The history of the Chaldaick philosophy by Thomas Stanley.

CHAP. III.

Sects of the Chaldaeans distinguished according to their several Habitations.

AS all Professors of Learning amongst the Chaldaeans, were di∣stinguished from the rest of the People by the common Deno∣mination of the Country, Chaldaeans; so were they distinguish'd amongst themselves into Sects, denominated from the several parts of the Country, wherin they were seated: whereofa 1.1 Pliny and b 1.2 Strabo mention Hipparenes from Hipparenum, a City in Mesopo∣tamia; Babylonians, from Babylon; Orchenes, (c 1.3 a third Chaldaick Doctrine) from Orchoë a City of Chaldaea; and Borsippenes, from Borsippe, another City of Babylonia dedicated to Apollo and Diana.

And thoughd 1.4 Diodorus prefer the Chaldaeans before the Graecians, for their perseverance in the same Doctrines without Innovations; yet we must not infer thence, that there was an universal consent of Doctrine amongst them; but only, that each of them was constant in belief, and maintenance of his own Sect, without introducing any new Opinion. For, that amongst these Sects there was no ab∣solute agreement, is manifest from Strabo, who adds thate 1.5 they did, (as in different Sects) assert contrary Doctrines;f 1.6 some of them calcu∣lated Nativities, others disapproved it; Whenceg 1.7 Lucretius,

The Babylonick Doctrine doth oppose The Chaldee, and Astrology ore'throws.

Notes

• a 1.1

  lib. 6. c. 26.
• b 1.2

  lib. 16. p. 739.
• c 1.3

  lib.
• d 1.4

  supra ci∣tat.
• e 1.5

  loc. cit.
• f 1.6

  loc. cit.
• g 1.7

  lib.