Earth-quake wherewith the people were so affrighted that many of them forsook their houses and some houses were so shaken that the Chimnies fell down In January Anno Christi 1648. there was seen a great fiery meteor in the air near Bristow on the South-side of the City for divers nights together in form long with fiery streames shooting out East and West which was the week before the beheading of the late King eye-witnesse Also the day before he was beheaded a great Whale ran himself on shore three miles from Dover where he died He was 66 foot long A thing rarely seen in this Island November the 30th Anno Christi 1650. being St. Andrews day a little before or about Sun-rising the skie opened in a fearful manner in the Southwest over Standish a Town five miles from Gloucester and there appeared a terrible fearful fiery shaking sword with the hilt upwards towards the heavens the point downwards towards the earth the hilt seemed to be blue the Sword was of a great length shaking hither and thither and comming lower towards the earth There was a long flame of fire towards the point sparkling and flaming in a fearful manner to the great astonishment of the Spectators who were many At last the heaven closing the Sword vanished and the fire fell to the earth and ran upon the ground This I had from an eye-witnesse In June Anno Christi 1653. a black cloud was seen over the Town of Pool which a while after was dissolved into a showr of blood that fell warm upon mens hands some green leaves with those drops of blood upon them were sent up to London A little before the Civil broiles between the houses of York and Lancaster wherewith England for a long time was rent in pieces the River Ouse in Bedfordshire stood still and by reason that the waters gave back on both sides men might passe on foot in the very chanel for three miles together not without the astonishment of all that saw it who took it as a presage of the divisions ensuing Camb. Brit. p. 399. Not long before the contention between Galba Otho and Vitellius about the Roman Empire there appeared three Suns as it were pointing out that tripatite contention for the Imperial Diadem April the 7th Anno Christi 1233. there appeared here in England four Suns besides the natural Sun and presently afrer fell out the great contention between our King Henry the third and his Barons and the year after England was wasted with fire snd sword from Wales to Salisbury there ensued also a great drought and Pestilence Stow. Anno Christi 1460. three Suns appeared the very day before the three Earles viz. Edward Earl of March with the Earl of Pembrook and the Earl of Wiltshire fought that great battel in Wales at Mortimer's Crosse where the Earl of March put the other two to flight and slew many of their men Idem Anno Christi 1233. a little before the Warres brake forth between King Henry the third and his Barons there appeared in April in Hereford and VVorcestershire five Suns at once and a certain great circle of a Crystal colour of about two foot in breadth as it were compassing all England Matth. Paris CHAP. XCI Remuneration Retaliation Requital COmmanded sometime by God Gen 9. 6. Exod. 21. 23 c. Lev. 24. 19 c. Matth. 5. 38. Psal. 137. 8. Jer. 50. 15. Rev. 18. 6. Thus God threatens to the enemies of his Church Jer. 30. 16. 48. 26 27. 49. 2. Rev. 13. 10. Jer. 51. 49. Ezek. 35. 5 6. 39. 30. Hab. 2. 8. Joel 3. 6 7 8. 1 Thess. 1. 6. To those that sin in his Church Pit for pit Psal. 7. 15 16. Idolatry for Idolatry Jer. 5. 19. Spoil for spoil Isa. 33. 1. Prov 22. 23. Treachery for treachery Isa. 33. 1. Harlots hire for harlots hire Mich. 1. 7. Not to hear shall not be heard Prov. 1. 28. Zach. 7. 13. Altars for sin with Altars to sin Hos. 8. 11. they that judge shall be judged Matth. 7. 2. Scriptural Examples Pharaoh drowned others and was drowned himself Exod. 1. 22. with 14. 27. 30. Abimelech and the Sechemites Judg. 9. 24 56 57. Adonibezek Judg. 1. 7. Levites Concubine Judg. 19. 2 25. Ahab and Jesabel 1 King 21. 19. with 22. 34 38. 18. 13. 22. 23. 2 King 9. 33 36 37. Kings which were traytors and slew others were slain themselves 2 King 15. 10 14 23 25 30. Agag 1 Sam. 15. 33. Joab 1 King 2. 32. Daniel's enemies Dan. 6. 7 12 15 24. Other Examples Orodes King of Parthia who had overcome and slain Crassus the Roman Consul in his old age fell desperately sick for grief at the losse of his son Pacones slain by Venticius yet his younger son Phraates had not patience to expect his death but gave him poison to accelerate it But behold Gods providence the poison proving a strong purge wrought out not onely it self but the disease too so that Orodes recovered beyond expectation which Phraates seeing strangled him and to settle him the surer in his Kingdome obtained by Parricide he entred into league with the Romans sending back the Ensigns of Crassus and other Presents the Romans to requite him sent him great gifts and amongst the rest a beautiful Italian strumpet by whom he had a son which being grown up by the advice and help of his mother poisoned his father to get his Crown Tulit quae meruit et quae docuit Lipsius Mithridates King of Pontus to get the Crown slew his mother brother and her three sons and as many daughters but in his old age his own son Phanacus slow him for the same cause Lipsius Ptolemaeus one of Alexander's Successours expelling Antigonus seizeth upon Macedonia makes peace with Antiochus enters into league and affinity with Pyrrhus now all things were sure but onelyfor his sister Arsinoe and her sons who had been married to Lysimachus King of Macedonia therefore intending to entrap her he sent Ambassadours to her pretending love promising to marry her to make her partner with him in the Kingdom and her sons his heires protesting that he took up armes for no other end proffering to swear upon the holy Altars when and where she pleased that all this was in good faith The poor Lady deceived hereby sent some of her friends to take his oath before whom he went into the most ancient Temple and there touching the gods and the Altar swears That he sincerely purposed to marry her to make her his Queen and her children his heires otherwise he prayes for vengeance upon himself c. Upon this Arsinoe comes to him is married and crowned Queen of Macedonia then she delivers up to him Cassandrea a most strong City where her children and all her treasures were he having now his desire sends men that slew her children in their mothers lap and drave her into exile but God suffered not this wickednesse to go long unrevenged
second having raised a great Army against the French as he was going out of Rome with it he took his keys and threw them into the River Tibur saying That for as much as the keys of Saint Peter would not serve him to his purpose he would be take himselfe to the sword of Saint Paul Of which Pope it is observed that partly by warre partly by cursings he was the cause of the death of two hundred thousand Christians in the space of seven yeares Act. Mon. Pope Nicolas the first prohibited marriage to the Clergy saying That it was more honest to have to do with many women privately then openly to take one wife Insomuch that a Priest of Placâ—ntia being accused to have a wife and children was deprived of his benefice but proving the same woman to be wife to another man and but his Concubine he was restored againe Iohn the twenty fourth was accused before the Councel of Constance for heresie Simony murther poisonings cousenings Adulteries and Sodomy which being proved against him he was deposed and imprisoned whereupon through vexation and griefe he ended his wretched life A certain Cardinal in Rome much blamed a Painter for colouring the visages of Peter Paul too red to whom he tartly replied That he painted them so as blushing at the lives of those who stiled themselves their successors Pope Honorius the second sent one Iohn Cremensis his Legate into England to disswade the Clergy from marriage who having called a Convocation the Legate made a very accurate speech in the praise of a single life and how fit it was that Ministers should live sequestred from the cares of the world but the night following he himselfe was taken in the very act of adultery Mat. Paris Pope Iulius called for his Pork flesh which was forbidden him by his Physicians and said that he would have it Al despito de Dio in dispite of God And having appointed a cold Peacock to be reserved for him when he missed it the next meale he grew into a great rage and being requested not to be so angry for such a trifle he answered That if God was so angry for an Apple why might not he be as angry for his Peacock Act. Mon. Doctor Cranmer with the Earle of Wiltshire and some others being sent by King Henry the eighth to the Pope about his divorce from Queen Katherin when the day of hearing was come and the Pope sitting in his Pontificalibus put forth his foot to be kissed of the Ambassadors an unmannerly Spaniell of the Earles ran and caught his great Toe in his teeth so that the Ambassadors disdaining to kisse where the Dog had taken an assay let the Pope draw back his foot and so they lost the espicial favour offered unto them Speed Chron. 10. 12. Pope Paul the third when his sonne Farnesis had committed an unspeakable violence on the body of Cosmus Chaerius Bishop of Fanum and then poisoned him held himselfe sufficiently excused that he could say Haec vitia me non commonstratore didicit He never learned this of me Pope Pius Quintus spake thus of himselfe Cùm essem Religiosus sperabam bene de salute animae meae Cardinalis factus extimui Pontifex creatus penè despero When I was first in orders without any other Ecclesiastical dignity I had some good hope of my salvation when I became a Cardinal I had lesse since I was made a Pope least of all Corn. è Lapi Before the Pope is set in his chair and puts on his tripple Crown a piece of Towe or Wadd of straw is set on fire before him and one is appointed to say Sic transit gloria munda The glory of the world is but a blaze Also one day in the yeare the Popes Almoner rides before him casting abroad to the poor some pieces of brasse and lead profanely abusing that Scripture saying Silver and Gold have I none but such as I have I give unto you Pope Adrian the sixth having built a faire Colledge at Lovain caused this inscription to be written upon the gates thereof in letters of Gold Trajectum plantavit Lovanium rigavit Caesar dedit incrementum Utrecht planted me there he was born Lovaine watered me there he was bred up in learning and Caefar gave the encrease for the Emperour had preferred him One to meet with his folly and forgetfulnesse wrote underneath Hic Deus nihil fecit Here God did nothing The Popes have a book called Taxa Camerae Apostolicae wherein men may know the rate of any sinne upon what termes a man may keep a whore be a Sodomite murther his father c. When the Emperour Henry the seventh having pacified Germany went into Italy to reforme the many and great abuses there A certain Monk to gratifie the Pope mixed poison with the bread of the Eucharist and gave it him whereof he died Simps Ec. Hist. King John of England having broken with the Pope was afterwards no good friend to him and his clergy especially to their loose and licentious lives whereupon as the King in his progresse rested himself for two dayes at Swinstead-Abby not far from Lincolne a Monk of that house went to his Abbat and told him that he had a purpose to poison the King saying It 's better that one man should die then that all the people should perish The Abbat wept for joy and absolved the Monk from all his sinnes Then did this varlot mixe the poison of a filthy toade with a cup of excellent wine and brought it to the King saying My Liege here is such a cup of wine as you never drank a better in all your life I trust this wassail shall make all England glad and therewithal began a good draught to him and the King pledging him shortly after died Anno Christi 1605. when the powder-plot was in agitation Catesby one of the Plotters repaired to Garnet a Popish Priest with this case of conscience Whether it was lawful in some cases to destroy the innocent with the wicked This good father so soon as he perceived the conspirators to be in good earnest peremptorily resolved that without all doubt it was when the good coming by it might make compensation for the losse of their lives Pope John the twenty third calling a Councel at Rome against the godly Christians in Bohemia when the Councel was set the Masse of the holy Ghost sung and the Pope placed in his chair there came flying in amongst them an ugly Owle with an ill-fauoured hooting and set her self upon a crosse beam just over against the Pope casting her staring eyes upon him whereupon the whole company began to marvel and whispering each to other said Behold the Spirit is come in the likenesse of an Owle The Pope himself blushed at the matter and began to sweat fret and fume and so being in great distraction dissolved the Councel for the present yet afterwards calling another Sessions when they were met in
said pleasantly unto him Be merry my best sonne for there is not another Prince in the whole world which hath such an Officer to serve him at the table this day To whom the young King scornefully answered Why do ye wonder My father doth not think that he doth more then what becomes him For he being a King onely by the mothers side serveth me who had a King to my father and a Queen to my mother Pol. Virgil. The Great Cham of Tartary had wont when he had dined to cause his trumpeters to sound their trumpets before his palace-gates thereby to give notice to all the Kings in the world that now the great Cham had dined they might take leave to go to dinner A poor Spanish Cobler lying on his death-bed his eldest sonne came to him for his last blessing upon whom he laid a special charge that he should alwayes remember to retain the Majesty worthy his family A Spanish Cavalier for some faults by him committed was whipped thorow the principal streets of Paris and keeping a sober pace he was advised by some that pitied him to go faster that he might scape the better but he halse in Choler replied That he would not alter one step of his pace for all the whipping in Paris A poore woman in Spaine attended by three of her Brats went a begging from doore to doore some French Merchants travelling that way out of pitty proffered to take the bigger of her Boyes into their service but she poore and proud scorned as she said that any of her lineage should endure an Apprentiship for for ought that she knew or they either her son as simple as he stood there might live to be King of Spaine The Spaniard begs in this Method first he looks about to see whether the coast be clear before he will utter one suppliant word then he approaches in a more submisse strain yet if any one chance to cast an eye that way he retreats to familiarity pressing the justnesse of his demands till he obtaines the almes If it be but a penny or so he casts it contemptibly into the donors face but soon after peaceably searches for the money and when it 's found prayes for the benefactor Sigismund King of Hungary having raised a mighty great Army against the Turks when he heard that his enemies approached in great pride said to his souldiers What need we fear the Turks who need not fear the falling of the heavens who with our Speares and Halberds are able to hold them up if they should fall But thus relying upon the arme of flesh his great Army was presently routed and himself hardly escaped in a little boat over the River Danubius leaving most of his Army to the slaughter and captivity of the Turks Turk Hist. Eunomius the Heretick proudly boasting that he knew God and his Divinity Basil to convince him of his ignorance and folly gravelled him in twenty one questions about the body of a Pismire Epist. 168. ad Eunom Philip King of Macedonia proudly boasting of his great victory over the Grecians at Cheronea Archidamus son to Agesilaus took him wisely down with this cooler You cannot saith he see your shadow one jot longer after this great victory then it was before Look of the H. War Henry the sixth the Emperour of Germany being tired out by his Warres with the Pope at last submitted to be crowned by him The Pope also upon some advantageous conditions to himself assented thereunto and sitting in his chaire Pontifical he held the Crowne of gold between his feet the Emperour kneeling and bowing down his head received it thereon but presently the Pope with his foot struck it off again to the ground declaring that he had power to depose him again in case that he offended him Act. Mon. In the beginning of Queen Maries reigne Doctor Pendleton and Master Sanders meeting together began to speak of the Persecution that was like to ensue about which Master Sanders shewed much weaknesse and many feares to whom Pendleton said What man there is much more cause for me to fear then for you forasmuch as I have a bigge and fat body yet will I see the utmost drop of this grease of mine molten away and the last gobbet of this flesh of mine consumed to ashes before I will for sake Jesus Christ and his truth which I have professed yet not long after upon trial poor feeble faint hearted Sanders by the power and goodnesse of God boldly and stoutly by his Ministery confirmed his flock and sealed the truth with his blood whereas this proud Pendleton played the Apostate and turned Papist Act. Mon. A fearful Example of Gods judgement upon pride in haire A most loathsome and horrible disease bred by Luxury and excesse seized especially upon women and by reason of a viscous venemous humour glues together the haire of the head with a prodigious ugly implication and intanglement sometimes taking the forme of a great Snake sometimes of many little Serpents full of nastinesse vermine and noysome smell and that which is most to be admired and never eye saw before pricked with a needle they yield bloody-drops and at the first spreading of this dreadful disease in Poland all that cut off this horrible snaky haire lost their eyes or the humour falling down upon other parts of the body tortured them extreamly It began not many yeeres ago in Poland and afterwards entered into many parts of Germany And me thinks saith mine author our monstrous Fashionists both males and females The one for nourishing their horrid bushes of vanity the other for their most unnatural and cursed cutting of their haire should every houre fear and tremble lest they should bring it upon their own heads and amongst us in this Nation Bolton Examples of such as have sought honour by wickedness Cleopes King of Egipt began to build a huge Pyramis but wanting money before he had finished it and having a beautiful daughter he prostituted her amongst his workmen thereby to get money to perfect his great work which he left as a perpetual monument of his wickednesse and folly Herod L. 4. Rhodophe a famous strumpet in Egypt having gotten a vast some of money by her whoredomes to get her self a great name built a Pyramis though lesse then the other yet of farre more curious workmanship Plut. Erostratus a young man to make himself famous and to perpetuate his name set Diana's Temple at Ephesus on fire which for the stately fabrick was one of the wonders of the world Val. Max. Lib. 8. C. 15. Pausanius asking one by what means he might suddenly become famous the other answered If he would kill some famous man whereupon he presently slew King Philip. Ibidem Caligula seeing that he could not attaine a great name by his vertue used often to wish that some notorious judgement might fall out in his time that thereby his name might be remembered Fulg. Lib. 8. Cap. 15. The wicked
the flesh Gal. 5 20. Scriptural examples Ahab and Zedekiah Jer. 29. 21. Shemaiah Jer. 29. 24 31 32. Hananiah Jer. 28. 13 27. Zedekiah 1 Kings 22. 11 24 25. Shemaiah Nehem 6. 10. Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 15. 3. 16. 6 12 Sadduces Mat. 22. 23. 16. 12. Herod Mark 8. 15. Hymeneus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1. 20. Philetus 2 Tim. 2. 17. Phygellus and Hermogenes 2 Tim. 1. 15. Balaam Revel 2. 14. Barjesus Acts 13. 6 8. Herodians Mark 3. 6. 12. 13. Noadiah Nehem. 6. 14. Jezabel Rev. 2. 20. The Arian Heresie having overspread the City of Antiochia whereupon arose a great Schisme and contention amongst the inhabitants the Lord sent a terrible Earth-quake which overthrew a great part of the City and with the Earth-quake fire also brake forth of the ground which consumed all the residue by both which multitudes of persons perished Evag. Arrius himselfe the father of that Heresie as he was easing nature in a secret place his bowels gushed our and so he died miserably Theod. Saint Augustine being to dispute with Pascentius the Ariâ—â— Pascenâ—ius requested that what passed betwixt them might not be set down in writing and afterwards made his bâ—â—gs that he had wâ—â—sted Augustine in the diâ—pâ—â—e which report was believed of all that desâ—â—ed â—t Aug. 〈◊〉 2 Ep. 17â— Simâ—n Magus after that he was so sharply reproved by â—eter wâ—nt tâ— Rome and taught many abominable heresies affirming himself to be the true God That the wâ—rlâ— was created by Angels that Christ was neither come noâ— did sufferâ— he denied the resurrection of the body brought in the promiscuous use of women used the company of one Hâ—lâ—na an harlot whom he affirmed to be the Holy Ghost and that he begat Angels of her he attempted to shew his power to the people by flying in the aire but falling down he brake his thigh and died miserably Jacks Châ—oâ— p. 186. Manas or Manicheus the Heretick denied the Old Testament called himselfe the holy Spirit and professed that he had power to work miracles whereupon he was sent for by the King of Persia to cure his sonne who lay sick of a dangerous disease but his impostures saiâ—ing and the childe dying under his hand the King caused him to be slaine and his skin taken off and to be stuffed full of chaffe and set up before the gâ—tâ— of the City Simps Nestorius the â—eretick who spake against the union of the Divine and humane nature of Christ making as it were two Christs had his blasphemous tongue â—orted in his mouth and consumed with wormes and at length the earth opened her mouth and swallowed him up Evag. Niceph. The Emperour Valence who was an Arian Heretick was overtaken by the Goths in a Village which they set on fire where in he was burnt to death leaving no successor and his name became a curse and execration to all ages Sozom. Under the reign of Adrian the Emperour there was one called Benchochab who professed himselfe to be the Messias that descended from Heaven in the likenesse of a starre to redeem the Jews whereby he drew a multitude of disciples after him but shortly after himselfe and all his followers were slaine which occasioned the Jews to call him Bencozba the sonne of a lie Eus. Gerinthus the heretick being in a Bath at Ephesus the Apostle John seeing him said to those that were with him Let us depart lest the house wherein the Lords enemy is should fall upon our heads and accordingly when he was gone it fell upon Cerinthus and his associats and killed them Eus. Montanus who denied the Divinity of Christ and called himselfe the Comforter or holy Spirit that was to come into the world And his two wives Priscilla and Maxilla he named his Prophetesses but shortly after God gave him over to despaire that he hanged himselfe Magdebur Niceph. Heraclius the Emperour infected with the Heresie of the Monothelites having raised a great Army against his enemies fifty two thousand of them died in one night whereupon he presently fell sick and died Simps Constance the Emperour a Monothelite was slaine by one of his own servants as he was washing of himselfe in a Bath Simps Constantius the Emperour a great favourer and supporter of the Arian Heresie died suddenly of an Apoplexie Socr. Cyril hath of his own knowledge recorded a wonderful judgement of God upon an Heretick in his time There was saith he presently after the death of Saint Hierom a bold and blasphemous Heretick called Sabinianus who denied the distinction of persons in the Trinity affirming the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost to be but one indistinct person and to gaine credit to his heresie he wrote a book to confirme his opinions which he published in the name of Saint Hierome whereupon Silvanus Bishop of Nazareth sharply reproved him for depraving so worthy a man now dead and to detect his falsehood agreed with Sabinianus that if Hierome did not the next day by some miracle declare his falsehood he would willingly die but if he did the other should die this being agreed upon the day following they went to the Temple at Hierusalem multitudes of people following them to see the issue and the day was now past and no miracle appeared so that Silvanus was required to yield his neck to the headsman which he willingly and confidently did but when he was ready to receive the blow something appeared like Saint Hierome and staid the blow and then vanishing presently the head of Sabinianus fell off and his carcase tumbled upon the ground Grimoald King of Lombardy an Arian Heretick being let blood for some distempers eleven dayes after as he was drawing a bowe the veine opening a new he bled to death Nestorius the Heretick being made Bishop of Constance by Theodosius bespake him thus in a Sermon O Caesar purge me the Land of Hereticks meaning the Orthodox Christians and I shall give thee Heaven Help thou me to root out them and I shall help thee to overcome thine enemies For which cause he was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or fling-fire in French Boutefeux Hist. Trip. About â—he yeere 1629. there lived at Cubbington in Warwick-shire a Gentleman called Master Griswould of a competent estate and a zealous prosessor of Religion familiarly acquainted with most of the godly Ministers and Christians thereabouts and well esteemed of by them till one Canne lately of Amsterdam falling into his acquaintance began to seduce him from his former opinions and practice causing him to scruple first joyning with our Congregations in Prayers and the Sacrament Secondly to question whether he might lawfully hear a conformable Minister though able and godly from thence he fell to separation and after a while he first questioned and after concluded that there was no true Church in the world to which he might adjoyne himselfe and therefore kept himselfe to duties with his own family and rejected all others yet staid he not long here but after