authority to doe the like mischiefe And that which is yet more and worst of all he made no account nor reckoning of the admonitions of the Prophets but the rather and the more hardened his heart to runne out into all manner of cruelty and wickednesse that his sinnes might have their full measure For the very stones of the streets of Ierusalem were stained from one corner to another with the guiltlesse and innocent bloud of those that either for disswading him from or not yeelding unto his abhominable and detestable Idolatry were cruelly murthered Amongst the number of which slaine innocents many suppose that the Prophet Esayas although he was of the bloud-royall was with a strange manner of torment put to death Wherefore the flame of Gods ire was kindled against him and his people so that he stirred up 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 carried captive to Babylon but being there in tribulation hee humbled his soule and prayed unto the Lord his God who for all his wicked cruell and abhominable Apostasie was intreated of him and received him to mercy yea and brought him againe to Ierusalem into his unhoped for kingdome Then was he no more unthankfull to the Lord for his wonderfull deliverance 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 gave strait commandement to his people to doe the like Wherein it was the pleasure of the Highest to leave a notable memoriall unto all posterity of his great and infinite mercy towards poore and miserable sinners to the end that no man be his sinnes never so hainous should at any time despaire for Where sin aboundeth there grace aboundeth much more Admit that this revolt of Manasses was farre greater and more outragious than was Solomons yet his true repentance found the grace to be raised up from that 〈◊〉 â—ull downefall for God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and compassion on whom he will have compassion O the profound riches of the wisedome and knowledge of God! How unspeakable are his judgements and his wayes pâ—st finding out Amon the wicked sonne of this repentant â—ather committed also the like offence in serving strange gods but recanted not by like repentance and therefore God gave his owne servants both will to conspire and power to execute his destruction after hee had swayed the kingdome but two yeares CHAP. XVIII Of the third and worst sort of Apostata's BY how much the more God hath in these latter daies poured forth more plentifully his graces upon the sonnes of men by the manifestations of his Sonne Christ Iesus in the flesh and sent forth a more cleere light by the preaching of his Gospell into the world than was before times by so much the more culpable before God and guilty of eternall damnation are they who being once enlightened and made partakers of those excellent graces come afterwards either to despise or make light account of them or goe 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 sixth and tenth chapter to the Hebrewes and in the twelfth of Luke and in another place it is called a Sinne unto death because it is impardonable by reason that no excuse of ignorance can be pleaded nor any plaister of true repentance applyed unto it The Apostata's of the old Testament under the Law were not guilty of this sinne for although there were many that willingly and malitiously revolted and set themselves against the Prophets of God making warre as it were with the Holy Ghost yet seeing they had no such cleere testimonies of Christ Iesus and declaration of Gods Spirit as we have their sinne cannot be properly said directly to be against the Holy Ghost and so never to be remitted according to the description of this sinne 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 averre the truth hereof when he saith If we sinne willingly after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a fearefull looking for of judgement and violent fire which shall devoure the adversaries If any man despised Moses Law he died without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be worthy which treadeth under foot the Sonne of God and counteth the bloud of the new Testament as a prophane thing whereby he was sanctified and doth despight to the Spirit of Grace Here we may see that this sinne is proper to those onely that lived under the Gospell and have tasted of the comfort and knowledge of Christ. Iudas Iscariot that wicked and accursed Varlet committed the deed and feeles the scourge of this great sinne for he being a Disciple nay an Apostle of Christ Iesus moved with covetousnesse after he had devised and concluded of the manner and complot of his treason with the enemie sold his Lord and Master the Savior of the World for thirty pieces of silver and betrayed him into the bands of theeves and murtherers who sought nothing but his destruction After this vile traitour had performed this execrable purpose by reason whereof he is called the sonne of perdition he could finde no rest nor repose in his guilty conscience but was horribly troubled and tormented with remorse of his wickednesse judging himselfe worthy of a thousand deaths for betraying that innocent and guiltlesse bloud If hee looked up he saw the vengeance of God ready to fall upon him and insnare him if hee looked downe he saw nothing but hell gaping to swallow him up the light of this world was odious to him and his own life displeased him so that being plunged into the bottomlesse pit of despaire he at last strangled himselfe and burst in twaine in the midst and all his bowels gushed out There is a notable example of Lucian who having professed Christianity for a season under the Emperour Trajan fell away afterwards and became so prophane and impious as to make a mocke at Religion and Divinity whereupon his sirname was called Atheist This wretch as he barked out like a foule mouthed dog bitter taunts against the religion of Christ seeking to rend and abolish it so he was himselfe in Gods vengeance torne in pieces and devoured of dogs Porphyrie also a whelp of the same litter after he had received the knowledge of the truth for despight and anger that he was reproved of his faults by the Christians set himselfe against them and published books full of horrible blasphemies to discredit and overthrow the Christian Faith But when he perceived how fully
information of one Richard Master Parson of Aldington and Edward Bocking Doctor of Divinity a Monke of Canterbury and divers others counterfeited such manner of trances and distortions in her body with the uttering of divers counterfeit vertues and holy words tending to the rebuke of sinne and reproving such new opinions as there began to spread that shee woon great credit amongst the people and drew after her a multitude of favourites besides she would prophecy of things to come as that shee should be helped of her disease by none but the Image of our Lady in Aldington whither being brought she appeared to the people to be suddenly relieved from her sicknesse by meanes of which hypocriticall dissimulation she was brought into marvellous estimation not only with the common people but with divers great men also insomuch that a book was put in print touching her fained miracles and revelations Howbeit not content to delude the people she began also to meddle with the King himself Henry the eight saying That if he proceeded to be divorced from his wife Queene Katherine he should not remaine King one month after and in the reputation of God not one day for which and many other tricks practised by her she with her complices was arraigned of high treason and after confession of all her knavery drawn from the Tower to Tyburne and there hanged the holy maidens head being set upon London bridge and the other on certaine gates of the City The other named la Pucella de Dieu marvellously deluded with her counterfeit hypocrisie Charles the seventh King of France and all the whole French Nation in such sort that so much credit was attributed unto her that she was honoured as a Saint and thought to be sent of God to the aide of the French King By her meanes Orleance was woon from the English and many other exploits atchieved which to be short I will referre the Reader unto the French Chronicles where they shall finde her admirable knavery at large discovered But touching her end it was on this sort as she marched on horsebake to the towne of Champaigne to remove the siedge wherewith it was guirt by the Duke of Burgoine and other of the English Captaines Sir Iohn Leupembrough a Burgonian Knight tooke her alive and conveyed her to the City of Roan where she faigning her selfe with child when the contrary was knowne was condemned and burnt And thus these two holy women that in a diverse kind mocked the people of England and France by their hypocrisie by the justice of God came to deserved destructions CHAP. XXI Of Conjurers and Enchanters IF God by his first Commandement hath enjoyned every one of us to love serve and to cleave unto him alone in the conjuction and unity of a true faith and hope unremovable there is no doubt but he forbiddeth on the other side that which is contrary to this foresaid duty and herein especially that accursed familiarity which divers miserable wretches have with that lying Spirit the Father of errour by whose delusions and subtilty they busie themselves in the study of sorceries and enchantments whereupon it is forbidden the Israelites in the nineteenth of Leviticus to turne after familiar spirits or to seeke to Soothsayers to be defiled by them and the more to withdraw them from this damnable crime in the Chapter following there is a threat set downe against it in manner of a Commandement That if either man or woman have a spirit of divination or soothsaying in them they should dye the death they should stone them to death their bloud should be upon them so in the two and twentieth of Exodus the Law of God saith Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live and Moses following the same steps giveth an expresse charge in the eighteenth of Deuteronomy against this sinne saying Let nonebe found among thee that useth witchcraft nor that regardeth the Clouds or times nor a Sorcerer or a Charmer or that counselleth with a Spirit or a teller of Fortunes or that asketh counsell of the dead for all that doe such things are abhomination unto the Lord. And therefore this sinne 1 Sam. ver 15. is reputed amongst the most hainous and enormous sinnes that can be When they shall say unto you saith the Prophet Enquire at them that have a Spirit of Divination and at the Soothsayer which whispers and murmures answer Should not a people enquire at their God from the living to the dead To the Law and to the Testimony Wherefore it was a commendable thing and worthy imitation when they that had received the Faith by Pauls preaching having used curious Arts as Magicke and such like being touched with the feare of God brought their bookes and burned them before all men although the price thereof amounted to fifty thousand pieces of silver which by Budeus his supputation ariseth to five thousand French Crownes The Councels as that of Carthage and that other of Constantinople kept the second time in the suburbs utterly condemned the practices of all Conjurers and Enchanters The twelve Tables in Rome adjudged to punishments those that bewitched the standing corne And for the Civill Law this kind is condemned both by the Law Iulia and Cornelia In like manner the wisest Emperours those I mean that attained to the honour of Christianity ordained divers Edicts and Prohibitions under very sharp and grievous punishments against all such villany as Constantine in the ninth book of the Cod. tit 18. enacted That whosoever should attempt any action by Art Magicke against the safety of any person or should bring in or stir up any man to make him fall into any mischiefe or riotous demeanour should suffer a grievous punishment in the fifth Law he forbiddeth every man to aske counsell at Witches or to use the helpe of Charmers and Sorcerers under the paine of death Let them saith he in the sixth Law be throwne to wild beasts to be devoured that by conjuring or the helpe of familiar spirits go about to kill either their enemies or any other Moreover in the seventh Law he willeth that not so much as his owne courtiers and servants if they were found faulty in this crime should be spared but severely punished yet neverthelesse many of this age gave themselves over to this filthy sinne without either feare of God or respect of Law some through a foolish and dangerous curiosity others through the overruling of their owne vile and wicked affections and a third sort troubled with the terrours of an evill conscience desire to know what shall besall and happen unto them in the end Thus Saul the first King of Israel being troubled in himselfe and terrified with the army of the Philistims that came against him would needs foreknow his owne fortune and the issue of this doubtfull warre Now whereas before whilest he performed the duty of a good King and obeyed the commandement of God hee had cleansed his Realme
kind of treason and another ranke of traitors as pernitious as any of the former and as odious before God and man Such are they which either upon private quarrels or received injuries or hope of gaine or any other silly respect forsake their countries and take part with the enemies to fight against it or they that in time of necessity refuse to fight or dare not fight in defence of it the former sort are called fugitives the latter cowards As touching the first they havebeen alwayes in detestation in well governed Policies and also evermore severely punished The Aeginates punished them with the losse of their right hand thumbs to the end they might no more handle a speare or a sword but an oare the Mitylenians with losse of their lives the inhabitants of Samos marked them in the face with the picture of an Owle and the Romans punished them after divers fashions Fabius Maximus caused all those that had fled from the Roman succours to the enemy to lose their hands Africanus the former though gentle and mild by nature yet in this respect he borrowed from forreine cruelty for having conquered Carthage and got into his power all those Romane Rebels that tooke part against his countrey he hung the Romans as traitors to their countrey and mitigated the punishment of the Latines as but perfidious confederates Africanus the later when hee had subdued the Punicke Nation he threw all fugitives amongst wilde beasts to be devoured Lucius Paulus aftor the conquest of the King of Persia committed these fellowes to the mercy of Elephants Generally there is no Nation under the Sunne which holdeth them not in execration and therefore our English fugitives who under cloke of Religion not onely abandon their countrey their kindred and their Prince but also conspire the undoing and sweare the destruction of them are they not worthy to be handled like traitours and to have their quarters spectacles of perfidy The bridge and gates of London beare witnesse of the wofull ends that these runnagates come unto As touching cowards I meane such as preferring their lives or liberty or any other by-respects before their countries welfare and either dare not or will not stand stoutly in defence of it in time of warre and danger they deserve no lesse punishment than the former seeing that as they are open oppugners so these are close underminers of the good thereof And therefore the Romanes did sharpely chasten them in their government as may appeare by diverse examples of the same as first they were noted with this ignominy never to eat their meat but standing and hereunto they were sworne Nay they were in such hatefull account amongst them that when Annibal offered the Senate 8000 captives to be redeemed they refused his offer saying That they were not worthy to be redeemed that had rather be taken basely than die honestly and valiantly The same Senate dealt more favourably with the captives which King Pyrrhus tooke for they redeemed them but with this disgrace degrading them from their honours and places untill by a double spoile they had woon their reputation againe L. Calpurnius Piso handled Titius the captaine of his horsemen in Sicilia one who being overcharged with enemies delivered his weapons unto them on this manner he caused him to goe bare footed before the army wearing a garment without seames he forbad him society with any save such as were noted with the same fault and from a Generall over horsemen he debased him to a common souldier How did the same Senate correct the cowardise of Caius Vatienus who to the end to priviledge himselfe from the Italicke warre cut off all the fingers of his left hand even they proscribed his goods and cast him into perpetuall prison that that life which hee refused to hazard in defence of his countrey he might consume in bondage and fetters Fulgosius saith That among the Germanes it was so unhonourable a part to lose but a shield in the warre that whosover had happened to doe so was suspended both from the place of common councell and from the temples of Religion insomuch that many as he reporteth killed themselves to avoid the shame The people called Daci punished cowards on this sort they suffered them not to sleepe but with their heads to the beds feet-ward and besides by the law they made them slaves and subjects to their owne wives What viler disgrace could there be than this And yet the Lacedemonians plagued them more shamefully for with them it was a discredit to marry in the stocke of a coward any man might strike them lawfully and in their attire they went with their clothes rent and their beards halfe shaven Thus are all kind of traitors continually punished of the Lord by one meanes or other and therefore let us learne to shun treason as one of the vilest and detestablest things in the world CHAP. IIII. Of such as have murthered their Rulers or Princes ZImri Captaine of halfe the chariots of Elah King of Israel conspired against his Lord as he was in Tirza drinking till he was drunke in the house of Arze his Steward and came upon him suddenly and smote him till hee died and possessed the Kingdome in his roome Howbeit herein he was the Lords rod to punish the house of Baasha yet when the punishment was past the Lord threw the rod into the fire for he enjoyed the Crowne but seven dayes for all Israel detesting his fact made Omri King over them who besieged him in Tirza and drove him into that extremity that hee went into the palace of the Kings house and burnt himselfe and the house with fire Iozachar the sonne of Shimeah and Ieozabed the sonne of Shomer came to no better end for murthering Iehoash King of Iuda for Amaziah his sonne after the kingdome was confirmed unto him caused them both to be put to death but their children he slew not according to that which is written in the Booke of the law The fathers shall not be put to death for the children nor the children for the fathers but every man shall beare this owne sin Neither did Shallum that slew Zacharia King of Israel prosper any better for he reigned but one month in Samaria when Menahim the sonne of Gadi rebelled against him and slew him as he had done his master Amon the sonne of Manasseh was slaine by his owne servants but the Lord stirred up the people of the Land to revenge his death and to kill all them that had conspired against their King But to let passe the holy histories of the sacred Scripture wherein ever after any treason the Holy Ghost presently setteth downe the punishment of traitours as it were of purpose to signifie how the Lord hateth all such Rebels that rose up against his owne ordinance let us consider a little the consequents of these in prophane yet credible authors and apply them unto our purpose Archelaus
were there overthrown killed and hanged by troups In the yeare of our Lord 1525 there were certain husbandmen of Souabe that began to stand in resistance against the Earle of Lupsfen by reason of certaine burthens which they complained themselves to be overlaid with by him their neighbors seeing this enterprised the like against their Lords And so upon this small beginning by a certaine contagion there grew up a most dangerous and fearefull commotion that spread it selfe almost over all Almaine the sedition thus increasing in all quarters and the swaines being now full forty thousand strong making their owne liberty and the Gospels a cloake to cover their treason and rebellion and a pretence of their undertaking armes to the wonderfull griefe of all that feared God did not onely fight with the Romane Catholickes but with all other without respect as well in Souabe as in Franconia they destroyed the greater part of the Nobility sacked and burnt many castles and fortresses to the number of two hundred and put to death the Earle of Helfest in making him passe through their pikes But at length their strength was broken they discomfited and torn in pieces with a most horrible massacre of more than eighteen thousand of them During this sedition there were slaine on each side fifty thousand men The captaine of the Souabian swaines called Geismer having betaken himselfe to flight got over the mountaines of Padua where by treason he was made away In the yeare of our Lord 1517 in the Marquesdome of the Vandales the like insurrection and rebellion was of the commonalty especially the baser sort against the Nobility Spirituall and Temporall by whom they were oppressed with intolerable exactions their army was numbred of ninety thousand men all clowns and husbandmen that conspired together to redresse and reforme their owne grievances without any respect of civill Magistrate or feare of Almighty God This rascality of swaines raged and tyranized every where burning and beating down the castles and houses of Noblemen and making their ruines even with the ground Nay they handled the Noblemen themselves as many as they could attaine unto not contumeliously only but rigorously and cruelly for they tormented them to death and carried their heads upon speares in token of victory Thus they swayed a while uncontrolled for the Emperour Maximilian winked at their riots as being acquainted with what in juries they had been overcharged but when he perceived that the rude multitude did not limit their fury within reason but let it runne too lavish to the damnifying as well the innocent as the guilty he made out a small troup of mercinary souldiers together with a band of horsemen to suppresse them who comming to a city were presently so environed with such a multitude of these swaines that like locusts overspread the earth that they thought it impossible to escape with their lives wherefore feare and extremity made them to rush out to battell with them But see how the Lord prospereth a good cause for all their weak number in comparison of their enemies yet such a feare possessed their enemies hearts that they fled like troups of sheep and were slaine like dogges before them insomuch that they that escaped the sword were either hanged by flocks on trees or rosted on spits by fires or otherwise tormented to death And this end befell that wicked rebellious rout which wrought such mischiefe in that country with their monstrous villanies that the traces and steppes thereof remaine at this day to bee seene In the yeare of our Lord 1381 Richard the second being King the Commons of England and especially of Kent and Essex by meanes of a taxe that was set upon them suddenly rebelled and assembled together on Blackheath to the number of 60000 or more which rebellious rout had none but base and ignoble fellowes for their captaines as Wat Tiler Iacke Straw Tom Miller but yet they caused much trouble and disquietnesse in the Realme and chiefly about the city of London where they committed much villany in destroying many goodly places as the Savoy and others and being in Smithfield used themselves very proudly and unreverently towards the King but by the manhood and wisedome of William Walworth Major of London who arrested their chiefe captain in the midst of them that rude company was discomfited and the ringleaders of them worthily punished In like manner in the raigne of Henry the seventh a great commotion was stirred up in England by the Commons of the North by reason of a certaine taxe which was levied of the tenth peny of all mens lands and goods within the land in the which the Earle of Northumberland was slain but their rash attempt was soon broken and Chamberlain their captain with divers other hanged at Yorke for the same Howbeit their example feared not the Cornishmen from rebelling upon the like occasion of a tax under the conduct of the Lord Audley untill by woefull experience they felt the same scourge for the King met them upon Blackheath and discomfiting their troups took their captaines and ring leaders and put them to most worthy and sharp death Thus we may see the unhappy issue of all such seditious revoltings and thereby gather how unpleasant they are in the sight of God Let all the people therefore learne by these experiences to submit themselves in the feare of God to the higher powers whether they be Lords Kings Princes or any other that are set over them CHAP. VI. Of Murtherers AS touching Murther which is by the second commandement of the second Table forbidden in these words Thou shalt not kill the Lord denounceth this judgment upon it That he which striketh a man that hee dieth shall die the death And this is correspondent to that Edict which he gave to Noah presently after the universall floud to suppresse that generall cruelty which had taken root from the beginning in Cain and his posterity being carefull for mans life saying That he will require the bloud of man at the hands of either man or beast that killeth him adding moreover That whosoever sheddeth mans bloud by man also his bloud shall be shed seeing that God created him after his owne Image which he would not have to be basely accounted of but deare and precious unto us If then the bruit and unreasonable creatures are not exempted from the sentence of death pronounced in the law if they chance to kill a man how much more punishable then is man endued with will and reason when malitiously and advisedly he taketh away the life of his neighbour But the hainousnesse and greatnesse of this sinne is most lively expressed by that ordinance of God set downe in the 21 of Deutronomy where it is enjoyned That if a man be found slain in the field and it be not knowne who it was that slew him then the Elders and Iudges of the next towne assembling together should offer up an expiatory sacrifice
her servant that was captive with her to her friends to purvey the same which he bringing the Centurion alone with the wronged Lady met him at a place appointed and whilest he weighed the money by her counsell was murdered of her servants so she escaping carried to her husband both his money and threw at his feet the villaines head that had spoiled her of her chastity Andreas King of Hungary having undertaken the voyage into Syria for the recovery of the Holy Land together with many other Kings and Princes committed the charge of his Kingdom and Family to one Bannebanius a wise and faithfull man who discharged his Office as faithfully as he took it willingly upon him Now the Queen had a brother called Gertrude that came to visit and comfort his sister in her husbands absence and by that meanes sojourned with her a long time even so long till he fell deadly in love with Bannebanius Lady a fair and vertuous woman and one that was thought worthy to keep company with the Queen continually to whom when he had unfolded his suit and received such stedfast repulse that he was without all hope of obtaining his desire he began to droup and pine untill the Queen his sister perceiving his disease found this perverse remedy for the cure thereof she would often give him opportunity of discourse by withdrawing her selfe from them being alone and many times leave them in secret and dangerous places of purpose that he might have his will of her but she would never consent unto his lust and therefore at last when he saw no remedy he constrained her by force and made her subject to his will against her will which vile disgracefull indignity when she had suffered she returned home sad and melancholy and when her husband would have embraced her she fled from him asking him if he would embrace a whore and related unto him her whole abuse desiring him either to rid her from shame by death or to revenge her wrong and make knowne unto the world the injury done unto her There needed no more spurres to pricke him forward for revenge he posteth to the Court and upbraiding the Queen with her ungratefull and abominable treachery runneth her through with his sword and taking her heart in his hand proclaimeth openly that it was not a deed of inconsideration but of judgement in recompence of the losse of his wives chastity forthwith he flieth towards the King his Lord that now was at Constantinople and declaring to him his fact and shewing to him his sword besmeared with his wives bloud submitteth himselfe to his sentence either of death in rigour or pardon in compassion but the good King enquiring the truth of the cause though grieved with the death of his wife yet acquit him of the crime and held him in as much honour and esteem as ever he did condemning also his wife as worthy of that which she had endured for her unwomanlike and traiterous part A notable example of justice in him and of punishment in her that forgetting the law of womanhood and modesty made her selfe a Bawd unto her brothers lust whose memory as it shall be odious and execrable so his justice deserveth to be engraven in marble with characters of gold Equal to this King in punishing a Rape was Otho the first for as he passed through Italy with an Army a certain woman cast her selfe downe at his feet for justice against a villain that had spoiled her of her chastity who deferring the execution of the law till his returne because his haste was great the woman asked who should then put him in minde thereof he answered This Church which thou seest shall be a witnesse betwixt me and thee that I will then revenge thy wrong Now when he had made an end of this warfare in his returne as he beheld the Church he called to minde the woman and caused her be fetched who falling downe before him desired now pardon for him whom before she had accused seeing he had now made her his wife and redeemed his injury with sufficient satisfaction not so I swear quoth Otho your compacting shall not infringe or colludo the sacred Law but he shall die for his former fault and so he caused him to be put to death A notable example for them that after they have committed filthinesse with a maid thinke it no sin but competent amends if they take her in marriage whom they abused before in fornication Nothing inferiour to these in punishing this sin was Gonzaga Duke of Ferrara as by this History following may appear In the year 1547. a Citizen of Comun was cast into Prison upon an accusation of murder whom to deliver from the judgement of death his wife wrought all meanes possible therefore comming to the Captain that held him Prisoner she sued to him for her husbands life who upon condition of her yeelding to his lust and payment of two hundred Ducats promised safe deliverance for him the poor woman seeing that nothing could redeem her husbands life but losse and shipwracke of her owne honesty told her husband who willed her to yeeld to the Captaines desire and not to pretermit so good an occasion wherefore she consented but after the pleasure past the traiterous and wicked Captain put her husband to death notwithstanding which injury when she complained to Gonzaga Duke of Ferrara he caused the Captain first to restore backe her two hundred Ducats with an addition of seven hundred Crownes and secondly to marry her to his wife and lastly when he hoped to enjoy her body to be hanged for his treachery O noble justice and comparable to the worthiest deeds of Antiquity and deserving to be held in perpetuall remembrance As these before mentioned excelled in punishing this sin so this fellow following excelled in committing it and in being punished for it his name is Novellus Cararius Lord of Pavie a man of note and credit in the World for his greatnesse but of infamy and discredit for his wickednesse This man after many cruell murders and bloudy practises which he exercised in every place where he came fell at last into this notorious and abhominable crime for lying at Vincentia he fell in love with a young maid of excellent beauty but more excellent honesty an honest Citizens daughter whom he commanded her parents to send unto him that he might have his pleasure of her but when they regarding their credit and she her chastity more than the Tyrans command refused to come he took her violently out of their house and constrained her body to his lust and after to adde cruelty to villany chopped her into small pieces and sent them to her parents in a basket for a present wherewith her poor father astonished carried it to the Senate who sent it to Venice desiring them to consider the fact and to revenge the cruelty The Venetians undertaking their defence made war upon the Tyran and
notoriously and fearefully manifested therein that when the holy Ghost would strike a terrour into the most wicked he threateneth them with this like punishment saying The Lord will raine upon each wicked one Fire snares and brimstone for their portion Howbeit this maketh not but that still there are too many such monsters in the World so mightily is it corrupted and depraved neither is it any marvell seeing that divers Bishops of Rome that take upon 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 livings save only his buggerers Amongst whom was one Innocent whom this holy father contrary to the Suffrages of the whole Colledge would needs make Cardinall nay the unsatiable and monstrous lust of this beastly and stinking goat was so extraordinary that he could not abstaine from many Cardinals themselves Iohn de la Casae a Florentine by birth and by office Archbishop of Benevento and Deane of his Apostaticall chamber was his Legat and Intelligencer in all the Venetian Seigniories a man equall or rather worse then himselfe and such a one as whose memory ought to be accursed of all posterity for that detestable booke which he composed in commendation and praise of Sodomie and was so shamelesse nay rather possessed with some devillish and uncleane spirit as to divulgate it to the view of the world Here you may see poore soules the holinesse of those whom you so much reverence and upon whom you build your beliefe and religion you see their brave and excellent vertues and of what esteeme 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 ranke of Atheists where we placed him And albeit that he and such like villaines please their owne humours with their abominations and approve and cleare themselves therein yet are they rewarded by death not only by the law of God but also by the law of Iulia. When Charlemaigne reigned in France there happened a most notable judgement of God upon the Monkes of S. Martin in Tours for their disordinate lusts they were men whose food was too much and dainty whose case was too easie and whose pleasures were too immoderate being altogether addicted to pastimes and merriments in their apparell they went clad in silke like great Lords and as Nichol. Gill. in his first Volume of French Chronicles saith their shooes were gilt over with Gold so great was the super fluity of their riches and pride in summe their whole life was luxurious and infamous for which cause there came forth a destroying Angel from the Lord by the report of Budes the Abbot of Clugnie and slew them all in one night as the first born of Aegypt were slaine save one only person that was preserved as Lot in Sodome was preserved This strange accident moved Charlemaigne to appoint a brotherhood of Canons to be in their roome though little better and as little profitable to their Commonwealth as the former It is not for nothing that the law of God forbiddeth to lie with a beast and denounceth death against them that commit this foule sin for there have been such monsters in the world at some times as we reade in Calius and Volaterranus of one Crathes a shepheard that accompanied carnally with a shee Goat but the Buck finding him sleeping offended and provoked with this strange action ran at him so furiously with his hornes that he left him dead upon the ground God that opened an Asses mouth to reprove the madnesse of the false Prophet Balaam and sent Lions to kill the strange inhabitants of Samaria employed also this Buck about his service in executing just vengeance upon a wicked varlet CHAP. XXXV Of the wonderfull evill that ariseth from this greedinesse of lust IT is to good reason that Scripture forbids us to abstain from the lust of the flesh and the eyes which is of the world and the corruption of mans own nature forsomuch as by it we are drawn to evill it being as it were a corrupt root which sendeth forth most bitter sowre and rotten fruit and this hapneth not only when the goods riches of the world are in quest but also when a man hunteth after dishonest and unchaste delights this concupiscence is it that bringeth forth whoredomes adulteries and many other such sinnes whereout spring forth oftentimes flouds of mischiefes and that divers times by the selfe-will and inordinate desire of private and particular persons what did the lawlesse lust of Potiphars Wife bring upon Ioseph Was not his life indangered and his body kept in close prison where he cooled his feet two yeares or more We have a most notable example of the miserable end of a certain woman with the sacking and destruction of a whole City and all caused by her intemperance and unbridled lust About the time that the Emperour Phocas was slain by Priscus one Gysulphus Governour and Chieftain of a Countrey in Lumbardy going out in defence of his Countrey against the Bavarians which were certaine reliques of the Hunnes gave them battell and lost the field and his life withall Now the Conquerours pursuing their victory laid siege to the chief City of his Province where Romilda his Wife made her abode who viewing one day from the wals the young and fair King with yellow curled lockes galloping about the City fell presently so extreamly in love with him that her minde ran of nothing but satisfying her greedy and new conceived lust wherefore burying in oblivion the love of her late husband with her young infants yet living and her Countrey and preferring her owne lust before them all she sent secretly unto him this message That if he would promise to marry her she would deliver up the City into his hands he well pleased with this gentle offer through a desire of obtaining the City which without great bloudshed and losse of men he could not otherwise compasse accepted of it and was received upon this condition within the wals and lest he should seeme too perfidious he performed his promise of marriage and made her his wife for that one night but soone after in scorne and disdaine he gave her up to twelve of his strongest lechers to glut her unquenchable fire and finally nailed her on a gibbet for a finall reward of her treâ—cherous and boundlesse lust Marke well the misery whereinto this wretched woman threw her selfe and not only her selfe but a whole City also by her boiling concupiscence which so dazled her understanding that she could not consider how undecent it was dishonest and inconvenient for a woman to offer her selfe nay to solicite a man that was an enemie a stranger and one that she had never seen before to her bed and that to the utter undoing of her selfe and all hers But even thus
is one kinde of theft to usurpe any mans goods by unlawfull meanes wherefore no such sports ought to finde any place amongst Christians especially those wherein any kinde of lot or hazard is used by the which the good blessings of God are contrary to their true and naturall use exposed to chance and fortune as they tearme it for which cause Saint Augustine is of this opinion concerning them That the gaine which ariseth to any party in play should be bestowedupon the poor to the end that both the gamesters as well the winner as the loser might be equally punished the one by not carrying the stake being won the other by being frustrated of all his hope of winning Players at dice both by the Elibertine Constantinopolitan Councell under Iustinian were punished with excommunication and by a new constitution of the said Emperour it was enacted That no man should use Dice-play either in private or publique no nor approve the same by their presence under paine of punishment and Bishops were there appointed to be overseers in this behalfe to espie if any default was made Horace an heathen Poet avouched the unlawfulnesse of this thing even in his time when he saith that Dice-playing was forbidden by their law Lewis the eighth King of France renouned for his good conditions and rare vertues amongst all the excellent laws which he made this was one That all sports should be banished the Common-wealth except shooting whether with long bow or Crosse bow and that no Cards nor Dice should be either made or sold by any to the end that all occasion of gaming might bee taken away Surely it would be very profitable and expedient for the Weale-publique that this Ordinance might stand in use at this day and that all Merchants and Mercers whatsoever especially those that follow the reformation of Religion might forbeare the sale of all such paltry Wares for the fault in selling such trash is no lesse than the abuse of them in playing at them for so much as they upon greedinesse of so small a gaine put as it were a sword into a mad mans hand by ministring to them the instruments not onely of their sports but also of those mischiefes that ensue the same There a man may heare curses as rife as words bannings swearings and blasphemies banded up and downe there men fret themselves to death and consume whole nights in darke and divelish pastimes some lose their horses others their cloakes a third sort all that ever they are worth to the undoing of their houses wives and children and some again from braulings fall to buffetings from buffets to bloudshedding from bloudshedding to hanging and these are the fruits of those gallant sports But this you shall see more plainely by a few particular examples In a towne of Campania a certaine Iew playing at dice with a Christian lost a great summe of money unto him with which great losse being enraged and almost beside himselfe as commonly men in that case are affected hee belched out most bitter curses against Christ Iesus and his mother the blessed Virgin in the midst whereof the Lord deprived him of his life and sense and strooke him dead in the place as for his companion the Christian indeed he escaped sudden death howbeit he was robbed of his wit and understanding and survived not verie long after to teach us not onely what a grievous sinne it is to blaspheme God and to accompanie such wretches and not to shun or at least reprove their outrage but also what monstrous effects proceed from such kinde of ungodly sports and how grievously the Lord punisheth them first by giving them over to blasphemy secondly to death and thirdly and lastly to eternall and irrevocable damnation Let our English gamesters consider this example and if it will not terrifie them from their sports then let them looke to this that followeth which if their hearts be not as hard as adamant will mollifie and perswade them In the yeare 1533. neere to Belissana a citie in Helvetia there were three prophane wretches that played at dice upon the Lords day without the wals of the citie one of which called Vlrich Schraelerus having lost much mony and offended God with many cursed speeches at last presaging to himselfe good lucke he burst forth into these tearmes If fortune deceive me now I will thrust my dagger into the verie body of God as farre as I can now fortune failed him as before wherefore forthwith he drew his dagger and taking it by the point threw it against heaven with all his strength behold the dagger vanished away and five drops of bloud distilled upon the table before them and without all delay the divell came in place and carried away the blasphemous wretch with such force and noyse that the whole city was amased and astonished thereat the other two halfe beside themselves with feare strove to wipe away the drops of bloud out of the table but the more they wiped it the more clearly it appeared The rumor of this accident flew into the citie and caused the people to flocke thicke and threefold unto the place where they found the other two gamesters washing the boord whom by the decree of the Senate they bound with chaines and carried towards the prison but as they passed with them through a gate of the citie one of them was stroken suddenly dead in the midst of them with such a number of lice and wormes creeping out of him that it was both wonderfull and lothsome to behold the third they themselves without any further inquisition or triall to avert the indignation which seemed to hang over their heads put incontinently to death the table they tooke and preserved it for a monument to witnesse unto posterity both how an accursed pastime dicing is and also what great inconveniencies and mischiefes grow thereby But that we may see yet more the vanitie and mischievous working of this sport I will report one storie more out of the same authour though not equall to the former in strangenesse and height of sinne yet as tragicall and no lesse pitifull In the yeare 1550 there lived in Alsatia one Adam Steckman one that got his living by tximming pruning and dressing vines this man having received his wages fell to dice and lost all that he had gotten insomuch that he had not wherewith to nourish his family so that he fell into such a griefe of minde and withall into such paines of the head that he grew almost desperate withall one day his wife being busie abroad left the care of her children unto him but he tooke such great care of them that he cut all their throats even three of them whereof one lay in the cradle and lastly would have hanged himselfe had not his wife come in the meane while who beholding this pitifull tragedie gave a great outcrie and fell downe dead whereupon the neighbours running in
erecteth principalities and which maintaineth Common-wealths Kingdomes and Empires untill by the sum and weight of their iniquities they sink themselves into ruine and destruction And herein is he glorified by the execution of his most just and righteous judgements when the wicked after the long abuse of his lenety benignity and patience doe receive the wages and reward of their iniquities In this I say once again shineth out the wonderfull and incomprehensible wisedome of God when by the due ordering of things so different and so many hee commeth still to one and the same marke which hee once prescribed to wit the punishment of the world according to their demerits And this same is most manifest and apparant even in the Histories of prophane Writers albeit in their purpose it was never intended nor thought upon nor yet regarded almost of any that read the same men contenting themselves for the most part with the simple recitall of the story therein to take pleasure and passe away time without respecting any further matter Notwithstanding the true and principall use of their writings ought to be diligently to marke the effects of Gods Providence and of his justice whereby to learne to conteine our selves within the bounds of modesty and the feare of God seeing that they which have carried themselves any thing uprightly in equity temperance and other naturall vertues have been in some sort spared and the rest bearing the punishment of their iniquities have falne into destruction This consideration ought to perswade every man to turne from evill and to follow that which is good seeing that the Lord sheweth himselfe so incensed against all them which lead a wicked damnable and perverse life And this is the cause why I having noted the great and horrible punishments wherewith the Lord in most righteous judgement hath scourged the world for sin according to that which is contained as well in sacred as prophane Histories having gathered them together and sorted them one after another in their severall rooms according to the diversity of the offences and order and course of time which as neare as I could I endeavoured to sollow to the end to lay downe as it were in one Table and under one Aspect the great and fearefull judgements of God upon them that have rebelled or repugned his holy will And this I do not with purpose to comprehend them all for that were not onely difficult but impossible but to lay open the most notable remarkable ones that came to my knowledge to the end that the most wicked dissolute and disordered sinners that with loose reines runne fiercely after their lust if the manifest tokens of Gods severity presented before their eyes doe not touch them yet the cloud and multitude of examples through the sight of the inevitable anger and vengeance of God upon evill livers might terrifie and somewhat curb them Perjurers Idolaters Blasphemers and other such wicked and prophane wretches with murderers whoremongers adulterers ravishers tyrants shall here see by the mischiefe that hath falne upon their likes that which hangeth before their eyes and is ready to lay hold of them also For albeit for a time they sleep in their sins and blindnesse delighting in their pleasures and taking sport in cruelties and evill deeds yet they draw after them the line wherewith being more ensnared then they were aware they are taken and drawne to their finall destruction And this may teach and advertise both those that are not yet obstinate in their sins to bring themselves to some amendment and those that feare God already to strengthen and encourage them in the pursuit and continuance in their good course For if God shew himselfe so severe a revenger of their sinnes that take pleasure in displeasing him there is no doubt but on the contrary he will shew himselfe bountifull gracious and liberall in rewarding all them according to his promise which seeke to please him and conforme their lives unto his will Great and small young and old men and women and all other of what degree and condition soever may here learne at other mens charges how to governe themselves in duty towards God and betwixt themselves by a holy and unblameable life in mutuall peace and unity and by shunning and eschewing sin against the which God a most just Judge powreth forth his vengeance even upon the heads of them that are guilty thereof Beside here is ample matter and argument to stop the mouthes of all Epicures and Atheists of our age and to leave them confounded in their errors seeing that such and so many occurrents and punishmēts are manifest proofs that there is a God above that guideth the stern of the world and that taketh care of humane matters that is just in punishing the unjust and malicious Againe whereas so much evill and so many sins have reigned and swayed so long time and do yet reign and sway upon the earth we may behold the huge corruption and perversity of mankinde and the rotten fruits of that worme-eaten root Originall sin when we are not directed nor guided by the holy Spirit of God but lest unto our owne nature And hereby true faithfull Christians may take occasion so much the more to acknowledge the great mercy and singular favour of God toward them in that they being received to mercy are renewed to a better conversation of life then others In brief a man may here learne if he be not altogether void of judgement and understanding to have sin in hatred and detestation considering the wages and reward thereof and how the justice of God pursueth it continually even to the extreamest execution which is both sharp and rigorous Touching the word Iudgement I have imitated the language of Holy Scripture wherein as the Ordinances and Commandements of God are called Judgements because in them is contained nothing but that which is just right and equall so likewise the punishments inflicted by God upon the despisers of his Commandements are called by the same name as in Exod. 6. 6. 2 Chron. 20. 12. 22. 8. Ezech. 5. 8. 11. 9. and elsewhere because they also are as just as the former proceeding from none other fountaine save the most righteous judgement of God whereof none can complaine but unjustly The Names of the Authors from whom the most part of the Examples contained in this book are collected Moses and other sacred Writers Tertullian Cyprian Eusebius Socrates Theodoret. Sozomenes Nicephor Ruffinus Suidas Chrysostome Luther Illyricus Herodotus Thucydides Dion Halycarnasseus Diodorus Siculus Polybeus Plutarch Herodian Dyon Procopius Iornandes Agathius Aelianus Tit. Livius Salustius Suetonius Corn. Tacitus Amm. Marcellinus Iustinus Eutropius Lampridius Spartianus Flavius Vopiscus Cuspinianus Orosius Aimoinus Gregor Turonensis Anton Volscus Paulus Diaconus Luitprandus Olaus magnus Gothus Sabellicus Anton. Panormitanus Aeneus Silvius Ravisius Hieronymus Marius Alexander ab Alexandro Petrus Pramonstratensis Mich. Ritius Neapolitanus Fulgosius Fran. Picus Mirandula Bembus
of all so strucke him after that he died Ioram King of Iuda although his father Iosaphat had instructed him from his childehood with holy and wholsome precepts and set before his face the example of his owne zeale in purging the Church of God from all Idolatry and superstition and maintaining the true and pure service of God yet did he so foulely runne astray from his fathers steps that allying himselfe by the marriage of Athalia to the house of Achab he became not only himselfe like unto the Kings of Israel in their filthy idolatry 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 sharply reproved him by letters the contents whereof in summe was this That because he rebelled against the Lord God of his Fathers therefore the people that were in his subjection should rebell against him Presently the Arabians and Philistims rose up against him wasted his countrey robbed him of his treasures tooke away his wives and put all his children to the sword except little Ochozias his youngest sonne that was preserved And after all these miseries the Lord smote him with so outragious and uncurable disease in his bowels that after two yeares torment he died thereof his guts being fallen out of his belly with anguish Ioas also King of the same country was one to whom God had bin many wayes beneficiall from his infancy for he was even then miraculously preserved from the bloudy hand of Athalia and after brought up in the house of God under the tuition of that good Priest Iehoiada yet he was no sooner lifted up into his royall dignity but by and by he and his people started aside to the worship of stocks and stones at that time when hee had taken upon him the repaire of the House of God But all this came to passe after the decease of that good Priest his Tutor whose good deeds towards him in saving his life and giving him the Crowne he most unthankfully recompenced by putting to death his sonne Zacharias whom hee caused for reproving and threatning his Idolatry in a publique 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 have quite oppressed and extinguished the power thereof by the death of this holy Prophet by whom it spake God hissed for an army of Syrians that gave him battell and conquered his souldiers who in outward shew seemed much too strong for them His Princes also that had seduced him were destroyed and himselfe vexed with grievous diseases till at length his owne servants conspired against him for the death of Zacharias and slew 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 carried himselfe also at the first uprightly towards God in his service 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 in the by-paths of his father Ioas for after he had conquered the Idumaeans and slaine twenty thousand men of warre and spoyled divers of their cities in stead of rendring due thanks to God who without the ayde of the Israelites had given him that victory he set up 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 sence and reason was he And being rebuked by the Prophet of his adverse dealing he was so farre from humbling and repenting himself thereof that quite contrary he proudly withstood and rejected the Prophets threatnings menacing him with death if he ceased not Thus by this means having aggravated his sinne and growing more and more obstinate God made him an instrument to hasten his owne destruction for being proud and puffed up with the overthrow which he gave the Edomites he defied the King of Israel and provoked him to battell also but full evill to his ease for he lost the day and was carried prisoner to Ierusalem where before his face for more reproach foure hundred cubits of the wall was broken downe the Temple and Palace ransackt of his Treasures and his children carried for hostages to Samaria And not long after treason was devised against him in Ierusalem so that he fled to Lachish and being pursued thither also was there taken and put to death Likewise King Ahaz for making molten Images for Baalim and walking in the idolatrous wayes of the Kings of Israel and burning his sonnes with fire after the abhomination of the heathen in the valley of Ben-Hinnon was forsaken of the Lord and delivered into the hands of the King of Syria who carried him prisoner to Damascus and not onely 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 were taken prisoners for all these chastisements did he not once reforme his life but rather grew worse and worse To make up the number of his sinnes he would needs sacrifice to the gods of Damascus also thinking to finde succour at their hands so that he utterly defaced the true service of God at Ierusalem broke in pieces the holy Vessels lockt up the Temple dores and placed in their steads his abhominable Idols for the people to worship and erected Altars in every corner of the city to doe sacrifice on But as he rebelled on every side against his God so God raised up enemies on every side to disturbe him the Edomites and Philistims assaulted him on every side beat his people tooke and ransackt his cities on the other side the Assyrians whom he had hired with a great sum for his help turned to his undoing and utter overthrow and confusion Wat shall we thinke of Manasses who re-edified the high places and Altars which the zeale of Ezechâ— as his father had defaced and throwne downe and adored and worshipped the planets of Heaven the Sunne the Moone and the Starres prophaned the porch of Gods Temple with Altars dedicated to strange gods committing thereon all the abhominations of the Gentiles yea and caused his sonnes to passe through the valley of Ben-Hinnon and was an observer of times and seasons and gave himselfe over to witchcraft charming and sorceries and used the help of familiar spirits and Soothsayers and that which is more placed a carved Image in the house of God flat against the second commandement of the Law So that he did not only go astray and erre himselfe in giving over his mind to most wicked and damnable heresies but also seduced the people by his pernitious example and
the siege Machabeus put fire to the towne and consumed the place with the blasphemers in it to ashes Holofernes when Achior advanced the glory of the God of Israel replyed on this fashion Since thou hast prophesied unto us that Israel shall be defended by their God thou shalt prove that there is no God but Nabuchadnezzar 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 prevented his cruell purpose by sudden death und 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 even them that give occasion thereof unto others yea though they be his dearest children as it appeareth by the words of the Prophet Nathan unto King David Because of this deed saith he of murthering Vriah and defiling Bathshabe thou hast made the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the childe that is borne unto thee shall surely die In the Empire of Iulian the Apostata there were divers great men that for the Emperours sake sake forsooke Christ and his religion amongst whom was one Iulian uncle to the Emperour and Governour of the East another Foelix the Emperours Treasurer the first of which two after hee had spoyled all Christian Churches and Temples pissed against the table whereon the holy Sacraments were used to be administred in contempt and strucke Euzoius on the care for reproving him for it the other beholding the holy vessels that belonged to the Church said See what pretious vessels Maries sonne is served withall After which blasphemy the Lord plagued them most strangely for Iulian fell into so strange a disease that his intrailes being rotten he voided his excrements at his mouth because when they passed naturally he abused them to the dishonour of God Foelix vomited bloud so excessively night and day at his blasphemous mouth that he died forthwith About the same time there lived a famous sophister and Epicure called Libanius who being at Antioch demanded blasphemously of a learned and godly schoolemaster What the Carpenters sonne did and how he occupied himselfe Marry quoth the schoolemaster full of the spirit of God the Creator of this world whom thou disdainfully callest the carpenters sonne is making a coffin for thee to carry thee to thy grave whereat the sophister jeasting departed and within few daies dying was buried in a coffin according to the prophesie of that holy man The Emperour Heraclius sending Embassadors to Cosroë the King of Persia to intreat of peace returned with this answer That he would never 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 blasphemy for what with a domesticall calamity and a forrein overthrow 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 as he was on a time banquetting with his companions amongst other things this was chiefest sauce for their meat to blasphme Christ and his mother Mary insomuch as he boasted of a victory already gotten over the Christians God But marke the issue as he descended down the stayres his foot slipping he tumbled headlong and broke his neck wherein his late victory proved a discomfiture and overthrow to his eternall shame and confusion Three souldiers amongst the Tyrigetes a people of Sarmatia passing through a Wood there arose a tempest of thunder and lightening which though commonly it maketh the greatest Atheists to tremble yet one of them to shew his contempt of God and his judgements burst forth into blasphemy and despightings of God But the Lord soone tamed his rebellious tongue for he caused the winde to blow up by the root a huge tree that fell upon him and crushed him to pieces the other escaping to testifie to the World of his destruction At a village called Benavides in Spain two young men being together in a field there arose of a sudden a terrible tempest with such violence of weather and winde and withall so impetuous a whirlwinde that it amased those that beheld it The two young men seeing the fury thereof comming amaine towards them to avoid the danger ran away as fast as they possibly might but make what haste they could it overtooke them who fearing lest the same should swing them up into the ayre fell flatlong down upon the earth where the whirlwinde whisking about them a pretty while and then passing forth the one of them arose so altered and in such an agony that he was scarcely able to stand on his feet the other lying still and not stirring some others afarre off that stood under a hedge went to see how hee did and found him to be starke dead not without markes upon him of wonderfull admiration for all his bones were so crushed that the pipes and joynts of his legges and armes were as easie to be turned the one way as the other as though his whole body had been made of mosse and besides his tongue was pulled out by the roots which could not by any meanes be found though they sought for it most diligently And this was the miserable end of this wretched man who was noted to be a great outragious swearer blasphemer of Gods holy name the Lord therfore chose him out to make him an example to the world of his justice No lesse notable is the example of a young girle named Denis Benesield of twelve yeares of age who going to schoole amongst other girles when they fell to reason among themselves after their childish discretion about God one among the rest said that he was a good old father What hee said the foresaid Denis he is an old doting foole which being told to her mistresse she 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 intreating her mother that she might not goe so that she escaped her mistresses correction But the Lord in vengeance met with her for as she returned homeward suddenly she was stricken dead all the one side of her being black 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 young ones to grow up in blindnesse without nurtering them in the feare of God and reverence of his Majesty and therefore worthy to be remembred of all In the yeare 510 an Arrian Bishop called Olympius being at Carthage in the bathes reproached and blasphemed the holy and sacred Trinity and that openly but lighting fell downe from heaven upon him three times and he was burnt and consumed therewith There was also in the time
got a band of souldiers to defend himselfe yet hee was surprised by the Earles sonnes who tormenting him as became a traitor to bee tormented at last rent his body into foure quarters and so his murder and treason was condignely punished Above all the execution of Gods vengeance is most notably manifested in the punishment and detection of one Parthenius an homicide treasurer to Theodobert king of France who having traiterously slaine an especiall friend of his called Ausanius with his wife â—apianilla when no man suspected or accused him thereof he detected and accused himselfe after this strange manner As hee slept in his bed suddenly hee roared out most pittifully crying for helpe or else hee perished and being demanded what he ailed he halfe asleepe answered That his friend Ausanius and his wife whome hee had slaine long agoe summoned him to judgement before God upon which confession hee was apprehended and after due examination stoned to death Thus though all witnesses faile yet a murderers own conscience will betray him Pepin and Martellus his sonne kings of France enjoying prosperity and ease fell into divers monstrous sinnes as to forsake their wives and follow whores which filthynesse when the Bishop of Tungâ—ia reproved Dodo the harlors brother murdered him for his labor but hee was presently taken with the vengeance of God even a lousie and most filthie disease with the griefe and stinke whereof being moved hee threw himselfe into the river of Mosa and there was drowned How manifest and evident was the vengeance of God upon the murderers of Theodorick Bishop of Treverse â— Conrade the author of it dyed suddenly the souldier that helped to throw him downe from the rocke was choaked as he was at supper two other servants that layd to their hands to this murder slew themselves most desperatly About the yeare of our Lord 700. Geâ—lian the wife of Gosbere prince of Wurtiburg being reproved by Kilianus for incest for shee married her husbands brother wrought such meanes that both hee and his brethren were deprived of their lives but the Lord gave her up to Satan in vengeance so that shee was presently possessed with him and so continued till her dying day A certaine woman of Millaine in Italie hung a young boy and after devoured him instead of meat when as she wanted none other victuals and when she was examined about the crime she confessed that a spirit perswaded her to doe it telling her that after it she should attaine unto whatsoever she desired for which murder shee was to râ—â—â—nted to death by a lingring and grievous punishment This Arlunus reporteth to have happened in his time And surely how soever openly the Divell sheweth not himselfe yet he is the mover and perswader of all murders and commonly the doctor For hee delighteth in mens blouds and their destruction as in nothing more A gentleman of Chaleur in Fossignie being in the Duke of Savoyes army in September the yeare of our Lord 1589 and grieving to behold the cruelties which were exercised upon the poore inhabitants of that countrey resolved to depart from the said army now because there was no safer nor neerer waie for him than to crosse the lake to Bonne he entreated one of his acquaintance named Iohn Villaine to procure him meanes of safe passage over the lake who for that purpose procured two watermen to transport him with his horse apparell and other things being upon the lake the watermen whereof the chiefest was called Martin Bourrie fell upon him and cut his throat Iohn Villaine understanding hereof complained to the magistrates but they being forestalled with a present from the murderer of the gentlemans horse which was of great value made no inquisition into the matter but said that hee was an enemy which was dispatched and so the murderers were justified but God would not leave it so unpunished for about the fifteenth of Iuly 1591 this Bourrie going with divers others to shoot for a wager as hee was charging the harquebuse which hee had robbed the gentleman of when hee murdered him it suddenly discharged of it selfe and shot the murderer through the heart so that hee fell downe starke dead and never stirred nor spake word In the first troubles of France a gentleman of the troups which besieged Moulins in Bourbonnois was taken with sickenesse in such sort that hee could not follow his company when they dislodged and lying at a Bakers house which professed much friendship and kindnesse to him hee put such confidence in him that hee shewed him all the money that he had but so farre was this wretch from either conscience or common honestie that assoone as it was night hee most wickedly murdered him Now marke how God revenged it it happened not long after that the murderer being in sentinell one of his owne fellowes unawares shot him through the arme with a harquebuse whereof he languished the space of three moneths and then died starke mad The town of Bourges being yeelded by Monsieur D'yvoy during the first troubles in France the inhabitants were inhibited from talking together either within or without the towne or from being above two together at a time under colour of which decree many were most cruelly murdered And a principall actor herein was one Garget captaine of the Bourbonne quarter who made a common practise of killing innocent men under that pretence But shortly after the Lord that heareth the crie of innocent bloud met with him for hee was stricken with a burning fever and ranne up and downe blaspheming the Name of God calling upon the Divell and crying out if any would goe along with him to hell hee would pay his charges and so died in desperate and franticke manner Peter Martin one of the Queries of the King of France his stable and Post-master at a place called Lynge in the way towards Poyctou upon a sleight accusation without all just forme of lawfull processe was condemned by a Lord to bee drowned The Lord commanded one of his Faulkners to execute this sentence upon him upon paine to bee drowned himselfe whereupon he performed his masters command But God deferred not the revenge thereof long for within three daies after this Faulkner and a Lackey falling out about the dead mans apparell went into the field and slew one another Thus he that was but the instrument of that murder was justly punished how much more is it likely that the author escaped not scot free except the Lord gave him a heart truely to repent It hath beene observed in the history of France since the yeare of our Lord 1560 that of a thousand murders which remained unpunished in regard of men not tenne of them escaped the hands of God but came to most wretched ends In the yeare of our Lord 1546 Iohn Diazius a Spaniard by birth living a student and Professor in Paris came first to Geneva and then to Strasbrough and there by the
alone and so committed to the mercy of the sea but the sea more mercifull to him than he was to Lothebroke carried him directly to the coast of Denmarke from whence Lothebroke came as it were there to be punished for his murder Here the boat of Lothebroke being well knowne hands were lay upon him and by torments he was enquired into but hee to save himselfe uttered an untruth of King Edmund saying That the King had put him to death in Northfolke Whereupon revenge was devised and to that end an army of men prepared and sent over which was the first occasion of the Danes arrivall in this land Thus was this murther wonderfully discovered by meanes of a dog Plutarch in his book Desolertia aâ—imalium reporteth the like story of a souldier of King Pyrrhus who being slain his dog discovered the murderers for when as the dog could by no meanes be brought from the dead body but fauning upon the King as it were desiring helpe at his hand the King commanded all his Army to passe by in good order by two and two till at length the murtherers came and then the dog flew upon them so fiercely as if he would have torne them in pieces and turning to the king ranne againe upon the murderers Whereupon being apprehended and examined they soone confessed the fact and received condigne punishment for their desert Plutarch ascribeth this to the secret of Natures instinct but we must rather attribute both this and all such like to the mighty finger of God who to terrifie men from shedding humane bloud doth stirre up the dumbe creatures to be revealers of their bloudy sinne The like story the same Author reporteth of the murder of the Poet Hesiod who being slaine by the sonnes of Ganyctor the murder though secret and the Murderers though unknowne to all the world save to God and their owne conscience were discovered and brought to punishment by the means of a dog which belonged to him that was murdered The like also we reade of two French Merchants which travailing together through a certaine Wood one of them rose against the other for the desire of his mony and so slew him and buried him but the Dog of the murdered Merchant would not depart from the place but filled the Woods with howlings and cryes The murderer went forward on his journey and the Inhabitants neere the said Wood found out the murdered corps and also the Dog whom they tooke up and nourished till the Faire was done and the Merchants returned at which time they watched the Highwayes having the Dog with them who seeing the murtherer instantly made force at him without all provocation as a man would doe at his mortall enemy which thing caused the people to apprehend him who being examined confessed the fact and received condigne punishment for so foule a deed The same Author reporteth yet a more memorable and strange story of another murder discovered also by the meanes of a dogge which I may not omit There was saith hee a certaine maid neere Paris who was beloved of two young men the one of whom as he was going to visite his love happened to be murdered by the way and buried now his dog which he had with him would not depart from the grave of his master at the last the young man being missed by his father and brethren was diligently sought for but not finding him at last they found his dog lying upon his grave that howled pittifully as soone as he saw his masters brother the grave was opened and the wounded corps found which was brought away and committed to other buriall untill the murderer should be descryed Afterward in processe of time the dogge in the presence of the dead mans brethren espied the murderer and presently assaulted him with great fiercenesse Whereupon he was appreliended and examined and when by no meanes nor policy he would confesse the magistrate adjudged That the young man and the dogge should combate together The dogge was covered with a dry sod skinne in stead of armour and the murderer with a speare and on his body a thinne linnen cloth and so they both came forth to fight but behold the hand of vengeance the man offering at the dogge with his speare the dogge leaped presently at his face and caught him fast by the throat and overthrew him whereat the wretch amased cryed out to the beholders Take pity on me and pull off the dogge from my throat and I will confesse all the which being done he declared the cause and manner of the whole murder and for the same was deservedly put to death All these murders were discovered by dogges the Lord using them as instruments to reveale his justice and vengeance upon this bloudy sinne but these following by other meanes The murder of the Poet Ibycus was detected by Cranes as you may see in the 36 chapter of this booke more at large set forth Luther recites such another story as that of Ibycus of a certain Almaigne who in travelling fell among theeves which being about to cut his throat the poore man espied a flight of Crows and said O Crows I take you for witnesses and revengers of my death About two or three daies after these murdering theeves drinking in an Inne a company of Crows came and lighted on the top of the house whereupon the theeves began to laugh and say one to another Looke yonder are they which must revenge his death whom we dispatched the other day The Tapster over-hearing them told it to the magistrat who presently caused them to be apprehended and upon their disagreeing in speeches and contrary answers urged them so far that they confessed the truth and received their deserved punishment There was one Bessus as Plutarch reporteth who having killed his father was brought both to knowledge and punishment by the meanes of Swallowes for his guilty conscience persuaded him that the Swallowes in their chattering language did say to one another That Bessus had killed his father whereupon not able to conceale his owne guiltinesse hee bewrayed his horrible fact and was worthily and deservedly for the same put to death But of all the examples that either reading or experience can afford none in my opinion is either more admirable or a more clearer testimony of Gods providence justice than that which hapned about a Lucquois Merchant who comming out of England to Roan in France and from thence making towards Paris was in the way on a mountain neer to Argentueil murdered by a Frenchman his servant and his body throwne amongst the Vines Now as this fact was a doing a blind man ran by being led by his dog who hearing one groane asked who it was Whereunto the murderer answered that it was a sicke man going to ease himselfe The blind man thus deluded went his way and the servant with his masters money and with Papers of his takes up at Paris a good summe
stove fell out among themselves and from words grew to blowes the Candles being put out insomuch that one of them was stabbed with a punyard Now the deed doer was unknowne by reason of the number although the Gentleman accused a Pursevant of the Kings for it who was one of them in the stove The King to finde out the homicide caused them all to come together in the stove and standing round about the dead Corps becommanded that they should one after another lay their right hand on the slain Gentlemans naked breasts swearing they had not killed him the Gentlemen did so and no signe appeared to witnesse against them the Pursevant onely remained who condemned before in his owne conscience went first of all and kissed the dead mans feet but as soone as he layed his hand on his breast the blood gushed forth in abundance both out of his wound and nosthrils so that urged by this evident accusation he confessed the murder and by the Kings owne sentence was incontinently beheaded whereupon as I said before arose that practise which is now ordinary in many places of finding out unknowne Murders which by the admirable power of God are for the most part revealed either by the bleeding of the corpes or the opening of the eye or some other extraordinary signe as daily experience doth teach The same Authour reporteth another example farre more strange in the same letter written to David Chytreus which happened at Itzehow in Denmarke A Traveller was murdered by the high-way side and because the murderer could not be found out the Magistrates of Itzehow caused the body to be taken up and one of the hands to be cut off which was carried into the prison of the Towne and hung up by a string in one of the Chambers about ten yeares after the murderer comming upon some occasion in to the prison the hand which had been a long time dry began to drop blood on the Table that stood underneath it which the Gaoler beholding stayed the fellow and advertised the Magistrates of it who examining him the murderer giving glory to God confessed his fact and submitted himselfe to the rigour of the Law which was inflicted on him as he very well deserved At Winsheime in Germany a certaine Theefe after many Robberies and Murders committed by him upon Travellers and Women with childe went to the Shambles before Easter and bought three Calves heads which when hee put into a Wallet they seemed to the standers by to be mens heads whereupon being attached and searched by the Officers and he examined how hee came by them answered and proved by witnesses that hee bought Calves heads and how they were transformed â—hee knew not whereupon the Senate amazed not supposing this miracle to arise of naught cast the party into prison and tortured him to make him confesse what villany he had committed who confessed indeed at last his horrible murders and was worthily punished for the same and then the heads recovered their old shapes When I read this story I was halfe afraid to set it downe least I should seeme to insert fables into this serious Treatise of Gods Judgements but seeing the Lord doth often worke miraculously for the disclosing of this foule sinne I thought that it would not seeme altogether incredible Another murderer at Tubing betrayed his murder by his owne sighes which were so deepe and incessant in griefe not of his fact but of his small booty that being but asked the question he confessed the crime and underwent worthy punishment Another murtherer in Spain was discovered by the trembling of his heart for when many were suspected of the murder and all renounced it the Judge caused all their breasts to be opened and him in whom he saw most trembling of brest he condemned who also could not deny the fact but presently confessed the same At Isenacum a certaine yong man being in love with a maid and not having wherewith to maintain her used this unlawfull meanes to accomplish his desire upon a night he slew his host and throwing his body into a Cellar tooke away all his money and then hasted away but the terrour of his owne conscience and the judgement of God so besotted him that hee could not stirre a foot untill he was apprchended At the same time Martin Luther and Philip Melancthon abode at Isenacum and were eye-witnesses of this miraculous judgement who also so dealt with this murderer that in most humble and penitent confession of his sinnes and comfort of soule he ended his life By all these examples wee see how hard it is for a murderer to escape without his reward when the justice of man is either too blinde that it cannot search out the truth or too blunt that it doth not strike with severity the man appointed unto death then the justice of God riseth up and with his owne arme he discovereth and punisheth the murderer yea rather than he shall goe unpunished sencelesse creatures and his owne heart and tongue rise to give sentence against him I doubt not but daily experience in all places affordeth many more examples to this purpose and especially the experience of our Judges in criminall causes who have continuall occasion of understanding such matters in their Circuits but these shall suffice for our present purpose CHAP. XII Of such as have murdered themselves WHen the Law saith Thou shalt not kill it not onely condemneth the killing of others but much more of our selves for charity springeth from a mans selfe therfore if they be guilty of murder that spill the bloud of others much more guilty are they before God that shed their owne bloud and if nature bindeth us to preserve the life of all men as much as lyeth in our power then much more are we bound to preserve our owne lives so long as God shall give us leave We are here set in this life as souldiers in a station without the licence of our Captaine we must not depart our soule is maried to the body by the appointment of God none must presume to put a sunder those whom God hath coupled and our life is committed to us as a thing in trust we must not redeliver it nor part with it untill he require it againe at our hands that gave it into our hands Saint Augustine in his first Booke De Civitate Dei doth most strongly evince and prove That for no cause voluntary death is to be undertaken neither to avoid temporall troubles least we fall into eternall nor for feare to be polluted with the sinnes of others lest by avoiding other mens sinnes we encrease our owne nor yet for our owne sinnes that are past for the which we have more need of life that we might repent of them nor lastly for the hope of a better life because they which are guilty of their owne death a better life is not prepared for them These be the words of Augustine wherein he alledgeth
heathen that they that hated them were lords over them In the yeare of our Lord 1551 in a town of Hassia called Weidenhasten The twentieth day of November a cruell mother inspired with Satan shut up all her doores and began to murder her four children on this manner shee snatcht up ā sharpe axe and first set upon her eldest son being but eight yeares old searching him out with a candle behinde a hogs-head where he hid himselfe and presently notwithstanding his pitifull praiers and complaints clave his head in two pieces and chopped off both his armes Next shee killed her daughter of five yeares old after the same manner another little boy of three yeares of age seeing his mothers madnesse hid himselfe poore infant behinde the gate whom as soone as the Tygre espied shee drew out by the haire of the head into the floore and there cut off his head the yongest lay crying in the cradle but halfe a yeare old him she without all compassion pluckt out and murdered in like sort These murders being finished the Diuell incarnate for certaine no womanly nature was left in her to take punishment of her selfe for the same cut her owne throat and albeit she survived nine dayes and confessing her fault dyed with teares and repentance yet we see how it pleased God to arme her own hands against her selfe as the fittest executioners of vengeance The like tragicall accident we reade to have happened at Cutzenborff a City in Silesia in the yeare 1536 to a woman and her three children who having slain them all in her husbands absence killed her selfe in like manner also to make up the tragedy Concerning stepmothers it is a world to reade how many horrible murders they have usually practised upon their children in law to the end to bring the inheritance to their own brood or at least to revenge some injury supposed to be done unto them of which one or two examples I will subnect as a taste out of many hundred leaving the residue to the judgment and reading of the Learned Constantius the son of Heraclius having raigned Emperour but one yeere was poysoned by his stepmother Martina to the end to install her own son Heraclon in the Crown but for this cruell part becomming odious to the Senat they so much hated to have her or her son raigne over them that in stead thereof they cut off her tongue and his nose and so banished them the City Fausta the wife of Constantine the great fell in love with Constantine her sonne in Law begotten upon a Concubine whom when shee could not perswade unto her lust she accused unto the Emperour as a solicitor of her chastity for which cause he was condemned to die but after the truth knowne Constantine put her into a hot bath and suffered her not to come forth untill the heat had choaked her revenging upon her head her sonnes death and her owne unchastity CHAP. XIIII Of Subject Murtherers SEeing then they that take away their neighbours lives doe not escape unpunished as by the former examples it appeareth it must needs follow that if they to whom the sword of Justice is committed of God to represse wrongs and chastise vices do give over themselves to cruelties and to kill and slay those whom they ought in duty to protect and defend must receive a greater measure of punishment according to the measure and quality of their offence Such an one was Saul the first king of Israel who albeit he ought to have beene sufficiently instructed out of the law of God in his duty in this behalfe yet was hee so cruell and bloody-minded as contrary to all Justice to put to death Abimelech the high Priest with fourescore and five other Priests of the family of his father onely for receiving David into his house a small or rather no offence And yet not satisfied therewith he vomited out his rage also against the whole city of the Priests and put to the mercilesse sword both man woman and child without sparing any He slew many of the Gibeonites who though they were reliques of the Amorites that first inhabited that land yet because they were received into league of amity by a solemne oath and permitted of long continuance to dwell amongst them should not have beene awarded as enemies nor handled after so cruell a fashion Thus therefore hee tyrannizing and playing the Butcher amongst his own subjects for which cause his house was called the house of slaughter and practising many other foule enormities he was at the last overcome of the Philistims and sore wounded which when he saw fearing to fall alive into his enemies hands and not finding any of his owne men that would lay their hands upon him desperately slew himselfe The same day three of his sons and they that followed him of his owne houshould were all slaine The Philistims the next day finding his dead body dispoyled among the carkasses beheaded it and carried the head in triumph to the temple of their god and hung up the trunke in disgrace in one of their Cities to be seene lookt upon and pointed at And yet for all this was not the fire of Gods wrath quenched for in King Davids time there arose a famine that lasted three yeeres the cause thereof was declared by God to be the murder which Saul committed upon the Gibeonites wherefore David delivered Sauls seven sons into the Gibeonites hands that were left who put them to the most shamefull death that is even to hanging Amongst all the sins of King Achab and Iezabel which were many and great the murder of Naboth standeth in the fore front for though hee had committed no such crime as might any way deserve death yet by the subtill and wicked devise of Iezabel foolish and credulous consent of Achab and false accusation of the two suborned witnesses he was cruelly stoned to death but his innocent blood was punished first in Achab who not long after the Warre which he made with the King of Syria received so deadly a wound that he dyed thereof the dogs licking up his blood in the same place where Naboths blood was licked according to the foretelling of Elias the Prophet And secondly of Iezabel whom her own servants at the commandement of Iehu whom God had made executor of his wrath threw headlong out of an highwindow unto the ground so that the wals were dyed with her blood and the horses trampled her under their feet and dogs devoured her flesh till of all her dainty body there remained nothing saving onely her skull feet and palme of her hands Ioram sonne of Iehosaphat King of Judah being after his fathers death possessed of the Crowne and Scepter of Judah by and by exalted himselfe in tyranny and put to death sixe of his owne brethren all younger than himselfe with many Princes of the Realme for which cause God stirred up the Edomites to rebell the Philistines and
Lonicerus in his Historicall Theatre reporteth that in a great plague one carkasse was seene to devoure it selfe in a grave which the people being superstitious thought it was a presage of the continuance of the pestilence whereupon they sent unto Wittenberge to Luther and other godly Ministers for their advise and counsell he answered that it was a delusion of the Devill and if they gave credit thereunto the sicknesse would increase and therefore advised them that despising this delusion of the Devill they should joyne together in prayer in Gods holy Temple to represse the furie and malice of the old Serpent which by that meanes they obtained At Rotingburge an honest and worthy Citizen having a beautifull daughter to whom many Sutors frequented there came also one in gallant apparrell and two men attending upon him to be a Sutor unto that beautifull maide but her father being displeased at his importunitie invited the godly Minister of the Town and some other good men to supper where entring into conference of divine matters this gallant abhorring the same desired them to talke of some other merry matters which they refusing to doe he shewed himselfe what he was and with his companions disparished into the aire leaving a filthy stinke behinde him thus the Devill doth go about to delude both men and women Manlius in Col. A certaine man abounding with wealth invited to supper a company of his neighbours and friends who when they refused to come upon occasions hee wished that all the Devils in Hell would come which wishes were not in vaine for presently great troopes of Devils came unto his house which hee entertained at the first and afterward as my Authour saith perceiving by their fingers and feet to be infernall Spirits he with his wife trembling ranne out of the house leaving a young infant in a cradle and a foole rocking of it both which were preserved alive after the departure of the Devils Iob. Fincel The Devill also appeared unto a Souldier that was given to play swearing and drinking and having played with him all night and woon his money hee told him it was time to depart and carryed him away with him into the aire whither God knowes for hee never was seene after In the yeare of our Lord 1536 there was at Franckford a maide grievously tormented with a paine in her head and a kinde of frenzie at the last she came to that passe that it was manifest that she was possessed with the Devill for if she touched any thing of any mans either head garment or anything else she drew money out of it of the usuall coyne of that countrey and presently put it into her mouth and swallowed it but sometimes they caught her hand and wrung their money from her and shewed it up and downe as a great wonder Shee also in her fits spake the high Dutch tongue perfectly which she never learned not heard of with many other things of great admiration Luther being demanded What course was to be taken to dispossesse her of this evill Spirit advised that shee should duely be brought unto the Church to heare Sermons and to bee prayed for publiquely in the Congregation by which meanes shortly after shee was delivered from Sathan and restored to her former health this relation the wise Senatours of Frankeford caused to bee published in Print Anno 1538. Certaine learned men in the Counsell of Basil went into a wood for recreation sake friendly to conferre about the controversies of that time Whilest they were there walking they heard a bird like unto a nightingall singing most sweetly above any Nightingall in the World and also sâ—w a bird upon an arme of a tree not like unto any bird one of the companie more hearty than the other said thus unto her I abjure thee in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ to tell us what thou art to whom the bird answered That she was one of the damned soules and appointed to stay in that place untill the last day and then to endure everlasting punishments whereupon she flue from the tree and cried O perpetuall and infinite 〈◊〉 Mâ—lâ—ncthon judged this to bee an evill spirit and so the event prooved for all that were present at this abjuration fell presently very sicke and shortly after died Manl. Collecta A certaine panish Clerke as Câ—sariuâ— reporteth exâ—elled all men in sweetnesse of singing whom when at a time a godly and holy man heard he said This is the voice not of a man but of the Divell 〈…〉 he had abjured in the name of Christ the Divell departed out of the bodie of the Clerke and the bodie fell downe into a dead carkasse Discip. de tempore Paulus Diaconius in his sixteenth Booke witnesseth That in the reigne of Anastasius the Emperour there were in Alexandria many women and children possessed of the Divell which being taken with furie uttered no other voice but like the barking of a dog In the yeare of our Lord 1545 an evill spirit haunted the Citie Rotuill sometimes in the shape of an hare sometimes of a Weesell sometimes of a Gâ—ose and with a cleere voice threatened that he would fire the Citie which malice of his though God prevented yet it strooke great terror into the minds of the people Iob. Finc lib. 1. In the Dukedome of Luneberge a certaine woman possessed of the Divel used to speake in her fits most pure Latine and Greeke to the great admiration of all that heard her Man in Collect. At Fribuge in Misnia a certaine man of great pietie and holinesse lying sicke and neere unto death the Divell came unto him in the habite of a Bishop hee being alone and exhorted the man to confesse all his sinnes which hee had committed in his life time and that having peâ—ne and Inkehorne he would write them downe in order but the old man being importuned by him answered Seeing thou urgest this write downe first this sentence The seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head which the Divell-Bishop no sooner heard but he vanished away leaving a filthie savour behinde him and the man died in peace Manl. in Collect. Iob Fincelius in his third booke of miracles writeth a strange storie of a godly young maide infested long and possessed at length by the Divell who in her acted strange things to the admiration of all men but at length shee was freed from his malicious molestation by the earnest prayers of godly Ministers in the Church the Divell flying out of her in the forme of a swarme of flies out of a window This storie is at large related with many strange circumstances by Philippus Lonicerus in his Historicall Theatre Page a hundred twenty and six The same Author relateth a storie of a maide of excellent beauty whom the Priest of the towne so induced and inveigled by his perswasions saying that the Pope had pardoned him for all such offences that shee became his Concubine Now when hee had invited many of