tt.eßions,andCafes cif Chap. aji eft thy Baptifmal Vow if thou renouticeflnot fuch Diabolical pra&ices. Shall wecountenance what God abominates, and flrengthen men in that which makes both them, and the land liable to wrath ? Lec them nothave the counte- nance ofthy colt to buy them, not of thy time to reade them, nor ofthy tongue to mention orapplaud them, nor ofthy affe&ions tofear, hope, or rejoyce in any thing they fay. Forbidden, jer. o. 2, 3. If there werenobuyers of fuch Almanecks, there would beno Sellers, and ifrhere wereno Sellers,there would be noMakers, at leaft no Publifhersof fuch lying vanities ; and truly if theA- flrologer be guilty, the Buyer and Reader cannotbe innocent. God hath for- bidden feekingto fuch under a grievous penalty, Lev. 20. 6. _ Iwilleven fit myfoce againfl thatfoul, andwill cut him of from amongfl my people. In- deed, learned men have obférved that fuch delufions have prevailed amongft Popifh and Anabaptiflical fpi;its. But that England fhould countenance fuch ! and in a time of Reformation Oh let us blufh for hhame, &c. How often (faid Tally) didI hear fuchmen promifePompey and Cafar, that they fhould live long, and die a peaceable death, whereas both of them not Ion, af- ter were murdered. And Cornelius ì Lapide the Jefuite, in his Comment on All 19. bewaileth that whileft he was at Rome, they were fo muchgiven to this wickednefíe, whileft the Aftrologers promifed to fume long life, to others a Cardinalthip, to others the Popeciome, and yet at Taft all weremiferably de- luded: Thirdly, if Aftrologers fhould not be tolerated, then they which are in autho- rity are to be entreated, Firft, that their books .be not fuffered fo ordinarily ro paffe the Prcfhe : O howdoth theworlddote upon them ; I havebeen credibly informed that near thirty thoufand of Lilies Almanaclu have been vendedin a year : Ifdevout men burnt their own Books of this kinde, how fhould devout Governours fee to theburning of fach'Books ? Sure if thofe Booksdeferve the fire which derogate from the honour of Princes, how much more fuch as with- draw the mindesand hearts cf men fromGod. It were well,ifAflrologerswere put into the force Catalogue with other Sorcerers in the Statute of the firft of King James, chap. 20. and to fuller the fame punifhment with the other: For the Scripture makes thembirds of aFeather, &c. Sec asbe- fore. Queft. But may we not ufe Charmes, wherein there are none but good words ? .Anfw. No ; Its the ufual craft ofSatan to prefent things, andwayes in them- felves indifferent to filly mindes, which confider nor, that the harme Both not confilt in ufing fuch wordsoraiions, but in afcribing to them an unnatural vertue without thewarrant of God, who is theMailer of nature. Quell. Is it not lawful to enquire of Aflrologers after things to Come? Anfw. Certainly, fince God bathhidden the future time from us, to go a- bout to lay it open, is a work proper to the profeft Undoer of Gods Works. Cliteft. VVhy may we not enquire after future times ? Anfw. Curiofity toknow the future, carrieth many fo far as tomake a Cove- nant with the devil, who yet Rands not fo muchupon his points, as to refute ro be confulted with, by thofe that have made no covenant with him : No doubt but his pride is tickledwith a mifchievousdelight, when he fees men reek- ing to him for thatwhich is proper toGod: and thereby yielding him divine fervice. Which fervice that he may receive inan hidden way from the finer fort of wits, he hath devifed force teemingfublime divinations, perfwading Them that thedecree of Godabout humane eventsis written is the motions,and of eRs
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