CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

1. That it hath been the Devils way always to disturb the Church, and endeavour the damnation of many mens souls by making them credulous in these things; That as Christ hath set in his Church Pastors and Teachers to instruct in the way to heaven: So the devil hath raised his Witches, his Sorcerers, his Soothsayers and Astrologers to seduce the world. Of old there were the Heretics Priscillianists, that did bind men to the Stars, and made the body of men to be compounded according to the Signs, yea, into this soul error Aquila that famous Interpreter of the Scripture fell, for which he was cast out of the Church of God; and Cardan rose to that high Impiety, as to observe Christs Birth, and made his power to do the Miracles he did to flow from the influx of those Stars that he was born under. Some have not been so wicked, yet others, as Petrus de Aliaco thought by the Stars there might have been prognosticated the Birth of Christ; And Kepler contends, those Wise men by the Rules of Astrological Art, might have presaged not only an Event of some great ⟨p. 397⟩moment but the Birth of some great Monarch; As if Christ were not born after an extraordinary and miraculous manner; That the Heavens have influence upon the bodies of men may not be denied, Though Pererins argueth against those Coelestes influentias, as I remember; Hence a man possessed with the devil is called [Greek or Hebrew] lunatic, which some say was because the devil took the occasion, that at what time of the Moon humours did most abound, then to disturb him, and no doubt but that the Heavens were made for glorious ends▪ but not to be Books to reveal what shall come to pass.

1. That it hath been the Devils way alwaies to disturb the Church, and endeavour the damnation of many mens souls by making them credulous in these things; That as Christ hath set in his Church Pastors and Teachers to instruct in the way to heaven: So the devil hath raised his Witches, his Sorcerers, his Soothsayers and Astrologers to seduce the world. Of old there were the Heretiques Priscillianists, that did binde men to the Starres, and made the body of men to be compounded according to the Signs, yea, into this soul errour Aquila that famous Interpreter of the Scripture fell, for which he was cast out of the Church of God; and Cardan rose to that high Impiety, as to observe Christs Birth, and made his power to do the Miracles he did to flow from the influx of those Starres that he was born under. Some have not been so wicked, yet others, as Petrus de Aliaco thought by the Stars there might have been prognosticated the Birth of Christ; And Kepler contends, those Wise men by the Rules of Astrological Art, might have presaged not only an Event of some great