres.The Lord when he made the Sunne, the Moone, and the Starres he made them for ſignes, and for ſeaſons, we may obſerve times by them. It is the commendation of Iſſachar, 1 Chro. 12.32. that he could marke the times So we may obſerve the ſtarres to be ſignes of ſpirituall events. As ſometimes of Gods anger in the comets, for although they have a naturall cauſe in them, yet ſometimes they ſignify great changes to happen in the Common-wealth, as warre, famine, and other Iudgements. Chriſt foretold that before his laſt comming there ſhould be ſignes, in the ſunne, the moone, and the ſtarres, which ſhould be moſt fearefull ſignes to the wicked, as they ſhould be comfortable to the children of God, but wee can never tell things contingent by them.
This Iudiciall aſtrology is injurious to other ſciences.This iudicall aſtrology wrongs other ſciences. Let us conſider what is foreign and foreign is ſuch a ſort of art, or ſcience, which is fooliſh and altogether vaine to leane to, as phyſiognomy and palmiſtry, foreign is a liberall ſcience or art, which is profitable to man. And foreign is that which is hurtfull to a man. As Iudiciall Aſtrology, and Magicke.
We are to put a difference betwixt, Magiam divinam, A difference betwixt divine Magicke, the Magicke of the Mathematician, the phyſicall Magicke, and the diabolicall Magicke.Magiam mathematicam, Magiam Phyſicam, & Magiam doemoniacam, divine Magicke, was that which the Magitians of the Eaſt learned from the Scriptures. As from Balaam his propheſie of the ſtarre, Num. 24.17. and was confirmed to them by the Mathematickes, obſerving the courſe of that ſtarre, and here the Lord takes them in their owne trade becauſe they ſtudied the Mathematickes. And this ſtarre, they called his ſtarre, Mat. 2.2. This was Salutare ſidus, for other comets pretended ſome unlucky thing, but this ſtarre led them to Chriſt. This knowledge of the ſtarres was lawfull, the Arabickes, call ſuch an aſtrologue Cachin, which comes from Cohen, Sacerdos, and the Egyptian Prieſts, who might ſtudy n… other arts, yet were permitted to ſtudy this ſort of Aſtrology.
The ſecond ſort of Magicke was Magia Mathematica, Mathematecal Magick.which conſiders the diverſe aſpects and properties of the ſtars and this is a lawfull knowledge.
Phyſicall Magicke.The third ſort is Magia Phyſica, or ars medendi, and this is lawfull.
Diabolicall Magicke.The laſt is, Magia doemoniaca, ſive diabolica, to foretell the events of things contingent by the ſtars, and this is altogether unlawfull.
All profitable ſciences furthers a man to the knowledge of God, but this drawes a man from God.All profitable ſciences furthers a man to the knowledge of God, but this drawes a man from God. The Mathematickes prepares the minde (by abſtracting of things,) and makes a way for the minde, to conſider things, more ſeparate from the materiall, and groſſe bodies. And Moſes was bred in this ſort of ſcience, Act. 7. When he was learned in all the ſciences of Egypt. Secondly, Phyſicke elevates the minde further. As when Salomon wrote of trees and plants, he was led here to the conſideration of Gods power, and wiſdome by them. Thirdly, Metaphyſica magis clevat, Metaphiſick lifts the minde higher to God; Sed non nectit poſtremo fini, It tyes not the minde to the laſt end, it conſiders God as Ens and affectiones entis are vnum verum & bonum. This is all that Metaphyſicke conſidereth, but this is nothing, untill the ſoule aſcend higher: By divinity, it is led to the higheſt degree to know God. vnum per vnionem, & vnum per vnitatem, one by unity to know the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghoſt, one in eſſence; and one by union, to know Chriſt, God, and Man, to be one perſon, to know him Ithiel and Veall, This knowledge of God tyes the ſoule to the laſt end, to God himſelfe▪ for all the knowledge which Agur had, before he came to this knowledge, he confeſſed that he was more brutiſh then any man, and had not the underſtanding of a man, he had neither learned wiſedome, nor had the knowledge of the Holy. That is, of ſalvation, and life eternall, which onelyonly the holy attaines unto: This knowledge elevates the minde to the laſt end, then how brutiſh is that knowledge, that drawes away the minde from the laſt end.
This ſcience is ſubordinate to no other ſcience, for all ſubordination is either directa ſubordinatio, or elſe ſubordinatio ratione finis: Directa ſubordinatio, is this, when one borrowes all from the ſuperiour ſcience, as the Apothecary doth from the Phyſitian, for hee muſt know of the Phyſitian, what hot things and what cold, what drammes, and what ſcruples, he muſt put in the phyſicke which he is to give unto the patient. The ſecond ſubordination, or indirect ſubordination, is this which is ſubordinate onelyonly in reſpect of the end. Example, a Cooke is not directly ſubordinate to the doctor of Phyſicke, therefore hee askes not of the doctour, what hearbes hee ſhould put into a broath, becauſe hee is not directly ſubordinate to the doctour, but aske him the end why hee makes the broath, hee will anſwer for the ſafety of man, here he is ſubordinate to the doctour in regard of the end, for the doctour gives Phyſicke for the ſafety of the man, and ſo doth the Cooke, who makes the broath. This devilliſh art is not ſubordinate, ratione finis, for the ſupreame and laſt ſcience, Divinity ſerves for the good of man, to lead him to his laſt end, and to ſave him, but this ſcience is not ſubordinate, to this ſupreame and laſt end, but it leades a man to his deſtruction and damnation.
This Aſtrology borrowes from other ſciences and hath nothing of its owne. Vt format oſtentiones ſuas: that is, as he makes his houſes in the heavens, he is directly ſubordinate to the Mathematitian here, and borrowes his principles from him: as he foretels naturall things, he is ſubordinate to phyſicke. But when he foretels contingent things (which he aſcribes as proper to himſelfe,) then he is ſubordinate to the devill. The Perſian Prieſts were called Chobharim aſtrologi prognoſtici from Chabhar. Iſa. 47.5.
There is no ſcience into this devilliſh art; for all ſciences are reſolved into principles knowne by themſelves, or demonſtrate into ſome other ſcience or knowne by experience, or revealed by the firſt Verity. But none of theſe are found, in judiciall aſtrologie, therefore it cannot be a ſcience, that theſe principles are not knowne by themſelves, or demonſtrate in ſome ſuperior ſcience theſe two they will grant, but ſome will perhaps ſay this skill was revealed by an Angel to Adam, or to Enoch, but who told them this, or out of what Scripture have they learned it. It reſts then that they ſay they know this onelyonly by experience, The Chaldees that they might perſwade this their art to the Greekes, and to the Romans, ſaid that they had experience of theſe things; for ſo many hundred thouſand yeares (as Cicero teſtifies in his booke, de divinatione) And ſo they ſaid truely, for there is need of many more yeares then theſe for to obſerve the figures, ſituations and oppoſitions, of every one of theſe in particular, before the heavens ſhall be turned about to the ſame point againe. And all the particular events, which they would demonſtrate, by them ſhal never fall out, although the heavens ſhould be in a perpetuall motion for ever.
Queſt. How could Daniel, be made Maſter of the Magicians, Aſtrologers, Chaldeans, and Soothſayers, Dan. 5.11. ſeeing theſe were damnable arts?
Anſw. Daniel, was ſet over theſe as they were gaz… rim, Aſtrologers, foretelling naturall things, and not as they were Soothſayers, foretelling things contingent, but theſe curious and damnable arts, no doubt he condemned altogether, as unlawfull.
Theſe iudiciall aſtrologers were excommunicate out of the Church and baniſhed out of the commonwealth.For this damnable art Aquila (who tranſlated the Bible,) was excommunicate, and caſt out of the Church. It hath beene condemned by the decrees of Emperours. As Cornelius Tacitus witneſſeth, lib. 17. they baniſhed them out of Italy.