Astrologo-mastix, or A discovery of the vanity and iniquity of judiciall astrology, or Divining by the starres the successe, or miscarriage of humane affaires. / By John Geree Master of Arts, and preacher of the word at St. Albanes. Published according to order.

Conclusio Paraenetica.

Having cleered the unlawfulnesse of practising, countenan∣cing, and tolerating Astrologicall predictions; I may now be bold to speak a word of exhortation to all, that they have nothing to doe in any of these particulars.

[Exhort. 1] And first, let all be perswaded to fly the study, to abandon the practise of this Art: you may see the Scripture condem∣ning it, and that as an abomination: Reason witnessing against it, as that which is irrationall, and uncertaine. There's vanity in it, danger by it. Satan is a subtle adversary, an in∣sinuating Serpent, and winds into many in this way, avoyde his snares. Finde you pleasure in it? so may you in many poy∣sons as they goe downe, but their fruit is bitternesse; so will the fruite of Astrology be found, for the wages of sinne is death. Doe yee think it an honour to you? What is it to be applauded of men and disallowed of God? neither will it indeed get you any true honour among men: for Honos est consentiens fa∣ma bonorum. Honour is the agreeing, good report of good men: but the applauders of Astrology, are the most of them, of the worst, and lightest sort of men; the best and gravest sort have disallowed it, yea branded it. Perkins reckons it up amongst the kinds of Witch-craft. Augustine counted it but impious dotage and inconsistent with Christianity: And in this straine the best, and the weightiest judgements run. Doth profit intise any? Remember what ever comes this way it's but the wages of Balaam, the wages of iniquity, money that will perish with you, and be the cankour of your soules. Be perswaded therefore to renounce this evill, spread not a net before the feet of your brethren, to entangle their soules in your vaine speculations, to hinder them from looking to, or making use of Gods hand in their calamities; you want not glorious examples, Perkins, Aug••stine, and those famous be∣leevers,

Acts 19. who confest their sinne instudying such cu∣rious Arts, and burnt their bookes, goe you and doe like∣wise, and save Authority a labour.

[Exhort. 2] Secondly, if Astrologers persist in this condemned Art, let all take heed of countenancing them; lest pertaking of their sin, they partake of their plagues. Remember Timothie's charge, not to partake of other mens sinnes. and that of the Apostle to the Ephesians, to have no fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darkenesse, but rather reprove them, Ephes. 5.11. Shall we coun∣tenance what God abominates, and strengthen men in that, which makes both them, and the Land lyable to wrath? Let them not then have the countenance of thy cost to buy them, of thy time to read them, of thy tongue to mention or applaud them, of thy soule to feare or hope, because of their babling good, or bad: This Jeremy expressely forbids, Jer. 10.2, 3. Perkins wrote a Treatise against it. Devout beleevers, Acts 19. burnt their owne curious bookes, which they had bought, will you buy and keep such as they would burne? we use to say receivers make theeves, and so the Law makes them ac∣cessory to the theft: and so are the buyers of Astrologicall Prognosticks, that buy them for curiosity, or to listen to them. If there were no buyers there could be no sellers: If there were no sellers, there would be no makers, at least no pub∣lishers of these sinfull vanities; therefore if the Astrologer be guilty, the buyer and Reader cannot be innocent: Thou helpest to make this grievous sinne Nationall: who ever thou art that countenancest it, for thou thereby art ac∣cessory to it, and guilty of it; God hath forbidden the using as well as acting these evill Arts, and that under an hideous expression, and under a dismall doome, Lev. 20.6. And the soule that turneth after such as have familiar Spirits, and after Wizards, to goe a whoring after them. I will even set my face a∣gainst that soule, and cut him off from among my people, Lev. 20.6. I conclude this exhortation with that home passage of the Apostle, Rom. 1. ult. wherein he seemes to make approvers, or applauders of sinne in some sense worse then the Actours, who knowing the judgement of God, (that they that doe such

things are worthy of death) not onely doe the same, but have pleasure in those that doe them.

[Exhort. 3] Thirdly, sith Astrologers should not be suffered amongst us. Let me be bold to beseech those that are in authority. First, that their bookes be not suffered to passe the presse: If devout beleevers burnt their owne bookes, sure devout Governours should not suffer bookes of the same kinde to injoy the light, unlesse it be of the fire to consume them. It were then much to be wisht, that Licensers for the Presse, had a charge and care that no bookes of this kind should any more appeare, and that what have of late stollen forth should be recal'd, and runne the same hazard with those mentioned, Acts 19. Sure if those bookes deserve the fire that derogate from man: then doe those much more that withdraw the mindes and hearts of men from God: Yea, it is to be wisht, that our Lawes in this case defective might now be supplyed. And that our Astrologicall Diviners might be put into the Catalogue with other Sorcerers, in the Statute, primo Jacobi cap. 12. to suf∣fer the same penalty for their presumption, which is im∣posed on the other: for the Scripture makes them birds of a feather. This divers of the Christian Emperours are said to have done, and they deserve imitation, when sinne is not onely committed but permitted, the guilt is not onely perso∣nall, but Nationoll. It's punishment of offences, that puts away sinne from Israel, both the guilt of it by expiation, 2 Sam. 21. and the practise of it too, while others heare and feare, and doe no more so wickedly, Deut. 13.5.11. And cer∣tainly connivance at this sinne can neither want danger from God, nor dishonour among men: we are now for Reforma∣tion, and chiefly of Popery. And shall we suffer such Popish Practises? Popish I call them, because under Popery such pra∣ctises had allowance, and countenance. Tindall informes us, that Cardinall Murton had a License from the Pope for a time to study Magick, whereof himselfe was one: And that Car∣dinall Woolsey calked the Kings Nativity, which is (sayes he then) a common practise among Bishops, in all Lands. Tind. practise of Popish Prelates, pag. 367. 368.

And was it not one of the blackest staines of our corrupt times, that that infamous Wizard Doctor Lamb was counte∣nanced, and protected by some? And can we avoid aspersion, if we countenance, or suffer Divining Astrologers, casting a favourable aspect towards us, sith the holy Ghost hath put them in the same Catalogue oftentimes, and so doth Learned Perkins, and he hath many grave abettours: let then our worthy Senatours up and be doing, to remove this blemish, and guilt from us, and deliver us out of the hand of the Lord, and we will rise up and call them blessed.

Notes

• 2 Pet. 2.15.
• 1 Tim 5.22.
• As Constan∣tius. Cod. lib. 9. tit. 18. leg. 5.7.
• Cod. lib. 9. tit 18. leg. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
• Though not onely the Ancient Popes, but their sounder Divines and Historians are against it. See Baron Annals Anno. 556. Sect. 12. Anno. var. 1.9.115, art. 41.
• If any desire to see more Testimonies of Fathers, Councells, &c. let him see Job. Picus Mirand. lib. adv. Astrolo∣gos.