THE VANITY AND IMPIETY OF Judicial Astrology WHEREBY Men Undertake to foretell future Contingencies, especially the particular Fates of Mankind, by the Knowledge 〈◊〉 the Stars, i. e. the Conjunctions, Motion Positions, and Influences of the Coelesti● Bodies on the Earthly. By FRANCIS CROW, M. A. Minister of the Gospel. LONDON, Printed for john Dunton, at th● Raven in the Poultry. MDCXC. Price Stitched TO THE Gentlemen, Merchants, And other Inhabitants of PORT-ROYAL IN jamaica, That Attended on my Ministry in the Meeting there. AS the Apostle found the Men of Athens too superstitious, so did I the Island of Jamaica too much addicted to Judicial Astrology: And several so fond of that foolish Art, as seldom to set out to Sea without consulting their Oracle of a Stargazing ginger for lucky Days, and happy Stars. And being well assured that there was nothing of what was pretended in that Art, so called, I was willing to undertake something while I was with you for undeceiving the deluded, and repressing of that vain, prevailing Humour, of predicting by the Stars: For which end I searched the best Authors I could meet with in your illiterate World, and summed up in these few Papers the most convincing Arguments I could either find or think of, to make appear its Vanity and Iniquity. I had thought first to Preach a Sermon or two upon the Subject; but judging it not so fit for the Pulpit, I left at my coming away a Written Copy of it, for any desirous to see it, and now I send it you in Print: Not that your Society is any way chargeable with a good Opinion of this Imposture, but to enable the more Judicious to refute its Propugnators, as they meet with them. Neither may I be so injurious to you, as to let this public Occasion pass without the Testimony of my Thankfulness for all the Kindness and Respect you shown me, together with your generous Bounty in bestowing upon me. And if you had not been more wanting to yourselves (I mean your Souls) than to me, we might have yet been happy together. But I will not make the Causes of our Parting more public than I made them in my Valedictory Discourse in the Congregation. I must needs acknowledge, the costly Kindness of many of you left me nothing to ask, but what was of higher concern than any thing you had of yourselves to give. And if I should conceal this Goodness, I might be found to Offend on the same score with him that took the Man's one Ewe-lamb from him. And for the Blessing of Health I must needs commend your benign Climate, in which I enjoyed a greater measure thereof than ever I am like to do in the European Regions. Sed multa majora desiderantur. Now being persuaded that even in your Sardis Christ hath a few Names, and that though they dwell where Satan's seat is, (perhaps as eminently as in any Place where Christ is Named) yet have not defiled their Garments with the Pollutions of the Place; to such I say, Watch and Pray, hold fast and Repent, abide in Christ, and Christ in you; and when you have secured well your own Souls, spare not to Sigh and Cry for Abominations done in the midst of you, and Weep over a perishing World about you, lamenting daily what you cannot amend, and so shall you be kept from other men's sins. And before I take leave, I beg one thing for you all, that the Lord of the Vineyard that sent me to labour among you, may grant that the many Sermons I have Preached with you may never rise up in Judgement against you at the great Day, but that the savour of the Knowledge of Christ you have had spread among you, may still in its gracious effects abide upon you, increasing and blessing the Word yet with you, for bringing forth Fruit unto Eternal Life: So Prayeth The hearty Wellwisher of all your Souls, Fra. Crow. THE VANITY AND IMPIETY OF Judicial Astrology. PRetenders to this Astromantick Art, fortify themselves from Gen. 1.14. And let them be for signs and for seasons: As if the Stars were given for Signs, whereby Astrological Diviners might by their Observation be able to know and foretell future Events of things. Luther in loc. Makes them to be signs of Eclipses and great Conjunctions of portentous things, whereby God intimates either his Wrath or Mercy to the World, as by Comets, or some unusual Phoenomena. Though they be for signs and seasons, yet for no Prophets; neither are they infallible, but ordinary signs of the change of Wether, (Mat. 16.2, 3.) and of a fit time to manure the ground, (Gen. 8.22.) The several seasons shall continually return, accordng to the time of the Year, measured by the Sun, Moon, and Stars. Pareus in loc. giveth as good satisfaction as any I meet with, of the meaning of that place, and how the Stars are set for signs and seasons, thus, The Lord hath set them to be Measures for numbering and distinguishing fleeting time into certain parts; that one time may be called present, another past, and another to come: That one time may be called a Year, another a Quarter, a Month, a Day, an Hour. Without this kind of numbering and distinction by Celestial Bodies, we could not understand what Time is: There would be no remembrance in Man of things done, nor deliberation of things to be done, no hope of things to come, and scarcely a thought of things present: But we should be like them who sleep, who neither know that they sleep, nor how long, because they count not the time: Or we should be like Infants who know not their Motion, Life, nor Age. Vid. plura in loc. No Divine so much as Origen, (who followed Plotinus) hath helped them in this their pretended Art, refuted by Basil in an accurate Discourse on Gen. 1.14. And by many other Authors, as Aulus Gellius, Pererius, Picus Mirandula, who wrote twelve Books against them very learned and accurate. Augustine likewise meets often with them in his Writings, especially l. 14. de Civitate Dei, dicit Daemonem invenire Astronomiam. He makes the Devil Master and Author of this Black Art. Vide Ludou. Viu. in loc. And in his 63 Sermon de Tempore, says, The Power of Stars is nothing, that the advancement of humane Affairs should depend upon them: But all things are disposed of by the Will of the great King. And in Psal. 72. says, 'Tis an evil, impious Doctrine, that the Wills of Men are subject to the Stars. And in his 42 Confess. saith, Who fall into the desire of curious Magical Visions, are accounted worthy of being mocked. THE VANITY OF THIS ART. 1. THey know not the Stars; nay, not one of a thousand; far less their Influences; what is the Nature of the Heavens, Order of the Orbs, number of the Stars, variety of their Power and Influence. The greatest Philosophers have professed their Ignorance of these things, even their Prince Aristotle, l. 2. de Coelo. Alas, how far short are the most learned of understanding the present things of Creatures here below, as Stones, Plants, and Animals that are just before us, and lie exposed to our Senses daily: How much less can be known of those excellent Bodies above us, at such a distance; as the Book of Wisdom (in Apocrypha) teacheth us, Ch. 9 v. 16. And hardly do we guests at things that are upon Earth, and with labour do we find things that are before us; but the things that are in Heaven who hath searched out? Nay, out of Canonical Scripture Humane Knowledge of this is denied, Job 38.33. Knowest thou the Ordinances of Heaven? canst thou set the Dominion thereof in the Earth? Even where the Influences of these Heavenly Constellations, is plainly asserted in the two foregoing Verses; yet is our Knowledge hereof clearly denied as to their particular Influences. 2. If some Stars may have so favourable and benign an Influence, so may others, for any thing they know, have as inauspicious an Effect at the same time. 3. There can be no Certainty in their Art, because of the swift Motion of the Heavens, that so suddenly altars the Face thereof, that it is not the same one Moment. And then the wand'ring Stars, that they make most Judgement by, of Humane Fate, are so uncertain, that the same posture, it may be returns not once in a hundred or a thousand Years. 4. You shall see Twins conceived and born together, to be of as different Tempers, Spirits, Parts, and Lot in Life and Death as any: Instance Jacob and Esau. 5. If there be a necessity and fatality upon Men, born under such Stars and Position of the Heavens, proper and peculiar to themselves; then how comes the Death of so many to be the same in time and manner, that are born and bred so different, as in Earthquakes, Fights, and Shipwrecks. 6. Let any Man show why these Heavenly Bodies being Universal Causes, should not have the same effects upon Brute Animals, as well as on Men: and if they fail in the lesser, we may well suspect them in the greater. 7. What is to be said of Jews all the World over? Whatever Climate or Regiment of Heavenly Bodies they are born in, yet have they the same solemn Observation of Sabbath and Circumcision. And so Christians scattered through the whole World, before they heard the Gospel, in all Nations, were obedient to their Country Laws, and Customs; but when Christ was revealed in them, and turned quite to another Mind and Life, was it by some peculiar Star, that prevailed in the sudden Universal change of Faith and Life all the World over? 8. It must needs be vain and uncertain, because it so frequently fails. These things, that they either say rashly or cunningly, which prove true, bear not proportion of one to a hundred, of what they say false; witness Almanacs. Now all Science or Art, is of these things, that either always, or for most part fall out true, according to the Rules thereof: Wherefore Luther on Gen. 1.14. says, Astrology can be no Science, because it hath no Demonstration, but uncertain Conjectures. Wherefore Cicero l. 2. de Divinatione, wonders how any should believe the soothsayers, who foretold generally such Untruths to Pompey, Crassus and Caesar, that they should all die in their Beds in a good Old Age, and in Honour. And Cato said, he wondered how they that deceived the People so, could look on one another without laughing. 9 If they can by their Astrology tell of things that are lost, why could not the Chaldean Astrologers tell the King his Dream that was lost, Daniel 2. 10. If the same Stars (whereby they contend all Humane and Divine things are carried) produce various Effects of Heat and Cold, Mild and Tempestuous Wether, in different Countries at the same time, why not also different Events of things, and business in these Countries. 11. If nothing be done by the Will of Man, and Conduct of Reason, but all things come to pass by the influence of the Stars, then little things as well as great are governed by them. And if they can by their Art do the greatest, why cannot they do the lesser, viz. tell who shall get the Game at Cards or Dice, as well as who shall have the Victory, Caesar or Pompey, Alexander or Darius. 12. If the same Conjunction of the Stars returning, produce the same Effects, why see we not many Socrates, and Plato's brought forth, with the same Spirit, Form, manner of Life, and Death, and all things in the World falling out just as they did, under the same Position of the Heavens sometimes? 13. If there had been any Certainty in Astrological Predictions of Futurities, certainly the greatest Philosophers, and Wisest Men would have embraced and practised it: But the greatest Scholars have still derided it, as Socrates, Cicero, Cato, Aristotle, Plato, Pythagoras, Democritus, and Seneca. We read of their long Journeys to Persia, Chaldea, and Egypt, to learn Wisdom and increase Knowledge. Where they increased their Skill in Mathematics, Policy, and of worshipping their Gods: But for the Divination of Astrology, either they learned none of it, or concealed it from the World, their Writings manifesting nothing thereof. 14. If it had been indeed a true Art, and indeed useful, it had been less ingrateful to Wise States, and the best Governors: For these Chaldean Astrologers were banished Rome, not only in Tiberius and Dioclesian's Time, but in Constantine's, Theodosians, and chief Justinians, not only as Vain, and void of all Truth, but as hurtful and pestilent to Cities and Societies. And to this may be added the utter Aversion and Detestation all serious Christians, and Lovers of Divine Truth have to it. It's to be observed, that Haters of necessary Truths, are most curious about knowing unnecessary forbidden things. Augustine calls Astrologers Veritatis Inimici, Enemies of the Truth, Tom. 4. c. 742. 15. The Vanity and Vileness of this Art, appears by the little Advantage the greatest Practitioners of it reap to themselves; most of them being but poor, despicable, and utterly ignorant of their own Fate, and greatest Concerns, many of them dying dismally, without foreseeing it: As Balaam, that Notorious Soothsayer, could not presage the Evil that befell him in that wicked Expedition to Balak, to curse Israel. Qui sibi nequam cui bonus. 16. If Astrology be an Art or Science, why is it not studied as the Liberal Sciences are? as freely and openly; but it goes into by-places, and hides itself in secret Corners. And Pretenders to it are for the most shy of discoursing the Principles of it with Learned Persons. THE IMPIETY OF Judicial ASTROLOGY. THe Impiety as well as the Vanity of Judicial Astrology, may be made appear many ways: 1. In that it is by many made a Cloak for Witchcraft and Consulting with the Devil: And no doubt some begin with no other Purpose, but useing the supposed Art; but finding it so foolish and unsatisfying, stay not there, but labour to eke out the scantness of their Understanding of the Stars with the Black Art of Hell's help and Divination. And it is often God's righteous Judgement on curious Wits, that set themselves to the Study of things concealed and forbidden, to leave them unto sinful, and yet unsatisfying ways of ending the Tragedy. Augustine in Tom. 5. c. 291. saith, Astrologorum responsa ex malis esse Spiritibus. The Answers Astrologers have, are of the Evil Spirits. 2. It's the Hereditary (and so the more dangerous) Disease of our first Parents, derived to us, to know more than we need, and to slight the needful revealed Points of Knowledge. Deut. 29.29. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things that are revealed belong unto us, and to our Children for ever, that we may do all the things of this Law. Man ●y affecting Wisdom out of God's way, (saith a Learned Person) got 〈◊〉 crack in his Head, which hath continued above 5000 Years; and ever ●ince our own Wisdom and Knowledge hath perverted us. Bernard ●aith, it's better, Apca quam alta sapere. 3. It's an ungrateful derogating from Scripture sufficiency, of imparting all things needful for Man to know; especially having so great 〈◊〉 Prophet as Jesus Christ, sent from the Bosom of his Father with all the Counsels of Heaven; which greatly aggravates the Gild of running into that Extravagancy of curious searching into concealed Trifles; nay, to take the Devil for our Teacher, when the Tabernacle of God is with Men as appeareth clearly from Deut. 18▪ 14, 15. For these Nations harkened to Observers of Times, and unto Diviners▪ but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do: The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet in the midst of thee, of thy Brethren like unto me; unto him ye sha● hearken; which passage being interpreted of Christ, Acts 3.22. From al● which its most clear, that harkening unto these Diviners, is opposed to our harkening unto Christ: And having so excellent a Prophet raised up, excludes all Applications unto ●uch pretended Prophets, that the Heathens were seduced by, and de●oted unto. You shall likewise see, ●sa. 44.25, 26. that the Word of the Lords Servants is put in opposition to the Lying Diviners: That frustrateth the Tokens of the Liars, and maketh Diviners mad,— That confirmeth the word of his Servants. And Sooth-saying in Israel is not only opposed to a walking by the Light of God's Word, but recorded as the Cause of his forsaking of them, Isa. 2.5, 6. O House of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord. Therefore thou hast forsaken thy People, the House of Jacob, because they are soothsayers like the Philistines. 4. It takes Men off from Divine Providence, attributing nothing to God, and all to Fate and Destiny: as if they would ease God of governing the World, and ascribe all to the Government of the Stars. Gual●her in Zeph. 1.5. saith, Observent ●sta qui hodiè Astrologiam judiciariam profitentur; subjecting Events to Stars that belong to the Eternal Providence alone. 5. It taketh off from the Exercise of almost all Religious Duties and Performances: For if the Stars and Constellations put us under a necessity of believing such Events of Good or Evil, Life or Death, will such a Person call on God, and commend his Life to him? or will he praise under prosperous Gales? or impute any thing that falls cross to his sins, that God is hereby calling him to Account in Judgement, Jer. 10.2. Learn not the way of the Heathen, and be not dismayed at the Signs of Heaven, for the Heathen are dismayed at them: Upon which, Calvin saith, this Divination o● Judicial Astrology, extinguisheth all Godliness, in that it brings all Daties of Piety to nothing, as Prayer, Praise and Repentance, etc. 6. It takes away one of the Flowers of God's Crown, viz. to know things to come, even the most contingent, secret uncertainties, which are denied to Man to know, as in Eccl 8.7. For he knoweth not that which shall be, for who can tell him when it shall be? And Ch. 10.14. again, saith the Wise Man. A Man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him who can tell? yea, the knowledge of these secret things to come, is so inherent a Privilege in the Crown of Heaven, that if any of the Heathenish gods can claim it, he is content they be owned for true Deities, Isa. 41.23. Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may keow that ye are Gods. Now Astrologers pretend to know a Man's Thoughts long before he can know them himself, which is proper to God alone, 1 Cor. 2.11. Psal. 139.2. 7. God sets himself against such, and glories in defeating and infatuating their Devices, making the Diviners mad, by making their presumptuous Predictions false, Isa. 44.25.47.13. 8. When the Gospel Converted Astrologers, they penitently and openly disclaimed their Art by burning their Books, Act. 19.19. An excellent Pattern for such unlucky Students, who would burn their Books of Magic, that they might not hurt others; and of their own accord did they bring them and burn them publicly, to testify their sincere Repentance to the World, that they had so dangerously deluded: And though the Books were of great Price, (esteemed to be worth 5000 Crowns) yet the Power of Grace and Truth prevailed over the Love of Money. 9 This Celestial Fate and Power of the Stars either can be hindered, and so is uncertain, or not, and then takes away all in humane Actions, and involves into many absurdities. First, Arguing the Soul of Man to be material and mortal, that is so subject to created Bodies. Secondly, The Will of Man is hereby excused from doing evil by a fatal Necessity the Conjunction of the Planets lays on Men not to be avoided. Thirdly, It makes God the Author of Sin, that sets the Stars in such Positions, and gives them such Influence on men's Actions that hath no Remedy or possible prevention on Man's part: Wherefore Augustine brings in an ginger lying against God thus: That Adultery was not committed by the Mans own Will, but Venus; and Murder not by Man's Will, but by Mars, that angry Planet; and that God did not do Righteousness and Justice, but Jupiter the Planet. 10. And a last may be added from Cicero, that pretended Astrological Predictions for most part are evil, and so their Ignorance is much better than their Knowledge: And Seneca de Astris, says, Whether the Stars cause or signify Events, what profiteth it to see what cannot be evited? Luther of the same, says, It is much better to be always in the Fear of God and Prayer, than to be tortured with the fear of future Events by lying Astrologers. EPILOGUE. AND yet I would not make light of the superior Celestial Bodies of these heavenly Phoenomena, so celebrated in Scripture, and so beneficial to the World; there being so much of God's Power and Wisdom attributed to his great and wonderful work of making the Stars of Heaven. The most profitable Study of the Stars I take to be, 1. A serious consideration of their Magnitude; that so many Stars should be more than an hundred times bigger than all the Earth: What a vast Body must the Heaven be wherein they all are, if one of them so far exceed the whole Earth? yea, What are the Heavens we see, to the Heaven that is unseen, to which these are but a Pavement! 2. Let us consider their multitude, which cannot be numbered more than the Sand of the Seashore; yet God telleth their Number, Psal. 147.4. 3. Their swiftness, that these mighty vast Bodies should be carried every Day so long a Journey, and never tyre or are weary. 4. The exact Order of their Motion; so great, so many, so different Motions, and yet never one to move out of their course: The Stars in their courses or proper Paths or ranks are spoken of in Judg. 5.20. Now these things considered, what can we do less than adore the Divine Wisdom and Power that made them, and with Galen compose Hymns of Praise to the Honour of the Creator! and especially with David wonder at that Divine Goodness and Bounty that made such great and glorious Orbs and Stars for the use of poor little mean Man— for having mentioned the Heavens and Stars, (Psal. 8.) he breaks out with What is Man? O then what greater and more glorious Provisions hath our God made for us above Moon and Stars! Let not the pretended Masters of such an Art any more delude the World or themselves, to think that we disown or deny the Divine Philosophy in Scripture, that asserts the Influence and efficacious Virtue of the Stars, in Job 38.31. The sweet Influences of Pleyades, or the Constellation of the seven Stars; but only we deny Man's knowledge of their particular Influences to be such as that thereby he can predict the future Events of men's Lives and Actions. And we further assert, that to subject unto the Influences of the Stars the things that depend upon Contingencies and the Will of Man, so as to make Predictions from them, is a mere Folly founded upon fond suppositions that have no Being in Nature, but are the Chimerical Fancies of addle-brained Astrologers: For if they cannot tell what Wether it will be every day, by all their Skill, who will believe them in other things. And because the Lord foresaw Men would dote much upon second Causes, and venture to Prognosticate by the Heavens the Fates of Men and the fruitfulness of the Earth, therefore in his wise Providence made he the Earth fruitful in all its glory, before he put the Stars in the Heavens, that we might see that the Earth's fruitfulness depends not so much on second Causes (as many vainly suppose) as on Divine Benediction Gen. 1.12. compared with v. 16. And let me beseech such as these lines belong most unto, to read and consider well that Passage in Isa. 44.24, 25. I am the Lord that stretcheth out the Heavens alone, and that frustrateth the tokens of the Liars, and maketh the Diviners mad: From which observe, First, The Title Jehovah taketh to himself. Secondly, That the Lord seems to take special Delight to befool the Wisdom of such who would resolve future Events by the Conjunction of Planets, as if they could spell the secret Providences of God out of the Book of the Creatures, an end whereunto he never appointed them. Thirdly, That the God of Truth brands these Diviners for Liars. And Lastly, That such as pretend to such a kind of Wisdom, may fear the Almighty may smite them with Madness; which God in his Mercy prevent, by turning them in time to the Wisdom of the Just. FINIS. Advertisement. THE Present State of Europe: Or, the Historical and Political Mercury, giving an Account of all the public and private Occurrences in every Court, to the Month of August, 1690. With Reflections upon every State; to be continued Monthly from the Original published at the HAGUE by the Authority of the States-General. Printed for Randal Tailor near Stationers-Hall. 1690.