A42469:167
Thomas Gataker B.D. his vindication of the annotations by him published upon these words,…
Thomas Gataker B.D. his vindication of the annotations by him published upon these words, Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the heathen are dismayed at them, Jer. 10. 2 against the scurrilous aspersions of that grand impostor Mr. William Lillie : as also against the various expositions of two of his advocates, Mr. John Swan, and another by him cited, but not named : together with the annotations themselves : wherein the pretended grounds of judiciary astrology, and the Scripture-proofs produced for it are discussed and refuted.Thomas Gataker B.D. his vindication of the annotations by him published upon these words, Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signes of heaven, for the heathen are dismayed at them, Jer. 10. 2 against the scurrilous aspersions of that grand imposter Mr. William Lillie : as also against the various expositions of two of his advocates, Mr. John Swan, and another by him cited, but not named : together with the annotations themselvs : wherein the pretended grounds of judiciary astrologie, and the Scripture-proofes produced for it are discussed and refuted.
London: printed by J.L. for Richard Thrayle, 1653
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Mean while he hath sufficiently discovered the vanity and looseness of their grounds and principles, and evidently showed, how deep he hath dived into these their so much vaunted of, and highly esteemed Mysteries. Or was John Kepler, the Emperor Rodolph's Mathematician, such a silly fellow, and of so shallow a capacity,1 that he could not reach their Mysteries? who charges them as ignorant and unskilful for the most part in regard of any exactness in the genuine part of Astronomy, lays open at large the deepest of their Mysteries, discovers their errors and mistakes in their own principles, that which Salmasius also oft doth; yea writes as bitterly and tartly against them, as any other whosoever, as hereafter shall be showed: and freely professeth, that being urged and importuned to write somewhat in that way,2 his mind inured to Geometrical Demonstrations, considering the unsoundness and quagginess of their grounds, it fared with it as with a restive jade, or head-strong horse, that coming to a slow, hangs back, and cannot by any beating or rating of his rider, be brought, to set foot into it. But to come home to our selves; and here to pass by all other;3 nor to recall the Lord Verulame, whom some learned have conceived to be one specially raised up to help to bring Arts and Sciences on in this latter age towards their perfection: and ⟨p. 86⟩what his judgment was of these fopperies and fooleries, ye heard before. That Noble Lord Henry Howard, after Earl of Northampton, was he also a mere Wiseacre, as well as all our Priests are? He treading in the same steps which that renowned Italian Count before him had, tho undertaking a larger subject, in his Defensative against the Poison of supposed Prophecies, grounded either upon the Warrant and Authority, of old painted Books, (one of Mr. Lilies engines, or gins) Expositions of Dreams, Oracles, Revelations, Invocation of damned spirits, Judicials of Astrology, or any pretended knowledge de futuris contingentibus, that have ben the causes of great disorder, and chiefly among the simple and unlearned people, &c.
Mean while he hath sufficiently discovered the vanity and loosnesse of their grounds and principles, and evidently shewed, how deep he hath dived into these their so much vaunted of, and highly esteemed Mysteries. Or was John Kepler, the Emperor Rodolphs Mathematician, such a selie felow, and of so shalow a capacitie,