De differentia mathematkae doctrinalis et Tnathe
The Limits of Astronomy
While astronomy is a noble science, its practitioners often fall into the vanity of pride by attempting to divine the future through the movements of the stars.
...are rejected, both by the tradition of mathematicians and by their errors. Yet because it is plausible that there is some power in the heavens—since even on earth we don't believe anything is born that doesn't receive some good effect from the hand of God the Creator—those who are more curious investigate the power of the heavens and try to explain, by the rules of their astronomy, every single thing that happens in the sublunary sphere. Astronomy is a noble and glorious science if it keeps its following within the bounds of moderation; but if it exceeds them with a more licentious vanity, it is not so much a branch of philosophy as a trap of impiety. There's indeed much that's common to both doctrinal mathematics and divinatory mathematics, but when divination exceeds the measure of sobriety, it departs from its true purpose and doesn't instruct its student, but rather unteaches him. For it's common to both that they divide the zones, mark out the parallels, tilt the zodiac with its signs, surround almost the entire globe with colures, measure the labor of the planets, make the fixed stars participants in no error, draw the axis from the Arctic pole to the Antarctic, divide the signs by degrees and points, and maintain the proportion of the rising and setting signs and stars. Both, however, agree with the physicists on this: they don't believe the delicacy of subtle bodies is dissipated into certain divided paths and the spaces between circles. They also commonly assert that the sun is the author of heat and the cause of the increase and decrease of humors, since the senses prove this, and they adapt it to the lunar motion; and they say many things in this manner. However, mathematics—which promises knowledge of the future—draws its origin from the elements of philosophy, as has been said, but it goes further, and in the recklessness of its pride, it bursts into the prerogative of the One who counts the stars, whose names, signs, powers, courses, places, and times He alone knows. For the astrologer promises himself this very thing through the benefit of his astronomy. The more arrogantly they strive to break into the truth, the further they wander from knowing it. Therefore, as they turn over the nature of the signs—just as they happened to know it while they were wavering among the related stars—they call some masculine and others feminine; and they would perhaps have multiplied them through offspring, were it not that, being separated by location, they cannot come together in union. They also diligently explore the intentions of the planets, considering them the governors of the world. This is easy to discover from their affection, their motion, their application to one another, and the dances of the stars. Saturn, being cold and old, is therefore heavy and harmful; by nature, he draws malice and irritability from his age. Hostile to everyone, he barely spares even his own students. Jupiter, on the other hand, succeeds him as favorable and healthy, and is so kind toward everyone that he doesn't offend anyone with the malice of the father or the ferocity of Mars—unless, perhaps, he has become stationary or retrograde to the detriment of the world, or suffers a miserable burning. Mars is fierce and untamed by nature, and he pursues everyone except his own students. Yet, he is sometimes mitigated by the approach of Jupiter or Venus, since she too is favorable and kind, while Mercury is whatever the neighboring planets allow him to be, as he is of a changeable nature and clings to those who are more powerful.
The Folly of Fatalism
The author critiques the reliance on astrological fatalism and the arbitrary assignment of planetary domiciles, which distract from the true Creator.
This is why many consider him a master of eloquence; while it's highly beneficial when joined to wisdom, it's just as harmful when linked to malice. Although Lucan didn't exactly teach this, he still touched upon the path of error when he described the city's fear and predicted the civil war as inevitable, using the necessary arguments of astronomy as Caesar approached. For that most learned poet—if he can even be called a poet, since his true-to-life narrative leans more toward the historians—hints that the malice of the one who sat alone on the throne of his own domain was bound to be fulfilled. And although the potter may discuss the plans of the Fates and the mind of the stars, he hasn't yet provided a full understanding of the bodies we see, since in the whole house of mathematicians, the question of whether the stars consist of elements or of the fifth essence that Aristotle introduces remains unresolved. They even disdain to hear what boys object to them—whether things are soft or hard, and anything of that sort—even though I've seen some famous men, who in their own judgment are wise, laboring most miserably over such things. Yet they do explain and prove with their own reasoning what the Fates are deliberating, and what effect the discovered will of the stars will have in the sublunary sphere. And perhaps the judgment of the divine is void, which the mathematician doesn't bring forth. He says, therefore: 'What kind of disaster, O gods, by what plague do you prepare such cruelty? The end of many days has converged into one time; if the cold, harmful star of Saturn were to ignite its black fires in the highest heaven, Aquarius would have poured out Deucalion-like rains, and the whole earth would have lain hidden in the flooded sea.' If you were pressing the savage Nemean Lion with your rays now, Phoebe, fires would flow across the whole world, and the sky, ignited by your chariot, would have burned up. These fires cease; but you, Gradivus, who set the threatening Scorpion ablaze with your burning tail and scorch its claws, what are you planning that is so great? For gentle Jupiter is suppressed in the high sunset, the healthy star of Venus grows dim, the swift Cyllenius lingers in its motion, and Mars alone holds the sky. Why have the signs abandoned their paths, and why are they carried through the world in darkness? The side of the sword-bearing Orion shines too brightly. The madness of arms looms, and the power of the sword will overturn all justice by force; virtue will be the name given to unspeakable wickedness, and this will go on for many years. Behold how clearly the inevitable outcome of war follows from the quality of the planets, the position of the signs, and the concurrence of causes. This is highly relevant to the tradition of the art, ensuring there is certainty regarding the natural or accidental domicile of the planets. Except for the sun and the moon, which are content with only one, all the others enjoy two domiciles: a natural one and an accidental one. There is, of course, a natural domicile for each, where everyone had the beginning of their creation—assuming the astrologers agree that they were created by the Lord. The moon’s domicile, therefore, is Cancer; the sun’s is Leo; Mercury’s is Virgo; Venus’s is Libra; Mars’s is Scorpio; Jupiter’s is Sagittarius; and Saturn’s is Capricorn—and this is natural. Accidentally, however, Aquarius yields to Saturn, Pisces to Jupiter, Aries to Mars, Taurus to Venus, and Gemini falls to Mercury. The moon is useful, though; God created it along with the other stars—whatever they may chatter about it—so that it might rule over the night. For what should I say about the sun, which is the leader, prince, and moderator of the other lights? I do not fear to declare it a good and necessary thing, even if all these planets protest; for it illuminates the day for all who see, tempers the world, divides the seasons of the year, brings about changes, and does many other things that would take too long to recount now. But although the causes of many utilities may reside in it and in the others, there is still one primary cause for them and for all things that rightly exist: the One who made the world by the power of His own majesty, formed and established it by the virtue and immensity of His wisdom, and was moved by goodness alone to confer upon it both substance and form. Truly, however, mathematicians or planetarians, while they strive to expand the power of their profession, fall most ruinously into the lies of error and impiety.
Discernment and Divine Order
True wisdom requires discerning the limits of human knowledge and recognizing that while the heavens may serve as signs of God's glory, they do not negate human free will.
No rule of any art is kept intact unless it's held within the scope of its own kind, especially since, as the wise man says, it's common to find something that falls outside the rule. Every rule is adapted to a specific class of things. If it's applied elsewhere, it immediately runs into a truth that is vulnerable to falsehood. If, therefore, mathematicians were content with the limits of probable science—that is, doctrinal science—and could reach the true position of the stars, and with sober learning could foresee the quality of the times from their natural signs, they could reap the most delightful fruit of their speculation. But when they broaden their phylacteries and enlarge their fringes, while attributing too much power to constellations and planets—ascribing to them I don't know what kind of authority—they break out into an injury against the Creator; and while they don't understand the heavenly things they handle with sobriety, they are, according to the Apostle, fools. See into what an abyss of error they fall from the very heavens. Constellations.1 They attribute everything to their own constellations. You decide for yourself whether it's an insult to the One who made heaven and earth and everything in them. Then, the constellation imposes a necessity on things, so that it destroys the freedom of the will. Think for yourself whether this is right, too. Some have finally reached such a level of madness that they claim an image can be formed by a human being from the various positions of the stars; they say that if this image is formed at specific intervals of time and according to a certain ratio of proportions while maintaining the constellation, it will receive the breath of life by the nod of the stars and reveal the secrets of hidden truth to those who consult it. And although they sometimes command that things which are honest or right be kept in a clean place, or that only God be invoked when something is sought with prayers and offerings, it's certain that this is a deception of evil spirits, who often seem to bring forward precepts of innocence or justice so that they are less guarded against. No believer is unaware that this is a form of idolatry. Astrologers, however, ascend to heaven much more conveniently, as they defend whatever seems probable to them by their own right, in the manner of the Academics. Therefore, some of them argue that the planets struggle against the fixed stars with a certain irrational motion; others, following Aristotle, claim that they are carried along with the firmament. According to Mineius, neither view is found to be contrary to the rules of astrology. But astrologers, while they insist too much on the divination of the knowledge of the heavens, have lost the knowledge of both the heavens themselves and of God. Yet those among them who seem to excuse their own position more conveniently. They don't strip the Creator of authority over his works, as Plotinus does, but instead assert that he established the law once and for all—a law that no effort can undo, since everything God has arranged is destined to be exactly as he foresaw.2 Papinius perhaps understood this when he said: 'It begins from on high, a heavy and unchangeable weight rests upon holy words, and the fates follow the voice.' From him, therefore, their power was attributed to individual creatures, in which it was not fitting for the heavens to hold the lowest place, or for things more worthy than others to have the least power. He bestowed upon them as much as he willed, and although he kept the primacy of the work for himself, he assigned to them at least the service of signs. Hence, even if they don't often perform the works of signs, they still carry out their ministries with God as their author. From this, perhaps, comes that saying: 'The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.' It's no wonder, since both birds and many other things anticipate certain future events through signs, by the ordinance of God and the benefit of nature. If, therefore, celestial signs are indicators of things that will undoubtedly happen by necessity—since an unchangeable disposition has ordained them—what prevents those things which are foretold by the indication of celestial bodies from being known by man and shared among men? After all, signs are given to humans for instruction, not to those who, being privy to celestial secrets, have no need of any signs.
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sis reprohatae, et traditione Tnathematicorum et erroribu8 eorum. Verum quia probabile est celestium aliquam esse xiirtutem, cum et in terra non credatur aliquid gigni, quod a manu opificis Dei bonum aliquem non sortiatur efiectum, qui curiosiores sunt, celestium potentiam inuestigant, et de singulis quae in sublunari globo proueniunt, astronomiae suae regulis nituntur reddere rationem. Est autem astronomiae nobilis et gloriosa scientia, si clientelam suam intra moderationis metas cohibeat, quam si licentiori uanitate excedit, non tam philosophiae species quam impietatis decipula est. Et quidem multa sunt mathesi doctrinali et diuinatoriae mathesi communia, sed dum diuinatio sobrieb tatis mensuram excedit, toto dissidens fine non instruit sed suum dedocet professorem. Quod enim zonas partiuntiir, parallelos disterminant, cum signis suis obliquant zodiacum, quod orbem fere totum coluris cingunt, quod laborem metiuntur planetarum, quod aplanem nuUius erroris participem faciunt, quod a polo arctico ad antarcticum axem ducunt, quod signa per gradus et puncta diuidunt, quod orientium et occidentium signorum, et siderum proportionem tenent, utrique commune est. Vtraque tamen in eo phisicis adquiescit, quod teneritudinem subtilium corporum in quasdam sectas uias et circulorum intercapedines non estimat dissipari. Asserunt quoque communiter solem caloris auctorem esse, tiumorumque augmentum et defectum, quoniam id sensus probat, motui lunari accommodant; et in hunc modum plurima. Ceterum mathesis, quae futuronim poUicetur indicium, ab elementis philosophiae, ut praedictum est, trahens originem ultra progreditur, et elationis suae temeritate in praerogatiuam eius prorumpit qui stellas numerat, quarum ipse nomina solus signa potestates cursus loca tempora nouit.
Quoniam hoc ipsum astronomiae suae beneficio sibi astrologus repromittit. Tantoque longius a scientia ueritatis aberrant, quanto ad eam tumidius irrumpere moliuntur. Signorum ergo naturam reuoluentes, prout eam forte nouerant, dum in stellis comparibus fluctuarent, alia dicunt masculini generis, alia feminini, essentque forsitan multiplicata per sobolem, nisi quia dissociata locis in coitu conuenire non possunt. Planetarum quoque consilia, quoniam et orbis moderatores eos habent, diligenter explorant, quod ex afFectione eorum et motu et applicatione unius ad alterum choreisque stellarum facile est inuenire. Satumus ergo, quia frigidus est et senex, grauis est et nociuus, et de natura malitiam, morositatem contrahit ab etate. Omnibus ergo inimicus uix suis etiam scolasticis parcit. Succedit ei lupiter e contra propitius et salubris tantaeque benignitatis in omnes ut nec de malitia patris nec Martis ferocitate subiecti quemquam ofFendat, nisi forte et ipse a in orbis subiecti dispendia stationarius factus sit retrogradusue aut adustionem miserabilem patiatur. Mars ferox naturaque indomitus omnes praeter scolasticos suos persequitur; mitigatur tamen interdum louis accessu uel Veneris, quoniam et ipsa propitia est et benigna, Mereurius uero talis est, qualem uicini planetae permiserint, cum et ipse conuertibilis naturae sit potentioribusque cohereat.
Vnde plerique eiun praesulem eloquentiae opinantur, eo quod illa iuncta sapientiae plurimum prosit, malitiae sociata noceat plurimum. Haec quidem etsi non docuit, sectam tamen erroris attigit Lucanus, cum timorem urbis describeret; bellumque ciuile necessariis astronomiae argmnentis ineuitabiliter appropinquante Cesare futurum denuntiaret. Innuit enim poeta doctissimus (si tamen poeta dicendus est, qui uera narratione rerum ad historicos magis accedit) iUius malitiam irrefragabiliter adimplendam qui solus in throno sui domicilii residebat. Et licet Figulus Parcarum consilia discutiat mentemque stellarum, corporum tamen quae uidentur nondum plenam notitiam tradidit, cum in tota mathematicorum domo adhuc non sit quaestio expedita, an ex elemcntis sidera constent an ex quinta essentia quam Aristotiles introducit. Nam quod eis obiciunt pueri, mollia sint an dura, et si quid huiusmodi est, etiam audire dedignantur, quamuis aliquos famosos et suo iudicio sapientes in talibus uiderim miserrime laborare. Expediunt tamen et suis rationibus probant, quid fata deliberent, et deprehensa uoluntas siderum quem in sublunari globo sortiatur effectum. Et forte sententia numinis irrita est, quam non mathematicus prof ert. Ait ergo: Quod cladis genus, o superi, qua peste paratis seuitiaml extremi multorum tempus in unum conuenere dies; summo si frigida celo stella nocens nigros Satumi accenderet ignes, Deucalioneos fudisset Aquarius imbres, totaque diffuso latuisset in aequore tellus.
Si seuum radiis Nemeaeum, Phebe, Leonem nunc premeres, toto fluerent incendia mundo, succensusque tuis flagrasset curribus ether. Hii cessant ignes; tu qui flagrante minacem Scorpion incendis cauda, Chelasque peruris, quid tantum, Gradiue, paras"? Nam mitis in alto lupiter occasu premitur, Venerisque salubre sidus hebet, motuque celer Cillennius heret, et celum Mars solus habet. Cur signa meatus deseruere suos, mundoque obscura feruntur? Ensiferi nimium fulget latus Orionis. Imminet armorum rabies, ferrique potestas confundet ius omne manu; scelerique nefando nomen erit uirtus, multosque exibit in annos. Ecce ex qualitate planetarum et positione signorum et concursu causarum quam manifestus belli ineuitabilis sequatur euentus. Hoc etenim ad artis traditionem plurimum spectat, ut de naturali uel casuali constet domicilio planetarum.
Omnes siquidem praeter solem et lunam qui soli singulis contenti sunt, duobus domiciliis gaudent, naturali scilicet et accidentali. Naturale quidem cuique domicilium est, in quo quisque creationis suae principium a habuit, si tamen genethliaci consentiunt eos a Domino esse creatos. Lunae igitur domicilium Cancer est, Leo Solis, Mercurii Virgo, Libra Veneris, Scorpio Martis, Sagittarius louis, Satumi Capricornus, et hoc naturaliter. Casualiter uero Saturno cedit Aquarius, Pisces loui, Aries Marti, Veneri Taurus, in Mercurii sortem Gemini cedunt. Luna uero commoda est, quam cum aliis steUis, quicquid illi garriant, creauit Deus ut praeesset nocti. Quid enim de sole dicam, qui dux et princeps est et moderator luminum reliquorum Eum utique reclamantibus omnibus his planetariis, non timeo bonum et necessarium profiteri; cuin et diem mdentibus cunctis illustret, temperet orbem, anni tempora diuidat, inducat renim uicissitudines, et alia plurima quae nunc longum est enarrare. Sed licet multarum utilitatum in eo et in ceteris causae resideant, ipsorum tamen et omnium quae recte sunt, una est et prima causa, quae mundum fecit propriae maiestatis potentia, eumque sapientiae suae uirtute et immensitate formauit et firmauit, et ut ei tam substantiam quam formam conferret, sola inducta est bonitate. Verum mathematici uel planetarii, dum professionis suae potentiam dilatare nituntur, in erroris et impietatis mendacia pemiciosissime corruunt.
Nec cuiuscumque artis regula seruatur illesa, nisi dum infra proprii generis ambitum cohibetur, praesertim cum iuxta sapientem frequens sit aliquid extra regulam inueniri. Omnis etenim regula alicui generi rerum accommodata est. Si uero traducatur ad aliud, statim in ueritatem impingit obnoxiam falsitati. Si ergo mathematici probabilis matheseos, id est, doctrinalis essent fine contenti, et ueram possent assequi positionem stellarum, et ex signis suis sobria eruditione secundum quod naturaliter proueniunt qualitatem praescire temporum et speculationis suae iocundissimum carpere fructum. Cum uero dilatant philateria sua et magnificant fimbrias, dum constellationibus et planetis nimium uirtutis ascribunt, eis nescio quam auctoritatem openim ascribentes, in creatoris prorumpunt iniuriam; et dum celestia quae tractant ad sobrietatem non sapiimt, iuxta apostolum stulti sunt. Vide in quantam erroris abyssum ab ipsis celestibus cadant. Constellationibus x. — suis ascribunt omnia.
Tu uideris an fiat ei iniuria, qui fecit celum et terram et omnia quae in eis sunt. Deinde eam constellatio rebus necessitatem indicit, ut arbitrii perimat libertatem. An et hoc recte, tecum delibera. Ad tantam denique quidam peruenere uesaniam, ut ex diuersis stellarum positionibus dicant imaginem ab homine posse formari, quae si per interualla temporum et quadam ratione proportionum in constellatione seruata formetur, stellarum nutu recipiet spiritum uitae, et consulentibus occultae ueritatis manifestabit archana. Et licet quandoque, quae honesta uel recta sunt, ut se in loco mundo uelle seruari, uel solum Deum, quando aliquid quaeritur, precia bus et muneribus inuocandum praecipiat, maligni tamen spiritus hanc esse fallaciam certissimum est, qui ut minus caueatur innocentiae uel iustitiae praecepta plerumque uidetur afFerre. Hanc quidem idololatriae speciem esse fidelium nullus ignorat. Longe uero commodius in celum ascendunt astrologi, qui Academicorum more quicquid eis occurrerit probabile suo iure defendunt. Itaque quidam eorum motu quodam irrationali planetas aduersus aplanem niti contendunt; alii, auctore Aristotile, eosdem cum firmamento ferri profitentur, quorum neutrum teste Mineio astrologiae regulis inuenitur aduersum.
At genethliaci dum ad diuinationem scientiae celestium nimis insistunt tam ipsorum celestium quam Dei notitiam perdiderunt. Qui tamen inter eos suum commodius excusare uidentur. errorem, cum Plotino auctoritatem operum non detrahunt creatori, sed semel et simul ab eo legem asserunt institutam; quam nullus umquam conatus euacuat, cum omnia quae S disposuit futura sint ut praeuidit. Quod forte Papinius intellexit cum diceret: Incipit ex alto, graue et immutabile sanctis pondus adest uerbis, et uocem fata sequuntur. Ab eo ergo sua potestas attributa est singulis creaturis, in quibus non oportuit celestia locum tenere nouissimum, et quae digniora sunt aliis habere minimum potestatis. Eis itaque quantum uoluit contulit qui, etsi sibi retinuerit operis principatum, signorum illis ad minus indixit obsequium. Vnde etsi non saepe faciant opera signorum, tamen auctore Deo exhibent ministeria. Hinc forte illud: Celi enarrant gloriam Dei, et opera manuum eius annuntiat firmamentum.
Nec mirum, cum et aues et alia plurima institutione Dei et naturae beneficio quaedam futura signis praeueniunt. Si igitur celestia signa sunt rerum quae procul dubio uenturae simt necessario, cum eas immutabilis dispositio ordinauerit, quid prohibet ea quae celestium praenuntiantur indicio sciri ab homine et homini inuicem isindicari? Signa siquidem hominibus data, sunt ad eruditionem, non illis qui celestium conscii secretorum nullis indi ent sigrnis.
Notes
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