2 Concerning the contempt of Gods providence, thus much I say. The Prognosticator, if he be asked whether he confess the providence of God, he will with all his hart confess it: but by his deeds he doth deny it, for all the things whatsoever, which can happen in a whole year, he attributeth them to the stars, & so he publisheth his Predictions, always mentioning stars, never, or very slenderly, making any signification of the power, & justice, mercy, and everlasting wisdom of God. And surely, even for the very paring of thy nails, for the cutting of thy hair, for the putting on of thy shoes, for taking a journey two or three miles from thine house, for obtaining at Gods hands thy request, for making thy bargain with thy neighbour, for all thine actions be they never so small: these wise men (if thou wilt ask their advise) will give thee counsel from the stars. Now when these their irreligious predictions shall be had in thy bosom, ⟨image 16⟩and red of thee daily, thou being a man unlearned & worldly given, never hearing any mention of the special providence, & hand of God in every thing, but long discourses of the virtues of Planets, & signs, doest never think upon the wonderful and most infinite power of God, working after a special manner in every matter, but art drawn straightways into an admiration of the Astrologer, and a great fear of the constellations of heaven. An experience of this I found in thee, about two years ago. A learned man (yet in this case far deceived) wrote an Astrological discourse of the conjunction between Jupiter & Saturn, wherein he showed of great alteration in every thing to fall. At this thou wast sore aghast, thy mind was encumbered with •ettling thy goods to set them in order against that day: thy song for half a year was nothing else, but, the conjunction the conjunction: the day being come, what staring was there and gazing into heaven, to see the meeting of those 2. Planets: Now all this while, where was Gods providence? where ⟨image 17⟩was that trust and rejoicing in him? where was that praising of his name for all things whatsoever should come to pass? where was that meditation of his infinite, & unsearchable wisdom? these things were never thought nor hard of, and if they were hard of, yet by reason of thine earthly affections, they took no place in thine hart.
2 COncerning the contēpt of Gods prouidence, thus much I say. The Prognosticatour, if hee be asked whether he confesse the prouidence of God, he will with all his hart confesse it: but by his deedes he doth deny it, for all the thinges whatsoeuer, which can happen in a whole yeare, he attributeth them to the starres, & so he publisheth his Predictions, alwayes mentionyng starres, neuer, or very slēderly, making any significatiō of the power, & iustice, mercy, and euerlastyng wisedome of God. And surely, euen for the very paring of thy nailes, for the cuttyng of thy hayre, for the puttyng on of thy shoes, for taking a iourney two or three miles frō thine house, for obtayning at Gods handes thy request, for makyng thy bargaine with thy neighbour, for all thine actions bee they neuer so small: these wise men (if thou wilt aske their aduise) will giue thee counsell from the stars. Now whē these their irreligious predictions shalbe had in thy bosome, ⟨image 16⟩and red of thee dayly, thou being a man vnlearned & worldly giuen, neuer hearyng any mention of the speciall prouidence, & hand of God in euery thyng, but long discourses of the vertues of Planets, & signes, doest neuer thincke vpon the wonderfull and most infinite power of God, working after a speciall maner in euery matter, but art drawne straightwayes into an admiratiō of the Astrologer, and a great feare of the constellations of heauen. An experience of this I found in thee, about two yeares ago. A learned man (yet in this case far deceiued) wrote an Astrologicall discourse of the cōiunctiō betwene Iupiter & Saturne, wherein he shewed of great alteratiō in euery thing to fall. At this thou wast sore agast, thy mind was incōbred with •ettling thy goodes to set thē in order against that day: thy sōg for halfe a yeare was nothing els, but, the cōiunction the cōiunction: the day being come, what staryng was there and gazing into heauen, to see the meetyng of those 2. Planets: Now all this while, where was Gods prouidence? where ⟨image 17⟩was that trust and reioysing in him? where was that praysing of his name for all thinges whatsoeuer should come to passe? where was that meditation of his infinite, & vnsearcheable wisdome? these thinges were neuer thought nor hard of, and if they were hard of, yet by reason of thine earthly affections, they tooke no place in thine hart.
