ASTROLOGY. 
rous other inftances may be adduced both from facred and 
profane hiftory, in fupport of this doctrine. The fourth 
life of thefe celeftial luminaries, is for feafons. This is alfo 
obvious ; for we find that heat and cold, and drought and 
moifture, are all guided and governed by the heavenly bo¬ 
dies ; and that not only fpring and autumn, and dimmer 
and winter, bear teftimony of it; but we have it confirmed 
by the evidence of our own conftitution and feeling ; for, 
when the weather is heavy and lowering, we find curfelves 
dull and languid ; when bright and radiant, we are cheer¬ 
ful and merry ; and, when unfettled and unfeafonable, we 
feel it by indifpofition and melancholy ; and this is all 
brought about by the operation of thefe luminaries upon 
the feafons of the year, in the due courfe of nature. The 
next ufe allotted them is, fifthly for days, and fixthly for 
years; and that thefe are meafured out, and governed by 
them, is every way apparent; by the fun’s circuit, and 
the moon’s energy. The fun, like a ftrong man,.rejoices 
to run his race ; he rifeth out of the chambers of the eaft, 
and with golden rays difpels the morning clouds, and ex¬ 
hales the pearly dew; cheering and refrefhing all nature 
tvith his prefence. Hence it is evident, that thefe lumi¬ 
naries were not only placed in the heavens to give light 
upon the earth, to govern the feafons, and to fet bounds 
to time ; but alfo to communicate figns and tokens to man¬ 
kind, of things to come. We fiiall now confider how far 
it is fcriptural, and confonant to reafon, to allow them 
thole influences attributed to them by aflrology. 
tc That the fun, moon, and all the planets, have a di¬ 
re .61 and obvious influence upon earthly fubflances, no 
than of common obfervation will deny. The fun is the 
fountain of heat, and that heat is the nurfe of life ; and 
the moon is the fountain of moifture, which tempers the 
violent heat of the fun, and modifies all his operations. 
But the fun and moon, and all the planets, have each of 
them a particular fpecific property, according to their own 
innate quality, and according to the nature of that fign or 
band of flats under which they happen to be pofited. This 
is a fa 61 eflabliflied by repeated obfervation and experi¬ 
ence ; for, when the fun enters the equinoCtial fign Aries, 
the fpring begins to (hew herfelf, and all vegetative na¬ 
ture, by the moon’s humidity, and the fun’s temperate 
heat, feems to revive and flourifii, and, as it were, to rife 
from the dead ; whither the cold blafts of the hyemnal 
air had before conligned it. So, when his radiant beams 
enter the fign Taurus, they ftir up the benign influences 
of the Pleiades and Hyades; Hoedi being then to the north, 
and Orion to the fouth,. and AviSturus finking below the 
horizon ; and their cold and tempeftuous effects begin to 
ceafe, as they are fucceeded by thefe benevolent conftella- 
tions, which produce warm foutherly winds, and gentle 
fllowers, replenifhing the earth, and caufing vegetation. 
Again, when the fun rifes with the Dog-ilar, we find an 
influence which caufes vehemency of heat, contagion, and 
infirmity. Medicaments adniiniflered under this conftel- 
lation prove hard and obnoxious ; and we find dogs at this 
time apt to run mad: the fea is troubled without any ap¬ 
parent caufe, and all nature feems more or lefs opprefled 
by it; and yet theie effects are never found to be equally 
violent in any two fummers, which clearly proves an in¬ 
fluence in the fiars, as well as in the fun. And again, 
though the fun keeps the fame conftant and invariable 
courfe through the twelve figns of the zodiac, for an infi¬ 
nity of annual revolutions, yet we never find the feafons 
•and weather exaCtly correfpond, which they doubtlefs 
would do, were it not that cold and heat, and wind and 
vain, are governed by the configurations the fun makes 
with the planets and fixed fiars; and this alfo evidently 
proves the force of their influence. It is likewife mani- 
fefi, that whenever the planet Saturn is palling out of one 
fign into another, the weather is more or lefs turbulent 
and unfettled. 
“ But it is not rhe weather only, nor the inanimate part 
of the creation alone, that is affected by the influences of 
the fun, moon, and planets; fox we find they operate upon 
the human fpecies, and upon all animate nature, in every 
part ot the world. The fun, and the quality of the hea¬ 
vens about the torrid zone, naturally occafion thofe men 
who are born and live under.it, to be quite black, with 
fliort crifped hair, of a mean fiatnre, and hot conftitution, 
imbibing a fierce and favage fpirit; and this by reafon of 
the fun’s continual ftay and power in that fiery region. It 
is obfervable, that the inhabitants of the fouth °are of a 
better and quicker wit, and much more ingenious and 
tractable ; and this is accounted for by their vertical point 
being fituated nearer the zodiac, in which the planets 
move. So likewife the inhabitants of the north are of a 
ftrong body, but of rude manners and condition, becaufe 
their vertical point is placed at a great diftance from the 
fun’s courfe ; and therefore they abound with cold and 
moifture, and are of a phlegmatic conftitution, of a fair 
complexion, tall, courageous, and ingenious. Europe, 
being fituated in the north-weft part of the earth, is under 
Mars in Aries, and, by reafon of this planet ruling in that 
triplicity, its inhabitants are naturally of a noble and mag¬ 
nanimous fpirit, given to martial exploits, and feats of 
war ; of a generous mind, and courteous manners. And 
thus the fun, modified by the different figns and conftella- 
tions through which he paftes, regulates the climates, and 
ftieds his influence upon all mankind, leaving behind hiia- 
evident marks of his government and fway. Some, in¬ 
deed, have attempted to account for the fwarthy and black 
complexion of the favage race, by a variety of other plau- 
fible conjectures: but none are to be relied on, that do not 
attribute its caufe to the intenfe heat and pow er of the fun 
in thole climates; than which nothing can be more confo- 
nant to reafon, fince we find, even in this country, that if 
we remain long together in the fun, in the heat of' rum¬ 
mer, our complexions change, and we become in a degree 
tanned and fwarthy. 
“ Confpicuous as are the influences of the fun, thofe of 
the moon are no lefs fo. This is evinced by a conlidera- 
tion of that wonderful and never-ceafing operation of the 
moon upon the ocean, fo as to occafion that perpetual flux 
and reflux of the fea, which we call tides. Here we fee 
the waters of the vaft ocean, forgetful, as it were, of their 
natural reft, move and roll in tides obfequious to the ftrong 
attradftive power of the moon, and with an increafe or di¬ 
minution of force, in proportion as fiie appears in ftreno-th B 
or want of afpetf. This is an influence fo univerfally°ad¬ 
mitted, and fo peculiar to that luminary, that it eftablifties 
at once the doftrine we contend for. But there are nu¬ 
merous other inftances of the eft'eCts of the moon, no lefs 
common than extraordinary, and perfectly well known ; 
thofe unhappy perfons who labour under a deprivation of 
fenfe, and are afflicted with lunacy, have their fits more 
violent and terrible, in proportion as the moon increafes 
or di mi nifties in light and motion ; and in all chronic and 
acute difeafes, her power and influence are vilibly and 
forcibly felt. Indeed every fubjedt of the creation is more 
or lefs aftedted by the moon’s energy : the eyes of cats are 
obferved to fwell or fall at the full and change of the moon ; 
and even the fliell-filli at the bottom of the ocean are 
known to feel the weight of her influence. Thofe whofleep 
in the fields, or in any place expofed to the open air by 
moon-light, find their heads opprefled with water, and 
their fenfes inert and heavy; and butcher’s meat hung up, 
and expofed to the moon-light, will foon putrefy. The 
gardener alfo brings abundant teftimonies of the influence 
of the moon upon the vegetable world : if peafe are (own 
in the increafe of the moon, they never ceafe blooming ■> 
and, if fruits and herbs are fet in the wane, experience 
Ihews that they are neither fo rich in flavour, nor fo ftrong 
and healthy, as when planted during her increafe; fo 
vines, becaufe they fliould not fpread too fall, are ufually 
pruned in the wane. It is alfo remarkable, that a pome¬ 
granate will live only as many years as the moon was days 
old when it was planted ; and, in planting ftirubs, or the 
like, if they are to (hoot up (trait and tall, and to take little 
root, they are fet when the moon is in an airy fign and in- 
i creafing 
