The supposed science of astrology is of a nature less tremendous,
and less appalling to the imagination, than the commerce with devils
and evil spirits, or the raising of the dead from the peace of the
tomb to effect certain magical operations, or to instruct the living
as to the events that are speedily to befal them. Yet it is well
worthy of attention in a work of this sort, if for no other reason,
because it has prevailed in almost all nations and ages of the world,
and has been assiduously cultivated by men, frequently of great
talent, and who were otherwise distinguished for the soundness of
their reasoning powers, and for the steadiness and perseverance of
their application to the pursuits in which they engaged.
The whole of the question was built upon the supposed necessary
connection of certain aspects and conjunctions or oppositions of the
stars and heavenly bodies, with the events of the world and the
characters and actions of men. The human mind has ever confessed an
anxiety to pry into the future, and to deal in omens and prophetic
suggestions, and, certain coincidences having occurred however
fortuitously, to deduce from them rules and maxims upon which to build
an anticipation of things to come.
Add to which, it is flattering to the pride of man, to suppose all
nature concerned with and interested in what is of importance to
ourselves. Of this we have an early example in the song of Deborah
in the Old Testament, where, in a fit of pious fervour and exaltation,
the poet exclaims, "They fought from heaven; the stars in their
courses fought against Sisera." [223]
The general belief in astrology had a memorable effect on the history
of the human mind. All men in the first instance have an intuitive
feeling of freedom in the acts they perform, and of consequence of
praise or blame due to them in just proportion to the integrity or
baseness of the motives by which they are actuated. This is in reality
the most precious endowment of man. Hence it comes that the good man
feels a pride and self-complacency in acts of virtue, takes credit
to himself for the independence of his mind, and is conscious of the
worth and honour to which he feels that he has a rightful claim. But,
if all our acts are predetermined by something out of ourselves, if,
however virtuous and honourable are our dispositions, we are overruled
by our stars, and compelled to the acts, which, left to ourselves,
we should most resolutely disapprove, our condition becomes slavery,
and we are left in a state the most abject and hopeless. And, though
our situation in this respect is merely imaginary, it does not the
less fail to have very pernicious results to our characters. Men,
so far as they are believers in astrology, look to the stars, and
not to themselves, for an account of what they shall do, and resign
themselves to the omnipotence of a fate which they feel it in vain
to resist. Of consequence, a belief in astrology has the most
unfavourable tendency as to the morality of man; and, were it not
that the sense of the liberty of our actions is so strong that all
the reasonings in the world cannot subvert it, there would be a fatal
close to all human dignity and all human virtue.