A42469:237
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.
Yea but saith Melanchthon, the Prophet doth not say, they are nothing. Yes, he doth say, they are nothing, in the same sense wherein the Apostle saith, that an idol is nothing, 1 Cor. 8.4. that is, a thing of nothing, as good as nothing, of no use, no worth, no regard, no weight, for he saith, the signs, wherewith the Wizards affrighted them, are mere vanity: and that is as much as nothing, Isaiah 41.29. I might ad, that it follows not, that they are signs indeed, because the Holy Ghost uses this term of them. For the Holy Ghosts usage is, to speak oft of things, not as they are in truth, but as men vainly esteem of them, It were no ⟨p. 123⟩good Argument to prov Epimenides a Prophet, because the Apostle saith of him, One of their own Prophets, Tit▪ 1.12. or the Devil to be a God, because the same Apostle calls him the god of this world, 2. Cor. 4.4. And again there are lying and false, as well as true signs. 2. Thes. 2.9. Nor will it take off the edge of this instance, to say, that the signs here spoken of, are called the signs of Heaven. which name Moses also useth of them▪ Gen. 1.14. (of which more anon) and that they are somewhat therefore. For were not the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars, the signs of Heaven, amongst those Idols the Apostle speaks of? and yet the Apostle saith of them, they are nothing in the world. as they are idolized they are nothing; there is nothing worthy of any regard, much less of any divine worth in them, and in like manner the Prophet of the signs of Heaven, as they are by these Wizards abused to put people into false fears, they are nothing but mere vanity; lying signs void of all truth; or the signs of the liars, as Isaiah termeth them, Isaiah 44.45. even like those whose signs they are.
Yea but saith Melanchthon, the Prophet doth not say, they are nothing. Yes, he doth say, they are nothing, in the same sense wherein the Apostle saith, that an idol is nothing,