Sermons upon the Book of Job

We see then that by the knowledge of these things, Gods inestimable wisdom may the better be perceived, or at leastwise men shall have some taste of it whereby they shall be provoked to magnify him, saying, Lord how excellent is this thy workmanship? Verily,§30 the thing that Job toucheth here cannot be fully understood, except a man have ben conversant in learning. For here he toucheth Astrology: he is not contented to speak of that which the rudest idiots do see, he passeth on further, and toucheth cunningly certain particulars, to the intent that we should▪ know the workmanship of the skies. Howbeit, although that all men be not Astronomers, yet is there not any man that can excuse himself that God giveth him not sufficient knowledge of those things, if we shut not our eyes when the §40Sun shineth. The shepherds of the country can well skill too speak of the Stars, yea and they give them names. Howbeit in naming them, it is certain that they darken the glory of God: and whereof cometh that? must not the evil be imputed too men? There are two Stars that are named here: And the Poets have feigned many fables and fond things of them. Whereof cometh such unreasonableness? Of the vainness and naughtiness of men. They have said that such a Star was the coronet or Garland of a woman, or else the woman herself. Lo §50here a cow, [lo there an ox,] Lo here this, and lo there that: to be short, Lo a sort of dotages. Nevertheless we have to mark that these dotages are sprung out of Satan's subtlest wiliness. For his desire was (so far as was possible for him) to deface this fair looking glass wherein Gods will was to be seen and known. It is said by Moses, that God garnished the heaven with all the hosts thereof. Moses termeth the Stars (as well the Planets as the residue) the Host of heaven. And why so? for they be the furniture of the heaven: the skies should be without §60beauty or fashion, if it were not garnished with stars: and this was performed in the creation of the world, as Moses declareth it. But see how the devil beguileth men to make them forget the record that God hath given them by his works, and to make them believe that the Stars are come from this place and from that. Yea and men have intermingled them with villainies and filthiness: