heathen that they that hated them were lords over them In the yeare of our Lord 1551 in a town of Hassia called Weidenhasten The twentieth day of November a cruell mother inspired with Satan shut up all her doores and began to murder her four children on this manner shee snatcht up ā sharpe axe and first set upon her eldest son being but eight yeares old searching him out with a candle behinde a hogs-head where he hid himselfe and presently notwithstanding his pitifull praiers and complaints clave his head in two pieces and chopped off both his armes Next shee killed her daughter of five yeares old after the same manner another little boy of three yeares of age seeing his mothers madnesse hid himselfe poore infant behinde the gate whom as soone as the Tygre espied shee drew out by the haire of the head into the floore and there cut off his head the yongest lay crying in the cradle but halfe a yeare old him she without all compassion pluckt out and murdered in like sort These murders being finished the Diuell incarnate for certaine no womanly nature was left in her to take punishment of her selfe for the same cut her owne throat and albeit she survived nine dayes and confessing her fault dyed with teares and repentance yet we see how it pleased God to arme her own hands against her selfe as the fittest executioners of vengeance The like tragicall accident we reade to have happened at Cutzenborff a City in Silesia in the yeare 1536 to a woman and her three children who having slain them all in her husbands absence killed her selfe in like manner also to make up the tragedy Concerning stepmothers it is a world to reade how many horrible murders they have usually practised upon their children in law to the end to bring the inheritance to their own brood or at least to revenge some injury supposed to be done unto them of which one or two examples I will subnect as a taste out of many hundred leaving the residue to the judgment and reading of the Learned Constantius the son of Heraclius having raigned Emperour but one yeere was poysoned by his stepmother Martina to the end to install her own son Heraclon in the Crown but for this cruell part becomming odious to the Senat they so much hated to have her or her son raigne over them that in stead thereof they cut off her tongue and his nose and so banished them the City Fausta the wife of Constantine the great fell in love with Constantine her sonne in Law begotten upon a Concubine whom when shee could not perswade unto her lust she accused unto the Emperour as a solicitor of her chastity for which cause he was condemned to die but after the truth knowne Constantine put her into a hot bath and suffered her not to come forth untill the heat had choaked her revenging upon her head her sonnes death and her owne unchastity CHAP. XIIII Of Subject Murtherers SEeing then they that take away their neighbours lives doe not escape unpunished as by the former examples it appeareth it must needs follow that if they to whom the sword of Justice is committed of God to represse wrongs and chastise vices do give over themselves to cruelties and to kill and slay those whom they ought in duty to protect and defend must receive a greater measure of punishment according to the measure and quality of their offence Such an one was Saul the first king of Israel who albeit he ought to have beene sufficiently instructed out of the law of God in his duty in this behalfe yet was hee so cruell and bloody-minded as contrary to all Justice to put to death Abimelech the high Priest with fourescore and five other Priests of the family of his father onely for receiving David into his house a small or rather no offence And yet not satisfied therewith he vomited out his rage also against the whole city of the Priests and put to the mercilesse sword both man woman and child without sparing any He slew many of the Gibeonites who though they were reliques of the Amorites that first inhabited that land yet because they were received into league of amity by a solemne oath and permitted of long continuance to dwell amongst them should not have beene awarded as enemies nor handled after so cruell a fashion Thus therefore hee tyrannizing and playing the Butcher amongst his own subjects for which cause his house was called the house of slaughter and practising many other foule enormities he was at the last overcome of the Philistims and sore wounded which when he saw fearing to fall alive into his enemies hands and not finding any of his owne men that would lay their hands upon him desperately slew himselfe The same day three of his sons and they that followed him of his owne houshould were all slaine The Philistims the next day finding his dead body dispoyled among the carkasses beheaded it and carried the head in triumph to the temple of their god and hung up the trunke in disgrace in one of their Cities to be seene lookt upon and pointed at And yet for all this was not the fire of Gods wrath quenched for in King Davids time there arose a famine that lasted three yeeres the cause thereof was declared by God to be the murder which Saul committed upon the Gibeonites wherefore David delivered Sauls seven sons into the Gibeonites hands that were left who put them to the most shamefull death that is even to hanging Amongst all the sins of King Achab and Iezabel which were many and great the murder of Naboth standeth in the fore front for though hee had committed no such crime as might any way deserve death yet by the subtill and wicked devise of Iezabel foolish and credulous consent of Achab and false accusation of the two suborned witnesses he was cruelly stoned to death but his innocent blood was punished first in Achab who not long after the Warre which he made with the King of Syria received so deadly a wound that he dyed thereof the dogs licking up his blood in the same place where Naboths blood was licked according to the foretelling of Elias the Prophet And secondly of Iezabel whom her own servants at the commandement of Iehu whom God had made executor of his wrath threw headlong out of an highwindow unto the ground so that the wals were dyed with her blood and the horses trampled her under their feet and dogs devoured her flesh till of all her dainty body there remained nothing saving onely her skull feet and palme of her hands Ioram sonne of Iehosaphat King of Judah being after his fathers death possessed of the Crowne and Scepter of Judah by and by exalted himselfe in tyranny and put to death sixe of his owne brethren all younger than himselfe with many Princes of the Realme for which cause God stirred up the Edomites to rebell the Philistines and
by the hands of the Priests to demand pardon for that cruell murther that the guilt of innocent bloud might not be imputed unto them And if by oversight or negligence without any malice hatred or pretence one killed another yet was he not exempted from all punishment but suffered to fly to the city of refuge to be kept and as it were inclosed untill his innocency were made manifest or at the least untill the death of the high Priest From this it may seeme arose the custome of Painims in the like case which was that if a man had unwillingly committed murther he did presently avoid the countrey and goe unto some man of power and authority of a strange nation and present himselfe at his gate sitting with his face covered humbly intreating pardon and reconciliation for his murther and for one whole yeare he might not returne into his countrey On this manner was the sonne of a certaine King of Phrygia entertained in King Craesus court who unadvisedly had slaine his owne brother Whereby it is manifest how odious and execrable in all ages and all places and all people this murther hath been insomuch that men did shun their very meeting and company and abandon them out of their temples and publicke assemblies as people excommunicate and prophane And yet for all this mankinde for the most part like savage beasts hath by the instigation of that wicked spirit who was a murtherer from the beginning been too too addicted to this kind of cruelty not being afraid to offer violence to nature and shed innocent bloud Such was the franticke and perverse cruelty of the second man Cain when without any occasion but onely through envy he slew his brother Abel and that traiterously which deed albeit it was done in secret and without the view of men yet it could not shun the piercing eye of God who reproved him for it saying That the bloud of Abel cried for vengeance from the earth And although this cursed and wicked murtherer received not immediately a condigne punishment answerable to his crime God to the end to spare mans bloud using undeserved favour towards him yet escaped hee not scot free for he was pursued with a continuall torment and sting of confcience together with such an incessant feare that he became a vagabond and a runnagate upon the earth and seeing himselfe brought into so miserable an estate he fell to complaining that the punishment was greater than he was able to beare Thus God permitted this wretch to draw out his life in such anguish that for a greater punishment he might pine away the rest of his daies without comfort A man may find in this world many such brother murthering Cains who for no occasion sticke not to cut their throats whom for the bond of common nature wherein all men are linked together as branches to one root they ought to acknowledge for their brethren and friends upon whom the heavy hand of God hath not beene more slacke to punish either by one meanes or other than it was upon their eldest brother Cain But seeing the number of them is so great and it is not so convenient to heape up here so huge a multitude together it shall suffice onely to recount the most famous and notablest of them as of those that have beene men of note and reputation of the world or that through an ambitious desire of raigning have by armes sought to atchieve their purposes for these for the most part are the greatest murtherers and butchers of all that through their wicked affections worldly pompe or desire of revenge have no remorse of making the bloud of men run like rivers upon the earth making no more account of the life of a man than of a flie or a worme Such an one was Abimelech one of the sonnes of Gedeon who to the end to usurpe the regiment of the people which his father before him refused got together a rout of rascal and vile fellowes by whose aid comming to his fathers house he slew seventy of his brethren even all except Ioathan the yongest that stole away and hid himselfe After which massacre he raigned in jolity three yeares and at the end thereof was cut short by God together with the Sichemites his provokers and maintainers who were also guilty of all the innocent bloud which he had shed for God sent the spirit of division betwixt them so that the Sichemites began to despise him and rebell against him but they had the worst end of the staffe and were overcome by him who pursuing the victory tooke their city by force and put them all to the edge of the sword And after he had thus destroied their city put fire also to the castle wherein he consumed neere about a thousand persons of men and women that were retired thither to save their lives And thus God brought upon them the mischiefe which they had consented and put their hands unto for as they had lent him aid and furtherance to the shedding of his brethrens bloud so was their owne bloud with their wives and childrens shed by him yet this tyran not content therewith made war also with the inhabitants of Tebez and tooke their city and would have forced the tower also wherein the citisens had inclosed themselves but as he approched to the wall a woman threw downe a piece of a milstone upon his head wherewith finding himselfe hurt to death he commanded one of his soldiers to kill him outright And thus this wicked murtherer that had shed the bloud of many men yea of his owne brethren had his braines knockt out by a woman and died a most desperate death The bloudy treachery of Baana and Rechab chiefe captaines of Ishbosheth Sauls son in conspiring against and murthering their master whilest he slept abode not long unpunished for having cut off his head they presented it for a present to king David hoping to gratifie the king and to receive some recompence for their paines But David being of an upright and true kingly heart could not endure such vile treachery though against the person of his enemy but entertained them as most vile traitors and master-murtherers commanding first their hands and feet to be cut off which they had especially imployed as instruments about that villany and afterwards caused them to bee slaine and then hanged for an example to all others that should attempt the like For the like cause was Ioab Generall of king Davids host for killing Abner traiterously who forsaking Ishbosheth had yeelded himselfe to the King cursed of David with all his house with a most grievous and terrible curse And yet notwithstanding a while after he came againe to that passe as to murder Amasa one of Davids chiefe captains making shew to salute and embrace him For which cruell deed albeit that in Davids time he received no punishment yet it overtooke him at last and the same kinde of cruelty
foure causes by which men are mooved to this unnaturall act and concludeth that for none of them nor for any other cause what soever a man ought to lay violent and bloudy hands upon himselfe yea concludeth peremptorily that a better life after death doth not receive such to wit that wilfully and desperately murder themselves and die without repentance as commonly they doe But here it is to be observed that many which seeme to make away themselves are murdered and made away by the Divell and not by themselves for otherwise it were not possible that then should perish so strangely as they doe as when some have beene hanged with their knees almost touching the ground others upon a weake twigge not strong enough to beare the weight of the tenth part of their body others beene drowned in a puddle of water which plainely sheweth that the Divell either as the principall actor or at least as a helper was the procurer of their murders and not alwayes themselves And therefore I must needs say with Luther That both charity and conscience inhibites resolutely to judge all such to be damned that seeme to have made havocke of their owne lives for the mercy of God is incomprehensible and why may he not save the soules of them whose bodies he gave leave to the Divell to torment yea to destroy Besides we read of many holy women who in the time of persecution cast themselves into the deep stream to preserve their chastity from the violence of the wicked persecutours and yet were reputed in the Church for holy Martyrs Saint Augustines judgement is worthy to be learned and imitated of all concerning this matter who thus defineth the case Of these saith he I dare avouch nothing rashly it may be the Church of God was perswaded by divine authority to receive them into the number of Martyrs or it may be they did this act not being deceived after the manner of men but being commanded of God not erring but obeying as also we are to judge of Sampson now when God biddeth and without all doubt makes knowne his will who can call this obedience a crime who can accuse a duety of piety But a little after he giveth a caveat Ne divina iussio ullo nutet incerto that is that we be sure God bids for often times the divell translates himself into an Angell of light and wil feine a message from God which proceedeth from his owne malice All this is to be conceived only touching that extraordinary case of those holy women that drowned themselves and yet were held for Martyrs in the Church of God as for others that shall wilfully and wofully shed their owne blouds and rob themselves of that precious jewell of life which God hath given them to keep no doubt but as they commit a horrible and hainous crime so they incurre a horrible and fearefull judgement yea the very act it selfe is both a crime and a judgment a crime deserving a further judgment even eternall damnation in hell fire and a judgement and punishment of some notable sinnes commâ—â—ed by them before and of an ungodly and wicked life unrepented of The drift therfore purpose of these examples following is this to shew how the Lord punisheth oftentimes in men an ungodly life with voluntary and wilfull murder of themselves and this wilfull murder of themselâ—es with eternall damnation after this life ended as a just recompence of their deserts and all to teach us repentance the onely means to prevent both these The first we reade of in holy Scripture that cruelly murdered himselfe with his owne hands was King Saul who as it is recorded of him was a most wicked man and a Tyran for being chosen from among all the people of Israel to be King by the Lords owne appointment and advanced as it were from the Plough to the Scepter he like a most ungratefull wretch kicked against his advancer and rebelled against his God that had done so great things for him yea hee not onely contemned his lawes and cast his commandements behind his backe but also proved a most cruell Tyran and shed much innocent blood amongst the rest of his cruelties this was the chiefe upon the false accusation of Doeg the Edomite he caused fourescore and five persons that were Priests and wore a linnen Ephod to bee staine at one time and Nob the Citie of the Priests to be smote with the edge of the sword both man and woman childe and suckling Oxe and Asse yea so wicked was he that when the Lord would not answer him neither by Prophets nor by dreames nor by any other meanes he went to take counsell of the Divell at the mouth of the Witch of Endor for all which his abominable wickednesse the Lord gave him over at last to so desperate a minde that rather than he would fall into the hands of his enemies he fell upon his owne sword and murdered himselfe Zimri also the King of Israel is set forth by the holy Ghost to be a wicked man and a traitor for he conspited against his master Ela the sonne of Baasha King of Israel and flew him as he was drinking in Tirza and proclaimed himselfe King in his roome but the army hearing thereof made Omri the Captaine of the hoste King who comming to besiege Tirza wherein Zimri was Zimri seeing that the Citie was taken went into the palace of the Kings house and there together with the house burnt himselfe rather than he would fall into the hands of his enemy Now the holy Ghost setteth it downe in plaine words that the Lord sent this judgement upon him for his sinnes which he had sinned in doing that which was evill in the of the Lord and walking in the way of Ieroboam who made Israel to sinne Achitophel that great Counsellor of State to King David of whom it is said that the counsell which he counselled was like the Oracle of God when hee saw that the counsell which hee gave was not followed but despised hee sadled his Asse and arose and went home into his owne citie and put his houshold in order and hanged himselfe And that this was Gods just vengeance upon him for his former wickednesse it may appeare both by his conspiracie with Absalom against his liege lord king David and also that wicked counsel which hee gave unto him of going in unto his fathers concubines in the sight of the people In the second booke of the Machabees is recorded a notable story of one Raz is an Elder of Jerusalem who is there set forth to bee a man of very good report constant in religion a father of the Jewes and a lover of the citie yet notwithstanding this man rather than hee would fall into the hands of Nicanor his enemy murdered himselfe after a most fearefull and savage manner for first hee fell upon his sword and when as for haste that stroke dispatched him not hee ran
hand flew him even then when he thought he should live A little while after Goliah a gyant of the Philistims who as well through the hugenesse of his stature and strength of body as through the horrible cruelty which appeared in him seemed in mans eyes invincible proudly and presumptuously defied the army of the living God offering and daring any one man of Israel to enter combate with him This proud fellow was notwithstanding all his brags by young and unarmed David save a little sticke and a few stones which he had in his hands vanquished and trod under foot for he gave this great beast such a knocke with one of his stones on the forehead that at the first blow he tumbled him groveling on the earth and quickly leaping upon him caught hold of his huge sword and therwithall cut off his monstrous head which the Philistims perceiving turned their backes and fled and were pursued and slaine by the Israelites CHAP. VIII More Examples like unto the former IN the time of Achab Benhadad King of Syria accompanied with two and thirty Kings came very proudly against Israel as it were in despight of God to bid him battell but it turned to his owne shame and confusion being first dishonourably put to flight by 230 servants of the Princes of Israel a small handfull to encounter so mighty an army and secondly returning to seeke revenge found the losse of 100000 footmen at one clap besides 27000 which escaping by flight were crushed in pieces by the ruine of a wall in the city Aphec And so this brave gallant that erst bragged that the gold and silver of Israel yea their wives and children were his was now glad to fly for his life amongst the rest and in his returne to hide himselfe all dismaied in a little chamber and from thence being advised thereto by his servants to send to intreat Achab for his owne life which a little before thought him sure of the lives of all Israel Yet for all this ere long hee enterprised a new practise against the Prophet Elizeus and besieged also the city of Samaria so long that certaine women constrained by extreme famine devoured their children but in the end he was compelled through fearfull terror which God sent into his army by the noise of infinite Chariots and Horses which sounded in their eares as if some puissant host of men of warre had been marching towards them to forsake the siege and flee with all his forces leaving behinde them their tents horses carriages victuals and munitions to be a prey for them that pursued them not And lastly falling ficke Hazael one of his owne servants that succeeded him in the kingdome to the end hee might dispatch him quickly and without tumult early in the morning tooke a thick cloth dipt in water and spreading it over his face stifled him to death When the Moabites and Ammonites rose up in arms against Iehosaphat King of Iuda as soone as this good King humbled himselfe together with all his people before the face of God by fasting and prayer forthwith God sent such a giddinesse of spirit amongst his enemies that they killed one another and the men of Iuda without being troubled with fighting gathered the spoile which they had scattered and enriched themselves with their reliques Aman promoted in honour and credit above all the Princes of the Court of King Assuerus conceived so beastly an hatred against the poore dispersed Iewes being at that time the only Church of God that malitiously he conspired in one day to destroy and put to death the whole nation to the very women and infants and in accomplishing this his purpose he mightily abused the authority of the King whom he falsly informed That this nation would not be subject to his ordinances and lawes which his other people were subject unto and that therefore hee ought not to permit and suffer them any longer But God that carrieth alwayes a watchfull eye over his Church and knoweth how to breake and dash all the enterprises of his enemies brought all this wretches purposes to nought by preserving miraculously those whom he would have destroyed and making him doe reverence to Mordecheus whom hee specially sought to bring to infamy and for whom he had of purpose provided a gibbet to hang him on but was hanged thereon himselfe with ten of his sons beside all those which had conspired with him against the Iewes were upon the same day which they had set downe for their massacre by the kings commandement slaine by the hands of them whom they had appointed to the slaughter Balthasar King of Babylon as he was feasting among his Princes commanded amidst his cups the golden and silver Vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the Temple of Ierusalem to be brought that both he and his princes and his wives and concubines might drinke therein exalting himselfe thus against the Lord of Heaven and boasting in his idols of earth therefore God being stirred up to wrath against him appointed his destruction even whilest he thus dranke and made merry in the midst of his jollity and caused a strange and fearefull signe to appeare before his eyes a bodilesse hand writing upon the wall over against the candlesticke the words of which writing portended the destruction of his kingdome which presently ensued for the very same night hee was murthered and the Scepter seised upon by Darius King of the Medes Antiochus by sirname Epiphanes or Excellent though by truer report of people contemptuously entituled the Furious King of Asia being venomously enraged against the Iewes began at the first marvellously to oppresse them to rob and spoile their Temple and to slaughter the people About ten yeares after deceiving the poore people with faire and smooth words covers of most vile and wretched treason whilest they imagined no mischiefe hee set upon them in such cruell sort that the losse and desolation which they endured at that time was inestimable for besides the destruction of Ierusalem their City the slaughter of infinite multitudes of their people and the captivity of women and infants as if all these were not enough there was yet another misery to make up the full summe worse than all the rest which was this The cursed tyrant seeing his purpose not to take the full effect commanded every where That all his subjects I meane the Iewes should forsake and abjure the Law of God and be united into one Religion with the Infidels By means of which Edict the Religion of God was defaced the books of his Law rent and burned and those with whom any such books were found rigorously put to death Which fearefull cruelty when the Iewes perceived it caused many of them to wax faint hearted and to give themselves over to wallow in the dirty fashions of the uncircumcised Idolaters and in their madnesse to subscribe to the unjust lawes of the vile monster Now after he had
not respecting or beleeving there was either a God or a Devill or a hell or a Heaven and therefore he was damned there was no remedy And in this miserable case without any signe of repentance he dyed But let us come to our homebred English stories and consider the judgments of God upon the persecutors of Christs Gospell in our own countrey And first to begin with one Doctor Whittington under the raigne of King Henry the seventh who by vertue of his office being Chancellour to the Bishop had condemned most cruelly to death a certaine godly woman in a town called Chipping sadberry for the profession of the truth which the Papists then called Heresie This woman being adjudged to death by the wretched Chancellor and the time come when she should be brought to the place of her martyrdome a great concourse of people both out of towne and country was gathered to behold her end Amongst whom was also the foresaid Doctor there present to see the execution performed The godly woman and manly Martyr with great constancy gave over her life to the fire and refused no paines or torments to keep her conscience cleere and unreproveable against the day of the Lord. Now the Sacrifice being ended as the people began to returne homeward they were encountred by a mighty furious Bull which had escaped from a Butcher that was about to kill him for at the same time as they were slaying this silly Lamb at the townes end a Butcher was as busie within the towne in slaying of this Bull. But belike not so skilfull in his art of killing of beasts as the Papists be in murthering Christians the Bull broke loose as I said and ranne violently through the throng of the people without hurting either man or childe till he came to the place where the Chancellour was against whom as pricked forward with some supernaturall instinct hee ranne full butt thrusting him at the first blow through the paunch and after goaring him through and through and so killed him immediately trayling his guts with his hornes all the street over to the great admiration and wonder of all that saw it Behold here a plaine demonstration of Gods mighty power and judgement against a wretched persecutor of one of his poore flocke wherein albeit the carnall sence of man doth often impute to blinde chance that which properly pertaineth to the only power and providence of God yet none can be so dull and ignorant but must needs confesse a plaine miracle of Gods almighty power and a worke of his own finger Stephen Gardiner also was one of the grand butchers in this land what a miserable end came hee unto Even the same day that Bishop Ridley and Master Latimer were burned at Oxford he hearing newes thereof rejoyced greatly and being at dinner ate his meat merrily but ere he had eaten many bits the sudden stroke of Gods terrible hand fell upon him in such sort that immediately he was taken from the board and brought to his bed where he continued 15 dayes in intolerable anguish by reason he could not expell his urine so that his body being miserably inflamed within who had inflamed so many Godly Martyrs was brought to a wretched end with his tongue all blacke and swolne hanging out of his mouth most horribly a spectacle worthy to be beholden of all such bloudy burning persecutors Bonner Bishop of London another arch butcher though he lived long after this man and dyed also in his bed yet was it so provided of God that as he had been a persecutor of the light and a child of darknesse so his carkasse was tumbled into the earth in obscure darkenes at midnight contrary to the order of all other Christians and as he had been a most cruell murtherer so was he buried amongst theeves and murtherers a place by Gods judgement rightly appointed for him Morgan Bishop of S. Davids sitting upon the condemnation of the blessed Martyr Bishop Farrar whose roome he unjustly usurped was not long after stricken by Gods hand after such a strange sort that his meat would not go downe but rise and picke up againe sometime at his mouth sometime blowne out of his nose most horrible to behold and so continued unto his death Where note moreover that when Master Leyson being then Sheriffe at Bishop Farrars burning had fetcht away the cattell of the said Bishop from his servants house into his owne custody divers of them would never eate meat but lay bellowing and roaring and so dyed Adde unto this Bishop Morgan Iustice Morgan a Judge that sate upon the death of the Lady Iane this Iustice not long after the execution of the said Lady fell mad and being thus bereft of his wits dyed having ever in his mouth Lady Iane Lady Iane. Bishop Thornton Suffragan of Dover another grand persecutor comming upon a Saturday from the Chapter-house at Canterbury and there upon the Sunday following looking upon his men playing at bowles fell suddenly into a palsey and dyed shortly after And being exhorted to remember God in his extremity of sicknesse So I do saith he and my Lord Cardinall too c. After him succeeded another Suffragan ordained by the foresaid Cardinall and equall to his Predecessor in cruell persecuting of the Church who injoying his place but a short time fell downe a paire of staires in the Cardinals chamber at Greenwich and broke his necke and that presently let it be noted after he received the Cardinals blessing The like sudden death hapned to Doctor Dunning the bloudy and wretched Chancellour of Norwich who after he had most rigorously condemned and murthered a number of simple and faithfull servants of God was suddenly stricken with death even as he was sitting in his chaire The like also fell upon Berry Commissary of Norfolke another bloudy persecutor who foure dayes after Queene Maries death having made a great Feast whereat was present one of his concubines as he was comming home from the Church where he had ministred the Sacrament of Baptisme fell downe suddenly to the ground with a heavy groane and never stirred after thus ending his miserable life without any shew of repentance So Doctor Geffrey Chancellor of Salisbury another of the same stampe was suddenly stricken with the mighty hand of God in the midst of his buildings where he was constrained to yeeld up his life which had so little pitty of other mens lives before and it is to be noted that the day before he was thus stricken he had appointed to call before him ninety poore Christians to examine them by inquisition but the goodnesse of God and his tender providence prevented him Doctor Foxford Chancellor to Bishop Stockesley dyed also suddenly So did Iustice Lelond the persecutor of one Ieffery Hurst Alexander the Keeper of Newgate a cruell enemy to those that lay in that prison for Religion dyed very miserably being so swollen that he was more like a monster than a man and
stove fell out among themselves and from words grew to blowes the Candles being put out insomuch that one of them was stabbed with a punyard Now the deed doer was unknowne by reason of the number although the Gentleman accused a Pursevant of the Kings for it who was one of them in the stove The King to finde out the homicide caused them all to come together in the stove and standing round about the dead Corps becommanded that they should one after another lay their right hand on the slain Gentlemans naked breasts swearing they had not killed him the Gentlemen did so and no signe appeared to witnesse against them the Pursevant onely remained who condemned before in his owne conscience went first of all and kissed the dead mans feet but as soone as he layed his hand on his breast the blood gushed forth in abundance both out of his wound and nosthrils so that urged by this evident accusation he confessed the murder and by the Kings owne sentence was incontinently beheaded whereupon as I said before arose that practise which is now ordinary in many places of finding out unknowne Murders which by the admirable power of God are for the most part revealed either by the bleeding of the corpes or the opening of the eye or some other extraordinary signe as daily experience doth teach The same Authour reporteth another example farre more strange in the same letter written to David Chytreus which happened at Itzehow in Denmarke A Traveller was murdered by the high-way side and because the murderer could not be found out the Magistrates of Itzehow caused the body to be taken up and one of the hands to be cut off which was carried into the prison of the Towne and hung up by a string in one of the Chambers about ten yeares after the murderer comming upon some occasion in to the prison the hand which had been a long time dry began to drop blood on the Table that stood underneath it which the Gaoler beholding stayed the fellow and advertised the Magistrates of it who examining him the murderer giving glory to God confessed his fact and submitted himselfe to the rigour of the Law which was inflicted on him as he very well deserved At Winsheime in Germany a certaine Theefe after many Robberies and Murders committed by him upon Travellers and Women with childe went to the Shambles before Easter and bought three Calves heads which when hee put into a Wallet they seemed to the standers by to be mens heads whereupon being attached and searched by the Officers and he examined how hee came by them answered and proved by witnesses that hee bought Calves heads and how they were transformed â—hee knew not whereupon the Senate amazed not supposing this miracle to arise of naught cast the party into prison and tortured him to make him confesse what villany he had committed who confessed indeed at last his horrible murders and was worthily punished for the same and then the heads recovered their old shapes When I read this story I was halfe afraid to set it downe least I should seeme to insert fables into this serious Treatise of Gods Judgements but seeing the Lord doth often worke miraculously for the disclosing of this foule sinne I thought that it would not seeme altogether incredible Another murderer at Tubing betrayed his murder by his owne sighes which were so deepe and incessant in griefe not of his fact but of his small booty that being but asked the question he confessed the crime and underwent worthy punishment Another murtherer in Spain was discovered by the trembling of his heart for when many were suspected of the murder and all renounced it the Judge caused all their breasts to be opened and him in whom he saw most trembling of brest he condemned who also could not deny the fact but presently confessed the same At Isenacum a certaine yong man being in love with a maid and not having wherewith to maintain her used this unlawfull meanes to accomplish his desire upon a night he slew his host and throwing his body into a Cellar tooke away all his money and then hasted away but the terrour of his owne conscience and the judgement of God so besotted him that hee could not stirre a foot untill he was apprchended At the same time Martin Luther and Philip Melancthon abode at Isenacum and were eye-witnesses of this miraculous judgement who also so dealt with this murderer that in most humble and penitent confession of his sinnes and comfort of soule he ended his life By all these examples wee see how hard it is for a murderer to escape without his reward when the justice of man is either too blinde that it cannot search out the truth or too blunt that it doth not strike with severity the man appointed unto death then the justice of God riseth up and with his owne arme he discovereth and punisheth the murderer yea rather than he shall goe unpunished sencelesse creatures and his owne heart and tongue rise to give sentence against him I doubt not but daily experience in all places affordeth many more examples to this purpose and especially the experience of our Judges in criminall causes who have continuall occasion of understanding such matters in their Circuits but these shall suffice for our present purpose CHAP. XII Of such as have murdered themselves WHen the Law saith Thou shalt not kill it not onely condemneth the killing of others but much more of our selves for charity springeth from a mans selfe therfore if they be guilty of murder that spill the bloud of others much more guilty are they before God that shed their owne bloud and if nature bindeth us to preserve the life of all men as much as lyeth in our power then much more are we bound to preserve our owne lives so long as God shall give us leave We are here set in this life as souldiers in a station without the licence of our Captaine we must not depart our soule is maried to the body by the appointment of God none must presume to put a sunder those whom God hath coupled and our life is committed to us as a thing in trust we must not redeliver it nor part with it untill he require it againe at our hands that gave it into our hands Saint Augustine in his first Booke De Civitate Dei doth most strongly evince and prove That for no cause voluntary death is to be undertaken neither to avoid temporall troubles least we fall into eternall nor for feare to be polluted with the sinnes of others lest by avoiding other mens sinnes we encrease our owne nor yet for our owne sinnes that are past for the which we have more need of life that we might repent of them nor lastly for the hope of a better life because they which are guilty of their owne death a better life is not prepared for them These be the words of Augustine wherein he alledgeth
son to Lodouick the third was possessed tormented with a divell in the presence of his father the Peeres of the Realme which he openly confessed to have justly happened unto him because he had pretended in his mind to have conspired his fathers death and deposition what then are they to expect that doe not pretend but performe this monstrous enterprise A certaine degenerate and cruell son longing and gaping after the inheritance of his father which nothing but his life kept him from wrought this means to accomplish his desire he accused his father of a most filthy unnameable crime even of committing filtâ—inesse with a Cow knowing that if he were convicted therof the law would cut off his life herein he wroght a double villany in going about not only to take away his life which by the law of nature he ought to have preserved but also his good name without respecting that the stain of a father redoundeth to his posterity and that children commoÌ„ly do not only inherit the possessions but also imitate the conditions of their parents but all these supposes laid aside together with all feare of God he indicted him before the Magistrate of incest and that upon his own knowledge insomuch that they brought the poore innocent man to the rack to the end to make him confesse the crime which albeit amidst his tortures he did as soon as he was out he denyed again howbeit his extorted confession stood for evidence and he was condemned to be burned with fire as was speedily executed and constantly endured by him exclaiming still upon the false accusation of his son and his own unspotted innocency as by the issue that followed most cleerely appeared for his son not long after fell into a reprobate mind and hanged himselfe and the Judge that condemned him with the witnesses that bare record of his forced confession within one moneth died all after a most wretched and miserable sort And thus it pleased God both to revenge his death and also to quit his reputation and innocency from ignominy and discredit in this world Manfred Prince of Tarentum bastard son to Frederick the second smothered his father to death with a pillow because as some say he would not bestow the kingdome of Naples upon him and not content herewith he poisoned also the heirs of Frederick to the end he might attain unto the crown as Conrade his elder brother and his nephew the son of Henry the heir which Henry died in prison and now onely Conradinus remained betwixt him and the kingdome whom though he assayed to send after his father yet was his intention frustrate for the Pope thundered out his curses against him and instigated Charles Duke of Angiers to make war against him wherein bastard and unnaturall Manfred was discomfited and slaine and cut short of his purpose for which he had committed so many tragedies Martin Luther was wont to report of his own experience this wonderfull history of a Locksmith a yong man riotous and vicious who to find fuel for his luxury was so bewitched that he feared not to slay his own father mother with a hammer to the end to gain their mony and possessions after which cruell deed he presently went to a shoomaker and bought him new shooes leaving his old behind him by the providence of God to be his accusers for after an houre or two the slain bodies being found by the Magistrate and inquisition made for the murderer no manner of suspition being had of him he seeming to take such griefe therat But the Lord that knoweth the secrets of the heart discovered his hypocrisie and made his owne shooes which hee had left with the Shoomaker rise up to beare witnesse against him for the blood which ran from his fathers wounds besprinckled them so that thereof grew the suspition and from thence the examination and very soon the confession and last of all his worthy and lawfull execution From hence we may learne for a generall trueth that murder never so secret will ever by one means or other be discovered the Lord will not suffer it to goe unpunished so abominable it is in his sight Another son at Basil in the yeare of our Lord God 1560 bought a quantity of poyson of an Apothecary and ministred it to none but to his own father accounting him worthiest of so great a benefit which when it had effected his wish upon him the crime being detected in stead of possessing his goods which he aimed at he possessed a vile and shamefull death for he was drawne through the streets burnt with hot Irons and tormented nine houres in a wheele till his life forsooke him As it is repugnant to nature for children to deale thus cruelly with their parents so it is more against nature for parents to murder their children insomuch as naturall affection is of greater force in the descent than in the ascent the love that parents bear their children is greater than that which children redound to their Parents because the childe proceedeth from the father and not the father from the childe as part of his fathers essence and not the father of his Can a man then hate his own flesh or be a rooter out of that which himselfe planted It is rare yet sometimes it commeth to passe Howbeit as the offence is in an high degree so it is alwayes punished by some high judgement as by these examples that follow shall appeare The ancient Ammonites had an Idoll called Moloch to the which they offered their children in sacrifice this Idoll as the Jewes write was of a great stature and hollow within having seven chambers in his hollownesse whereof one was to receive meat another turtle Doves the third a sheep the fourth a ram the fifth a calfe the sixth an oxe and the seventh a childe his hands were alwayes extended to receive gifts and when a childe was offered they were made fire hot to burne it to death none must offer the childe but the father and to drowne the cries of it the Chemarims for so were the Priests of that Idoll called made a noise with bels cymbals and horns thus is it written that king Ahab offered his son yea and many of the children of Israel beside as the Prophet David affirmeth They offered saith he their sons and daughters to Divels and shed innocent blood c. this is the horrible crime Now marke the judgement concerning the Canaanites the landspued them out for their abominations Achab with his posterity was accur sed himselfe being slaine by his enemies and the crowne taken from his posterity not one being left of his off-spring to pis against the wall according to the saying of Elias as for the Jewes the Prophet David in the same place declareth their punishment when he saith That the wrath of the Lord was kindled and he abhorred his inheritance and gave them into the hands of the
the threshold which thing turned to a great destruction and overthrow in Israel for the Levite when he arose and found his wife newly dead at the dore of his lodging he cut and dismembred her body into twelve pieces and sent them into all the countries of Israel to every tribe one to give them to understand how vile and monstrous an injurie was done unto him whereupon the whole nation assembling and consulting together when they saw how the Benjamites in whose tribe this monstrous villany was committed make no reckoning of seeing punishment executed upon those execrable wretches they tooke armes against them and made war upon them wherein though at the first conflict they lost to the number of forty thousand men yet afterward they discomfited and overthrew the Benjamites and slew of them 25000. rasing and burning downe the City Gibea where the sinne was committed with all the rest of the Cities of that Tribe in such sort that there remained alive but six hundred persons that saved their lives by flying into the desart and there hid themselves foure moneths untill such time as the Israelites taking pitty of them lest they should utterly be brought to nought gave them to wife to the end to repeople them againe foure hundred virgins of the inhabitants of Jabes Gilead reserved out of that flaughter of those people wherein man woman and childe were put to the sword for not comming forth to take part with their brethren in that late warre And forasmuch as yet there remained two hundred of them unprovided for the Antients of Israel gave them liberty to take by force two hundred of the daughters of their people which could not be but great injury and vexation unto their parents to be thus robbed of their daughters and to see them married at all adventures without their consent or liking These were the mischiefes which issued and sprang from that vile and abominable adultery of the wicked Gibeonites with the Levites wife whose first voluntary sinne was in like manner also most justly punished by this second rape and this is no new practise of our most just God to punish one sinne by another and sinners in the same kinde wherein they have offended When King David after he had overcome the most part of his enemies and made them tributaries unto him and injoyed some rest in his kingdome whilest his men of war pursuing their victory destroyed the Ammonites and were in besieging Rabba their chiefe City he was so enflamed with the beauty of Bathshabe Vriahs wife that he caused her to bee conveyed to him to lye with her to which sinne he combined another more grievous to wit when he saw her with childe by him to the end to cover his adultery he caused her husband to be slaine at the siege by putting him in the Vantgard of the battell at the assault and then thinking himselfe cocksure married Bathshabe But all this while as it was but vaine allurements no solid joy that fed his minde and his sleepe was but of sinne not of safety wherein he slumbred so the Lord awakened him right soone by afflictions and crosses to make him feele the burden of the sinne which he had committed first therefore the childe the fruit of this adultery was striken with sicknesse and dyed next his daughter Thamar Absaloms sister was ravished by Ammon one of his owne sonnes thirdly Ammon for his incest was slaine by Absalom and fourthly Absalom ambitiously aspiring after the kingdome and conspiring against him raised war upon him and defiled his Concubines and came to a wofull destruction All which things being grievous crosses to K. David were inflicted by the just hand of God to chastise and correct him for his good not to destroy him in his wickednesse neither did it want the effect in him for he was so far from swelling and hardening himselfe in his sin that contrariwise he cast downe and humbled himselfe and craved pardon and forgivenesse at the hand of God with all his heart and true repentance not like to such as grow obstinate in their sinnes and wickednesse and make themselves beleeve all things are lawfull for them although they be never so vile and dishonest This therefore that we have spoken concerning David is not to place him among the number of lewd and wicked livers but to shew by his chastisements being a man after Gods owne heart how odious and displeasant this sin of Adultery is to the Lord and what punishment all others are to expect that wallow therein since he spared not him whom he so much loved and favoured CHAP. XXVIII Other examples like unto the former THE history of the ravishment of Helene registred by so many worthy and excellent Authors and the great evils that pursued the same is not to be counted altogether an idle fable or an invention of pleasure seeing that it is sure that upon that occasion great and huge war arose betweene the Graecians and the Trojanes during the which the whole Countrey was havocked many Cities and Townes destroyed much blood shed and thousands of men discomfited among whom the ravisher and adulterer himselfe to wit Paris the chiefe mover of all those miserable tragedies escaped not the edge of the sword no nor that famous city Troy which entertained and maintained the adulterers within her walls went unpunished but at last was taken and destroyed by fire and sword In which sacking olde and gray headed King Priâ—m with all the remnant of his halfe slaine sonnes were together murdered his wife and daughters were taken prisoners and exposed to the mercy of their enemies his whole kingdome was entirely spoiled and his house quite defaced and well nigh all the Trojane Nobility extinguished and as touching the whore Helene her selfe whose disloyalty gave consent to the wicked enterprise of forsaking her husbands house and following a stranger she was not exempt from punishment for as some writers affirm she was slaine at the sacke but according to others she was at that time spared and entertained againe by Menelaus her husband but after his death she was banished in her olde age and constrained for her last refuge being both destitute of reliefe and succour and forsaken of kinsfolkes and friends to flie to Rhodes where at length contrary to her hope she was put to a shamefull death even hanging on a tree which she long time before deserved The injury and dishonour done to Lucrece the wife of Collatinus by Sextus Tarquinius son to Superbus the last King of Rome was cause of much trouble and disquietnesse in the City and elsewhere for first she not able to endure the great injurie and indignity which was done unto her pushed forward with anger and despite slew her selfe in the presence of her husband and kinsfolke notwithstanding all their desires and willingnesse to cleare her from all blame with whose death the Romanes were so stirred and provoked against Sextus