The astrologer anatomiz'd, or, The vanity of star-gazing art discovered by Benedictus Pererius ; and rendered into English by Percy Enderbie, Gent.

The exquisite Argumentation of Bardesanes against Astrologers.The Fourth Reason.

BArdesanes a Syrian, exquisitely skilful in Ce∣lestial Doctrine, in a Dialogue (which by the

intreaty of some friends) he writ against the Chal∣deans concerning Fate, demonstrates the observa∣tions of the Astrologers to be vain and childish and their predictions to be full of leasings and fal∣sities; Euseb. in his sixth Book of Evang. Prep. Ch. 9. writes his words thus: Amongst the Seres was a law, which prohibited to commit murder, fornica∣tion, or to adore Idols; from whence it was effected, that in all that Region there was no prophane Temple to be seen, no woman laciviously addicted, or whorish, no adultress, thief or homicide; neither had that scorching Star of Mars (though in its full vigour or placed in the midst of Heaven) power to enforce the will of any man to perpetrate a murder; neither had wanton Venus, though never so conjoyned with Mars▪ power to induce any man to attempt his neighbours bed, or violate his consorts chastity; and yet did Mars every day by necessity of his course come through the middle of that Heaven; neither is it to be questi∣oned, but that children were born, every hour in that so large a region or territory. Amongst the Indi∣ans and Bactrians are many thousands of men called Brachmanes, who as well by tradition os their Fore∣thers as their laws and constitutions, avoid the ado∣ration of Idols, eat not any thing animate; neither drink they or ingurgitate wine or other strong liquors, men free from all malignant indispositions, imploy∣ing their whole time in the Service and Honour of the most High and Great God. There are other Indians

in the same Region who contaminate themselves with the adoration of false Gods, with adulteries; mur∣ders, and drunkenness; nay, there is yet another sort of Indians, inhabiting in the same Climate, who assassinate men as they are at their sports of hunting or offering sacrifice, and devour and feed upon them; neither can any of those Stars, which they esteem benign or propitious, deterr or hinder those people from such like villanies; nor yet the malignant enforce or compel the Brachmanes to act such black and hideous crimes. Amongst the Persi∣ans there was a law, whereby it was enacted, that men might contract matrimony and cohibit with their Daughters, Sisters, or Mother; and this Edict those people observed not onely in their own Countrey, but in what Climate soever they inhabited, or Regions co∣lonized, which they polluted with incestuous Nupti∣als and horrid Marriages; which other Nations loathing and abhorring, branded them with the no∣menclation of Magussees; and even at this day in the very heart and centre of Egypt, Phrygia, and Galatia, are many of those Magussees, who by a long continued practice from former ages, commaculate and defile themselves with such obscene and detestable villanies; and yet we cannot in positive terms affirm, that those bruits rather then rational creatures were generated and produced under the house of Saturn, Mars being an assisting spectator.

The Amazons lived without Husbands, onely in Spring time,

they conglomerated and passed the bands and li∣mits of their native soil, made bold with their neighbours Husbands, and such other lusty sparks, as seemed to be active in propagation; and as they all enjoyed the company of men and convenied, so by necessary consequence they must be delivered and brought to bed, at or much about the same time and instant. The males they unnaturally murdered and destroyed, reserving the females, whom they trained up in Martial Discipline, and they proved for the most part undaunted Virago's, and the true Daughters of Belona; yet it were ridiculous to opinionate, that all these masculine females were born under the same natalitial Stars. This veri∣ty is yet made more manifest by the example of the Jews, who wheresoever they have their be∣ings, in what Region or Kingdome, under what King, Prince, or Emperour, or in what Climate soever they are born, by an invio∣lable observation, upon the eighth day they circumcise their Infants, keep their Sab∣bath high and holy, reverence and honour the Feast, yet all Jews are not born under the same constellation; neither can these pretended in∣fluences or vertues of the Celestial Bodies draw them from the Rites and Customs of their Pro∣genitors: much more may it be said of Christi∣ans, who dispersed over the whole superficies of

the Christian world, observe the same tenour of doctrine and form of life; yet neither by force, fair words, large promises, glorious pre∣tences, nor thundering minaces, torments al∣most insupportable, Tortures, Racks, and other strange and unheard of punishments, can or could be seduced or drawn one hairs breadth (as the saying is) from those principles which Christ our Lord and Saviour left unto them; are or were all those Christians born under the same Planet? These happy souls before the re∣ceiving of Christian Faith, followed with an ardent Superstition the Laws and Precepts of their Ancestors, but after the sacred Lavacre of sin-remitting Baptism, they forsook all those soul destroying Ceremonies, invested their bet∣ter parts with a pure faith, cloathed themselves with the new man, and followed a perfect rule of living, leading upon earth a life Angelical: upon that score, the baptized Parthians wedded not many wives; the Medes cast not their dead bodies to the dogs; the Indians committed not the corpses of their deceased to the con∣suming flames of fire. The Persians contract not matrimony with their sisters, daughters or mothers; the Egyptians abhor the worship of their Apis, Goat, Dog, or Cat; but whereso∣ever they inhabit, observe the same form of life and doctrine. What needs more to be said, each

hour men are born in all Nations, and we see, that through free-will and power in man, those Laws and Customs are punctually kept and ob∣served; neither can these all-powerful Stars (as Astrologers dream) compel and force the Seres to Homicide; the Brachmanes to eat flesh; neither can they hinder the Persians from their incestuous copulations; the Medes from giving to their dogs their friends dead carkas∣ses; nor the Parthians from wedding many wives; all nations when they will and how they will use the fredom of their Liberty, obedi∣ent to their Laws and Customs.

Thus much out of Bardesanes against the vanity of Astro∣logers.