which they could not see or perceive by their senses; that therefore the worshipping of the things of nature, and the inferior deities, was the only way to keep the people from running into Atheism. On the same foundation they pleaded for and recommended the worship of images." Dr. Leland's Advantage and Necessity of the Christian Revelation. Vol. 1. p. 337.

So much has been done by heathen philosophers, unfaithful prophets, and corrupt christians, to keep the human race ignorant of the true God and his pure worship, and to make them infidels or idolaters, or both, that there is scarcely a nation to be found where the corruption of superstition is either unknown or purged away. If, therefore, some obscure

Britons still remain under the veil and influence of these pagan delusions, (and thousands there are) their ignorance has a claim on British christian benevolence. Paganism in England is as provoking to God as paganism in Asia or Africa; and if our charity be without partiality or without bypocrisy, pagan superstitions at home will excite our zeal aud commiseration, as well as the same evils in Hindostan. God has given many portions of his inspired word on purpose to check the practice of these superstitions which princes and philosophers have in ancient times imposed upon the vulgar. To steal the word of God, and conceal it like a thief, for merely one's own private use, or with a baser design to impose the more effectually our own inventions on the ignorant, is embezzling the public property which the king of heaven has deposited in the hands of his stewards to relieve the necessities of a perishing world. Such witholding the truth of God in unrighteousness, is an awful breach of trust in either a heathen philosopher, a Jewish prophet, a Roman pontiff, or a protestant christian. Surely the blood of those who have been destroyed for lack of knowledge will be required of

those who thus embezzle the truth of salvation. It is required of stewards that a man be found faithful; and the great apostle of the Gentiles has set them all who are intrusted with the truth, a fair example, in saying to the Ephesians, "I take you to record, this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." Acts, xx. 26, 27.

The astrological practice of physic, according to its present use, includes several of those evil arts which are expressly and repeatedly prohibited in the Holy Bible, and declared to be, with all that practice them, an abomination to the Lord. Deut. xviii.

It is, in its essential principles, as well as in its origin, a system of idolatry. It rejects the true God and his all-wise providence from that supreme dominion which, as sovereign of the universe, he exercises over his creatures, and requires every human being to acknowledge, and ascribes a governing influence over the moral actions of men to "the host of heaven." Some of these shining Chaldean gods, or as they are now termed lords, it would teach us, are benevolent, and others malevolent, and others are good or evil according to their situation or conjunction with their neighbour planets. Thus even the astrologer's gods become good or evil according to the company they keep. This Chaldean astrology devotes children as soon as they are born to the influence of these benevolent or malevolent lords, according as these good or ill-tempered ever-varying creatures are supposed to take their turns to rule in the affairs of men. Each planet is allowed his share of human beings, as they are scientifically cast on his mercy or wrath, by their entrance into the world at the calculated times of their dominon. They are ever after the benefactors or tyrants of the human being,

and according to their good or evil aspects cheer the life or embitter the existence and death of the human Such paganism there is in England and "christians" have been so mistaken or decoyed as to be found at its altars !

being.

many

This system of scientific paganism removes from man that moral responsibility which his Creator imperiously requires him to consider and acknowledge. It stupifies the soul against the consciousness of guilt, and transfers the blame of bad conduct from wicked men, to planetary influence, and ultimately to God himself. It is as cunningly contrived to rob God of his reputation, as of his authority, and teaches man to place his confidence in planetary imposition instead of the wisdom, power, and goodness of his Creator. It is an ingenious device to keep men from the knowledge, fear, service, and enjoyment of the Most High. "Oh Wickedness," exclaims Tertullian, 66 men think it needless to seek God, because they presume we are actuated by an immutable decree of the stars."

Idolatry of any kind is a provoking insult to the Lord of Hosts. He is a jealous God, and, there fore, he will not suffer such treasonable conspiracies against his holy government to escape his righteous indignation. A scheme so deeply laid as astrology is to ensnare the confidence and passions of men, betrays to every well instructed mind its subtile author with his cloven foot. The more the light of revelation is thrown upon this subject, and the more it is scrutinized, the more evidently it will appear that the devil is at the bottom of all such impositions.

The astrological practice of physic is a real kind of diabolical divination by "the host of heaven.”And thus, as Tertullian says, "Evil spirits juggle men out of the knowledge of the true God by the

delusions of divination." One of the first things the astrological doctor does, when applied to for a person bewitched or possessed, is to draw the horoscope, i. e. a scheme to show the situations of the planets, stars, &c. at the time of enquiry.

And

Even this is an intimation that going to enquire of the astrologer, associates the enquirer with whatever influence is exerted; and if one of the malignant planets rules at the time, that is, if the devil can obtain leave, or exert an influence to torment or destroy the dabbler in his arts, he that goes or sends to enquire of astrology lays himself under his influence. It was enquiry that brought the punishment of death on king Saul. I Chron. x. 13. W. Lilly's “first consideration" is "of the mind, when a man is stirred up in his thoughts, and hath an intent to enquire, and of the free will, which dis poses him to the very act of enquiring,-for the motion of the stars is not enough unless by the election of his will the person does actually enquire." Guide for astrologors, p. 3. This consideration should have its due weight with any man who is inclined to employ an astrologer to divine for him. Let him consider what influence that is by which "he is stirred up in his thoughts to enquire," and let him consider too, that when divine justice is insulted by his enquiry, and grants the malignant planet, or rather the malignant devil at the bottom of the system, permission of execution, it is easy for the devil then to predict the sinner's death, and to accomplish the prediction.

The astrologer consults for the enquirer, in the case above referred to, the planetary system, to discover the nature of the complaint, and if bewitched, the person of the witch, &c. and to learn under what malignant planet (god or devil) the patient is afflicted, and therefore, what planetary influence he is to asso

ciate with himself, the patient, and the family, by the selection of astrological remedies, and the performance of magical ceremonies. It is therefore by the same art, the same general influence, that such patients are magically afflicted, or magically cured, perhaps I ought to say, diabolically afflicted or diabolically cured. It is under the influence of the malevolent planets (or demons under their name) that the witch afflicts those who through fear, and folly, and sin, subject themselves to the diabolic power; and it is by "counteracting" their influence by that of other planets (professedly) and by the same arts employed, but with a different intention, that the astrológical doctor works a cure.

Evil spirits, therefore, under the guise of planetary influence, keep the business of afflicting and curing, as far as they can, among themselves and their human confederates. It is evident then on what principle their knowledge is gained. "And assuredly," says Dr. H. More, "it is a pleasant spectacle to those baters and scorners of mankind, to see the noble faculties of men debased and entangled in so vile and wretched a mystery, which will avail nothing to divination unless these seducing demons, malicious deceivers, act their part in the scene.' A spirit of divination is a beguiling devil, and the arts of divination are artful and scientific impositions on the understandings of the credulous.

The astrological practice of physic is a species of witchcraft. This" philosophical way of cure," teaches the absolute necessity of bewitching the witch. Hear a professor and teacher of the art. 'The 'patient's friends must of necessity repair to such as are well skilled in the astrological and philosophical way of cure, as I shall declare in order hereto. But 'before I proceed it will be necessary to show how