A treatise of the passions and faculties of the soul of man With the…A treatise of the passions and faculties of the soule of man With the…

It is not to be denied, but that the Heavens¹ having strong and powerful Operations on all Sublunary Corporal Substances may in altering the humours of the Body, have by the mediation thereof, some kind of Influence (if it may be so called, upon the manners; but to ascribe unto them any Dominion, is as much repugnant to Philosophy, as it is to Piety. For by Binding, the Actions of mans Will to such a Law of Destiny, and making them inevitably to depend upon Planets, Houses, Constellations, Conjunctions, &c. We do not only impiously take away the Guilt of Sin, in that we make all mens ⟨p. 544⟩Lapses to be wrought without free Principle in himself (and so derogate from the Justice of God, in punishing that, whereunto we were by other of his Creatures unavoidably determined) nor only rob God of his Mercy, in Ascribing those virtuous dispositions of the Mind (which are his immediate Breathings into man) unto the Happy Aspect of the Heavens) but withal we deny to the Soul both Natural Motion and Spirituality. Natural Motion first; since that always flows from an Inward Principle, that is Essential to the Mover (which in the Will must needs be free and voluntary) and not from violence or impression made by some Extrinsical Worker. And then Spirituality likewise; since the Heavens, being Corporal Agents, can therefore extend the Dominion of their Influence no farther than over Bodily Substances.²

It is not to be denyed, but that the Heavens¹ having strong and powerfull Operations on all Sublunary Corporall Substances may in altering the humours of the Body, have by the mediation thereof, some kind of Influence (if it may bee so called, upon the manners; but to ascribe unto them any Dominion, is as much repugnant to Philosophy, as it is to Piety. For by Binding, the Actions of mans Will to such a Law of Destiny, and making them inevitably to depend upon Planets, Houses, Constellations, Conjunctions, &c. Wee doe not onely impiously take away the Guilt of Sinne, in that we make all mens ⟨p. 544⟩Lapses to be wrought without free Principle in himselfe (and so drogate from the Iustice of God, in punishing that, whereunto wee were by other of his Creatures unavoydably determined) nor onely rob God of his Mercy, in Ascribing those vertuous dispositions of the Mind (which are his immediate Breathings into man) unto the Happy Aspect of the Heavens) but withall wee deny to the Soule both Naturall Motion and Spirituality. Naturall Motion first; since that alwaies flowes from an Inward Principle, that is Essentiall to the Mover (which in the Will must needs be free and voluntary) and not from violence or impression made by some Extrinsicall Worker. And then Spirituality likewise; since the Heavens, being Corporall Agents, can therefore extend the Dominion of their Influence no farther than over Bodily Substances.