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Author: Pererius, Benedictus, 1535-1610.
Title: The astrologer anatomiz'd, or, The vanity of star-gazing art discovered by Benedictus Pererius ; and rendered into English by Percy Enderbie, Gent.
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Print source: The astrologer anatomiz'd, or, The vanity of star-gazing art discovered by Benedictus Pererius ; and rendered into English by Percy Enderbie, Gent.
Pererius, Benedictus, 1535-1610., Enderbie, Percy, d. 1670.
London: Printed by Ralph Wood and are to be sold by M. Wright ..., 1661.
Alternate titles: Adversus fallaces et superstitiosas artes. English
Subject terms:
Astrology -- Early works to 1800.
URL: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A54321.0001.001
How to cite: For suggestions on citing this text, please see Citing the TCP on the Text Creation Partnership website.

Table of Contents
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title page
To the Honourably Extracted, and truly Noble, Sir FRANCIS PETRE, Baronet.
The Preface.
Chap. 1. Astrologicall Divination contrary to Divine Scripture, Ecclesiasticall Discipline, and Theologicall Do∣ctrine.
Of the vanity of Apollo's Oracles.
Why the Devils in foretelling future things so often erre.
The Truth and Verity of Christian Religion, can∣not cohere with the Truth of Judicial Astrology.
How severe the Church hath been in former times in her censure against this kinde of Astrologers.
Concerning many most false and evidently impious Assertions.
Chap. 2. Judiciary Astrology Arraigned and Convinc't by Philosophy, and the Professors proved altogether igno∣rant of Celestial Things.
Judiciary Astrologers ignorant of Celestial things.
Against the fictitious Antiquity which these men vainly boast to have concerning observations.
Of the strange Star which some years past appeared.
What a difficult thing it is punctually to observe what force the Aspects of the Stars have in every mans Nativity.
Chap. 3. Supposing Astrologers to know the very Depth and Cognition of Hea∣venly Matters, yet by eight Rea∣sons it shall be made manifest, that they are not able to tell future Events.
Eight Reasons, by which it is proved, that even out of a perfect cognition of the Stars, future events cannot be foretold.
The first Reason.
Besides Celestial Causes, the knowledge of particu∣lar Causes is most requisite to know their effects.
Of the equal Birth and unequal Fortune and Events of Twins. The second Reason.
The third Reason.
The exquisite Argumentation of Bardesanes against Astrologers.The Fourth Reason.
The fifth Reason.
Whether it be easier to Prognosticate, what a good or a bad man shall do.
How vain a thing it is to believe, that Astrologers can tell any man that he shall be chose chief Bishop or Pontifex.
That the Art and Science of Astrology is none, or not considerable. The sixth Reason.
The vanity and falsity of Astrological Predictions.
Errors of Astrologers in Chronology.
Astronomancy in all ages hath been exploded and condemned by prudent and knowing men. The seventh Reason.
What sort of men delight in these Astrologicall Predictions, whom St. Ambrose compares to a Spiders web.
An Argument against three Fundamentals of Astrology Judiciary.
Whether the Birth-stars of any man can be the certain causes of things which shall befall him
Whether the Conception or Nativity of man be more considerable to foretell Fortunes.
The vanity of Astrologers in applying their Art not onely to Men, but also to walled Towns and Cities.
Why Astrological Observation may not be as pre∣valent in Herbs and Animals, as in mankinde.
Concerning the Antiquity of Astrology amongst the Egyptians and Chaldeans.
CHAP. 4. The Stars are so far from being the Causes, that they are not as much as Signs of future things.
Whether or no if the Stars be not causes, they may be certain signs of future events.
Whether according to St. Augustine the Stars are Signs of all humane affairs.
Of the nature and variety of Signs.
Whether Comets or Blazing Stars be signs of humane affairs.
Whether those men who make the Stars signs of fu∣ture things, do thereby upon necessity establish that thing call'd Fate.
CHAP. 5. How it comes to pass, that Astrologers foretells many things true.
Four causes there are, by reason whereof Astrologers sometimes speak truth.
The first Cause.
By how many wayes the Devil by himself can fore∣tell or teach others to do the like in future things.
How many severall wayes and how grievously men sin, who either make use of the devil, or help of his Servants the Fortune-tellers, to know future things.
These kinde of Astrologers are for most part of a wicked life and conversation.
The second Cause.
Of the use of casting Lots amongst the Ancients to discover future things.
By the permission of God those who so earnestly gape after the knowledge of future things, are catcht in Satans nets and toyles, and intangled in many per∣nicious errours.
Many foretell future Events rather out of a pru∣dence and experience in humane things, then by Astrological Art. The third Cause.
The too much confidence and credulity of such as run after Astrologers oft times is the cause of their speaking truth. The fourth Cause.
The Index of the Discourses contained in this short Treatise.