Manuductio ad ministerium. Directions for a candidate of the ministry

At the same time, I hope, there is no need of my saying any thing to dissuade you from the Study of JUDICIAL ASTROLOGY: The most Injudicious Thing in the World: All Futility; All Impiety; All of a Piece with the ridiculous Whim of a Gaffarel, who maintains, That the Stars in the Heavens do stand ranged in the form of Hebrew Letters, and that it is possible to Read there whatever is to happen of Importance throughout the Universe. And yet perhaps, there may be some Need for me to Caution you against being Dismayed at the Signs of the Heavens, or having any Superstitious Fancies upon Eclipses and the like Occurrences, or thinking that if there were a Conjunction of all the Planets in Pisces, it would portend that the World should be Drowned. Yea, I am willing that the Cometomancy which has hitherto so much reigned, even in the most Honest ⟨p. 55⟩Minds, be laid aside with you; and that you be apprehensive of nothing Portentous in Blazing Stars, except it should be apprehended, that in their Elliptic Motions they may make so near an Appulse unto this Globe as to bring some Confusion upon it. For my Part, I know not whether all our Worlds, and even the Sun it self, may not fare the better for them. Some, that know more than I, do think so. Indeed, if you persuade a World, here lying in Wickedness, there to see a Presage, and to take a Warning, from the tremendous View of a World in a State of Punishment, I will say, Go on and Prosper.

At the same time, I hope, there is no need of my saying any thing to disswade you from the Study of JUDICIAL ASTROLOGY: The most Injudicious Thing in the World: All Futility; All Impiety; All of a Piece with the ridiculous Whim of a Gaffarel, who maintains, That the Stars in the Heavens do stand ranged in the form of Hebrew Letters, and that it is possible to Read there whatever is to happen of Importance throughout the Universe. And yet perhaps, there may be some Need for me to Caution you against being Dismay'd at the Signs of the Heavens, or having any Superstitious Fancies upon Eclipses and the like Occurrences, or thinking that if there were a Conjunction of all the Planets in Pisces, it would portend that the World should be Drowned. Yea, I am willing that the Cometomancy which has hitherto so much reigned, even in the most Honest ⟨p. 55⟩Minds, be laid aside with you; and that you be apprehensive of nothing Portentous in Blazing Stars, except it should be apprehended, that in their Elliptic Motions they may make so near an Appulse unto this Globe as to bring some Confusion upon it. For my Part, I know not whether all our Worlds, and even the Sun it self, may not fare the better for them. Some, that know more than I, do think so. Indeed, if you perswade a World, here lying in Wickedness, there to see a Praesage, and to take a Warning, from the tremendous View of a World in a State of Punishment, I will say, Go on and Prosper.