tçyp Chap. 3 r. An Expofttion upon the 800ke of J o a. Verf.33, counfels and taot righteous difpenfations of God. Secondly,Saith another,it was the unluckyor malignant afpeâ of the Starres when I was borne, which drewyea and necef sta- ted me to take and engage in this wicked courfe. Many have a great itch in this age to confultAfrologers,to find out the petiti- ons or conjunctions ofthe Planers in their nativity,or to confider the influences whether good or bad, promifing or threatniag of thofe Starres under whole ptædorninancetheywere borne, and from thence to receave propheticail concluftons,what their crof. fee, and what their comforts, what their way, andwhat their end in this world fhall probably (fay tome) or certainly (fay others) be. That ancient father in the placebefore cited,having reproved thole in general! whocharge their fins upon God, brings them in making this objection. Poffibly you who fay this, will alto fay, who chargeth his fin uponGod ?He anfwers;Firft,by a direct af- firmation ; Tea ( faith he) fome there are that [peake this openly ; As reverend Mr. Calvin and his followers have been falfely char- ged by the Papifts for making God the Authour of fin by their opinions and affertions about praedefination ; fo others from a prophane tpitit and principle fpeake it out broadly ;'and are not afraid toaffront God himfelfe with thefe blafphemous imputati. ons. But what though tonne be not fo groffe,yet, fecondly,there are too too many, who weave the fame web with a finer thred ; and therefore his fecondanfwer is ; Theywhofay not thù,sehatfay they ? even tide; It was my fate to doe it, theStarres caufed me to doe it ; I could not helpe it, Iwas unavoydably carved to it. ,d thud ( faithhe) by a circuit theyfetch it about, and accufe God as the caste of theirfans, -to whom they will not come direí`ily andcon- fire theirfns, that by Chrifl they may obtaine the pardon ofthence,, andpeacefor their owne pore foules. That worthy ofElder dayes comes up yet doter to them in Pole following paffages; Thou /ayefl thyunluckieflarres have done it ; their ill ofells have encli- sed thy heart tofetchfins;but what are theflarrs ? who made them? did are God?are theynet the .worke ofbid hands? andwho orders them and their motions ? doth not God ? there is not a ffarre moves but by his appointment. The fl'arresare Gods militia ,bishtfl;Theyfirre not, but by the commandement ofGod ;now if godmade the,flarres, and orders the motion oftheflarres, and thou fayeft theflarres have caufed tbee tofirs ; conftder,doefl thou not fay, godmade thee tofin ? wind
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