Question III: On divination by the elements, and other mixed things

The Demon has devised a thousand ways of doing harm, so that men might abuse the creatures, founded for their use. And not only did he arm the stars, as it were the Militia of Heaven, so that, fighting against God, they might prostitute to senseless lights the honor owed to the creative Majesty, but he packed the elements for our ruin. Thus he instructed the magi, so that they might hold the luminaries of heaven sacred. But first Sazoba Zoroaster the King began to worship the Sun, as Porphyry relates in de Nympharum antro. His subjects the Persians imitated him, and among the Assyrians Nemrod was adored under the name of the Sun, as Salianus relates, in the year of the world 1931. The Egyptians also, the Phoenicians, and the Greeks began to invoke the militia of heaven, as many relate, cited by Serlogus, analog. 5. sectione 5.

At almost the same time among the Persians and Assyrians fire was invoked. Hence they relate that Abraham was cast into the fire, which he had refused to worship, as D. Jerome narrates in de traditionibus Hebraeis, where he mocks that fable. The cult shown to the other creatures is treated in the law in Serlogo.

Therefore the Demon taught men Geomancy, so that, imprinting certain signs, points, and figures on the earth, in dust, on stones, on papers, or on other earthly bodies, they might thence attain the power of divining the future. Thus also he taught Hydromancy, so that they might impart some motion to water in a basin, and gaze into it for taking omens: in the air he created insane variations in the sounds of the winds and of the fanings, whether sharp or booming, unto musical Steromantic tones. He placed Pyromancy in observations of fire; namely, whether it was smoky or clear, etc., that they might thence predict things to come — as if indeed the green woods did not by nature exhale an obscure, turbid, and blood-colored fire, while the dry exhale a clear one, in the form of a pyramid, into the open field.

He taught men to consider many natural things for divining: in the hands the signs, lines, the vital, etc., the Mounts of Venus, of Jupiter, etc., chimerically contrived, that they might thence argue whether they were going to enjoy a happy life, a faithful wife, treacherous friends, dangers of iron, fire, and similar ravings. Indeed in the lineaments the parts beget sons like themselves, and in events altogether unlike. These lineaments accordingly are disfigured by fatness, leanness, wrinkles, etc.

Grave also is the fact that in these times it is permitted to extend the hand of the Gypsy, that they may augur our fortune for us, as Navarrus teaches, summa, cap. 11. num. 31. Alcozer summa, cap. 14. fol. 46. Ludouicus Lopez p. p. Instruct. cap. 41. Sanchez Tom. 1. Decal. lib. 2. cap. 38. num. 47. Fagundez lib. 1. cap. 39. num. 4. in primum praeceptum Decal. — provided, however, that this be done in jest and for sport, it will not be lethally illicit, unless from the dignity of the person a scandal breaks out.

That physiognomy, however, which is a part of natural Philosophy, which from the disposition of the body, the habit and proportion of the members, conjectures with probability the affections of the mind, and a good or evil disposition of character, a keen intelligence, the temperament of the body, a firm or infirm state of health, is lawful, because from these things these can be known with probability; otherwise if these are predicted with certainty; for they cannot exhibit anything with certainty, as Delrius proves at length, lib. 4. disq. cap. 3. quaest. 4. Azorius Tom. 1. lib. 9. cap. 16. Less. lib. 2. cap. 43. d. 7. num. 45. Sanchez tom. 1. Decal. lib. 2. cap. 38. num. 44. after D. Bonaventure, in compend. Theol. veritatis, lib. 2. cap. 58., where, in favor of the nearly probable conjecture from these signs, he alleges Aristotle, Avicenna, Constantius, Philemon, Loxeus, Palaemotius, and he distinguishes excellently: and his book was published by order of Sixtus V, who issued his own Motu against vain divination, and this book was dedicated to Clement VIII. You should see that most excellent one distinguishing, from which you will receive no small pleasure. See also the last disputation of tome 3, where I discussed physiognomy at length according to the mind of the Saintly Doctor.

But the physiognomy which, from the aspects of the parts of the human body, predicts prosperous and adverse events of a man, is superstitious and condemned by Sixtus V, as the cited Doctors relate, and it is detested by S. Bonaventure, loc. cit. et alibi passim.

From the motions of the human body no, or a very weak, conjecture can be taken for divining things to come; for they often depend on the free will. Whence it is a superstition. So Sanchez num. 44. Valentia d. 6. quaest. 12. puncto 5. Fagundez num. 6.

Similarly, to divine from fortuitous accidents is superstitious, for instance from the double encounter of the same person on the same journey; from the breaking of a strap, the spilling of salt, etc. So Sanchez num. 42. Azorius Tom. 1. lib. 5. cap. 22. quaestio unica, Fagundez num. 7.

Thus to divine contingencies from the voices of men is vain and superstitious, as Valentia notes, puncto 3. Azorius Tom. 1. lib. 9. cap. 12. — unless indeed God reveal something from them, as Gedeon, Iudic. 7., on the dream being narrated to him, predicted victory.

From the motion, flight, and song of birds, free events are divined superstitiously; for these natural things are determined to one thing. They have, indeed, a phantasy directed by the stars to their proper acts, their food, sleep, and prey; whence their animal spirits are excited by a change in the air, their brain is affected, so that they flee, cry out, etc., as D. Bonaventure teaches above, D. Thom. quaest. 95. art. 7. Caietanus there, Azorius tom. 1. lib. 9. cap. 15. in fine, Less. lib. 2. cap. 43. d. 7. num. 45.

These indeed indicate certain intemperies in the air and in the other Elements, insofar as they are accustomed to excite dispositions in the blood and the choler; whence one conjectures quarrels, wars, and seditions, but most remotely and uncertainly, as the Saintly Doctor says, and with him Fagundez num. 9. Sanchez num. 30. Valentia puncto 3. col. 2.