conquered by the Normans comming with a forreine King being none of their naturall countrey In the yeare of our Lord sixe hundred threescore and eighteene Childerich King of France caused a Nobleman of his Realme called Bolyde to bee bound to a stake and there beaten to death without the pretence of any just crime or accusation against him For which cruelty his Lords and Commons being grievously offended conspired together and slew him and his wife as they were hunting In the raigne of Edward the second and Edward the third Sir Roger Mortimer committed many villanous outrages in shedding much humane bloud but he was also justly recompenced in the end first he murdered King Edward the second lying in Barkeley Castle to the end he might as it was supposed enjoy Isabel his wife with whom he had very suspitious familiarity Secondly he caused Edward the third to conclude a dishonorable peace with the Scots by restoring them all their ancient writings charters and patents whereby the Kings of Scotland had bound themselves to be feudaries to the Kings of England Thirdly he accused Edmund Earle of Kent uncle to King Edward of treason and caused him unjustly to bee put to death And lastly he conspi redagainst the King to worke his destruction for which and divers other things that were laid to his charge he was worthily and justly beheaded In the reigne of Henry the sixt Humfrey the good duke of Gloucester and faithfull protectour of the King by the meanes of certaine malicious persons to wit the Queene the Cardinall of Winchester and especially the Marquesse of Suffolke as it was supposed was arrested cast into hold and strangled to death in the Abbey of Bure For which cause the Lords hand of judgement was upon them all for the Marquesse was not onely banished the land for the space of five yeares but also banished out of his life for ever for as hee sailed towards France hee was met withall by a Ship of Warre and there presently beheaded and the dead corps cast up at Dover that England wherein he had committed the crime might be a witnesse of his punishment The Queene that thought by this meanes to preserve her husband in honour and her selfe in estate thereby both lost her husband and her state her husband lost his realme and the Realme lost Anjou Normandy with all other places beyond the sea Calice onely excepted As for the Cardinall who was the principall artificer of all this mischiefe he lived not long after and being on his death bed murmured and grudged against God asking wherefore hee should die having so much wealth and riches and saying That if the whole Realme would save his life he was able either by policy to get it or by riches to buy it but death would not be bribed for all his aboundant treasure he died miserably more like a Heathen than a Christian without any shew of repentence And thus was the good Dukes death revenged upon the princiall procurers thereof As the murder of a gentleman in Kent called master Arden of Feversham was most execrable so the wonderfull discovery thereof was exceeding rare This Arden being somewhat aged had to wife a young woman no lesse faire than dishonest who being in love with one Mosbie more than her husband did not onely abuse his bed but also conspired his death with this her companion for together they hired a notorious Ruffin one Blacke Will to strangle him to death with a towell as he was playing a game at tables which though secretly done yet by her owne guilty conscience and some tokens of bloud which appeared in his house was soone discovered and confessed Wherefore she her selfe was burnt at Canterbury Michael master Ardens man was hanged in chaines at Feversham Mosbie and his sister were hanged in Smithfield Greene another partner in this bloudy action was hanged in chaines in the high way against Feversham And Blacke Will the Ruffian after his first escape was apprehended and burnt on a seaffold at Flushing in Zeeland And thus all the murderers had their deserved dues in this life and what they endured in the life to come except they obtained mercy by true repentance is easie to judge CHA. XI Of the admirable discovery of Murders AS the Lord hath shewed himselfe a most just Judge in punishing most severely this horrible sinne of shedding mans bloud so hath he alwaies declared his detestation thereof and his will to have it punished by those who are in his stead upon the earth and have the sword of vengeance committed unto them by his miraculous and superhaturall detecting of such murderers from time to time who have carried their villanies so closely as the eye of man could not espy them plainely shewing thereby that the bloud of the slaine crieth to the Lord for vengeance from the earth as Abels did upon Cain and that God will have that law stand true and firme which he made almost before all other lawes He that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed If I should commit to writing all the examples of this kinde which either are recorded in Authors or which dayly experience doth offer unto us it would require rather a full Booke than a short Chapter for that subject And therefore I will be content with some few and those for truth most credible and yet for strangenesse most incredible And to begin with our owne countrey About the yeare of our Lord 867 a certaine Nobleman of the Danes of the kings stock called Lothebrocus father to Inguar and Hubba entring upon a certaine time with his hawke into a cockboat alone by chance through tempest was driven with his hawke to the coast of Northfolke in England named Rodham where being found and detained he was presented to king Edmund that raigned over the East-Angles in Northfolke and Suffolke at that time The King as hee was a just and good man understanding his parentage and seeing his cause entertained him in his Court accordingly and every day more and more perceiving his activity and great dexterity in hunting and hawking bare speciall favour unto him insomuch that the Kings Faulconer bearing privy malice against him for this cause secretly as they were hunting together in a wood did murther him and threw him in a bush Lothebroke being thus murthered and shortly missed in the Kings house no tydings could be heard of him untill it pleased God to reveale the murther by his dog which continuing in the wood with the corps of his Master at sundry times came to the Court and fauned on the King so that the King suspecting some such matter at length followed the trace of the hound and was brought to the place where Lothebroke lay Whereupon inquisition being made at length by some circumstances of words and other suspitions it was knowne that he was murdered by Berikâ— the Kings Faulconer who for his punishment he was set into the same boat of Lothebroke
besieging him in his owne City took him at last prisoner and hanged him with his two sons Francis and William Diocles son of Pisistratus Tyran of Athens for ravishing a maid was slain by her brother whose death when Hippias his brother undertook to revenge and caused the maidens brother to be racked that he might discover the other conspiratours he named all the Tyrans friends which by commandment being put to death the Tyran asked whether there were any more None but onely thy selfe quoth he whom I would wish next to be hanged whereby it was perceived how abundantly he had revenged his sisters chastity by whose notable stomacke all the Athenians being put in remembrance of their liberty expelled their Tyran Hippias out of their City Mundus a young Gentleman of Rome ravished the chaste Matron Paulina in this fashion when he perceived her resolution not to yeeld unto his lust he perswaded the Priests of Isis to say that they were warned by an Oracle how that Anubius the god of Egypt desired the company of the said Paulina to whom the chaste Matron gave light credence both because she thought the Priests would not lie and also because it was accounted a great renowne to have to do with a god and thus by this meanes was Paulina abused by Mundus in the Temple of Isis under the name of Anubius Which thing being after disclosed by Mundus himselfe he was thus justly revenged the Priests were put to death the Temple beaten downe to the ground the Image of Isis throwne into Tiber and the young man banished A principall occasion of the Danes first arrivall here in England which after conquered the whole Land and exercised among the Inhabitants most horrible cruelties and outrages was a Rape committed by one Osbright a deputy King under the King of the West-Saxons in the North part This Osbright upon a time journeying by the way turned into the house of one of his Nobles called Bruer who having a wife of great beauty he being from home the King after dinner allured with her excellent beauty took her to a secret Chamber where he forcibly contrary to her will ravished her whereupon she being greatly dismayed and vexed made her mone to her husband at his returne of this violence and injury received The Nobleman forthwith studying revenge first went to the King and resigned to his hands all such services and possessions which he held of him and then took shipping and sailed into Denmarke where he had great friends and had his bringing up there making his mone to Codrinus the King desired his aid in revenging of the great villany of Osbright against him and his wife Codrinus glad to entertain any occasion of quarrell against this Land presently levied an Army and preparing all things for the same sendeth forth Inguar and Hubba two brethren with a mighty Army of Danes into England who first arriving at Holdernesse burnt up the Countrey and killed without mercy both men women and children then marching towards Yorke encountered with wicked Osbright himselfe where he with the most part of his Army was slain and discomfited a just reward for his villanous act as also one chief cause of the Conquest of the whole Land by the Danes In the year of our Lord 955. Edwine succeeding his uncle Eldred was King of England this man was so impudent that in the very day of his Coronation he suddenly withdrew himselfe from his Lords and in sight of certain persons ravished his owne kinswoman the wife of a Nobleman of his Realme and afterward slew her husband that he might have unlawfull use of her beauty for which act he became so odious to his Subjects and Nobles that they joyntly rose against him and deprived him of his Crowne when he had reigned four yeares CHAP. XXII Other examples of Gods Judgements upon Adulterers AMongst all other things this is especially to be noted how God for a greater punishment of the disordinate lust of men strucke them with a new yet filthy and stinking kinde of Disease called the French Pox though indeed the Spaniards were the first that were infected therewith by the heat which they caught among the women of the new-found lands and sowed the seeds thereof first in Spain and from thence sprinkled Italy therewith wherethe French men caught it when Charles the Eighth their King went against Naples From whence the contagion spread it selfe throughout divers places of Europe Barbary was so over-growne with it that in all their Cities the tenth part escaped not untouched nay almost not a Family but was infected From thence it ran to Aegypt Syria and the graund Cair and it may near hand truly be said that there was not a corner of the habitable world where this not onely new and strange for it was never heard of in antient ages but terrible and hideous scourge of Gods wrath stretched not it selfe They that were spotted with it and had it rooted in their bodies led a languishing life full of aches and torments and carried in their visages filthy markes of unclean behaviour as ulcers boyles and such like that greatly disfigured them And herein we see the words of Saint Paul verified That an Adulterer sinneth against his owne body Now for so much as the world is so brutishly carried into this sin as to none more the Lord therefore hath declared his anger against it in divers sorts so that divers times he hath punished it in the very act or not long after by a strange death Of which Alcibiades one of the great Captaines of Athens may stand for an example who being polluted with many great and odious vices and much given to his pleasures and subject to all uncleannesse ended his life in the midst thereof for as he was in company of a Phrygian strumpet having flowne thither to the King of Phrygia for shelter was notwithstanding set upon by certain Guards which the King induced by his enemies sent to stay him but they though in number many through the conceived opinion of his notable valour durst not apprehend him at hand but set fire to the house standing themselves in armes round about it to receive him if need were he seeing the fire leaped through the midst of it and so long defended himselfe amongst them all till strength failed in himselfe and blowes encreasing upon him constrained him to give up his life amongst them Pliny telleth of Cornelius Gallus and Q. Elerius two Roman Knights that died in the very action of filthinesse In the Irish History we finde recorded a notable judgement of God upon a notorious and cruell lecher one Turgesnis a Norwegian who having twice invaded Ireland reigned there as King for the space of thirty yeares This Tyran not onely cried havocke and spoil upon the whole Countrey abusing his victory very insolently but also spared not to abuse virgins and women at his pleasure to the satisfying
together riches for he exercised his wit in devising new tributes and payments and rejoyced his heart in nothing more for which causes there arose a grievous sedition at Constantinople against him wherein not onely the excellent and famous monuments of the Empire were burned but also forty thousand men slain and this was no small punishment for his oppression At Paris there is to be seene in the corne market a certaine monument hard at the mouth of the common sinke which conveyeth away all the filth out of the City the occasion whereof is reported to be this A certaine courtier seeing the king sad and melancholly for want of treasure counselled him to exact of every countriman that brought ware into the city but one penny and that but for two yeares together which when the King put in practise and found the exceeding commodity thereof he not onely continued that tax but also invented divers others to the great dammage of the common-wealth and enriching of his owne treasurie Wherefore he that put it first into his head when hee saw that he had not so much authority in dissuading as he had in persuading it to take punishment of himselfe for that inconsiderate deed and to warne others from attempting the like he commanded by his testament that his body should be buried in that common sinke to be an example of exaction and the filthinesse thereof Barnabe Vicount of Milan by the report of Paulus Iovius was an unconscionable oppressor of his subjects and tenants for he did not onely extort of them continuall imposts and payments but enjoyned them to keepe every one a dogge which if they came to any mishap or were either too fat or too leane the keeper was sure to be beaten or at least some fine to be set on his head This Tyran was taken by Iohn Galeacius and after seven moneths imprisonment poysoned to death Archigallo brother to Gorbonianus in nature though unlike in conditions for he was a good Prince whereas this was a tyran was crowned King of Britaine in the yeare of the world 3671 we may well place him in the ranke of oppressours for he deposed the Noblemen and exalted the ignoble he extorted from men their goods to enrich his treasure for which cause the Estates of the Realme deprived him of his royall Dignity and placed his younger brother Elydurus in his room after he had raigned five yeares Hardiknitus King of Denmarke after the death of Harold was ordained King of England in the year of our Lord 1041. This King as he was somewhat cruell for he caused the body of Harold to be taken up out of the Sepulclire and smiting off his head to be cast out into the River Thames because he had injured his mother Emma when he was alive so he was burdensom to his Subjects in tributes and exaction for which cause growing into hatred with God and his Subjects he was strucken with sudden death not without suspition of poysoning after he had raigned three yeares William Rufus second son of William the Conquerour succeeded his father as in the Kingdom of England so in disposition of nature for they were both cruell inconstant and covetous aud burdened their people with unreasonable taxes insomuch that what by the murraine of men by postilence and oppressions of them by exactions the tillage of the earth was put off for one year being the year 1099 whereby ensued great scarcity the year following throughout all the Land but for the oppression William was justly punished by sudden death when being at his disport of hunting he was wounded with an arrow glauncing from the bow of Tyrill a French Knight and so his tyranny and life ended together And here is further to be noted that the place where this King was slain was called New Forest in which same place Richard the Cousin germane of King William son to Duke Robert his brother was likewise slain This New Forest was made by William the Conquerour their father who plucked downe and depopulated divers Townes and Churches the compasse of 30. miles about to make this a Forest for wilde Beasts a most beastly sin yea a bloudy crying sin too too much practised in these dayes and that by great persons that make no conscience to turne Townes into pastures and men into sheep but let all them behold the just vengeance of God upon this Kings posterity for when then either cannot or will not revenge then God revengeth either in them or their posterity In the year 1548. the Commons of Guyenne Santonge and Augoulemois fell into a great Rebellion by reason of the extortions of the Customers and Farmours of Salt the Rebels in a few weekes grew to the number of fourty thousand men armed with clubs and staves who joyning with the Islanders by a generall consent ran upon the Officers of the Custome and with extreme sury put to sword all that they could take notwithstanding the King of Navarre sought by all meanes to appease them About the same time the Commons of Gascoigne rose in divers places upon the same causes and notwithstanding all that the Lord of Monneins the Kings Lieutenant and all other Officers could do they made a great spoil of many honourable Houses and massacre of much people insomuch that the Lord of Moneins himselfe was slain by them whilest he was making an Oration to them to pacifie their rage but at length these Rebels were suppressed by Francis of Lorraine Earle of Aumale and Anne of Mommorancye high Constable of France and the chief King-leaders and Captaines of them executed according to their deserts La Vergne was drawne in pieces by four horses L'Estonnac and the two brothers of Saulx had their heads cut off Tallemoigne and Galeferâ— the two Colonels of the Commons were broken upon the Wheele being first crowned with a crowne of burning iron as a punishment of the Soveraignty which they had usurped Thus the Lord punished both the one and the other and the one by the other the exactors for their oppression and the tumultuous Commons for their Rebellion Neither doth the Lord thus punish oppressours themselves but also they that either countenance or having authority do not punish the same as it appeareth by this example following In the year of our Lord 475. there lived one Corrannus a King of Scots who though he governed the people in peace and quietnesse a long space and was indeed a good Prince yet because his Chancellour Tomset used extortion and exaction amongst his Subjects and he being advertised thereof did not punish him he was slain traiterously by his owne Subjects It is not unworthy to be noted how Edward the Third King of England prospered a long while in the warres against France and got many worthy and wonderfull victories but when Prince Edward son unto the aforesaid Edward after conditions of peace concluded began to set taxes and impositions upon the Country
and then afterwards making shew before Constantine the Emperour with a solemne oath to recant his old errours and approve the profession of Faith which the Councell of Nice had set forth concernning Christs divinity whereunto also he subscribed his name but all that he did was in hypocrisie to the end to renew and republish the more boldly his false and pernitious doctrine But when he thought himselfe neerest to the attainment of his purpose and braved it most with his supporters and companions even then the Lord stroke him with a sudden fear in the open street and with such horrible pangs in his guts and vehement desire of disburthening nature that he was faine to come unto the publick houses appointed for that purpose taking them which were next at hand for a shift but he never shifted from them again for his breath went out of his mouth and his guts ran out of his fundament and there lay he dead upon his owne excrements As the Emperour Constantius was a great favourer and supporter of this sect and maintained it against and in despight of true Christans and by that meanes stirred up schismes and dissentions throughout all Christendome so the Lord to requite him stirred up Iulian whom he himselfe had promoted to honour to rebell against him whose practices as he went about to suppresse and was even ready to encounter a grievous Apoplexy sudenly surcharged him so sore that he died of it before he could bring his purpose to passe The Emperour Valens was infected also with this poyson wherewith likewise he infected the Gothes who by his means were become the greater part Arrians and not Christians but neither went he unpunished for when he marched forth to represse the rage of the furious Gothes who were spread over all Thracia and had given them battell he lost the day and being shamefully put to flight was pursued so fiercely that hee was faine to hide himselfe in a little house which being set on fire by the Gothes he was burnt therein As for Nestorius which would maintaine by his foolish and dangerous opinions that the divinity of Christ was divided from his humanity making as it were two Christs of one and two persons of one and so turned upside downe that whole ground-worke of our salvation escaped no more the just vengeance of God than all other Hereticks did for first he was banished into a far country and their tormented with a strange disease the very wormes did gnaw in pieces his blasphemous tongue and at length the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed him up Concerning the Anabaptists which rose up about five hundred yeares since it is evidently known how divers wayes God scourged and plagued many of them some of them were destroyed by troops and by thousands others miserably executed and put to death in divers places as well for their monstrous and damnable heresies as for many mischiefes and outrages which they committed By all which things God doth exhibit and set before our eyes how deere and precious in his sight the purenesse of his holy Word and the unity of his Church is and how carefull and zealous every one of us ought to be in maintaining and upholding the â—ame when as he revengeth himselfe so sharply upon all those that go about to pervert and corrupt the sincerity thereof or which be breeders of new sects and divisions among his people Olympus by office Bishop of Carthage but by profession a â—avourer and maintainer of the Arriah heresie being upon a time in the Bath 〈◊〉 himselfe he uttered with an impious mouth blasphemous words against the holy Trinity but a threefold thunderbolt came from above and stroke him dead in the same place teaching him by his paine and all other by experience what it is to blaspheme the Lord of Heaven or with polluted lips to mention his sacred Majesty This hapned in the yeare of our Lord God five hundred and ten Cyril hath recorded unto us of his owne knowledge a more wonderfull and admirable wonder of God upon an Heretique than all the rest and such an one indeed as the like I dare say was never heard of The history is this After the decease of Saint Hierome there stood up one Sabinianus a perverse and blasphemous fellow that denied the distinction of persons in the Trinity and affirmed the Father the Sonne and the Holy-Ghost to be but one distinct person and to give credit to his heresie he wrot a booke of such blasphemies tending to the confirmation of the same and fathered it upon Saint Hierome as being the Author of it But Silvanus the Bishop of Nazaren mightily withstood and reproved him for depraving so worthy a man now dead and offering his life for the truth made this bargain with Sabinianus That if Saint Hierome the next day did not by some miracle testifie the falsenesse of his cause he would offer his throat to the hangman and abide death but if he did that then he should die This was agreed upon by each party and the day following both of them accompanied with great expectation of the people resorted unto the Temple of Jerusalem to decide the controversie Now the day was past and no miracle appeared so that Silvanus was commanded to yeeld his neck to that punishment which himselfe was Author of which as he most willingly and confidently did behold an Image like to Saint Hierome in shew appeared and stayed the hangmans hand which was now ready to strike and vanishing forthwith another miracle succeeded Sabinianus head fell from his shoulders no man striking at it and his carkasse remained upon the ground dead and sencelesse Whereat the people amased praising God clave unto Silvanus and abjured Sabinianus heresie Whence wee may observe the wonderfull wisedome of God both in punishing his enemies and trying his children whither they will stand to his Truth or no and learne thereby neither rashly to measure and limit the purposes of God nor yet timorously to despaire of help in a good cause though we see no meanes nor likelihood thereof Grimoald King of Lombardy was infected with the Arrian heresie for which cause the Lord punished him with untimely death for having been let bloud the eleventh day after as he strove to draw a bow he opened the veine anew and so bled to death â—abades King of Persia when he saw his sonne Phorsuasa addicted to the Maniches he assembled as many as he could of that sect into one place and there setting his Souldiers on them slew them till there was not one left Photinuâ— a Gallograecian for renuing the heresie of Hebion and affirming Christ to be but an excellent man borne naturally by Mary after the manner of other men excelling in justice and morall vertues was by the Emperour Valentinianus justly banished The Emperor Iustinian favouring the heresie of the Apthardocites when as he gave out one Edict whereby Anastasius the Bishop and all other that
King of Macedonia had a minion called Cratenas whom hee loved most entirely but he againe requited him not with love but with hatred and stretched all his wits to install himselfe in his kingdome by deposing and murthering him which though he accomplished yet his deserts were cut short by the vengeance of God for he continued not many dayes in his royalty but he was served with the same sauce that he had made Archelaus before him to taste of even betraied and murthered as he well deserved Lodovicus Sfortia to the end to invest himselfe with the Dukedome of Millain spared not to shed the innocent bloud of his two Nephewes the sonnes of Galenchus together with their tutors and one Francis Calaber a worthy and excellent man but the Lord so disposed of his purposes that he in stead of obtaining the kingdome was taken prisoner by the King of France so that neither he nor any of his off spring injoyed that which he so much affected When Numerianus was to succeed â—arus his father in the Empire Arrius Axer his father in law to the end to translate the Empire unto himselfe entered a conspiracy and slew his sonne in law that nothing mistrusted his disloyalty but the Pretorian army understanding the matter discharged Arrius and elected Dioclesian in his roome who laying hold upon his competitour laied an action of treason to his charge and put him to death in the sight of the multitude Theodoricke and Fredericke conspired against their owne brother Thurismund King of the Visigothes to the intent to succeed him in his Kingdome And albeit that nature reclaymed them from the act yet they slew him without all compassion But after thirteene yeres reigne the same Theodericke was requited by his other brethren with the same measure that he before meted to his brother Thurismund And so though vengeance slept a while yet at length it wakened Aelias Antonius Gordianus Emperour of Rome though so excellent a young Prince that he deserved to be called the Love and Iewell of the World yet was he slaine by one promoted by himselfe to high honour called Philip Arabs when he was but two and twenty yeres old after whose decease this Philip got himselfe elected Emperour by the Band and confirmed by the Senate All which notwithstanding after five yeres Decius rebelled and his owne souldiers conspired against him so that both he at Verona and his sonne at Rome were slaine by them about one time After the death of Constantine the Great his three sonnes dividing the Empire betwixt them succeeded their father Constantine the eldest had for his share Spaine France the Alpes and England Constance the second held Italy Africa Graecia and Illyricum Constantine the younger was King and Emperour of the East But ambition suffered them not to enjoy quietly these their possessions for when the eldest being more proud and seditious than the other not content with his alotted portion made warre upon his brother Constance his Provinces and strove to enter Italy he was slaine in a battell by Aquileia when he was but five and twenty yeares old by which meanes all the provinces which were his fell to Constance and therewithall such a drowsinesse and Epicurisme for want of a stirrer up after his brothers death that he fell into the gout and neglected the governement of the Empire Wherefore in Aâ—sourge and in Rhetia they created a new Emperour one Magnentius whose life before time Constance had saved from the souldiers and therefore his treachery was the greater This Magnentius deprived and slew Constance but was overcome by Constantine the third brother in Illyricum yet in such sort that the conqueror could not greatly brag for he lost an infinit company of his men and yet missed of his chiefe purpose the taking of Magnentius for he escaped to Lyons and there massacring all that he mistrusted at last growing I suppose in suspition with his owne heart slew himselfe also and so his traiterous ingratefull and ambitious murther was revenged with his owne hands Victericus betrayed Lnyba king of Spaine and succeeded in his place seven yeares after another traitour slew him and succeeded also in his place Mauritius the Emperor was murthered by Phocas together with his wife and five of his children he seating himselfe Emperour in his roome Howbeit traitors and murtherers can never come to happy ends for as he had slaine Mauritius so Priscus Heraclianus and Phorius three of his chiefest captaines conspiring against him with three severall armies gave him such an alarme at once at his owne doores that they soone quailed his courage and after much mangling of his body cut him shorter by the head and the kingdome at one blow In the time of Edward the second and Edward the third in England one Sir Roger Mortimer committed many villanous outrages in shedding much bloud and at last King Edward himselfe lying at Barkley castle to the end that he might as it was supposed enjoy Isabel his wife with whom he had very suspitious familiarity After this he unjustly accused Edmund Earle of Kent of treason and caused him to bee put to death therefore and lastly he conspired against King Edward the third as it was suspected for which cause he was worthily and deservedly beheaded Among this ranke of murtherers of Kings we may fitly place also Richard the third usurper of the Crowne of England and divers others which he used as instruments to bring his detestable purpose to effect as namely Sir Iames Tirrèl Knight a man for natures gifts worthy to have served a much better Prince than this Richard if he had well served God and beene endued with as much truth and honesty as he had strength and wit also Miles Forest and Iohn Dighton two villaines fleshed in murthers But to come to the fact it was on this sort When Richard the usurper had enjoyned Robert Brackenbury to this piece of service of murthering the young King Edward the fifth his Nephew in the Tower with his brother the Duke of Yorke and saw it refused by him he committed the charge of the murther to Sir Iames Tirrel who hasting to the Tower by the Kings Commission received the keyes into his owne hands and by the helpe of those two butchers Dighton and Forest smothered the two Princes in their bed and buried them at the staires feet which being done Sir Iames rode back to king Richard who gave him great thankes and as some say made him knight for his labour All which things on every part well pondered it appeareth that God never gave the world a notabler example both of the unconstancy of worldly wâ—ale and also of the wretched end which ensueth such despightfull cruelty for first to begin with the ministers Miles Forest rotted away peecemeale at Saint Martins Sir Iames Tirrel died at the Tower hill beheaded for treason King Kichard himselfe as it is declared elsewhere was slaine
dreaming of nothing lesse whereat they being at the instant amazed quickly gathered their spirits together and putting themselves in defence fought it out with such courage and eagernesse that the traitors Army was wholly discomfited and he himselfe with one of his sonnes slain The Gothes having gotten this victory broke off their voyage to France and turned their course backe again to Italie with purpose to destroy and spoil and so they did for they laid waste all the Countrey of Piemont and Lumbardy and elsewhere and besieged Rome it selfe so that from that time Italie never ceased to be scourged and tormented with the Gothes for the space of eighteen yeers Moreover whosoever else have been found to follow the steps of these truce peace and promise-breakers void of truth and regard of reputation alwayes underwent worthy punishment for their unworthy acts and fell headlong into confusion and ignominy making themselves subjects worthy to be curst and detested of all men CHAP. XVI Of Queenes that were Murtherers IF these and such like cruelties as we have spoken before be strange and monstrous for men what shall we then say of wicked and bloudy women who contrary to the nature of their sex addict themselves to all violence and bloudshedding as cursed Iezabel Queen of Israel did of whom sufficient hath been spoken before Athaliah Ahabs daughter and wife to Ioram King of Judah was a bird of the same feather for she was possessed with such a spirit of fury and rage that after the death of her son Ochosias that died without issue she put to death all the bloud royall to wit the posterity of Nathan Solomons brother to whom by right of succession the inheritance of the Crown appertained to the end that she might install her selfe into the kingly diadem after this cruell butchery of all the royall male children except Ioas who by Gods providence was preserved alive she usurped the Crowne and Scepter of Juda full seven yeeres at the end of which date Ioas was exalted to the Crowne and she not onely deposed but slain by the hands of her Guard that attended upon her Semiramis the Queen of Assyria was a woman of an ambitious spirit who through her thirst of reigning counterfeited her sex and attired her selfe like a man to get more authority and reverence to her selfe She was the destruction of many thousand people by the unjust war which she stirred up besides that she was a notorious strumpet and withall a murderer of those that satisfied her lust for still as they came from her bed some lay privily in watch to kill them lest they should bewray her villany it is reported that she was so shamelesse that she solicited her owne son to commit incest with her who in detestation of her filthinesse and cruelty raised a power against her and conquering her in one great battell caused her most deservedly to be put to death Brunchild whom Histories call Brunhault a Queen of France by marriage but a Spaniard by birth was a woman that bred much mischiefe in her age and that wrought many horrible and death-deserving crimes for partly with her subtle devices and partly with her owne hands she murdered ten Kings of France one after another she caused her husband to slay his owne brother she procured the death of her nephew Meroveus whom against all equity and honesty she had secondly espoused for her husband for he being hated of his father for that vile incest and perceiving himselfe in danger of taking made one of servants thrust him through After she had committed these and many other foul facts she went aboutalso to defraud Clotairius the son of Chilpericke of the right of the Crowne which pertained unto him and to thrust in another in his room whereupon arose great war in the which as she dealt more boldly and manfully than the condition of her sexe would bear so she received the due wages of her brave and vertuous deeds for she was taken prisoner with three of her nephewes whose throats she saw cut before her face and after her selfe was set upon a Camell and led through the hoste three dayes together every man reviling mocking reproaching and despighting her and at last by the award and judgement of the Princes and Captaines of the Army she was adjudged to be tied by the hair of her head one arme and one foot to the tail of a wilde and unâ—â—med horse and so to be left to his mercy to be drawne miserably to her destruction which was no sooner executed but her miserable carkase the instrument of so many mischiefes was with mens feet spurned bruised trampled and wounded after a most strange fashion and this was the wofull end of miserable Brunchild Edilburga the daughter of Offa King of Mercia in England who was married to Brigthricus King of the West Saxons was a woman so passing all the bounds of humanity and so given to cruelty and other beastly conditions that she first poysoned divers of the Nobles of the Kingdom and then having practised this wickednesse upon them she at length poysoned also the King her husband for which cause flying over into France unto Charles the Great for fear of punishment among her owne people when by reason of her beautie it was offered unto her that she should marry either with the King himselfe or with his son because she chose the son before the father married neither the one nor yet the other but was thrust into a Monastery where she not forgetting her old trade playing the harlot with a Monke was expulsed from thence and ended her life in great penury and misery About the same time that this Edilburga was thus working her feats in England Irene another most idolatrous and cruell minded woman being Emperesse of the Greekes was as busie for her part at Constantinople This wicked woman through the meanes of Pope Adrian took up the body of Constantine Emperour of Constantinople her owne husbands father and when she had burned the same she caused the ashes to be cast into the sea because he disannulled images Afterward reigning with her son Constantine the sixth son to Leo the fourth and being at dissention with him for disallowing the worshipping of images caused him to be taken and laid in prison who afterward through power of friends being restored to his Empire again at last she caused the same her owne son to be cast in prison and his eyes to be put out so cruelly that within short space he died After this the said Emperesse as it were triumphing in her cruelty and idolatry caused a Councell to be held at Nice where it was decreed That images should again be restored to the Church but this Councell was after repealed by another Councell holden at Frankford by Charles the Great and at length this wicked woman was deposed by Nicephorus who reigned after and was expulsed the Empire and after the example of Edilburga
and the whole Army of threescore thousand men by bare eight thousand English discomfited divers great Lords were found slain in the field and divers others with the King himselfe carried Prisoners into England which was a great shake to the whole Realme and the occasion of many tumults and disorders that ensued afterwards Moreover as it is a rash part to hazard the doubtfull event of battell indiscreetly and without cause so it is a point of no lesse folly to thrust ones selfe voluntarily into any action of war without charge not being particularly called and bound thereunto or having a body unsufficient and unfit for the same And this was also one of the warlike points of Discipline which the antient Romans used That none should presume to fight for his Countrey before he had been admitted by some Captain by a solemne Oath Of all the Histories that I ever read I know none more strange in matter of war than this which I now go about to recite of Henry of Luxenbourg Emperour of Germany who when he heard that his son Charles King of Bohemia was in the French Army and that Philip of Valois King of France was ready to give battell to the English albeit he was blinde and consequently unfit for war yet would needs take part with the French and therefore commanded his men at Armes to guide him into the place where the Field was to be fought that he might strike one blow They as foolish as himselfe not willing to crosse his minde and fearing to lose him in the prease tied him faste to the raines of their bridles being by this meanes so coupled together as if they meant all to perish together if need were as indeed they did for they were overcome in battell and the next day found all dead horse and men faste bound together This accident befell at Crecy neer Abrevile in which journey the French King sustained an inestimable damage for he lost fifteen of his chiefest Princes fourscore Ensignes twelve hundred Knights and about thirty thousand men In the yeer 1455. the Hungarians without any just cause or pretence made war upon the Emperour Otto onely moved with a desire of bringing under their subjection the Germane powers and the rather at this time because they supposed the Emperours strength of war to be weakened and his power of men lessened by those continuall troubles and wars which he had been daily occupied in notwithstanding Otto as by his former deeds of Armes he deserved the sirname of Great so in this exploit especially for he conscribed eight Legions of men out of Franconia Bavaria and Bohemia and with that small valiant handfull overturned and destroyed the huge unchristened multitude of his enemies for albeit the Bohemians being placed in the Rereward were as suddenly and unexpectedly assaulted by the enemy that craftily passed over the River Lycus to set upon them behinde as unhappily put to flight with the losse of the carriages and victuals which they were set to protect yet Otto with his other Legions renuing the battell and encouraging his souldiers gave the enemy such an encounter and repulse that he put them to flight and slew them with a miserable slaughter three of their Kings he took Prisoners and few of that vaste Army escaped with their lives On the Emperours side died many worthy men among whom Conrade the Emperours son in law and Burghard Duke of Suevia were two beside many other In this successive battell it is to be noted above the rest how religiously the Emperour both began and finished it the day before the Fight he enjoyned a Faste in his Army and directed his prayers to the Almighty relying more upon the presence of Gods helpe than his owne power after the Conquest gotten he caused solemne thankes to be given in all Churches to God for the great deliverance I would our moderne Generals and Captaines would learne by this example to follow his footsteps and not to make their prayers quaffings and their thanksgiving carousings as they use to do even as it were purposely to tempt the Lord and to stir up his wrath against them Penda King of middle England making war upon Anna King of East Angles slew him in open field with which victory being puffed up by pride he sent defiance to Osway King of Northumberland also who hearing of his approach proffered him great gifts and fair conditions of peace which when Penda obstinately refused he was slain in battell with thirty of his most noble Captaines although he had thrice the number of people which Osway had And thus the heathen and bloudy Pagan ended his cruelty and paid dear for his too much forwardnesse in war CHAP. XVIII Of such as please themselves overmuch in seeing Cruelties THe Romanes were so accustomed by long use of war to behold fightings and bloudshed that in time of peace also they would make themselves sports and pastimes therewith for they would compell poor captives and bondslaves either to kill one another by mutuall blowes or to enter combate with savage and cruell beasts to be torne in pieces by them The first according to Seneca that devised and put in practice this unkindely Combate of Beasts and Malefactours was Pompey who provided an Army of eighteen Elephants to fight with men and thought it a notable and commendable spectacle to put men to death after this new and strange fashion Oh how mens mindes are blinded with over much prosperity He esteemed himselfe at that time to be higher in dignity than all other when he thus threw to wilde beasts people of farre Countries and in the presence of the people caused so much bloud to be shed but not long after himselfe was betrayed by the treachery of the Alexandrians and slain by a bondslave a just quittance for murdering so many of that condition thus much of Seneca Now it is manifest that this was an ordinary pastime among the Romans albelt it is strange that any pastime or pleasure could arise by seeing poor Creatures interchangeably strike one another to death and humane bloud to run like water along the streets It was not then without cause but by a speciall will of God to revenge cruelty that the bondslaves conducted by Spartacus the Fencer rebelled against their masters in Rome after they had broken through the guards of Lentulus his house and issuing out of Capua gathered together above ten thousand fighting men and encamped themselves in mount Vesuvius where being besieged by Clodâ—us Glaber they sallied so rudely and boisterously upon him that the victory and spoil of their enemies tents remained on their sides after this they ran over all the Land forraged the Countrey and destroyed many Villages and Townes but especially these four Nola Nocera Terrenevae and Metaponte were by them sacked and spoiled with a strange and bloudy overthrow after all which having encountred two Consuls they overcame Lentulus on mount Appennine and discomfited Gaiuâ—
under whom licence and liberty is given to every man to do what him listeth forsomuch then as this evill proceedeth from the carelesnesse and slothfulnesse of those that hold the sterne of government in their hands it cannot be but some evill must needs fall upon them for the same the truth of this may appear in the person of Philip of Macedony whom Demosthenes the Orator noteth for a treacherous and false dealing Prince after that he had subdued almost all Greece not so much by open war as by subtilty craft and surprise and that being in the top of his glory he celebrated at one time the marriage of his son Alexander whom he had lately made King of Epire and of one of his daughters with great pompe and magnificence as he was marching with all his train betwixt the two bridegroomes his own son and his son in law to see the sports and pastimes which were prepared for the solemnity of the marriage behold suddenly a young Macedonian Gentleman called Pausanias ran at him and slew him in the midst of the prease for not regarding to do him justice when he complained of an injury done unto him by one of the Peeres of the Realme Tatius the fellow King of Rome with Romulus for not doing justice in punishing certain of his friends and kinsfolkes that had robbed and murdered certain Embassadours which came to Rome and for making their impunity an example for other malefactors by deferring and protracting and disappointing their punishment was so watched by the kindred of the slain that they slew him even as he was sacrificing to his gods because they could not obtain justice at his hands What happened to the Romans for refusing to deliver an Embassadour who contrary to the law of Nations comming unto them played the part of an enemy to his own Countrey even well nigh the totall overthrow of them and their City for having by this meanes brought upon themselves the calamity of war they were at the first discomfited by the Gaules who pursuing their victory entred Rome and slew all that came in their way whether men or women infants or aged persons and after many dayes spent in the pillage and spoiling of the houses at last set fire on all and utterly destroyed the whole City Childericke King of France is notified for an extreme dullard and blockhead and such a one as had no care or regard unto his Realme but that lived idlely and slothfully without intermedling with the affaires of the Common-wealth for he laid all the charge and burden of them upon Pepin his Lieutenant Generall and therefore was by him justly deposed from his royall Dignity and mewed up in a Cloyster of Religion to become a Monke because he was unfit for any good purpose and albeit that this sudden change and mutation was very strange yet there ensued no trouble nor commotion in the Realme thereupon so odious was he become to the whole land for his drousie and idle disposition For the same cause did the Princes Electors depose Venceslaus the Emperour from the Empire and established another in his room King Richard of England among other foul faults which he was guilty of incurred greatest blame for this because he suffered many theeves and robbers to rove up and down the Land unpunished for which cause the Citizens of London commenced a high suit against him and compelled him having reigned two and twenty yeares to lay aside the Crown and resigne it to another in the presence of all the States and died prisoner in the Tower Moreover this is no small defect of justice when men of authority do not onely pardon capitall and detestable crimes but also grace and favour the doers of them and this neither ought nor can be done by a soveraigne Prince without overpassing the bounds of his limited power which can in no wayes dispence with the law of God whereunto even Kings themselves are subject for as touching the willing and considerate murderer Thou shalt plucke him from my Altar saith the Lord that he may die thy eye shall not spare him to the end it may goe well with thee which was put in practise in the death of Ioab who was slaine in the Tabernacle of God holding his hands upon the hornes of the Altar for he is no lesse abhominable before God that justifieth the wicked than he that condemneth the just and hereupon that holy King S. Lewis when he had granted pardon to a malefactor revoked it againe after better consideration of the matter saying That he would give no pardon except the case deserved pardon by the law for it was a worke of charity and pitty to punish an offendor and not to punish crimes was as much as to commit them In the yeare of our Lord 978 Egelrede the sonne of Edgare and Alphred King of England was a man of goodly outward shape and visage but wholly given to idlenesse and abhorring all Princely exercises besides he was a lover of ryot and drunkennesse and used extreame cruelty towards his subjects having his eares open to all unjust complaints in feats of armes of all men most ignorant so that his cruelty made him odious to his subjects and his cowardise encouraged strange enemies to invade his kingdome by meanes whereof England was sore afflicted with warre famine and pestilence In his time as a just plague for his negligence in Governement decayed the noble Kingdome of England and became tributary to the Danes for ever when the Danes oppressed him with warre he would hire them away with summes of money without making any resistance against them insomuch that from ten thousand pounds by the yeare the tribute arose in short space to fifty thousand wherefore he devised a new tricke and sought by treacherie to destroy them sending secret Commissioners to the Magistrates throughout the Land that upon a certaine day and houre assigned the Danes should suddenly and joyntly bee murdered Which massacre being performed turned to be the cause of greater misery for Swaine King of Denmarke hearing of the murder of his countrey-men landed with a strange army in divers parts of this Realme and so cruelly without mercy and pitty spoyled the Countrey and slew the people that the Englishmen were brought to most extreame and unspeakable misery and Egelrede the King driven to flie with his wife and children to Richard Duke of Normandie leaving the whole Kingdome to bee possessed of Swaine Edward the second of that name may well be placed in this ranke for though he was faire and well proportioned of body yet he was crooked and evill favoured in conditions for hee was so disposed to lightnesse and vanity that he refused the company of his Lords and men of honour and haunted amongst villaines and vile persons he delighted in drinking and riot and loved nothing lesse than to keep secret his owne counsailes though never so important so that he let
erecteth principalities and which maintaineth Common-wealths Kingdomes and Empires untill by the sum and weight of their iniquities they sink themselves into ruine and destruction And herein is he glorified by the execution of his most just and righteous judgements when the wicked after the long abuse of his lenety benignity and patience doe receive the wages and reward of their iniquities In this I say once again shineth out the wonderfull and incomprehensible wisedome of God when by the due ordering of things so different and so many hee commeth still to one and the same marke which hee once prescribed to wit the punishment of the world according to their demerits And this same is most manifest and apparant even in the Histories of prophane Writers albeit in their purpose it was never intended nor thought upon nor yet regarded almost of any that read the same men contenting themselves for the most part with the simple recitall of the story therein to take pleasure and passe away time without respecting any further matter Notwithstanding the true and principall use of their writings ought to be diligently to marke the effects of Gods Providence and of his justice whereby to learne to conteine our selves within the bounds of modesty and the feare of God seeing that they which have carried themselves any thing uprightly in equity temperance and other naturall vertues have been in some sort spared and the rest bearing the punishment of their iniquities have falne into destruction This consideration ought to perswade every man to turne from evill and to follow that which is good seeing that the Lord sheweth himselfe so incensed against all them which lead a wicked damnable and perverse life And this is the cause why I having noted the great and horrible punishments wherewith the Lord in most righteous judgement hath scourged the world for sin according to that which is contained as well in sacred as prophane Histories having gathered them together and sorted them one after another in their severall rooms according to the diversity of the offences and order and course of time which as neare as I could I endeavoured to sollow to the end to lay downe as it were in one Table and under one Aspect the great and fearefull judgements of God upon them that have rebelled or repugned his holy will And this I do not with purpose to comprehend them all for that were not onely difficult but impossible but to lay open the most notable remarkable ones that came to my knowledge to the end that the most wicked dissolute and disordered sinners that with loose reines runne fiercely after their lust if the manifest tokens of Gods severity presented before their eyes doe not touch them yet the cloud and multitude of examples through the sight of the inevitable anger and vengeance of God upon evill livers might terrifie and somewhat curb them Perjurers Idolaters Blasphemers and other such wicked and prophane wretches with murderers whoremongers adulterers ravishers tyrants shall here see by the mischiefe that hath falne upon their likes that which hangeth before their eyes and is ready to lay hold of them also For albeit for a time they sleep in their sins and blindnesse delighting in their pleasures and taking sport in cruelties and evill deeds yet they draw after them the line wherewith being more ensnared then they were aware they are taken and drawne to their finall destruction And this may teach and advertise both those that are not yet obstinate in their sins to bring themselves to some amendment and those that feare God already to strengthen and encourage them in the pursuit and continuance in their good course For if God shew himselfe so severe a revenger of their sinnes that take pleasure in displeasing him there is no doubt but on the contrary he will shew himselfe bountifull gracious and liberall in rewarding all them according to his promise which seeke to please him and conforme their lives unto his will Great and small young and old men and women and all other of what degree and condition soever may here learne at other mens charges how to governe themselves in duty towards God and betwixt themselves by a holy and unblameable life in mutuall peace and unity and by shunning and eschewing sin against the which God a most just Judge powreth forth his vengeance even upon the heads of them that are guilty thereof Beside here is ample matter and argument to stop the mouthes of all Epicures and Atheists of our age and to leave them confounded in their errors seeing that such and so many occurrents and punishmēts are manifest proofs that there is a God above that guideth the stern of the world and that taketh care of humane matters that is just in punishing the unjust and malicious Againe whereas so much evill and so many sins have reigned and swayed so long time and do yet reign and sway upon the earth we may behold the huge corruption and perversity of mankinde and the rotten fruits of that worme-eaten root Originall sin when we are not directed nor guided by the holy Spirit of God but lest unto our owne nature And hereby true faithfull Christians may take occasion so much the more to acknowledge the great mercy and singular favour of God toward them in that they being received to mercy are renewed to a better conversation of life then others In brief a man may here learne if he be not altogether void of judgement and understanding to have sin in hatred and detestation considering the wages and reward thereof and how the justice of God pursueth it continually even to the extreamest execution which is both sharp and rigorous Touching the word Iudgement I have imitated the language of Holy Scripture wherein as the Ordinances and Commandements of God are called Judgements because in them is contained nothing but that which is just right and equall so likewise the punishments inflicted by God upon the despisers of his Commandements are called by the same name as in Exod. 6. 6. 2 Chron. 20. 12. 22. 8. Ezech. 5. 8. 11. 9. and elsewhere because they also are as just as the former proceeding from none other fountaine save the most righteous judgement of God whereof none can complaine but unjustly The Names of the Authors from whom the most part of the Examples contained in this book are collected Moses and other sacred Writers Tertullian Cyprian Eusebius Socrates Theodoret. Sozomenes Nicephor Ruffinus Suidas Chrysostome Luther Illyricus Herodotus Thucydides Dion Halycarnasseus Diodorus Siculus Polybeus Plutarch Herodian Dyon Procopius Iornandes Agathius Aelianus Tit. Livius Salustius Suetonius Corn. Tacitus Amm. Marcellinus Iustinus Eutropius Lampridius Spartianus Flavius Vopiscus Cuspinianus Orosius Aimoinus Gregor Turonensis Anton Volscus Paulus Diaconus Luitprandus Olaus magnus Gothus Sabellicus Anton. Panormitanus Aeneus Silvius Ravisius Hieronymus Marius Alexander ab Alexandro Petrus Pramonstratensis Mich. Ritius Neapolitanus Fulgosius Fran. Picus Mirandula Bembus
all would not serve to shake the foundation of his Faith which was builded upon a Rocke hee was condemned and executed to death For being first scourged with whips then hanged up by the feet after having hot scalding water poured upon him at last hee was cast unto wilde beasts With all which torments being not terrified nor yet dispatched finally had his head cut off But behold the Judge called Antiochus that pronounced the sentence fell downe from his Throne before the face of the world even whilst the young man was in the mid'st of his torments and by his example made knowne to all men how odious such cruell persecutors are in the sight of Him that judgeth the Earth and controlleth the mightie Princes and Potentates of the same In the Empire of Iulian the Apostate the Lord sene such horrible earthquakes upon the world that what for the fall of houses and raptures of fields neither citie nor countrey was safe to abide in besides such an extreame drouth dryed up the moisture of the earth that victualls were very geason and deare These plagues Theodoret avoucheth to have fallen upon the world for the impietie of Iulian and the miserable persecution of Christians The Emperour Gallus had good successe in his affaires whil'st he abstained from shedding the bloud of the Christians but as soone as hee gave himselfe over unto that villany his prosperitie Kingdome and life diminished and decreased at once for within two yeares he and his sonne Vâ—lusianus in the warre against Aemylian were both slaine through the defection of his souldiers who in the point of necessitie forsooke him Beside the Lord in his time sent upon the Provinces of Rome a generall and contagious pestilence which lasted whole ten yeares without intermission to make satisfaction for the much innocens blood which was spilled amongst them Arnolphus the fourescor th Emperour raged like a Tyrant against all men but especially against those that professed the Religion and name of Christ Jesus for which cause the Lord stirred up a woman the wife of Guidâ— to minister unto him the dregs of his wrath in a poysoned cup by means whereof such a rottennesse possessed all his members that lice and wormes issuing out continually he dyed most miserably in Orâ—nge a city of Bavary the twelfth yeare of his raigne Bajazet the Turke to what a miserable and ludibrious end came he for his outragious hatred against all Christendome but especially against Constantinople which he had brought to so low an ebbe that they could scarce have resisted him any longer had not Tamberlaine the Tartarian revoked him from the siege and bidden him leave to assayle others and looke unto his owne And indeed he welcommed him so kindly that he soone tooke him prisoner and binding him with chaines of gold carried him up and downe in a cage for a spectacle using his backe for a foot-stoole to get upon his horse And thus God plagueth one Tyrant by another and all for the comfort of his chosen Gensericus King of the Vandales exercised cruell tyranny against the professors of the truth So did Honoricus the second also but both of them reaped their just deserts for Gensericus dyed being possessed with a Spirit and Honoricus being so rotten and putrified that one member dropped off after another Some say that he gnawned off his owne flesh with his teeth Authar is the twelfth King of Lombardy forbad children to be baptised or instructed in the Christian Faith seeking by that means to abolish and pluck downe the Kingdome of Christ but he raigned not long for ere six yeares were compleat he dyed with poyson at Pavia And so he that thought to undermine Christ Jesus was undermined himselfe most deservedly in the yeare of our Lord 593. When Arcadius the Emperonr through the perswasion of certain envious fellowes and his wife Eudoxia had banished Iohn Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople into Bosphorus the next night there arose such a terrible earth-quake that the Empresse and the whole citie was sore affrighted therewith so that the next morrow messengers after messengers were sent without ceasing till they had brought him backe againe out of exile and his accusers were all punished for their wrongfull accusation Thus it pleased God to testifie the innocency of his servant by terrifying his enemies Smaragdus an Exarch of Italy was transported by a Devill for tyrannizing over Christians in the first yeare of the Empire of Mauritius Maâ—â—uâ—ha a Sarasen being equall to Pharoah in persecuting the Church of God God made him equall to him also in the manner of his destruction for as hee returned from the spoyle of the Monastery of Caâ—â—ime and Mossana and the Daughter of many Christians the Lord caused the sea to swallow up his whole army even an hundred ships so that few or none escaped Another time even the yeare 719 they were miraculously consumed with famine sword pestilence water and captivitie and all for their infestuous rancour and tyranny towards Christians for whom the famine spared the sword devonred whom both these touched not the pestilence ate up and they that escaped all three yet perished in the waters and ten ships that escaped the waters were taken by the Romans and the Syrians surely an egregious signe of Gods heavie wrath and displeasure To conclude there was never any that set themselves against the Church of God but God set himselfe against them by some notable judgement so that some were murthered by their subjects as Bluso King of the Vandales others by their enmies as Vdo Prince of Sclavonia others by their wives as Cruco another Sclavonian Prince others discomfited in warre as Abbas the King of Hungaria some destroyed by their owne horses as Lucius the Emperour who first cast his owne daughter because she was a Christian amongst the same horses And generally few persecutors escaped without some evident and markable destruction CHAP. XI Of the Iewes that persecuted Christ. BY how much the offence of the Iews was more hainous not onely in despising and rejecting the Lord of glory whom God had sent amongst them for their salvation but also in being so wicked as to put him to death by so much the more hath God bestowed his fearfull indignation upon them as at many other times so especially by that great calamity and desolation which they abid at their last destruction begun by Vespasian and perfected by Titus which was so great and lamentable as the like was never heard of untill this day for if the sacking and overthrow of Ierusalem then when Ieremy the Prophet made his booke of Lamentations over it was reputed more grievous than the subversion of Sodome which perished suddainly how much more then is this last destruction without all comparison by reason of those horrible and strange miseries which were there both suddainly in continuance of time committed Neither truly is there any History which
of all so strucke him after that he died Ioram King of Iuda although his father Iosaphat had instructed him from his childehood with holy and wholsome precepts and set before his face the example of his owne zeale in purging the Church of God from all Idolatry and superstition and maintaining the true and pure service of God yet did he so foulely runne astray from his fathers steps that allying himselfe by the marriage of Athalia to the house of Achab he became not only himselfe like unto the Kings of Israel in their filthy idolatry but also drew his people after him causing the inhabitants of Ierusalem and men of Iuda to runne a whoring after his strange gods for which cause Elias the Prophet most sharply reproved him by letters the contents whereof in summe was this That because he rebelled against the Lord God of his Fathers therefore the people that were in his subjection should rebell against him Presently the Arabians and Philistims rose up against him wasted his countrey robbed him of his treasures tooke away his wives and put all his children to the sword except little Ochozias his youngest sonne that was preserved And after all these miseries the Lord smote him with so outragious and uncurable disease in his bowels that after two yeares torment he died thereof his guts being fallen out of his belly with anguish Ioas also King of the same country was one to whom God had bin many wayes beneficiall from his infancy for he was even then miraculously preserved from the bloudy hand of Athalia and after brought up in the house of God under the tuition of that good Priest Iehoiada yet he was no sooner lifted up into his royall dignity but by and by he and his people started aside to the worship of stocks and stones at that time when hee had taken upon him the repaire of the House of God But all this came to passe after the decease of that good Priest his Tutor whose good deeds towards him in saving his life and giving him the Crowne he most unthankfully recompenced by putting to death his sonne Zacharias whom hee caused for reproving and threatning his Idolatry in a publique assembly incited thereto by the Spirit of God to be stoned to death in the porch of the Temple But seeing he did so rebelliously set himselfe against the holy Spirit as if he would have quite oppressed and extinguished the power thereof by the death of this holy Prophet by whom it spake God hissed for an army of Syrians that gave him battell and conquered his souldiers who in outward shew seemed much too strong for them His Princes also that had seduced him were destroyed and himselfe vexed with grievous diseases till at length his owne servants conspired against him for the death of Zacharias and slew him on his bed yea and his memory was so odious that they could not afford him a burying place among the sepulchres of their Kings Amazias the sonne of this wicked father carried himselfe also at the first uprightly towards God in his service but it lasted not long for a while after he was corrupted and turned aside from that good way which he had begun to tread in the by-paths of his father Ioas for after he had conquered the Idumaeans and slaine twenty thousand men of warre and spoyled divers of their cities in stead of rendring due thanks to God who without the ayde of the Israelites had given him that victory he set up the gods of the Edomites which he had robbed them of to be his gods and worshipped and burned incense to them so void of sence and reason was he And being rebuked by the Prophet of his adverse dealing he was so farre from humbling and repenting himself thereof that quite contrary he proudly withstood and rejected the Prophets threatnings menacing him with death if he ceased not Thus by this means having aggravated his sinne and growing more and more obstinate God made him an instrument to hasten his owne destruction for being proud and puffed up with the overthrow which he gave the Edomites he defied the King of Israel and provoked him to battell also but full evill to his ease for he lost the day and was carried prisoner to Ierusalem where before his face for more reproach foure hundred cubits of the wall was broken downe the Temple and Palace ransackt of his Treasures and his children carried for hostages to Samaria And not long after treason was devised against him in Ierusalem so that he fled to Lachish and being pursued thither also was there taken and put to death Likewise King Ahaz for making molten Images for Baalim and walking in the idolatrous wayes of the Kings of Israel and burning his sonnes with fire after the abhomination of the heathen in the valley of Ben-Hinnon was forsaken of the Lord and delivered into the hands of the King of Syria who carried him prisoner to Damascus and not onely so but was also subdued by Pekah King of Israel in that great battell wherein his owne sonne with fourescore thousand men at armes were slaine yea and two hundred thousand of all sorts men women and children were taken prisoners for all these chastisements did he not once reforme his life but rather grew worse and worse To make up the number of his sinnes he would needs sacrifice to the gods of Damascus also thinking to finde succour at their hands so that he utterly defaced the true service of God at Ierusalem broke in pieces the holy Vessels lockt up the Temple dores and placed in their steads his abhominable Idols for the people to worship and erected Altars in every corner of the city to doe sacrifice on But as he rebelled on every side against his God so God raised up enemies on every side to disturbe him the Edomites and Philistims assaulted him on every side beat his people tooke and ransackt his cities on the other side the Assyrians whom he had hired with a great sum for his help turned to his undoing and utter overthrow and confusion Wat shall we thinke of Manasses who re-edified the high places and Altars which the zeale of Ezechâ— as his father had defaced and throwne downe and adored and worshipped the planets of Heaven the Sunne the Moone and the Starres prophaned the porch of Gods Temple with Altars dedicated to strange gods committing thereon all the abhominations of the Gentiles yea and caused his sonnes to passe through the valley of Ben-Hinnon and was an observer of times and seasons and gave himselfe over to witchcraft charming and sorceries and used the help of familiar spirits and Soothsayers and that which is more placed a carved Image in the house of God flat against the second commandement of the Law So that he did not only go astray and erre himselfe in giving over his mind to most wicked and damnable heresies but also seduced the people by his pernitious example and
dagger into his own head in such sort that notwithstanding all the means of surgery that could be wrought he shortly after died thereof the manner of his death being so terrible for he even cursed and blasphemed to his last gaspe and together with his breath an oath flew out of his mouth that it was not onely a manifest signe of Gods judgement but also an horrible and fearefull terrour to all that beheld him But herein did the justice of God most notably appeare in that he compelled his own hand which had written those blasphemies to be the instrument to punish him and that in his braine which had devised the same Another also of our owne nation is not to be overpassed who for an Atheist and an Epicure might compare with any of the former and for the judgement of God upon him doth give place to none It was a gentleman of Barkshire whose name I forbeare to expresse a man of great possessions This man was an open contemner of God and all Religion a profest Atheist and a scorner of the Word of God and Sacraments insomuch as I have heard reported of very credible persons being a witnesse at the baptising of a childe he would needs have it called Beelzebub Besides this he was given over to all sensuality of the flesh keeping in his house continually notorious strumpets and that openly without shame his mouth was so accustomed to swearing that he could scarse speake without an oath This miserable man or rather beast having continued long in this damnable course of life at last Gods heavy vengeance found him out for upon a certain day riding abroad a hunting with another companion as they were discoursing of many vaine matters it pleased Almighty God of a sudden to strike him with sudden death for falling suddenly to the crupper of his horse backward he was taken downe starke dead with his tongue hanging out of his mouth after a fearfull manner and became a terrible example to all wicked Atheists of Gods justice Hither I might adde the examples of others who having been in high places of favour in former times are fallen like Lucifer from their heaven that is their worldly felicity and live like him in chaines of imprisonments These had wont being in their bravery to mocke at all Religion and to make themselves merry with scoffing at the holy Scripture but the Lord hath brought them downe and plucked the feathers of their pride to teach them to know there is a God and that Religion is no matter of policy but Gods owne ordinance to bring men to blessednesse and let them be assured if they repent not the Lord will yet further execute his vengeance upon them and make them more manifest spectacles of his justice Many more moderne and home-bred examples I could adde of some that were hanged some that died desperate some that were deprived of their senses having been notorious Atheists and Epicures in their lives but I hope these already named are sufficient to prove that the Lord of heaven observeth the wayes of men and rewardeth every man according to his works especially such as strive to deny his Essence-or his sonne Christ. I would to God and I pray it from my heart that all Atheists in this Realme and in the world beside would by the remembrance and consideration of these examples either forsake their horrible impiety or that they might in like manner come to destruction and so that abominable sin which so flourisheth amongst men of greatest name might either be quite extinguished and rooted out or at least smothered and kept under that iâ— durst not shew it head any more in the worlds eye CHAP XXII Touching the transgressors of the second Commandement by Idolatry WE have hitherto seene how and in what sort they that either by malice or impiety or Apostasie or heresie or otherwise have transgressed the first Commandement have been punished Let us now consider the judgements that have befallen Idolaters the breakers of the second Commandement But before we proceed wee must know that as it is required of us by the first Commandement to hold God for our true and onely God to repose all our whole trust and confidence in him and call upon him serve and worship him alone so in the second to this the contrary to this is forbidden which is to doe any manner of service honour and reverence by devotion to Idols forasmuch he is a Spirit that is to say of a spirituall nature and Essence which is infinite and incomprehensible so loveth he a spirituall worship and service which is answerable to his nature and not by Images and pictures and such other outward and corruptible means which he hath in no wise commanded wherefore Isaiah the Prophet reproving the folly and vanity of Idolaters saith To whom will you liken God or what similitude will you set up unto him Therefore if it be not Gods will that under pretence and colour of his owne name any Image or picture should be adored being a thing not only inconvenient but also absurd and unseemly much lesse can hee abide to have them worshipped under the name and title of any creature whatsoever And for this cause gave he the second Commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image c. which prohibition the Israelites brake in the desart when they set up a golden calfe and bowed themselves before it after the manner of the Paynims giving it the honour which was onely due to God whereby they incurred the indignation of Almighty God who is strong and jealous of suffeâ—ing any such slander to be done unto his name wherefore he caused thâ—â—e thousand of them to be stroken and wounded to death by the hand of the Levites at the commandement of Moses to make his anger against Idolatry more manifest by causing them to be executioners of his revenge who were ordained for the ministry of his Church and the service of the Altar and Tabernacle Howbeit for all this the same people not long after fell back into the same sin and bowed themselves befere strange gods and through the allurements of the daughters of Moab joyned themselves to Belphegor for which cause the Lord being insenced stroke them with so grievous a plague that there died of them in one day about twenty and foure thousand persons And albeit that after all this being brought by him into the land of promise he had forbidden and threatned them for cleaving to the Idols of the nations whose land they possessed yet were they so prone to Idolatry that notwithstanding all this they fell to serve Baal and Astaroth wherefore the fire of Gods wrath was inflamed against them and he gave them over to be a spoyle and prey unto their enemies on every side so that for many yeares sometimes the Moabites oppressed them otherwhiles the Madianites and ever after the death of any of their Iudges and Rulers which God raised
those Truce-breaking Varlets He had scarce ended these speeches but the Christians battell and courage began to rebate Vladislaus himselfe was slaine by the Iâ—nizaries his horse being first hurt his whole Army was discomfited and all his people put to the sword saving a few that fled amongst whom was the right reverend Embassador of the Pope who as soone as he had thrust in over the eares withdrew himselfe forsooth farre enough from blowes or danger Then followed a horrible butchery of people and a lamentable noyse of poore soules ready to be slaughtered for they spared none but haled them miserably in pieces and executed a just and rigorous judgement of God for that vile treachery and perjury which was committed CHAP. XXVIII More examples of the like subject BVt let us adde a few more examples of fresher memory as touching this ungodly Perjury And first King Philip of Macedony who never made reckoning of keeping his oathes but swore and unswore them at his pleasure and for his commodity doubtlesse it was one of the chiefest causes why he and his whole Progeny came quickly to destruction as testifieth Pausanias for hee himselfe being 46 yeeres old was slaine by one of his owne servants after which Olympias his wife made away two of his sonnes Anideus and another which he had by Cleopatra Attalus his neece whom she sod to death in a Cauldron his daughter Thessalonicaes children likewise all perished and lastly Alexander after all his great victories in the middest of his pompe was poysoned at Babylon Gregorie Tours maketh mention of a wicked Varlet in France among the people called Averni that forswearing himselfe in an unjust cause had his tongue so presently tyed that he could not speake but roare and so continued till by his earnest prayers and repentance the Lord restored to himselfe the use of that unruly member There were in old time certaine people of Italy called Aequi whereof the memory remaineth onely at this day for they were utterly destroyed by Q. Cincinnatus These having solemnely made a league with the Romanes and sworne unto it with one consent afterward chose Gracchus Cluilius for their Captaine and under his conduct spoyled the Fields and Territories of the Romanes contrary to the former league and oath Wherupon the Romans sent Q. Fabius P. Volumnius and A. Posthumius Embassadors to them to complaine of their wrongs and demand satisfaction but their Captaine so little esteemed them that he bad them deliver their message to an Oake standing thereby whilest hee attended other businesse Then one of the three turning himselfe towards the Oake spake on this manner Thou hallowed oake and whatsoever else belongeth to the gods in this place heare and beare witnes of this disloyall part and favor our iust complaints that with the assistance of the gods wee may bee revenged on this injury This done they returned home and shortly after gathering a power of men set upon and over came that truce-breaking Nation In the yeer of Rome built 317 the Fidenates revolted from the friendship and league of the Romans to Toluminus the king of the Veyans and adding cruelty to treason killed foure of their embassadours that came to know the cause of their defection which disloyalty the Romans not brooking undertooke war against them and notwithstanding all their private and forrein strength overthrew and slew them In this battell it is said that a Tribune of the souldiers seeing Toluminus bravely galloping up and down and incouraging his souldiers and the Romans trembling at his approch said Is this the breaker of leagues and violater of the law of nations If there be any holinesse on earth my sword shall sacrifice him to the soules of our slaine embassadours and therewithall setting spurres to his horse he unhorst him and fastening him to the earth with his speare cut off his perfidious head whereat his army dismaied retired and became a slaughter to the enemies Albertus Duke of Franconia having slaine Conrade the Earle of Lotharingia brother to Lewis the fourth then Emperor and finding the Emperors wrath incensed against him for the same betooke himselfe to a strong castle at Bamberg from whence the Emperour neither by force nor policie could remove him for seven yeares space untill Atto the Bishop of Mentz by trecherie delivered him into his hands This Atto under shew of friendship repaired to the castle and gave his faith unto the earle that if he would come downe to parle with the Emperor he should safely return into his hold the Earle mistrusting no fraud went out of the castle gates with the Bishop towards the Emperour but Atto as it were suddenly remembring himselfe when indeed it was his devised plot desireth to returne back and dine ere he went because it was somewhat late so they do dine and returne Now the Earle was no sooner come to the Emperor but he caused to be presently put to death notwithstanding he urged the Bishops promise and oath for his returne for it was answered that his oath was quit by returning backe to dine as he had promised And thus the Earle was wickedly betrayed though justly punished As for Atto the subtill traitor indeed he possessod himselfe by this meanes of the Earles lands but withall the justice of God seised upon him for within a while after he was stricken with a thunderbolt and as some say carried into mount Aetna with this noyse Sicpeccatalues atque ruendorues Cleomenes King of Lacedemonia making warre upon the Argives surprised them by this subtilty he tooke truce with them for seven dayes and the third night whilest they lay secure and unwarie in their truce he oppressed them with a great slaughter saying to excuse his trecherie though no excuse could cleare him from the shame thereof that the truce which he made was for seven dayes onely without any mention of nights howbeit for all this it prospered not so well with him as he wished for the Argie vwomen their husbands slaine tooke armes like Amasons Tolesilla being their captainesse and compassing the citie walls repelled Cleomenes halfe amased with the strangenesse of the sight After which he was banished into Aegypt and there miserably and desperatly slew himselfe The Pope of Rome with all his heard of Bishops opposed himselfe against the Emperor Henry the fourth for he banished him by excommunication from the society of the Catholike Church discharged his subjects from the oath of fealty and sent a crowne of gold to Rodolph king of Suevia to canonize him Emperor the crowne had this inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rodulpho that is The Rocke gave unto Peter and Peter gave unto Rodolph the crown Notwithstanding Rodolph remembring his oath to the Emperour and how vile a part it was to betray him whom he had sworne to obey and defend at first refused the Popes offer howbeit by the persuasion of the Bishops sophistrie he was induced to undertake the
him to prison but the two unknowne witnesses who were indeed two fiends of hell began to say you shall not need for we are sent to punish his wickednesse and so saying they hoisted him up into the ayre where he vanished with them and was never after found In the yeare of our Lord 1055 Goodwine Earle of Kent sitting at the table with King Edward of England it happened that one of the cupbearers stumbled and yet fell not whereat Goodwine laughing said That if one brother had not holpen another meaning his legs all the wine had been spilt with which words the King calling to mind his brothers death which was slaine by Goodwine answered So should my brother Alphred have holpen me had not Goodwine been then Goodwine fearing the Kings new kindled displeasure excused himselfe with many words and at last eating a morsell of bread wished it might choke him if he were not guiltlesse of Alphreds bloud But he swore falsly as the judgement of God declared for he was forthwith choaked in the presence of the King ere he removed one foot from that place though there be some say he recovered life againe Long time after this in the raigne of Queene Elizabeth there was in the city of London one Anne Averies widow who forswore her selfe for a little money that she should have paid for six pounds of tow at a shop in Woodstreet for which cause being suddenly surprised with the justice of God shee fell downe speechlesse forthwith and cast up at her mouth in great abundance and with horrible stinke that matter which by natures course should have been voided downewards and so died to the terrour of all perjured and forsworne wretches There are in histories many more examples to be found of this hurtfull and pernitious sin exercised by one nation towards another and one man towards another in most prophane and villanous sort neither shaming to be accounted forsworne nor consequently fearing to displease God and his majesty But forasmuch as when we come to speak of murtherers in the next book we shall have occasion to speake of them more or of such like I will referre the handling thereof unto that place onely this let every man learne by that which hath been spoken to be sound and fraudlesse and to keep his faith and promise towards all men if for no other cause yet for feare of God who leaveth not this sin unpunished nor holdeth them guiltlesse that thus taketh his name in vaine CHAP. XXIX Of Blasphemers AS touching Blasphemy it was a most grievous and enormous sin and contrary to this third Commanmandement when a man is so wretched and miseble as to pronounce presumptuous speeches against God whereby his name is slandered and evill spoken of which sinne cannot chuse but be sharply and severely punished for if so be that God holdeth not him guiltles that doth but take his name in vain must he not needs abhor him that blasphemeth his Name See how meritoriously that wicked and perverse wretch that blasphemed and murdered as it were the name of God among the people of Israel in the desart was punished he was taken put in prison and condemned and speedily stoned to death by the whole multitude and upon that occasion as evill manners evermore begat good lawes the Lord instituted a perpetuall law and decree that every one that should blaspheme and curse God of what estate or degree soever should be stoned to death in token of detestation which sentence if it might now adaies stand in force there would not raign so many miserable blasphemers and deniers of God as the world is now filled and infected with It was also ordained by a new law of Iustinian That blasphemies should be severely punished by the judges and magistrates of Commonweales but such is the corruption and misery of this age that those men that ought to correct others for such speeches are oftentimes worst themselves and there are that thinke that they cannot be sufficiently feared and awed of men except by horrible bannings and swearings they despight and maugre God nay it is further come to that passe that in some places to swearc and ban be the markes and ensignes of a Catholike and they are best welcome that can blaspheme most How much then is that good King Saint Lewis of France to be commended who especially discharged all his subjects from swearing and blaspheming within his realm insomuch that when he heard a nobleman blaspheme God most cruelly he caused him to be laid hold on and his lips to bee slit with an hot yron saying hee must be content to endure that punishment seeing he purposed to banish oathes out of his kingdome Now wee call blasphemy according to the Scripture phrase every word that derogateth either from the bounty mercy justice eternity and soveraigne power of God Of this sort was that blasphemous speech of one of King Iorams Princes who at the time of the great famine in Samaria when it was besieged by the Syrians hearing Elizeus the Prophet say that the next morrow there should be plenty of victuals and good cheap rejected this promise of God made by his Prophet saying that it was impossible as if God were either a lyar or not able to performe what he would for this cause this unbeleeving blasphemer received the same day a deserved punishment for his blasphemy for he was troden to death in the gate of the city under the feet of the multitude that went out into the Syrians campe forsaken and left desolate by them through a feare which the Lord sent among them Senaccherib King of Assyria after he had obtained many victories and â—â—odued much people under him and also layd siege to Ierusalem became â—â—proud and arrogant as by his servants mouth to revile and blaspheme the living God speaking no otherwise of him than of some strange idoll and one that had no power to help and deliver those that trusted in him for which blasphemies he soone after felt a just vengeance of God upon himselfe and his people for although in mans eyes he seemed to be without the reach of danger seeing he was not assayled but did assayle and was guarded with so mighty an army that assured him to make him lord of Ierusalem in short space yet the Lord overthrew his power and destroyed of his men in one night by the hand of his Angell 185 thousand men so that he was faine to raise his siege and returne into his owne kingdome where finally he was slaine by his owne sons as he was worshipping on his knees in the temple of his god In the time of the Machabees those men that were in the strong hold called Gazara fighting against the Iewes trusting to the strength of the place wherein they were uttered forth most infamous speeches against God but ere long their blasphemous mouths were encountred by a condigne punishment for the first day of
Christ Iesus When he was demanded at any time how he did he answered most usually That he was fastened of God and that it was not in man but in Gods mercy for him to be released Iohn Peter sonne in law to Alexander that cruel Keeper of Newgate being a most horrible swearer and blasphemer used commonly to say If it be not true I pray God I may rot ere I die and not in vaine for he rotted away indeed and so dyed in misery Hither we may adde a notable example of a certaine yong gallant that was a monstrous swearer who riding in the company of divers gentlemen began to sweare and most horribly blaspheme the name of God unto whom one in the company with gentle words said he should one day answer for that the Yonker taking snuffe thereat Why said he takest thou thought for me Take thought for thy winding sheet Well quoth the other amend for death giveth no warning as soone commeth a lambes skin to the market as an old sheeps Gods wounds said he care not thou for me raging still on this manner worse and worse till at length passing on their journey they came riding over a great bridge upon which this gentleman swearer spurred his horse in such sort that he sprang cleane over with the man on his backe who as hee was going cried Horse and man and all to the Divell This terrible story Bishop Ridley preached and uttered at Pauls crosse and one Haines a Minister of Cornwall the reprehender of this man was the reporter of it to Master Fox out of whom I have drawne it Let us refraine then wretches that we are our divelish tongues and leave off to provoke the wrath of God any longer against us let us forbeare all wicked and cursed speeches and acquaint our selves as well in word as in deed to praise and glorisie God CHAP. XXXII Punishments for the contempt of the Word and Sacraments and abuse of holy things NOw it is another kind of taking the Name of God in vaine to despise his Word and Sacraments for like as among earthly princes it is accounted a crime no lesse than treason either to abuse their pictures to counterfeit or deprave their seales to rent pollute or corrupt their letters patents or to use unreverently their messengers or any thing that commeth from them So with the Prince of heaven it is a fin of high degree either to abuse his Word prophanely which is the letters patents of our salvation or handle the Sacraments unreverently which are the seales of his mercy or to despise his Ministers which are his messengers untous And this he maketh knowne unto us not only by Edicts and Commandments but also by examples of his vengeance on the heads of the offendors in this case For the former look what Paul saith That for the unworthy receiving of the Sacraments many were weake and sicke among the Corinthians and many slept How much more then for the abusing and contemning the Sacraments And the Prophet David That for casting the Word of God behinde them they should have nothing to do with his Covenant How much more then for prophaning and deriding his Word And Moses when the people murmured against him and Aaron saith That their murmurings were not against them which were but Ministers but against the Lord. How much more then is the Lord enraged when they are scoffed at derided and set at naught Hence it is that the Lord denounceth a Wo to him that addeth or taketh away from the Word and calleth them dogs that abuse such precious pearles But let us come to the examples wherein the grievousnesse of this sinne willly more open than by any words can be expressed First to begin with the house of Israel which were the sole select people of the Lord whom he had chosen out of all other nations of the world to be his owne peculiar flocke and his chiefe treasure above all other people of the earth and a kingdome of Priests and a holy Nation when as they contemned and despised his Word spoken unto them by his prophets and cast his law behinde their backe he gave them over into the hands of their enemies and of Ammi made them Loammi that is of his people made them not his people and of Ruhama Loruhama that is of such as had found mercy and favour at Gods hand a nation that should obtain no mercy nor favour as the Prophet Hosea speaketh This we see plainly verified first in the ten tribes which under Ieroboam fell away from the Scepter of Iuda for after that the Lord had sundry times scourged them by many particular punishments as the famin sword and pestilence for their idolatry and rebellion to his law at the last in the ninth yere of the raign of Hoshea King of Israel he brought upon them a finall and generall destruction and delivered them into the hands of the King of Ashur who carried them away captive into Assyria and placed them in Hala and in Habor by the river of Gosan and in the cities of the Medes and in stead of them seated the men of Babel of Cuthah Ava Hamath and Sepharvaim in the cities of Samaria Thus were they utterly rooted up and spued out of the land of their inheritance and their portion given unto strangers as was threatned to them by the mouth of Moses the servant of the Lord and the cause of all this is set down by the holy Ghost 2 Kin. 17. 13. to be for that though the Lord had testified to them by al his prophets seers saying Turn from your evill wayes and keepe my commandements and my statutes according to all the Law which I commanded your fathers neverthelesse they would not obey but hardned their necks then it followeth in the 18 ver Therfore the Lord was exceeding wroth with Israel and put them out of his sight and none was left but the Tribe of Iuda onely Now though the kingdome of Iuda continued in good estate long after the desolation of the ten tribes for this hapned in the raigne of Ahaz King of Iuda yet afterward in the raigne of Zedekiah the great and famous citie Ierusalem was taken by Nabuchadnezzar the King of Babel and utterly ruined and defaced the glorious and stately temple of the Lord built by Salomon the wonder of the world was burnt down to ashes together with all the houses of Ierusalem and all other great houses in the land all the rich vessels and furniture of the temple of gold silver and brasse were carried to Babel by Nabuzaradan the chiefe steward The king himselfe was bound in chaines and after he had seen his owne sons slaine before his eyes had his owne eyes put out that he might never more take comfort of the light The priests and all the greatest and richest of the people were carried away in captivity and only the poore were left behind to dresse the vines
and til the land Now what was the cause of this lamentable destruction of this holy City of the Temple and Sanctuary of the Lord and of his owne people it is set downe by the holy-Ghost in expresse word 2 Chro. 36. 15 16. That When the Lord sent unto them by his Messengers rising early and sending because he had compassion on them and on his habitation they mocked the Messengers of God despised his words and misused his Prophets and therefore the wrath of the Lord arose against his people and there was no remedy Behold here the grievous judgement of the Lord upon such as contemned his Word and despised his Prophets Thus was the first city and temple destroyed and did the second fare any better no verily but far worse for as their sinne was greater in that the former Iews contemned only the Word spoken by the Prophets which were but servants these despised the Word spoken by the Sonne himself which is the Lord of life so their punishment was also the greater for as the Apostle saith If they which despised Moses Law died without mercy how much sorer punishment are they worthy of which tread under foot the Sonne of God and count the bloud of the Testament as an unholy thing and neglect so great salvation which first began to be preached by the Lord himselfe and afterward was confirmed by them which heard him Therefore the destruction of the second city and temple by Titus and Vespasian Emperours of Rome was far more lamentable than that of the former yea so terrible and fearefull was the judgement of God upon that nation at this time that never the like calamitie and misery was heard or read of there at the siege of Ierusalem the famin was so great within the walls and the sword so terrible without that within they were constrained to eat not only leather and old shoo 's but horse-dung yea their owne excrements and some to devour their owne children and as many as issued out were crucified by the Romans as they had crucified the Saviour of the world till they had no more wood to naile them on So that it was most true which our Saviour foreprophesied That such should be the tribulation of that time as was not from the beginning of the world nor should be againe to the end At this destruction perished eleven hundred thousand Iewes as Historians report besides them which Vespasian slew in subduing the country of Galilee over and besides them also which were sould and sent into Aegypt and other provinces to vile slavery to the number of seventeene thousand two thousand were brought with Titus in triumph of which part he gave to be devoured of wilde beasts and part otherwise most cruelly were slaine By whose case all nations may take example what it is to reject the visitation of Gods verity being sent unto them and much more to persecute them which be sent of God for their salvation And here is diligently to be observed the great equity of this judgment they refused Christ to be their King and chose rather to be subject unto Caesar now they are by the said their owne Caesar destroyed when as Christs subjects the same time escaped the danger The like example of Gods wrathfull punishment is to be noted no lesse in the Romans also themselves for despising Christ and his Gospel for when Tiberius Nero the Emperor having received by letters from Pontius Pilat a true report of the doings of Christ Iesus of his miracles resurrection and ascention into heaven and how he was received as God of many good men was himselfe mooved with beleefe of the same and did confer thereof with the whole Senat of Rome to have Christ adored as God But they not agreeing thereunto refused him because that contrary to the law of the Romans he was consecrated said they for a God before the Senat of Rome had decreed and approved him Thus the vaine Senat which were contented with the Emperor to raign over them were not contented with the meeke King of glory the Sonne of God to be their King yea they contemned also the preaching of the two blessed Apostles Peter and Paul who were also most cruelly put to death in the later end of Domitius Nero his raigne and the yeare of Christ 69 for the testimony and saith of Christ. And therefore after much like sort to the Iews were they scourged and entrapped by the same way which they did prefer for as they preferred the Emperour and rejected Christ so did God stirre up their owne Emperours against them in such sort that both the Senators themselves were all devoured and the whole city most horribly afflicted the space almost of three hundred yeares together Neither were they only thus scourged by their Emperors but also by civill wars whereof three were sought in two yeares at Rome after Nero's death as likewise by other casualties for in Suetonius is testified five thousand were hurt and slaine by fall of a Theatre How heavy and searefull the judgement of God hath beene towards those seven famous Churches of Asia to the which the holy Ghost writeth his seven Epistles Revel 2 and 3. histories sufficiently testifie and experience sheweth for whereas in the Apostles time and long after in the dayes of persecution no Churches in the world more flourished after when they began to make light account of the word of God and to fall away from the truth to errors from godlinesse to impieties the Lord also made light account of them and removed his Candlesticke that is the ministery of his Gospell from amongst them and made them a prey unto their enemies and so they which before were subjects to Christ are now slaves to Mahomet and there where the true God was worshipped is now a filthy Idol adored and instead of the Gospel of Christ is the Turks Alcoran in stead of the seven stars and seven candlesticks are seven thousand priests of Mahomet and worshippers of him and thus for the contempt of the Gospel of Christ is the Chrurch of Christians made a cage of Divels Venerable Bede in his Ecclesticall history of England reporteth That about the yeare of our Lord 420 after that the Brittons had been long afflicted by the Irish Picts and Scots and that the Lord had given them rest from all their enemies and had blessed them with such great plenty of corn and fruits of the earth as had not been before heard of they fell into all manner of sins and vices and in stead of shewing themselves thankfull to the Lord for his great mercies provoked his indignation more fiercely against them for as he saith together with plenty grew ryot and this was accompanied with a train of many other foule enormities especially the hatred of the truth contempt of the Word and that not only in the Laity and ignorant people but even also in the Clergy and Sheepheards of the
people for which cause the Lord first sent among them such a contagious plague that the living were scarce sufficient to bury the dead and when by this punishment they were not reclaimed then by their owne counsels and procurement the Lord brought upon them a fierce and mighty nation even the Saxons of Germany who albeit they came at first as helpers and succorers of them against their enemies yet ere long proved their sorest foes themselves and after much bloudshed drave them almost quite out of their Kingdome confining them into a haven nooke and corner of the same where they remaine till this day and all this came upon them saith that reverend Authour for their ingratitude for Gods mercies and contempt of the Word of God Againe we reade a little before this how that God stirred up Gildas a godly learned man to preach to the old Brittons and to exhort them to repentance and amendment of life and to forewarne them of plagues to come if they repented not but what availed it Gildas was laughed to scorne and taken for a false Prophet the Brittons with whorish faces and unrepentant hearts went forward in their sins and what followed God to punish their contempt of his Word and Ministers sent in their enemies on every side and destroying them gave their land to other nations Againe not many yeares past Almighty God seeing idolatry superstition hypocrisie and wicked living used in this land raised up that godly learned man Iohn Wickliffe to preach unto our fathers repentance and to exhort them to forsake their idolatry and superstition but his exhortations were not regarded he with his sermons was despised his bookes and himselfe after his death were burnt What ensued A most grievous and heavy vengeance they slew their lawfull King and set up three other on a row under whom all the noble bloud was slaine up and halfe the Commons destroyed what by warre in France and civile discord among themselves the cities and towns were decayed and the land brought half to a wildernesse O extrem plagues of Gods just vengeance But these examples be generall over whole nations now let us descend to particular judgments upon private persons for contemning scorning or despising the Word of God the holy Sacraments and the Ministers of the same Hemingius a learned Divine in his exposition upon the first chapter of S. Iohns Gospell reporteth That about the yere 1550 there was a certain lewd companion in Denmark who had long made profession to mocke at all Religion and at devout persons This fellow entering into a Church where there was a sermon made by the Minister of the place began contrary to all those that were present to behave himselfe most prophanely and to shew by lewd countenances and gestures his dislike and contempt of that holy exercise to whom the preacher being instant upon his businesse in hand spake not a word but only sighing praied unto God that this mocker might be suppressed who seeing that the Preacher would noâ— contest against him but contemned his unworthy behaviour goeth out of the Church but yet not out of the reach of Gods vengeance for presently as he passed out a tyle fell from the house upon his head and slew him upon the place a just judgement upon so prophane a wretch From whence all scorners and deriders of godly sermons and the preachers of the same may take example for their amendment if they have any grace in them Christopher Turke a Counsellor of Estate to a great Nobleman in Germany going one day to horse and mocking at a certaine godly Nobleman who was then prisoner in his enemies hands uttered these or such like speeches See what is become of these gallants that sung so much one with anotheâ— When any one doth wrong us God is our succor and defence but he had scarce ended his words when as a sudden griefe tooke him so that he was forced to alight from his horse and to be carried to bed where in stead of singing he dyed in dispaire drawing forth his tongue as blacke as a cole and hanging out of his mouth This happened the ninth of Iune 1547. The contempt of the Sacrament of baptisme was most notably punished in a certaine Curate of Misnia in Thuring whose custome was whensoever hee had baptised any women children in contempt of the foeminine sex and without any regard to the holy Sacrament to say That they should not carry them backe to the house but cast them into the River This prophane Curate looking one day over the bridge of Elbe which is a large and a deepe River how the boats did passe no man touching him nor his braine any way altered but by a secret judgement of God fell over the bridge into the water and was presently drowned that he which so impiously wished drowning to other and that at the Sacrament of Baptisme was drowned himselfe This happened in the yeare 1505. The contemptuous and irreverent handling of the Word of God in the pulpit together with open hatred of the Gospel was most famously revenged in one Nightingale the Parson of Gondal besides Canterbury in the raigne of Queen Mary Anno 1555. This wretched Parson upon Shrove Sunday which was the third day of the moneth of March making a Sermon to his parishioners entred beside his text into an impertinent discourse of the Articles lately set forth by the Popes authority in commendation thereof and to the disgrace of the Gospell saying more over thus unto the people My masters and neighbours rejoice and be merry for the prodigall sonne is come home for I know that the most part of you are as I am I know your hearts well enough and I shall tell you what happened to me this weeke past I was before my Lord Cardinall and he hath made me as cleane from sinne as I was at the Font-stone and he hath also appointed me to notifie unto you the Bull of the Popes pardon and so reading the same unto them he thanked God that ever he lived to see that day adding moreover that he beleeved that by the vertue of that Bull he was as cleane from sinne as that night that he was borne which words he had no sooner uttered but the Lord to shew that he lyed stroke him with sudden death and so he fel down out of the pulpit never stirring hand nor foot not speaking word but there lay an amazement and astonishment to all the people Denterius an Arrian Bishop being at Bizantium as he was about to baptise one Barbas after his blasphemous manner saying I baptise thee in the name of the Father through the Sonne in the holy Ghost which forme of words is contrary to the prescript rule of Christ that bad his disciples to baptise all nations In the Name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost the water suddenly vanished so that he could not then be baptised wherefore Barbas all amased
alone and so committed to the mercy of the sea but the sea more mercifull to him than he was to Lothebroke carried him directly to the coast of Denmarke from whence Lothebroke came as it were there to be punished for his murder Here the boat of Lothebroke being well knowne hands were lay upon him and by torments he was enquired into but hee to save himselfe uttered an untruth of King Edmund saying That the King had put him to death in Northfolke Whereupon revenge was devised and to that end an army of men prepared and sent over which was the first occasion of the Danes arrivall in this land Thus was this murther wonderfully discovered by meanes of a dog Plutarch in his book Desolertia aâ—imalium reporteth the like story of a souldier of King Pyrrhus who being slain his dog discovered the murderers for when as the dog could by no meanes be brought from the dead body but fauning upon the King as it were desiring helpe at his hand the King commanded all his Army to passe by in good order by two and two till at length the murtherers came and then the dog flew upon them so fiercely as if he would have torne them in pieces and turning to the king ranne againe upon the murderers Whereupon being apprehended and examined they soone confessed the fact and received condigne punishment for their desert Plutarch ascribeth this to the secret of Natures instinct but we must rather attribute both this and all such like to the mighty finger of God who to terrifie men from shedding humane bloud doth stirre up the dumbe creatures to be revealers of their bloudy sinne The like story the same Author reporteth of the murder of the Poet Hesiod who being slaine by the sonnes of Ganyctor the murder though secret and the Murderers though unknowne to all the world save to God and their owne conscience were discovered and brought to punishment by the means of a dog which belonged to him that was murdered The like also we reade of two French Merchants which travailing together through a certaine Wood one of them rose against the other for the desire of his mony and so slew him and buried him but the Dog of the murdered Merchant would not depart from the place but filled the Woods with howlings and cryes The murderer went forward on his journey and the Inhabitants neere the said Wood found out the murdered corps and also the Dog whom they tooke up and nourished till the Faire was done and the Merchants returned at which time they watched the Highwayes having the Dog with them who seeing the murtherer instantly made force at him without all provocation as a man would doe at his mortall enemy which thing caused the people to apprehend him who being examined confessed the fact and received condigne punishment for so foule a deed The same Author reporteth yet a more memorable and strange story of another murder discovered also by the meanes of a dogge which I may not omit There was saith hee a certaine maid neere Paris who was beloved of two young men the one of whom as he was going to visite his love happened to be murdered by the way and buried now his dog which he had with him would not depart from the grave of his master at the last the young man being missed by his father and brethren was diligently sought for but not finding him at last they found his dog lying upon his grave that howled pittifully as soone as he saw his masters brother the grave was opened and the wounded corps found which was brought away and committed to other buriall untill the murderer should be descryed Afterward in processe of time the dogge in the presence of the dead mans brethren espied the murderer and presently assaulted him with great fiercenesse Whereupon he was appreliended and examined and when by no meanes nor policy he would confesse the magistrate adjudged That the young man and the dogge should combate together The dogge was covered with a dry sod skinne in stead of armour and the murderer with a speare and on his body a thinne linnen cloth and so they both came forth to fight but behold the hand of vengeance the man offering at the dogge with his speare the dogge leaped presently at his face and caught him fast by the throat and overthrew him whereat the wretch amased cryed out to the beholders Take pity on me and pull off the dogge from my throat and I will confesse all the which being done he declared the cause and manner of the whole murder and for the same was deservedly put to death All these murders were discovered by dogges the Lord using them as instruments to reveale his justice and vengeance upon this bloudy sinne but these following by other meanes The murder of the Poet Ibycus was detected by Cranes as you may see in the 36 chapter of this booke more at large set forth Luther recites such another story as that of Ibycus of a certain Almaigne who in travelling fell among theeves which being about to cut his throat the poore man espied a flight of Crows and said O Crows I take you for witnesses and revengers of my death About two or three daies after these murdering theeves drinking in an Inne a company of Crows came and lighted on the top of the house whereupon the theeves began to laugh and say one to another Looke yonder are they which must revenge his death whom we dispatched the other day The Tapster over-hearing them told it to the magistrat who presently caused them to be apprehended and upon their disagreeing in speeches and contrary answers urged them so far that they confessed the truth and received their deserved punishment There was one Bessus as Plutarch reporteth who having killed his father was brought both to knowledge and punishment by the meanes of Swallowes for his guilty conscience persuaded him that the Swallowes in their chattering language did say to one another That Bessus had killed his father whereupon not able to conceale his owne guiltinesse hee bewrayed his horrible fact and was worthily and deservedly for the same put to death But of all the examples that either reading or experience can afford none in my opinion is either more admirable or a more clearer testimony of Gods providence justice than that which hapned about a Lucquois Merchant who comming out of England to Roan in France and from thence making towards Paris was in the way on a mountain neer to Argentueil murdered by a Frenchman his servant and his body throwne amongst the Vines Now as this fact was a doing a blind man ran by being led by his dog who hearing one groane asked who it was Whereunto the murderer answered that it was a sicke man going to ease himselfe The blind man thus deluded went his way and the servant with his masters money and with Papers of his takes up at Paris a good summe
and stones echoed France into his eares And on this manner was his flight to Sicilie King Charles in the meane while having by force and bloodshed to terrifie the rest taken two passages that were before him the whole Realme without any great resistance yeelded it selfe unto his mercy albeit that the young King had done what he could to withstand him But at length seeing the Neapolitanes ready to rebell and himselfe in danger to be taken prisoner he fled from the Castle of Naples and with a small company got certaine Brigandines wherein he sayled to the Island Ischia thirty miles from Naples saying at his departure this verse out of the Psalmes How vaine are the watchmen and gards of that City which is not garded and watched by the Lord which he often repeated and so long as Naples was in his view And thus was cruelty punished both in Ferdinand the father and Alphonso the sonne Artaxerxes Ochus the eight King of the Persians began his raigne with thus many murders he slew two of his owne brethren first secondly Euagoras King of Cyprus his partner and associate in the kingdome thirdly he tooke Gidon traiterously and was the cause of forty thousand mens deaths that were slaine and burned therein beside many other private murders and outrages which he committed for which cause the Lord in his justice rained downe vengeance upon his head for Bagoas one of his Princes ministred such a fatall cup to his stomacke that it mortified his senses and deprived him of his unmercifull soule and life and not onely upon his head but upon his Kingdome and his sonne Arsame also for he was also poysoned by the same Bagoas and his Kingdome was translated to Darius Prince of Armenia whom when the same Bagoas went about to make taste of the same cup which his predecessors did he was taken in his owne snare for Darius understanding his pretence made him drinke up his owne poyson which he provided for him and thus murder was revenged with murder and poyson with poyson according to the Decree of the Almighty who saith Eye for eye tooth for tooth c. In the yeare of the World 3659. Morindus a most cruell and bloody minded Prince raigned here in England who for his cruelties sake came to an unhappy and bloody end for out of the Irish seas came forth a Monster which destroyed much people whereof he hearing would of his valiant courage needs fight with it and was devoured of it so that it may truly here be said that one Monster devoured another There was as Aelianus reporteth a cruell and pernicious Tyran who to the end to prevent all practises of conspiracy and treason as Tyrans are ever naturally and upon desert timerous that might be devised against him enacted this Law among his subjects That no man should conferre with another either privately or publikely upon paine of death and so indeed he abrogated all civill society For speech as it was the beginning and birth of fellowship so it is the very joynt and glue thereof but what cared he for society that respected nothing but his owne safety hee was so farre from regarding the common good that when his subjects not daring to speake signified their mindes by signes he prohibited that also and that which is yet more when not daring to speake or yet make signes they fell to weeping and lamenting their misery he came with a band of men even to restraine their teares too but the multitudes rage being justly incensed they gave him such a desperat welcome that neither he nor his followers returned one of them alive And thus his abominable cruelty came to an end together with his life and that by those meanes which is to be observed by which he thought to preserve and maintaine them both Childericus who in the yeare 697 succeeded in the Kingdome of France Theodoricke that for his negligence and sluggish government was deposed and made of a King a Frier exercised barbarous and inhumane cruelty upon his subjects for he spared neither noble or ignoble but mixtly sent them to their graves without respect of cause or justice One of the noble sort he caused to be fastened to a stake and beaten with clubbes not to death but to chastisement which monstrous cruelty so incensed the peoples mind against him that there wanted no hands to take part with this club-beaten man against the Tyran his enemie Wherefore they layed wait for him as he came one day from hunting and murdered him together with his wife great with childe no man either willing or daring to defend him Tymocrates the King or rather Tyran of the Cyrenians will give place to none in this commendation of cruelty For he afflicted his subjects with many and monstrous calamities insomuch that he spared not the priests of his gods which commonly were in reverent regard among the Heathen As the bloody death of Menalippus Apollo's priest did witnesse whom to the end to marry his faire and beautifull wife Aretaphila he cruelly put to death how beit it prospered not with him as he desired for the good woman not contented with this sacrilegious contract sought rather meanes to revenge her first husbands death than to please this new letchers humour Wherefore she assayed by poyson to effect her wish and when that prevailed not she gave a yong daughter she had to Leander the Tyrans brother to wife who loved her exceedingly but with this condition that he should by some practise or other worke the death and destruction of his brother which indeed he performed for he so bribed one of the groomes of the Tyrans chamber that by his helpe he soone rid wicked Tymocrates out of the way by a speedy and deserved death But to abridge these long discourses let us looke into all times and ages and to the histories of all Countries and Nations and we shall finde that Tyrans have ever come to one destruction or other Diomedes the Thracian King fed his horses with mans flesh as with provender but was made at last provender for his owne horses himselfe by Hercules Calippus the Athenian that slew Dion his familiar friend and deposed Dionisius the Tyran and committed many other murders amongst the people was first banished Rheginum and then living in extreame necessity slaine by Leptines and Polysperchon Clephes the second King of the Lumbards for his savage cruelty towards his subjects was slaughtered by one of his friends Damasippus that massacred so many Citizens of Rome was cut off by Scylla Ecelinus that played the Tyran at Taurisium guelding Boyes deflowring Maydes mayming Matrons of their Dugs cutting children out of their mothers bellies and killing 1200 Patavians at once that were his friends was cut short in a battell In a Word if we read and consult Histories of all Countries and times we shall find seldome or never any notorious Tyran and oppressor of his subjects that came to
Office under the Duchesse of Malfi after she was widow with whom in protract of time he grew to have such secret and privie acquaintance albeit she was a princesse and he her servant that he enjoyeed her as his owne wife And thus they conversed secretly together under the colour of Marriage accorded betwixt them the space of certain yeares untill she had bore unto him three children by which meanes their private dealings which they so much desired to smother and keep close burst out and bewrayed it selfe The matter being come to her brothers eares they took it so to the heart that they could not rest untill they had revenged the vile injury and dishonour which they pretended to have been done to them and their whole house equally by them both Therefore when they had chased them first from Ancona whither in hope of quietnesse they had fled out of Naples they drave them also out of Tuscane who seeing themselves so hotly pursued on every side resolved to make towards Venice thinking there to finde some safety But in the midway she was overtaken and brought backe to Naples where in short space she miserably ended her life for her brothers Guard strangled her to death together with her chambermaid who had served in stead of a Baud to them and her poor infants which she had by the said Bologne But he by the goodnesse of his horse escaping took his flight to Milan where he sojourned quietly a long while untill at the instant pursuit of one of her brothers the Cardinall of Arragon he was slain in the open streets when he least mistrusted any present danger And this was a true Cardinall like exploit indeed representing that mildenesse mercifulnesse and good nature which is so required of every Christian in traiterously murdering a man so many yeares after the first rancour was conceived that might well in halfe that space have been digested in fostering hatred so long in his cruell heart and waging ruffians and murderers to commit so monstrous an act wherein albeir the Cardinals cruelty was most famous as also in putting to death the poor infants yet Gods justice bare the sway that used him as an instrument to punish those who under the vail of secret Marriage thought it lawfull for them to commit any villany And thus God busieth sometime the most wicked about his will and maketh the rage and fury of the Devill himselfe serve for meanes to bring to passe his fearfull judgements CHAP. XXV Of unlawfull Marriages and their issues NOw to redres all such evils as have before been mentioned and to avoid all inconveniences in this case God of his bountifull mercy hath ordained Marriage as a remedy to be applied to all such as have not the gift of continency least they should fall into fornication which notwithstanding many shamelesse creatures that blush not at their owne filthinesse but rather rejoyce therein make no account of Such are they that making Marriage one of the Sacraments of the Church do neverthelesse despise as a vile and prophane thing albeit that the Apostle saith That Marriage is honourable among all men and the bed undefiled but whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge But they have it not in that estimation seeing by authority they are deprived of the use thereof and not of Adultery That which is honest and laudable is forbidden and that which is sinfull and unlawfull allowed of This saith Sleiden is the custom of the Germane Bishops for money to suffer their Priests to keep harlots not exacting any other punishment saving their purses to privilege their knaveries But these reines of liberty were let more loose in certain Villages of the Cantons of Switzers where it was not onely winked at but also commanded That every new Priest should have his private whore for his owne tooth that he might not intermeddle with other mens Neither was it without reason that Iohn le Maire said how under the shew and colour of chastity Priests whoredomes did overflow being men abandoned to all dissolute and riotous living Now then it were far better to marry than to burne yet in such sort to marry that all giddinesse and inconsideration set aside every one should matcht himselfe according to his degree and age with great respect and good advisement had unto them both to the end to avoid those mischiefes and enormities which oftentimes happen when either by an over-hardy foolish and rash presumption a man would nestle himselfe in an higher nest than his estate and calling requireth or by a sensuall and fleshly lust passing the bounds of reason goeth about to constrain and interrupt the law of nature The chiefest thing that is required in Marriage is the consent of parties as well of themselves that are to be joyned together as of each of their parents the contrary whereof is constraint where either party is forced as it hapned to those two hundred maids which the Benjamites took by force and violence to be their wives This was a reproach to Romulus the first King of Rome when he ravished the Sabine virgins that came to see their sports which was cause of great war betwixt them Moreover besides the mutuall joint of love which ought to be betwixt man and wife it is necessary that they that marry do marry in the Lord to serve him in greater purity and with lesse disturbance which cannot be if a Christian marry an Infidell for the great difficulties and hinderances that usually spring from such a root Therefore it was straitly forbidden the people of God to contract Marriages with Idolaters yea and the holy Patriarchs before any such law was given had carefully great regard in the Marriages of their children to this thing as the example of Abraham doth sufficiently declare Therefore they that have any manner of government and authority over unmarried folkes whether they be fathers morthers kinsmen or Tutors ought to have especiall care and regard thereof Yea Christian Princes and Lords or Rulers of Common-wealths should not in this respect be so supine and negligent in the performance of their Offices as once to permit and suffer this amongst them which is so directly contrary to the Word of God but rather by especiall charge forbid it to the end that both their Lawes might be conformable and in every respect agreeable to the holy Ordinance of God and that the way might be stopped to those mischiefes which were likely to arise from such evil concluded Marriages For what reason is it that a young maid baptised and brought up in the Church of Christ should be given in marriage to a worshipper of Images and Idols and sent to such a Countrey where the worship of God is not so much as once thought upon Is not this to plucke a soul out of the House of God and thrust it into the house of the devill out of Heaven into Hell than which what greater apostasie or falling from God can there
for her living wherefore she murthered him in his bed and after slew her selfe also Arichbertus eldest son unto Lotharius King of France dyed even as hee was embracing his whores In summe to conclude this matter our English Chronicles report that in the yeare of our Lord 349 there was so great a plenty of corne and fruit in Britaine that the like had not been seene many yeares before but this was the cause of much idlenesse gluttony lechery and other vices in the land For usually case and prosperity are the nurses of all enormity but the Lord requited this their riotous and incontinent life with so great a pestilence and mortality that the living scantly sufficed to bury the dead Petrarch maketh mention of a certaine Cardinall that though hee was seventy yeares old yet every night would have a fresh whore and to this end had certaine bauds purveyours and providers of his trash but he dyed a miserable and wretched death And Martin Luther reported that a bishop being a common frequenter of the stewes in Hidelberg came to this mistrable end the boards of the chamber whither he used to enter went loosened that as soone as he came in he slipped through and broke his neck But above all that which we finde written in the second booke of Fincelius is most strange and wonderfull of a priest in Albenthewer a towne neare adjoyning to Gaunt in Flanders that perswaded a young maid to reject and disobey all her parents godly admonitions and to become his concubine when she objected how vile a sin it was and how contrary to the Law of God he told her that by the authority of the Pope he could dispence with any wickednesse were it never so great and further alledged the discommodities of marriage and the pleasure that would arise from that kinde of life in fine he conquered her vertuous purpose and made her yeeld unto his filthy lust But when they had thus pampered their desires together a while in came the devill and would needs conclude the play for as they were banquetting with many such like companions he tooke her away from the Priests side and notwithstanding her pittifull crying and all their exorcising and conjuring carried her quite away telling the Priest that very shortly he would fetch him also for he was his owne darling I may not here passe over in silence an Irish history famous both for notorious villany and excellent in justice wherein we may see by the adultery of one filthy Fryer occasion given not only of much bloodshed but of the ruine of a famous City called Rosse scituate in Leinster This City being first an unwalled towne was to prevent the sudden invasion of the Irish compassed about with a large and strong wall by the advice and charges of one Rose a chaste widdow and bountifull Gentlewoman This Rose had issue three sons who being bolstered out by their mothers wealth and their owne traffique made divers prosperous voyages into far countries but as one of the three chapmen was employed in his traffique abroad so the pretty poppet his wise began to play the harlot at home and that with none but a fat religious cloysterer of the towne they wallowed so long in this stinking puddle that suspition began to creepe into mens braines and from suspition the matter was so apparent that it grew to plaine proofe her unfortunate husband was no sooner come home but notice hereof was blowne in his eares so that with griefe and anger he grew for such is the nature of jealousâ—e almost starke mad and not only he but the whole towne took themselves as extreamely wronged by this shamefull fact whereupon divers of them conspiring together agreed as being a deed of charity to grub away such wilde shrubs from the towne and so flocking together in the dead of the night to the Abbey wherein this Fryet was cloystered the monument of which Abbey is yet to be seen at Rosse on the South side they undersparred the gates and breaking open the doores stabbed the Adulterer with the rest of the Covent through with their weapons where they left them goaring in their blood and gasping up their ghosts in their couches a cruell act I must needs confesse in the executioners who being carried away with private revenge had no measure in their cruelty but yet a just vengeance upon the executed that harboured and maintained so wretched a person but secret and deep are the judgements of God who punisheth one sin with another and maketh one wicked man a rod to plague another and after casteth the rod also into the fire for so did he here stirring up the rest of the Clergy to be a meanes to punish this cruelty for when as these three brethren not long after sped themselves into some far countrey to continue their trade the religious men being informed of their returne homeward every night did not misse to set a lantorne on the top of a high rock which was used to be set upon the Hulk tower a notable marke for Pilots in directing them which way to sterne their Ships and to eschew the danger of the rockes which are there very plentifull and so by this practise these three passengers bearing saile with a good winde made right upon the lantorne supposing it had been the Hulk tower and so ere they were aware their Ship was dasht upon the rockes and all the passengers over-whirled in the Sea And thus was Adultery punished with cruelty and cruelty with treason but see the end upon this there grew so great quarrels and discontentments between the townesmen and the religious the one cursing the other that the estate of that flourishing towne was turned upside downe and from abundance of prosperity quite exchanged to extreame penury CHAP. XXX More examples of the same argument I Cannot passe over in silence a history truly tragicall touching the death of many men who by reason of an Adultery slew one another in most strange and cruell manner and indeed so strangely that as far as I ever read or knew there was never the like particular deed heard of wherein God more evidently poured forth the streame of his displeasure turning the courage and valour of each part into rage and fury to the end that by their owne meanes he might be revenged on them In the Dukedome of Spaleto which is the way from Ancona to Rome of the antient Latines called Umbria there were three brethren who kept in their possession three Cities of the said Dukedome namely Faligno Nocera and Trevio the eldest of whom whose sirname was Nicholas as he passed from one town to the other being at Nocera lodged divers times in the Castle in the keepers and Captaines house whom he had there substituted to defend the place with an ordinary band of souldiers Now as he made his abode there a few dayes he grew to cast a more lascivious eye upon the Captaines wife than was
notoriously and fearefully manifested therein that when the holy Ghost would strike a terrour into the most wicked he threateneth them with this like punishment saying The Lord will raine upon each wicked one Fire snares and brimstone for their portion Howbeit this maketh not but that still there are too many such monsters in the World so mightily is it corrupted and depraved neither is it any marvell seeing that divers Bishops of Rome that take upon them to be Christs Vicars and Peters successours are infected with this filthy contagion As namely Pope Iulius the third whose custome was to promote none to Ecclesiasticall livings save only his buggerers Amongst whom was one Innocent whom this holy father contrary to the Suffrages of the whole Colledge would needs make Cardinall nay the unsatiable and monstrous lust of this beastly and stinking goat was so extraordinary that he could not abstaine from many Cardinals themselves Iohn de la Casae a Florentine by birth and by office Archbishop of Benevento and Deane of his Apostaticall chamber was his Legat and Intelligencer in all the Venetian Seigniories a man equall or rather worse then himselfe and such a one as whose memory ought to be accursed of all posterity for that detestable booke which he composed in commendation and praise of Sodomie and was so shamelesse nay rather possessed with some devillish and uncleane spirit as to divulgate it to the view of the world Here you may see poore soules the holinesse of those whom you so much reverence and upon whom you build your beliefe and religion you see their brave and excellent vertues and of what esteeme their lawes and ordinances ought to be amongst you Now touching the end that this holy father made it is declared in the former booke among the ranke of Atheists where we placed him And albeit that he and such like villaines please their owne humours with their abominations and approve and cleare themselves therein yet are they rewarded by death not only by the law of God but also by the law of Iulia. When Charlemaigne reigned in France there happened a most notable judgement of God upon the Monkes of S. Martin in Tours for their disordinate lusts they were men whose food was too much and dainty whose case was too easie and whose pleasures were too immoderate being altogether addicted to pastimes and merriments in their apparell they went clad in silke like great Lords and as Nichol. Gill. in his first Volume of French Chronicles saith their shooes were gilt over with Gold so great was the super fluity of their riches and pride in summe their whole life was luxurious and infamous for which cause there came forth a destroying Angel from the Lord by the report of Budes the Abbot of Clugnie and slew them all in one night as the first born of Aegypt were slaine save one only person that was preserved as Lot in Sodome was preserved This strange accident moved Charlemaigne to appoint a brotherhood of Canons to be in their roome though little better and as little profitable to their Commonwealth as the former It is not for nothing that the law of God forbiddeth to lie with a beast and denounceth death against them that commit this foule sin for there have been such monsters in the world at some times as we reade in Calius and Volaterranus of one Crathes a shepheard that accompanied carnally with a shee Goat but the Buck finding him sleeping offended and provoked with this strange action ran at him so furiously with his hornes that he left him dead upon the ground God that opened an Asses mouth to reprove the madnesse of the false Prophet Balaam and sent Lions to kill the strange inhabitants of Samaria employed also this Buck about his service in executing just vengeance upon a wicked varlet CHAP. XXXV Of the wonderfull evill that ariseth from this greedinesse of lust IT is to good reason that Scripture forbids us to abstain from the lust of the flesh and the eyes which is of the world and the corruption of mans own nature forsomuch as by it we are drawn to evill it being as it were a corrupt root which sendeth forth most bitter sowre and rotten fruit and this hapneth not only when the goods riches of the world are in quest but also when a man hunteth after dishonest and unchaste delights this concupiscence is it that bringeth forth whoredomes adulteries and many other such sinnes whereout spring forth oftentimes flouds of mischiefes and that divers times by the selfe-will and inordinate desire of private and particular persons what did the lawlesse lust of Potiphars Wife bring upon Ioseph Was not his life indangered and his body kept in close prison where he cooled his feet two yeares or more We have a most notable example of the miserable end of a certain woman with the sacking and destruction of a whole City and all caused by her intemperance and unbridled lust About the time that the Emperour Phocas was slain by Priscus one Gysulphus Governour and Chieftain of a Countrey in Lumbardy going out in defence of his Countrey against the Bavarians which were certaine reliques of the Hunnes gave them battell and lost the field and his life withall Now the Conquerours pursuing their victory laid siege to the chief City of his Province where Romilda his Wife made her abode who viewing one day from the wals the young and fair King with yellow curled lockes galloping about the City fell presently so extreamly in love with him that her minde ran of nothing but satisfying her greedy and new conceived lust wherefore burying in oblivion the love of her late husband with her young infants yet living and her Countrey and preferring her owne lust before them all she sent secretly unto him this message That if he would promise to marry her she would deliver up the City into his hands he well pleased with this gentle offer through a desire of obtaining the City which without great bloudshed and losse of men he could not otherwise compasse accepted of it and was received upon this condition within the wals and lest he should seeme too perfidious he performed his promise of marriage and made her his wife for that one night but soone after in scorne and disdaine he gave her up to twelve of his strongest lechers to glut her unquenchable fire and finally nailed her on a gibbet for a finall reward of her treâ—cherous and boundlesse lust Marke well the misery whereinto this wretched woman threw her selfe and not only her selfe but a whole City also by her boiling concupiscence which so dazled her understanding that she could not consider how undecent it was dishonest and inconvenient for a woman to offer her selfe nay to solicite a man that was an enemie a stranger and one that she had never seen before to her bed and that to the utter undoing of her selfe and all hers But even thus
meanes nay and some Masquers have been well chastised in their owne vices as it happened in the raigne of Charles the sixth to six that masqued it to a marriage at the hostle of S. Pauls in Paris being attired like wilde horses covered with loose flax dangling down like haire all bedaâ—bed with grease for the fitter hanging thereof and fast bound one to another and in this guise entered the hall dancing with torches before them but behold suddenly their play turned to a tragedy for a sparâ—â— of one of their torches fell into the greasie flax of his neighbour and set it immediatly on fire so that in the turning of an hand they were all on â—lame then gave they out a most horrible ouâ—â—ry one of them threw himself headlong into a tub of water provided to â—ince their drinking cups and goblets and upon that occasion standing not far off two were burnt to death without stirring once from the place The bastard Foix and the Earle of Jouy escaped indeed present death but being conveyed to their lodgings they survived not two daies the King himselfe being one of the sâ—â— was saved by the Dutchesse of Berry that covering him with her loose and tide garments 〈◊〉 the fire before it could seise upon his flesh Froyssard the reporter of this tragedy â—aith That the next morrow every man could say thaâ— this 〈◊〉 wonderfull signe and advertisement sent by God to the King to warne him to renounce all such fond and foolish devices which he delighted too much in and more then it became a King of France to doe and this was the event of that gallant Masque It resteth now that we speak somewhat of Playes and Comedies and such like toyes and May-games which have no other use in the world but to deprave and corrupt good manners and to open a doore to all uncleanenesse the eares of yong folke are there polluted with many filthy and dishonest speeches their eyes are there infected with lascivious and unchaste gestures and countenances and their wits are there stained and embrued with so pernitious liquor that except Gods good grace they will ever savour of it the holy and sacred Scripture ordained to a holy and sacred use is oftentimes by these filthy swine prophaned to please and to delight their audience in few words there is nothing else to be found among them but nourishment to our sences of foolish and vaine delights For this cause many of the sager Romanes as Nasica and divers other Censors hindred the building of the Theatres in Rome for an opinion they had that their sports and pastimes which were exercised therein served to no other purpose but to make the people idle effeminate and voluptuous and besides the masters guiders and actors of Playes were alwayes debarred as men infamous from bearing any publike Office or dignity in the Common-wealth Tiberius Caesar himselfe though of most corrupt and rotten manners and conversation yet in open Senate complained and found fault with the immodesty of Stage-players and banished them at that same time out of Italie When Domitian was Censor he put out of the Senate a Citizen of Rome because he was too much addicted to the imitation of the fashions of Players and Dancers And Plutarch saith that we ought to shun all such spectacles If then such pastimes were by the judgements of the Romanes noted with infamy shall we have their equals in follies in better account Basil calleth such sports and pastimes the work-house forge and common shop of all wickednesse and therefore Chrysostome prayeth and admonisheth the faithfull of his time to abstaine from frequenting such places S. Augustine also for biddeth to bestow our money upon tumblers juglers and players and such like Beside by the Constantinopolitan Councell under Iustinian it was inhibited to be once present at such sports under the paine of excommunication and that the ancient Christians did by common consent not only condemne but also utterly abstaine from such pastimes it may appeare by the testimony of Tertullian writing to the Gentiles to this effect We renounce and send back faith he sports and playes unto you as to the head and fountaine from whence they were first derived we make no reckoning of thâ—se things which we know were drawne from superstition we love not 〈◊〉 be hâ—ld the folly of turning with Chariots nor the unchastity of the Theatre nor the cruelty of sword playing nor the vanity of leaping â—râ—stling and dancing but take pleasure in exercises of better report and lesse hâ—râ— Moreover how odious and irksome in the sight of the Lord such spectacles are and what power and sway the devill beareth therein they 〈◊〉 of God upon a Christian woman reported by Tertullian may sufficiently instruct us There was a woman saith he that went to the 〈◊〉 to see a play and returned home possessed with an uncleane spirit who being rebuked in a conjuration for daring to assault one of the â—aith that professed Christ answered that he had done well because he found her upon his owne ground The same author reporteth another example as strange of a woman also that went to see a Tragedie acted to whom the night following appeared in a dreame the picture of a sheete a presage of death casting in her teeth that which she had done and five daies after death himselfe seised upon her As touching wanton songs and unchaste and ribald bookes that I may be briefe I will content my selfe only with that which is alleadged by Lodovicus Vives concerning that matter The Magistrate saith he ought to banish out of his dominion all unhonest Songs and Poems and not to suffer novelties to be published day by day in rimes and ballads as they are as if a man should heare in a City nothing but foolish and scurrilous Ditties such as would make even the â—onger sort that are well brought up to blash and stir up the indignation of men of honour and gravity this ought Magistrates to prevent and to discharge the people from reading Amadis Tristram Launcelot due Lake Melusine Poggius scurrillities and Boccace novelties with a thousand more such like toyes and thus much out of Vives CHAP. XXXVII Of Theeves and Robbers IT followes that we speake in the next place of such as by their greedy covetousnesse and unquenchable desire of lucre transgresse the fourth commandement of the second Table to wit Thou shalt not steale wherein not only simply theft but also Sacriledge is condemned and first of Sacriledge Into this sin fell wretched Aehan in the time of Ioshua when in the sack of Jericho he seeing a Babylonish garment with certaine gold and silver covered it and stole it away and hid it in his Tent contrary to the commandement of the Lord for which cause the Lord was offended with his whole people as if they all had been accessary to the crime and enâ—eebled them so before their enemies that they
him But if he would have given all the world it could not ransome him from death wherefore when he saw there was no remedie but hee must needs die hee commended his soule to the Divell to be carried into everlasting torments which words when hee had uttered hee gave up the ghost Another Usurer being ready to die made this his last Will and Testament My soule quoth he I bequeath to the divell who is owner of it my wife likewise to the divell who induced me to this ungodly trade of life and my deacon to the divell for soothing me up and not reproving me for my faults and in this desperate persuasion he died incontinently Usury consisteth not only in lending and borowing but buying and selling also and all unjust and crafty bargaining yea and it is a kinde of usurie to detain through too much covetousnesse those commodities from the people which concerne the publike good and to hoord them up for their private gain til some scarcitie orwant arise and this also hath evermore beene most sharpely punished as by these examples may appeare About the yeare 1543. at what time a great famine and dearth of bread afflicted the world there was in Saxonie a countrey peasant that having carried his corne to the market and sold it cheaper than he looked for as he returned homewards he fell into most heavy dumpes and dolours of minde with griefe that the price of graine was abated and when his servants sang merrily for joy of that blessed cheapnesse he rebuked them most sharpely and cruelly yea and was so much the more tormented and troubled in minde by how much he more he saw any poore soule thankfull unto God for it but marke how God gave him over to a reprobate and desperate sence Whilest his servants rode before hee hung himselfe at the cart taile being past recoverie of life ere any man looked backe or perceived him A notable example for our English cormorants who joyne barne to barne and heape to heape and will not sell nor give a handful of their superfluitie to the poore when it beareth a low price but preserve it till scarcity and want come and then they sell it at their owne rate let them feare by this lest the Lord deale so or worse with them Another covetous wretch when he could not sel his cornesodear as hee desired said the mise should eat it rather than he would lessen one jot of the price thereof Which words were no sooner spoken but vengeance tooke them for all the mise in the countrey flocked to his barnes and fieldes so that they left him neither standing nor lying corne but devoured all This story was written to Martin Luther upon occasion whereof he inveying mightily against this cruell usurie of husbandmen told of three misers that in one yeare hung themselves because graine bore a lower price than they looked for adding moreover that all such cruell and muddy extortioners deserved no better a doome for their unimercifull oppression Another rich farmer whose barnes were full of graine and his stacks untouched was so covetous withall that in hope of some dearth and deerenesse of corne he would not diminish one heape but hoorded up dayly more and more and wished for a scarcity upon the earth to the end hee might enrich his coffers by other mens necessities This cruell churle rejoyced so much in his aboundance that everie day he would go into his barnes and feed his eyes with his superfluitie Now it fell out as the Lord would that having supped and drunke very largely upon a night as hee went according to his custome to view his riches with a candle in his hand behold the wine or rather the justice of God overcame his sences so that he fell downe suddenly into the mow and by his fall set on fire the corne being dry and easie to be incensed in such sort that in a moment all that which he had scraped together and preserved so charily and delighted in so unreasonably was consumed and brought to ashes and scarce he himselfe escaped with his life Another in Misnia in the yeare 1559 having great store of corne hoordedup refused to succor the necessitie of his poore halfe famished neighbours for which cause the Lord punished him with a strange and unusuall judgement for the corne which he so much cherished assumed life and became feathered fowles flying out of his barnes in such abundance that the world was astonished thereat and his barnes left emptie of all provision in most wonderfull and miraculous manner No lesse strange was that which happened in a towne of France called Stenchansen to the Governour of the towne who being requested by one of his poore subjects to sell him some corne for his money when there was none to be gotten elsewhere answered hee could spare none by reason he had scarce enough for his owne hogs which hoggish disposition the Lord requited in it owne kinde for his wife at the next litter brought forth seven pigs at one birth to increase the number of his hogs that as he had preferred filthie and ougly creatures before his poore brethren in whom the image of God in some sort shined forth so he might have of his owne getting more of that kinde to make much of since hee loved them so well Equall to all the former both in cruelty touching the person and miracle touching the judgement was that which is reported by the same authour to have happened to a rich couetous woman in Marchia who in an extreame dearth of victuals denyed not onely to relieve a poore man whose children were ready to starve with famine but also to sell him but one bushell of corne when he wanted but a penny of her price for the poore wretch making great shift to borrow that penny returned to her againe and desired her he might have the corn but as he payed her the mony the penny fell upon the ground by the providence of God which as she stretched out obeisance and vaile bonnet to the hat and in every respect shew themselves as dutifull unto it as to his owne person imagining that his greatest enemies could not endure nor finde in their hearts to do it and therefore upon this occasion he might apprehend them and discover all their close practises and conspiracies which they might brew against him now there was one a stout hearted man that passing everie day up and downe that wayes could in no wise be brought to reverence the dignitie of the worthy hat so unreasonable a thing it seemed in his eyes whereupon being taken the tyran commanded him for punishment of his open contempt to shoot at an apple laid upon the crowne of the head of his dearest childe and if he mist the apple to be put to death the poore man after many excuses and allegations and entreaties that he might not hazard his childes life in that sort was notwithstanding
unto To this Pope and these Cardinals let us adde an Archbishop and that of Canterbury to wit Thomas Arundel upon whom the justice of God appeared no lesse manifestly than on the former For after hee had unjustly given sentence against the Lord Cobham he died himselfe before him being so striken in his tongue that he could neither swallow nor speake for a certaine space before the time of his death Hither might be adjoyned the vengeance of God upon Justice Morgan who condemned to death the innocent Lady Iane but presently after fell madde and so dyed having nothing in his mouth but Lady Iane Lady Iane. In the reigne of King Henry the eighth one Richard Long a man of armes in Calice bore false witnesse against master Smith the Curate of our Lady Parish in Calice for eating flesh in Lent which hee never did but hee escaped not vengeance for shortly after he desperately drowned himselfe A terrible example unto all such as are ready to forsweare themselves on a Booke upon malice or some other cause a thing in these dayes over rise every where and almost of most men little or nothing regarded About the same time one Gregory Bradway committed the same crime of false accusation against one Broke whom being driven thereunto by feare and constraint he accused to have robbed the Custome-house wherein hee was a Clerke of foure groats every day and to this accusation he subscribed his hand but for the same presently felt upon him the heavy hand of God for being grieved in his consciene for his deed hee first with a knife enterprised to cut his owne throâ—t but being not altogether dispatched therewith the Gaoler comming up and preventing his purpose hee fell forthwith into a furious frenzie and in that case lived long time after Hitherto we may adde the example of one William Feming who accused an honest man called Iohn Cooper of speaking trayterous words against Queene Mary and all because he would not sell him two goodly bullockes which he much desired for which cause the poore man being arraigned at Berry in Suffolke was condemned to death by reason of two false witnesses which the said Feming had suborned for that purpose whose names were White and Greenwood so this poore man was hanged drawne and quartered and his goods taken from his poore wife and nine children which are left destitute of all helpe but as for his false accusers one of them died most miserably for in harvest time being well and lusty of a sudden his bowels fell out of his body and so he perished the other two what ends they came unto it is not reported but sure the Lord hath reserved a sufficient punishment for all such as they are Many more be the examples of this sinne and judgements upon it as the Pillories at Westminster and daily experience beareth witnesse but these that we have alledged shall suffice for this purpose because this sinne is cousin Germane unto perjury of which you may read more at large in the former booke It should now follow by course of order if wee would not pretermit any thing of the law of God to speak of such as have offended against the tenth Commandement and what punishment hath ensued the same but forsomuch as all such offences for the most part are included under the former of which wee have already spoken and that there is no adultery nor fornication nor theft nor unjust warre but it is annexed to and proceedeth from the affection and the resolution of an evill and disordinate concupiscence as the effect from the cause therefore it is not necessary to make any particular recitall of them more than may well bee collected out of the former examples added hereunto that in evill concupiscence and affection of doing evill which commeth not to act though it be in the sight of God condemned to everlasting torments yet it doth not so much incurre and provoke his indignation that a man should for that onely cause be brought to apparent destruction and be made an example to others to whom the sinne is altogether darke and unknowne therefore we will proceed in our purpose without intermeddling in speciall with this last Commandement CHAP. XLVII That Kings and Princes ought to looke to the execution of Iustice for the punishment of naughty and corrupt manners NO man ought to be ignorant of this that it is the duty of a Prince not onely to hinder the course of sin from bursting into action but also to punish the doers of the Jame making both civill justice to be administred uprightly and the law of God to be regarded and observed inviolably for to this end are they ordained of God that by their meanes every one might live a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty to the which end the maintenance and administration of justice being most necessary they ought not so to discharge themselves of it as to translate it upon their Officers and Judges but also to looke to the execution thereof themselves as it is most needfull for if law which is the foundation of justice be as Plato saith a speechlesse and dumbe Magistrate who shall give voyce and vigor unto it if not hee that is in supreame and soveraigne authority For which cause the King is commanded in Deuteronomy To have before him alwayes the Booke of the Law to the end to doe justice and judgement to every one in the feare of God And before the creation of the Kings in Israel the chiefe Captaines and Soveraignes amongst them were renowned with no other title nor quality than of Judges In the time of Deborah the Prophetesse though she was a woman the weaker vessell yet because she had the conducting and governing of the people they came unto her to seeke judgement It is said of Samuel that he judged Israel so long till being tyred with age and not able to beare that burden any longer hee appointed his sonnes for Judges in his stead who when through covetousnesse they perverted justice and did not execute judgement like their father Samuel they gave occasion to the people to demaund a King that they might be judged and governed after the manner of other Nations which things sufficiently declared that in old time the principall charge of Kings was personally to administer justice and judgement and not as now to transferre the care thereof to others The same we read of King David of whom it is said That during his reigne he executed justice and judgement among his people and in another place That men came unto him for judgement and therefore he disdained not to heare the complaint of the woman of Tekoah shewing himselfe herein a good Prince and as the Angel of God to heare good and evill for this cause Solomon desired not riches nor long life of the Lord but a wise and discreet heart to judge his people and to discerne betwixt good and