but of the body and that for a time and consider with all that there is another death co come both of body and soule wherein you shall die eternally from-God and yet liue eternall to intollerable torments Consider then I pray you the Terrour of that great day where the fire howsoeuer spirituall yet shall thereby bee the more intollerable and yet the conscience shal be more stinging then the fire tormenting and the euerlasting exclusion from the presence of God shall make vp the measure of those vnsufferable torments If they were but for a hundred or a thousand nay a million of yeares yet there were some hope at length of release but remember that the worme neuer dyeth the fire neuer goet out because the wrath of God like a riuer of Brimstone doth continually maintaine the same Thus you may meditate vpon those endles torments And this by Gods mercy may worke in you that hartie and seasonable sorrow for your present sinnes whereby you may prepare to your present ends and so preuent those endles torments But be not too suddaine in applying mercy when your sinnes haue beene so many For it is not euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Consider also that there can be no comfort in God till there be true sorrow for sinne the best sacrifices were sodden in the sowrest hearbs and the sacrifice best pleasing vnto God is that of a broken and contrite heart Onely bee you wise to try your sorrow There is a sorrow vnto death which is carnall and hypocritical rather greiuing for the punishment then the offence if therefore you will bee sorry in hope of 〈…〉 y you must in 〈…〉 God in your punishment 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ere farre greater and greiua for your sinnes that haue deserued more For your punishment is not great or then your faint but your 〈…〉 t greater then your punishment If you would farther trik the sinceritie of your sorrow examine it then by the fruit thereof Godly sorrow breeds Repentance and true Repentance expresseth it selfe in the hearty confession of sin and true confession is not forced but voluntarie not only of what apparant euidence wrings from vs but what is secret and only knowne to our selues and vnto God And thiâ—â—e it not enough to satisfie the world of what you are now conuicted of vnlesse you also discharge your conscience so farre as possibly you may remember of all that hidden burthen of sin which at the day of iudgement will be certainely layd open and charged vpon you euen to your vtter pressing downe and ouerwhelming for euer And withall lay it to your harts that if you shall fayle to acknowledge what you are now conuicted of as you shall least of all satisfie God who knoweth your harts to shall you not satisfie the world in this your obstinacy which must needs bee conuicted with such apparant euidences as haue bene deliuered and so iustly condemne you in that wherein you seeke to Iustifie your selues Let me heare speak vnto you euen from my very soule and set you in a way for your soules eternall good Do not thinke that euery Psalme of Miserere is sufficient to expiate your fault or to giue you an interest in the pardoÌ„ of your sin no I tell you you must confesse your faults to the world be-before you leaue the world You haue offended God and man as farre as confession may yeeld satisfaction do it care you die Oh feare and remember that saying As the tree falls so it lies If you bee dead while you liue you cannot hope to liue when you are dead If we forget our sinnes God will remember them and if we confesse them God will forget them Remember the good successe of the Prodigall child hee no sooner came home to his Father and confessed his sin but his Father ran to meete him and kissed him killed the fatted calfe for him and cloathed him with the be 〈…〉 〈…〉 yment Euen so our heauenly Eather hath offered his onely sonne as the fatted calfe for the redemption of all penitent sinners he is ready to meete vs if wee bee comming to him by Repentance nay to kisse and embrace vs if we cast of our sinnes and insteed of those theenish raggs you weare to cloath you with that glorious Robe of his perfect righteousnesse This I hope and wish that you may be so happie as to finde And therefore I desire you to embrace the Mercy of God that is now offered vnto you Labour to breake your hard harts with the consideration of his tender compassions and ease your distressed soules by the the acknowledgement of your sinnes Remember that God will not endure a stubborne sinner but they which are heauie laden with the burthen of their sins shal be welcome vnto him And to this end aboue all things take heede of desparing Consider that the mercy of God is aboue all your mysery whatsoeuer and that you shall more offend in disparing of Gods mercy then in shedding of the blood of so many innocents eueÌ„ as Iudas more offended in despayring of the pardon of his sinne then in betraying of that iust one who was the ransome for his sinne and let this last part be the best which is to comfort you Now I commend you with my best affections to the mercy and goodnesse of God wishing you to glorifie God in the confession of your greinous faults remembring that no time can priueledge no place conceale nor Persons beare downe and smother the shedding of blood but God in his due time will discouer the same and make the places of concealement the stages of discouery Yea he will make the Actors themselues to discouer their owne sinnes The blood of Abel shall crie for vengeance from the earth and the blood of these murthered soules hath cried for vengeance from the bottome of the Pond And therefore Iustifie God in this wonderfull discouery And so the Lord giue you wisedome in time to make your Peace with him This was the effect of the reuerend Iudges Exhortation as himselfe pleased to anow the same Which beeing ended their iudgement was pronounced and so respited till Manday for their execution that so in the méan time they might bee prepared by repentance to the comfortable issue thereof And this of the third Scoene of this second part of this Tragedy CHAP. 7. 1 Containing the execution of the Murtherers 2 And such accidents as fell out therein 3 Together with such Vses as may be made thereof VVe are now come to the last Scoene of this Tragedy concerning the Execution of the murtherers And herein we may first behold the singular wisedome of God in disposing thereof according to the diuers condition of the Murtherers For wheras there was two conuicted condemned for this haynous murther namely Land and Worlich Though these both were brought to the Gallowes and knew no more but they should both dye yet such was the prouidence of God guiding
and iust scandall either awaken them to repentance or conuince them to punishment Behold how the Lord takes the wise in their craftines They desire to be senselesse of sin that they may commit it more greedily and the more greedily they commit the same the more they prouoke the world through their scandall and it one danger to awaken them thereout what remedie is now left in carnall wisedome to make vp the breach and lull them a sléepe againe Behold againe the hight of this wisedome in sin and obserue how the Lord takes the wicked in their craftines If Elia will Prophesy no good but euill vnto vs while wee sleepe in sin yet welfare Zidkiah that will warrant good successe therein flattering vs that wee may go vp and prosper because hitherto it hath gone well with vs and though he lie falsely yet he will walke in the spirit that hee may deceiue more effectually yea hee wants not his rough garment of tything mint and comin yea he will not spare herein to humble flesh by voluntary deuotions of Pilgrimage penances and such like trash to the satisfying of the flesh euen in a great shew of wisedome to abase the same And what now shall be spared for the sinne of the soule though it be to the parting with our substance yea our first borne and all yea which is the hight of this delusion shall not a greater sinne be made a price for the lesse shall not the murther of Princes become an expiation for all our personall sinnes Behold here the depth of the Mistery of iniquity and admire with me the Justice of God in taking the whore and her accursed brood in their owne craftines that while they estéeme their owne blood vile that they may murther the Lords annoynted they haue iustly brought the Kings of the earth vpon their heads to secure themselues in subuerting Antichrist whom otherwise they could haue bene contented still to haue made their band for the satisfying of their lusts Oh! the vnsearchable riches of the wisedome and mercy of our God who turnes about the carnall wisedome of man tending only to it present bodily good to be meanes of remouing that great stumbling blocke whereby their soules were ensnared that so they might ascribe vnto him alone the glorie of their true happines so farre aboue and contrary to their corrupt intent Well thus we see how the Lord takes the wise in their craftines That the world may securely reuel in sin the false Prophet must bee a snare vpon Mispah to cry ayme thereto that so the blind leading the blind both may fall into the ditch And is not this prouidence of God very remarkeable in these daungerous dayes of the contempt and peruerting of the word of God that though the Lord feedeth the hungry with good and wholesome food yet the daintie and full stomake is either choaked with chaffe or puffed vp with wind that so seeming that which he is not he may not see what truely he is and thereby be both preuented of sound curing and withall hardened to destruction Behold here then some further light to iustifie the Prouidence of God in the ouer-flowing of sinne amidst so glorious light of the Gospell Not that the word is any true cause thereof but onely a meanes to discouer and conuince the same whereby as through our naturall rebellion the more sinne is conuinced the more it is enraged and so encreased thereby so through carnall wisedome the light being peruerted becomes a broker vnto sinne and thereby proues a further meanes to encrease and ripen the same And yet all this in great Iustice and exceeding Equity The Lord herein giuing the wicked their desires for the accomplishment of his righteous decree in their condemnation in that themselues are their owne caruers in the meanes there vnto And all this executed by his mighty word becomming thus vnto the wicked a sauour of death vnto death whereby as he taketh the wise Papist and Atheist in their Craftines so doth he also iustly confound the Prophane Libertine who while he fathers that vpon the Word which proceeds from his owne corrupt sense and application thereof doth therefore Iustifie the word in his hardening thereby and so is Iudged by the Word while he peruerteth the same to such ends as are contrary thereunto And thus hitherto for the Iustifying of Gods prouidence in disposing of such greuious sinnes as do accompany and preuaile euen in the most glorious light of the Gospell of Iesus Christ. CHAP. 2. Wherein first an entrance is made by way of Application vnto the Particular sinne of Murther being the proper subiect of this Treatise where 2. The Progeny and heynousnesse of this sinne is discouered and enlarged 3. The causes and occasions thereof in generall are explained 4. The Dangerous Effects and consequences thereof are detected And so 5. Such seuerall vses are propounded as both tend to the preuenting of this sinne as also for the wise suppressing and weeding out thereof FRom that which hitherto hath bene discoursed concerning the Prouidence of God in disposing of such multiplicity and encrease of sinne in this glorious light of the Gospell we may gather these Conclusions First that the Gospell is not properly the cause of these euils but onely 1 the ignorance thereof 2 peruerting the light to the iustifying of sinne or else our want of loue and so obedience thereunto 2 That as Ignorance breeding Error and so Disobedience to the truth is the Mother of all that grosse wickednesse that is discouered thereby So in that Popery is the chiefe and onely Patron of ignorance so it becomes also the very Chaos of all errors and delusions and so proues the maine Broker to all grosse and desperate wickednesse 3 That whereas the weapons of Popish warfare are only carnall and diuellish vsing these as her last refuge when her Paper bolts and enchantments will not preuaile to roote out and destroy all her opposits as being that Scarlet-coloured Whore whom nothing will secure and satisfie but the bloud of Saints and all such as shall oppose her Tyranny Therefore howsoeuer all other sinnes are harbored in her bosome as beeing ashamed to haue them knowne to the world Yet this sinne of Murther is her cheife darling and glorious sinne whereof she is so farre from being ashamed as that she raignes only thereby and triumphs therewith not onely vpon her pretended power of the secular sword whereby she arrogates supreme authority ouer life death But especially vpon pretence of the Power of her Keyes whereby presuming ouer the soules as well as the bodies of men she thereby confirmes and iustifies this her vnsatiable thirst of bloud as either seruing for the good of their soules whose bodies she butchered or else by cutting off such supposed Leapers thereby securing the estates of others Thus doth her Progeny declare the same who is of her Father the Diuell that was a murtherer from the beginning So her condition doth
the heart of the Reuerend Iudge that the one being more tractable to confesse the truth and giuing sou 〈…〉 hope of his repentance both for his owne and the Countries good who expect yet a further discouery of foure principall offenders not yet knowne or conuicted Hee was therefore onely brought vpon the Ladder and so prepared to execution that so he might conuince the other of the crime being still obstinate therein and satisfie the world concerning his owne guiltinesse of the Fact Wherein as he did not obscurely bewray himselfe at least an accessary though not so cleerely and particularly as was expected for his comfort yet he spared not to challenge his fellow standing obstinate on the dentall and by many circumstances conuicted him to 〈…〉 es the chiefe Murtherer Whereby as it may seeme hee was not an Actor in the Murther himselfe but onely priuie thereto by relation or consequence so was hee therefore repriued for the further cleering of the truth and freeing of his owne conscience from any secret burthen yet lay therevpon As for the other who the more hee was conuicted remained still more obstinate whether in policy that hee might be also repriued in hope of mollifying his heart and bringing him to repentance or vpon desperatenesse and so seeing no way but one must now prepare himselfe to the vengeance of God and confound the worlds expectation or harden the world in such like sinnes therefore was he iustly cut off that he might doe no more mischiefe though to his owne greater confusion thus dying in his sinne And yet behold the power of Gods iustice preuayling on his conscience though he would not confesse his sinne in particular yet he acknowledged to his shame what the world tooke too much notice of and himselfe did formerly much glory in that he was much delighted in Drunkennnsse himselfe yea which was the hight of his sin he was strong to be are his drinke and so gloried to draw others into the same excesse that so hee might pride himselfe in his great power that could out drinke others and thereby also more easily make prey of them Which as it was the meanes whereby hee caught Iohn Leeson in his snare so if consequents may be gathered by their Antecedēts it must needs follow hereupon that he made prey of him especially seeing he could not deny but he accompanied him that day at the Mill-hill when he was made away and his pretences that Iohn was gone for Ireland as were disprooued and confounded by contradictions in his owne and wiues speeches But howsoeuer such apparent conuictions both at the Barre and Gallowes euen from his owne mouth though he stil denied the fact as 〈◊〉 hath bin giuen heretofore the t 〈…〉 so wee hope time will more 〈…〉 eetely discouer his madnesse herein And so we leaue him to the fruite of his si 〈…〉 But before we end this Sc 〈…〉 one scruple is to be cleered that wheras Justice so 〈…〉 ends the 〈…〉 ying thereof in the punishment of the body as that it specially aymes at the good of the soule it might seeme therefore to haue beene fitter that Worlich being more penitent would haue dyed presently and Land being so obstinate should haue beene respited for his better preparing to his end For satisfaction where of we must know that as the iudgement against sinne is directed by a speciall in 〈…〉 ct scour God and so therin doth vsually 〈…〉 ble his 〈…〉 teous 〈◊〉 which is th 〈…〉 to h 〈…〉 that hath shal be giuen but to him th 〈…〉 nothing shall be taken away 〈◊〉 that which he s 〈…〉 th 〈…〉 haue therefore to Worlich that hath some spacke of grace and 〈…〉 rse opportunity was further yeelded to encrease and perfect the worke And from Land that hath nothing in truth if wee may c 〈…〉 e by the effect therefore that was taken away which it seemed belonged vnto him euen longer time and space of Repentance A notable Image of Gods righteous decras in the hardening of y e one softning of the other and a wise item to obstinate sinners that what they haue beene in their liues they likely prooue in their deathes And withall a sweete word of comfort to al broken and bleeding hearts that the Lord wil waite vpon them that he may haue mercy vpon them And this we wish hartily may be portion of that poore soule that now is respited in the hope thereof And thus endeth the history of this bloudy Tragedy Iustifying the Righteous Do 〈…〉 e of the Lord That he that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed againe CHAP. 8. Containing the conclusion of the whole With promise of further light THus hast thou Christian Reader a briefe of the most lamentable History which euer I heard or read of concerning the cruell murther of this widowes children Together with the admirable discouery thereof by the Finger of God as also the procéedings against so many of the Malefactors as are yet discouered What now remaineth but that thou glorifie God with me for the execution of his righteous iudgements Assuring thee that as I was an eye witnesse of these particulars so I haue deliuered thee therein the truth according to the euidences confirmed by the consent of the best warrants to establish the same onely I haue forborne to specifie the particular information of many witnesses because as many of them were spared at the Barre séeing the rest were sufficient so of those that were giuen in I haue also spared some as specifying the same in effect with those that are wouen into the history because I did not so much respect the order of their allegations at the Barre as the fitnesse of their application to the vse and life of the Story If herein I haue giuen any light or spirit by this manner of handling remember I wrote it not for a nine dayes wonder to vanish like a dreame but that it might leaue such impression in thy heart as might prouoke thée to know the Lord by his executing of Justice and so hereby learne to make vse of his Prouidence in all his workes promising thee that if thou shalt profitably vse this discouery to this end thou shalt be fitted not onely with further light herein as occasion shall be offered but as thou maiest make profitable vse of many other labours published by me formerly for the common good so thou shalt shortly be furnished with my long expected Paines concerning the Delusions of the Time and cure of a wounded Spirit which I am reuising and polishing at my best leysure s for thy good herein And so desiring thy harty prayers vnto God for his furtherance hereunto I commend thee to the grace of our Glorious Lord. In whom I rest thine and the Churches seruant THO. COOPER FINIS Heb. 2. 13. Ierem. 44. 16. Rom. 7. 8. 9. Psalm 50. Eccle. 8. Iob 22. Rom. 6. 1. 1. Thes. 2 12. Hos. 14. 13. 14. Ioh. 8. 44. The heynnusnesse and greatnesse of this sinne By the Obiect Psal. 10. Causes of murther 1 Enuy. 2 Pride 3 Adultery 4 Iealousie 5 Lust. 6 Ambition 7 Couetousnesse 7 Rage 9 Bitter speaking Two Cautions Antidotes to preuent murther To mainetain peace with God Reuel 13. 11. Pro. 7. Psal. 55. Math. 6. Psal. 37. Vse Pro. 23. Vse Thomas Leeson 1. Thes. 5. 5. Psal. 9. 13. 14. Reuel 6. 9 Rom. 8. 19 20. Psa. 58. 12. Psal. 75. 2. Plato in Timeo Case of the Guise iustified and Marquesse D'ancre As in the case of Nadab and Abiu Cosbi and Zimri Sir Henry Mountague Lord chiefe Iustiée