A42469:222
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.
And if Mr. Swan had instead of all this long discourse concerning the dreadfulness of these Celestial Signs, and in what manner they were and were not to be feared, had but preached ⟨p. 114⟩to his people Mr. Lilies dictates and documents (and he might as well have preached them to them as the groundless conceits of Sir Walter Ralegh and others, tho of better note then he) to wit, that the horrible Eclipse that was to appear the next day could do no harm to any that were about their usual employments of ploughing and carting, or hedging and ditching abroad, as some of his fellow Wizards had unadvisedly affirmed it might, but that it portended much ill, that either would or might befall them some eight months after, or the year ensuing at that time twelvemonth, or two year after: howsoever it may be doubtful what effect it might have had with them, for the time of the Eclipse present, for that the very sight of it, being a thing uncouth and unusual, might astonish them, as it did many other prepossessed with that fond conceit which Mr. Lily himself condemns, in regard whereof some hath related to me, that in some Country towns where they then resided, not two of forty or more would either do ought themselves, or suffer ought to be done by their servants abroad; and I remember that an ancient Doctor of Physic of prime note in the City coming over sometime to Clapham to visit a Patient, and being importuned to stay dinner with them, would by no means be persuaded to condescend thereunto, there was he said an Eclipse of the sun to fall out that forenoon, and he would be at home before that should come, and keep within till that was ever. Howsoever, I say therefore that for the time present it might affright them, yet for the latter part of the story, and the tale told them of evils that should thence flow and ensue so long after, they would have easily ben induced to believe, that all such tittle tattle were indeed no other then mere vanity, as the Prophet here pronounceth it. Mean while ye see by what hath ben before delivered, what verdict the Spirit of God hath past upon these Chaldee Wizards observations and dictates about the Celestial Signs: and yet Mr. Swans main scope throughout this whole Sermon is to disprove that which is here so peremptorily pronounced of them, to give the Holy Ghost the lie;
And if Mr. Swan had insteed of all this long discourse concerning the dreadfulnesse of these Celestial Signs, and in what manner they were and were not to be feared, had but preached ⟨p. 114⟩