vnto the last day Psal 34.20 He wil keep the remembrance of vs for euer that it may not be any maner of way fading away or darkened Hee will keepe our bodies to the very bones thereof Iob. 19.25 against the day of the resurrection of al fleshe and will at the last crowne vs with eternal life which he himselfe hath purchased for vs by his owne blood O death then 1. Cor. 15.55 where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory Certainely wee haue very much wherewith to comforte our selues by the consideration of these thinges and when wee heare that Iesus Christe saith vnto vs Luke 9.23 If any man wil come after mee let him denie him selfe and take vp his crosse daily and followe me We ought to learne howe and after what sorte it behoueth vs to beare afflictions For first by these wordes Let him take vp his crosse Iesus Christe meaneth that wee shoulde willingly bowe downe our shoulders vnder the burthen of the crosse and shoulde subiect our selues with a free hearte and courage to beare the same yea that wee shoulde bee glad and reioyce if in this respect and behalfe we could yeeld and perfourme any seruice to God Acts. 5.41 Rom. 5. 3. according to the example of the Apostles and the doctrine which they taught Secondly when hee addeth dayly hee declareth that wee are neuer at the ende of our striuing vntill wee depart out of this worlde and therefore this is our continuall exercise that when wee shall haue indured and suffered sundrie persecutions wee shoulde prepare and dispose our selues to suffer them againe and other new beside them knowing as we haue ere while alleadged That he which shall continue to the end shal be saued .. Mat. 10.22 Wherefore they abuse and deceiue them selues who thinke that they haue rightly and duely discharged their duetie if they haue stoode fast in the time of one persecution or of two for it is not with the first flight that we flie to the ioyes of Paradise and Iesus Christe commaundeth vs not any thing here which he himselfe hath not first of all shewed vs the way thereto seeing that he was not only vnder the crosse but that al his life was no other thing then a perpetuall combate and striuing against afflictions 2. Corin. 11.14 c. And Saint Paul although hee might haue set out his labours his perils his prisonings his beatings his shipwrackes and an infinite number of other afflictions notwithstanding he saide yet That hee was altogether ready to suffer not onely to bee bounde and put in pryson but also willingly Actes 20.23 24. and without any grief to dye for Christes cause O how great is this honour to giue vp our life for the name of God They that are in the wages or souldiership of som eathly Prince make no great difficultie to forsake their owne parents and their goods that they may go to his seruice yea it troubleth them not muche to hazarde and giue vp their owne liues to mainteine his quarrell and cause which very often is vniust wicked And shall we which haue such a Prince as Iesus Christe the sonne of God is who died for vs poore and miserable sinners shall wee I say doubt to leaue all thinges yea to aduenture and yeelde vp our owne liues to maintain his cause his quarrel which is so iust and vpright specially seeing hee hath power to render and giue the same againe vnto vs afterwards Moreouer the meditation of the glory to come as wee haue already touched the same ought to strengthen and incourage vs in the middest of afflictions as we see Saint Paule fully resolued and settled himselfe thereupon when hee saide to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 4. 17.18 Our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent and an eternall weight of glory While wee looke not on the thinges which are seene but on the thinges which are not seene For the things which are seene are temporall but the thinges which are not seene 2. Tim. 2.11 12. are eternall And to Timothie It is a true saying If we be dead with Christ we shall allso liue with him if we suffer with him we shal also reigne with him Do we think to haue the crowne of glory without hauing first fought as our great Captaine did Do wee thinke to reigne with the Prince of life on high in heauē without hauing first suffered and borne troubles with him in this worlde If men take the earth from vs let vs looke vp to heauen Actes 7.55.56 which is open for vs as it was to Saint Steeuen If they put vs to death let vs looke to Iesus Christe who is our life who also dyed and rose againe Rom. 14.8.9 to the ende that if wee dye wee shoulde dye vnto him that afterwardes wee may bee raysed vp in glory as hee was Phill. 3.21 If our abiect and base body bee despised and dishonoured let vs looke to the glorious body of our Lorde Iesus Christe like vnto which our bodies shal be made in the last day To bee short if wee weepe and waile in this wonderfull heape and sea of miseries 2. Cor. 5.1 being in this worlde strangers pilgrimes passengers let vs remember that when wee shall once come to our celestiall and heauenly Citie which wee nowe waite and hope for then wee shall reioyce with a ioy which cannot bee comprehended and that with God himselfe and the holy angels Prophets Apostles and Martyres Reuela 21.4 For the Lord wil wipe away all teares frō our eies and there shal be no more death neither sorow neither crying neither shall there be any more paine Then shall wee feele the fruite of the crosse and tribulation whiche wee haue indured and suffered in this worlde Then shal we knovv hovv much vve be blessed Reue. 21.4 that haue suffered for Iesus Christe and haue made our robes vvhite in the blood of the Lambe 1. Iohn 3.2 1. Cor. 13.12 Then shal vve behold God euen as hee is and shal knovv him perfectly as he knoweth vs and wee shal liue and reigne with him for euer The Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes doeth by this meditatiō incourage the faithfull when he said vnto thē Ye haue bin partakers of the aflictions of my hāds Hebr. 10.34.35 suffered with ioy the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selues how that yee haue in heauen a better and induring substance Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence and rewarde But shall wee now thinke or suppose that wee loose our life when we shall haue abandoned forsaken and as it were giuen vp the same vnto tyrants for gods cause and matters Mat. 5.12 Shall wee iudge that wee die vpon imagination and as it were foolishe and insensible madde people as in deede the worlde supposeth seeing Iesus Christe hath promised
also it hath not bin begun in our time Euseb lib. 3. cap. 33. Tertull. Apolo Cap. 2. Behold the two letters whereof Eusebius maketh mention in his Ecclesiasticall Historie alleadging Tertullian in his Apologetico which Tertulliā censuring the Emperors answere speaketh after this maner O sentence confused and darkened by necessitie which decreeth that inquirie shall not be made of them because they seeme innocent people yet in the mean while commaundeth that they should bee punished as culpable and giltie It vseth pardon crueltie it dissēbleth punisheth Wherfore O Emperour doest thou abuse thy self in thy charge and Censure If thou condemne Christians why doest thou not make and put in also informations against them Or if thou make and put in no informations Wherefore doest thou condemne them The fourth persecution was vnder Marcus Antonius verus the xvi Emperor who was created in the yeere of Christ 162. He is otherwise called of the Historiographers Marcus Aurelius Verus and surnamed the Philosopher He gouerned the Empire the space of xviii or xix yeeres His vertues were great and wonderfull yet the true vertue was wāting in him to wit the feare of God For looke by how much more he was gentle towards his owne by so much he was the more rude and seuere againste the Christians as a Stoicall man nourished and brought vp from his infancie with the Priests of Satia his lawes edicts declare howe cruell hee was towardes the Christiās For in the booke of digestes we finde such a writing or law that hee made that those which woulde doe any thing against the religion of their Auncestours shoulde bee banished and sent into the Isles Euseb lib. 4. cap. 62. Eusebius reciteth certain things takē out of the Apologie of Melitus the bishop of Sardis amōgst which is this also to be shewed that the faithfull people suffered persecution by reason of some newe Edictes which were published in Asia wherewith the slaunderers making themselues strōg were prouoked and stirred vp to pill and robbe the faithful in euery place wheresoeuer they found them and to steale away the goods of the poore innocents Euseb lib. 5. cap. 1 The Epistle of the Martyres of Vienna and of Lions Cities of Fraunce sent to the faithful people of Asia Phrigia of which Eusebius maketh mention speaketh of a writing or law of the Emperour sent too the gouernour of Fraunce by which hee ordeined that they shoulde put to death the christians perseuering and continuing in their confession and that they shoulde let the other goe which woulde abiure forswere and forsake the same As touching the crimes and faultes whereof the Christians were accused the foresaide Epistle reciteth that the Pagans prouoked yea constrained them to confesse straunge matters and behold what it saith Some were founde amongest vs which were weake who beeing vanquished by Satan and very muche fearing tormentes which they sawe the Saintes suffer and abide being also pushed on by the souldiers haue alleadged against vs that in our bankettes wee should eate the flesh of litle children as was vsed in Thiests his banket and that we commit whoredomes and hortible incests like Oedipus and other thinges which are not lawefull for vs to name yea that so execrable abhominable that it is not possible to thinke that men shoulde euer haue committed such actes And as concerning the tormentes the selfe same Epistle rehearseth them That the Christians were spied and watched both within their houses and without that men cried out againste them in all publike and open places that they dyd beat and whip them drawe them vp and downe stoned them pilled and tooke away their goods and imprisoned them that they applied and layde vnto them burning blades of yron that they shut them together in an instrument of torture and torment euen vnto the fifth hole that they put them into obscure and darke dungeons that they strangled them within the prison that they cast them to beasts that they put thē with in cauldrōs of yron to burne them that they hanged them on Gibbets that they caste them to bulles which might pearse and gore them with their hornes and such other like things The 5. persecutiō was vnder Seuerus xxi Emperor who was established in the Empire in the yere of Christ 196. He raigned 18. yeres The state of the church was som what peaceable from the time of the Emperour Commodus who was the xviii Emperor created about the yeere of Christ 182. vntill Seuerus came who in the ix yeere of his raigne which was after Eusebius account in the yeere of Christe 205. moued stirred vp a terrible persecution against the christians by the gouerners of the Prouinces and countries And some thinke that hee was moued therto rather by the vices faultes which the furious common people did very fasly and wrongfully lay to the Christians charge then to say that of himselfe hee had his hearte inflamed against them Tertullian who was in his time saith Tertullian ad scapul that hee shewed him selfe for a certaine time not onely curteous gentle and full of beneficence liberalitie and good will but also did openly resist the rage of the people yet Eusebius proueth by diuers examples of the Martyrs that this Emperout was a terrible persecutor of the Church Touching the crimes falsly obiected alledged against the Christians Tertul. ad Scapu in Apologes Tertullian reciteth diuers of them saying That they were accused of sedition and treason that they had blamed and spoken euill of the Emperour his honor that they were murtherers Church robbers incestuous persons killers of infantes which they did eate the flesh being rawe that they committed whordome without hauing respect with whom after that they had put out the candles with which filthinesse the Gnostici were in deed spotted Also that they worshipped the head of an Asse in the steede of God that they worshipped the Sunne that they were in nothing profitable for others that they were enemies of mankinde and the greatest and chiefest crime that they laid against them or vpon them was this that they despised the gods which other men worshipped And touching the sortes and maners of torments we may gather it out of that which Eusebius hath written of it Eusebius that some were buffetted and beaten other some beheaded others burned others had boyling pitch powred ouer all the members of their bodies and so they were by litle and litle burned and put to death and besides all this that all their goods were pilled away robbed and confiscate The sixt persecution was vnder Iulius Maximianus the xxvi Emperour who succeeded Alexāder in the yeare of Christ 237. reigned onely about three yeares Hee was a sheepeheard in his young age but because hee was a great and mightie man beeing a Souldier hee was created Emperour without any authoritie of the Senate but by the onely good will and pleasure of the
what are wee poore wormes of the earth dwelling heere in filthinesse and corruption and infected with so many spottes as nothing more than we yea wee are abhominable sinners who haue rightly deserued not onely by tyrantes in this life to bee persecuted in our goods and bodies but also to bee for euer lost drowned and swallowed vp in the Deuils possession in hell and yet notwithstanding that God hath vouchsaued vs worthie of this honour to vse our life and our death to withstande his enemies and to mainteine and aduaunce his glorie by our Martyrdome If wee had but so much as one drop of good iudgement and were pushed on forward with as litle right zeale as may be to serue our God should not this kindle and inflame vs in a singular and wonderfull desire to imploy bestow our selues in the maintenance of his honour whatsoeuer assaults should be set before vs and to keepe our selues strong stedfast in the middest of persecutions that we might suffer abide the same couragiously and chearfully for the name of Christ The ninth point What bee the endes which God respecteth and regardeth in the persecutions and afflictions of his Church and of his faithful people wherof we will marke and put downe eight First that the glorie of God might be aduaunced For it is said Prou. 16.4 The Lord hath made all thinges for his owne sake and glorie yea euen the wicked for the day of euil When the Disciples asked Iesus Christ touching him that was born blinde saying Maister Iohn 9.2.3 who did sinne this man or his Parentes that he was born blinde Iesus answered Neither hath this man sinned nor his Parentes but it is to this ende that the woorkes of God shoulde bee manifested in him and shewed on him Iesus Christ meant to teach thereby that God doeth not alwayes afflict men for their sinnes but to the ende that his glorie may shine foorth and bee made manifest by the succour and comforte which hee sendeth them And this is the same which hee spake also touching Lazarus Iohn 11.4 This sicknesse is not vnto death but for the glorie of God that the Sonne of God may be glorified thereby And thereunto had Saint Paule respect and regarde when hee saide to the Corinthians Wee are afflicted on euerie side 2. Cor. 4.8.9.15 Yet are we not in distresse in pouertie but not ouercome of pouertie wee are persecuted but yet not forsaken wee are cast downe but yet wee perishe not for all thinges are for your sakes that moste plenteous grace by the thankes giuing of many may redounde to the glorie and prayse of God Hebr. 12.8 Zacha. 13.9 Iam. 1.2.3 1. Pet. 1.7 2 That the faythfull may bee discerned from the vnfaythfull and hypocrites as the Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrewes verie well declareth And for this cause temptations and afflictions are called in holie scripture the trials of faith 3 That wee might bee humbled and kept in our dueties the more earnestly to serue GOD. Wherfore Dauid saide Psa 119.67.71 Before I was afflicted I went astraie but nowe I keepe thy worde It is good for mee that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy statutes And Saint Paule 2. Cor. 12.7 Lest I shoulde bee exalted out of measure through the abundaunce of reuelations there was giuen vnto mee a pricke in the fleshe the messenger of Satan to buffet mee 4 That our olde man might be more and more beaten downe conquered and mortified for affliction serueth to correct and amende the remnauntes of sin which are as yet in this our flesh Wherefore Saint Paule saide 2. Cor. 4.16 Therefore wee fainte not by reason of our afflictions saith hee but though our outwarde man perishe or bee corrupted yet the inwarde man is renued daily 5 That wee might bee prouoked to pray vnto God and pricked on forward to returne vnto him For in prosperitie wee easilie forget him Psal 78.34 Hosea 5.15 Hosea 6.1 When God slue them saith Dauid then they sought him and they returned and fought God earlie And in Hosea In their affliction they will seeke mee diligentlie saying Come and let vs returne to the Lorde for hee hath spoiled but he will heale vs he hath wounded vs but he will binde vs vp We knowe that men naturallie when they are at their ease and quiet sleepe therein and bee as it were drunken therewith insomuch that they seldome or neuer acknowledge the Authour of their prosperitie but being once afflicted with sicknesses or els tossed vpon the sea with tempest storme or els on the land assaulted by theues robbers or els straying waÌ„dering through wildernesses vnknowne countries or els beeing persecuted with some other of Goddes roddes then is it that euerie one runneth and hath his recourse to GOD whereunto nature it selfe thrusteth them forward they not going thither to a right end but this is also to make them so muche the more without excuse And touching the elect the lord not minding to destroy theÌ„ awaketh them by this meane and way Wherefore let vs marke that the Lord laieth vpon vs many necessities miseries and afflictions the deliuerance from which he hath reserued to him self placing vs therin as it were in examination and vpon the racke and torture to make vs to confesse that which our vnthankfulnesse malice would choke vp that is to say that all our good ioy and prosperitie commeth from him aboue to whose fatherly goodnesse it is meete for vs to resorte by our supplications and prayers 6 That the Gospell might be aduanced for it flourisheth in the midst of persecution as we haue before shewed in the seuenth pointe to be marked in the persecutions of the Church spoken of a litle before in this verie Chapiter 7 That our pacience and hope may be exercised Rom. 5. 3.4 5 Wherefore Saint Paul saieth to the Romans Wee reioyce in tribulations knowing that tribulation bringeth foorth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed 8 That we might so much the more willingly despise the world that we leauing without griefe this life altogether full of miseries might aspire vpwarde to heauen where our Citie is 2. Cor. 4.27.18 to the place of our perpetuall abode So saide Saint Paule Our lâ—ght afliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent and eternall weight of glory while wee looke not on the things which are seen but on the things which are not seene for the things which are seene are temporall but the thinges which are not seene are eternal The tenth point what issue or end the afflictions haue in respecte of the faithfull ones It is certain that they turne work to their good ioy and saluation as appeareth by these places following It is good for me that I haue beene aflicted Psal 119.71 Iames. 1.12 that I may learne thy statutes Blessed is
the man that indureth temptation for when he is tried hee shall receiue the crowne of life which which the Lorde hath promised to them that loue him 1. Pet. 1.6.7 Wherein yee reioyce though now for a season if neede require yee are in heauinesse through manifold temptations that the tryall of your faith being much more precious then gold that perisheth though it be tryed with fier might bee found vnto your praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christe 1. Pet. 4.14 If yee be rayled vpon for the name of Christe blessed are yee for the spirite of glory of God resteth vpon you which on their part is yll spoken of but on your part glorified Mat. 5. 10.11 12. Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are yee when men reuile you and persecute you and say all maner of euil against you for my sake falsly Reioyce and be glad for great is your rewarde in heauen Roma 8.28 Al thinges worke together for the best vnto them that loue God euē to thē that are called according vnto his vnchaungeable purpose Phil. 2.27 In nothing feare your aduersaries which is to them a token of destruction but to you a token of saluation and that of God All the persecutions and afflictions which yee suffer are a manifeste token of the righteous iudgement of God 2. Thess 1.5.6.7 that yee may bee counted worthie of the kingdom of God for the which yee also suffer For it is a righteous thinge with God to recompence trybulation to them that trouble you and to you whiche are troubled deliueraunce and rest with vs When the Lorde Iesus shal shewe him selfe from heauen with his mightie Angels This is a true saying 2. Timo. 11 1◠That if wee die with Christe wee shall also liue with him and if wee suffer with hym wee shall also raigne vvith him Nowe out of these places wee gather a verye greate and singular comforte An exhortation to the faithfull paciently and couragiously to beare their crosse For in the firste place wee knowe that there is not any ignominie or shame in the persecutions and afflictions whiche we suffer for Iesus Christes sake but that they are a good and sweete smellynge sauour before GOD because he approoueth and alloweth our obedience when that by the Sacrifices of our selues wee doe most willinglye presente and offer our selues vnto him Moreouer our combat and fighting shall not bee without good hyre for rest and quietnes is set out vnto vs in our pain and trauel and eternall life in our death of which it is writtē Psal 116.15 Precious before the face of the Lord is the death of his Saints And we are wel assured that this our good god beholdeth from aboue our good will and the cōfession of his holy name which we make and yeeld and that as he aideth our strength and power so also that hee will crowne our victorie and rewarde in vs all that which hee hath giuen to vs and wyll honour that which he himselfe hath begun and made perfect in vs. In summe by these persecutions we aduaunce and thrust forwarde our selues to goe to the true and eternall dwelling places of the Martyres that wee may there clearely beholde God and that there we may be partakers of so excellēt a glory as all the afflictions sufferings of this present life euen as Sainte Paule saith are not worthie of Rom. 8.18 Isaiah 6.4 1. Cor. 2.9 For the things which the eye hath not sene neither the eare hath hearde neither came into mans heart are they which God hath prepared for them that loue him Wherefore let vs not feare them which kill the body Mat. 10.28 but are not able to kill the soule but let vs rather feare him which is able to to destroy both soule and body in Hell Mat. 10.32.33 Whosoeuer shall confesse mee before men saith Iesus Christe him Will I confesse also before my father which is in heauen But whosoeuer shall deny mee before menne him will I also deny before my father which is in heauen Hee that will saue his life shall loose it Mat. 10.39 and he that looseth his life for my sake shall saue it Let vs knowe and vnderstand this that from the beginning of the world it hath beene thus ordeined and determined that all which will liue godly in Iesus Christ shal suffer persecutiō 2. Tim. 3.12 And that by many tribulations wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen For at the beginning the righteous Abell was slaine and put to death and after him all the righteous persons the Prophetes and Apostles sent by God whereof some were deliuered and cast to wilde beastes others died in prison through famine others were hanged and strangled others digged into earth buried quicke therein others drowned burned beheaded broken and ground as it were to peeces dismembred rosted boiled singed and sawed flayed all aliue stoned whipped c. And is ther any which is able to describe and set out all the tormēts which the tyrants as wel vnder the old as vnder the newe testament iudged the Christians worthie of Now the Lord Iesus hath set out vnto vs an example in himselfe teaching vs that none shall come to his kingdome but they which haue followed him by his owne way Mat. 16.24 Wherefore let vs not bee faint hearted for the persecutions and afflictions which shall come vnto vs but let vs shewe our selues strong and constant and let vs through a certain spirituall power and force pursue that euen to the end the way into which wee are entred If the waues billowes and surges of the Sea of this worlde lift vp themselues and rise against vs to swallow vs vp and to ouerwhelme vs if our enimies in great companies and bands compasse vs on euery side and assault vs Let vs crie with the apostles Mat. 8.25 Maister or Lord saue vs and he will deliuer vs out of al dangers If death feare vs let vs remember that Iesus Christ in dying hath brought this to passe that death is not death vnto vs but a very redy way to guide leade vs to life eternal glory If the world continue his assaultes against vs yea dubbleth them and trebbleth them as you would say Mat. 10.22 2. Timo. 2.5 let vs cal to our remembrance that he Which endureth vnto the end shal be saued and if any man striue for a maistery Mat. 28.20 Mat. 10.28 2. Tim. 1.12 Psal 112.6 he is not crowned except he striue as he ought to do The sonne of God is our protector and defender who hath promised vs to be with vs alwaies euē vntil the worlds end If we die for him for his sake he will keepe our soules Pro. 10.7 and that which we haue committed vnto him shal be very sure in his hands euen
vs so great a rewarde and hyre in heauen Shall wee say that our death is wicked and accursed when hee himselfe by his sacred and holy Reue. 14.13 mouth hath pronoūced the same blessed or els that when we die for Christ Iesus his name wee shoulde bee cursed when the holy Ghoste pronounceth vs blessed Wherefore let vs not stay our selues in the iudgemente of the flesh which is so muche blinded that shee seeth not life in death neither blessednesse in the curse but let vs behold with the eyes of our faith the promises of God and be fully resolued of this that the way and meane to make vs conformeable and like to our head Iesus Christe is to carry and beare with pacience our crosse after him For as Saint Paule saith Wee must suffer with Iesus Christe Rom. 8. 17. that we may also be glorified with him The eleuenth point what is the ende which persecutors haue had Examples of the punishmēts vengeances of God against the persecutors of the Church Experience teacheth vs that ther was yet neuer any tyrant with whome it wente well at the last in banding and setting himselfe againste God And the holy Scripture giueth vs also a faithfull testimonie and an assured witnesse thereof as also the Ecclesiasticall historie it selfe God hauing wylled and appointed that the issues and ends of the persecutors of his Church shoulde be put in order and declared by writing for a testimonie of his wrath and fury againste them to the end that the examples of his vengeance might be knowne to them that came after that thereby they might bee bridled and kept in and not exercise crueltie against his faithfull people vnlesse they would bee most seuerely and sharply punished as their predecessors were to the ende also that Christians liuing holily shoulde bee comforted in this that their keeper and defender is in heauen who seeth and knoweth al their oppressions to take vengeance thereof in time and place as to himselfe seemeth good Wherefore it is necessary that we shew heere some examples touching the issue end of tyrāts and persecutors of the children of God And first of Pharaoh and of his Egyptians It is written that they pursuing the Israelites were all ouerwhelmed and drowned in the Sea so that there remained not of them Pharao Exod. 14.6.7.8.9.28 Saneherib 2. Kin. 19.35 so much as one alone although they were a very greate number Zennacherib and his Assyrians making warre vpon Israell did not lesse feele by experience Gods reuenging hand For they being before Ierusalem and besiegeing it it came to passe that the Angel of the Lorde went foorth and slue an hundred fourescore and fiue thousande men of those that besieged it And as concerning Zennacherib himselfe he at that time escaped and went to dwell at Niniueh but as he worshipped in the temple of his idol he was slaine by his two sonnes Adramilech and Sharezer Antiochus what end had he Antiochus 2. Macha 9.4 for al the oppressions cruelties which he exercised against the Iewes After an infinite nūber of murthers which hee had committed that in his pride he had said that he would make Ierusalem a commō butcherie burying place of the Iewes the Lord God of Israel stroke him with an innumerable and inuincible plague so that a horrible griefe tooke him in the bowels and greeuous torments within in his body he notwithstanding ceased not for all this frō his malice but hauing his heart kindled set on fire against the Iewes and hastening his iourney to goe to Ierusalem there to execute his purpose it came to passe that going ouer hastily violently hee fell from the Charriot and hurte himselfe sore in the members and partes of his body so that all his body was bruised in the same body was so great corruption that wormes issued and came out of it and his fleshe whilest hee was aliue fell of from the bones by peece-meale through paine and torment insomuche that his armie being greeued at the smell or stinch of his corruption and rottennesse and hee himselfe also not being able any longer to indure the same died like a murtherer and blasphemer of a miserable death Herod the great Herode the greate after that hee had committed many execrable and detestable offences against the innocent people ended not his dayes but that the vengeance of God was horriblie and fearefully kindled against him For hee was tormented with many and very cruell sicknesses neither more nor lesse then if he had had hangmen or tormentors alwayes beating his body both within and without till that at the last hee dyed of a violent and cruell death And beholde heere what Iosephus hath saide thereof Iosephus lib. 17. Cap. 8. de antiquitat Iudaeor The disease and sicknesse of the King increased waxed more sharpe and God manifestly and openly shewed that hee punished him for his vngodlines for hee was burned with a verie slowe heate neither could any man perceiue that heat without but he him selfe felt it within because that it gnawed his entralles and bowels Moreouer hee was so hungrie that hee tooke no leasure to chewe his meate but deuoured and swallowed vp all that entered into his mouth and so they must cast meate continually into his throate Besides this hee had his inwarde partes full of sores hurtes and biles and was tormented with the colicke of passion he had his feete puffed vp and swelled with a moist kinde of fleme hee had also his nose swelled His priuie partes and members were rotted full of wormes and his breath was verie stinking insomuch that none durst come nigh him Besides all this he had a certeine shrincking or drawing together of the sinewes and he had much adoe to take breath Wherefore all they who made profession to deuice and foretell thinges to come were of one and the selfe same opinion and resolued all vpon this that this was a verie punishment and vengeaunce sent from God who punished him for this because he had so many sortes and wayes violated the honour prophaned the reuerence which he ought to God the loue which he ought to his wiues and children and so he died miserably Herode Agrippa Herode Agrippa the sonne of Aristobulus who was the sonne of the foresaide Herode the great by his seconde wife named Marianne and put to death by him hauing cruellie tormented and persecuted the Church Act. 12.1.2.3.4.18.19 c. and namelie put Saint Iames to death beeing also at the last lifted vp to the highest of his honors cloathed in his kinglie apparell and set vpon the iudiciall seate making an oration to the people and the people crying out this is the voyce of God and not of a man hee I say was striken sodeinly by the Angell of the Lorde and was gnawen and eaten with wormes and gaue vp the Ghost Herode Antipas Herod Antipas the tetrarch of Galilee