Chap; i 5. about <9flrologÿ,andSeekers to 1 f> ologers. godly men have renounced and repented of their ftudy of Aftrology : there- fore: The Minor is thus proved. St. Aeoufiine, the gloryof his age for piety, learning, and folid judgement, confeflès,Chat he had been addicted to thefe vain Iludies : Betby thegraceof God he afterward renounced them as an art con- , úemned by true piety , afbrtnin that it was a great errour, a great madnefs, and a fut ittoí that might eafily be refelled : He aifo mentions another on Pfa. G;. that repented of, and renounced this wicked Art , as beingas bad as Pa- judaifine. Aug.de Doel. Chrifi. l.z. c. zI. So faith holy Maher I Iona f udied this Art, and was never quiet till Ihadfan all thefecrets of it : Bat al-length it pleafid God to lay before me theprophancffeof it , nay , I dare boldly fay , Idola:ry, although it b. coveredwith fair and golden 'hews : therefore that which Ifpeakwithgrief, tdelire thee to note with fome ateenrion. Mr. Briggs alto , fometiines geometry Reader at Oxford : a maneminent for piety , and his skill in the c 21tathematicks , upon a quefiion moved to him by my Authour, touching judicial Aftrology, told him, that when he went firti to Cambridge, he thought it brave thing to be of Gods counfel, to forfee, and foretel fecrets , refolving CO attain to that skill whatever labour it colt liim : fo accordingly after a while be fell upon the Rudy of the Mathematicks, laying a good foundationby going through Arithmetick, Geometry, and Agrono- my, not refting till he had attained exa6Inefs therein : Then he fell upon ja- d;dial Afirology : But there hefound hisexpediation wholly frufirate , for there was no certainty in the Rules of it : Having therefore tired bothbody and wits in vain , he at laft repaired to a man in Cambridge, famous in that Art , and a meeker cfPrognojiications,to whom he bemoaned himfelf, for that hehad beftow- ed fo much pains tobe an expert 'Afrologir,but the uncertainty of its Rules did nowdeceive hishopes : whereto the eí4firologer replyed,that the rules ofthat ní4rt were uncertain indeed, neither was there any care for it. Whereupon Mr. /trims left that fludy. Yea, he affirmed that he would undertake to the skilfuliett Aliroloyer in the world , that let him fet down any conclufion touching either manor State , yea, or weather, and he would prove that it would fall out fo, and that it would not fall out fo from their own Rules and Principles: He faid alfo that his opinion Was ;' that they that addieted them- felves to the praFl:fe of Divining Afhrelogy , the Devil did at firft lend his fecret ofgance, andat length byd'grees, ifGodprevented nor, entire them into a contra(i. Que. But who may be fail to pron..ife this unlawful Art ? Anfivc Firft, all Inch.- as calculate mensnativities , and thereby divine what their condition (hall be , whether good or bad filch alfo as by the liars take upon them to foretel the fucceffe of particular enterprifes: fuch alto as `erea figures to find ont things loft: And fuch e.;"4lmanack-makers as take up- on them ro foretel flame contingents , as what weather it will be every day, &ca Queft. Who be thecountenancers ofthis unlawful Art ? e 4nfro. Firfi, fuch as go to them to have their Nativities calcula- ted , to know their Fortunes, as they call it : or that feek to them for things loft , &c. Secondly , fuch as buy or read their books, unleflè k be with a pur- pnfe to confute them. This is to go a whoring after them , forbidden , Lev. zo. 6. Thirdly, fuch as believe their predi6iions, and are affeaed with joy, or forrow as theyprognoflicate boodor bad. Fourth ly, fuchas talkoftheirprediaions as things that have fomething in them, and that they 'are not tobe contemned. Fifthly, by applauding -their predittions, and applying them to other events: (weft. I.
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