himselfe executioner of his wrath and murdered Achimelech with al the nation of the priests and smote Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword both man woman child suckling oxe and asse not leauing any aliue so beastly was his cruelty saue Abiathar only one of the sons of Achimelech that fled to Dauid brought him tidings of this bloudy massacre But did this cruel accuser escape scotfree No the spirit of God in the 52 Psalm proclaimeth his iudgement Psal 52.1.2.5 Why beastest thou in thy wickednes thou tyrant thy tongue imagineth mischeife and is like a sharpe rasor that cutteth deceitfully c. but God shall destroy thee for euer hee shall take thee and pluck thee out of thy tabernacle and root thee out of the land of the liuing Next to this man 1. Kin. 21. we may iustly place Achab the king of Israel Iesabel his wife who to the end to get the possession of Naboths vineyard which being his inheritance hee would not part from suborned by his wiues pernicious councell false accusers wicked men to witnesse against Naboth that he had blasphemed God the king by that means caused him to bestoned to death but mark the iudgemēt of God denoūced against them both by the mouth of Elias for this wicked fact Hast thou killed saith he and taken possession Thus saith the Lord In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs euen licke thy bloud also as for Iezabel dogs shal eat her by the wall of Israell thy house shall be like the house of Ieroboam the son of Nebat I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall c. Neither was this onely denounced but executed also as we may read 1. Kin. 22.38 2. Kin. 9.36.37 c. 2. Kin. 10.7 c. Amos. 7.17 Amaziah the priest of Bethel vnder Ieroboam the wicked king of Israel perceiuing how the Prophet Amos prophecied against the idolatry of that place of the king he falsly accused him to Ieroboam to haue cōspired against him also he exhorted him to flie frō Bethel because it was the kings chappell flie into Iudah and prophecy there but what said the Lord vnto him by the prophet Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city thy sons and thy daughters shall fal by the sword thy land shall be deuided by liue and thou shalt die in a polluted land loe there was the punishment of his false accusation Ester 7.10 How notable was the iudgement that the Lord manifested vpon Haman the Syrian for his false accusing of the Iewes to be disturbers of the Commonwealth breakers of the laws of king Ahasuerash did not the Lord turne his mischiefe vpon his owne head The same day which was appointed for their destruction the Lord turned it to the destructiō of their enemies and the same gallows which hee prepared for Mordecai was he himselfe hanged vpon Daniel 6. The mē that falsly accused Daniel to king Darius for breaking the kings edict which was that none shold make any request vnto any for 30 daies space saue only to the king himself fared no better for when as hee found Daniell praying vnto God they presently accused him vnto the king vrging him with the stability which ought to bee in the decrees of the kings of Medea and Persia that ought not to bee altered in such sort that king Darius though against his will commanded Daniell to be throwne amongst the lions to be deuoured of them but when he saw how miraculously the Lord preserued him from the teeth of the lyons and thereby perceiued his innocency hee caused his enuious accusers to be throwne into the lyons den with their wiues and children who were deuoured of the lyons ere they could fall to the ground Notorious is the example of the two iudges that accused Susanna both how she was deliuered and they punished the credit of which history because it is doubtfull I here omit to speake further of But let vs come to prophane histories Apelles that famous painter of Ephesus felt the sting and bitternesse of this venomous viper for hee was falsly accused by Antiphillus another painter an enuier of his art and excellent workmanship to haue conspired with Theodota against king Ptolomie and to haue ben the cause of the defection of Pelusium from him which accusation hee laid against him to the end that seeing hee could not attaine to that excellencie of art which he had Theat histor he might by this false pretence work his disgrace and ouerthrow as indeed hee had effected had not great persuasions been vsed and manifest proofes alledged of Apelles innocency and integrity wherefore Ptolomie hauing made trial of the cause and found out the false and wrongful practise he most iustly rewarded Apelles with an hundred talents Antiphillus the accuser with perpetual seruitude vpō which occasion Apelles in remembrance of that danger painted out calumniation on this maner a woman gaily attired and dressed with an angrie and furious countenance holding in her left hand a torch and with her right a young man by the hair of the head before whome marched an euill fauoured sluttish vsher quicke sighed and palefaced called Enuie at her right hand sat a fellow with long eares like king Midas to receiue tales and behind her two waiting maids Ignorance Suspition and thus the wittie painter to delude his owne euill hap expressed the liuely image and nature of that detracting sin Vide li. 1. ca. 12. example of Nero. Euseb li. 9. ca. 5. This tricke vsed Maximinus the tyrant to deface the doctrine and religion of Christ in his time for when he saw that violence torments preuailed not Nicep li. 7. c. 27. but that like the palme the more it was trodden and oppressed the more it grew hee vsed this subtlety and craft to vndermine it he published diuerse bookes full of blasphemie of a conference betwixt Christ and Pilate and caused them to bee taught to children in steed of their first elements that they might no sooner speake thà n hate and blaspheme Christ moreouer he constrained certain wicked and lend women to auouch that they were Christians and that vile filthinesse was daily committed by them in their assemblies which also he published farre and neer in writing howbeit for all this the Lords truth quailed not but swum as it were against the streame and encreased in despight of enuy as for these false accusers they were punished one after another with notable iudgements for one that was a chiefe doer therein became his own murderer and Maximinus himselfe was consumed with wormes and rottennesse as hath ben shewed in the former booke It was a law among the Romans that if any man had enformed an accusation against another Euse li. 5. ca. 21. either wrongfully vnlawfully or without probability both his legs should be brokē in
of meat Fides fit apud Authorem snakes and of sauce serpents to the great terror of his conscience but that which is more one of the serpents leaped in his face and catching hold by his lip hung there till his dying day so that hee could neuer feed himselfe but hee must feed the serpent withall And this badge carried he about as a cognisance of an vnkind and vngratefull sonne Moreouer this is another iudgement of God that coÌ„monly as children deale with their parents so doe their children deale with them this in the law of proportion is most iust in the order of punishing most vsuall for the proofe wherof as experience daily teacheth so one example or two I wil subioine Theat histor It is reported how a certaine vnkind peruerse son beat his aged father vpon a time and drew him by the haire of his head to the threshold who when he was old was likewise beaten of his sonne and drawne also by the haire of the head not to the threshold but out of dores into the durt and how he should say he was rightly serued if he had left him at the threshold as he left his father and not dragged him into the streets which he did not to his thus did his owne mouth beare record of his impietie his own conscience condemn him before God and men Guiliel Lugdi Another old man being persuaded by his sonne that had married a young wife with faire and sugred promises of kindnesses and contentments to surrender his goods and lands vnto him yeelded to his request and found for a space all thinges to his desire Discipulus de temp but when his often coughing annoied his young and daintie wife hee first remooued his lodging from a faire high chamber to a base vnder roome and after shewed him many other vnkind and vnchildish parts and lastly when the old man asked for clothes hee bought foure elnes of clothes two whereof he bestowed vpon him and reserued the other two for himselfe Now his yoong sonne marking this niggardise of his father towards his grandfather hid the two elles of cloth and being asked why hee hid them whether by ingeniousnesse of wit or instinct of God he answered to the end to reserue them for his father against hee was old to be a couering for him Which answere touched his father so neere that euer after hee shewed himselfe more louing and obsequious to his father then hee did before Two great faults but soone and happily amended Would it might bee an example to all children if not to mitigate yet at least to learne them to feare how to deale roughly and crookedly with their parents seeing that God punisheth sinne with sinne and sinners in their owne kind and measureth the same measure to euerie man which they haue measured vnto others George Lanter de disciplina liberorum The like wee read of another that prouided a trough for his old decrepite vnmannerly father to eate his meat in who being demanded of his sonne also to what vse that trough should serue answered for his grandfather What quoth the child and must wee haue the like for you when you are old Which words so abashed him that hee threw it away forthwith At Millan there was an obstinate and vngodly sonne that wheÌ„ he was admonished by his mother of some fault which hee had committed made a wrie mouth Theat histor and pointed his fingers at her in scorne and derision Whereat his mother bâ—ing angrie Mandat 3. Cursing lib. 1. cap. 33. wished that he might make such a mouth vpon the gallows Neither was it a vaine wish for within few daies he was taken with a theft and condemned by law to be hanged and being vpon the ladder was perceiued to wryth his mouth in griefe after the same fashion which hee had done before to his mother in derision Henry the second of that name king of England sonne of Geffrey Plantagenet and Maud the Empresse Stow. chron after hee had raigned twentie yeares was content to admit his yoong sonne Henrie married to Margaret the French kings daughter into participation of his crowne but he like an vnnaturall sonne to requite his fathers loue sought to dispossesse him of the whole for by inciting the King of Fraunce and certaine other Nobles hee tooke armes and raised deadly warre against his owne naturall father betwixt whome diuerse strong battailes being foughten as well in England by the Deputies and friends of both parties as also in Normandie Poytou Guyan and Brittaine the victorie alwaies enclined to the father so that the rebellious sonne with his allies were constrained to bend to his fathers will and to desire peace which hee gently granted and forgaue his offence Howbeit the Lord for his disobedience did not so lightly pardon him but because his hasty mind could not tarrie for the crowne till his fathers death therefore the Lord cut him short of it altogether causing him to die sixe yeares before his father being yet but yoong and like to liue long Languet chron Lothair King of Soyssons in Fraunce committed the rule of the Prouince of Guyan to his eldest sonne Cramiris who when contrary to the mind of his father he oppressed the people with exactions and was reclaimed home hee like an vngratious and impious sonne fled to his vncle Childebert prouoked him to war vpon his owne father wherein he himselfe was by the iust vengeance of God taken burned with wife and children to death Leuit. 20. Furthermore it is not doubtles but to a very good end enacted in the law of God that he which curseth his father or mother shold dy the death that rebellious childreÌ„ such as be incorrigable should at the instance and pursute of their owne parents by order of law be stoned to death As children by all these examples ought not onely to learne to feare to displease and reuile their parents but also to fear and reuerence them least that by disobedience they kindle the fire of Gods wrath against theÌ„ so likewise on the other side parents are here aduertised to haue great care in bringing vp and instructing their children in the fear of God and obedience to his will least for want of instruction and correction on their part they themselues incurre a punishment of their carelesse negligence in the person of their children And this is prooued by experience of the men of Bethel 2. King 2. of whose children two and fortie were torne in peeces by beares for that they had beene so euill taught as to mocke the holy Prophet Elizeus in calling him bald pate 1. Sam. 2.4 Heli likewise the high Priest was culpable of this fault for hauing two wicked and peruerse sonnes whome no feare of God could restraine being discontent with that honourable portion of the sacrifices allotted them by God like famished and insatiable wretches fell to share
Agathias writing of the manners of the Persians reporteth that certaine Philosophers comming out of Aegypt into Greece where they had seene all manner of vnnaturall mixtures found the carkasse of a man without a sepulchre which when in charity they buried the next day it was found vnburied againe and as they went about to bury it the second time a spirit appeared vnto them and forbad them to doe it saying That it was vnworthy that honour seeing when it liued he had committed incest with his own mother A notable story shewing that the very earth abhorreth this monstrous confusion of nature the truth whereof let it lie vpon the authors credit Most abominable was the incest of Artaxerxes king of Persia Herod lib. 9. for first he tooke to himselfe Aspasia his brother Cyrus concubine hauing ouercome him in warre and afterward gaue the same Aspasia to his owne sonne Darius to wife from whome after carnall knowledge hee tooke her againe committing incest vpon incest and that most vnnaturally but marke how the Lord punished all this first Darius his eldest sonne was put to death for treason then Ochus succeeding in the inheritance slew Arsame another of his brethren and albeit Artaxerxes himselfe died without note of iudgement yet his seed after him was punished for his offence for so miserable a calamitie pursued them all that in the second generation not one was left to sit vpon his throne Now to teach vs how execrable and monstrous this kind of sinne is and how much to be abhorred of all men the example of a poore bruit beast may stand in stead of a lesson for vs it being so worthy of remembrance that I thought meet to make rehearsall of it in this place It is reported by Varro Varro a learned and graue writer whome S. Augustine often commendeth in this booke de ciuitate Dei of a certaine horse which by no meanes could be brought to couer a mare that was his damme vntill by hiding her head Lib. 2. de re rustica cap. 7. they beguiled his senses but after when hee perceiued their guile and knew his damme being vncouered he ran so furiously vpon the keeper with his teeth that incontinently he tore him in pieces Truly a miraculous thing and no doubt diuinely caused to reprooue the enormous and too vnruly lusts of men CHAP. XXXII Of effeminate persons Sodomites and other such like monsters SArdanapalus king of Assyria Frog lib. 1. was so lasciuious and effeminate that to the end to set forth his beauty hee shamed not to paint his face with ointments and to attire his body with the habites and ornaments of women Cic. lib. 5. Tuscul quest and on that manner to sit and lie continually amongst whores with them to commit all manner of filthinesse and villany wherefore being thought vnworthy to beare rule ouer men first Arbaces his lieutenant rebelled then the Medes and Babylonians reuolted and ioyntly made warre vpon him till they vanquished and put him to flight and in his flight he returned to a tower in his pallace which mooued with griefe and despaire he set on fire and was consumed therein Such like was the impudent lasciuiousnes of two vnworthy Emperors Lamprid. Commodus and Heliogabalus who laying aside all Emperiall grauitie shewed themselues oftentimes publikely in womans attire an act as in nature monstrous so very dishonest and ignominious but like as these cursed monsters ranne too much out of frame in their vnbridled lusts and affections so there wanted not many that hastened and emboldened themselues to conspire their destruction as vnworthy in their iudgements to enioy the benefit of this light wherefore to one of them poison was ministred and when that would take no effect strangling came in the roome thereof and brought him to his end the other was slaine in a iakes where hee hid himselfe and his body drawne like carrion through the streets found no better sepulchre but the dunghill Touching those abominable wretches of Sodome and Gomorrah Gen. 19. which gaue themselues ouer with all violence and without all shame and measure to their infamous lusts polluting their bodies with vnnaturall sinnes God sent vpon them an vnnaturall raine not of water but of fire and brimstone to burne and consume them that were so hote and feruent in their cursed vices So that they were quite rooted and raked out of the earth and their cities and habitations destroied yea and the very soile that bore them made desolate and fruitlesse and all this by fire whose smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace yea and in signe of a further curse for to be a witnesse and a marke of this terrible iudgement the earth and face of that countrey continueth still parched and withered and as Iosephus saith whereas before it was a most plentifull and fertile soile and as it were an earthly paradise bedecked with fiue gallant cities now it lyeth desart inhabitable and barren yeelding fruit in shew but such as being touched turneth to cinders In a word the wrath of God is so notoriously and fearefully manifested therein that when the Holy Ghost would strike a terrour into the most wicked hee threatneth them with this like punishment saying The Lord will raine vpon each wicked one Psal 11.6 Fire snares and brimstone for his portion Howbeit this maketh not but that still there are too many such monsters in the world so mightily is it corrupted and depraued neither is it any maruell seeing that diuers bishops of Rome that take vpon them to be Christs vicars and Peters successours are infected with this filthy contagion As namely Pope Iulius the third whose custome was to promote none to Ecclesiasticall liuings saue onely his buggerers amongst whome was one Innocent whome this holy father contrary to the Suffrages of the whole colledge would needs make Cardinall nay the vnsatiable and monstrous lust of this beastly and stinking goat was so extraordinary that hee could not abstaine from many Cardinals themselues Iohn de la Casa a Florentine by birth and by office Archbishop of Beneuento and Deane of his Apostaticall chamber was his Legat and Intelligencer in all the Venetian signiories a man equall or rather worse than himselfe and such a one as whose memory ought to be accursed of all posteritie for that detestable booke which he composed in commendation and praise of Sodomie and was so shamelesse nay rather possessed with some deuilish and vncleane spirit as to divulgate it to the view of the world Here you may see poore soules the holinesse of those whome you so much reuerence and vpon whome you build your beleefe religion you see their braue excellent vertues and of what esteem their lawes and ordinances ought to be amongst you Now touching the end that this holy father made it is declared in the former booke among the rank of Atheists where we placed him And albeit that he such like villains please their
his princes and his wiues and concubines might drinke therein exalting himselfe thus against the Lord of heauen boasting in his Idols of earth therfore God being stirred vp to wrath against him appointed his destruction euen whilst he thus dranke and made merry in the midst of his iolity and caused a strange and fearfull signe to appeare before his eies a bodilesse handwriting vpon the wall ouer against the candlestick The words of which writing portended the destruction of his kingdom which presently ensued for the very same night he was murdred and the scepter seased vpon by Darius king of Media CHAP. XI Of the kings which in hatred to the law and religion of God afflicted the Iewes in the time of the Machabees 1. Mach. 2. 6. ANtiochus by sirname Epiphanes or excellent though by truer report of people contemptuously intituled the furious king of Asia being venimously enraged against the Iewes began at the first marueilously to oppresse them to rob and spoile their temple and to slaughter the people About ten yeeres after deceiuing the poore people with faire and smooth words couers of most vile and wretched treason whilst they imagined no mischiefe he set vpon them in such cruell sort that the losse 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 captiuitie of women and infants as if all these were not enough there was yet another misery to make vp the full sum worse then all the rest which was this The cursed tyrant seeing his purpose not to take the full effect commaunded euery where that all his subiects I meane the Iewes should forsake and abiure the law of God be vnited into one religion with the infidels By meanes of which edict the religion of God was defaced the bookes of his law rent and burned and those with whome any such books were found rigorously put to death Which fearfull crueltie when the Iewes perceiued it caused many of them to wax faint hearted to giue themselues ouer to wallow in the durty fashions of the vncircūcised idolaters in their madnes to subscribe to the vniust lawes of the vile monster Now after he had committed all these outrages he was repulsed with dishonour frō the city Elymais in Persia which he went about to spoile rob and forced to fly to Babylon where after tidings of the ouerthrow of his two armies in Iudea with grief despite he ended his daies Antiochus the sonne of this wretched father 1. Mach. 6. succeeding him as in his kingdom so in wickednes periury disloialty when to the end to consult about his own affaires he cōcluded a peace with the Iewes by solemne oath as well of himselfe as his princes confirmed the free exercise of their religiō behold suddenly he falsified his plighted sworn faith vndid all that euer he had done but it was not long ere he also was ouertaken by the army of Demetrius togither with Lysias his gouernor put to death A while after reigned Alexander his brother 1. Mach. 11. who whilst hee was encumbred with the troubles of Cilicia that reuolted from him the king of Aegypt his father in law came traiterously to forestall him of his kingdome tooke his wife gaue her to his deadliest enemy and afterward gaue him battell discomfited his forces and droue him to flie into Arabia for safety where in stead of help he found an hatchet to chop off his head which was sent for a present to gratifie the king of Aegypt withall Not long after Antiochus his son recouered 1. Mach. 13. the scepter of his father but alas his reign endured but a small space for being yet but a yong child he was slaine by Triphon in the way as he led him to war against the Iews and thus perished the cursed race of Antiochus which felt Gods wrath vpon it euen to the third generation Antiochus the son of Demetrius of whom mention was made but a litle before after he had chased Triphon from the kingdome of Asia which he vsurped 2. Mach. 5. and broken the league which he had made with the Iewes gaue himselfe wholly to worke them misceiefe Therfore comming against Ierusalem he tooke it by force commanding his souldiers to put all to death that were within the same So that within three daies there was such a massacre of young and old men women and children that the number of the slaine arose to fourescore thousand carcasses After this hauing executed many more villanies against this people in so much as to make them renounce the lavv of God putting them cruelly to death that did not obey his commandement It came to passe that this cruell tyrant was first of all pur to flight by the inhabitants of Persepolis a city of Persia for going about to rob their temple of their treasures next endamaged by an ouerthrow of his armie in Iudea which he no sooner vnderstood but he tooke counsell in his fury how to be reuenged on Ierusalem and belched forth bitter threats against it But in the meane while the Lord stroke him with a sudden incurable plague surprised him with a horrible torment of his entrails Howbeit for all this he ceased not his malitious enterprisse but hasted forward his iourny towards the Iews with such egernesse that in the way he fell out of his charriot bruised so his body that it became putrified so full of corruption that very vermine scrawled out therof and the rotten flesh dropped peecemeale away no man no nor himselfe being able to endure the stinch therof Then was he constrained in the midst of his torments to confesse that it was meet that he should submit himselfe vnto God that he which is mortall ought not to exalt himselfe so high as to compare with the immortall God and in this estate this reprobate ended his wicked daies by a strange and most miserable kind of death CHAP. XII Of those that persecuted the sonne of God and his Church IF they who in the law iniured and persecuted the Church of God were punished according to their deserts as we haue already heard is it any maruell then if the enemies persecuters of our Lord Sauiour Christ Iesus which labour by all meanes to discountenance and frustrate his religion and to oppresse his Church do feele the heauy fearfull vengeance of God vpon them for their wickednes vnbeliefe No verily for he that honoreth not the sonne honoureth not the father which sent him and is guilty therfore before God of impiety prophanesse From this hamous crime king Herod in no wise can be exempted that caused all the infants of Bethlehem of two yeres old vnder to be cruelly murdred Mat. 2. in hope therby to put the true Messias and sauiour of the world to death For which deed accompanied
in his affaires whilest hee abstained from sheading the blood of Christians but assoone as hee gaue himselfe ouer vnto that villanie his prosperitie kingdome and life diminished and decreased at once for within two yeares hee and his sonne Vâ—lusianus in the war against Aemilian vvere both slain through the defection of his souldiors vvho in the point of necessitie forsooke him Beside the Lord in his time sent vpon the prouinces of Rome a generall and contagious pestilence which lasted vvhole tenne yeares without intermission to make satisfaction for the much innocent blood vvhich was spilled amongst them Phil. Melanct. chron lib. 4. Sebast franc chron Polon Arnolphus the fourescorth Emperour raged like a Tyger against all men but especially against those that professed the religion and name of Christ Iesus for which cause the Lord stirred vp a woman the wife of Guido to minister vnto him the dregs of his wrath in a poysoned cup by meanes whereof such a rottennesse possessed all his members that lice and wormes issuing out continually hee died most miserably in Oringe a city of Bauarie the twelfth yeare of his raigne Philip Melan. chron lib. 5. Baiaset the Turke to what a miserable and ludibrious end came hee to for his outragious hatred against all Christendome but especially against Constantinople which hee had brought to so low an eb that they could scarce haue resisted him any longer had not Tamerlane the Tartarian reuoked him from the siege and bidden him leaue to assaile others and looke vnto his owne Campofulus lib. 9. cap. 5. And indeed hee welcommed him so kindly that hee soone tooke him prisoner and binding him with chaines of gold caried him vp and downe in a cage for aspectacle vsing his backe for a footstoole to get vpon his horse by And thus God plaugeth one Tyrant by another and all for the comfort of his chosen Gensericus king of the Vandals Phil. Melan. chron lib. 3. exercised cruell tyrannie against the professors of the truth So did Honoricus the second also but both of them reaped their iust deserts for Gensericus died being possessed with a spirit And Honoricus being so rotten and putrified that one member dropped off after another Greg. Taron lib. 2. cap. 3. Some say that hee gnew off his owne flesh with his teeth Autharis the twelfth King of Lumbardie Paulus Diaconus lib. 3. cap. 18. de gestis Lâ—rgo bard forbad children to bee baptised or instructed in the Christian faith seeking by that meanes to abolish and plucke downe the kingdome of Christ but he raigned not long for ere sixe yeares vvere complet hee died with poison at Pauia And so hee that thought to vndermine Christ Iesus vvas vndermined himselfe most deseruedlie in the yeare of our Lord. 592. When Arcadius the Emperour through the persuasion of certaine enuious fellowes and his wife Endoxia Euagriur lib. 5. cap. 34. had banished Iohn Chrisostome bishop of Constantinople into Bosphorus the next night there arose such a terrible earthquake that the Empresse and the whole Cittie vvas sore affrighted therewith so that the next morrow messengers after messengers vvere sent vvithout ceasing till they had brought him backe againe out of exile Mandat 9. Calumniation lib. 2. cap. 44. and his accusers vvere all punished for their vvrongfull accusation Thus it pleased God to testifie the innocencie of his seruant euen by terrifying his enemies Smaragdus an exarch of Italie vvas transported by a Deuill for tyrannising ouer Christians in the first yeare of the Empire of Mauritius Paul Diacon lib 3. cap. 12. de gestis Longab Cent. 6. cap. 3. Anton. lib. 15. cap. 15. Mamucha a Sarasen being equall to Pharao in persecuting the church of God God made him equall to him also in the manner of his destruction for as he returned from the spoile of the monasterie of Cassime and Messana and the slaughter of many Christians the Lord caused the sea to swallow vp his whole armie euen an hundred ships Paul Diacon lib. 21. so that few or none escaped Another time euen in the yeare 719 they vvere miraculously consumed vvith famine sword pestilence water and captiuity and al for their infestious ranckor and tyranny towards Christians for whom the famine spared the sword deuoured vvhome both these touched not the pestilence eate vp and they that escaped all three yet perished in the vvaters and tenne ships that escaped the vvaters vvere taken by the Romans and the Syrians surely an egregious signe of Gods heauy wrath and displeasure To conclude there was neuer any that set themselues against the church of God but God set himself against them by some notable iudgement so that some vvere murthered by their subiects as Bluso king of the Vandals others by their enemies as Vdo Prince of Sclauonia some by their wiues Helmold cap. 24. Sclauon cap. 34. as Cruco another Sclauonian Prince others discomfited in war as Abbas the king of Hungaria some destroied by their owne horses Bonfinus as Lucius the Emperor who had first put his owne daughter because she was a Christian amongst the same horses And generally few persecutors escaped without some euident and markable destruction CHAP. XIIII Of the Iews that persecuted Christ BY how much the offence of the Iews was more hainous not onely in despising and reiecting the Lord of glory whom God had sent amongst them for their saluation but also in being so vvicked as to put him to death by so much the more hath God shed his fearfull indignation vpon them as at many other times so especially by that great calamitie and desolation which they abode at their last destruction begun by Vespasian and perfected by Titus which was so great and lamentable as the like was neuer heard of vntill this day for if the sacking and ouerthrow of Ierusalem then when Ieremie the Prophet made his booke of Lamentations ouer it was reputed more grieuous then the subuersion of Sodome which perished suddenly How much more then is this last destruction without all comparison by reason of those horrible strange miseries which were there both suddenly and in continuance of time committed Neither truly is there any history which containeth a description of so many miseries as this doth as it may appeare by Iosephus record of it For after that they had bene afflicted in diuers countries and tossed vp and downe by the deputies a long while there were slaine at Caesarea in one day twenty thousand at Alexandria another time fifty thousand at Zabulon and Ioppe eight thousand and foure hundred besides the burning of the two townes at Damascus ten thousand that had their throates cut As for Ierusalem when it had a long time endured the brunt of the warre both within and without it was pinched with so sore a famine Ioseph of the warres of the Iewes lib. 2. cap. 19 21 22 23. Lib. 6. cap. 16. Lib. 7. cap. 7.8 Lib. 6. c. 16. that
the dung of oxen serued some for meate others fedde vpon the leather of old shooes and buckles and diuers women were driuen to the extremitie to boile and eate their owne children Many thinking to saue their liues by flying to the enemy were taken and slit in pieces in hope to find gold and siluer in their guts in one night two thousand were thus piteously dealt withall and at last the whole city was by force taken and the holy Temple consumed by fire And this in generall was the miserable issue of that lamentable warre during which fourescore and seuenteene thousand Iewes were taken prisoners and eleuen hundred thousand slaine for within the city were inclosed from the beginning to the ending all those that were assembled togither from all quarters of the earth to keepe the Passeouer as their custome was As touching the prisoners some were carried to Rome in triumph others were here and there massacred at their conquerours wils somes lot it was to be torne in peeces and deuoured of wild beasts others were constrained to march in troopes against their fellows and kill one another as if they had beene enemies All which euils came vpon them for the despite and fury which they vsed towards the Sonne of God and our Sauiour and that was the cause why he foreseeing this desolation wept ouer Ierusalem and said That it should be besieged on euery side and rased to the ground and that not one stone should be left vpon another because it knew not the time of her visitation Likewise said he to the women that bewailed him as he was led to the crosse That they should not weepe for him but for themselues and their children because of the daies of sorrow which were to come wherein the barren and those that had no children the dugs that neuer suckled should be counted happy So horrible and pitifull was the destruction of this people that God would not suffer any of his owne children to be wrapped in their miseries nor to perish with this peruerse and vnbeleeuing nation for as Eusebius reporteth they were a little before the arriuall of these mischiefes aduertised from heauen by the especiall prouidence of God to forsake the city and retire into some farre countrey where none of these euils might come neere them This example belongeth also to the contempt of the word Lib. 1. cap. 34. The relikes of this wretched people that remained after this mighty tempest of Gods wrath were dispersed and scattered throughout all nations vnder heauen being subiect to them with whome they soiourned without king prince Iudge or magistrate to lead and guide them or to redresse their wrongs but were altogither at the discretion and commandement of the lords of those countries wherein they made their abode so that their condition and kind of life is at this day so vile and contemptible as experience sheweth that no nation in the world is halfe so miserable which is a manifest badge of Gods vengeance yet abiding vpon them And yet for all this these dispersed reliques ceased not to vomit out the fome of their malice against Christ it being so deepe rooted an euill and so inueterate that time nor reason could reuoke them from it And no maruell seeing that God vseth to punish the greatest sinnes with other sinnes as with the greatest punishment so they hauing shut their eies to the light when it shined among them are now giuen ouer to a reprobate and hardened sense otherwise it were not possible they should remaine so obstinate And albeit God be thanked wee haue many conuerts of them yet I dare say for the most part they remaine in malitious blindnes barking against despiting both our sauiour himselfe all that professe his name although their punishments haue bin still according to their deserts as by these examples following shall appeare The Iewes of Inmester a towne lying betwixt Calchis Antioch being vpon a time celebrating their accustomed plaies and feasts in the midst of their iollity as their vse is they contumeliously reuiled not onely Christians but euen Christ himselfe for they got a Christian child and hung him vpon a crosse and after many mocks taunts making themselues merry at him they whipt him to death What greater villany could there be then this or wherein could these deuils incarnate shew forth their malice more apparantly then thus not content once to haue crucified Christ the Sauiour of the world but by imitation to performe it againe and as it were to make known that if it were vndone they would do it So also handled they a boy called Simeon of two yeeres and an halfe old in the yeere of our Lord 1476 Iob Fincel lib. 3 another in Fretulium fiue yeres after that But aboue all they massacred a poore carpenters son in Hungary in hatred of Christ whom they falsly supposed to be a carpenters son for they cut in two all his veines suckt out his blood with quils And being apprehended and tortured they confessed that they had done the like at Thirna 4 yeeres before that they could not be without Christian blood for therwithall they anointed their priests But at all these times they suffered iust punishmēt for being still taken they were either hanged burned murdred or put to some other cruell death at the discretion of the magistrates Moreouer they would at diuers times buy the holy host of some popish priest and thrust it through with their kniues and vse it most despitefully this did one Eleazarus in the yere of our Lord 1492 the 22 of October but was burnt for his labour And eight and thirty at another time for the same villany by the Marquesse Ioachinus for the caitiues would suffer themselues to bee baptized for none other end but more securely to exercise their villanies Casp Hedius lib. 3. cap. 6. Another Iewe is recorded in the yeere of our Lord 147 to haue stollen the picture of Christ out of a Church and to haue thrust it through many times with his sword whereout when blood miraculously issued he amazed would haue burned it but being taken in the manner the Christians stoned him to death The truth of which story though I will not stand to auow yet I doubt not but it might be true considering that either the deuill might by his cunning so foster and confirme their superstition or rather that seeing Christ is the subiect of their religion as well as of ours though after a corrupt and sacrilegious forme and that the Iewe did not so much aime at their religion as at Christ the subiect of it the Lord might shew a miracle not to establish their errour but to confound the Iewes impiety especially in those young yeeres of the Church But that their impiety may be yet more discouered I will here set downe the confession of one of their owne nation a Iewe of Ratisbone conuerted to the faith one very skilfull in the
for them to be true subiects to the king who for their bellies sake had rebelled against the commandements of God The king seeing their request reasonable and their reasons which they alleadged likely not onely commended them but gaue them full authoritie to destroy all those that could be found in any place of his dominion without any further inquirie of the cause or intelligence of the kings authority insomuch that they put to death all those that they knew to haue defiled themselues by filthie Idols doing them before all the shame they could deuise so that at that time there were dispatched aboue three hundred persons which when they had accomplished they reioiced greatly CHAP. XIX Of the third and worst sort of Apostataes those that through Malice forsake the truth IF so bee that they of whom we haue spoken in the two former chapters are in their reuoltings inexcusable as indeed they are thē much more worthy condemnation are they who not only in a villanous contempt cast away the grace of Gods spirit and his holy worship but also of a purposed malice set themselues against the same yea and endeuour with all their power vtterly to race and root it out and in stead thereof to plant the lies errors and illusions of Sathan by all meanes possible Against this kind of monsters sentence is pronounced in the thirteenth of Deutronomie to wit That iustice should be executed vpon thē with al extremity and no mercie and compassion showne vnto him be he Prophet or what else that goeth about to seduce others from the seruice of the almighty 2. King 11. to follow false gods This is the pitfall wherein Ieroboam the first king of Israell slipped by the peruersenesse of his owne conscience who as he had by his rebellion against Rehoboam and the house of Dauid vpreared a new kingdome so by rebellion against God and his house in hope by that meanes to retaine his vsurped state and people in subiection vpreared also a new religion for distrusting the promises of God which were made him by the Prophet Ahias as touching the realme of Israell which hee was alreadie in possession of and despising the good counsaile of God in respect of his owne inuentions hee was so besotted and bleared with them that iust after the patterne of his Idolatrous forefathers who by their Aegyptian trickes had prouoked the wrath of God against thēselues he set vp golden calues and caused the people to worship them keeping them so from going to Ierusalem to worship God nor yet content with this he also erected high places to set his idols in hauing restrained the Priests and Leuits frō the exercise of their charge he ordained a new order of priests to sacrifice minister vnto his gods proclaimed a newer feast thē that that was in Iuda euē the seuenth day of the 8 month wherin he not only exiled the pure and sincere seruice of God but also peruerted turned vpside down the Ecclesiasticall discipline pollicie of Gods church which by the law had ben instituted And that which is yet more 1. King 13. as hee was offering incense on the altar at Bethell when the Prophet cried out against the altar and exclaimed against that filthie idolatrie by denouncing the vengeance of God against it and the maintainers therof Contempt of Gods word Lib. 1. cap. 34. he was so desperate and sencelesse as to offer violence to him and to command that he should be attached but the power of Gods displeasure was vpon him by and by for that hand which hee had stretched out against the Prophet dried vp so that hee could not draw it back again at the very instant for a more manifest declaratiō of the wrath of God the altar rent in peeces the ashes that were within were dispersed abroad And although at the praier of that holy man his dried hand was restored to his former strength and soundnesse yet returned not he from his vniust and disloiall dealing but obstinately continued therein till his dying day Wherefore also the fierce wrath of God hunted and pursued him continually for first of all he was robbed of his sonne Abia dying through sicknesse 1. King 14. then hee was set vpon by Abia king of Iuda with an armie of foure hundred thousand men of warre 2. Chron. 13. and though his power was double in strength number arising to eight hundred thousand persōs yet was he his vast at my quite discōfited for he lost at that field fiue hundred thousād of his men beside certain cities which were yeelded to Abia in the pursute of his victorie his courage was so abated and empouerished euer after this that hee could neuer recouer strength to resist the king of Iuda any more And so God reuenged at once the Apostasie both of the king and people of Israell and last of all so strooke him after that he died Ioram king of Iuda although his father Iosaphat had instructed him from his childhood with holy and wholesome precepts 2 Chron. 21. and set before his face the example of his owne zeale in purging the church of God from all idolatrie and superstition and maintaining the true and pure seruice of God yet did hee so foulie run astray from his fathers steps that allying himselfe by the marriage of Athalia to the house of Achab hee became not onely himselfe like to the kings of Israell in their filthie Idolatrie but also drew his people after him causing the inhabitants of Ierusalem and men of Iuda to runne a whoring after his strange gods for which cause Elias the Prophet most sharpely reprooued him by letters the contents whereof in summe was this that because hee rebelled against the Lord God of his fathers therfore the people that were in his subiection should rebell against him Presently the Arabians and Philistims rose vp against him wasted his countrie robbed him of his treasures tooke away his wiues and put all his children to the sword except little Ochozias his yoongest sonne that was preserued And after all these miseries the Lord smote him with so outragious and vncurable a disease in his bowels that after two yeares torment hee died thereof his guts being fallen out of his belly with anguish Ioas also king of the same countrie was one to whome God had beene manie waies beneficiall from his infancie 2. Chron. 22. for hee was euen then miraculously preserued from the bloody hand of Athalia and after brought vp in the house of God vnder the tuition of that good Preist Iehoiada yet he was no sooner lifted vp into his roiall dignitie but by and by hee and his people started aside to the worship of stocks and stones at that time when hee had taken vpon him the repaire of the house of God But all this came to passe after the decease of that good priest his tutour whose good deeds towards him in sauing his life and
giuing him the crowne he most vnthankfully recompenced by putting to death his sonne Zacharias 2. Chron. 24. whome he caused for reproouing and threatning his idolatry in a publicke assembly incited thereto by the spirit of God to be stoned to death in the porch of the Temple But seeing he did so rebelliously set himselfe against the holy spirit as if he would haue quite oppressed and extinguished the power thereof by the death of this holy Prophet by whome it spake God hissed for an armie of Syrians that gaue him battell and conquered his souldiers who in outward shew seemed much to strong for them His princes also that had seduced him were destroied himselfe vexed with grieuous diseases till at length his owne seruants conspired against him for the death of Zacharia and slue him on his bed yea and his memory was so odious that they could not afford him a burying place among the sepulchres of their kings Amazias the sonne of this wicked father 2. Chro 25. caried himselfe also at the first vprightly towards God in his seruice but it lasted not long for a while after he was corrupted and turned aside from that good way which he had begun to tread after the by paths of his father Ioas for after he had conquered the Idumeans and slaine twenty thousand men of war and spoiled diuers of their cities in stead of rendring due thankes to God who without the aid of the Israelites had giuen him that victory he set vp the gods of the Edomites which he had robbed them of to be his gods and worshipped and burned incense to them so void of sense and reason was he And being rebuked by the Prophet of his aduerse dealing hee was so farre from humbling and repenting himselfe thereof that quite contrary he proudly withstood and reiected the Prophets threatnings menacing him with death if he ceased not Thus by this meanes hauing aggrauated his sinne and growing more and more obstinate God made him an instrument to hasten his owne destruction for being proud and puffed vp with the ouerthrow which he gaue the Edomites hee defied the king of Israel and prouoked him to battell also but full euill to his ease for he lost the day and was carried prisoner to Ierusalem where before his face for more reproch foure hundred cubits of the wall was broken downe the temple and pallace ransackt of his treasures his children caried for hostâ—ges to Samaria And not long after treason was deuised against him in Ierusalem so that he fled to Lachish and being pursued thither also was there taken and put to death 2. Chron. 28. Likewise king Ahaz for making molten images for Baalim and walking in the idolatrous waies of the kings of Israel and burning his sonnes with fire after the abominations of the heathen in the valley of Ben-Hinnon was forsaken of the Lord and deliuered into the hands of the king of Syria who caried him prisoner to Damascus and not only so but was also subdued by Pekah king of Israel in that great battell wherein his owne sonne with fourescore thousand men at armes were slaine yea and two hundred thousand of all sorts men women and children taken prisoners for all these chastisements did hee not once reforme his life but rather grew worse and worse To make vp the number of his sinnes he would needs sacrifice to the gods of Damascus also thinking to find succour at their hands so that hee vtterly defaced the true seruice of God at Ierusalem broke in pieces the holy vessels lockt vp the temple dores and placed in their stead his abominable idols for the people to worship and erected altars in euery corner of the city to doe sacrifice on But as hee rebelled on euery side against his God so God raised vp enemies on euery side to disturbe him The Edomites and Philistims assaulted him on one side beate his people tooke and ransackt his cities on the other side the Assyrians whome he had hired with a great summe for his helpe turned to his vndoing and vtter ouerthrow and confusion What shall wee thinke of Manasses who reedified the high places and altars which the zeale of Ezechias his father had defaced and throwen downe 2. Chron 33. and adored and worshipped the plannets of heauen the Sunne the Moone and the Starres profaned the porch of Gods Temple with altars dedicated to strange gods committing thereon all the abominations of the Gentiles Idolatrie Lib. 1. cap. 26. yea and caused his sonnes to passe thorough the valley of Benhinnon and was an obseruer of times and seasons and gaue himselfe ouer to witchcraft charming and sorceries and vsed the helpe of familiar spirits and soothsayers and that which is more placed a carued Image in the house of God flat against the second commaundement of the law So that hee did not onely go astray and erre himselfe in giuing ouer his mind to most wicked and damnable heresies but also seduced the people by his pernitious example and authoritie to doe the like mischiefe And that which is yet more and worst of all hee made no account nor reckening of the admonitions of the Prophets but the rather and the more hardened his heart to runne out into all manner of crueltie and wickednesse that his sinnes might haue their full measure For the very stones of the streetes of Ierusalem were stained from one corner to another with the guiltlesse and innocent blood of those that either for disswading him from or not yeeldihg vnto his abominable and detestable Idolatry were cruelly murdered amongst the number of which slaine innocents many suppose that the Prophet Esaias although hee was of the blood royall was with a straunge manner of torment put to death 2. King 12. Wherefore the flame of Gods ire was kindled against him and his people so that they stirred vp the Assyrians against them whose power and force they being not able to resist were subdued and the king himselfe taken and put in fetters and bound in chaines caried captiue to Babylon but being there in tribulation he humbled his soule and praied vnto the Lord his God who for all his wicked cruell and abominable Apostasie was intreated of him and receiued him to mercy yea and brought him againe to Ierusalem into his vnhoped for kingdom Then was hee no more vnthankefull to the Lord for his wonderfull deliuerance but being touched with true repentance for his former life abolished the strange gods broke downe their altars and restored againe the true religion of God and gaue straight commandement to his people to do the like Wherein it was the pleasure of the Highest to leaue a notable memorial vnto all posterity of his great and infinite mercy towards poore and miserable sinners to the end that no man be his sinnes neuer so heinous should at any time despaire for where sinne aboundeth Rom. 5. there grace aboundeth much more Admit that this reuolt of Manasses
was far greater and more outragious then was Salomons yet his true repentance found the grace to be raised vp from that wofull downfall for God hath mercie on whome hee will haue mercie Rom. 9.15 Rom. 11.33 and compassion on whome he will haue compassion O the profound riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God! How vnspeakeable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out 2. Chron. 33. Amon the wicked sonne of this repentant father committed also the like offence in seruing strange gods but recanted not by like repentance Idolatry Lib. 1. cap. 26 and therefore God gaue his owne seruants both will to conspire and power to execute his destruction after he had swaied the kingdome but two yeeres CHAP. XX. Of the third and worst sort of Apostataes BY how much the more God hath in these latter daies poured forth more plentifully his graces vpon the sonnes of men by the manifestations of his sonne Christ Iesus in the flesh and sent forth a more cleare light by the preaching of his Gospell into the world then was before times by so much the more culpable before God and guilty of eternall damnation are they who being once enlightned and made partakers of those excellent graces come afterwards either to despise or make light account of them or go about to suppresse the truth and quench the spirit which instructed them therein This is the sinne against the Holy Ghost which is mentioned in the sixt and tenth chapter to the Hebrews and in the 12 of Luke and in another place it is called a sinne vnto death because it is impardonable by reason that no excuse of ignorance can be pleaded nor any plaister of true repentance applied vnto it The Apostataes of the old Testament vnder the law were not guilty of this sin for although there were many that willingly and maliciously reuolted and set themselues against the Prophets of God making warre as it were with the holy ghost yet seeing they had no such cleare testimonies of Christ Iesus declaratioÌ„ of Gods spirit as we haue their sin can not be properly said directly to be against the H. ghost so neuer to be remitted according to the description of this sin in those passages of Scripture which were before recited as it may manifestly appeare by the former example of king Manasses The Apostle himselfe likewise doth auerre the truth hereof when he saith If wee sinne wâ—llingly after that wee haue receiued the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes Heb. 10.26 27 28 29. but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shall deuoure the aduersaries If any man despised Moses law he died without mercie vnder two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall he be worthy which treadeth vnder foot the son of God and counteth the blood of the Testament as a prophane thing whereby hee was sanctified and doth despight the spirit of grace Here we may see that this sinne is proper to those only that liued vnder the Gospell and haue tasted of the comfort and knowledge of Christ Iudas Iscariot that wicked accursed varlet committed the deed and feeles the scourge of this great sinne for he being a disciple nay an Apostle of Christ Iesus mooued with couetousnes after he had deuised and concluded of the manner and complot of his treason with the enemies sold his Lord and master the Sauiour of the world for thirty peeces of siluer and betraied him into the hands of theeues and murderers who sought nothing but his destruction After this vile traitour had perfourmed this execrable purpose by reason whereof hee is called the sonne of perdition hee could find no rest nor repose in his guilty conscience but was horribly troubled and tormented with remorse of his wickednesse iudging himselfe worthy of a thousand deaths for betraying that innocent and guiltlesse blood If he looked vp hee saw the vengeance of God ready to fall vpon him and ensnare him if hee looked downe hee saw nothing but hell gaping to swallow him vp the light of this world was odious to him and his owne life displeased him so that being plunged into the bottomles pit of despaire he at last strangled himselfe Matth. 27. Acts. 1. and burst in twaine in the midst and all his bowels gushed out Suid. There is a notable example of Lucian who hauing professed Christianity for a season vnder the Emperour Traian fell away afterwards and became so profane and impious as to make a mocke at religion and diuinity whereupon his sirname was called Atheist This wretch as hee barked out like a foule mouthed dog bitter taunts against the religion of Christ seeking to rent and abolish it so he was himselfe in Gods vengeance torne in pieces and deuoured of dogs Porphyrie also a whelpe of the same litter after hee had receiued the knowledge of the truth for despite and anger that he was reprooued of his faults by the Christians set himselfe against them and published bookes full of horrible blasphemies to discredit and ouerthtow the Christian faith But when he perceiued how fully and sufficiently hee was confuted and that he was reputed an accursed and confounded wretch for his labour in terrible despaire and anguish of soule he died Iulian the Emperour sirnamed the Apostate cast himselfe headlong into the same gulfe for hauing beene brought vp and instructed from his childhood in the Christian faith and afterward a while a profest reader thereof to others in the Church assoone as he had obtained the Empire malitiously reuolted from his profession and resisted with all his power Socrat. Theod. Sozom. the saith and Church of Christ endeauouring by all meanes possible either by force to ruinate and destroy it or by fine sleights and subtilties to vndermine it And because his purpose was to doe what hurt he could to Christians therefore he studied by all he could to please content and vphold the contrary party I meane the Painyms hee caused their temples first to be opened which Constantine his predecessour had shut vp hee tooke from the Christian Churches their ministers those priuiledges liberties and commodities which the said Constantine had bestowed vpon them and not content with this hee confiscated the Church reuenewes Atheisme Lib. 1. cap. 25. and imposed great taxes and tributes vpon all that professed the name of Christians and forbad them to haue any schooles of learning for their children And yet more to vexe and grieue them he translated many ordes of the Church discipline and pollicie into Paganisme After he had thus by all meanes striuen to beate downe the scepter of Christs kingdome it turned quite contrary to his expectation for in stead thereof the scepter of his owne kingdome was broken and brought to nought at that time when making warre vpon the Persians he was wounded with an arrow which pierced his armour and diued so deepe into his side
images or pictures and such other outward and corruptible meanes which hee hath in no wise commanded wherefore Isaiah the Prophet reproouing the folly and vanity of idolatours saith Chap. 40.18 To whome will you liken God or what similitude will you set vp vnto him Therefore if it be not Gods will that vnder pretence and colour of his owne name any image or picture should be adored being a thing not only inconuenient but also absurd and vnseemely much lesse can he abide to haue them worshipped vnder the name and title of any creature whatsoeuer And for this cause gaue he the second commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image c. which prohibition the Israelielits brake in the desert when they set vp a golden calfe bowed themselues before it after the maner of the Painyms giuing it the honour which was only due to God whereby they incurred the indignation of Almightie God Exod. 32. who is strong and iealous of suffering any such slander to be done vnto his name wherefore hee caused three thousand of them to be stroken wounded to death by the hand of the Leuits at the commaundement of Moses to make his anger against idolatrie more manifest by causing them to be executioners of his reuenge who were ordained for the ministery of his Church and the seruice of the altar and tabernacle Howbeit for all this the same people not long after fell backe into the same sinne and bowed themselues before strange gods through the allurements of the daughters of Moab ioyned themselues to Belphegor Num. 25. for which cause the Lord being incensed stroke them with so grieuous a plague that there died of them in one day about twenty and foure thousand persons And albeit that after all this being brought by him into the land of promise hee had forbidden and threatned them for cleauing to the idols of the nations whose land they possessed yet were they so prone to idolatry that notwithstanding all this they fell to serue Baal and Astaroth wherefore the fire of Gods wrath was enflamed against them and hee gaue them ouer to be a spoile and prey vnto their enemies on euery side so that for many yeeres sometimes the Moabites oppressed them otherwhiles the Madianites and euer after the death of any of their Iudges and rulers which God raised vp for their deliuerance some grieuous punishment befell them for then being without law or gouernment euery man did that which seemed good in his owne eies and so turned aside from the right way Now albeit these examples may seeme to haue some affinity with Apostasie yet because the ignorance and rudenessâ— of the people was rather the cause of their falling away from God then any wilfull affection that raigned in them therefore wee place them in this rancke as well as they that haue beene alwaies brought vp and nuzled in Idolatrie 2. Chron. 22. One of this crew was Ochosias king of Iuda sonne of Ioram who hauing before him an euill president of his wicked father and a worse instruction and bringing vp of his mother Athaliah who togither with the house of Achab pricked him forward to euill ioyned himselfe to them and to their idols and for that cause was wrapped in the same punishment destruction with Ioram the king of Israel whome Iehu slew togither with the princes of Iuda and many of his neere kinsmen And to be short Idolatry hath bene the decay and ruine of the kingdome of Iuda as at all other times so especially vnder Ioachas sonne of Iosias 2. King 23. that raigned not aboue three moneths in Ierusalem before hee was taken and led captiue into Aegypt by the king thereof and there died from which time the whole land became tributary to the king of Aegypt And not long after it was vtterly destroied by the forces of Nabuchadnezzar king of Babel that came against Ierusalem and tooke it and caried king Ioaâ—him with his mother his princes his seruants and the treasures of the temple and his owne house into Babylon And finally 2. King 24.25 tooke Zedechias that fled away and before his eies caused his sonnes to be slaine which assoone as he had beheld commaunded him also to be pulled out and so binding him in chaines of iron carried him prisoner to Babylon putting all the princes of Iuda to the sword consuming with fire the temple with the kings pallace and all the goodly buildings of Ierusalem And thus the whole kingdome though by an especiall prerogatiue consecrated and ordained of God himselfe ceased to be a kingdome and came to such an end that it was neuer reestablished by God but begun and confirmed by the filthy idolatry of Ieroboams calues Vide lib. 1. c. 19. which as his successours maintained and fauoured more or lesse so were they exposed to more or lesse plagues and incumbrances Nadab Ieroboams sonne being nuzled and nurtured vp in Idoll worship after the example of his father 1 King 15.27 receiued a condigne punishment for his iniquitie for Baasa the sonne of Ahijah put both him and all the offspring of Ieroboamâ— house to the sword and raigned in his stead who also being no whit better then those whome he had slaine was punished in the person of Ela his sonne whome Zambri one of his seruants slew And this againe vsurping the crowne enioyed it but seuen daies at the end whereof seeing himselfe in daunger in the citie Tirza taken by Amri whome the people had chosen for their king went into the pallace of the kings house and burned himselfe As for Achab hee multiplied idolatry in Israel and committed more wickednesse then all his predecessours wherefore the wrath of God was stretched out against hiâ— and his for hee himselfe was wounded to death in battaile by the Sitians his sonne Ioram slaine by Iehu and threescore and ten of his children put to death in Samaria by their gouernours and chiefe of the city sending their heads in baskets to Iehu Aboue all a most notable and manifest example of Gods iudgement was seene in the death of Iezabel his wife that had beene his spurre and prouoker to all mischiefe when by her Eunuches and most trustie seruants at the commandement of Iehu shee was thrown downe out of a window and trampled vnder the horse seer and last of all deuoured of dogges Moreouer the greatest number of the kings of Israel that succeeded him were murdered one after another so that the kingdome fell to such a low decline that it became first tributary to the king of Assyria and afterward inuaded and subuerted by him and the inhabitants transported into his land whence they neuer returned but remained scattered here and there like vagabonds and all for their abominable idolatrie which ought to be a lesson to all people princes and kings that seeing God spared not these two realmes of Iuda and Israel but destroied and rooted them out from the earth
to be without the reach of danger seeing hee was not assailed but did assaile was guarded with so mighty an army that assured him to make him lord of Ierusalem in short space yet the Lord ouerthrew his power destroied of his men in one night by the hand of his Angell 185 thousand men so that he was faine to raise his siege returne into his own kingdome where finally he was slain by his own sonnes as he was worshipping on his knees in the temple of his God In the time of the Machabees those men that were in the strong hold called Gazara 2. Mach. 10. fighting against the Iews trusting to the strength of the place wherein they were vttered forth most infamous speeches against God but ere long their blasphemous mouths were encountred by a cōdigne punishmēt for the first day of the siege Machabeus put fire to the towne consumed the place with the blasphemers in it to ashes Holofernes when Achior aduanced the glory of the God of Israel Iudith 6.7 replied on this fashion Since thou hast prophesied vnto vs that Israel shall be defended by their god thou shalt prooue that there is no God but Nabuchadonosor when the sword of mine army shall passe through thy sides and thou shalt fall among their slaine but for this blasphemy the Lord cut him short and preuented his cruell purpose by sudden death and that by the hand of a woman to his further shame Nay this sinne is so odious in the sight of God that he punisheth euen them that giue occasion therof vnto others yea though they be his dearest children as it appeareth by the words of the Prophet Nathan vnto king Dauid 2. King 12. Because of this deed saith he of murdering Vriah and defiling Bathshabe thou hast made the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child that is borne vnto thee shall surely die In the Empire of Iulian the Apostata there were diuers great men that for the Emperors sake forsooke Christ abiured his religion Theod. llb. 3. cap. 11 12. Contempt of holy things Lib. 1. cap. 3 4. amongst whom was one Iulian vncle to the Emperor gouernor of the East another Faelix the Emperors treasurer the first of which two after he had spoiled all Christian Churches and temples pissed against the table whereon the holy sacraments were vsed to be administred in contempt and stroke Euzoius on the eare for reproouing him for it the other beholding the holy vessels that belonged to the Church said See what precious vessels Maries sonne is serued withall After which blasphemie the Lord plagued them most strangely for Iulian fell into so strange a disease that his entrails beeing rotten hee voided his excrements at his mouth because when they passed naturally hee abused them to the dishonour of God Foelix vomited blood so excessiuely night and day at his blasphemous mouth that hee died forthwith About the same time there liued a famous sophister Epicure called Libanius who beeing at Antioch Theatr. hist demaunded blasphemously of a learned godly schoolmaster what the Carpenters sonne did and how he occupied himselfe Mary quoth the schoolmaster full of the spirit of God the creator of this world whome thou disdainfully callest the carpenters sonne is making a coffin for thee to carry thee to thy graue whereat the sophister iesting departed and within few daies dying was buried in a coffin according to the prophesie of that holy man Vide lib. 1. c. 21. Heres Philip. Chron. Abb. Vrusperg The Emperour Heraclius sending Embassadours to Cosroe the king of Persia to entreat of peace returned with this answer that he would neuer cease to trouble them with warre till he had constrained them to forsake their crucified Christ and to worship the Sunne But ere long he bore the punishment of his blasphemie for what with a domesticall calamitie a forraine ouerthrow by the hand of Heraclius he came to a most wofull destruction Michael that blasphemous Rabbine that was accounted of the Iewes as their Prince and Messias Fincelius de miraculis lib. 2. as he was on a time banketting with his companions amongst other things this was chiefest sauce for their meat to blaspheme Christ his mother Mary insomuch as he boasted of a victory alreadie gotten ouer the Christians God But marke the issue as hee descended downe the staires his foot slipping hee tumbled headlong broke his neck wherin his late victory proued a discomfiture ouerthrow to his eternal shame confusion Three soldiers amongst the Tyrigetes a people of Sarmatia passing through a wood there arose a tempest of thunder and lightning which though commonly it maketh the greatest Atheists to tremble yet one of them to shew his contempt of God and his iudgements burst forth into blasphemie despitings of God But the Lord soone tamed his rebellious tongue for he caused the wind to blow vp by the root a huge tree that fell vpon him crushed him to pieces the other escaping to testifie to the world of his destruction No lesse notable is the example of a young gyrle named Denis Benifield of twelue yeres of age Acts and Monuments of the Church who going to schoole amongst other gyrles when they fell to reason among themselues after their childish discretion about God one among the rest said that he was a good old father what hee said the foresaid Denyse he is an old doting foole which being told to her mistresse shee purposed to correct her the next day for it but it chanced that the next day her mother sent her to London to the market the wench greatly entreating her mother that shee might not goe so that she escaped her mistrisses correction But the Lord in vengeance met with her for as she returned homeward sodainly she was so stricken dead all the one side of her being blacke and buried at Hackney the same night A terrible example no doubt both to old and young what it is for children to blaspheme the Lord and God and what it is for parents to suffer their yoong ones to grow vp in blindnesse without nurturing them in the feare of God and reuerence of his maiesty and therfore worthy to be remembred of all In the yeare 510 an Arrian bishop called Olimpius being at Carthage in the bathes reproched and blasphemed the holy and sacred trinitie and that openly Paul Diacon in the historie of Anastatius Sabell Aenead 8. lib. 2. Anton. Panor of the acts of Alphonsus Aeneas Siluius of the acts of Alphonsus but lightning fell downe from heauen vpon him three times and he was burnt and consumed therewith There was also in the time of Alphonsus king of Arragon and Sicily in an Isle towards Affrica a certaine Hermite called Antonius a monstrous and prophane hypocrite that had so wicked a heart to deuise and so filthy a throat to belch out vile and iniurious speeches against Christ Iesus
sort for his amendment and our example Albert Krantz chron 〈◊〉 lib. 6. Henry Earle of Schwartburge through a corrup◠custome vsed commonly to wish he might be drowned in a priuie and as he wished so it happened vnto him for he was so serued murdered at S. Peters monasterie in Erford in the year of our Lord 1148. Cyriac. Spangenb in elegantijs veteris Adami The like befell a young courtier at Mansfield whose custome was in any earnest asseueration to say the Deuill take me if it be not so the Deuill indeed tooke him whilest hee slept and threw him out of a high window where albeit by the good prouidence of God hee caught no great hurt yet he learnt by experience to bridle his tongue from al such cursed speeches this being but a tast of Gods wrath that is to fall vpon such wretches as he Theat histor At Oster a village in the Duchy of Megalopole there chanced a most strange and fearefull example vpon a woman that gaue her selfe to the Deuill both body and soule and vsed most horrible cursings and othes both against her selfe and others which detestable manner of behauiour as at many other times so especially she shewed at a marriage in the foresaid village vpon S. Iohn Baptists day the whole people exhorting her to leaue off that monstrous villany but shee nothing bettered continued her course till all the companie were set at dinner and very merry Then loe the Deuill hauing got full possession of her came in person and transported her into the aire before them all with most terrible outcries and roarings in that sort carried her round about the town that the inhabitants were ready to die with feare and by and by tore her in foure peeces leauing in four seuerall high waies a quarter that all that came by might be witnesses of her punishment And then returning to the marriage threw her bowels vpon the table before the Maior of the towne with these words Behold these dishes of meat belong to thee whome the like destruction awaiteth if thou doest not amend thy wicked life The reporters of this hystorie were Iohn Herman the minister of the said towne with the Maior himselfe and the whole inhabitants being desirous to haue it knowne to the world for example sake In Luthers conferences there is mention made of this story following Luther diuerse noble men were striuing together at a horse race and in their course cried the deuil take the last Now the last was a horse that broke loose whom the deuill hoisted vp into the aire and took clean away Which teacheth vs not to call for the deuill for hee is readie alwaies about vs vncalled and vnlooked for yea many legions of them compasse vs about euen in our best actions to disturbe and peruert vs. A cettaine man not farre from Gorlitz prouided a sumptuous supper inuited many guests vnto it Iob. Fincelius who at the time appointed refusing to come he in an anger cried then let all the Deuils in hell come neither was his wish friuolous fot a number of those hellish fiends came forthwith whome he not discerning from men came to welcome and entertain but as he tooke them by the hands and perceiued in steed of fingers clawes all dismaied he ran out of the dores with his wife and left none in the house but a young infant with a foole sitting by the fire whome the deuils had no power to hurt neither any man els saue the goodly supper which they made away withall and so departed It is notoriously knowne in Oundle a town in Northamptonshire amongst all that were acquainted with the partie namely one Hacket of vvhome more hath beene spoken before hovv he vsed in his earnest talke euer to curse himselfe on this manner If it be not true then let a visible confusion come vpon me Now hee wanted no◠his wish for hee came to a visible confusion indeed as hath ben declared more at large in the 20 chap. of this booke At Witeberg before Martin Luther and diuerse other learned men a woman whose daughter was possessed with a spirit confessed that by her curse that plague was fallen vpon her for being angry at a time she bad the deuil take her she had no sooner spoken the word but he tooke her indeed possessed her in most strange sort No whitlesse strange and horrible is that which happened at Neoburge in Germany to a son that was cursed of his mother in her anger with this curse Theat histor shee praied God shee might neuer see him return aliue for the same day the yoong man bathing himselfe in the water was drowned and neuer returned to his mother aliue according to her vngodly wish Theat histor But aboue all this is most strange which happened in a Towne of Misina in the yeere of our Lord God 1552 the eleuenth of September where a cholletick father seeing his sonne slacke about his businesse wished he might neuer stirre from that place Let not the strangenes of this example discredit the truth therof seeing wee read how Lots wife was turned into a pillar of salt Gen. 19. and Corah with his company swallowed of the earth Num. 16 which are more strange than this Acts and monuments pag. 2101. for it was no sooner said but done his sonne stucke fast in the place neither by any meanes possible could bee remoued no not so much as to sit or bend his body till by the praiers of the faithfull his paines were somewhat mitigated though not remitted three yeare he continued standing with a post at his backe for his ease and foure yeares sitting at the end whereof he died Nothing weakened in his vnderstanding but professing the faith and not doubting of his saluation in Christ Iesus When he was demanded at any time how he did he answered most vsually that hee was fastened of God and that it was not in man but in Gods mercy for him to be released Iohn Peter sonne in law to Alexander that cruel keeper of Newgate being a most horrible swearer and blasphemer vsed commonly to say If it be not true I pray God I may rot ere I die and not in vaine for he rotted away indeed so died most miserably Hether we may ad a notable example of a certain yoong gallant that was a monstrous swearer who riding in the company of diuerse gentlemen began to swear and most horribly blaspheme the name of God vnto whom one of the company with gentle words said hee should one day answere for that the yonker taking snuffe thereat why said hee takest thou thought for mee Acts and monuments pag. 2105. Take thought for thy winding sheet Well quoth the other amend for death giueth no warning as soone commeth a lambes skinne to the market as an old sheepes Gods wounds said he care not thou for me raging still on this manner worse and worse till at length passing
with this iudgement he caused his wife to bring forth a child with a head like a dog that seeing hee preferred his dogs before the seruice of God he might haue one of his owne getting to make much of At Kimstat a town in France Iob. Fincel lib. 3. de mirac there liued in the yere of our Lord 1559 a certaine couetous woman who was so eager vpon the word and greedy of gaine that she would neither frequent the Church to heare the word of God her selfe nor suffer any of her family to do it but continually abode labouring and toiling about drying and pilling flax and doing other domesticall businesses neither would shee be reclaimed by her neighbors who admonished and dehorted her from such vntimely workes One Sabbath day as they were thus busily occupied fire seemed to issue among the flaxe without doing any hurt the next Sabbath day it tooke fire indeed but was quickly extinct for all this shee continued obstinate in her prophanenesse euen the third Sabbath when the flax againe taking fire could not be quenched till it had burnt her two of her children to death for though they were recouered out of the fire aliue yet the next day they all three died And that which was most to be wondred at a young infant in the cradle was taken out of the midst of the flame without any hurt Thus God vseth to exercise his iudgements vpon the contemners of his commandements Cent. 12. cap. 6. The Centuriators of Magdeburge intreating of the manners of Christians made report out of another history that a certaine husbandman in Parochia Gemilacensi grinding corne vpon the Lords day the meale began to burne Anno Dom. 1126 which though it might seeme to be a thing more casuall Ecclesiast hist. Cent. 12. ibid. yet they set it down as a iudgement of God vpō him for breaking the Sabbath As also of that which they speake in the same place of one of the kings of Denmark who when as he contrary to the admonition of the priests who desired him to defer it would needs vpō the day of Pentecost make war with his enemy died in the battell But that may be better known to vs all which is written in the 2 book of Machabes of Nicanor the Iewes enemy who would needs set vpon them on the Sabbath from which whē other the Iewes that were compelled to be with him could no way dissuade him he was slaine in the battell and most miserably but deseruedly handled euen the parts of his body shamefully dismembred as in that history you may read more at large Concil Paris lib. 1. cap. 50. Therfore in the councill at Paris euery one labouring to persuade vnto a more religious keeping of the Sabbath day when they had iustly cōplained that as many other things so also the obseruation of the Sabbath was greatly decaied through the abuse of Christian liberty in that men too much followed the delights of the world and their owne worldly pleasures both wicked and dangerous they further adde Multi nanque nostrum visu multi etiam quorundam relatu didicimus c. For many of vs haue bene eye witnesses many haue intelligence of it by the relation of others that some men vpon this day being about their husbandry haue beene stricken with thunder some haue beene maimed and made lame some haue had their bodies euen bones and all burnt in a moment with visible fire and haue consumed to ashes and many other iudgements of God haue bene and are daily whereby it is declared that God is offended with the dishonor of so high a day And our time hath not wanted examples in this kind whosoeuer hath obserued them when sometimes in the faires vpon this day the wares haue swom in the streets somtimes the scaffolds at plaies haue fallen downe to the hurting endangering of many somtime one thing somtime another haue fallen out and that which is most strange within these late yeres a whole town hath bene twise burnt for the breach of the Sabbath by the inhabitants The iust report thereof because I probably know not I passe ouer here to set downe vntill such time as I shall be better instructed Famous and memorable also is that example which happened at London in the yeere 1583 at Paris garden where vpon the Sabbath day were gathered togither as accustomably they vsed great multitudes of prophane people to behold the fport of bearbaiting without respect of the Lords day or any exercise of religiō required therin which profane impiety the Lord that he might chasten in some sort shew his dislike therof he caused the scaffolds suddenly to breake and the beholders to tumble headlong downe so that to the number of eight persons men women were slain therwith besides many others which were sore hurt bruised to the shortning of their daies Surely a friendly warning to such as more delight themselues with the cruelty of beasts vaine sports than with the works of mercy religion the fruits of a true faith which ought to be the sabbath daies exercise And thus much for the examples of the first table wherof if some seeme to exceed credit by reason of the strangenes of them yet let vs know that nothing is impossible to God and that he doth often worke miracles to controll the obstinate impietie and rebellion of mortall men against his commaundements Besides there is not one example here mentioned but it hath a credible or probable authour for the auoucher of it Let vs now out of all this that hath beene spoken gather vp this wholsome lesson to loue God with all our heart and affection to the end wee may worship him inuocate his holy name and repose all the confidence of our saluation vpon him alone through Christ Iesus seeking by pleasing and obeying his will to set forth his glorie and render him due thankes for all his benefits FINIS The second Booke CHAP. I. Of rebellious and stubborne children towards their parents WEe haue seene in the former booke what punishments they haue incurred that either malitiously or otherwise haue transgressed and broken the commandements of the first Table Now it followeth to discouer the chastisements which God hath sent vpon the transgressours of the second Table And first concerning the first commandement thereof which is Honour thy father and mother that thy daies may be prolonged in the land which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee Cham one of old Noahs sonnes Gen. 9. was guilty of the breach of this commandement who instead of perfourming that reuerence to his father which hee ought and that presently after the deluge which being yet fresh in memory might haue taught him to walke in the feare of God came so short of his duty that when he saw his nakednesse hee did not hide it but mocked and iested at it for which cause hee was cursed both of his father and of God
deed with fire seeing he deserued at the least to loose his house for banishing her out of it that had borne him in her belly and nourished him with the milke of hir paps In this place I may fitly insert two memorable examples of the same subiect Alex. ab Alex. geneal dier lib. 4. cap. 14. gathered by an author of credit fame sufficient to this effect It is not long saith he since a friend of mine a man of a great spirit and worthy to bee beleeued recounted to me a very strange accident which hee said happened to himselfe and proued his saying by the testimony of many witnesses which was this that being vpon a time at Naples at a kinsmans and familiars house of his hee heard by night the voice of a man crying in the street for aid which caused him to rise and light a candle and run out to see what the matter was being come out of the dores he perceiued a cruell and ougly shaped Deuill striuing with all his force to catch and get into his clouches a yoong man that stroue on the other side to defend himselfe for feare raised that outcrie which hee had before heard the yoong man seeing him ran to him forthwith catching fast hold by his clothes and pitifully crying to God would in no case let goe his hold vntill his cruell enemie forsooke him and being brought into the house all dismaied and beside himselfe would not let goe his hold vntill hee came to his sences againe out of that exceeding feare The cause of which assault was hee had led all his time a most wicked life and had beene a contemner of God and a rebell against his parents vsing vile railing and bitter speeches against them in such sort that in stead of blessing they had laid a curse vpon him and this is the first example Concerning the second I will also set downe the Authors owne words as followeth of all the strange things sayth he that euer I heard report of that which happened not long since at Rome is most worthy to be remembred of a certain yoong man of Gabia borne of a base and poore familie but endued with a a terrible and furious nature and addicted to a loose disordinate life This gallant picking a quarrell with his owne father in his anger reuiled him with most grosse and reprochfull tearmes In which mad fits as one wholly giuen ouer to the Deuill hee purposely departed to Rome to practise some naughtie deuise against his father but his ghostly father the Deuill met with him in the way vnder the shape of a cruell and ougly fellow with a thicke bushy beard and head hanging disorderly and clothes al rent and tottered who as they walked together enquired of him why hee was so sad He answered that there had passed some bitter speeches betwixt his father and him and now hee deuised to worke him some mischiefe The deuill by by like a crafty knaue soothed him vp and said that he also vpon the like occasion went about the same practise and desired that they might pursue both their voiage enterprise together it was soone agreed vpon betwixt them being like to like as the Prouerbe goeth Therefore being arriued at Rome and lodged at the same Inne one bed did serue them both where whilest the yoong man securely soundly slept the old malicious knaue watching his oportunity caught him by the throat to strangle him whereat the poor wretch awoke and cried for help to God so that the wicked spirit was constrained to forsake him without performing his purpose and to flie out at the chamber with such force violeÌ„ce that the house roofe crackt the tiles clattered downe abundantly The host of the house being awaked with the noise cried out to know what the matter was running into the chaÌ„ber where this noise was with a candle in his hand found the poor yoong man all alone betwixt dead and aliue of whom recouered he learnt out the whole truth as hath beene told but he after this terrible accident repented him of his wicked life and was touched with the sence of his greeuous sinne so nearely that euer after hee led a more circumspect and honest life Thus much we find written in that author Henry the fift inspired with the furies of the Pope of Rome made war vpon his father Henry the fourth Philip. Melanc lib. 4. chron vexing him with cruell often battels and not ceasing till he had spoiled him of his Empire till the bishop of Mentz had prowdly and insolently taken from him his emperiall ornaments euen in his presence but the Lord in recompence of his vnnaturall dealing made him and his army a prey vnto his enemies the Saxons and to flie before them stirring vp also the Pope of Rome to be as greeuous a scourge vnto him as he had beene before time to his father Now as the ambition of a kingdome was the cause of this mans ingratitude so in the example following pride and disdaine ruled and therefore hee is so much the more to be condemned by how much a kingdome is a stronger cord to draw men to vice then a mans own affections There was saith Manlius an old man crooked with age In collectan distressed with pouerty and almost pined with hunger that had a son rich strong fat of whom he entreated no gold or siluer or possessions but food sustenance for his belly and clothes for his back but could not obtaine it at his hands for his prowd heart exalted with prosperity thought it a shame discredit to his house to be born of so poor base a parentage therefore not only denied him reliefe but also disclaimed him from being his father chased him away with bitter and crabbed reproches The poore old man thus cruelly handled let teares fall as witnesses of his gâ—iefe and departed comfortlesse from his Tygre-minded sonne But the Lord that gathereth vp the teares of the innocent looked downe from heauen in iustice and sent a furie into the sences and vnderstanding of this monstrous sonne that as hee was void of nature and compassion so he might be void of reason and discretion for euer after Another not so cruell and disdainefull as the former yet cruell and disdainefull enough to plucke downe vengeance vpon his head Manlius in collectan would not see his father beg indeed nor yet abiure him as the other did but yet vndertaking to keep him vsed him more like a slaue then a father for what should bee too deare for him that gaue vs life Yet euery good thing was too deare for this poore father Vpon a time a daintie morsell of meat was vpon the bord to bee eaten which as soone as he came in hee conuaied away and foisted in courser vittailes in the roome But marke what his dainties turned to when the seruant went to fetch it againe hee found in steed
in murders but to come to the fact It was on this sort When Richard the vsurper had enioined Robert Brackenbury to this peece of seruice of murdering the yo â—g king Edward the fift his nephew in the tower with his brother the duke of York and saw it refused by him hee committed the charge of the murder to Sir Iames Tirrel who hasting to the tower by the kings commission receiued the keies into his own hands and by the help of those two butchers Dighton Forest smothered the two princes in their bed buried them at the staires feet which being done Sir Iames node back to king Richard who gaue him great thanks as some say made him knight for his labor All which things on euery part wel pondered it appeareth that God neuer gaue the world a notabler exaÌ„ple both of the vnconstancie of worldly weale and also of the wretched end which ensueth such despitefull crueltie for first to begin with the ministers Miles Forest rotted away peecemeale at S. Martins Sir Iames Tirrell died at the tower hill beheaded for treason king Richard himselfe as it is declared elsewhere was slaine in the field hacked and hewed of his enemies carried on horsebacke dead his haire in despight torne and tugged like a dog besides the inward torments of his guilty conscience were more then all the rest for it is most certenly reported that after this abominable deed done he neuer had quiet in his mind when hee went abroad his eie whirled about his body was priuily fenced his hand euer vpon his dagger his countenance and manner like one alwaies ready to strike his sleepe short and vnquiet full of fearefull dreames insomuch that he would often suddenly start vp and leape out of his bed and runne about the chamber his restlesse conscience was so continually tossed and tumbled with the tedious impression of that abominable murder CHAP. V. Of such as rebelled against their superiours because of subsidies and taxes imposed vpon them AS it is not lawfull for children ro rebel against their parents though they be cruell and vnnaturall so also it is as vnlawfull for subiects to withstand their princes and gouernours though they be somewhat grieuous and burdensome vnto them which wee affirme not to the end that it should be licensed to them to exercise all manner of rigour and vnmeasurable oppression vpon their subiects as shall be declared in the 35 chapter of this booke more at large but wee intreat only here of their duties which are in subiection to the power of other men whose authoritie they ought in no wise to resist vnlesse they oppose themselues against the ordinance of God Therfore this position is true by the word of God that no subiect ought by force to shake off the yoke of subiection and obedience due vnto his prince or exempt himselfe from any taxe or contribution which by publike authoritie is imposed Giue saith the Apostle tribute to whome tribute belongeth custome to whome custome pertaineth feare to whome feare is due and honour to whom honour is owing And generally in all actions wherein the commodities of this life though with some oppression and grieuance and not the religion and seruice of God nor the conscience about the same is called into question wee ought with all patience to endure whatsoeuer burden or charge is laid vpon vs without moouing any troubles or shewing any discontentments for the same for they that haue otherwise behaued themselues these examples following will shew how well they haue bene appaied for their misdemeanours In the yeere of our Lord 1304 Nich. Gil. vol. 1. after that Guy Earle of Flaunders hauing rebelled against Philip the Faire his soueraigne was by strength of armes reduced into subiection and constrained to deliuer himselfe and his two sonnes prisoners into his hands the Flemmings made an insurrection against the kings part because of a certaine taxe which he had set vpon their ships that arriued at certaine hauens and vpon this occasion great warre diuers battels and sundry ouerthrowes on each side grew but so that at last the king remained conquerour and the Flemmings for a reward of their rebellion lost in the last battell sixe and thirty thousand men that were slaine beside a great number that were taken prisoners Two yeeres after this Flemish stirre The same authour there arose a great commotion and hurlyburly of the rascall and basest sort of people at Paris because of the alteration of their coines who being not satisfied with the pillage and spoilage of their houses whome they supposed to be either causes of the said alteration or by counsell or other meanes any furtherers thereunto came in great troupes before the kings pallace at his lodging in the temple with such an hideous noise and outrage that all that day after neither the king nor any of his officers durst once stirre ouer the threshold nay they grew to that ouerflow of pride and insolencie that the victuals which were prouided for the kings diet and carried to him were by them shamefully throwed vnder feet in the durt trampled vpon in despight and disdaine But three or foure daies after this tumult was appeased many of them for their paines were hanged before their owne dores and in the citie gates to the number of eight and twenty persons In the raigne of Charles the sixt the Parisians by reason of a certaine taxe which hee minded to lay vpon them banded themselues and conspired togither against him they determined once saith Froissard to haue beaten downe Loure and Saint Vincents castle Vol. 2. cap. 120. all the houses of defence about Paris that they might not be offensiue to them But the king though young in yeeres handled them so ripely and handsomly Cap. 129. that hauing taken away from them their armour the city gates and chaines of the streets locked vp their weapons in S. Vincents castle hee dealt with them as pleased him Cap. 130. And thus their pride being quashed many of them were executed and put to death As also for the like rebellion were at Troyes Nic. Gil. vol. 2. Orlean Chalon Sens and Rhemes About the same time the Flandrians and especially the inhabitants of Gaunt wrought much trouble against Lewys the Earle of Flanders Froiss vol. 2. cap. 97. for diuers taxes and tributes which hee had laid vpoÌ„ them which they in no respect would yeeld vnto The matter came to be decided by blows much blood was shed many losses endured on both sides as a means appointed of God to chastise as well the one as the other The Gaunts being no more in number then fiue or sixe thousand men Cap. 98. ouerthrew the Earls army consisting of forty thousand and in pursuite of their victory tooke Bruges whither the Earle was gone for safety lying in a poore womans house was constrained in the habit of a begger to flie the citie And thus hee
the duke of Orleance was a vertuous and commendable action and the authour of it to be void of fault and therefore ought to be void of punishment The preface which this braue oratour vsed was That he was bounden in duty to the duke of Burgundy in regard of a goodly pension which he had receiued at his hands and for that cause he had prepared his poore tongue in token of gratitude to defend his cause Hee might better haue said thus That seeing his tongue was poore and miserable and he himselfe a senslesse creature therfore he ought not to allow or defend so obstinately such a detestable and traiterous murder committed vpon a Duke of Orleance and the same the kings brother in such vile sort and that if hee should do otherwise he should approoue of that which God and man apparantly condemned yea the very Turkes and greatest Painyms vnder heauen that he should iustify the wicked condemne the innocent which is an abomination before God should put darknes in stead of light and call that which is euill good for which the Prophet Esai in his 1 chapter denounceth the iudgemēts of God against false prophets should follow the steps of Balaam which let out his tongue to hire for the wages of iniquity but none of these supposes came once into his mind But to returne to our history The duke of Burgundy hauing the tongues of these braue doctors at his commaundement and the Parisians who bore themselues partially in this quarrel generally fauourers of his side came to Paris in armes to iustifie himselfe as he pretended and stroke such a dreadfull awe of himselfe into all mens minds that notwithstanding all the earnest pursuit of the Duchesse the widow of Orleance for iustice he escaped vnpunished vntill God by other meanes tooke vengeance vpon him which happened after a while after that those his complices of Paris being become lords and rulers of the city had committed many horrible and cruell murders as of the Constable and Chancellour two head officers of the realme whose bodies fast bound togither they drew naked through the streets from place to place in most despitefull maner for the Daulphin escaping their hands by night and safeguarded in his castle after that hee heard of the seasure of the citie found meanes to assemble certaine forces and marched to Montereaufautyon with twenty thousand men of purpose to be reuenged on the Duke for all his braue riotous demeanors hither vnder colour of parling deuising new means to pacifie these old ciuill troubles he enticed the duke being come at his very first arrtuall as he was bowing his knee in reuerence to him he caused him to be slaine And on this manner was the duke of Orleance death quitted the euill and cruelty shewed towards him returned vpon the murderers owne necke for as hee slew him treacherously cowardly so was hee also treacherously and cowardly slaine and iustly requited with the same measure that he before had measured to another Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. notwithstanding herein the Daulphin was not free from a grieuous crime of disloialtie truth breach in working his death without shame of either faith-breach or periury and that in his owne presence whom he had so often with protestation of assurance and safety requested to come vnto him Neither did hee escape vnpunished for it for after his fathers decease hee was in danger of loosing the crowne and all for this cause For Philip duke of Burgundy taking his fathers reuēge into his hands by his cunning deuises wrought meanes to displace him from the succession of the kingdome by according a marriage betwixt the king of England and his sister to whome he in fauour agreed to giue his kingdome in reuersion after his owne decease Now assoone as the king of England was seased vpon the gouernment of Fraunce the Daulphin was presently summoned to the marble table to giue answer for the death of the old duke whither when he made none appearance they presently banished him the realme and pronounced him to be vnworthy to be succeeder to the noble crowne which truly was a very grieuous chastisement and such an one as brought with it a heape of many mischiefes and discomfitures which happened in the warre betwixt England and him for the recouery of his kingdome Peter sonne to Alphonsus king of Castill Froiss lib. r. hist was a most bloodie and cruell tyrant for first hee put to death his owne wife the daughter of Peter duke of Burbone and sister to the Queene of France Next he slue the mother of his bastard brother Henry togither with many Lords and Barons of the realme for which he was hated not only of all his subiects but also of his neighbour and adioyning cuntries which hatred mooued the aforesaid Henry to aspire vnto the crowne which what with the Popes aduouch who legitimated him and the helpe of certaine French forces and the support of the nobility of Castill he soone atchieued Peter thus abandoned put his safest-guard in his heeles and fled to Bordeaux towards the Prince of Wales of whome he receiued such good entertainment that with his aid he soone reentred his lost dominions and by maine battell chased his bastard brother out of the confines thereof But being reinstalled whilst his cruelties ceased not to multiply on euery side behold Henry with a new supply out of France began to assaile him afresh and put him once againe to his shifts but all that hee could doe could not shift him out of Henries hands who pursued him so hotly that with his owne hands he soone rid him out of all troubles and afterwards peaceably enioyed the kingdome of Castill CHAP. X. Of diuers other murderers and their seuerall punishments MAximinus from a shepheard in Thracia grew to be an Emperor in Rome by these degrees his exceeding strength and swiftnes in running commended him so to Seuerus then Emperour that he made him of his guard from that hee arose to be a Tribune and at last to be an Emperour which place he was no sooner in possession of but immoderate crueltie all this while buried began to shew it selfe for he made hauocke of all the nobilitie and put to death those that hee suspected to be acquainted with his estate insomuch as some called him Cyclops some Busiris others Anteus for his cruelty Wherfore the Senat of Rome seeing his indignity proclaimed him an enemy to their commonwealth and made it lawfull for any man to procure his death which being knowen his souldiers lying at the siege of Aquileia mooued with hatred entred his tent at noone day and slew him and his sonne togither Iustinian the younger no lesse hatefull to his subiects for his cruelty than Maximinus was deposed from the Empire by conspiracie and hauing his nosthrils slit exiled to Chersona Leontius succeeding in his place Howbeit ere long hee recouered his crowne and scepter and returned to
and being demanded what he ailed he halfe asleep answered That his friend Ausanius and his wife whome hee had slaine long agoe summoned him to Iudgement before God vpon which confession he was apprehended and after due examination stoned to death Thus though all witnesses faile yet a murderers owne conscience will bewray him Pipin and Martellus his sonne kings of France enuying prosperity and ease Casp hed lib. 6. cap. 17. fell into diuers monstrous sinnes as to forsake their wiues and follow whores which filthinesse when the Bishop of Tungria reprooued Dodo the harlots brother murdered him for his labour but he was presently taken with the vengeance of God euen a lousie and most filthie disease with the griefe and stinke whereof being mooued he threw himselfe into the riuer Mosa and there was drowned How manifest and euident was the vengeance of God vpon the murderers of Theodoricke hishop of Treuerse Martian Scotus Conrade the author of it died suddenly the souldier that helped to throw him downe from the rocke Hermanus contractus was choaked as he was at supper two other seruants that laid too their hands to this murder slew themselues most desperately About the yeere of our Lord 700 Geilian the wife of Gosbert prince of Wurtiburg Casp Hed. lib. 6. cap. 10. being reprooued by Kilianus for incest for she married her husbands brother wrought such meanes that both hee and his brethren were depriued of their liues but the Lord gaue her vp to Satan in vengeance so that she was presently possessed with him and so continued till her dying day A certaine woman of Millaine in Italy hung a young boy and after deuoured him instead of meat when as she wanted none other victuals and when shee was examined about the crime shee confessed that a spirit persuaded her to doe it telling her that after it she should attaine vnto whatsoeuer she desired for which murder shee was tormented to death by a lingring and grieuous punishment This Arlunus reporteth to haue happened in his time And surely howsoeuer openly the deuill sheweth not himselfe yet hee is the moouer and persuader of all murders and commonly the detector For hee delighteth in mens bloods and their destruction as in nothing more At Winsheime in Germanie a certaine theefe after many â—obberies murders committed by him vpon trauailers and women with child went to the shambles before Easter and bought three calues heads which when he put into a wallet they seemed to the standers by to be mens heads Theat histor Though strange yet not incredible since God can as well turne calues heads into mens as a rod into a serpent or water into blood Whereof being attached searched by the officers and found so indeed hee being examined how hee came by them answered and proued by witnesses that he bought calues heads how they were transformed hee knew not Whereat the Senat amazed not supposing this miracle to arise of naught cast the partie into prison and tortured him to confesse the villany whereof the Lord would haue him detected as hee did indeed and was worthely punished for the same and then the heads recouered their old shapes Another theefe at Tubing betraied his murder robbery by his own sighes 8. Mandat lib. 2 cap. 35. which were so incessant in griefe not of his fact but of his small bootie that being but asked the question he confessed the crime and vnderwent worthy punishment Another murderer in Spaine was discouered by the trembling of his heart for when many were suspected of the murder and all renounced it the iudge caused all their breasts to bee opened and him in whom he saw most trembling of breast hee condemned who also could not deny the fact but presently confessed the same At Isenacum a certaine young man being in loue with a maid not hauing wherewith to maintain her vsed this vnlawfull means he vpon a night slew his host 8. Mandat lib. 2. cap. 35. throwing his body into the seller tooke away all his money and then hasted away but the terror of his owne conscience and the iudgement of God so besotted him that he could not stirre a foot vntill he was appreheÌ„ded At the same time Martin Luther Philip Melancton abode at Isenacum were eie witnesses of this miraculous iudgement who also dealt with the murderer that in most humble and penitent confession of his sins comfort of soule he ended his life By all these exaÌ„ples we see how hard it is for a murderer to escape without his reward Nay rather then he shal go vnpunished sencelesse creatures and his owne soule riseth to giue sentence against him In the yeare of our Lord 1546 Iohn Diazius a Spaniard by birth liuing a student and professor in Paris came first to Geneua and then to Strasbrough and there by the grace of Gods spirit saw his Sorbonicall errors and renounced them betaking himselfe to the profession of the purer religion and the company and acquaintance of godly men amongst whome was Bucer that excellent man who sent him also to Nurnburge to ouersee the printing of a booke which he was to publish Sleid. lib. 17. Whilst Diazius liued at this Nurnburge a citie scituate vpon the riuer Dimow his brother a lawier and iudge lateriall to the inquisition by name Alphonsus came thither and by all meanes possible endeuoured to dissuade him from his religon and to reduce him againe to Poperie But the good man persisted in the truth notwithstanding all his persuasions and threats wherfore the subtile foxe tooke another course and faining himselfe to bee conuerted also to his religion exhorted him to goe with him into Italy where he might doe much good or at the least to August but by the counsaile of Bucer and his friends hee was kept backe otherwise willing to follow his brother Wherefore Alphonsus departed exhorteth him to constancy perseuerance giuing him also foureteeene crownes to defray his charges Now the Wolfe had not ben three daies absent when he hired a rakehell and common butcher and with him flew again to Nurnburge in post hast and comming to his brothers lodging deliuered him a letter which whilest he read the villain his confederate cleft his head in peeces with an axe leauing him dead vpon the floore and so fled with all expedition Howeit they were apprehended yet quit by the Popes iustice so holy and sacred are the fruits of his holinesse though not by the iustice of God for within a while after hee hung himselfe vpon his mules necke at Trent Duke Abrogastes slew Valentinian the Emperour of the West and aduanced Eugenius to the crowne of the Empire but a while after the same sword which had slaine his Lord and maister was by his owne hands turned into his own bowels Mempricius the sonne of Madan the fourth king of England then called Britaine after Brute Lanquet chron had a brother called Manlius
Austria Greg. of Tours lib 2. who being tickled with an vnsatiable lust of raigne through the deceiuable persuasions of Cleodouius king of Fraunce slew his father Sigebert as he lay asleepe in his tent in a forrest at noone time of the day who being weary with walking laid himselfe downe there to take his rest but for all that the wicked wretch was so farre from attaining his purpose that it fell out cleane contrarie to his expectation for after his fathers death as hee was vewing his treasures and ransacking his coffers one of Cleodouius factors stroke him sodainly and murdered him so Cleodouius seased both vpon the crowne and treasures After the death of Hircanus Ioseph antiq Aristobulus succeeded in the gouernmēt of Iudea which whilest he stroue to reduce into a kingdome to weare a crown contrary to the custome of his predecessors his mother other brethren contending with him about the same he cast in prison and took Antigonus his next brother to be his associate but ere long a good gratefull son he famished her to death with hunger that had fed him to life with her teates euen his naturall mother And after persuaded with false accusations caused his late best beloued Antigonus to be slain by an ambush that lay by Stratos tower because in the time of his sicknesse hee entered the temple with pompe but the Lord called for quittance for the two bloosheads immediatly after the execution of them for his brothers blood was scarse washed of the ground ere in the extremity of his sicknesse he was carried into the same place there vomiting vp bloud at his mouth nosthrils to be mingled with his brothers he fell down starke dead not without horrible tokens of trembling and despaire Nero that vnnaturall Tyrant surpassed all that liued Corn. Tacit. lib. 14. as in all other vices so in this for hee attempted thrise by poyson to make away his mother Agrippina and when that could not preuaile by reason of her vsuall Antidots and preseruatiues hee assaied diuerse other meanes as first a deuise whereby shee should bee crushed to death as she slept Sueton. cap. 33. a loosened beame that should fall vpon her and secondly by shipwracke both which when shee escaped the one by discouery and the other by swimming hee sent Anicetus the Centurion to slaughter hir with the sword who with his companions breaking vp the gate of the city where shee lay rushed into her chamber and there murdered her It is written of her that when shee saw there was no remedy but death shee presented her belly vnto the murderer and desired him to kill her in that part which had most deserued it by bringing into the world so vile a monster and of himt hat he came to veiw the dead carcasse of his mother and handled the members thereof commending this and discommending that as his fancy led him in the mean time being thirstie to call for drinke so far was hee from all humanitie and touch of nature but he that spared not to embrew his handes in her blood that bred him was constrained ere long to offer violence vnto his own life which was most dear vnto him Munst Cosmog lib. 3. Henry the son of Nicolotus duke of Herulia had two wicked cruell and vnkind sons by the yonger of whom with the consent of the elder he was traiterously murdered because he had married a third wise for which cause Nicolotus their cousin Germane pursued them both with a iust reuenge for he depriued them of their kingdome and droue them into exile where they soone after perished Phil. Melanct. chron lib. 5. Munst Cosmog lib. 4. Selimus the tenth Emperour of the Turks was so vnnaturall a child that he feared not to dispossesse his father Baiaset of the crowne by treason and next to bereaue him of his life by poyson And not fatisfied therewith euen to murder his two brethren and to destroy the whole stocke of his own bloud But when hee had raigned eight yeares vengeance found him out and being at his backe so corrupted and putrified his reines that the contagion spread it selfe ouer all his bodie so that hee died a beast-like and irkesome death and that in the same place where hee had before oppressed his father Baiaset with an army to wit at Chiurle a citty of Thracia in the yeare of our Lord 1520 the month of September Casp Hedian lib. 6. cap. 29. Charles the younger by surname called Crassus sonne to Lodouick the third was possessed and tormented with a Deuill in the presence of his father and the peeres of the realme which hee openly confessed to haue iustly happened vnto him because hee had pretended in his mind to haue 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 cruel sonne longing and gaping after the inheritance of his father which nothing but his life kept him from wrought this meanes to accomplish his desire he accused his father of a most filthy and vnnameable crime euen of committing filthinesse with a cow knowing that if he were conuicted thereof Theat hist the law would cut off his life and herein he wrought a double villany in going about not onely to take away his life which by the law of nature he ought to haue preserued but also his good name without respecting that the staine of a father redoundeth to his posteritie Mandat 8. Calumniatiō lib. 2. cap. and that children commonly doe not only inherit the possessions but also imitate the conditions of their parents but all these supposes laid aside togither with all feare of God he indicted him before the magistrate of incest that vpon his owne knowledge insomuch that they brought the poore innocent man to the racke to the end to make him confesse the crime which albeit amidst his tortures he did assoone as he was out he denied againe howbeit his extorted confession stood for euidence and he was condemned to be burned with fire as was speedily executed and constantly endured by him exclaiming still vpon the false accusation of his sonne and his owne vnspotted innocencie as by the issue that followed most clearely appeared for his sonne not long after fell into a reprobate mind and hanged himselfe and the iudge 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 reuenge his death and also to quit his reputation and innocency from ignominy and discredit in this world Manfred prince of Tarentum Phil Melanct. Chron. lib. 4. No better fruit to be expected of an◠bastard im◠bastard sonne to Fredericke the second smothered his father to death with a pillow because as some say he would not bestow the kingdom of Naples vpon him not content
herewith he poisoned also the heires of Fredericke to the end hee might attaine vnto the crowne as Conrade his elder brother and his nephew the sonne of Henry the heire which Henry died in prison now only Conradinus remained betwixt him and the kingdome whome though he assailed 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 warre against him wherein bastard and vnnaturall Manfred was discomfited and slaine and cut short of his purpose for which he had committed so many tragedies Luther Martin Luther was wont to report of his owne experience this wonderfull history of a locksmith a young man riotous and vicious who to find fuell for his luxury was so bewitched that he feared not to slay his owne father and mother with a hammer to the end to gaine their mony and possessions after which cruell deed he presently went to a shomaker and bought him new shoes leauing his old behind him by the prouidence of God to be his accusers for after an houre or two the slaine bodies being found by the magistrate and inquisition made for the murderer no manner of suspition being had of him hee seeming to take such griefe thereat But the Lord that knoweth the secrets of the heart discouered his hypocrisie and made his owne shoes which he had left with the shoemaker rise vp to beare witnesse against him for the blood which ran from his fathers wounds besprinkled them so that thereof grew the suspition from thence the examination very soone the confession last of all his worthy lawfull execution From hence wee may learne for a generall truth that murder neuer so secret will euer by one means or other be discouered the Lord will not suffer it to goe vnpunished so abominable it is in his sight Another sonne at Bosil in the yere of our Lord God 1560 bought a quantitie of poison of an Apothecary Casp Hed. 4. part chron ministred it to none but to his owne father accounting him worthiest of so great a benefit which when it had effected his wish vpon him the crime being detected in stead of possessing his goods which he aimed at hee 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 then in the ascent the loue that parents beare their children is greater then that which children redound to their parents because the child proceedeth from the father and not the father from the child as part of his fathers essence and not the father of his Can a man then hate his owne 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 a high degree so it is alwaies punished by some notable and high iudgement 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 Iewes write was of a great stature and hollow within hauing seuen chambers in his hollownesse whereof one was to receiue meate another turtle doues the third a sheepe the fourth a ram the fift a calfe the sixt an oxe and the seuenth a child his hands were alwaies extended to receiue gifts and when a child was offered they were made fire hot to burne it to death none must offer the child but the father to drowne the cries of it the Chemarims for so were the priests of that idoll called made a noise with bels cymbals and hornes thus it is written that king Achab offered his son yea many of the children of Israel beside as the Prophet Dauid affirmeth They offered saith he their sonnes and daughters to deuils shed innocent blod Psal 106 37 38. euen the blood of their children whom they offered vnto the idols of Canaan and their land was defiled with blood this is the horrible crime Now mark the iudgemēt touching the Canaanites the land spued them out for their abominations Achab with his posterity was accursed himselfe being slaine by his enemies and the crowne taken from his posterity not one being left of his off-spring to pisse against the wal according to the saying of Elias as for the Iewes the Prophet Dauid in the same place declareth their punishment when he saith That the wrath of the Lord was kindled Vers 40. and he abhorred his inheritance and gaue them into the hands of the heathen that they that hated them were lords ouer them In the yeere of our Lord 1551 in a towne of Hassia called Weidenhasten Iob. Fincel llb. 1. de mirac the 20 day of Nouember a cruell mother inspired with Satan shut vp all her dores and began to murder her foure children on this manner shee snatcht vp a sharpe axe and first set vpon her eldest sonne being but eight yeeres old searching him out with a candle behind a hogs-head where he hid himselfe and presently notwithstanding his pitifull praiers and complaints claue his head in two peeces and chopped off both his armes next shee killed her daughter of fiue yeeres old after the same manner another little boy of three yeeres of age seeing his mothers madnes hid himselfe poore infant behind the gate whome assoone as the tygre espied she drew out by the haire of the head into the floore and there cut off his head the youngest lay crying in the cradle but halfe a yeere old him shee without all compassion pluckt out and murdered in like sort These murders being finished the deuill incarnate for certen no womanly nature was left in her to take punishment of her selfe for the same cut her owne throat and albeit shee suruiued nine daies and confessing her fault died with teares and repenrance yet we see how it pleased God to arme her own hands against her selfe as the fittest executioners of his vengeance Theatr. hist The like tragicall accident we read to haue happened at Cutzenborff a city in Silesia in the yeere 1536 to a woman and her three children who hauing slaine them all in her husbands absence killed her selfe in like maner also to make vp the tragedie Concerning stepmothers it is a world to read how many horrible murders they haue vsually practised vpō their children in law to the end to bring the inheritance to their owne brood or at least to reuenge some iniury supposed to be done vnto them of which one or two examples I will subnect as a tast out of many hundred leauing the residue to the iudgement and reading of the learned Constantius the sonne of
a brasen bull of such a strange workmanship that the voice of those that were rosted therein resembled rather the roaring of a bull then the cry of men the tyrant was well pleased with the inuention but hee would needs haue the inuentour make first triall of his owne worke as hee well deserued before any other should take tast thereof But what was the end of this tyrant Cic. Off. 2. The people not able any longer to endure his monstrous and vnnaturall cruelties ranne vpon him with one consent with such violence that they soone brought him to destruction and as some say put him into the brasen bull which he prouided to rost others to be rosted therein himselfe deseruing it as well for approouing the deuise as Perillus did for deuising it Edward the second of that name king of England at the request and desire of Hugh Spencer his darling Enguerr de Monstr vol. 1. made war vpon his subiects and put to death diuers of the peeres lords of the realme without either right or forme of lawe insomuch that Queene Isabell his wife fled to Fraunce with her young sonne for feare of his vnbridled fury and after a while finding oportunity and meanes to returne againe guarded with certaine small forces which shee had in those countries gathered together she found the whole people discontented with the kings demeanors and ready to assist hir against him so she besieged him with their succor and took him prisoner and put him into the tower of London to bee kept till order might be taken for his deposition so that shortly after by the estates being assembled togither he was generally iointly reputed pronounced vnworthy to be king for his exceding cruelties sake which he had cōmitted vpon many of his worthy subiects and so deposing him they crowned his young son Edward the third of his name king in his roome he yet liuing and beholding the same Iohn Maria duke of Millan may be put into this rancke of murderers Paulus Iouius for his custome was diuerse times when any citizen offended him yea and sometimes without offence too to throw them amongst cruell mastiues to be torn in peeces and deuoured But as hee continued delighted this vnnaturall kind of murder the people one day incensed stirred vp against him ran vpon him with such rage and violence that they quickly depriued him of life And he was so wel beloued that no man either would or durst bestow a sepulchre vpon his dead bones but suffered his body to lie in the open street vncouered saue that a certain harlot threw a few roses vpon his wounds and so couered him Alphonsus the second king of Naples Ferdinands son was in Tyranny towards his subiects nothing inferiour to his father Sabel Guicciard lib. 1. Philip de Com. Bemb histor Vent lib. 2. for whether of them imprisoned put to death more of the nobility Barons of the realme it is hard to say but sure it is that both were too outragious in all manner of cruelty for which as soone as Charles the eight king of France departing from Rome made towards Naples the hatred which the people bore him secretly with the odious remembrance of his fathers cruelty began openly to shew it selfe by the fruits for they did not nor could not dissemble the great desire that euery one had of the approch of the Frenchmen which when Alphonsus perceiued and seeing his affaires and estate brought vnto so narrow a pinch hee also cowardly cast away all courage to resist and hope to recouer so hug a tempest and hee that for a long time had made war◠his trade and profession and had yet all his forces and armies complete in readinesse making himselfe banquerout of all that honour and reputation which by long experience and deeds of armes hee had gotten resolued to abandon his kingdome and to resigne the title and authoritie thereof to his son Ferdinand thinking by that meanes to assuage the heat of their hatred and that so yoong and innocent a king who in his owne person had neuer offended them might bee accepted and beloued of them and so their affection toward the French rebated and cooled But this deuise seemed to no more purpose then a salue applied to a sore out of season whē it was growne incurable or a prop set to a house that is alreadie falne Therefore hee tormented with the sting of his owne conscience and finding in his mind no repose by day nor rest by night but a continuall Summns and aduertisement by fearefull dreames that the Noblemen which hee had put to death cried to the people for reuenge against him was surprised with so terrible terrour that foorthwith without making acquainted with his departure either his brother or his owne sonne hee fled to Sicily supposing in his iourney that the Frenchmen were still at his backe and starting at euerie little noise as if hee feared all the elements had conspired his destruction Philip Comineus that was an eie witnesse of this iourney reporteth that euerie night hee would crie that hee heard the Frenchmen and that the verie trees and stones ecchoed Fraunce into his eares And on this manner was his flight to Sicily King Charles in the meane while hauing by force and bloodshed to terrifie the rest taken two passages that were before him the whole realme without any great resistance yeelded it selfe vnto his mercie albeit that the young king had done what hee could to withstand him But at length seeing the Neapolitanes ready to rebel and himselfe in danger to be taken prisoner he fled from the castell of Naples and with a small company got certaine brigandines wherein hee sailed to the Island Ischia thirty miles from Naples saying at his departure this verse out of the Psalmes How vaine are the watchmen and guards of that city which is not guarded and watched by the Lord which he oftentimes repeated and so long as Naples was in his view And thus was crueltie punished both in Ferdinand the father and Alphonse the son Artaxerxes Ochus the eight king of the Persians began his raign with thus many murders Herodos he slew two of his owne brethren first secondly Euageras king of Ciprus his partner and associate in the kingdome thirdly he tooke Gidon traiterously was the cause of forty thousand mens deaths that were slain burned therin beside many other priuate murders outrages which he cōmitted for which cause the Lord in his iustice rained down vengeance vpon his head for Bagoas one of his princes ministred such a fatal cup to his stomack that it mortified his sences depriued him of his vnmercifull soule and life not only vpon his head but vpon his kingdome his son Arsame also for he was also poisoned by the same Bagoas his kingdome translated to Darius prince of Armenia whome when the same Bagoas went about to make tast of the
and consent of parties is committed bee condemned how much more greeuous and hainous is the offence and more guiltie the offendour when with violence the chastity of any is assailed and enforced This was the sinne wherwith Sichem the sonne of Hemor the Leuit is marked in holy scripture for hee rauished Dina Iaacobs daughter Gen. for which cause Simeon and Lui her brethren reuenged the iniury done done vnto their sister vpon the head of not onely him and his father but all the males that were in the citie by putting them to the sword It was a custome among the Spartanes Messenians during the time of peace betwixt them to send yearely to one another certaine of their daughters to celebrate certaine feasts and sacrifices that were amongst them now in continuance of time it chanced that fiftie of the Lacedemonian Virgines being come to those solemne feasts were pursued by the Messenian gallants to haue their pleasures of theÌ„ but they iointly making resistance and fighting for their honesties stroue so long not one yeelding themselues a prey into their hands till they all died wherevpon arose so long miserable a warre that all the countrie of Messena was destroied thereby Aristoclides a Tyrant of Orchomenus a city of Arcadia fell enamoured with a maid of Stymphalis who seeing her father by him slaine because hee seemed to stand in his puâ—poses light fled to the Temple of Diana to take Sanctuarie neither could once bee pluckt from the image of the goddesse vntill her life was taken from her but hir death so incensed the Arcadians that they fell to armes sharpely reuenged her cruell iniury Appius a Romane a man of power and authoritie in the city â—â—us Liuius enflamed with the loue of a Virgin whose father hight Virginius would needs make her his seruant to the end to abuse her the more freely whilst he endeuoured with all his power and pollicie to accomplish his immoderate lust her father slew her with his own hands more willing to prostitute her to death than to so foule an opprobrie and disgrace but euery man prouoked and stirred vp with the wofulnesse of the euent with one consent pursued apprehended and imprisoned the foule lecher who fearing the award of a most shamefull death killed himselfe to preuent a further mischiefe In the yeare of our Lord 1271 vnder the raign of the Emperour Rodolphe Nic. Gil. vol. 1. the Sicilians netled and enraged with the horrible whoredomes adulteries Rapes which the Garrisons that had the gouernment ouer them committed not able to endure any longer their insolent outragious demeanor entred a secret coÌ„mon conspiracy vpon a time appointed for the purpose which was on Easter sunday at the shutting in of the euening to set vpon them with one accord and to murder so many as they could as they did for at that instant they massacred so many throughout the whole island that of all the great multitude there suruiued not one to beare tidings or bewaile the dead At Naples it chaunced in the Kings pallace Bâ—mb lib. 3. hist Venet. as young King Fredericke Ferdinands sonne entered the priuie chamber of the Queene his mother to salute her and the other Ladies of the court that the Prince of Bissenio waighting in the outward chamber for his returne was slaine by one of his owne seruants that suddainely gaue him with his sword three deadly strokes in the presence of many beholders which deed hee confessed that hee had watched three yeares to performe in regard of an iniurie done vnto his sister and in her to him Benzoni Milan of the new found land whome hee rauished against her will The Spaniards that first tooke the Isle Hispaniola were for their whoredomes and Rapes whhich they committed vpon the wiues and Virgins all murdered by the inhabitants The inhabitants of the Prouince Cumana when they saw the beastly outrage of the Spanish nation The same author that lay along their coasts to fish for pearle in forcing and rauishing without difference their women young and old set vpon them vpon a Sunday morning with all their force and slew all that euer they found by the sea coasts Westward till there remained not one aliue And the fury of the rude vnciuill people was so great that they spared not the Monkes in their cloisters but cut their throates as they were mumbling their Masses burnt vp the Spanish houses both religious and priuate burst in peeces their belles drew about their Images hurld downe their crucifixes and cast them in disgrace and contempt ouerthwart their streetes to bee trodden vpon nay they destroyed whatsoeuer belonged vnto them to their very dogges and hennes and their owne Countriemen that serued them in any seruice whether religious or other they spared not they beate the earth and cursed it with bitter curses because it had vpholden such wicked and wretched caitifes Now the report of this massacre was so fearefull and terrible that the Spaniards which were in Cubagna doubted much of their liues also and truly not without great cause for if the Indians of the Continent had beene furnished and prouided with sufficient store of barkes they had passed euen into that Island and had serued them with the same sauce which their fellows were serued with for they wanted not will but hability to doe it And these are the goodly fruits of their adulteries and Rapes which the Spanish nation hath reaped in their new found land The great calamity and ouerthrow which the Lacedemonians endured at Leuctria wherein their chiefest strength and powers were weakened and consumed was a manifest punishment of their inordinate lust committed vpon two Virgines â—i Mel. lib. 2. whome after they had rauished in that very place they cut in peeces and threw them into a pit and when their father came to complaine him of the villanie they made so light account of his words that in stead of redresse he found nothing but reproch and derision so that with griefe hee slew himselfe vpon his daughters sepulchre but how greeuously the Lord reuenged this iniurie hystories doe sufficiently testifie and that Leuctrias calamitie doth beare witnesse Pausan lib. 2. Brias a Grecian captaine being receiued into a Citizens house as a guest forced his wife by violence to his lust but when he was asleepe to reuenge her wrong she put out both his eies and afterward complained to the citizens also who depriued him of his office and cast him out of their city Macrinus the Emperour punished two souldiours that rauished their hostesse on this manner hee shut them vp in an oxes bowels with their heads out and so partly with famishment and partly with wormes and rottennesse they consumed to death Iohan magnus Rodericus king of the Gothes in Spaine forced an Earles daughter to his lust for which cause her father brought against him an army of Sarasens and Moores and not onely slew him
Elerius Plinie lib. 7. two Romane knights that died in the very action of filthinesse Theodebert the eldest sonne of Clotharius Mich. Rit Neap. died amidst his whores to whom he was though married too too much addicted The like befell one Bertrane Ferrier Lib. de obedi at Barselon in Spaine according to the report of Pontanus In like manner there was one Giachet Geneue of Saluces Fulgos lib. 9. cap. 12. a man that had both wife and children of his owne of good yeares well learned and of good esteeme amongst his neighbor citizens that secretly haunted the company of a yong woman with whō being coupled one euening in his studie he sodainly died his wife and children seeing his long tarriance when time required to goe to bed called him and knockt at his dore very hard but when no answere was made they broke open the dores that were locked on the inner side and found him to their great griefe and dismay lying vpon the woman starke dead and her dead also Claudius of Asses counsellour of the Parliament of Paris a man very euill affected towards the professors of the Gospell committed villanie with one of his waighting maids in the very middest whereof hee was taken with an apoplexie which immediately after made an end of him CHAP. XXI Shewing that Stues ought not to be suffered amongst Christians BY this which hath beene spoken it appeareth manifestly how infamous a thing it is among Christians to priuiledge and allow publike places for adulteries albeit it is a common thing in the greatest cities of Europe yea and in the very bowels of Christendome where no such villanie should be tollerated There is nothing that can cast any coulor of excuse vpon it seeing it is expressely contrarie to Gods edict in many places as first Thou shalt not commit Adulterie And in the 19 of Leuit. 29. Thou shalt not pollute thy daughter in prostituting her to be a whore least the land bee defiled with whoredome and filled with wickednesse And in Deut. 23.17 Let there bee no whore of the daughters of Israell neither a whorekeeper of the sonnes of Israel this is the decree of God and the rule which hee hath giuen vs to square our affections by and it admitteth no dispensation But some doe obiect that those things are tollerated to auoid greater mischiefes as though the Lord were not well aduised when he gaue forth those commandements or that mortall men had more discretion than the immortall God This truly is nothing els but to reiect and disanull that which Saint Paul requireth as a duty of al Christians Ephes 5. namely That fornication and all vncleannesse should not once be named amongst vs neither filthinesse foolish talking or ieasting which are things not comely for so much as no whoremonger nor vncleane person can haue any inheritance in the kingdome of God Dial 3. Plato the Philosopher though a Panym and ignorant of the knowledge of the true God forbad expressely in his Commonwealth Poets and Painters to represent or set to the view any vncleane and lasciuious counterfeit whereby good manners might bee any waies depraued Lib. 7. cap. 7. Aristotle following his maisters steps ordained in his Politiques That all filthie communication should bee banished out of his city How farre were they then from giuing leaue and libertie for filthie and stinking brothel-houses to bee erected and maintained In this therefore the very Heathen are a shame and reproch to those that call themselues Christians and Catholiques Besides the goodly reason which they alledge for their vpholding of their stewes is so farre from the truth that the contrarie is euer truer namely that by their odious and dishonest libertie more euill ariseth to the world than otherwise would in so much as it setteth open a wide dore to al dissolutenesse and whoredomes an occasion of lecherie and vncleannesse euen to those that otherwise would abstaine from all such filthie actions How many young folke are there aswell men as women that by this means giue themselues ouer to loosenesse and vndoe themselues vtterly how many murthers are haue beene and still will bee committed thereby What a disorder confusion and ignomie of nature is it for a father to lie with her with whom his son had been but a little before Or the sonne to come after the father and such like but by the iust iudgement of God it commeth to passe that that which is thought to be enclosed within the precincts of certaine appointed places spreadeth it selfe at large so farre that oftentimes whole streetes and cities are poysoned yea euen their houses who in regard of their place either in the law or pollicie ought to stop the streame of such vices nay which is more meruaile they that with open mouth vaunt themselues to bee Gods Leiutenants on earth Christs vicars and successors to his Apostles are so filthie and abhominable as to suffer publicke bauds and whores to be vnder their noses vncontrouled and which is more to enrich their treasures by their traffique Cornelius Agrippa saith that of all the hee-bauds of his time Pope Sextus was most infamous for hee builded a most glorious and stately Stues if any state or glorie can abide in so bad a place aswell for common Adulterie as vnnaturall Sodomy to bee exercised in Hee vsed as Heliogabalus was wont to doe to maintain heards of whores with whom he participated his friends and seruants as they stood in need and by Adulteries reared yearely great reuenues into his purse Baleus sayth that at this day euery whore in Rome paies tribute to the Pope a Iulle which amounted then to twentie thousand dukats by the yeare at least but now the number is so encreased that it ariseth to fortie thousand I thinke there is none ignorant how Pope Paule the third had by computation fiue and fortie thousand whores and courtizans that paid him a monthly tribute for their whoredomes and thus also this holy father was a protector and vpholder of the Stues and deserued by his villanous behauiour for hee was one of the lewdest Adulterers of that time to beare the name of the maister and erector of these filthie places And herein both hee and the rest of that crue haue shewed themselues enemies to God and true Antichrists indeed and haue not onely imitated but farre surpassed shamelesse and wicked Caligula in all filthie and monstrous dealings Deut. 23. Thou shalt not saith Moses bring the hire of a whore into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow by what title then can these honest men exact so great a rent from their whorish tenants seeing it is by the law of God a thing so abhominable truly it can no otherwise bee but a kind of art of bauderie as may bee gathered out of the law which is in F. de ritu nuptius L. palam Qui habet mancipia c. the meaning whereof is That hee which for gaine
had vnto them both to the end to auoid those mischiefes and enormities which oftentimes happen when either by an ouer hardy foolish and rash presumption a man would nestle himselfe in an higher nest than his estate and calling requireth or by a sensuall and fleshly lust passing the bounds of reason goeth about to constraine and interrupt the law of nature The chiefest thing that is required in marriage is the consent of parties as well of themselues that are to be ioyned togither as of each of their parents the contrary whereof is constraint where either partie is forced Iudg. 21. as it happened to those two hundred maides which the Beniamites tooke by force and violence to be their wiues This was a reproch to Romulus the first king of Rome when hee rauished the Sabine virgins that came to see their sports which was cause of great warre betwixt them Moreouer besides the mutuall ioynt of loue which ought to be betwixt man and wife it is necessary that they that marrie doe marry in the Lord to serue him in greater puritie and with lesse disturbance which can not be if a Christian marrie an infidell for the great difficulties and hinderances that vsually spring from such a roote Exod. 34 16 Deut. 7 3. Therefore it was straightly forbidden the people of God to contract mariages with Idolatours yea and the holy Patriarchs before any such law was giuen had carefully great regard in the marriages of their childrē to this thing as the example of Abraham doth sufficiently declare Therefore they that haue any manner of gouernment and authority ouer vnmarried folkes whether they be fathers mothers kinsmen or tutours ought to haue especiall care and regard thereof Yea Christian princes and lords or rulers of commonwealths should not in this respect be so supine and negligent in the performance of their offices as once to permit and suffer this amongst them which is so directly contrary to the word of God but rather by especiall charge forbid it to the end that both their lawes might be conformable and in euery respect agreeable to the holy ordinances of God and that the way might be stopped to those mischiefes which were likely to arise from such euill concluded marriages For what reason is it that a yong maide baptized and brought vp in the Church of Christ should bee giuen in marriage to a worshipper of images and idols and sent to such a countrey where the worship of God is not so much as once thought vpon Is not this to plucke a soule out of the house of God and thrust it into the house of the deuill out of heauen into hell than which what greater Apostasie or falling from God can there be whereof all they are guilty that either make vp such marriages or giue their good will and consent to them or doe not hinder the cause and proceedings of them if any manner of way they can Now that this confusion and mixture of religion in marriages is vnpleasant and noisome to God it manifestly appeareth by the sixt chapter of Genesis where it is said That because the sonnes of God to wit those whome God had separated for himselfe from the beginning of the world to be his peculiar ones were so euill aduised as to be allured with the beauties of the daughters of men to wit of those which were not chosen of God to be his people and to marry with them corrupting themselues by this contagious acquaintance of prophane people with whome they should haue had nothing to doe that therefore God was incensed against them and resolued simply to reuenge the wickednes of ech party without respect Beside the monstrous fruits of those prophane marriages doe sufficiently declare their odiousnes in Gods sight for from them arose gyants of strength and stature exceeding the proportion of men who by their hugenes did much wrong and violence in the world and gained fearefull terrible names to themselues but God prouoked by their oppressions drowned their tyrannies in the flood and made an end of the world for their sakes In the time of the Iudges in Israel the Israelites were chastised by the hand of God for this same fault for they tooke to wiues the daughters of the vncircumcised and gaue them their daughters also Iudg. 3. In like sort framed they themselues by this means to their corrupt manners and superstitions and to the seruice of their idolatrous Gods But the Lord of heauen rained downe anger vpon their heads and made them subiect to a stranger the king of Mesopotamia whome they serued the space of eight yeeres 1. King 11. Looke what happened to king Salomon for giuing his heart to strange women that were not of the houshold of Gods people Hee that before was replenished with such admirable wisdome that he was the wonder of the world was in his old age depriued thereof and besotted with a kind of dulnes of vnderstanding and led aside from the true knowledge of God to serue idols and to build them altars and chappels for their worship and all this to please forsooth his wiues humours whose acquaintance was the chiefe cause of his misery and apostasie CHAP. XXIIII Touching Incestuous marriages NOw as it is vnlawfull to contract marriages with parties of contrary religion so it is as vnlawfull to marry those that are neare vnto vs by any degree of kindred or affinitie as it is inhibited not only by the law of God but also by ciuill and politique constitutions whereunto all nations haue euer by the sole instinct of nature agreed and accorded except the Aegyptians and Persians whose abominations were so great as to take their owne sisters and mothers to be their wiues Cambyses king of Media and Persia married his owne sister but it was not long ere he put her to death a iust proofe of an vniust and accursed marriage Many others there were in protract of time that in their insatiable lustes shewed themselues no lesse vnstaied and vnbridled in their lawlesse affections than hee One of which was Antiochus king of Iuda sonne of Herodes sirnamed Great Ioseph antiq lib. 17. cap. 15. who blushed not to marrie his sister the late wife of his deceased brother Alexander by whome shee had borne two children but for this and diuers other hi◠good deeds hee lost not only his goods which were confiscated but was himselfe also banished out of his countrey into a forraine place from Iudea to Vienna in France Herode also the Tetrarch was so impudent and shamelesse The same lib. 18. cap. 9. that hee tooke from his brother Philip his wife Herodias and espoused her vnto himselfe which shamelesse and incestuous deed Iohn Baptist reproouing in him told him plainly how vnlawfull it was for him to possesse his brothers wife but the punishment that befell him for this and many other his sinnes wee haue heard in the former booke and need not here to be repeated Anton.
kind as a thing not to be frequented but rather vtterly abhorred though it bee amongst kinsfolkes themselues It was esteemed an indignitie among the Grecians to kisse any maid that was not in blood or affinitie allied vnto them as it manifestly appeareth by the earnest sure and request of the wife of Pisistratus the tyrant of Athens to put to death a yong maÌ„ for kissing her daughter in the streets as he met her Valer. lib. 1. c. 5. although it was nothing but loue that mooued him thereto Saint Augustine also affirmeth De ciuitat Dei lib. 21. cap. 11. that he which wantonly kisseth a woman that is not his wife deserueth the whip It is true Gen. 27.45 that the holy scripture often mentioneth kissing but either betwixt father and child or brethren or kinsfolkes or at least in manner of salutation betwixt one another of acquaintance 2. Sam. 20.9 according to the custome of the people of God and sometimes also it is mentioned as a token of honour and reuerence which the subiect perfourmeth to his superiour in this action 1. Sam. 10. In the former ages Christians vsed to kisse also but so that it was euer betwixt parties of acquaintance and in such sort Iust Apolog. 2. Tectull that by this manner of greeting they testified to each other their true and sincere charity peace and vnion of heart and soule in the Lord. Such chearings and louing embracings were pure and holy not lasciuious and wanton like the kisses of profane and leacherous wretches and strumpets Prou. 7.13 whereof Salomon maketh mention Furthermore euery man ought to shun all meanes and occasions which may enduce or entise them to vncleannesse and among the rest especially Idlenesse which can not choose but be as it were a wide doore and passage for many vices to enter by as by experience we see in those that occupy themselues about no good nor profitable exercises but mispend their time in trifling and doing nothing and their wits either vpon vaine and foolish conceits to the hurt of others or vpon lasciuious and vnchast thoughts to their owne ouerthrow whereas on the contrary to them that are well emploied either in bodie or mind no such thing betideth wherefore we ought to be here aduertised euery one of vs to apply our selues to some honest and seemely trade answerable to our diuers and seuerall estates and conditions and not to suffer our selues to be ouergrowne with Idlenesse least thereby wee fall into mischiefe for whome the aduersarie that malitious and wicked one findeth in that case hee knowes well how to fit them to his purpose and to set them about filthy and pernicious seruices Next to Idlenesse the too much pampering the bodie with dainty and much food is to be eschued for like as a fat and well fed horse wincheth and kicketh against his rider so the pampered flesh rebelleth against God and a mans owne selfe this fulnes of bread and abundance of fleshly delights was the cause of the destruction of Sodome and Gomorrha Ezech. 16. â—9 and therefore our Sauiour to good purpose warneth vs to take heed to our selues Luk. 21.34 that we be not oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes and the Apostle To take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof but to walke honestly Rom. 13.13 not beeing giuen to gluttony and drunkennesse chambering and wantonnesse and in another place Not to be drunke with wine wherein is excesse Ephes 5. for besides the losse of time and mispence of goods the grieuous diseases and pangs of the body and dulling and besotting of the wit which spring from intemperance many other great euils depend and wait thereon as whoredoms adulteries vncleannesses quarrels debates murders with many other such like disorders and mischiefes Noah that holy Patriarch by drinking too much wine Gen. 9. not only discouered his owne shame but also was the occasâ—on of that cruell curse which the Lord sent vpon the posteritie of Cham which euen to this day lieth heauy vpon them Lot though he hated the sinne of Sodom Gen. 19. and escaped the punishment of Sodome yet being ouercome with the wine of the mountaines he committed incest with his own daughter and made a new Sodome of his owne family Balthasar rioting and reuelling amongst his pots had the end both of life and kingdome denounced against him Dan. 5. by a bodiles handwriting vpon the wall the Lords decree Iudith 13. Whilst Holofernes besotted his senses with excesse of wine and good cheare Iudith found meanes to cut off his head The Emperours Septimus Seuerus and Iouinianus died with eating and drinking too much Likewise a certaine African called Donitius Euseb ouetcharged his stomack with so much food at supper that he died therewith Gregory of Tours reporteth of Childericke a Saxon that glutted himselfe so full of meat and drinke ouer night that in the morning he was found choked in his bed In our memory there was a priest in Rouergne neare Millaine that dining with a rich farmer for his yeeres dinner cheered himselfe so well and filled his belly so full that it burst in two and he died suddenly Plutarch Alexander the Great hauing inuited many of his fauorites and captaines to supper propounded a crowne in reward to him that should drinke most now the greatest drinker swallowed vp foure steaens of wine and woon the price being in value worth sixe hundred crownes but lost his life a iewell of greater worth for hee suruiued not three daies after this vile excesse besides the rest that stroue with him in this goodly conflict of carousing one and fourty of them died to beare him company The same Alexander was himselfe subiect to wine and so distempered diuers times therewith that hee often slew his friends at the table in his drunkennesse whome in sobriety he loued dearest Incest lib. 2. cap. 31. Plutarch telleth vs of Armitus and Ciranippus two Siracusians that being drunke with wine committed incest with their owne daughters Cleâ—mines king of Lacedemonia being disposed to carouse after the manner of the Scithians dranke so much that hee became and continued euer after senslesse Anacreon the Poet a grand consumer of wine and a notable drunkard was choked with the huske of a grape The monstrous and riotous excesses of diuers Romane Emperours as Tiberius by name who was a companion of all drunkards is strange to be heard and almost incredible to be beleeued hee loued wine so well that instead of Tiberius they called him Biberius and in stead of Claudius Caldus and in stead of Nero Merâ— noting by those nicknames how great a drunkard he was The Earle of Aspremont after he had by infinite excesse exhausted all his substance beeing vpon a day at S. Michell dranke so excessiuely that he died therewith Cyrillus a citizen of Hippon had an vngratious son Aug. tom 10. ver 33. who leading a riotous
and luxurious life in the midst of his drunkennes killed his owne mother great with child Paricid lib. 2. cap. 11. and his father that sought to restraine his fury would haue rauished his sister had she not escaped from him with many wounds Bonosus the Emperour Flauius Vopisc is reported to haue bene such a notorious drunkard that he was said to be borne not to liue but to drinke if any embassadours came vnto him hee would make them drunke to the end to reueale their secrets hee ended his life with misery euen by hanging with this epitaph That a tunne not a man was hanged in that place Philostrates being in the bathes at Sinvessâ— Martâ—d lib. 11. deuoured so much wine that hee fell downe the staires and almost broke his necke with the fall Zeno the Emperor of the East Platina was so notoriously giuen to excesse of meats and drinks that his senses being benummed he would often lie as one that was dead wherfore being become odious to all men by his beastly qualities his wife Ariadâ—e fell also indetestation of him one day as he lay sensles she transported him into a tombe throwing a great stone vpon it pined him to death not suffering any to remoue the stone or to yeeld him any succour and this was a iust reward of his drunkennesse Pope Paulus the second beside the exceeding pompe of apparel which he vsed he was also very careful for his throat for as Platina writeth of him he delighted in all kind of exquisite dishes and delicate wine and that in superfluitie by which immoderate and continuall surfetting hee fell into a grieuous apoplexy which quickly made an end of his life It is reported of him that hee ate the day before he died two great melons and that in a very good appetite when as the next night the Lord stroke him with his heauy iudgement Alexander the sonne of Basilius Phil. Melancth lib. 4. and brother of Leo the Emperour did so wallow and drowne himselfe in the gulfe of pleasure intemperance that one day after he had stuffed himselfe too full of meat as he got vpon his horse he burst a vaine within his bodie whereat vpwards and downwards issued such abundance of blood that his life and soule issued forth withall Concerning Daunsing the vsuall dependants of feasts and good chear there is none of sound iudgement that know not that they are baits end allurements to vncleannesse and as it were instruments of bawdry by reason whereof they were alwaies condemned among men of honour and reputation whether Romans or Greekes and left for vile and base minded men to vse And this may appeare by the reproch that Demosthenes the oratour gaue to Philip of Macedonie and his courtiers in an oration to the Athenians wherein hee tearmed them common dauncers and such as shamed not assoone as they had glutted their bellies with meat and their heads with wine to fall scurrilously a daunsing As for the honourable dames of Rome truly wee shall neuer read that any of them accustomed themselues to daunce according to the report of Salust touching Sempronia whome hee iudged to bee too fine a dauncer and singer to be honourable withall as if these two could no more agree than fire and water Cicero in his apologie of Muraena Muraena rehearseth an obiection of Cato against his client wherein he chalenged him for dancing in Asia which he maketh a matter of so great reproch that not daring to maintaine or excuse the fact he flatly denieth it saying That no sober and discreet man euer would commit that fault vnlesse his sence and reason was bereft him Plutarch also setting forth the vertues of women putteth in this among the rest that she ought to be no dancer and speaking in a not her place to all others aswell as women biddeth them to repulse euen their friends if they should lead and entise them to that exercise Besides all the ancient Doctours of the Church haue vtterly condemned them as vnlawfull Thou learnest to sing prophane and idle songs saith Basil and forgettest the godly Psalmes and Hymns which were once taught thee thou caperest and leapest with thy feet in daunses vnwise as thou art when as thou shouldst rather bend thy knees in praier to the almighty but what gaine is got hereby Marry this that virgines return robbed of their Virginities and maried wiues of their troth to their husbands both and all lesse chast than they went and more dishonest then they should if not in act which peraduenture may bee yet stained in thought which cannot be eschewed Heare saith Chrisostome you maids and wiues which are not ashamed to daunse and trip it at others marriages and to pollute your sexes wheresoeuer a lasciuious daunce is daunced there the deuill beareth the other part and is the author of it It is better saith Ambrose to dig and delue vpoÌ„ holy daies than to dance And in another place writing to his sister he saith that he need not care for dissolute behauiours and songs which are vsed at marriages to make him merry with all for when banquets are concluded with daunces then is chastity in an euill case and in great danger to suffer shipwracke by those suspicious allurements Besides this Orig. lib. 1. contra Cels Can. 5. 52. dancing hath beene absolutely forbidden by consent of the whole church of Christ before time vnder paine of excoÌ„munication as it may appeare by the Constantinoplitane counsell vnder Iustinian the Emperour what answere can they make then to this that are Christians and allow of these forbidden sports Is it the denying of a mans selfe The spirituall regeneration The putting off the old man touching our conuersation in this life And if al adulterie vncleannesse Ephes 5.4 all filthinesse and foolish talking iesting and such like ought not once to bee named amongst vs because they are things not comely If I say it bee not lawfull to ieast or speake the least lasciuious word that is how shall it be lawfull to doe an action with the motion consent of the whole body which representeth nothing else but folly vanity and lasciuiousnes And this is for theÌ„ that demand where dancing is forbidden in the scripture which I touch as it were by the way and do but point at not minding to frame any long discourse therof seeing there is a particular treatise touching the same matter which hee may read that desireth to know any more touching it Now let vs see what goodly fruits and commodities haue risen therfrom The daughters of the children of Israell being dancing in Silo vpoÌ„ a feastiual day after the maner of the vncircumcised Idolaters were rauished by the Beniamites for to be their wiues Iudg. 11. and that mixtly without regard of one or other were they of neuer so high or base condition At the feast which Herod the Tetrarch made to the princes and captains and nobles
woman to the Emperour Adrian is very worthy to be remembred Fulgos lib. 6. cap. 2. who appealing and complaining to the Emperour of some wrong when hee answered that he was not at leisure then to heare her sute shee told him boldly and plainly That then he ought not to be at leisure to be her Emperour which speech went so neare the quicke vnto him that euer after he shewed more facilitie and courtesie towards all men that had any thing to do with him The kings of Fraunce vsed also this custome of hearing and deciding their subiects matters as wee read of Charlemaigne the king and Emperour who commanded that he should be made acquainted with all matters of importance and their issues throughout his realme King Lewes the first treading the steps of his father Charlemaigne accustomed himselfe three daies in a weeke to heare publikely in his pallace the complaints and grieuances of his people and to right their wrongs and iniuries King Lewes sirnamed the Holy Aimo a little before his death gaue in charge to his sonne that should succeed him in the crowne amongst other this precept To be carefull to beare a stroke in seeing the distribution of iustice and that it should not be peruerted not depraued CHAP. XLVI Of such princes as haue made no reckening of punishing vice nor regarded the estate of their people IT cannot choose but be a great confusion in a common-wealth when iustice sleepeth and when the shamelesse boldnesse of euill doers is not curbed in with any bridle but runneth it owne swinge and therefore a Consull of Rome could say That it was an euill thing to haue a prince vnder whome license and libertie is giuen to euery man to doe what him listeth for so much then as this euill proceedeth from the carelesnes and slothfulnesse of those that hold the sterne of gouernment in their hands it can not be but some euill must needs fall vpon them for the same The truth of this may appeare in the person of Philip of Macedonie whome Demosthenes the oratour noteth for a treacherous and false dealing prince after that he had subdued almost all Greece not so much by open warre as by subtilty craft and surprise and that being in the top of his glory hee celebrated at one time the marriage of his sonne Alexander whome hee had lately made king of Epire and of one of his daughters with great pompe and magnificense as hee was marching with all his traine betwixt the two bridegroomes his owne sonne his sonne in law to see the sports and pastimes which were prepared for the solemnitie of the marriage behold suddenly a young Macedonian gentleman called Pausanias ran at him and slew him in the midst of the prease for not regarding to doe him iustice when hee complained of an iniury done vnto him by one of the peeres of his realme Plutarch Tatius the fellow king of Rome with Romulus for not doing iustice in punishing certaine of his friends and kinsfolkes that had robbed and murdered certaine Embassadors which came to Rome and for making their impunitie an example for other malefactours by deferring and protracting and disappointing their punishment was so watcht by the kindred of the slaine that they slew him euen as he was sacrificing to his gods because they could not obtaine iustice at his hands What happened to the Romanes for refusing to deliuer an Embassadour Tit. Liuius Plutarch who contrary to the law of nations comming vnto them plaid the part of an enemie to his own country euen well nigh the totall ouerthrow of them and their citie for hauing by this meanes brought vpon themselues the calamitie of warre they were at the first discomfited by the Gaules who pursuing their victory entred Rome and slew al that came in their way whether men or women infants or aged persons and after many daies spent in the pillage spoiling of the houses at last set fire on all and vtterly destroied the whole city Childericke king of France Paul Aemil. is notified for an extreame dullard and blockhead and such a one as had no care or regard vnto his realme but that liued idly and slothfully without intermedling with the affaires of the common wealth for he laid all the charge and burden of them vpon Pepin his lieutenant generall therefore was by him iustly deposed from his roiall dignity mewed vp in a cloister of religion to become a monke because he was vnfit for any good purpose albeit that this sudden change mutation was very strange yet there ensued no trouble nor commotion in the realme thereupon so odious was hee become to the whole land for his drowsie and idle disposition Paul Aemil. For the same cause did the princes Electours depose Venceslaus the Emperour from the Empire and established another in his roome King Richard of England amongst other foule faults which he was guilty of incurred greatest blame for this because he suffered many theeues and robbers to roue vp and down the land vnpunished for which cause the citizens of London coÌ„menced a high sute against him coÌ„pelled him hauing raigned 22 yeres to lay aside the crown resigne it to another in the presence of all the states died prisoner in the Tower Moreouer this is no small defect of iustice when men of authority do not only pardon capitall and detestable crimes but also grace and fauour the doers of them and this neither ought nor can be done by a soueraigne prince without ouerpassing the bounds of his limited power which can in no wise dispence with the law of God Exod. 21. whereunto euen kings themselues are subiect for as touching the willing and considerate murderer Dâ—ut 19. Thou shalt plucke him from my altar saith the Lord that hee may die thy eye shall not spare him to the end it may goe well with thee which was put in practise in the death of Ioab 1 King 2. who was slaine in the Tabernacle of God holding his hands vpon the hornes of the Altar for hee is no lesse abominable before God that iustifieth the wicked Prou 17. than hee that condemneth the iust and hereupon that holy king S. Lewes when hee had granted pardon to a malefactour Nich. Gilles reuoked it againe after better consideration of the matter saying That hee would giue no pardon except the case deserued pardon by the law for it was a worke of charitie and pittie to punish an offender and not to punish crimes was as much as to commit them In the yeere of our Lord 978 Egebrede the sonne of Edgare end Alphred king of England was a man of goodly outward shape and visage but wholly giuen to idlenesse and abhorring all princely exercises besides he was a louer of riot drunkennesse and vsed extreame cruelty towards his subiects hauing his eares open to all vniust complaints in feats of armes of all men most ignorant so