A42469:219
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.
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 Psal. 51.2. and 106.13. Hosh. 9 9. or knit together with a copulative, as Gen. 26.18. Dan. 9.21 may be combined into one sentence; that which by many instances I show both in some part of my Cinnus, and in divers places of mine Annotations among those fruitless Criticisms, that Mr. Lily finds there. But that will not hold here for two causes. 1. It is not an Injunction, but an Inhibition. Its one thing to say, Learn, not to fear: another thing to say, Learn not, to fear ▪ the former is an injunction; and the negative particle therefore adheres not to the imperative precedent, but to the infinitive subsequent, the latter is an inhibition, and the negative therefore must be joined to the imperative; which being here done would produce a strange sense, inhibiting, not simply to be afraid, but to learn to be afraid; Do not learn to be afraid. But 2. the two Verbs here have two several subjects that they pass unto. the Heathens way is the subject not to be learned; the Signs of Heaven are the Subject not to be dreaded. and if any shall ask what is meant by the way of the Heathen, the other branch in the frontispiece of the 3 vers will tell us; to wit, that this [Greek or Hebrew] or way, is [Greek or Hebrew] the rules, the lessons, the dictates, the documents, the precepts, the prescripts (for the word will well admit any of these expressions) of the Heathen. and of what Heathen think we, but of the Heathen Astrologers?