NPNF2-08. Basil: Letters and Select Works - Holy Bible Institute

The creation of luminous bodies.able to their labours. Further, the Lord has announced to us that at the dissolution of theuniverse, signs will appear in the sun, in the moon and in the stars. The sun shall be turnedinto blood and the moon shall not give her light, 1581 signs of the consummation of all things.5. But those who overstep the borders, 1582 making the words of Scripture their apologyfor the art of casting nativities, pretend that our lives depend upon the motion of the heavenlybodies, and that thus the Chaldæans read in the planets that which will happen to us. 1583By these very simple words “let them be for signs,” they understand neither the variationsof the weather, nor the change of seasons; they only see in them, at the will of their imagination,the distribution of human destinies. What do they say in reality? When the planetscross in the signs of the Zodiac, certain figures formed by their meeting give birth to certaindestinies, and others produce different destinies.Perhaps for clearness sake it is not useless to enter into more detail about this vain science.I will say nothing of my own to refute them; I will use their words, bringing a remedyfor the infected, and for others a preservative from falling. The inventors of astrology seeingthat in the extent of time many signs escaped them, divided it and enclosed each part innarrow limits, as if in the least and shortest interval, in a moment, in the twinkling of aneye, 1584 to speak with the Apostle, the greatest difference should be found between one birthand another. Such an one is born in this moment; he will be a prince over cities and willgovern the people, in the fulness of riches and power. Another is born the instant after; hewill be poor, miserable, and will wander daily from door to door begging his bread. Consequentlythey divide the Zodiac into twelve parts, and, as the sun takes thirty days to traverseeach of the twelve divisions of this unerring circle, they divide them into thirty more. Eachof them forms sixty new ones, and these last are again divided into sixty. Let us see then if,851581 Basil seems to be confusing Joel ii. 31 and Matt. xxiv. 29.1582 ὑπὲρ τὰ ἐσκαμμένα πηδᾶν is a proverbial phrase for going beyond bounds. cf. Lucian., Gall. vi. andPlat., Crat. 413, a.1583 “On doit d’autant plus louer le grand sens de Saint Basile qui s’inspire presqu’ entièrement d’Origène etde Plotin, sans tomber dans leur erreur. En riant toute espèce de relation entre les astres et les actes de l’homme,il conserve intacte notre liberté.” Fialon, p. 425. “Quale deinde judicium de hominum factis Deo relinquitur,quibus cœlestis necessitas adhibetur cum Dominus ille sit et siderum et hominum. Aut si non dicunt stellas acceptaquidam potestate a summo Deo, arbitrio suo ista decernere, sed in talibus necessitatibus ingerendis illius omninojussa complere, ita ne de ipso Deo sentiendum est, quod indignissimum visum est de stellarum voluntate sentire.Quod si dicuntur stellæ significare potius ista quam facere, ut quasi locutio sit quædam illa positio prædicens futura,non agens (non enim mediocriter doctorum hominum fuit ista sententia) non quidem ita solent loqui mathematici,ut verbi gratia dicunt, Mars ita positus homicidam significat, sed homicidam non facit.” August., De C. Dei. v.1.1584 1 Cor. xv. 52.313