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

By how many wayes the Devil by himself can fore∣tell or teach others to do the like in future things.

THe Devil first perswades man and buzzeth in his ear, that he will teach him how to fore∣tell future contingents and accidents, either by presenting himself unto him in a visible form and shape, making large promises; or else articula∣ting and frame voices in the air, fore-shewing succeeding events without the assumption of any aerial body; or by dropping down some scroll or character which shall contain such like divinations; otherwhiles by dreams when we sleep, at other times to men perfectly awake, by working upon their fancy, by poisoning and pos∣sessing

it with strange chymericall imaginations, thereby to move the phantasie to apprehend strange phantasmaes, whilst by this deceit he moulds the party into an apt and fit disposition, to predict and prophesie that which the phantas∣ma represented unto him: The devil may know some future things (which he imparteth) by di∣vine revelation, disclosed unto him by a good Angel; for sometimes Almighty God to bring things to their allotted end useth the ministery of the devil: Other times the same Chapman will discover to man that which he himself is resolved to put in execution, and by reason of the incom∣parable celerity of his motion, he informs his friends in a trice and moment of the transacti∣ons of the most remote Regions in the world: yet more, this cunning enemy of our hop't for felicity, from cabinet councells, private confe∣rences, letters writ in never so concealed and un∣known cyphers and characters, from private marks which are either interiorly inherent, or ex∣teriorly in mans body: By a too too vigilant and sollicitous investigation will shrewdly guesse at and discover mans occult and hidden cogita∣tions and inclinings, and those discover to his best beloved favourites: Another way he goes to work, which is by the causes which necessarily must concurr to produce such an effect: and lastly, by reason of the extream subtlety and di∣ligence

of his understanding, his long experience of so many thousand years, his great and exact knowledge in all naturall things, he must needs have a strong advantage to search out and mani∣fest future events.

The very thing of which we have now dis∣coursed is by St. Augustine in his book upon Gen. chap. 7. most exactly and candily demonstrated, and therefore I judge it not amisse to set down his words: Concerning fates and subtil quirks of the stars, and documental experiments drawn as it were from the art of demonstrating, or Mathesis her self, which they call Apotelesmes, we utterly reject as being incoherent and opposite to Catholick and Christi∣an Faith; for by such like disputations the force and necessity of prayer is taken away: Sin (which ought to be corrected) bolster'd up, the fault is ra∣ther laid upon God the authour and creatour of the Stars, then upon sinful mans wickedness; and there∣fore we must confess and say that when any truth or veracities are predicted, it is done by an occult and inperceptible Instinct, which our weak capacities unwittingly entertain; which since it is done to de∣ceive and seduce poor man into errour, questionless it is no other then the work and operation of seducing spi∣rits, unto whom it is permitted to know some certain truth concerning temporal affairs; partly by reason of the strong acumen of their most subtle intellect; and partly by reason of their long and cunning expe∣rience,

proceeding from the vaste longitude and time of their being and continuance; and lastly, revela∣tion from the holy Angels, being appointed so to do by their Almighty Creator, who distributes and dispo∣seth humane merits, according to the sincerity of his most secret and hidden justice; and sometimes those wicked spirits 'predict some things which they them∣selves are resolved to bring to pass by the way of pro∣phesie or divination; and good Christians ought to avoid and flye this sort of Mathematicians or any other whosoever professing to tell Fortunes, (although sometimes they tell the truth) lest they entangle and ensuare their deceived souls by some clandestine and implicite contract with this grand enemy the devill. Thus St. Augustine.