This is not a small Argument, to confirm what we have said, and to prove that the Author hath evidently been conscious, that his knowledge came from Heaven, and that Gods goodness did him that grace; for having rejected and abhorred other means, that Impostors make use of for foretelling something. He writteth all these things of himself: First, in his Liminary Epistle to his Son _Cæsar_, he conjureth him, that when he should go about to study the foretelling of future things by Astrology, to avoid all kind of Magick, prohibited by the Holy Scripture, and the Canons of the Church; and to encourage him the more to it, he relateth what happened to him, _viz._ that having been Divinely enlightned, and fully persuaded that God only can give the knowledge of future things, which absolutely depends of the free will of men, he did burn abundance of Writings, wherein was taught the Art of Prophecying, and as they were a burning, there came out a great flame, which was like (he thought) to burn his House all to ashes, by which accident he understood the falsity of such Writings, and that the Devil was vexed to see his plots discovered; besides that, he confesseth that being the greatest Sinner of the World, nevertheless he got that favour from Heaven by a Divine Inspiration; and because no body should doubt of it, he learnedly expoundeth wherein consisteth that inspired Revelation, he saith that it is, _A participation of the Eternal Divinity_, by which we come to judge of what the Holy Ghost imparteth to us; by that participation of Eternity, the Author doth not understand a communication of the continuance of the Divine being, but a participation of the Divine knowledge, measured by its Eternity, as the Schools terms it. Effectively, the Author compareth this participation to a glistering flame, which createth a new day in our understanding, which flame proceeding from Gods infinite knowledge, who seeth and comprehendeth what is Eternity, doth impart unto us what is inclosed in the volubility of the Heavens. After this testimony, which wholly destroyeth the Sinister opinions that men had of his Prophecies, he sheweth how Judicial Astrology may agree with the knowledge of that which proceedeth from a Prophetical Spirit. It is true, saith he, that sometimes God imparteth this Light not only to the unlearned, and to his Holy Prophets, but also to those that are versed in Judicial Astrology, making that instrumental for the confirmation of his inspired truths: As we see that natural Sciences, help the light of the Faith, and make a certain disposition in the mind fitter then ordinary, to receive those Divine impressions. Thus (saith he) in the beginning of the Epistle, God did supernaturaly inspire me, not by any Bacchick fury, nor by Lymphatical motions, as he did the _Sybilles_; but by Astronomical assertions; that is to say, that God gave him that grace, not by any Extasy, but by studying those rules, which Astrology teacheth.