Book II. Part IV

ADVERTISEMENT.
As an Introduction to the Study of Natural Magic, we have thought fit to premife a fhort difcourfe on the Influence of the Stars, and on Natural Magic in general, fliewinghow far the influences of the heavenly bodies are ufeful to our purpofes, and likewife to what extent we may admit thofe influences ; rejecting fome fpeculations concerning the planetary inclina- tions, as far as they appertain to queftionary abufes, that feem to us idle, and of no validity, or yet founded on any principles of found philofophy, or correfponding to the word of God in the Scriptures. In which difcourfe we have fully fet down our reafons for rejecting fome parts of aftrology, and admitting others which are founded on good principles, and coinciding with the Scriptures and Natural Philofophy : our purpofe being to clear the
underftanding of errors, and not to enforce any thing but wbat appears to be fubftantiated by nature, truth, and experiment.