Stars

Deut. iv. 19.STARS. To give the Hebrews a Caution against the Idolatry that prevail’d through almost all the East, of worshipping the Sun, Moon, and Stars; Moses informs us, in the Beginning of Genesis, that God gave them their Being, and that he separated them from that Mass of Matter which he had produced out of Nothing. Job describes the Stars to us, as praising the Creator at the Beginning of the World. And Isaiah makes Lucifer say at his Rebellion; I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my Throne above the Stars of God.

The Beauty and Splendor that Men have observed in the Stars, and the great Advantages that they derive from thence; the wonderful Order that they have discover’d in their Courses; the Influence that has been ascribed to them, in the Production and Preservation of Animals, of Fruits, Plants, and Minerals, have prevail’d with almost all People of the World to impute to them Life, Knowledge, Power, and to pay them a sovereign Worship and Adoration. Moses says; Lest thou lift up thine Eyes unto Heaven, and when thou seest the Sun, and the Moon, and the Stars, even all the Host of Heaven, shouldst be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all Nations under the whole Heaven. And Job says; If I beheld the Sun when it shined, or the Moon Job xxxi. 26,27,28.walking in Brightness; and my Heart hath been secretly enticed, or my Mouth hath kissed my Hand, (by way of Adoration): This also were an Iniquity to be punished by the Judge; for I should have denied the God that is above. The Worship of Baal, of Astarte, of the Queen of Heaven, of the Host of Heaven, &c. with which the Jews were often reproach’d, was no other than the Acts vii. 42.Worship of the Stars, especially of the Sun and Moon. St. Stephen, in the Acts, after having spoke of the Worship of the Golden Calf by the Israelites in the Wilderness, says, that God gave them up to their Blindness, and that they paid their Adoration to the Host of Heaven, and that they carry’d in the Desart the Tent of Moloch, and the Ark of their God Remphan. We examine elsewhere into the Meaning of these Words of St. Stephen.

The Jews, both ancient and modern, ascribe great Influence to the Stars. Philo¹ imputes to them a great Part of whatever happens upon the Earth. He says elsewhere,² that the Stars are not only Animals, but even most pure Spirits; that the Air is replete with Animals, or Spirits, which are continually descending, to animate Bodies. He had borrow’d these Notions from his Master Plato. Origen was guilty of the same Mistake³. The Rabbins also ascribe Intelligence to the Heaven and the Stars⁴: They maintain, that they have a Knowledge of God; that they know themselves; that God is the Object of their Desires; that their Knowledge and Actions are more perfect than those of Men.

Maimonides says, that among wise Men there is no Controversy about the Stars: They all agree, that they have a great Influence upon the Generation and Corruption of sublunary Bodies.⁵ Some impute the Direction of Affairs rather to the Angels, than the Stars; but others maintain, that it is the Stars which pour out their Influences upon the Earth: Every Herb, according to them, has its particular Star, from whence it receives its Virtue; which Virtue is even extended to the Body of Man, and to the principal Actions of his Life. However, this does not take away the Liberty of Man; the Planets lay them under no Necessity: Their Effects are chiefly confined to the Body; as Health, Complexion, and whatever depends thereon.

Job xxxviii. 7.The sacred Books sometimes seems to ascribe Knowledge to the Stars: We are told, that the Stars praised the Lord at the Beginning of the World. The Sun, the Moon, and the Stars are excited to praise the Lord. The Moon is said to withdraw her Light, to obey the Voice of Joshua: That the Sun stopt its Course, at Psalm xviii. 6.the Command of this General of God’s People: That the Sun rises as a Bridegroom, that comes out of his nuptial Chamber. Moses seems to favour their Opinion, who impute Influences to the Sun and Moon, when he promises to Deuter. xxxiii. 14. Job ix. 7.Joseph the precious Fruits brought forth by the Sun, and the precious things put forth by the Moon. Job says, that the Lord commanded the Sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the Stars. And the Psalmist Psal. ciii. 19. Eccl. i. 5.says, that the Sun knows the Time and Place of his Setting. And Solomon says, The Sun also ariseth, and the Sun goeth down, and hasteth to his Place where he arose. This is not unlike that Expression of Ecclus. xlii. 16. Ecclus. xi. & iii. 2. Baruch v. 59.Ecclesiasticus; Sol illuminans per omnia respicit, & gloriâ Domini plenum est opus ejus. And again; Sol in aspectu annunciaus, in exitu vas admirabile, opus excelsi. Baruch says, that the Sun and the Moon, those shining Luminaries, are obedient to the Lord.

But all these Expressions, which are meerly popular, are not to be understood literally; for then we must say, that the Earth, the Trees, the Waters, are animated, since we find in Scriptures some Expressions that would insinuate as much. All the Creatures glorify God, bless the Lord, and obey him, each in its Way. If we allow any thing more to the Sun, the Moon, or the Stars, ‘tis because they are Creatures of greater Perfection, and by which the Glory and Magnificence of God shine forth in a more eminent and conspicuous manner.

Amos, speaking of the Idolatry of the Israelites in the Wilderness, informs us,⁶ that they carry’d along with them the Star of their Gods. ‘Tis demanded, what this Star was, or this Constellation? For under the Name of Star, the Jews comprehended the Planets, and all the heavenly Bodies, exclusive of the Sun and Moon. Some⁷ imagine it was a Representation of the Planet Saturn, and this Opinion is very common. Others think it was the Moon; but I know not whether she was ever comprehended under the Name of Star. The Septuagint have read, the Star of Remphan your God. For this, see the Article REMPHAN, that we may not repeat what is said elsewhere.

The Star foretold by Balaam in this Passage, There shall come a Star out of Jacob, Numbers xxiv. 17.and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the Corners of Moab, and destroy all the Children of Sheth. According to the modern Jews, this Star signifies King David, who conquer’d the Moabites, and reduced them under his Obedience. But the ancient Jews, as the Paraphrasts Onkelos and Jonathan, explain it of the Messiah, which is certainly the literal and natural Sense of this Passage. Some have thought, a that in this Place Balaam foretold the Appearance of that real Star, which arose at the Time of our Saviour’s Birth, and which guided the Magi into Judea, to see the Person whose Birth was declared by that Star. But this Star did not come out of Jacob; and that cannot be apply’d to this Star, which is said there, which plainly points at a Ruler, a Conqueror, a great Prince, and, in a word, a Messiah. The Jews were so well convinced of this, at the Time of Jesus Christ, and some Time afterwards, that the famous Impostor Bar-caliba caus’d himself to be call’d Barcocheba, the Son of the Star, pretending to be the Messiah, and involved the Jews of Palestine in a Revolt, which compleated the Ruin of that unfortunate Nation.

The Star that appeared to the Magi, and conducted them to Bethlehem, where our Saviour was just born, has furnish’d Matter for many Conjectures. Some of the Antients thought,⁸ that this was a new Star, purposely created to proclaim to Mankind the Coming of the Messiah. Others were of Opinion,⁹ that it was a kind of Comet, which appear’d in the Air after an extraordinary manner. Others have pretended,¹⁰ that it was an Angel cloathed with a luminous Body, in Form of a Star, which, by his Motion, directed towards Judea, excited in the Magi an Inclination to follow it, and to search out what it portended. Several of the Fathers have vindicated this Opinion, founded upon this; That this Star appear’d to be Rational and Intelligent, appearing and disappearing, stopping and going forward, in such manner as was necessary for the Conduct of the Magi to the proper Place. Lightfoot conjectures,¹¹ that it was the same Light as had appear’d to the Shepherds, who were feeding their Flocks near to Bethlehem; and which having been observed by the Magi, made them imagine, that in this Place the Messiah was born, who had been so long expected.

The Author of the Imperfect Commentary upon St. Matthew says, that this Star descended upon the Mountain where the Magi had expected it for several Ages; that it appear’d to them, having a little Child in the middle of it, and a Cross at top; that this Child spoke to them, and order’d them to take a Journey into Judea. Epiphanius¹² has follow’d the same Tradition, which is taken out of the Apocryphal Book of Seth. Some have advanced,¹³ that this Star was the Holy Ghost, which appear’d to the Magi under the Form of a Star, as it afterwards appear’d in the Likeness of a Dove, at the Baptism of Jesus Christ. St. Ignatius the Martyr says,¹⁴ that this Star cast a Brightness which exceeded that of all the Stars in the Heaven; that the Sun, Moon, and the other Stars, waited on it, and follow’d it, by way of Respect; that the whole World was in Admiration at the Sight of its Splendour. St. Austin¹⁵ calls it, with Reason, the magnificent Tongue of Heaven, which spoke to the Magi, and instructed them, in some manner, concerning the Word being made Flesh, and reduced to Silence: Quid erat nisi magnifica lingua cœli?

It is not agreed, at what Time the Star appear’d to the Magi. Several think it appear’d to them two Years before the Birth of Christ, and that the Magi setting out from Home as soon as it appear’d, were two Years upon their Journey.¹⁶ Others will have it, that it did not arise ‘till the Moment of our Saviour’s Birth: And these are yet divided; for some think that the Magi did not arrive at Bethlehem ‘till two Years after the Birth of our Saviour.¹⁷ Others make them arrive there thirteen Days after this Birth; and that they might make the greater Haste, they assign them Dromedaries to ride upon. There are those that think, that the Star appear’d from the Moment of Christ’s Incarnation, or even from that of John the Baptist.

There are still some Difficulties started, whether this Star was seen by every Body, or only by the Magi. Some think that every Body saw it,¹⁸ that all People were Witnesses of this Phenomenon; that some, not knowing the Mystery of it, contented themselves to wonder at it; and that it was to the Magi only that God revealed the Signification of it, and gave them an Inclination to follow it. Others, on the contrary,¹⁹ believe that few People saw it; that the Magi themselves only saw it by fits, and from time to time, when it was necessary to them as a Guide, and to encourage them to persevere in their Resolution. Lastly: The Generality will have it,²⁰ that the Magi saw it for the greatest Part of their Journey, and that it disappear’d to them only when they arriv’d at Jerusalem; then they found themselves under a Necessity of Enquiry, where they might find the new-born King of the Jews.²¹

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