CHAPTER VIII.

Touching the Astrology of Saturn, of what kind it is, and how it ought to be Theologized.

SATURN, as to the description of his substance and nature in the Macrocosm, is one of the chief of those seven stars, which we call Planets, or Governors of the World walking next of all in the aerial region under the Firmament or Zodiac, and ordained in a certain Sphere or Circle, or Mansion; the circuit of circle he finisheth he passeth over once in the space of thirty years time, through the twelve celestial signs extent in the Zodiac. His body arising from the element of Fire, and illuminating, that is cherishing, and governing the earth, and what are in and on the earth, — his body is fiery and globulous, his astralic force, which is the firmamental or Siderian Spirit, is invisible.

Now Saturn is conditioned with that nature and propriety from the first creation, that he may send forth and exercise the virtue and operation of his splendor and light in his subjects existing here and there in the four elements, as are vegetables, minerals, animals, properly, and in species, pertaining to him, wherein he effects and frames such a nature and virtue, as he hath in himself. Now Saturn hath his subjects appropriate to himself in every kind of creature; amongst vegetables he hath his young twigs, his herbs, his plants, his flowers, his trees, on which he operates by his influence after his manner. So amongst minerals and metals, also amongst animals, creeping, going, cattle, beasts, watery and volatile creatures.

For the whole university of the creatures of this world, with us men, is divided into seven kinds or assemblies, and dispersed into every region, which answer to these seven Governors, in their natural virtues and proprieties, as well internal as external.

But, touching the Astronomical condition of Saturn, and the rest of the Planets, to wit, what kind of motion, position, course, quantity, distance, opposition, conjunction, and other dimensions of this kind they have amongst themselves ; also touching, the difference of their weights in metals, etc., it is not our purpose here to handle them; concerning such kind of things, consult Astronomical books, and Chemical books and the like, publicly extant abroad; but we rather handle and shew this :—How all the studies and offices and kinds of life of all men have their original from the stars, and to which Planet every thing is to be referred. Then, how the whole Astrology ought to be Theologized, that is, how every one of us ought to know, discern, hate, put off, lay aside, and deny the old man made of Astrology, with all his Wisdom, science, knowledge, prudence, industry, art, and whatsoever a man hath, occupies and possesses of the gifts of Nature ; and in the denial of himself and all that he hath, as well within as without, altogether to grow a child again, to be made an infant, yea a fool; and to put on the new Man, which is created according to God, to walk in newness of life, to die to sin, and to live to justice; to know that Babylonian harlot and her Beast, and to preserve himself from her; to know the forbidden Tree, and to eat of the Tree of Life, and to pass over from nature into grace, to be made a new creature, to be born again, to transplant himself from the terrene Paradise into the Heavenly; to labour six days, and rightly to sanctify the seventh, and the like. This is the intention, end and scope of this our work.

Therefore, Saturnists, or the worshippers of Saturn, whose minds, desires, wills, inclinations, affections, concupiscences, pleasures, cogitations, speculations, inventions, actions, and labours are ascribed to Saturn, as to their study, and kind of life, are men in whom is and flourisheth all kind of science and industry.

1.Cain was a husbandman; Abel a keeper of sheep. — Of all Agriculture; as are husbandmen, countrymen, farmers, tillers of the ground; also mowers, threshers, herdsmen, swineherds, pastors of cattle, purveyors of corn, or those who exercise merchandise, with corn and pulse; also dressers of vineyards, that purge wines, gardeners, and briefly, all agriculture, with all its species.

2. Jubal was the father of inhabitants in tents, and feeders of sheep. Tubal Cain found out every artifice of brass and iron. — The whole art and science, edificatory, as under; with all kind of artificers, and workmen, comprehended, as rough masons, stone-cutters, carpenters, joiners, and in brief, the whole administration of economy, or household affairs, joined with parsimony and frugality.

3. The whole art and metallic science, which teacheth the manner of searching and trying the bowels of the earth, and of digging minerals, metals and riches, the provocations of evils; also Treasurers, and whosoever seem to seek and take their livelihood from the earth by the the labours of their hands, as are potters, tile-makers, bearers of dead bodies, fishmongers, root-sellers, colliers, and others of this kind ; and also clothiers, linen-weavers, shoemakers, cobblers, cardmakers, etc. Also solitary men, as monks, hermits, and like to these.

As touching the mind, and vices, Saturnists are avaricious men, covetous of gain, usurers, lenders for gain, Jews, toll-gatherers or publicans, tenacious, livers sparingly, Mammonists, altogether watching for their proper commodities. Also thieves, robbers, makers of false money, sergeants, false judges, hangmen, enchanters, evildoers ; also men austere by nature, froward, more sad than joyful, thoughtful, melancholic, fantastic, very silent, tedious, infidels, sacrilegious, and what kinds of life soever of this sort.

Likewise, philoponoi, laborious, full of business, tumbling, macerating and wearing themselves in continual cares, and furthermore in whatsoever appears like to these.

As to the quality of the body, and external manners, Saturnists are men worn with years and age as well men as women, covered with gray hairs, with a slender and lean body, thin beard, eyes lying deep in the head, with a neglected form, and not amiable, always looking grimly agelasoi, halting, beggars, often sick, etc.

All these studies, and all and singular kinds of life of men, as they are formed and seen abroad amongst all nations, people, kindreds, etc., of the whole compass of the earth, are referred to the heaven, region, dominion, nature and inclination of Saturn.

I say, all these kinds of men, with all their studies and kinds of life, as well honest as dishonest, as well good as bad, as well private as public, are worshippers of Saturn, for that in the handling of Saturn, that is, in the drawing forth of the nature of the Saturnine light, they spend their labour and time; and by diligent study and inquisition they draw forth, search, produce and manifest those things of Saturn which are in natural things.

All the industries, inventions, arts, actions and labours of these men in every season, have proceeded and as yet do proceed, from the internal invisible heaven, which is in the Microcosm ; and are part of the Light of Nature, in which man walketh, whether well or ill, honestly or filthily, according to the diversity of his flexible will and desire, as well to good as to evil ; and men are busied about the external subjects of the Macrocosm, without which, vain were the vigour and endeavour of the Light of Nature in man. For every action of the Microcosm from within, tends to the subjects of the Macrocosm without; because there the works of man are perfected or performed. For indeed man hath from the Light of Nature in himself, the science of ploughing and tilling the earth, and fields, building houses, of seeking and handling metals, etc., but he hath not in himself the subjects, matter and instruments ; therefore he takes them from the Macrocosm, and perfects his work, found out and excogitated by the Light of Nature. Thus, seeing all the external works of men arise from within, from the invisible revolution of the internal stars, ever and anon ascending and shining forth by cogitations and imaginations, and are perfected by external operations and labours, we may from every work of man, see and know the constitution of the internal heaven, what kind of position, what ascendants, what motions, constellations and inclinations every artificer hath; where it is wonderful to behold the variety of the Natural Light. Hence, by how much the more the artificer doth appear in external works, by so much the more and more perfect, hath the constitution and influence of the internal heaven, been with the workman.

Therefore we must know that every species, of whatsoever science, art and faculty, is a singular constellation, star, inclination and influence, ascending from the inward heaven, and shining, acting and operating one by one in man ; therefore all the cogitations, imaginations, inventions, desires, studies and intentions of Saturnists bent or inclined to good or evil, are the Astras or stars ascending from the inward heaven, and are the operation of the Saturn, of the Microcosm. in the soul, with his stars agreeable to himself, in which cogitations and operations that crafty Serpent, which almost none in this our age seems to know, is powerful and rageth, by leave permitted to him by God, to tempt and prove man, (placed in the midst,) by these delights of the Light of Nature, and of the things of this world, and to bend the will, love, desire, and concupiscence thereof from good to evil, from God to the creature, whereunto man, (O grievous!) is too ready and prompt.

Truly innumerable and infinite are the multitudes of men living on the earth which are found in this kind or practice of Astrology. For it is, (which we would have mystically spoken) one of those seven congregations or generations of the World, or people worshipping the Queen of Heaven, or venerating, and worshipping the Babylonian harlot, and adoring the Beast endowed with seven heads and ten horns. And this is the sense which sleeps with wisdom, which will appear better by the following things.

Now, as the external heaven in the Macrocosm, always and ever and anon is rolled and turned about with a perpetual motion; and always other and other stars are seen to appear ascending and always descending, so as there is a perpetual mutation and vicissitude of the actions of Nature, labouring in the greater World, where now it is winter, now spring, now summer, now autumn, now day, now night, now fair weather, now tempest, now snow, now rain, now winds, now storms, now this, now that, etc., which are all the Astralic operations of the heaven of the Macrocosm : —so also in like sort is the course, vicissitude, motion and revolution of the stars, ever and anon ascending. and descending in the heaven or Soul of the lesser world ; that is, the soul, or our siderean Spirit, is an unjust spirit, wherein the ascendant cogitations, new concupiscences, various desires, are always moved, excited and felt, now willing this, now willing that, now so, now thus, now we rejoice, now we sorrow, now we are beaten and agitated with these, and now those affections, now we are occupied with these, now with those businesses and labours, all which are nothing else than the Astrology of the Microcosm, to be Theologized in all of us that are willing to use them piously.

But how and wherefore ought the Astrology of Saturn to be Theologized in Man ? If thou askest me, wherefore and how all the natural sciences appertaining to the Astrology of Saturn, together with all the kinds of the Saturnine life, ought to be and may be Theologized, I again ask thee, that thou tell me the cause wherefore, according to that great precept of God, we ought to labour and finish our work in six days, but the Seventh day to sanctify the Sabbath ? Or wherefore we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, and possess beatitude in eternal life unless we shall be converted and be made as infants ? For these have one and the same reason and cause, tend to one, will one, and belong to one.

The answer therefore is ; —Therefore we ought to Theologize Astrology, therefore we ought to labour six days and sanctify the seventh, therefore we ought to be converted and become as infants, because nothing at all but the New Creature, the new Man from Heaven, he that is regenerate from above, he that is born again of immortal seed, is required to the possession or acquisition of the Kingdom of Heaven. Not the old man from the earth, seeking earthly things, gaping after earthly things, rejoicing in earthly things, occupied and delighted in earthly things, loving, possessing, favouring earthly things. I say, not such, but as we have now said, the man born again from above, seeking those things which are above, and not those things which are below, not arising from the will of the flesh; and not of the will of man, but of God.

But to the end that we may be the better understood of the ruder sort, first we will handle a few things in general.

What is the Theologization of Astrology?

Afterwards we will set upon our Saturn, with his professions and faculties, where we shall demonstrate to the eye, that in the sole Theologization of Astrology is to be sought and found the gate of Paradise, to eat of the Tree or wood of life, which is in the midst of Paradise, etc. Also, what is that strait gate that leads to life, which few find ; and what the broad way which leads to hell, which many walk. Also, what is that Babylonish harlot, with whom all the people of the world commit fornication; and many, and those the greatest Theological Mysteries are here shewn to the intelligent, which otherwise are and abide hidden from the eyes of all mortals.

Therefore to Theologize Astrology is nothing else than to labour six days, and to sanctify the Seventh that is to rest and desist from labour, and to keep holy day in God, with the spirit, soul and body, which God the Father seriously commanded to his people by the Law, in the Old Testament in these words : —

Exod.20 —Remember the Sabbath day that ye may sanctify it. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work ; but the seventh day shall be a Sabbath to the Lord thy God ; thou shalt not do any work, neither thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy servant, nor thy maid, nor thy beast, nor the stranger which is in thy gates ; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and whatsoever is in them, and rested the seventh day ; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it. Exod 23. —Also, in six days thou shalt do thy works, but the seventh day thou shalt rest, that thy ox and thy ass may rest together, and the son of thy hand-maid, and the stranger may be refreshed. And in all that I have said to you, you shall be wary, (to wit, because of the Serpent.) Deut. 5. —Also, observe the Sabbath day, that ye may, sanctify, it, even as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee ; six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work, but on the seventh day shall be the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.

But although the divine commandment, amongst the vulgar, hath seemed, and yet doth seem to be spoken only, touching the corporal and external labour and rest for repairing the strength of the body; yet those to whom it is given, (as well amongst the Jews as Christians) to know and understand the mysteries of the Mind of God, and of his Kingdom. they, I say, have known a far more profound and better cause and reason of this precept, of sanctifying the Sabbath.

In the New Testament, to Theologize Astrology is, according to the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles, to receive the Kingdom of God, as a child or infant, to be born again from above, having, renounced and left all things to deny oneself and seek the Kingdom of God which lieth hidden in us, as a Treasure in a field.

The labours of the six days are all the actions, operations, studies, offices, businesses and occupations of all men in the whole earth, and in all islands and in every sea, amongst all orders, states and kinds of life, whatsoever all men everywhere, every time they act, study, handle, operate; this they do by the Light of Nature, according to their divers Sciences. Now the Seventh part of those labours, studies and actions of men is referred unto Saturn, to wit, the several kinds whereof we have before recited.

Moreover, the sanctification of the Sabbath, divinely ordained and commanded to man on the Seventh day, is to cease once in a week from all labour and handling of natural things, and actual studies, to desist from the Astrological life, that is, to lay aside every motion and action, as well of the mind as of the body, by an absolute abnegation and oblivion of the whole creature and of oneself, as well within as without ; to give and offer oneself wholly to God, with all that we are, within the six days we have known, studied, gotten and gained by our labours, as well in the internal gifts of wisdom, as in the getting of external things. Hither, hither and to this Centre tends that divine Commandment touching the sanctifying of the Sabbath, as by the following things will most pleasantly be laid open.