Part XV. (

tlTey tfrmCenters (pi Angles) but?nore particu¬ larly^ they call one the Horofcope^ or Alcendent, another the Medium Cceli, ( the tenth HpufeJ another the Defcendant^ ( the feventh Houfe, another the Subterrejirial and oppojie to the Me- dium Coeli, (the fourth Houfe.) 'Ihe liorofcope is that which happens to be /i^cendant at the time of the Birth^theMQdmm Coeii k the fourth Sign inclufively from it. The Dcfcendant k that-whieh is oppojite to the liorofcope. The Subterfjfirial and Imum Coeli, that which is oppofite to the Medium Coeli as (to explain it by an Example) if Cancer beThe Horofcope.^Anes is the Medium Coeli Capricorn Dejiendant^ Libra Subter- ref rial. That Houfe which goes before either of thefe Houfes they call cadent.^ that which follow- eth.,fuccedcnt •, now that which goeth before the Horofeope being apparent to us^ they affirm to be of the ///-Genius, that next which followeth the Medium Coeli f ' the good Genius, that ichich is before the Medium Coeli, the inferior Portion and jingle hot and God. 'That which is before the De/cendant, a Slothful Sign, and the beginning of Death', that which is after the A feendant, and is not apparant to m, the Eury and ill Port une •, that which cometh under the Earth good Eon une, oppofitethe to the good Genius ; that zvhich is be- ' yond the Imum Coeli tdwards the Eaf, Goddefs -, that which followeth the Horofeope fothJul,wbich ^ . I . alfo is oppofite to ihe Slothful.
Or inore briefly thus : The cadent of the Horo- /cope is called the ill Genius, the Succedent ficth- ful, the Cadent of Medium Coeli, God, the Succedent good Genius, the Cadent of the Imum Co^XiGoddefs, theSucepdent good Eortune,t he Ca¬ dent of the Def Cendant illEoriune, the Succedent Slothful. Thefe, cm they conceive, ought to be ex- Sfxt. he. clt. jjQi fuperficially:
Upon thefe Grounds the Chaldafans mad^ their Apotelefmatick PrxdiSions, of which there is a difference for fome of them are more ft m pic, others, more acurate : the more fimple, tlxfe which are made from any one Sign, or the fimple force of a jingle Star, as that a Star being in fuch arSign fhall caufe fuch kind of Men : the more accurate, thofe which are made by theConcourfe, and as they fay, the Contemporation of many. A s if one Star be in the Horofeope, another in the Mid-heaven, another in the oppofite Point to the Mid'Jmaven, others thus. or. Jhus pofited, then, thefe or thefe things will come to pafs. Thefe are all the Remains of this Arty which can be attri¬ buted to the Ancient Otaldceans.
CHAP.VII.
Other Arts of Divination,
Chaldeans, befides Aftrology, invented and ufed many other ways of Divinatioh, a. Lib. I, qP which a JOiodorus Siculus inftanceth, Divina- b Mw Ktv hy Birdsffinterpretatton of Dreams, Explica¬ tion of Prodigies, andHierofeopy. b R. Mhimoni- des likewife affirms, that among the Chaldaans anciently ffiere. arofe fevcral forts of Diviners, in particular thefe, Megnonemim, Menachejhim, Mecajhephim, Chober chaber, Shel ob, jide^ont, Dorefh el bmmetim all which are mentioned,
.. . - Deut. i8. -10, II. .
‘ . The firft aferibed by Diodor rts to the Chalda-
ofts, is. Divination of Birds, oiwuy (^cwIikh, ox
Augury : neither is it probable, that they who were fo great Inquifitors into the leveral kinds of Divination, ffiould be ignorant of this, which after- Ages'efteefned one 'of the moft conlidera- ble. But they who underitand the Word c Me- nachefinm in this Senfe, feem to have been drawn to it by a miflake of theLatine Word by which it is rendred. '
I'he next. Interpretation of Dreams, ivv-Tri’Koy, d Philo jud.eus- dipuxsns to h2^'Q'htZVtdSuid invented by Abraham. That it was profefs’d by the ancient Chaldaans appears from their An- fwex to AAbuebadneszar, e Tell thy Servants ^ the Dream, and ice tcill fhew the Interpretation.
There are extant many onirocritical Verfes, un¬ der the name of Afirampfyehus, colleHed out of Suidas,uU^ digeffedby Jofeph Sealiger Aftram- • is mentioned among theMagi by Laerti¬ us : and /■ there are who conceive the name to fUrfin. Zor, be only an Interpretation -of the Chaldiean or Peifian Zoroafier, which Ibme render, a living Star.
Th^e third, Explication.of Prodigies,
this kind th^Greek Interpreters conceive included^ in the Word Jyd:’^oni,{QX they render
The lafl that Diodorus mentions, is Hierofeo- pie,hy which I conceive to be meant extifpicium.
Divination by infpeftion into theEntrails(«€f of Sacrificed Beafts. That the Chaldieans vTeA this kind, may be argued from the Prophet E- . zekiel, who faith of the King of Babylon (ufing Divination) g he looked into the Liver. Thefe^ feem to be the reckoned by h Daniell' clip, 2. among the Chaldxan Diviners ; from Gazar, to ‘ cut -, tor they cut open the Beaft and Divined by. . his Entrails.
Ob, is rendred Pytho, or (rather) Pythcnicus Spirit US-, the Word Originally l]gnifieth and thereupon is taken for . that Spirit which fpeaketh ex utero Pythoniffe : The Sacred Text calls the Woman Efheth Baatath Ob, which the Septuagint render, ywcuKA iyyi^eifiv^ov, and where Saul laith, / I pray thee Divine to me in i 1 Sam. 22. Ob-, they Tranllate, i^ot.y'JivQeu Ln not cv iyya.- v. 8.
Alai monies frith, fliethat Was initiated held in her hand a Alyrtle Wand, and receive^ Suffumigations , R. Abraham ben David, tliat thefe Rites were ufually performed at fome dead Man*s Tomb.
, Dorejl) el hammetim, is properly (as rendred), a Necromancer-, k fome affirm this kind of Di- k fyan. ME, vination had its Original in Chaldaa. rand, de rtf.
Thefe and the reft of this kind are all com-.^^V'^' ^ prehended under the general name Mecafhphim, ‘ of which formerly.
the'
Third Sect 10 n.
. •
Magkkj Natural and Thmrgkk* _
THe third Part of the Chaldatck Doftrinc vidsl Magic k : for though the Name is conceived'to- be (fy lome derived
from
pA aT XV.
/ he Chaldaic^ PhiloJdphj,
21
« Sdtrtaf^
h
ex.
c Ltb. 30. c. I
d Loc. at.
« Pfel.
c Mor. Ne.
i L
from Mog^ a ihQ ^erfian Zoro- a Degree and lace : 0 retake of the horn of fuch
afer^ b by others from the Magujj'aans) yet a Eeajl^ or of his hair ^ Sweat or Blood Jiih a this Science it felf was originally 0:aldmn^^xA quantity^ when the San is in the middle of hea- properly the Study of the Ajhafhm ^ of whom ! ven^ or in fome other certain Blace. 0t\ take Laertius is to beunderftood, when he faith that | of fuch a Meial^pr of many Aletals, tneh them the Chaldaeans were the fame tmh the Baby- \t(nder fiKh a Confellaiion^ and in fuch aB oft ton lonians /&
U ords', make afuffumigatioit of fuch’ and fudt Leaves^ in fuch and fuch a Figure^ and this or that thingfhall come to pafs.
c()ther^ Magical Operations there are which t hey conceive may be performed by one of the joremeniioncd Krndspnly iheje (fay they) are per- formed for the moflpan byWomen^.as we find ai- mongjl them : her the bringing forth, of Waters^ if ten Virgins f hall adorn themfelves^ and put on red Garments^ and leap in fuch manner that one fhall ihrufi on the other., and this to be done going backwards and forwards, and after- wards fJ:all fi retch out their Lingers towards, the Sun, making certain Signs, this Allion being fi.nifbcd, they fay that Waters will iffue forth. In like manner^ they write, that if four fV omen, Bfc. ufing certain Words and certain Gefiurcs, by this Alfian they fhall divert Hail- jrom fai¬ ling -down. Many other fuch like Vanities they
is aUb that the Terra Aiagi is fometimes tended to the Cha/dxan Philolophers.
P//Z7y indeed faith, thatc- Viagick had itsbe- ' ginning inYtxIu from Zoio-Mtx, but adds, that whether this Zoroafter was one, or afterwards a fecond alfo, is not certain : And that he rather meant the Chaldean , than the Berfian, may be inferred from his citing thofe Authors who pla¬ ced this Zoroafler 6coo years before Blato, or 5000 years before the Trojan A^^ar j which Ac¬ counts (though extravagant} were doubtlefs in¬ tended of the moff Ancient Zoroajler, the Chal- ddtan. He likewife inffanceth d as skilful in this Art Alarmaridius a Babylonian, and Zormo- cenidas an Affyrian both fo ancient as that there are not any Monuments of them ext ant.
The few Remains we find of the Chaldeean Alagick may be reduced to two Kinds, Natural and Theurgick.
c Loc. citi
i Mdlmon. Mar. Jfe. c Mur. Ne.
mention all along their Writings, zchich are to be performed by I V omen.
d hut none oj ihefc (as they imagine) can be performed without having refpeSl and confidera- ^ tion of the Stats ^ for they conceive that, every Plant hath its proper Star : They afciabe alfo certain Stars to all living Great uret an fAletals-, Moreover theje Operations are peculiar. Warfhips of the Stars) and that they are de.Bghied with - , . \ fuch an Action, or Speech, or Suffuniigdtion^ arid
produceth extraordinary afford them what they wifh. Hitherto
R. Maimonides, who Only hath preferved thefe Remains of the Ancient Siiperffition.
CHAP. lit
Of theTfilmenaia(or Telefmes) tfedfcrAvcr- r uncat ion.
Moreover the Chaldeeans are by the Rabbles reported to have been the fifft that found out the fecret powder of figures •, peither was there any thing more celebrious. than the Images of this kind made by them; , . _ '
Ibey are called in Chaldee and Berfianffif menia, from the Hebrew Tjelem, an hndge: in Arabick, Talitfmam, or Tfalimam, peihapsfrom ' the fame Root-, rather than as fqme con- jefifure from the Greek word, rinUiiA TtliViafSpir
C H A P. I.
Natural Alagick.
TH E firft part of the Chaldaick Magick is i that which we commonly term ]\atural,‘ becaufe it contemplates the Vertues of all Na¬ tural Beings, Coeleftialand Sublunary, makes Scrutiny into their Sympathy, and mutual Ap¬ plication of them Effefifs.
By this kind of Magick the Chaldicans pro- feffed b to perform many admirable things, not on¬ ly upon part'tcular Berfons, but upon whole Countries. R. Maimonides inftanceth c the ex¬ pelling Noxious Animals, as Lions, Serpents, and tire like, out of Cities ; the driving away all kind of harms from Plants, prevention of Hail, the defiroying of Worms that they hurt not the Vines -,concerning thefe (faith he) they have written much tn their Books -, and fome there are who boaji they can caufe that no Leaves or fruit fhall fall from the Trees.
CHAP. 11.
Magical Operations, their Kinds*
W.
T Heir Operations ^R. Maimonides xtAnchh.
to three Kinds. TBe-firfi of thofe ivhich deal in Plants^, Animals, and Me tals. The Second cenfifis in Circumfeription and Determination of fome time fin which the Operations are to be per¬ formed. Tlie third conffis in Humane Gefiures dnd Actidns di in clapping the Hands, Leaping, Crying aloud , Laughing, Lying Prof rate on the Earth, Burning any Thing, Kindling of Smoak, dn’i fa fly, in pronouncing certain Words Intelli¬ gible or Unintelligible ^ thefe are the Kinds of thdir Magical Operations.
h Some there are which are not performed but hy all thefe Kinds : As when they fay, take fuch a Leaf of fuel) an Herb, when the Moon is in fuch
T/.
Thefe Images were prepared under certain Conff ellations, for feveral purpofes 5 fome for , Averruncation, others for Prxdifition. ,
Thofe' that ferve fox Avgrruncat ion, fome conceive to have been of later invention, and af cribe them to Apollonius Tyanxus-, he indeed was the firft amongft xlxoGrcctans that was. fafpous for them : but it is moft probable that he brought this Art out of the Eaft, ; there beipg yet to be leen many of tHefe Figures or Teleftns through¬ out the whole Eaftern part of the World j and toe of theifi very' Ancient, which ^ ledgeth to confirrp,tliat Perfians,ftr if you will aCumphojn** the Babylonians, were the firfi that found 'em out.
Thefe
.li
The Cbaldaicii Philofophy. _ Part XV.
Thefe the Greeks term alfb and
■ > 3nd the makers of them Stoicheiomatieks ^
b emiloq b Ptolemy, The generahle and corrupt ible forms are ajfetied by the Ce/eftia/ Forms : for which rea^ fon the Stoicheiomaticks make ufe of themy:onfv dering the entrance of the Stars into them'. On which words Uali Aben Rodoan (or as the He¬ brew Tranflation Abed Giafar) writes thus. In thisChmer Ptolemy means to dif cover many fe- crets of Images, and- that the figures which are here below are corefpondent t o the hkefigur at ions above.^ which predominate over them} as for in- fiance, the Celejiial Scorpion predcminat e s -over the TerreJIrial Scorpions, and the CeieJIial Ser¬ pent over the TerreJIrial Serpents ^ and the skil¬ ful in Images (Stoicheiomaticks) obfetved.when a flanet was out of his combuflion, and entred in¬ to any of thefe figures, then placing the Rlanet in the Horojcope, they engraved the figure upon a Stone, and having added what elfe was necejfa- ry, they fitted it for prefervation, or dejiruHion, as they pleafed', and this foweg^continued in the Stone a long time after.
C H A P. IV.
Of the Tfilmenaia, ufed for TrediiSlion.
ANother kind there was of Tfilmenaia or Telefmes, ufed for Prediffion: Thefe « Images (according to the Defcription of a R. Maimonides ) they did erehl to the Stars : of Gold to the Sun, of Silver to the Moon, and fo difiri- buted the Metals and Climates of the Earth a- mong the Stars, for they fatd, that fuch a Star is the God of fuch a Climate. TJ?ere they built Tem¬ ples, and pldced the Images in them, conceiving that the Rower of the Stars did flovo into thof el- mages, and that thofe Images had the faculty of iinderjlanding, and did give to Alen the gift of Fropbecy, and in a word, did declare to them what things were good for them . So alfo they fay of Trees, which belong to thofe Stars, every 1 ree being dedicated to fome Star, and planted to its Name, and Worfhipped for this or that Reafon, becauje the Spiritual Virtues of the Stars are in fufed into that Tree. So that after the manner of Prophecy they difcourfe to Men,and fpeak to them alfo in Dreams.
The word Teraphim in the Sacred Scripture, among other fignifications, is fometimes taken h Gen, 2 for thefe Images, whence b Onkelos the Chaldee ' ■ Paraphraft renders it Tfilmenaia, with which the Syriack Verfion agrees *, the Septuagint dnKti and
implying by all thefe Interpretations, that they were indued with the Gift of Predi&ion : which is no mnre than the e ch. 21. 21. Text it felf confirms i For c Ezekiel faith of the King of Babylon ufing Divination, that he con- fultedthe Teraphim.
Of this kind are thole Teraphims conceived to be^ wiiich Rachel ftole from her Father Laban-, for he calls them his d Gods the Coptick a Gen. 31. Vcrfibn Tender it, the great ej} oj his Gods : R.
'J3. ^Kimchi'cShcdvbs they were made by Aftro- logfei's fo foretel things to come, and that they were Images whofe Figures we know not, by which the Ancients wete informed- of future E- vehts, ■ che^r being in fofrie manner like the Ora clesji^which^ftenfpake by the mouth of the De-
vil. R. that they were Statues made in
the Figure of Men under certain Conftellations, whofe influences ( which they were capable of receiving^ cauled them to i^eak at Ibme fet hours, and give an anlwer to whatfoever was de¬ manded of them. Aben Ezra, that they were made after the Shapes of Men, to the end they might be capable of Celeftial Muence (and in the fame manner interprets he the Teraphini , placed by Michol in D4x;i the reafon why Rachel took them away, was not to take her father off from Idolatry -, Jor if it were fo, why then did (he take them along withher,and not rather hide them in the way near hisHoufe ?
But by reafon that her father was skilful inA/rro-
logy, fhe feared lejl by confulting thofe Images and
the Stars, he fitould know •dihich way ]dLCoh was
gone. And S. Aujlin, thatLzhm faith, why hafi jn Gen. qu
thou ftoln my Gods^ It is perhaps tn as much oi 9
if he had f aid he Divined, ^ I divined the Lord*
becaufe of thee-, 2 for fo the more antient Expofi-
tors interpret the word and the Jews un- De Diu Sjrik.
derftand that place, of Prefcience, Divination,
or Conieffure, as Mr. Selden obferves.
Philo Judxw fpeaking of the ^ Teraphim of* 17. Micah, fancies that Micah made of fine Gold and Silver threelmages of youngLads,and three Calves ^
and one Lion, .one Dragon, and one Dove -, fo that if any had a mind to know any Secret concerning his Wife, he was to have recourfe to the Image of the Dove, which anfwered his demands -, if con¬ cerning his Children, he went to the Boy-, if con¬ cerning Riches,to the Eagle-, if concerning Power and Strength, to the Lion -, if it any thing concer¬ ned Sons and Daughters, he went then to thd Calves j and if about the length of years and days, he was to confult the Image of the Dragon. This, how light foever, Ihews that he alfo underftood the Teraphim to be Prophetical.
CHAP, V.
t
Theurgick Magicfk- .
THe other part of the Chaldaick Magick is Theurgick : to which perhaps Plato more particularly alluded, when he defined a the Ma-a AldMad. u gtek of Zoroalfer, the Service of the Gods. This they called alfo b the Method of Rites -, the works ^ ^ ^
of Piety, and (as rendred by the Greeks) r^K^st- Kwv Wisniimi the Tele dick Science andTelefiur- gick. It what it did confift may be gathered from what Suidas faith of the two Julians 5 Julian ‘ (faith he) the Chaldscen, a Philofopher, father of]\iYunSirnamedtheThQ\iig\c\i‘, he wrote cf Damons four Books they treat of Prefervatives of every part of Mards Body, of which kind are the Chaldaick Telefiurgicks- And again, Julian Son of the aforementioned, lived underhAziois Antonius the Emperor he alfo wrote Theurgick Initiatory Oracles in Verfe -, and all other Secrets of the Science.
Thus the Teleftick Science was conceived to procure a Converfation with Demons by certain Rites and Ceremonies, and c to initiate or per- c Pfd, in One. fell the Soul by the power of Materials here on ' Earth -, for the fupream faculty of the Soul cannot by its own guidance afpire to the fublimed Inflitu- iion, and to the comprehenfion of Divinity, but the work of Ptety leads it by the hand to God
h
0