A42469:218
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.
We shall now proceed to show▪ what the true ground and reason is of this Prohibition; and why these Signs ought not at all to affright or trouble Gods People, expressed in the Text; which these men were very shy of, loath to take notice of, or once to touch upon. And this had Mr. Swan and his associate easily apprehended, had they ben pleased seriously to have considered, either the first branch of this second Vers, or the sentence next ensuing, which the causal particle prefixed shows to belong unto this, tho in way of transition, as a middle term, coming between the subject matter of Astrology here intimated, and that of Idolatry entered upon in the third vers, it be in distinction of verses fastened unto the latter.
We shall now proceed to shew▪ what the true ground and reason is of this Prohibition; and why these Signs ought not at all to affright or trouble Gods People, expressed in the Text; which these men were very shie of, loath to take notice of, or once to touch upon. And this had Mr. Swan and his associate easily apprehended, had they ben pleased seriously to have considered, either the first branch of this second Vers, or the sentence next ensuing, which the causal particle prefixed shews to belong unto this, tho in way of transition, as a middle term, coming between the subject matter of Astrologie here intimated, and that of Idolatrie entred upon in the third vers, it be in distinction of verses fastned unto the latter.
For the former Branch; Learn not, saith God, the way of the Heathen, where by the way of the Heathen, what can be meant, but such courses as the Heathen held and took, either concerning the Signs of Heaven, which they superstitiously regarded, or concerning their idols, which having framed they adored, and we see the learning of their way, and the dreading of the signs, to be two distinct branches of the present Prohibition, the former whereof these Patrons of Astrology slightly pass over, or slyly pass by, as a needless branch, or a luxuriant sprig, not worthy of regard, but such as might well be spared, and would therefore the more handsomely to conceal it and keep it out of sight, involve and wrap it up in the same sentence with the next: as if the meaning were no more then this, Learn not the way of the Heathen, nor be dismayed; that is, Learn not to be dismayed. It is true indeed, that sometime two Verbs either standing loose, as