then is the murdering of Parents especially detestable when a man is so possessed with the Devill or transported with a hellish fury that he lifteth up his hand against his own father or mother to put them to death this is so monstrous and inormous an impiety that the greatest Barbarians ever have had it in detestation wherefore it is also expresly commanded in the Law of God That whosoever smiteth his father or mother in what sort so ever though not to death yet he shall die the death If the disobedience unreverence and contempt of children towards their Parents are by the just judgements of God most rigorously punished as hath beene declared before in the first commandement of the second Table how much more then when violence is offered and above all when murder is committed Thus the Aegyptians punished this sinne they put the committants upon a stacke of thornes and burnt them alive having beaten their bodies beforehand with sharpe reeds made of purpose Solon being demanded why he appointed no punishment in his Lawes for Paricides answered that there was no necessity thinking that the wide world could not afford so wicked a wretch It is said that Romulus for the same cause ordained no punishment in his Common wealth for that crime but called every murderer a Paricide the one being in his opinion a thing execrable and the other impossible And in truth there was not for 600 yeeres space according to Plutarchs report found in Rome any one that had committed this execrable fact The first Paricide that Rome saw was Lucius Ostius after the first Punicke warre although other Writers affirme that M. Malliolus was the first and Lucius the second how soever it was they both underwent the punishment of the Law Pompeia which enacted That such offenders should be thrust into a sacke of Leather and an Ape a Cocke a Viper and a Dog put in to accompany them and then to be throwne into the water to the end that these beasts being enraged and animated one against another might wreke their teene upon them and so deprive them of life after a strange fashion being debarred of the use of the aire water and earth as unworthy to participate the very Elements with their deaths much lesse with their lives which kinde of punishment was after practised and confirmed by the constitution of Constantine the Great And albeit the regard of the punishment seemed terrible and the offence it selfe much more monstrous yet since that time there have beene many so perverse and exceeding wicked as to throw themselves headlong into that desperate gulfe As Cleodoricke sonne of Sigebert King of Austria who being tickled with an unsatiable lust of raigne through the deceivable perswasions of Cleodovius King of France slew his father Sigebert as he lay asleepe in his Tent in a forrest at noone time of the day who being weary with walking laid himselfe downe there to take his rest but for all that the wicked wretch was so farre from attaining his purpose that it fell out cleane contrary to his expectation for after his fathers death as he was viewing his treasures and ransacking his coffers one of Cleodovius factors strooke him suddenly and murdered him and so Cleodovius seised both upon the Crowne and Treasures After the death of Hircanus Aristobulus succeeded in the government of Judea which whilest he strove to reduce into a kingdome and to weare a crown contrary to the custome of his predecessors his mother other brethren contending with him about the same he cast in prison took Antigonus his next brother to be his associate but ere long a good gratefull son he famished her to death with hunger that had fed him to life with her teares even his naturall mother And after perswaded with false accusations caused his late best beloved Antigonus to be slaine by an ambush that lay by Strato's tower because in the time of his sicknesse he entred the Temple with pompe But the Lord called for quittance for the two bloodsheds immediately after the execution of them for his brothers blood was scarce washed off the ground ere in the extreamity of his sicknesse he was carried into the same place and there vomiting up blood at his mouth and nosthrils to be mingled with his brothers he fell downe starke dead not without horrible tokens of trembling and despaire Nero that unnaturall Tyran surpassed all that lived as in all other vices so in this for he attempted thrice by poyson to make away his mother Agrippina and when that could not prevaile by reason of her usuall Antidotes and preservatives hee assayed divers other meanes as first a devise whereby she should be crushed to death as she slept a loosened beame that should fall upon her and secondly by shipwracke both which when she escaped the one by discovery and the other by swimming he sent Anicâ—tus the Centurion to slaughter her with the sword who with his companions breaking up the gate of the City where she lay rushed into her Chamber and there murdered her It is written of her that when she saw there was no remedy but death she presented her belly unto the murderer and desired him to kill her in that part which had most deserved it by bringing into the world so vile a monster and of him that he came to view the dead carkasse of his mother and handled the members thereof commending this and discommending that as his fancy led him and in the meane time being thirsty to call for drinke so farre was he from all humanity and touch of Nature but he that spared not to embrue his hands in her blood that bred him was constrained ere long to offer violence to his own life which was most deere unto him Henry the son of Nicolotus Duke of Herulia had two wicked cruell and unkind sonnes by the yonger of whom with the consent of the elder he was traiterously murdered because he had married a third wife for which cause Nicolotus their cousin-german pursued them both with a just revenge for he deprived them of their kingdome and drove them into exile where they soon after perished Selymus the tenth Emperour of Turkes was so unnaturall a childe that he feared not to dispossesse his father Bajazet of the crown by treason and next to bereave him of his life by poyson And not satisfied therewith even to murder his two brethren and to destroy the whole stock of his own blood But when hee had raigned eight yeares vengeance found him out and being at his backe so corrupted and putrified his reins that the contagion spread it selfe over all his body so that he dyed a beast-like and irksome death and that in the same place where he had before oppressed his father Bajazet with an army to wit at Chiurle a city of Thracia in the year of our Lord 1520. in the moneth of September Charles the younger by surname called Crassus
THE THEATRE OF GODS JUDGEMENTS Wherein is represented the admirable Justice of GOD against all notorious sinners great and small specially against the most eminent Persons in the World whose exorbitant power had broke through the barres of Divine and Humane Law Collected out of Sacred Ecclesiasticall and Pagan Historie by two most reverend Doctors in Divinity THOMAS BEARD of Huntington and THO. TAYLOR the famous late Preacher of Mary Aldermanbury in LONDON The incomparable use of this Book for Ministers and others is largely expressed in the Preface The fourth Edition With Additions God hath Woollen feet but Iron hands Aug. LONDON Printed by S. I M. Hand are to be sold by Thomas Whitaker at the signe of the KINGS ARMES in St Pauls Churchyard MDCXLVIII To His Highnesse IAMES Duke of YORK SIR IN the lowliest posture of Humility these Historicall Examples extracted out of the choicest Authors both Ancient and Moderne by two learned Doctors are presented to Your Highnesse Neither would they presume to put themselves under so high a Patronage did I not humbly conceive that being Historicall Peeces they might be fit for Your Highnesse perusall History being the proper'st and most advantagious Study that Princes can apply themselves unto because it containes examples of all sorts In History Brave men stand as Marble Statues erected in the Temple of Immortality and Bad men as Malefactors upon Gibbets expos'd to the publick view of the world to all Posterity Although Your Highnesse hath a Royall Father for an incomparable living Patterne of all the Cardinall Vertues with their Attendants which breaking through these late Clouds of Civill Confusions shin'd with an advantage of lustre to the wonderment of the world as also against any thing that may have the least vicinity with Vice to imitate yet humbly under favour variety of Examples as of Witnesses in Law cannot doe amisse the one for confirmation of Truth the other for direction of Life In which opinion I rest Your Highnesse most Humble and most obedient Servant M. HERON THE PREFACE IF to avoid and eschew vice according to the saying of the Poet be a chiefe vertue and as it were the first degree of wisedome then it is a necessary point to know what vice and vertue is and to discerne the evill and good which either of them bring forth to the end to beware lest we dash our selves unawares against vice in stead of vertue and be caught with the deceitfull baits thereof For this cause the great and famous Philosopher about to lay open the nature of Morall vertues according to that knowledge and light which nature afforded him contented not himselfe with a simple narration of the properties essence and object of them but opposed to every vertue on each side the contrary and repugnant vice to the end that the sight of them being so out of square so hurtfull and pernicious vertue it selfe might be more admirable and in greater esteem And for this cause also God himself our soveraigne and perfect Law-giver that he might fashion and fit us to the mould of true and solid vertue useth ostner negative prohibitons then affirmative commandments in his Law to the end above all things to distract and turne us from cvill whereunto we are of our selves too too much inclined And as by this meane sin is discovered and made knowne unto us so is the pnnishment also of sin set before our eyes by those threatnings and curses which are there denounced to the end that whom the promises of life and salvation could not allure and perswade to doe well them the feare of punishment which followeth sin as a shadow doth the body might bridle and restraine from giving them over to impiety Now then if the very threatnings ought to serve for such good use shall not the execution and performance of them serve much more to wit when the tempest of Gods wrath is not onely denounced but also throwne downe effectually upon the heads of the mighty ones of the world when they are disobedient and rebellious against God And hereupon the Prophet saith That when Gods judgements are upon earth then the Inhabitants learne justice And doubtlesse it is most true that every one ought to reap profit to himself by such examples as well them which are presented daily to their view by experience as them which have been done in times past and are by benefit of History preserved from oblivion And in this regard History is accounted a very necessary and profitable thing for that in recalling to minde the truth of things past which otherwise would be buried in silence it setteth before us such effects as warnings and admonitions touching good and evill and layeth vertue and vice so naked before our eyes with the punishments or rewards inflicted or bestowed upon the followers of each of them that it may justly bee called an easie and profitable Apprentiship or Schoole for every man to learne to get wisedome at another mans cost Hence it is that History is termed of the ancient Philosophers The record and register of Time the light of Truth and the mistresse and looking-glasse of mans life insomuch as under the person of another man it teacheth and instructeth all those that apply their mindes unto it to governe and carry themselves vertuously and honestly in this life Wherefore they deserve great praise and commendation that have taken paines to inroll and put in writing the memorable acts and occurrents of their times to communicate the same to their posterity for there the high and wonderfull works of God doe most clearely and as it were to the view present themselves as his justice and providence whereby albeit hee guideth and directeth especially his owne to wit those that in a speciall and singular manner worship and trust in him as by the sacred Histories touching the state and government of the ancient and Primitive Church it may appeare yet hee ceaseth not for all that to stretch the arme of his power over all and to handle and rule the prophane and unbeleeving ones at his pleasure for he hath a soveraign Empire and predominance over all the World And unto him belongeth the direction and principall conduct of humane matters in such sort that nothing in the world commeth to passe by chance or adventure but onely and alwayes by the prescription of his will according to the which he ordereth and disposeth by a strait and direct motion as well the generall as the particular and that after a strange and admirable order And this a man may perceive if he would but mark and consider the whole body but especially the end and issue of things wherein the great and marvailous vertues of God as his bounty justice and power doe most clearely shine when he exalteth and favoureth some and debaseth and frowneth upon others blesseth and prospereth whom hee please and on the contrarie curseth and destroyeth whom he please and that deserve it It is hee also which
of ours though after a corrupt and sacrilegious forme and that the Jew did not so much aime at their religion as at Christ the subject of it the Lord might shew a miracle not to establish their errour but to confound the Jews impiety especially in those young yeares of the Church In our English Chronicles are recorded many histories of the malitious practises of the Jews against Christians in hatred of Christ Jesus our Saviour whom they in contempt call our crucified God and especially this devillish practise was most frequent amongst them here in England as in Germany France and other places where they were suffered to inhabite namely every year to steale some Christian manâ— childe from the parents and on good Friday to crucifie him in despight of Christ and Christian religion Thus they served a childe at Lincolne named Hugo of nine years of age in the yeare 1255 in the reigne of Henry the third and another at Norwich about the same time having first circumcised him and detained him a whole yeare in custody In which two facts they were apprehended and at Lincolne thirty two of them put to death and at Norwich twenty But this was not all the punishment that they endured as they proceeded and increased in their malice against Christ and his religion so he proceeded in vengeance and indignation against them First therefore at the coronation of Richard the first whereas some of them presumed to enter into the Court-gate contrary to the Kings expresse commandement a great tumult arising thereupon a number of them were slaine and their houses fired in the City of London by the raging multitude and from thence the example spred into all other countries of the Land for they following the example of the Londoners havocked spoyled killed and fired as many Jewes as they could come by untill by the Kings Writs unto the Sheriffe of every County the tumult was appeased and some few of the principall authors and stirrers of this outrage punished And it is to bee noted that this yeare the Iewes held for their Iubilie but it turned to them a yeare of confusion Neither were they thus massacred onely by the Christians but they became butchers of themselves also For in the City of Yorke when as they had obtained the occupying of a certaine Castle for their preservation and afterward were not willing to restore it to the Christians againe and being ready to bee vanquished and offering much money for their lives when as that would not be accepted by the counsell of an old Jew among them every one with a sharpe rasor cut anothers throat whereby a thousand and five hundred of them were at that present destroyed At North-Hampton a number of them were burnt for enterprizing to fire the City with wilde-fire which they had prepared for that purposes besides many grievous impositions and taxes which were laid upon them At last by King Edward the first they were utterly banished this Realme of England in the yeare 1291 For which deed the Commons gave unto the King a Fifteen And about the same time also they were banished out of France for the like practices and still the wrath of God ceaseth not to punish them in all places wheresoever they inhabit But that their Impiety may bee yet more discovered I will here set downe the confession of one of their own Nation a Jew of Ratisbone converted to the Faith one very skilfull in the Hebrew tongue This man being asked many questions about their superstition and ceremonies answered very fitly and being demanded why they thirsted so after Christian mens bloud He said it was a mystery onely knowne to the Rabbines and highest persons but that this was their custome he knew when any of them was ready to dye a Rabbine anointed him with this bloud using these or such like words If hee that was promised in the Law and Prophets hath truly appeared and if this Iesus crucified bee the very Messias then let the bloud of this innocent man that diedin his Faith cleanse thee from thy sins and help thee to eternall life Nay Epiphanius affirmeth That the Jews of Tyberias did more confidently affirme it than thus for they would whisper into a dying mans eare Beleeve in Iesus of Nazareth whom our princes crucified for he shall come to judge thee in the latter day All which declareth how impious they are to goe against their owne conscience and upon how fickle ground all their Religion standeth CHAP. XII Of those that in our age have persecuted the Gospell in the person of the Faithfull AS the Religion of Christ hath beene hitherto cruelly crossed and besieged by the mightiest captaines of this world as hath been partly declared so it hath not been any better entertained by the Potentates of this age that ceased not to disturbe the quiet and pursue to death the lives of Gods children for their professions sake and to bring them utterly to ruine to addresse all the engines and subtilties of their malicious and wicked counsels without leaving any one device unthought of that their wit could imagine or their power afford they joyned craft with force and vile treason with horrible cruelty thereby to suppresse the truth and quench that faire and cleere light which God after long time of blindnesse and ignorance had caused of his infinite mercy to shine upon us There fires were kindled every where with the bones of Martyrs whilest for the space of forty yeares or thereabouts they never ceased to burne those that were followers of that way Now when they saw that all their butcheries and burnings were not able to consume this holy seed but that the more they went about to choake it the more it grew up and increased they tooke another course and raised up troubles and seditions in all quarters as if by that means they should attaine the end of their purpose Hell vomited up all her Furies of warre the whole earth was in a tumult young and old with tooth and naile were imployed to root out the Church of Christ but God stretching forth his arme against all their practises shewed himselfe not only a Conqueror but also a most sharpe revenger of all his adversaries This is most apparent in that which happened to Thomas Arondel an English man Archbishop of Canterbury an enemy and persecutor of the Truth of Christ who having put to death divers holy and upright men thinking that all he did was gain was rooted out at last himselfe by a most strange and horrible death for he that sought to stop the mouth of God in his Ministers and to hinder the passage of the Gospell had his owne tongue so swolne that it stopped his owne mouth that before his death hee could neither swallow nor speake and so through famine died in great despaire Foelix Farle of Wartemberg one of the Captaines of the Emperour Charles the fifth being at supper at Ausburg with many of
been a professor of the Gospell a foretime when William Woolsey Martyr whom the said Denton had first converted from the Truth sent him certaine money out of prison at Ely with his commendations That hee marvelled he tarried so long behinde him seeing he was the first that delivered him the booke of Scripture into his hand and told him that it was the truth his answer was this I confesse it is true but alas I cannot burn But he that could not burne in the cause of Christ was afterward burned against his will for in the year 1564 his house was set on fire and whilest he went to save his goods he lost his life There was also one Burton Bailiffe of Crowland in Lincoln-shire who pretending an earnest friendship to the Gospell in King Edwards time after the Kings death began lustily to set up the Popish Masse againe and would have beaten the poore Curate if he had not setled himselfe thereto but see how the Lords judgement overtook him as hee came riding from Fennebanke one day a Crow flying over his head let fall her excrements upon his face so that it ranne from the top of his nose downe to his beard the poysoned sent and savour whereof so annoyed his stomack that he never ceased vomiting untill he came home and after falling deadly sicke would never receive any meat but vomited still and complaining of that stinke cursing the Crow that had poysoned him to be short within few daies he died desperately without any token of repentance of his former life Hither may we adde the examples of one Henry Smith a Lawyer of the middle Temple and Arnoldus Bomelius a Student of Lovaine both which having professed the Truth a while and after being seduced by evill company the one of Gilford the other of Master Tileman Smith afterward hanged himselfe in his chamber in the Temple in the yeare of our Lord 1569. Bomelius murthered himselfe with his owne dagger And thus these two Apostata's felt the heavy scourge of Gods wrath for revolting from the Truth which they once professed CHAP. XVI Of those that have willingly fallen away THese kinde of Apostata's which we are now to speake of are such as without any outward compulsion threats or likelyhood of danger forsake freely Gods true Religion and give themselves over to all Idolatry Against whom there is a Decree ordained in the thirteenth of Deutronomy by the Law-giver of Heaven which is this If the inhabitants of any city have turned from the Lord to follow after strange gods let them be destroyed with the edge of their sword and their city consumed with fire that they may be utterly rased out and brought to nothing This was the sinne of Solomon King of Israel a brave and mighty kingdome in his time a man subject to none for power nor fearing any for authority yet for all this so filthily recoyling from the Truth which hee knew and had professed that in stead of serving the true God he became a setter up of false Idols and that of his owne freo will and pleasure he that had been so well brought up and instructed from his childehood in true Religion by his School master the Prophet Nathan into whose charge hee was committed and so often and earnestly admonished by his father David to observe diligently the law of God to direct his wayes thereby and whom God vouchsafed this honour to appeare twice unto and to enrich and adorne with such excellent wisedome that the Queene of Saba hearing his report came to Ierusalem to be his auditor even this Solomon in his old age when he should have been most stedfast and constant suffered himselfe to be seduced by the enticements of his strange wives and concubines to offer service unto strange gods and to forsake the God of Heaven to worship the Idols of the Gentiles And as his renowne was great and famous before for building that sumptuous and beautifull Temple at Ierusalem so was his obloquy and reproach the greater for erecting Altars and Chappels for the Idols of his wives and concubines even for every one of their Idols to the intent to flatter and please their humors it was therfore just and equall that the Lord his wrath being provoked against him raised up two strong enemies that wrought him and his people much scath Yea moreover Ieroboam one of his owne servants whilest hee yet lived was by the ordinance of God designed King over ten Tribes and so God punished him for his Idolatry and Backsliding leaving him but a small portion of the kingdome to continue to his successors which had it not been for his father Davids sake had been also taken away It is true That we read not that he ever hindred the service of the Temple or compelled or perswaded any man to worship an Idoll yet he did enough to make him culpable before God of a grievous sinne in that he being the head and Soveraigne Magistrate of the people committed such wickednes and such Apostasie in Israel beside it is a marvellous strengthning that in all his History there is not so much as any token mentioned or to be gathered of his true repentance alter this notable fall And hee that well weigheth the nature and quality of this sinne shall perceive that it somewhat resembleth that which is spoken of Heb. 6. ver 4 5 6 for Solomon was not so ignorant and destitute of the knowledge of God but rather had the treasure of wisedome in fulnesse and abundance and was endowed with the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit that he was able to instruct others and to discharge a Doctors place in the Church as he also did both by word and writing And although that the Sonne of God was nos as then yet manifested in the flesh yet the power and efficacy of his death being everlasting and from the beginning whereof the Law with the ceremonies and sacrifices thereof was as it were a Schoolemaster could not be hidden from him Therefore so soone as he addicted himselfe to his Idolatry he forthwith abandoned the holy ordinances and sacrifices of Gods Law and quitted himselfe of the promise of salvation therein contained disanulling and making of none effect as concerning himselfe the grace of the Mediator ordained from the beginning so that his downfall was terrible and perillous Yet there be that thinke that after all this he wrote the booke of Ecclesiastes as a declaration of his repentance whose opinion I purpose not to contradict Roboam his sonne succeeded him as well in the likenesse of his sinne as of his kingdome for after that the Priests and Levites forsaking the part of Ieroboam because of his Idols and leaving their houses and possessions to strangers had made repaire to him for feare of God and love of his holy service and that he had disposed and put in order his publique affaires for the ratifying and confirming of his kingdome presently he and
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
or feare of God but onely to the intent to counterfeit a kind of honestie and cover his foule vices and cruelties under the cloake of Religion But God quickly espied and punished his deepe hypocrisie for before he had raigned full five yeares both he and his son were slain at Verona by his men of war Let us learn then this lesson by these examples to carry our selves in all purenesse sinceritie and good conscience before God that our thoughts words and deeds being estranged from all hypocrisie and dissimulation may be agreeable and acceptable in his sight Moreover even as hypocrisie can winde and insinuate her selfe into the pure and sincere service of God as hath been declared so doth she play her part with no lesse bravery and ostentation in superstition and idolatry for the truth whereof before I proceed further I will set downe a history not altogether unworthy the reading and remembring Two hundred yeares are not yet past since there was in the raigne of Charles the seventh King of France a certaine preaching Frier of Britaine called Frier Thomas who by his dissembling customes and brags under pretence of a certaine reformation of manners so mightily deceived the whole world that every where he was reputed for an holy man This Frier puffed up with a greedy desire of vaine-glory used to goe from towne to towne and from countrey to countrey finding exceeding honourable entertainment in every place which he tooke very willingly and that he might ride at the more case he got him a little young Mule that would goe very softly and in this sort appointed he was accompanied with divers of his owne Order and many other Disciples that went for the most part on foot by him the people flocked from all quarters to see him yea and many were so besotted as to forsake their fathers mothers wives and children to attend upon this holy man Alwayes when he came neere to any citie the Burgesses and Gentlemen and Clergy with one consent came forth to meet him doing him as much reverence saith mine Author as they would have done to one of Christs Apostles if he were alive Hee was very well content that honourable personages as Knights and such others being on foot should hold his Mule by the bridle to be in stead of pages and lacquies to lead him into the townes His entrance into every citie was with great pompe and magnificence and his lodging provided at the richest and stateliest Burgesses house Now that he might the better play his part they prepared him in the best and convenientest places in the citie a scaffold richly hung and garnished upon the which his custome was first to say Masse then to begin his Sermon wherein he ripped up the vices of every estate but reproved especially the Clergies enormities because of their concubines and whores which they maintained wherein he did say nothing but that which was good and lawfull but in the same he used no discretion but joyned madnesse and sacriledge with his Monkish nature in stirring up little children to exclaime upon women for their attyre promising certain dayes of pardon to them as if he had been a god so that Ladies and Gentlewomen were inforced to lay aside for a season their accustomed trinkets Moreover also towards the end of his Sermons hee commanded to be brought unto him their Chesse-boords Cards Dice Nine-pins and such other trash which he openly threw into the fire to be burned before them all And that he might give more strength and credit to this his paltry rifraffe he caused the men and women to be divided on each side with a line drawne betwixt them as in a Tennis-court and by this means he drew together sometimes twentie thousand persons so ready and zealous is and ever hath been the world to follow after such hypocriticall deceivers rather than the true preachers of Gods Word But let us heare the issue of this holy hypocrite it was thus When he had in the fore-named sort traversed as well France as Flanders it took him in the head to passe the mountaines and visit Rome imagining that it was no hard matter to obtaine the Popeship seeing that in all places where he went there was equall honour given unto him or if he should faile of that hope yet at least the Pope and his Cardinals would entertain him honourably but it happened farre short of his expectation for Popes are not so prodigall of their honours to doe any such reverence to a poore silly Monke but are very niggards and sparing thereof even towards Kings so farre are they from leaving their Thrones of Majestie to any other neither must we thinke that the Pope cared greatly for all those trickes and quidditiâ—s of Frier Thomas seeing he himselfe is the onely merchant of such trash When he was arrived at Rome Pope Eugenius seeing that he came not according to custome to kisse his holinesse feet sent for him twice and understanding that he refused to come and that he feigned himselfe to be evill at ease sent his Treasurer but not to impart to him any treasure but to apprehend and attatch him The Frier now perceiving that enquiry was made for him and that they were at his chamber-dore leapt out at a window thinking by that means to escape but he was quickly taken prisoner by the Treasurers servants waiting before the dore and brought before the Consistory of Cardinals Law proceeded against him by doome wherof though no erroneous opinious could be proved against him he was adjudged to the stake to be burned for an Hereticke but it was sufficient to make him guiltie because he defamed the Priests in his Sermons and had spoken so broadly of their Gossips and had been so bold to usurpe the authoritie of giving pardons which the Popes claime for a priviledge of their owne See and besides had made no more account of him that is a petty god on earth but had done all these things without his leave and licence it was a hard matter to be endured of the Bishops of Rome that a silly Monke should so intermeddle with their affaires and should derogate any whit from their supremacy seeing that they quit themselves so well with Kings and Emperours and can at every sleight occasion make them stoope neither is it to be doubted but that Pope Eugenius was very jealous of the honour which Frier Thomas attained unto in every place and fearfull lest his presence might disturbe his present estate By this meanes God who useth all instruments for his owne purpose and can direct every particular to the performing of his will did punish and correct the hypocrisie of this Monke that seemed to be holy and wise being indeed nothing but foolish stubborne and ambitious Moreover most notable was the hypocrisie of two counterfeit holy Maids one of Kent in England called Elizabeth Barton the other of France called Ioane la Pucelle the former of which by the procurement and
and til the land Now what was the cause of this lamentable destruction of this holy City of the Temple and Sanctuary of the Lord and of his owne people it is set downe by the holy-Ghost in expresse word 2 Chro. 36. 15 16. That When the Lord sent unto them by his Messengers rising early and sending because he had compassion on them and on his habitation they mocked the Messengers of God despised his words and misused his Prophets and therefore the wrath of the Lord arose against his people and there was no remedy Behold here the grievous judgement of the Lord upon such as contemned his Word and despised his Prophets Thus was the first city and temple destroyed and did the second fare any better no verily but far worse for as their sinne was greater in that the former Iews contemned only the Word spoken by the Prophets which were but servants these despised the Word spoken by the Sonne himself which is the Lord of life so their punishment was also the greater for as the Apostle saith If they which despised Moses Law died without mercy how much sorer punishment are they worthy of which tread under foot the Sonne of God and count the bloud of the Testament as an unholy thing and neglect so great salvation which first began to be preached by the Lord himselfe and afterward was confirmed by them which heard him Therefore the destruction of the second city and temple by Titus and Vespasian Emperours of Rome was far more lamentable than that of the former yea so terrible and fearefull was the judgement of God upon that nation at this time that never the like calamitie and misery was heard or read of there at the siege of Ierusalem the famin was so great within the walls and the sword so terrible without that within they were constrained to eat not only leather and old shoo 's but horse-dung yea their owne excrements and some to devour their owne children and as many as issued out were crucified by the Romans as they had crucified the Saviour of the world till they had no more wood to naile them on So that it was most true which our Saviour foreprophesied That such should be the tribulation of that time as was not from the beginning of the world nor should be againe to the end At this destruction perished eleven hundred thousand Iewes as Historians report besides them which Vespasian slew in subduing the country of Galilee over and besides them also which were sould and sent into Aegypt and other provinces to vile slavery to the number of seventeene thousand two thousand were brought with Titus in triumph of which part he gave to be devoured of wilde beasts and part otherwise most cruelly were slaine By whose case all nations may take example what it is to reject the visitation of Gods verity being sent unto them and much more to persecute them which be sent of God for their salvation And here is diligently to be observed the great equity of this judgment they refused Christ to be their King and chose rather to be subject unto Caesar now they are by the said their owne Caesar destroyed when as Christs subjects the same time escaped the danger The like example of Gods wrathfull punishment is to be noted no lesse in the Romans also themselves for despising Christ and his Gospel for when Tiberius Nero the Emperor having received by letters from Pontius Pilat a true report of the doings of Christ Iesus of his miracles resurrection and ascention into heaven and how he was received as God of many good men was himselfe mooved with beleefe of the same and did confer thereof with the whole Senat of Rome to have Christ adored as God But they not agreeing thereunto refused him because that contrary to the law of the Romans he was consecrated said they for a God before the Senat of Rome had decreed and approved him Thus the vaine Senat which were contented with the Emperor to raign over them were not contented with the meeke King of glory the Sonne of God to be their King yea they contemned also the preaching of the two blessed Apostles Peter and Paul who were also most cruelly put to death in the later end of Domitius Nero his raigne and the yeare of Christ 69 for the testimony and saith of Christ. And therefore after much like sort to the Iews were they scourged and entrapped by the same way which they did prefer for as they preferred the Emperour and rejected Christ so did God stirre up their owne Emperours against them in such sort that both the Senators themselves were all devoured and the whole city most horribly afflicted the space almost of three hundred yeares together Neither were they only thus scourged by their Emperors but also by civill wars whereof three were sought in two yeares at Rome after Nero's death as likewise by other casualties for in Suetonius is testified five thousand were hurt and slaine by fall of a Theatre How heavy and searefull the judgement of God hath beene towards those seven famous Churches of Asia to the which the holy Ghost writeth his seven Epistles Revel 2 and 3. histories sufficiently testifie and experience sheweth for whereas in the Apostles time and long after in the dayes of persecution no Churches in the world more flourished after when they began to make light account of the word of God and to fall away from the truth to errors from godlinesse to impieties the Lord also made light account of them and removed his Candlesticke that is the ministery of his Gospell from amongst them and made them a prey unto their enemies and so they which before were subjects to Christ are now slaves to Mahomet and there where the true God was worshipped is now a filthy Idol adored and instead of the Gospel of Christ is the Turks Alcoran in stead of the seven stars and seven candlesticks are seven thousand priests of Mahomet and worshippers of him and thus for the contempt of the Gospel of Christ is the Chrurch of Christians made a cage of Divels Venerable Bede in his Ecclesticall history of England reporteth That about the yeare of our Lord 420 after that the Brittons had been long afflicted by the Irish Picts and Scots and that the Lord had given them rest from all their enemies and had blessed them with such great plenty of corn and fruits of the earth as had not been before heard of they fell into all manner of sins and vices and in stead of shewing themselves thankfull to the Lord for his great mercies provoked his indignation more fiercely against them for as he saith together with plenty grew ryot and this was accompanied with a train of many other foule enormities especially the hatred of the truth contempt of the Word and that not only in the Laity and ignorant people but even also in the Clergy and Sheepheards of the
conquered by the Normans comming with a forreine King being none of their naturall countrey In the yeare of our Lord sixe hundred threescore and eighteene Childerich King of France caused a Nobleman of his Realme called Bolyde to bee bound to a stake and there beaten to death without the pretence of any just crime or accusation against him For which cruelty his Lords and Commons being grievously offended conspired together and slew him and his wife as they were hunting In the raigne of Edward the second and Edward the third Sir Roger Mortimer committed many villanous outrages in shedding much humane bloud but he was also justly recompenced in the end first he murdered King Edward the second lying in Barkeley Castle to the end he might as it was supposed enjoy Isabel his wife with whom he had very suspitious familiarity Secondly he caused Edward the third to conclude a dishonorable peace with the Scots by restoring them all their ancient writings charters and patents whereby the Kings of Scotland had bound themselves to be feudaries to the Kings of England Thirdly he accused Edmund Earle of Kent uncle to King Edward of treason and caused him unjustly to bee put to death And lastly he conspi redagainst the King to worke his destruction for which and divers other things that were laid to his charge he was worthily and justly beheaded In the reigne of Henry the sixt Humfrey the good duke of Gloucester and faithfull protectour of the King by the meanes of certaine malicious persons to wit the Queene the Cardinall of Winchester and especially the Marquesse of Suffolke as it was supposed was arrested cast into hold and strangled to death in the Abbey of Bure For which cause the Lords hand of judgement was upon them all for the Marquesse was not onely banished the land for the space of five yeares but also banished out of his life for ever for as hee sailed towards France hee was met withall by a Ship of Warre and there presently beheaded and the dead corps cast up at Dover that England wherein he had committed the crime might be a witnesse of his punishment The Queene that thought by this meanes to preserve her husband in honour and her selfe in estate thereby both lost her husband and her state her husband lost his realme and the Realme lost Anjou Normandy with all other places beyond the sea Calice onely excepted As for the Cardinall who was the principall artificer of all this mischiefe he lived not long after and being on his death bed murmured and grudged against God asking wherefore hee should die having so much wealth and riches and saying That if the whole Realme would save his life he was able either by policy to get it or by riches to buy it but death would not be bribed for all his aboundant treasure he died miserably more like a Heathen than a Christian without any shew of repentence And thus was the good Dukes death revenged upon the princiall procurers thereof As the murder of a gentleman in Kent called master Arden of Feversham was most execrable so the wonderfull discovery thereof was exceeding rare This Arden being somewhat aged had to wife a young woman no lesse faire than dishonest who being in love with one Mosbie more than her husband did not onely abuse his bed but also conspired his death with this her companion for together they hired a notorious Ruffin one Blacke Will to strangle him to death with a towell as he was playing a game at tables which though secretly done yet by her owne guilty conscience and some tokens of bloud which appeared in his house was soone discovered and confessed Wherefore she her selfe was burnt at Canterbury Michael master Ardens man was hanged in chaines at Feversham Mosbie and his sister were hanged in Smithfield Greene another partner in this bloudy action was hanged in chaines in the high way against Feversham And Blacke Will the Ruffian after his first escape was apprehended and burnt on a seaffold at Flushing in Zeeland And thus all the murderers had their deserved dues in this life and what they endured in the life to come except they obtained mercy by true repentance is easie to judge CHA. XI Of the admirable discovery of Murders AS the Lord hath shewed himselfe a most just Judge in punishing most severely this horrible sinne of shedding mans bloud so hath he alwaies declared his detestation thereof and his will to have it punished by those who are in his stead upon the earth and have the sword of vengeance committed unto them by his miraculous and superhaturall detecting of such murderers from time to time who have carried their villanies so closely as the eye of man could not espy them plainely shewing thereby that the bloud of the slaine crieth to the Lord for vengeance from the earth as Abels did upon Cain and that God will have that law stand true and firme which he made almost before all other lawes He that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed If I should commit to writing all the examples of this kinde which either are recorded in Authors or which dayly experience doth offer unto us it would require rather a full Booke than a short Chapter for that subject And therefore I will be content with some few and those for truth most credible and yet for strangenesse most incredible And to begin with our owne countrey About the yeare of our Lord 867 a certaine Nobleman of the Danes of the kings stock called Lothebrocus father to Inguar and Hubba entring upon a certaine time with his hawke into a cockboat alone by chance through tempest was driven with his hawke to the coast of Northfolke in England named Rodham where being found and detained he was presented to king Edmund that raigned over the East-Angles in Northfolke and Suffolke at that time The King as hee was a just and good man understanding his parentage and seeing his cause entertained him in his Court accordingly and every day more and more perceiving his activity and great dexterity in hunting and hawking bare speciall favour unto him insomuch that the Kings Faulconer bearing privy malice against him for this cause secretly as they were hunting together in a wood did murther him and threw him in a bush Lothebroke being thus murthered and shortly missed in the Kings house no tydings could be heard of him untill it pleased God to reveale the murther by his dog which continuing in the wood with the corps of his Master at sundry times came to the Court and fauned on the King so that the King suspecting some such matter at length followed the trace of the hound and was brought to the place where Lothebroke lay Whereupon inquisition being made at length by some circumstances of words and other suspitions it was knowne that he was murdered by Berikâ— the Kings Faulconer who for his punishment he was set into the same boat of Lothebroke
son to Lodouick the third was possessed tormented with a divell in the presence of his father the Peeres of the Realme which he openly confessed to have justly happened unto him because he had pretended in his mind to have conspired his fathers death and deposition what then are they to expect that doe not pretend but performe this monstrous enterprise A certaine degenerate and cruell son longing and gaping after the inheritance of his father which nothing but his life kept him from wrought this means to accomplish his desire he accused his father of a most filthy unnameable crime even of committing filtâ—inesse with a Cow knowing that if he were convicted therof the law would cut off his life herein he wroght a double villany in going about not only to take away his life which by the law of nature he ought to have preserved but also his good name without respecting that the stain of a father redoundeth to his posterity and that children commoÌ„ly do not only inherit the possessions but also imitate the conditions of their parents but all these supposes laid aside together with all feare of God he indicted him before the Magistrate of incest and that upon his own knowledge insomuch that they brought the poore innocent man to the rack to the end to make him confesse the crime which albeit amidst his tortures he did as soon as he was out he denyed again howbeit his extorted confession stood for evidence and he was condemned to be burned with fire as was speedily executed and constantly endured by him exclaiming still upon the false accusation of his son and his own unspotted innocency as by the issue that followed most cleerely appeared for his son not long after fell into a reprobate mind and hanged himselfe and the Judge that condemned him with the witnesses that bare record of his forced confession within one moneth died all after a most wretched and miserable sort And thus it pleased God both to revenge his death and also to quit his reputation and innocency from ignominy and discredit in this world Manfred Prince of Tarentum bastard son to Frederick the second smothered his father to death with a pillow because as some say he would not bestow the kingdome of Naples upon him and not content herewith he poisoned also the heirs of Frederick to the end he might attain unto the crown as Conrade his elder brother and his nephew the son of Henry the heir which Henry died in prison and now onely Conradinus remained betwixt him and the kingdome whom though he assayed to send after his father yet was his intention frustrate for the Pope thundered out his curses against him and instigated Charles Duke of Angiers to make war against him wherein bastard and unnaturall Manfred was discomfited and slaine and cut short of his purpose for which he had committed so many tragedies Martin Luther was wont to report of his own experience this wonderfull history of a Locksmith a yong man riotous and vicious who to find fuel for his luxury was so bewitched that he feared not to slay his own father mother with a hammer to the end to gain their mony and possessions after which cruell deed he presently went to a shoomaker and bought him new shooes leaving his old behind him by the providence of God to be his accusers for after an houre or two the slain bodies being found by the Magistrate and inquisition made for the murderer no manner of suspition being had of him he seeming to take such griefe therat But the Lord that knoweth the secrets of the heart discovered his hypocrisie and made his owne shooes which hee had left with the Shoomaker rise up to beare witnesse against him for the blood which ran from his fathers wounds besprinckled them so that thereof grew the suspition and from thence the examination and very soon the confession and last of all his worthy and lawfull execution From hence we may learne for a generall trueth that murder never so secret will ever by one means or other be discovered the Lord will not suffer it to goe unpunished so abominable it is in his sight Another son at Basil in the yeare of our Lord God 1560 bought a quantity of poyson of an Apothecary and ministred it to none but to his own father accounting him worthiest of so great a benefit which when it had effected his wish upon him the crime being detected in stead of possessing his goods which he aimed at he possessed a vile and shamefull death for he was drawne through the streets burnt with hot Irons and tormented nine houres in a wheele till his life forsooke him As it is repugnant to nature for children to deale thus cruelly with their parents so it is more against nature for parents to murder their children insomuch as naturall affection is of greater force in the descent than in the ascent the love that parents bear their children is greater than that which children redound to their Parents because the childe proceedeth from the father and not the father from the childe as part of his fathers essence and not the father of his Can a man then hate his own flesh or be a rooter out of that which himselfe planted It is rare yet sometimes it commeth to passe Howbeit as the offence is in an high degree so it is alwayes punished by some high judgement as by these examples that follow shall appeare The ancient Ammonites had an Idoll called Moloch to the which they offered their children in sacrifice this Idoll as the Jewes write was of a great stature and hollow within having seven chambers in his hollownesse whereof one was to receive meat another turtle Doves the third a sheep the fourth a ram the fifth a calfe the sixth an oxe and the seventh a childe his hands were alwayes extended to receive gifts and when a childe was offered they were made fire hot to burne it to death none must offer the childe but the father and to drowne the cries of it the Chemarims for so were the Priests of that Idoll called made a noise with bels cymbals and horns thus is it written that king Ahab offered his son yea and many of the children of Israel beside as the Prophet David affirmeth They offered saith he their sons and daughters to Divels and shed innocent blood c. this is the horrible crime Now marke the judgement concerning the Canaanites the landspued them out for their abominations Achab with his posterity was accur sed himselfe being slaine by his enemies and the crowne taken from his posterity not one being left of his off-spring to pis against the wall according to the saying of Elias as for the Jewes the Prophet David in the same place declareth their punishment when he saith That the wrath of the Lord was kindled and he abhorred his inheritance and gave them into the hands of the