Astrologomania: the madnesse of astrologers. Or An examination of Sir Christopher Heydons booke, intituled A defence of iudiciarie astrologie. Written neere vpon twenty yeares ago, by G.C. And by permission of the author set forth for the vse of such as might happily be misled by the Knights booke. Published by T.V. B. of D.

CAP. II. (Book 2)

That the Conclusions of Astrologers, cannot by naturall Reason be drawne from their Principles.

THat these things may the more clearely ap∣peare, wee will shew, that those men who haue farthest pierced, and with greatest Lear∣ning and Iudgement searched through all the poynts of Naturall Philosophy, haue reiected these vanities, and branded them with the Title of Magicall Super∣stitions and Sorceries: excluding them from all parts of naturall knowledge, and good Learning. But of this in his due place: Heere let vs follow this poynt in hand a little further.

Wee may better vnderstand the meaning of these men, by their owne examples: For in their Disputa∣tions they are neuer willing to come to the point; but they mince the question: and like men oppressed with feares, (which Iudgement followeth the maintainers of an euill cause) they seeme to looke euery way for helpe: and thus forsooth they come warily to the

matter. The starres incline the humour, the humour in∣clineth the body, the body inclineth the minde; through all these inclinations the starres come at last to worke vp∣on the Soule. But the force of the Starres is spent in many inclinations, before it come to the Soule, that they dare not say it worketh directly vpon the minde, no not vpon the body, but onely vpon the humour: for so the Knight saith. This being brought either to a Mathematicall demonstration, or to a probable Sillogisme, would proue a feeble consequence, and yet in disputation they are affraid to proceed any further: here they sticke. But if you looke vpon their examples, wherein they set the glory of their Art, you shall finde another matter: For in the examples of their Predictions, they foretell the deaths of Princes vpon such a day: the fortunes of Kings, the ruines of Kingdomes, the ouerthrow of Armies. Compare their Principles with their Conclusions, and there is matter to wonder at the absurdity, or to laugh at the folly: For, from these Principles, the Starres incline onely the humor, the humor only inclineth the body, the body onely inclineth the minde: this Conclusion will hardly be gotten, that therefore the Starres in∣cline the minde.

But they proceed from these inclinations, to Pre∣dictions of the greatest Euents: which euents, whe∣ther they can be concluded by naturall Reason, let vs consider. And because this Gentleman might happi∣ly deny the examples brought by others, as not pro∣ceeding from naturall causes; therefore to preuent all his exceptions, I will insist onely in those examples which himselfe bringeth, & wherin he glorieth much.

Paulus tertius, warned his Sonne long before of the ve∣ry day of his death. Pag. 81.

Picus, being foretold by three Astrologers, that hee should not liue aboue the age of thirty three yeares, confir∣med the Prediction. Pag. 193.

Gauricus warned Henry 2. French King, not to run at Tilt in the 41. yeare of his Age, for that the Starres did then threaten a wound in his head. Pag. 194.

The Bishop of Vienna, by Astrology, assured Don Frede∣ricke then seruing the Duke of Bourgundy, that he should be King of Naples. Ibid.

The same Bishop of Vienna, did foretell the two ouer∣throwes of Charles Duke of Bourgundy. Ibid.

These examples he rangeth with the forewarnings of Spurinae to Caesar, of Publius Nigidius, and Theagenes concerning Augustus: of Scribonius and Thrasillus tou∣ching Tiberius: of Ptolomy and Seleucus to Otho: of Ascletarian to Domitian. Pag. 193.

Now if this Knight, or any other man of Lear∣ning can shew vs, that these euents were naturall euents of the Stars, or that the Starres were naturall causes of these things, and that by Astrology these things may beeforeseene, as in their naturall causes: then will wee honour Astrologie. But how will they conclude? It will not serue to say, the Starres mo∣ued the humour, the humour moued the Body, the body affecteth the minde; therefore King Henry 2. shall haue a wound in his head in the 41. yeare of his Age. Neither will it serue to say, at his Birth the Lord of the ascendant did behold Saturne the greater misfortune, and Mars the lesse misfortune, with qua∣drat Aspect or Opposition, or the Lord of the eight

House, with a Trine or Sextile Aspect. And the grea∣ter or lesse fortunes, as Iupiter and Venus, were cadent, and not found in their Angles; therefore hee shall die at such a time, such a death: For who will yeeld vnto you, that these be naturall causes of that effect. There is a dependence and coherence betweene the cause and the effect, in naturall things; in this none. Before you can conclude, you must coniure a man to beleeue these superstitious Sorceries, which Satnan hath per∣swaded the Astrologer to beleeue. The naturall man receiueth them not, naturall reason doth not compre∣hend them. For, take any of these examples; if you will, the Example of Henry 2. to insist in one; and tell vs by what meanes the Astrologer could see the wound in the head: what humour did the Starres in∣cline to this? Or, how was it possible by naturall meanes, that in the Starres he should see the 41. yeare of Age? The humour stirred by the Starres might haue carried him to many other courses, to other kindes of death. Wee would know by what naturall Reason, the tilting was foreseene: the yeare, the stroake of the head? And why are you so fearfull, as to mince the matter, as alwayes you doe when you reason of the causes? The Starres are onely as you say causes of humours, not of actions, they haue no force di∣rectly ouer the will: Here is a particular action that proceedeth from the will; if this could bee seene in the Starres, then what reason can be brought why the Starres doe not directly worke in the will? I deny not but that Gauricus might foresee this, and warne the King thereof; but the question is by what knowledge hee did it, whether by naturall knowledge, or by other

means. For here is a particular euent: and you know that one of your Maisters in his Centiloquie hath this position. Fieri nequit, vt qui tantum sciens est, particula∣res rerum form as pronunciet: soli autem numine affla∣ti praedicunt particularia. This testimony of one that was so great a Maister in your Art, telleth vs thus much: That if Gauricus in a particular Euent did make a true Prediction; then hee was not therein tantum sciens. But besides his skill in the Art, he had another helpe, namely the familiarity of some spirit: Because particular euents, saith he, cannot bee foretold but by the help of a spirit.

In the narration of Paulus Tertius, who warned his Son Aloisius of the day of his death, the Knight doth not deale fairely, and Knight-like: For hee minceth the Narration, and leaueth out a part of it, which if it had beene fully declared, would plainly open, that though the Starres are there pretended; yet that pre∣diction was done by Necromancy, or by Familiarity with a Spirit. For Iohn Sleidan (from whom the Knight hath taken that narration) saith plainly, that Paulus 3. was for certainty h•…•…ld not an Astrologer onely, but also a Necromancer. His words are these. Sub hoc tempus Aloisio scribit Paulus tertius pater, vt decima * 1.1 Septembris die sibi caueat: Astra enim ei praenunciare cladem aliquam insignem. Erat enim Paulus 3. Ponti∣fex non Astrologiae modo, sed & Necromantiae, sicut pro certo affirmatur; admodum studiosus. When Astrolo∣gie, and the blacke Art are ioyned together; then may some Predictions bee told: But the Knight should produce examples of Astrological Predictions, with∣out the help of that Art, which we say cānot be done;

because one best knowne in both Arts hath plainly told vs a Prediction of a particular Euent cannot bee made but by the helpe of a Spirit.

Now Sir, if this bee the Art you glory so much in: if the company of vncleane Spirits bee your naturall Principles, and naturall causes; this Philosophy wee intreate you to keepe to your selfe, and not to reach it to others. In the meane time, wee haue the confessi∣on of one, who was a principall man in the Professi∣on of Astrology, whereby, as by a rule of that Art, we iudge of all your former examples, wherein you glo∣ry so much: For they are of all particular euents, and therfore if they were foretold, your Maister hath ope∣ned to vs the means: it was not by naturall, but dia∣bolicall meanes. Thomas Aquinas saith as much. Si * 1.2 quis consideratione Astrorum vtatur adprecognoscendos futuros, casuales, vel fortuitos euentus, aut etiam ad cognoscendum per certitudinem futura opera hominum, procedit hoc ex falsa, & vana opinione, & sic operatio daemones sese immiscet: quare erit diuinatio superstitiosa & illicita? If it were not for these tricks, who could not be an Astrologer? The Knight saith, that they who * 1.3 speake against Astrology, are such as being grauelled with the difficulty of the Art, before they were halfe thorough, to excuse their owne dulnesse, and lacke of industry, haue broken into choller against it. Let wise men iudge, whether without the Church, Eudoxus, * 1.4 Panaetius, Cicero, Varro, Plinie; within the Church, Origen, Austin, Ambrose, Hierom, with the rest of the Fathers: In later times Picus, Caluin, Chambers, Perkins, and for Learning and Piety, the honour of this Age, King Iames. I referre it I say, to the iudge∣ment

of all that are wise and learned; whether all these who haue expressly written against Astrology, were grauelled with the difficulty of this deepe Art: or whether Sir Christopher Heydon bee able to pierce farther into learning, then these could: this wee leaue to iudgement: my meaning is not to detract from the Knights Learning. But I know such, and could name them, sauing that I will not touch the name of any man in that sort, who through a blockish incapa∣city, being iudged by their proofe in the Vniuersity vnapt for all good learning, haue proued men of name and reputation in this sottish profession: Shall I thinke, that these wits can goe farther in the appre∣hension of any part of good Learning, then others? especially then they who I haue named before? Will any man thinke, that these men, whose wits were exer∣cised in all the parts of good Learning, were grauelled with these difficulties, when halfe-witted men goe thorough? No, no, there is another thing in it. For these men proceeding as farre as by the warrant of naturall Reason they could goe; and finding in the end, that by naturall Reason they could not come to the Conclusion of such Predictions; but that they must leaue naturall Reason, & admit vnnaturall Prin∣ciples proceeding from the illusion of Satan, & in the end to haue familiarity with Spirits: This indeed gra∣uelled them; and will grauell the greatest wits in the world, that seeke knowledge by lawfull meanes, and no other.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ioh. Sleidan Commentar. Lib. 19.
• * 1.2

  Secunda Se∣cundae Qu 95. Art 1. Qu. Seq.
• * 1.3

  Obiectio.
• * 1.4

  Solutio.