A treatise against iudicial astrologie Dedicated to the right Honorable Sir Thomas Egerton Knight, Lord Keeper of the great Seale, and one of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell. VVritten by Iohn Chamber, one of the prebendaries of her Maiesties free Chappell of VVindsor, and fellow of Eaton College.

CHAP. I.

A iust complaint against the long toleration of Astrologicall superstition, of their titles how they be called, and of their profession, what it promiseth.

ALthough I looke for no great ef∣fect or reformatiō of that which I intend to say against Astrolo∣gers: yet I hope I may freely vse that ancient and accustomed li∣bertie of all ages, to talke and say my mind against them. For doe what I can, that of Tacitus will be still true, pronoun∣cing them to be a profession alwaies condemned, and misliked, yet still retained and vsed. Notwithstanding to speake for our selues, & for the present time, it may seeme strange, that in so long professiō of the Gospel, so grosse & heathenish a superstition shuld go so cur∣rant. I may well call it heathenish, me think, since the Church in all ages, with Emperours, Doctors, Fa∣thers, & Councels, haue euer condemned it. Witch∣craft, because it toucheth our hogges, & cattell some∣time: findeth now & then some hard entertainment, as it well deserueth. But this damnable superstition, which dishonoreth God, polluteth heauen, deceiueth

and seduceth men, goeth without touch or check; the Astrologer scaping, while the Witch is punished, may not that well be said?

Dat veniam coruis, vexat censura columbas.

Might not this egernesse, and vehemency, which we haue vsed among our selues about caps and copes, haue bene much better bestowed vpon this so pro∣phane an abuse? While we straine a gnat, we swallow a camel: & while we build our owne conceits & toyes in the ayre, we leaue the house of God vnbuilt. What should be thought, that so many honorable and graue assemblies of parliament, and so many reuerend con∣uocations in so long time should not once goe about the redresse of an abuse so grosse and palpable, that e∣uen the offenders themselues are readiest to condemn themselues. In so much that some of them of late haue set out certaine reformed Almanacks, wherein they haue not medled at all with winde, weather, dismall dayes, purges and such like: but only with changes of the Moone, Eclipses, Festiuall daies, both mouable, & vnmouable, and such like. When themselues are asha∣med of themselues, what reason haue others to for∣beare them? No doubt, as the great impostors of the world, so oft as they meet, they are ready to laugh one of another. These mē are called by the names of astro∣logers, prognosticators, almanack-makers, figure-flin∣gers, wise men, wisards, and such like. And in Latine Chaldaei, Astrologi, Mathematici, Magi, Planetarij, Gene∣thliaci, Babylonij, Diuini, Fatidici. In greeke also they are termed & known by the name of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: and in derision, of some they are called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Of S. Hierome they are some∣time

called Augures, and by a decree of Pope Gre∣gory the yonger, Astrologers are anathematized vnder the name of Aruspex. And S. August. in a book de na∣tura daemonū, sheweth that they which obserue daies & houres in their busines, are signified by the name Aruspex. So in the olde time they were not called by the name of Astronomers, Mathematiques, or A∣strologers: but for their iudging by the planets, they were called Planetarij: for casting natiuities, Gene∣thliaci: and of the countrie that sent them out abroad by swarmes, they were termed Chaldaei. The quid no∣minis of this art is as here is said, for the farther defini∣tiō or quid rei, see Sextus ab Heminga, who bringeth three diuers definitions of three diuers authors for the diuision of it. Whereas commonly it is diuided into foure parts, he diuideth it into two partes only, of pur∣pose reiecting the other two, as derided by the astro∣logers themselues. For the subiect of Astrology, he deuideth it into two parts, actiue & passiue, making heauen the actiue part, and earth the passiue. Where also he relateth a proper conceit of Cardan, that hea∣uen is like the earth, & the stars like moūtaines, and stones vpon the earth. The actiue subiect of heauen he also deuideth into foure parts. pag. 10. To discourse seuerally of those points wold but spend time: & there∣fore I thought best only to point to them. These men being altogether ignorant of all good learning, not only in the stars, which they professe, beare vs in hand that all our actions and enterprises depend vpon cer∣taine constellations, and aspects of stars, and reuo∣lutions, extending this their skill to natiuities, que∣stions, elections, intentions, thoughts, and the

foretelling of things to come: intermedling and busy∣ing themselues euen in the secrets of Gods proui∣dence. In which they do not onely most lewdly and impiously make many to giue ouer al care of their life and actions, as being forced by the stars, which they cānot resist, but also most blasphemously impeach the diuine prouidence. For if all our actions depend of the stars, then may God haue an euerlasting playing day, and let the world wag.