Sluggâ—rd to the pismire to learne instructioÌ„ why shold we scorne to earne of pagaâ—s who were endued with excellent gifts of nature Prou. 6.6 Phacion a great Magistrate in Athens when his son in law Charillus was to be endited for extortion would not so much as be preseÌ„t there least his couÌ„tenaÌ„ce might haue procured him some fauor assuming that when he tooke him to be his son in law he hoped he would â—e a good an honest man a Plutarch in praecept polit And Cleon when hee was called to be a Magistrate sent presently for all his friends and renounced then fâ—â—â—â—dship And when Simonides requested something of Thoâ—â—stocles a Magistrate that was not very iust heâ—re Hâ—â—â—â—m with this answer He is not a good Poeâ— that singeâ—â— wâ—tâ—out harmony nor he a good mag strate that sheweth any fauour aâ—aâ—â—st the lawes â—ut there is a most famous example of all other for this purpose recorded by Aelianus The sum of it is this There was a man of the people called Mardi A han lib. 1. cap 34. that had seauen sonnes whereof the youngest being stubborne and dissolute and one that would not be reclaimed the rather taketh him and bindes his hands behind him and bâ—ought him to the Iudges there doth â—arnestly accuse him required that he might bee put to death The Iudges being astonished at the strangenes of the thing would not meddle with â—t but brought the father and the son to Artaxerxes the King Where the father stiâ— pleaâ—ed against the son craued iustice The King seeing his eaâ—nâ—stnesse said vnto him Canst thou then with thine owne eâ—e endure to behold the death of thy son he answ â—ed yea very â—el For when I shall see him that wrongeth dishonoureth my family put to death Land the rest of my children shall liue with â—eater comfort When the King heard this he highly commended the father made him one of his Iudges affirming that he that durst so seuerely so iustly pronounce sentence against his owne childe would doubtlesse shew himselfe a sincere incorrupt iudge vnto others But he pardoned the young man for that time threatning to put him to a most horible death if euer â—e should offend againe in the l ke maÌ„ner â—â—h that our Magistrates and Iudges would follow thâ—se examples For if it did once appeare to the world that rich mighty men should be punished as well as the poore meane persons and that kinsfolke friends should finde â—o more fauâ—ur then those that are strangers it would soone cut off all hope of impuâ—â—â—e from all kinde of malefactors And blessed be God that at this time our eies do see the great care of his Maiesty to haue the â—aÌ„d purged froÌ„ bloud wherwith it hath been poluted that there is so strict so iust proceeding against all that were coâ—eâ—eraâ—e in so wicked a fact nd the Lord streÌ„â—then tâ—e hart â—aÌ„â—â— that most wortâ—y Lord chiefe Iustice that he â—ay stil go forward vnpartially to cut off al those that had any aÌ„ in so foul a murder Wicked As all the wicked must be punished without partialitie so none but the wicked must be enda gered Th y that are innocent and harme esse must not bâ—e mâ—lâ—sted The Lord commanded Moses that in the execution oâ— jâ—st ce Deut 2â— 1 Prou. 17.15 The righteous should bee iustified â—nd the wicked condemned And Solomon saith It is as great abhomination in the sight of od to condemne the iust as it is to iustifie the wickeâ— And the Prophet pronounceth as great a woâ— against â—im that Taketh away the righteous es of the r ghteous from him Isa 5.23 as against him That iustâ—fiâ—th absolueth the wick d for a reward The Lord hath puâ— a sword into the Magistrates hand Rom. 13 4 but it is to this eâ—d that he may Take vengeanâ—◠〈◊〉 him that doth euill And therefore bee abuseth his authorâ—tâ—â— and abuseth his sword if he turneth edge of it against the godly Psal 11 2. and smite them that are vpright in heart as Dauid saith This is a most fearefull and a most horrible sinne and a siâ—ne which God will â—ost seuâ—rely punish Among those se â—en things which the Lord hateth and abhorâ— h Pro 6.16 17 Psal 9. â—â— this is one The hands that shed innocent blood And â—auid saith that the Lord himselfe wiâ—â— make inquisition for blood Sometimes innocent blooâ— is shed vnder colour oâ—â—aw But there will be at tâ—me when the Lord wil câ—â—e with a quest of â—â—quiâ—e to find it out nd to punish it And therefore when the wicked brought the Prophet Ieremiah before the princes and would haue had him put to death he speaketh to them with great boldnesse Ier. 26.14.15 As for me I am in your hands doe with me as you thinke good But know ye for a certaine that if you put me to death ye shall surely bring innocent blood vpon your selues and vpon this city vpon the inhabitants therof Implying that God would reuenge his blood not onely vpon the murderers themselues but vpon the people the whole land should be guilty of it When poore Naboth was vniustly condemned and put to death by wicked Ahab the Lord sent Elijah the Prophet to him with this messag Hast thou killed also gotten possession Thus saith the Lord in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shal dogs licke euen thy blood also 1. King 21.13.19 22.38 2. King 21.16 24.2.3.4 Which came to passe accordingly Manasseh was a cruell murderer He shed innocent blood exceeding much till he replenished Ierusalem from corner to corner But marke how fearefully the Lord reuenged this sin in his posterity In the daies of Iehoiâ—kim The Lord sent against him bands of the Caldees bands of the Aramits bands of the Moabites bands of the Amonites he sent them against Iudah to destroy it Surly by the commandment of the Lord came this vpon Iudah that he might put them out of sight for the sinnes of Manasseh And for the innocent blood that he shed therefore the Lord would not pardon it Manasseh was dead rotteÌ„ long before this time but we see the Lord had not forgotten his sin but the whole land smarted for it in the third generation after him So likewise Ioash most vnkindly caused Zechariah the son of good Ieâ—oiada to bâ— stoned to death because he reproued him for his idolatry But see what followed 2. Chro. 24.21.22.23.24.25 When the yeare was out the host of Aram came vp against him and they came against Iudah and Ierusalem and destroyed all the Princes of the people from among the people and sent all the spoile of them vnto the King of Damascus Though the army of Aram came with a small company of men yet the Lord deliuered a very great army into their hands After this the Lord somte him
according to the qualitie of his falt Our instruction then from hence is this That they that are in authority Prou. 20.26 are bound to punish the wicked Solomon saith A wise king scattereth the wick d and bringeth the wheele ouer them And the Lord commaÌ„ded Moses that if any man did fasly accuse his brother looke what punishment soeuer hee should haue suffered if the accusation had beene true Deut. 19.19 21. the same punishment should be inflicted vpon the accuser himse fe Yee shaâ—l doe to him as he had thought to haue done to his brother Thine eye shall haue no compassion but life for life eie for eie tooth for tooth hand for hand foote for foote And in an other place if a man by due examination of his cause were found worthy to be beaten Deut. 25.1.2 Leui. 24.16 the Iudge must cause him to lie downe and to be beaten before his face Againe the Lord gaue a special and a strict charge that he that blasphemed the name of the Lord should be put to death all the congregation should stone him to death So likewise Num. 5.301 whosoeuer did any thing presumptuously was to be cut off from among his people I confesse that men at the first are to be allured to obedience by rewards and other gentle courses but if that will not serue the turne then seuerity must be vsed Praemio et paena Solon and punishments must be inflicted Whereupon the Philosopher said hat the common wealth was vpheld by two things namely by rewards and punishments But howsoeuer if there be not seuerity to keepe men in awe the common wealth cannot be well gouerned And therefore it was the commandement of Artaxerxes King of Persia vnto Ezra that whosoeuer would not doe the law of his God and the Kings law he should haue iudgâ—ment c. And there are many reasons which may further confirme the truth of this point For first if puâ—ishment be not inflicted vpoÌ„ offenders much euill and hurt will follow thereupon as namely first of all the offender himsefe and others also are animated and encouraged in their lewde courses Their hands are strengâ—hened that they cannot returne from their wickednesse as the Prophet saith in another sence Ier. 23.14 a Maxima peccandi ille cebra impunitatis spes Cic. Milone The greatest prouocation that can bee is hope of impunitie Neither is any greater cause of euill then libertie to doe euill Because Eli would not correct his sonnes but rather stroked their heads when they did amisse therefore they behaued themselues so vilely in their places as by reason of their sinne men abhorred the Offering of the Lord. And because Dauid did so cocker Adoniah as he would not displease him from his Childhood to say 1. Sam. 2.17 23.24 1. Ki. 1.5.6 Why hast thou done so Therefore there was none more ready to take the Crowne from his Fathers head As it is in priuate families so it is in Common-wealthes when men are not punished according to their deserts they become more dissolute And therefore Bernard saith well b Nulla maio mali câ— usa quam licentia mali Cas b Impunitas incuriae soboles insolen iae mater tâ—ansgressionum â—ut ix Ber. de Consid l. 3. Impunitie is the brood of carelesnesse the mother of insolencie the nurse of transgressions c Ad peccaâ—dum p aecipi tes fâ—n qui impune peccant Tract 1. contra Demetr Alex ab Alex. lib. 3 cap. 5. Psal 10.5.6 Eccles 8.11 And Cyprian They that sinne without controlement runne headlong to sinne Impunitie is the fewell that feedeth the fury of dissolute and vnbridled persons And therefore it was wisely prouided by the Romanes that their Magistrates should neuer come in publike without their Officers to beare halberds and rods before them for the terror of those that should offend As wicked men deale with Almightie God so doe they deale with the Magistrate his Deputie Dauid saith of the wicked that because his wayes alwayes prosper and the Iudgements of God are out of his sight therefore he saith in his heart I shall neuer be moued nor be in danger and God hath forgotten he hideth away his face and will neuer see And Solomon saith Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to doe euill So when the Magistrate is negligent in punishing offenders they and others are more emboldened to sinne We read in the booke of Iudges Iud. 17 6 18 1 19.1 21 25. of many grieuous abhominations that were committed among the Israelites as namely Micahs making of a grauen and a molten Image and consecrating of a Leuite for Idolatrous seruice the Danites spoyling their brethren by force of Armes and sacking of their cities the horrible abuse offered to the Leuites wife c. And the cause of all is said to be this In those dayes there was no King in Israel there was no Magistrate nor Law to punish them but euery man did that which was good in his owne eyes Secondly when men are suffered to transgresse without punishment the wrath of God is prouoked and publike calamities are pulled downe vpon the land The Lord tolde the people of Israel that if blood were shed in the land and the murderer not put to death Num. 35.33 the land was defiled and made lyable to Gods heauie displeasure When Ahab charged the Prophet Elijah that he was the man that troubled Israel 1. Kin. 18.18 and caused that great famine that was in the land he answered boldly That it was he and his Fathers house that troubled Israel in that he suffered so much Idolatry to be vnpunished When Achan had stollen the consecrated thing the wrath of the Lord was so kindled against all the Host of Israel Iosh 7.11.12 that they could not stand but were discomfited before their enemies Yeâ— the Lord threatned that he would be no more with them vnlesse they destroyed that person from among them When that villany was committed vpon the Leuites Concubine and the Beniamites would not deliuer those wicked men that had done it Iudg. 20.12.13 c. that they might be put to death to put away euill from Israel the Lord stirred vp the rest of their brethren to make war e against them till the whole Tribe was almost destroyed 2. Sam. 21.1 So long as the murder committed by Saul vpon the Gibeonites was vnpunished the Lord sent a grieuous famine vpon the land of Israel three yeares together And whiles Ionah that had fl d from the pr sence of God Ionah 1.4 was in the Shippe a great winde and a mightie Tempost raised by the Lord pursued the Ship that it was like to be broken and all the Marriners in danger of drowning On the contrary side whâ—â—â—â— câ— is executed vpon wicked doers the wrath of God is turned away
and he is pacified and appeased When the wrath of Lord was kindled against Israel Num. 25.3.4 because he had ioined himselfe to Baal-Peor the Lord himselfe commanded Moses to take all the heads of the people and hang them vp before the Lord against the sunne that the indignation of the Lords wrath might be turned from Israel And according when Phinehas Ps 106.30 in an holy zeale had thrust through the man of Israel and the Midianitish woman with a speare the plague ceased from the children of Israel And Dauid relating the same storie said that Phinehas stood vp and executed iudgement and the plague was staied When Achan and all that belonged vnto him were stoned vnto death Iosh 7.25.26 8. tot the Lord turned from his fierie wrath against Israel so that whereas before their enemies chased them and smote them Ionah 1 15 now they atchieued many great and famous victories When Ionah was once cast into the sea 2. Sam. 21.9.14 the sea presently ceased from her raging When the seauen sons of Saul were hanged vp in Gibea of Saul as the Gibeonites requited God was then appeased with the land And in a word 1. King 18.40.45 when Eliah had slaine the fouâ—e hundred faulse Prophets idolatrous priests of Baal whereas before there had beene neither dâ—aw nor raine for a long time the Lord presently sent raine in abundance whereby the former famine ceased And therefore if Magistrates desire either to preuent the iudgements that are threatned or hang ouer the land or to remoue those that are already inflicted they must carefully looke to the punishing of such as by their wickednesse increase the wrath of God vpon the land Nehem. 13.18 Thirdly where wicked men escape vnpunished yea not onely so Prou. 28.28 29.2 but as oft it falleth out are exalted there the good are grieued and discouraged yea as Salomon saith they are constrained to hide themselues and to sigh and mourne for sorrow It is a true saying a Bonis nocet qui malis parcit he hurteth the good that spareth them that are euill The Apostle insinuateth that Magistrates ought to prouide that those that are vnder them may leade a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie 1. Tim. 2.2 But it cannot bee that men should liue peaceably and quietly vnlesse wicked men by punishments be restrained and kept in awe for they will be so insolent as a man of a quiet disposition cannot dwell by them but the more he shall seeke for peace Psal 120.7 the more will they be bent to warre as Dauid saith of his enemies Neither is it posâ—ible that godlinesse and honestie should flourish where wicked persons are vncontrouled For as weedes let grow doe ouertoppe the good corne and choake it so lewd persons left at liberty hinder the growth of pietie and godlinesse And as all these euils doe follow vpon the neglect of this duetie so on the contrary side much good will redounde to the commonwealth where it is carefully and diligently put in practise As first of all the party delinquent is by this meanes reformed and brought to liue in better order For that that Salomon speaketh of children is true also of elder persons that foolishnesse is bound in their heart Pro. 22.15 but the rod of correction shall driue it away from them And therefore he saith in another place 20.30 The blewnesse of the wound serueth to purge the euill and the stripes within the bowels of the belly And hereof we haue an example in the incestuous person who being excommunicated and deliuered vnto Satan was thereby brought to such humiliation and repentance 2. Cor. 2.6.7 that the Apostle exhorteth the Corinthians to receiue him againe into the bosome of the Church least he should be swallowed vp of ouermuch heauinesse And many amoÌ„gst vs haue coÌ„fessed that had it not beene for correction they had neuer come to good But if it be so as sometimes we see it commeth to passe that a man is so hardned in euill as that by punishment he cannot be quite reclaimed yet he is so curbed and kept in awe as he dare not sinne so boldly as otherwise he would b Meliores sunt quos dirigit amor sed plu es quos coâ—â—igit timor For howsoeuer it bee true that the better sort are directed by loue yet the greater sort are corrected by feare c Oderunt peccare mali formidine pocnae And euen the worst that are will abstaine from euill for feare of punishment Secondly by the punishment of malefactors others will be admonished to walke more warily The Lord tolde Moses that when due punishment should be inflicted vpon the false witnesses Deut 19.19 20. 21.21 The rest should heare and feare and should henceforth commit no more any such wickednesse among them And commaundement is giuen that the stubborne and disobedient Sonne should be stoned with stones that all Israel may heare it and feare 1. Tim. 5.20 Prou. 21.11 And the Apostle chargeth Timotheus to rebuke them openly that sinne that the rest also may feare And Solomon saith expresly that when a Scorner is punished the simple will be wise a Animaduersiones quo notoriores eo plus ad exemplum emendatione inque proficiunt Sen. de ira l 3. And doubtlesse publicke chastisements and punishments are very profitable for the example and amendment of others b Vt fulnuna pâncorum periculo cadunt omiâ—unsmetu sic animadueâ—siones terrent latius quam nocent For as the Thunderbolt falleth with the danger of a few but with the feare of all so the terror of punishments teacheth further then the smart c Metus ad omnes poena ad paucos peruenit Cic. pro A Cluentio Punitis malis fâ—iunt iusti attentiores et Chrysost in Ps 7. For the feare is extended to all men but the punishment to a few To this purpose Chrysostomâ— hath a good saying d When the euill are punished saith he the righteous are made more carefull For as a sound man when he seeth one that is wounded either feared or launced is made more carefull of his owne health so when a man seeth a malefactor brought to deserued punishment he is admonished to take heede of such courses It was a true saying in the generall of the Proconsul to Cyprian at his Martyrdome though ill applyed to him in particuler e In sanguine tuo caeteri discent discipli In thy blood the rest wil learne discipline Lust of all when as by due execution of Iustice dissolute persons are cut off the whole bodie of the Common-wealth is preserued from infection f Cic. in M. Anton. Phil. 8. As in a found body if there be any thing that endangereth the rest of the body we suffer it be feared and cut that some one meâ—bâ—r may rather perish then the whole body so in the