A42469:88
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 our English Merlin tells us in his late New Ephemeris for the year 1653, to salv his credit in this particular, that thousands in London did then behold the Planet of Venus and many fixed Stars as clearly as in the darkest night.
Yea but our English Merline tels us in his late New Ephemeris for the yeer 1653, to salv his credit in this particular, that thousands in London did then behold the Planet of Venus and many fixed Stars as cleerly as in the darkest night.
He told us awhile ago, that he doubted we might not see them for the darkness of the day,1 which Saturn's melancholy and malevolent look might produce: now he tells us they were seen by many as clearly as in the darkest night ▪ the darkness of the day belike would hinder the sight of that, which the darkness of the night would help to improve. Or doth the man, trow we, mean, and so with an Equivocation (such as the Wizards Oracles much abounded in of old) delude us? that as he who presenting one for a degree in the University, on his word averred him to be, tam doctrinâ, qam moribus idoneum, as well for learning as for life and carriage fit to have that degree conferred on him; that is, as he after expounded himself, alike fit for either, in plain truth for neither. So our Merlin's meaning may be, that those his thousands saw those Stars as clearly as in the darkest night, wherein there is no Star at all to be seen. and then we shall as easily believe him herein, as those did the Master presenting concerning the Scholar presented by him, who know well ⟨p. 40⟩enough what he was. Otherwise how those thousands in London attained to such an eminent degree of perspicacity above so many other thousands in and about the City, that could descry no such matter, the air and sky being alike affected unto either party in those parts, it is not easy to apprehend, unless they should all borrow and make use of Mr. Lilies spectacles, which he should be very free of to lend to so many. Yet, it may be some two or three of our Merlin's clients, to cheer the man up, perceiving how he was in his dumps, upon notice taken that his predictions concerning this dreadful Eclipse had not in all points accordingly fallen out; and sore vexed, that the Mercuries and ballad-singers, whom he grievously complains of, had ben so bold with him; might come to him and tell him, that they had seen some such matter, (for, it seems, he dares not, does not at least, say, that he saw them himself) whom by the help of some multiplying glass he might raise up to that hyperbolical number of thousands: unless it were rather, (as may not unjustly be suspected) by the figure of figmentum or mendacium, a couple of tropes too frequent with those of his trade.