moment that he was brought into the same roome and by accident when hee sate downe to meate plac't just under the hand which though it had beene withered and dryed for so many yeares bled freshly and dropt upon his trencher at which all being amazed the Gaoler went straight to informe the Senate who sent to examine him and he being convinced in conscience by that divine prodigy soone acknowledged himselfe guilty for which he was committed to the charge of the Executioner and according to the custome of those Countries broken upon the wheele In the Diocesse of one of the Dukedomes of Saxony commonly called Gerstenauta there lived in one Village a Shepheard and a Rustick or Husbandman who were of that antipathy in condition that above all measure they hated one another and though neighbours and friends on both sides had appointed sundry meetings to mitigate and reconcile this inveterate malice yet they found it unpossible to be done and so left them to their giddy and haire-brain'd fury which gave them now the more scope and liberty to insidiate one another yet neither of them durst attempt their worst of indignation as fearing the danger of the Law Yet they ceased not back-biting slandering railing calumniating openly besides private whispering and murmuring insomuch as in them lay to take away each others reputation and good fame and moreover to devise and seeke out by what meanes they might dammage one another in their goods chattels or any other part of their estate which grew to such unsufferable height that neither of them able to indure their mutuall incumbrances and detriments secretly agreed together to make an end of all in single fight for which they both prepared themselves against the day appointed The Husband man provides himselfe of a good forrest bill with some other shorter weapons as a ponyard or a dagger to speed his enemy if they should happen to close in the encounter The other causeth a sheephooke to be made of a strong ashen plant in the bottome a pike of three inches long sharpned like the point of a needle and to skrew in and out at pleasure the head thereof though fashioned like a hooke was of massy steele yet made with the like skrew and being taken off there was another pike of six or seaven inches long insomuch that the Smith who had the charge of forging the materials greatly wondered for what use it was Before the day of combate came newes was brought to the other of this dreadfull weapon which â—ut him into a great affright as doubting the successe of the conflict but though his courage failed him yet the canker of his malice still continued and fearing open hostility he began to fly to stratagems and so devilishly ordered the matter that in the silence of the night when the other was fast sleeping he broke into his Cottage and murdered him in his bed which done providing him at home of such things as were necessary he betooke him to his heeles and fled into the Province of Hessia The body being found his suddaine flight might easily without contradiction confirme who was the Homicide and therefore the Countrey left off farther inquiry He now concealeth himselfe in a private house unsuspected of any thinking himselfe secur'd both from pursuit and punishment but Gods Judgements are nearest when malefactors in that heinous kinde thinke them to be farthest off as shall appeare by the subsequence for soone tyred with the closenesse of the house as being still used to the fields and liberty of the fresh aire he one day walking abroad happened to come within the Toyles where the Illustrious Prince of Hesse Philip the first of that name was hunting the wilde Boare and when the beast who was of an extraordinary magnitude was in the hottest of the chase most fiercely pusued by the dogges he ranne directly against this Homicide and goaring him with his tusks gave him sundry mortiserous and deadly wounds and so left him as dead in the place presently the Prince came in and though not knowing the party in his great commiseration commanded his body yet breathing to be borne to Hirifeldia the nearest Towne and all meanes possible to be provided for his cure but all was in vaine within two dayes he died In which time he confest all the manner of his former murder to those that were his visitants withall affirming that he saw not the shape of any Boare but in him the right figure of the Shepheard who with his dreadfull shoep-hooke gave him these lacerating and tormenting wounds which misprision of his is worthy your observation and his History is verified by the fore-named Author Doctor Othâ— Melander You may reade in the Turkish History in the time of Sir Thomas Glovers being there Embassadour that the same noble Gentleman entertained into his family an English-man and made him one of his Domestick servants who was not one whom he brought over out of England but found there as a stranger and traveller whom at his earnest suit what for charity and what for Countrey-sake hee admitted into his house imploying him in sundry affaires in all which he diligently and carefully demeaned himselfe But it so happened that the Embassadours servants being abroad recreating themselves a company of the rude and barbarous Turkes gave them some affront in conclusion from words they grew to blowes and so unto hurliburly in which by the hurling of an unfortunate stone one of the Turkes being hit under the eare died of the blow The Englishmen retire within their priviledge and the Turkes threaten to pull downe the house and to make spoyle of all that was therein for bloud they said ask't bloud and therefore they would have no satisfaction till the offender were delivered into their hands now this servant late entertained was not in the company nor out of his Lords doores all that day briefly because they said they knew the man hee was fore't to cause every servant of the house to shew themselves they with an unanimous voyce clamour That is he That is he who was the man that kept house the day of the tumult His Lord to acquit his innocence made pretesâ—â—tion of the same but all to no purpose that was the man mark't for their vengeance and none else they would have and so hurried him away to prison to be executed the next day but the same night the Lord Embassadors Chaplaine came to comfort him with godly instructions for his soules health and the rather because of his knowne innocence But to cut off circumstance the prisoner freely confessed unto him that he had slaine a man in England no◠〈◊〉 his owne defence but malitiously and fled for the murder where a 〈…〉 travelling divâ—re Countries he at length came into Turkie where he had â—oâ—â—d to have â—etled himselfe Then penetently acknowledging how God in his just Judgement had found him out in that remote place where he thought to have 〈◊〉 orne his vengeance The day
death Againe 3. 6. So the Woman seeing that the Tree was good for meat and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a Tree to be desired to get Knowledge took of the fruit thereof and did eate and gave also to her husband with her and he did eate For which they were most grievously punished and all man-kinde for their sakes For Verse 16. Vnto the Woman God said I will greatly encrease thy sorrowes and thy conception In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children and thy defire shal be subject to thy husband and he shall rule over thee Also to Adam he said Because thou hast obeyed the voice of thy wife and hast eaten of the Treewhereof I commanded thee saying Thou shalt not eate of it Cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life Thornes also and Thistles shall it bring forth unto thee and thou shalt eate the herbe of the field in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread till thou returne to the earth for out of it wast thou taken because thou art dust and to dust shalt thou returne We read Numb 11. 32. then the people arose all that day and all that night and all the next day and gathered the Quailes he that gathered the least gathered ten Homers full and they spread them abroad for their use round about the Host whilst the flesh was yet in their teeth before it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with an exceeding great plague There they buried the people that fell a lusting Deut. 6. When thou shalt eate and be satisfied beware diligently that thou forgettest not the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the Land of Egypt and the house of bondage Againe 21. 20. The Parents shall say to the Elders of his City This our Son is stubborne and disobedient and will not obey our commandement but is a Rioter and a Drunkard Then all the men of the City shall stone him with stones unto death so shalt thou take away evill from amongst you that all Israell may heare it and feare Ecclesiasticus 31. 12. If thou sittest at a costly Table open not thy mouth wide upon it and say not behold much meat Remember that an evill eye is a shame and what thing created is worse then a wicked eye for it weepeth for every cause Stretch not thine hand wheresoever it looketh and thrust it not with it into the Dish Eate modestly that which is set before thee and devour not lest thou bee'st hated Leave then off first for nurtures sake and be not insatiable lest thou offend When thou sittest amongst many reach not thy hand out first of all How little is sufficient for a man well taught and thereby he belcheth not in his Chamber nor feeleth any paine A wholsome sleep commeth of a temprate Belly he riseth up in the morning and is well at ease with himselfe but paine is watching and choler like diseases and pangs of the belly are insatiable men If thou bee inforced to eate arise goe forth and empty thy stomack and then take thy rest so shalt thou bring no sicknesse unto thine house Shew not thy valiantnesse in Wine for wine hath destroyed many the Furnace proveth the edge of the tempering so doth Wine the hearts of the proud by drunkennesse Wine soberly drunk is profitable for the life of man what is life that is overcome with Wine Wine was made from the beginning to make man glad and not for drunkennesse Wine measurably taken and in time bringeth gladnesse and chearefulnesse of the minde but drinke with excesse maketh bitternesse of minde brawlings and scoldings Drunkennesse increaseth the rage of a Foole till he offend it diminisheth his strength and maketh wounds c. Againe 37. 28. be not greedy in all delights and bee not too hasty of all meats for excesse of meats bringeth sicknesse and gluttony commeth with cholerick Diseases By surfeit have many perished and he that dyeteth himselfe prolongeth his life Thus farre the old Testament let us now heare what the Gospel saith Luke 6. 24. Woe be to you that are rich for ye have received your consolation Woe be to you that are full for yee shall be hungry Woe be unto you that now laugh for yee shall waile and weepe Againe 21. 34. Take heed lest at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfeiting and drunkennesse and cares of this life lest that day come upon you unawares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth Watch therefore and pray continually that yee may bee counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that ye may stand before the Sonne of Man Rom. 13. 12. The night is past and the day is at hand let us therefore cast away the workes of darknesse and let us put on the Armour of light so that we walke honestly as in the day not in drunkennesse or gluttony nor in chambering or wantonnesse nor in strife or envying but put yee on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it And Luke 17. In the dayes of Noe they eate and dranke they marryed Wives and were given in marriage even untill the day that Noe entred into the Arke and the floud came and destroyed them all Thus farre the Scriptures I come now to the Fathers St. Ambrose in one of his Sermons saith That ill Ministers wait upon the Throat which alwayes covets but is never satisfied for what is more insatiable then the belly to day it receives to morrow it requires being full it commends abstinence being empty it cannot endure the name of any such vertue Hunger is a friend to chastity an enemy to wantonnesse But saturity betrayeth modesty and corrupts good manners It is not the meat but the immoderate appetite that is condemned For as St. Augustine saith It was not for a Quaile or a Phesant that Eve longed for but for an Apple and thereby brought a curse unto all man-kinde It was not for a Kid or a Lamb of the flock that Esau hungred but for a messe of Broth for which he sold his birth-right Elias was fed with flesh but Iohn the Baptist with Locusts and wilde Honey and David thirsted not for wine but water for which he reprehended himselfe neither was our Saviour in the Wildernesse tempted by the Devill with flesh but bread and as Gregory in his Moralls saith It is not the meat but the lust after it that is in fault for we oft-times may eate of dainty Cates without offence and yet upon course and common fare may sinne by surfeit And in another place where Gluttony is predominant all those honours that men winne are lost and whilst the belly is not bridl'd all vertues runne to havocke but when that is curb'd and
Olofernes the great Captain of the Assyrian hoast slain by Iudith at the siege of Bethulia In Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite whom the great King Ahashuerosh exalted and set his seat above all the Princes that were under him whose pride growing up with his promotion at length advanced him to a Gibbet fiftie foot high upon which in the glory of his ambition he was strangled In Nabuchadnezar and Balthassar King of the Chaldeans In the great King Antiochus who went up towards Iudea and Hierusalem with a mighty people and entred proudly into the Sanctuary and tooke away the golden Altar and the Candlesticke for the light and all the instruments belonging thereto and the Table of the Shewbread and the powring vessels and the Bowles and the golden Basons and the Vayle and the Crownes and the golden apparrell which was before the Temple and brake all in pieces He brake also the Silver and Gold and the precious Jewels with the secret treasures that he found and then departed away into his owne Land But the same proud Prince comming after with great dishonour from Persia the God Almighty stroke him with an invisible and an incurable plague by a paine in his bowels which was remedilesse and which grievously tormented him in the inner parts for so he had tormented other mens bowels with divers cruell and strange torments yet would not hee cease from his arrogance but swelled the more with pride against Gods owne people to destroy them and commanded to haste his journey for that purpose but so it was that he fell downe from the Chariâ—t that ranne swiftly and all the parts and members of his body were bruised Thus he who but a day before thought hee might command the Flouds such was his Luciferian pride beyond the condition of man and to weigh the high mountaines in the ballance was cast on the earth and carried in an horse-litter declaring unto all the world the manifest power of God so that the wormes came out of his body in abundance and his flesh dropt from his bones with paine and torment and all his Army was grieved at his smell No man could now endure him because of his stinke who but a little before thought with his hands he might reach the starres of Heaven And then though too late he began to abate his haughty and peremptory insolence when being plagued he came to the knowledge of himselfe by the just scourge ' of God and by his inward torments which every moment increased upon him and when he himselfe could not abide his owne favour he said It is meet for man to be subject to God and that he who is but mortall should not oppose himselfe against his Maker The like punishment we reade of in the person of Nicanor who came unto Mount Sion whom the Priests and the Elders of the people went forth of the Sanctuary to salute peaceably and to shew him the daily burnt offerings for the King but he laughed at them and derided their devotion accounting them meerely prophane and spake proudly and sware in his wrath If Iudas and his Hoast be not delivered into mine hands If ever I shall returne in safety I will burne up this house c. and so departed thence in great fury but observe the event of his so great ostentation and insolence Iudas after some few dayes though against infinite oddes having slaine Nicanor in battaile and routed his whole Army he caused his head to be struck off and that arme and hand which he had so proudly lifted up against the Temple of the God of Israel and brought them to Hierusalem and there caused them to be hanged up as a remarkable judgement But not to dwell on those frequent in the holy Text I come now to the like examples gathered from Ethnick and Morall remembrancers and out of them give you onely a taste to prevent surfet till I fall upon those more familiar and moderne Alexander the Great in his height of potency and supereminent fortune contemning the remembrance of his father Philip would be called God and commanded himselfe to be stiled the sonne of Iupiter Hamon who notwithstanding in the sufferance of many heats and colds his subjection to humours and passions his enduring of smarts and wounds and all other infirmities belonging to man would not be sensible of his mortality till in the very Apex of his sublimity he was treacherously poysoned and so most miserably expired And Nero the Arch-tyrant since Adam after he had filled the Earth with many insolencies and Rome the theu Worlds Metropolis with infinite Rapes Murders and Massacres not sparing his neare Kinsman Germanicum his corrivall in the Empire nor his great grave and learned Tutor and Master Seneca to make himselfe unparalleld in all kinde of parricidy He caused the wombe of his owne naturall mother Agrippina to be ript up before his face onely in an ambition to discover the place of his first conception notwithstanding which inhumanities hee was so inflamed with an ardent desire of future memory that by a publike Edict he proclaimed that the moneth April should lose its ancient name and be called after his owne appellation Nero and the Citie of Rome Neropolis Yet this proud man in the end being quite abandoned and forsaken of all his Sycophants and oily flatterers was glad to fly from his Royall Court to seeke refuge in a rustick Cottage and with greater terrour to his owne conscience then before he had used tyranny upon the carkasses of others he was compelled to fall upon his sword his body being after most contemptibly dragg'd through the streets of the Citie with more bitter execrations and curses then before he had lived houres or minutes Another called Varus Pergaus was so infected with the adulatory assentations of his Flatterers Buffoones and Trencher-flyes That hee was brought to perswade himselfe to be of all faire men the most beautifull of all able men the most sinnowie and strong of all understanding men the most prudent and wise and that in all kindes of musick and melody he could out-play and out-sing even the Muses themselves But this poore effascinated wretched creature when hee had long fooled and spent the prime and best of his age in this vaine and idle false conceit he grew towards his end to be strangely disfigured and deformed in visage feebled and disabled in his vigour and strength idioted and besotted in his understanding and sence and so farre from song or Harmony that his unlamented death was accompanied with his owne shreeking and howling We further reade of one Menecrates a rare Physitian who in his practise had done many extraordinary cures upon severall Patients insomuch that he was held in a generall admiration especially amongst those to whom he was best knowne who having gathered to himselfe a competent estate or rather a surplusage of meanes that he presumed no casualty or adverse fortune was any way able
rid downe to Hereford in the marches of Wales where at that time his brothers servants were very busie to make provision for the entertainment of the King invited thither by Harold who when he was thither come most cruelly and inhumanely he fell upon the innocent servants and â—lew them all and after cut them into pieces and gobbets which he put into sowce and salt pickling and powdering their limbes and afterward sent messengers to the King and his brother to give them to understand that if they brought fresh meate along with them hee had provided them of powdered meate as much as they could desire Which barbarous act being bruited abroad it made him so hatefull to all men that his owne tenants and people men of Northumberland the Province of which he was then Lord rose up in Armes against him seising all the Lands and Goods of which he was possest and chased him into Flanders with no more then one or two servants to attend him where he remained with his wife and children during the Kings life But when his brother Harold after the decease of K. Edward had usurped the Crowne Fostius envying his brothers Soveraignty having purchased to himselfe a Navy of threescore small ships sailed about the Isle of Wight and the coast of Kent where hee robbed and tooke preyes and from thence went into Lindsee where hee did much harme by fire and sword but was chased thence by Edwin and Malearus the Earles of Mercia and Northumberland Then he sayled into Scotland where he stayed till the Summer after And when Harold Harfager the sonne of Canutus King of Denmarke and Norway invaded the Realme Fostius took part with him against his brother Harold and in a dreadfull battaile fought neare Stemisford Bridge he with all his complices and adherents were miserably cut to pieces A just Judgement suting with his former envy butchery and tyranny But leaving many Histories and Examples with strange inflictions imposed upon this sinne I come to the later times as low as to the raigne of Edward the sixt over whom by his fathers last Will for the time of his minority his two Unkles the brothers Seymors being made chiefe Guardians it happened that the two great Dukes of Northumberland and Suffolke Dudley and Gray much murmured and maligned that they should beare such sway in the Kingdome The one being Lord Protector the other Lord high Admirall one having great power by Land the other by Sea by which their glories seemed to be much ecclipsed and finding no way how to supplant them by their servants they took a newer course and practised it by their wives to draw their ruines out of their owne bosomes and thus it happened Sir Thomas Seymor the younger brother being Admirall and having married King Henries Queene Dowager whose good fortune it was of all the rest to survive her husband she was suggested to contest with her sister in law for priority in place to which the other for both were privately incouraged by the two Dukes would no way assent the one claiming precedence as she had beene Queene the other challenging it as she was now the Protectors wife The wives set their husbands at oddes by taking their parts insomuch that there grew envy and heart-burning betwixt them so that in the third yeare of the young King the Admirall was questioned about his Office and by the consent of his brother condemned in Parliament to have his head strooke off the Protector with his owne hand signing the Warrant for his death The one brother being thus removed there was now the lesse difficulty to supplant the other for in the same moneth of February in which his brother lost his head was the Protector by the Lords of the Counsell committed to the Tower but about a yeare after by intercession of the King and his submission to the Lords of the Counsell upon the sixt of February he was released and set at liberty yet this proved but a lightning before a clap of thunder For the two Dukes his great and potent adversaries still prosecuted their malice insomuch that not long after calling him to a second account when he had nobly acquitted himselfe of all Treasons whatsoever that could be alleadged against him He was in a tryall at Guild-Hall not having a Jewry of his Peeres convicted of Felony and in the first yeare of the King upon the two and twentieth day of Ianuary the great Duke of Sommerset the Kings Unkle and Lord Protector was beheaded upon the Tower Hill But this envy in the two Dukes escaped not without Gods heavy Judgements for after the Kings death Northumberland having a large commission from the Lords signed with the great Seale of England to raise an Army to suppresse the Lady Mary afterward repenting thereof sent a countermand after him and when he thought himselfe in most security the Nobility forsaking him and the Commons abandoning him hee with his sonnes and some few servants in Cambridge were left alone where notwithstanding in the open Market-place he proclaimed the Lady Mary Queene yet in Kings Colledge he was arrested of high Treason and thence brought to the Tower of London and on a scaffold upon the Hill the twelfth day of August next following lost his head The Duke of Suffolke being likewise proclaimed Traytor had a servant called Vnderwood whom he had raised to a faire estate and therefore to his trust he committed his person who for some moneths concealed him in an hollow tree and morning and evening brought him his food with millions of oaths engaged for his truth and fidelity but being corrupted with a small quantity of gold and some large promises he betrayed him and delivered him up to the noble Earle of Huntington under whose conduct the Duke with a strong guard of speare-men was conveyed through London to the Tower and the seaventh day after his surprisall he was arraigned and convicted of Treason in the great Hall at Westminster and upon the twenty fourth day on the Tower Hill beheaded In this relation it is worthy to be observed in those two great Dukes of Sommerset and Northumberland that though the whole Kingdome could scarce satiate their ambitions yet now a small piece of earth contents them for they lie buried together before the Altar in Saint Peters Church in the Tower betwixt two Queenes the wives of King Henry the eight Queene Anne and Queene Katharine they being also both beheaded CHAP. III. Gods dreadfull Judgements against Wrath. DIverse are the divisions and branches of this sinne of Wrath which some reduce to these foure heads Mortall Veniall Capitall Generall It is then called Mortall when it hath a desire to punish not to satisfie the Justice of the Law but its spleene or when through the vehemence of anger it divides from the love of God and our neighbour or when it seekes a severe and cruell revenge for trifling delinquencies It is called Veniall when the motion of ire doth
unanimous people of Rome to Heliogabolus that being dead they cast his martyred body into the common jakes of the City with his mother Semile and after flung them into the river Tiber making also an Edict that his statues before erected should be demolished and his very name to be raced out of all the monuments of the City willing if it had been possible quite to have extirped his memory They likewise when the Emperour Michael Paleologus was dead denyed unto his body any place for Buriall Martiâ—s Sabinus much troubled and inâ—enced that Hostilius was by the sufferage of the people preferred unto the Crown and Kingdom to which he had before aspired when he saw his malice could not vent it selfe against his competitor not able to suppresse his implacable indignation and not knowing any meanes to embrew his hands in the blood of his adversary he could not contain himselfe but shed his own and falling upon his sword desperately slew himselfe Full of cruelty and savouring no humanity at all was that wrath and fury of Septimus Severus who having overcome Clodius Sabinus in battail and utterly defeated his Army himselfe being taken prisoner he commanded that he should be transpierced with a sword and slain but not content with this he caused his wounded body to be stripped naked and laid before his Palace as a publike spectacle to all men so that himselfe might take a full view thereof from the prospect of his window yet could not all this satisfie his malitious cruelty but further he commanded a wilde and untamed jennet to be brought forth to trample and tread upon his face breast belly and the other parts of his body untill all his bones were bruised and broken in his skin and he disfigured all over Nor ended his fury here for he would not suffer his body thus mangled and martyred to be taken thence till the stench thereof grew so noysome to the place that it could be indured no longer and then lastly as a close to the rest he gave leave that it should be cast into the river This and the like prove the old adage to be true Homo homini lupus one man is a wolfe to another but I thinke such fire-hearted and pouder-brained men are worse for no brute beast will prey upon its like the Lion will not tyrannize over the Lion the Bear fall upon the Bear nor the Wolfe on the Wolfe onely Man who is sensible and indowed with reason will not spare his own similitude and likenesse I have read in Solinus an approved Authour of a strange fowle or bird bodied like a Gryphin and equall to it in bignesse onely bearing the face of a man this ravenous Harpy for no more proper appellation I can bestow upon it above all other Creatures desires to make his prey upon humane flesh and when he hath slain any man and glutted himselfe with his dead carcase his use is to go to drinke at the next river in which he no sooner spies his own face but presently a telenting and repentance commeth upon him sorrowing to have been the death of a Creature of his own aspect and countenance which taketh in him such a sensible and deep impression that after that time he wil never taste the least food or sustenance punishing his unnaturall act with one the most terriblest deaths that can be invented Famine If these roysters cutters and swashbucklers those bloody minded Canibals for they are no better in their brutish condition would but make this Bird their Embleme and consider with themselves what sorrow and repentance with a remorse of conscience waites at the heeles of every slaughter and murder committed they would not be so forward to give the lye strike stab nor that which in seeming of all those Fowle ones appeares to the outward view the fairest be so ready to send or entertain challenges or meetings in single combats and duels not before considering that he who fals by the others sword in his rage and therefore without charity there is great doubt of his salvation and the conquerour must dearly answer for his lost soul. Besides if he escape the justice of the Law the worme of conscience shall never leave him but continue him in perdurable torment And now to such murders arising from wrath their strange discovery and judgement In the Raigne of Christierne the second King of Denmarke when some twelve of his prime Courtiers were making merry in a parlor and amongst them one who was Post-master to the King it happened that dissention falling amongst them upon the suddain all the lights in the tumult were put out and one amongst them slain with a poniard but lights at length brought in and the Body found murdered and breathlesse the King desired to have account for his dead subject the Nobles lay all the guilt upon this Postmaster but the King with whom he was then gracious thought it to be done of malice and perswaded himselfe that he was innocent of the act they on the contrary alledge that he was the cause of that meeting that there had been a former grudge and malice betwixt them and moreover that when the lights were brought in he was found next to the dead Body so that they desired the Body to be laid upon a table and every one singly to lay his hand upon the naked breast of the person murdered with a deep protestation that they were innocent of the act which was done in the Kings presence and they came all by course according to the manner proposed but in the Body was found no change or alteration at all at last came the Cursor or Postmaster and first embracing his feet and with many teares kissed them thinking by that meanes if it were possible to pacific his just incensed spirit and at length comming to lay his hand upon the breast of the dead body a double flux of bloud issued from his wounds and nostrils and that in great abundance by which finding himselfe convicted he confessed his malitious act and by the King was committed to the common Executioner This story the Lord Henricus Ranzovius Vicar generall to the King of Denmarke in all his Dukedomes a man illustrious in Nobility and Learning relates in his Responsory to the Consulatory of David Chitraus Another suiting to this I finde related by Doctor Othe Melander in his Iocoserni who speaks of a man who through rankor and hatred had watched his neighbour till he had found meanes by meeting him in the thickets and woods a place convenient for such a mischiefe to lay violent hands upon him and murder him and after escaped without the least suspition of the fact but the body being after brought to the Iizehohensian Senate they gave command that one of the hands should be cut off and hanged up over the dining-table in the common Jayle or Prison It happened that the malefactor being some ten yeares after committed upon some delinquency of no great matter or
and dignity yet he was of that idle condition that he had neither the patience to peruse himselfe or to heare read any thing of what import soever he was to subscribe which his sister Placida observing and willing as farre as she durst modestly to reprove and taxe this strange sloathfulnes in him she devised an instrument or writing in which the Emperour had contracted her his onely sister to a most vile sordid and contemptible fellow who used about the Court and was generally knowne to all which done she caused that paper to be shuffled in amongst many others upon the sealing day to which the Emperor set his hand and signet and the next morrow she came and prostrated her selfe to him weeping and complaining to him of her infelicity and strange disastrous fortune at which the Emperour wondring demanded the cause of her so great sorrow and heavinesse to whom she shewed the writing and his hand and seale to confirme it at which being more amazed he made a great protestation that he never had any such thought or purpose of which the wise and discreet Lady taking advantage she told him the whole circumstance how every thing came about and that it was her owne Act withall beseeching him under pardon to avoid the like or greater inconvenience which might trench upon the honour and discretion of his sacred Majesty which was delivered in such passionate and affectionate language that the Emperour received it from her gratefully and reformed that errour in himselfe for ever after This drowsie and snorting sinne howsoever in outward appearance it seemes innocuous and harmelesse neither dammaging the party infected therewith nor others yet hath many virulent and bitter impendencies which alwayes hang over it as may appeare by History tyrannizing over the strong and insulting over the mighty For example the invincible Hercules whom neither Giants Savage Beasts Serpents nor Monsters could withstand after all his active and immutable labours when hee gave but the least way to sloath and idlenesse it brought him to his utter ruine and destruction who casting off his Lyons skinne and laying aside his mortiferous club with his fatall shafts and bow betook himselfe unto all effeminacie insomuch that changing his masculine habit he put on the loose garments belonging to women that he might the more freely insinuate into the good grace and favour of Oâ—phale Queene of the Lydians of whom he was perditly inamoured At whose command he fashioned those his stubborne and rude fingers before imployed in quelling Tyrants and subduing Monsters to spinne card and draw a corse and untoward thread from the distaffe but what was the end of this sloathfull effeminacie His chaste wife Dianeyra hearing how strangely he had lost himselfe both in his person and reputation of the world thinking to recall him from this dull and sleepy Lethargy sent him a shirt for a present but ignorant that it was poysoned which hee had no sooner put on but it instantly putrified and infected his body all over cleaving so fast to his skinne that in striving to plucke away the linnen he tore the flesh from the bones so that overcome with the anguish and insufferable torture of the poyson he built a huge pile of wood which he had torne from the trees that grew upon Mount Oeta to which having put fire it no sooner grew into a violent flame but first having cast in his club and then his Lyons spoyles he afterwards threw himselfe where he was burnt to ashes The like we reade of the great Assyrian Monarch Sardanapalus whose brave Predecessors from many discents imployed themselves in warlike expeditions and martiall affaires all of them great undertakers and some mighty Conquerours insomuch that the Nation was dreaded throughout the world but this last and worst abandoning all masculine vertue gave himselfe onely to sloathfull delicacy luxury and base metriculosity in that abject and sordid manner that laying aside all that sublimity and excellence which belongs to regall Majestie he forsooke his virill habit and ornaments willing if it had beene possible to have altered his noble sexe by putting on female habit and sequestring himselfe from his martiall Nobility and Counsellers of State converst and had consociety onely with Whores Bawdes Panders Eunuches and Catamites insomuch that he made his Royall Palace worse then any Burdeile or common Brothel-house which his Nobles and Peeres impatient to indure when neither humble intreaty perswasion counsell nor menaces could divert him from his sloath and idlenesse they made an insurrection against him And under Arbactes the Generall having first seised all the Castles and places of strength belonging to the Empire they besieged him in his Pallace profering him even then if he would change his loathed sensuality they would likewise alter their purpose of deposing him but this desperate Devill constant in his ruine despising their indulgent proffers and preferring his beastly and abhominable lusts before life or honour whilest they were yet in parley or before returned them any answer gathered together all his Gems Jewels and Treasure even his whole Magazine which amounted to an infinite Then all his Prostitutes and Concubines with the whole brood of Brothelry and setting fire on the whole Seraglâ—a at once leapt in himselfe amongst them than which incendiary no more acceptable sacrifice could have beene made to the Devill Moreover what greater Conquerour then Iulius Caesar eterniz'd through all Ages for his magnanimity and valour of whose brave and heroicke Acts to give a full expression would aske a voluminous Chronicle who more wakefull provident active adventurous laborious industrious and never out of agitation till he had attained unto that height of supremacy at which he aimed which was no lesse then to be the sole Monarch of the world but after when he came to submit himselfe to the affect of peace and ease and was no longer in action he fell into many monstrous sinnes and horrible and hatefull adulteries for thus Suetoninus reports of him Hee vitiated and corrupted many illustrious Matrons I say not all after he came to be perpetuall Dictator which in effect was Emperour but these are remembred amongst others He stuprated Posthumia the wife of Servius Sisipitius Lollia the wife of Aulâ—s Gabinus Tertullia the wife of Marcus Crassus and Mâ—â—a of Câ—eius Pompeius divorcing himselfe from his owne wife hee was said above all others to be most inamored of Servilia the mother of Marcus Brutus whose love he bought with a Jewell valued at sixe hundred sextertiâ— hee vitiated also Iumia Tertia the daughter of Servilia and wife of Marcus Crassus Hee was said also to devote himselfe to the love of divers Queenes as Euria Maura the wife of King Bogades and Cleopatra most amorously above the rest with whom hee banquetted and rioted night and day from the Sunnes uprising to his sett and from the twilght to the dawning of the day and in the same ship and bed accompanied her through Egypt almost to the
he will take you away with thornes and your posterity with fish-hookes Micah 2. 2. And they covet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away so they oppresse a man and his house even man and his heritage therefore thus saith the Lord. Behold against this family have I devised a plague whereout ye shall not plucke your neckes and you sh all not go so proudly for this time is evill Again 3. 11. The heads thereof judge for rewards and the priests thereof teach for hire and the prophets thereof prophesie for money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us no 〈◊〉 can come upon us therefore shall Sion for your sakes he plowed as 〈◊〉 field and Ierusalem shall be an heaâ— and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest Hab. 2 9. Ho he that coveteth an evill covetousnesse to his house that he may set his nest on high to escape from the power of evill Thou hast consulted shame to thine own house by destroying many people and hast sinned against thine own soul for the stone shal 〈…〉 out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answer it We unto him that buildeth a town with blood and erecteth a city by iniquity 2 Mach. 10. 20. Now they that were with Simon being led with covetousnesse were intreated for money through certain of those that were in the castle and took seventy thousand drac 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some of them escape but when it was told Machubeus what was done he called the governours of the people together and accused those men that they had sold their brethren for money and let their enemies go so he slew them when they 〈◊〉 convict of treason and won the two castles Eccles. 4. 8. There is one alone and there a not a second which hath neither son nor brother yet is there no end of all his travell neither can his eye be satisfied with riches neither doth he thinke for whom do I travell and defraud my soul of pleasure this also is vanity and this is an evill travell Again 5. 9. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver and he that loveth riches shall not enjoy the fruits thereof where goods increase they are increased that eat them and what goods commeth to the owners but the beholding thereof with their eyes the sleep of him that travelleth is sweet whether he eat little or much but the satiety of the rich will not suffer him 〈◊〉 sleep There is an evill sicknes that I have seen under the sun to wit riches reservâ—â— to the owners thereof for their evill and their riches vanish by evill travell 〈◊〉 he begetteth a son and in his hand is nothing I conclude with that of Zephan 1. 18. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousie for he shall make a speedy riddance even of all them that dwell in the land And thus far the Scriptures against this horrid vice of Covetousnesse I come to the Fathers Saint Augustine De verbo Domins useth these words What is this avidity of concupiscence without measure when even beasts themselves observe a mediocrity they onely prey when they are an hungred but cease to spoil when they are satisfied onely the avarice of the rich is insatiable it alwayes rages and is never sated it neither feareth God nor reverenceth man it spareth not the father nor acknowledgeth the mother it regardeth nor brother nor childe but breaketh covenant with a friend it oppresseth the widdow invadeth the orphant distresseth the poor and is prone to bring false witnesses and what a madnesse is it to desire death for life and in seeking to finde gold to lose Heaven And Saint Ambrose in his Sermons thus It is all one for him that hath to take from him that wants and when thou hast and canst to deny relief to the indigent and needy it is the bread of the hungry that thou deteinest the cloathing of the naked that thou keepest backe the money that thou hidest in the earth is the redemption of the captive and know thou robbest so many of those goods as it is in thy power to confer upon the miserable when thou denyest to succour them Those fortunes and those riches are not a mans owne which he cannot carry with him onely mercy and charity forsake not a man in his death Saint Hierome saith To a covetous man that is as much wanting which he hath as what he hath not because hee rather desires to have what hee wants or is still in feare to lose what he hath who whilest in adversity he hopes for prosperity in prosperity hee feares adversity And in another place The covetous man burnes here with the heat of concupiscence and shall burne after in the fire of Gehenna If hee see one more potent then himselfe he suspects an oppressor If one inferiour hee feares a thiefe and such are most unhappy who really suffer whatsoever they shall but feare to suffer Huge lib. de Clar. useth these words There be foure things in the possessing of goods and riches to be observed namely that lawfull things we doe not acquire injustly or being injustly acquired we doe not strive to injoy them unlawfully that we strive not to possesse much though lawfully nor things justly got defend unlawfully for either evilly to acquire or badly to use what is acquired what is lawfull makes unlawfull for to possesse much hath some alliance to avarice and commonly it happens what is too much lov'd is ill defended I conclude with Gregory in one of his Homilies Every avaritious man from drinke doth multiply thirst because when he hath once injoyed what he before coveted he is not therewith satisfied but hath the greater inclination to cover more But from the Fathers I come to Ethnick History and first I will give you the appellation of some rich men Cacilius Camidius was of that infinite estate that though he had lost a great part of his riches in the civill warres of Rome yet at his death he left foure thousand domestick servants and retainers in his stables he had an hundred and threescore horses three thousand and sixe hundred oxen and of other head of cattle two hundred fifty and seaven thousand and pecuniis numeratis that is in ready coyne sixe hundred thousand pound weight who also gave to be expended upon his Funerall eleven thousand Sestertii Marcus Crassus would not allow any man to be called a rich man who was not able out of his private coffers to maintaine a Legion of Souldiers for a yeare the annuall revenue of his fields and grounds arrable and pasture amounted to fiftie hundred thousand crownes of gold Neither did this suffice him saith Pliny but he was ambitious to winne and possesse all the gold of the Parthians
the best friends about him lest they should supplant him from the Imperiall dignity of which he grew the more timerous in regard of divers ominous dreames for there appeared unto him in his slumbers a blazing-starre like a sword and a Monke running with a sword drawn to the Emperours Statue inrag'd and crying out aloud Imperatorem ferrâ— periturum iâ— That the Emperour shall perish by steele Hee dreamed also That he was given to be murdered to one Phocas upon which he sent for one Philippicus out of prison a man whom hee much trusted and asked him Qualis sit Phocas What kinde of man is that Phocas To whom Philippicus answered Centurio ambitiosus sed timidus To whom the Emperour againe replyed If he be a coward he is then a murderer In conclusion he grew into such a great contempt of the Army that they sought to depose him and the Legions and men of Warre about Istrus chose Phocas a barbarous and bloudy Thracian to be Emperour who made all the haste possible to Constantinople where he was crowned in the Suburbs by Cyprian the Patriarch Mauricius in this interim was with his wife and children at Chalcedon where through griefe and trouble of minde he fell sicke thither Phocas sped him with all expedition who first caused his two youngest Sons to be slaine in his sight and then his three daughters and next their mother Constantina the daughter of Tiberius the second the next Emperour before Mauricius who beheld the deaths of his sonnes and daughters with great patience but when he saw his wife in the hand of the tormentor he burst forth into these words acknowledging his faults O Lord God thou art just and and thy Iudgements are right Lastly Phocas commanded his head to be cut off whose body with his wives and children were cast upon the shore to be a publike spectacle for all the people where they lay upon the ground till one of the enemies which had belonged to Mauricius caused them to be interted Achaeus a King of the Lydians was much branded with this vice of covetousnesse who when he had accumulated much riches and that too by sinister meanes not therewith contented hee proceeded further and put new and unheard of taxes and exactions upon his subjects when they knew his Treasury abounded with all fulnesse and plenty In hate of whose extreame avarice they conspired together and made an insurrection against him and having surprised him in his Palace they haled him thence and hanged him on a Gibbet with his heeles upward and his head drowned in the waters of Pactolus whose streames as sundry Authors write are of the colour of gold and hath name amongst the golden rivers an Embleme of his avarice Thus you see this deadly sinne seldome or never escapes without Judgement Neither did Iustinianus the second the sonne of Constantinus Barbatus escape the aspersion of this horrid vice he was the last of the stocke of Heraclius a man covetous unquiet cruell and unfortunate He had two Sycophants who furnisht his coffers and for that were graced by him with all Imperiall power and authority the one Theodosuis a Monke the other Stephanus the Emperours Chaplaine who was in such credit with his Master that he durst beate the old Empresse These two not onely exercised extortion and oppression amongst the Subjects but great cruelty upon the Princes Dukes and Captaines keeping one of them called Leontius two yeares in prison who after escaping by the helpe of the Patriarch was made Emperour and cut off the nostrils of Iustinian and sent him as an Exile to Chersonesus Which Leontius being after surprised by Tiberius Apsimarus he cut off his nostrils and sent him into a Monastery After Iustinian returned being ayded by the Bulgarians and suprising both Leontius and Apsimarus he caused them to be led bound through the Market-place and having first trod upon their necks cut off their heads then hee pulled out the eyes of Callinious the Patriarch and hanged up Heraclius the brother of Apsimarus But at what time he sent his Army against Chirson the Host made Philippicus Bardanes Emperour who made all speed to Constantinople and taking Iustinian and his sonne Tiberius from the Sanctuary commanded them most miserably to be slaine Nay even your greatest Prelates and in the primest places of Episcopall dignity have not beene excluded from this generall sinne of Avarice Martinus Papa was of that gripple and penurious condition that he commanded the ends of wax-candles left after Masse and the other Service to bee brought him home to his Palace to save him light in the nights for his houshold and family And Pontanus writes of one Agolastus a Priest and Cardinall who though he allowed liberally meat for his horses after repenting him of the charge would in the night steale privately into the stable and take the provender out of their mangers which hee used so long that being watcht by the master of his horse and knowing him beate him soundly as if he had beene a common theefe But contrary to these Alexander the first Pope was of that bounty and munificence that scarce any meriting man but tasted freely of his liberality who used to say unto his friends in sport I will tell you all my fortunes I was a rich Bishop I was a poore Cardinall and am at this present a beggarly Pope A great example of this vice of desiring to get and have was that of Alcmaeon the son of Megaclus who when he had entertained some of the chief Nobility of Croesus King of Lidia in their way to Delphos with great humanity and curtesie the King loth to remain indebted to him or at least not some way to correspond with his bounty invited him to his Palace and having abundantly feasted him for some dayes when he was ready to depart and take his leave of the King Nay saith he you shall not part thus empty-handed from me before you have seen my Treasury and take from thence as much gold as you are able to carry who being of the craving and having condition presently provided himselfe of large garmenrs and wide cloathes with deep and spatious pockets and thought not all sufficient for comming to the Magazine having taken thence as much as it was possible for him to dispose of in any place about him he then filled his mouth and crammed it to the very teeth and had conveyances in hair and so swearing under this burden disguised like a man distracted and quite out of his senses he appeared before the King who when he saw him so estranged from himselfe burst into a loud laughter and in contempt of his covetousnesse with great scorne and derision let him depart Thus far Herodotus Neither hath the Feminine sexe been altogether free from the same aspersions but most justly taxed for when Brennus our Countriman and brother to Belinus King of this Land being then Captain of the Gauls besieged Ephesus with his Army a great Lady of
seeing him run they ran after him all not knowing the originall of this uprore they stop him and demand the cause of his flight who in his great affright and terrour of conscience said He was the man They asked what man he answered the same man that committed such a bloody murder so many yeares since upon which he was apprehended and committed to Newgate arraigned by his own confession condemned and hanged first on a gibbet and after at Mile-end in chaines Thus we see how the devill never leaves his ministers and servants especially in this horrid case of murder without shame and judgement Another strange but most true story I shall relate of a young Gentleman of good meanes and parentage brought up in Cambridge whose name for his worshipfull kinreds sake I am desirous to conceal he being of a bould spirit and very able body and much given unto riot and expence could not containe himselfe within his exhibition but being a fellow-commoner lavisht much beyond his allowance to helpe which and to keepe his credit in the Towne he kept a good horse in the stable and oftentimes would flie out and take a purse by the high-way and thus he continued a yeare or thereabouts without the jealousie or suspition of any At length his quarterly meanes not being come up from his father and hee wanting money to supply his ordinary riots hee put himselfe into a disguise tooke horse and crossing New-market Heath he discovered a purchase a serving-man with a cloak-bag behinde him and spying him to travell singly and alone he made towards him and bid him stand and deliver the other unacquainted with that language answered him that he had but little money and what he had he was loath to part with Then said the Gentleman thiefe thou must fight for it Content saith the other and withall both alight and drew and fell stoutly to their businesse in this conflict the honest serving-man was infortunately slain which done the other but sleightly wounded tooke away his cloak-bagge and binding it behinde his owne horse up and fled towards the University and having set up his horse in the Town and carried the cloak-bagge or Portmantuan to his chamber he no sooner opened it but he found a Letter directed to him from his father the contents whereof were That hee had sent him his quarterly or halfe-yeares allowance by his owne man a faithfull servant commended unto him by a deare friend whom he had lately entertained willing his sonne to use the man kindly for his sake which Letter when he had read and found the money told to a penny and considering he had kil'd his owne fathers man whom he had intreated to be used curteously at his hands and onely to take away his owne by force abroad which hee might have had peaceably and quietly brought home to his chamber he grew to be strangely alter'd changing all his former mirth into a deepe melancholy In briefe the robbery and murder were found and known and the Lord chiefe Justice Popham then riding that Circuit whose neare kinsman hee was he was arraigned and condemned at Cambridge Assises though great meanes were made for his pardon yet none could prevaile the Judge forgetting all alliance would neither commiserate his youth nor want of discretion but caused him without respect of person to be hanged up amongst the ordinary and common malefactors Doctor Otho Melander reports this horrible parricide to be committed in the yeare of Grace 1568. within the Saxon confines At a place called Albidos neare unto the Lyon Tower which hath beene an ancient seat of the Dukes of that Countrey There saith he lived a father who had two sonnes the one hee brought up to husbandry the other in merchandise both very obedient and dutifull and given to thrift and good husbandry the Merchant traded in Lubeck where in few yeares hee got a very faire estate and falling sicke even in his prime trading he made his Will in which hee bequeathed to his brother about the summe of five hundred pounds and his father ten and died some few houres after he had setled his estate But before his death he sent to his brother to come in person and receive those Legacies the father not knowing how he had disposed of his meanes dispatcht his other sonne with all speed possible to Lubeck more avaritious after what his sonne the Merchant had left him then sorrowing for his death though hee were a young man of great expectation and of a most hopefull fortune The surviving sonne who was the younger arriveth at the Citie and having first deplored the death of his brother as nature bound him and glad to heare of him so great and good a report he takes out a copie of the Will and after receiveth his money to a farthing and with this new stock seeing what was past hee joyfully returnes into his owne Countrey who at his first arrivall was as gladly welcommed by his father and mother who were over-joyed to looke upon the bagges that hee had brought but when by reading of the Will they saw how partially the money was disposed in that so little fell to their share they first began bitterly to curse the dead sonne and after barbarously to raile on the living out-facing him that he had changed the Will by altering the old and forging a new which the innocent youth denying and excusing himselfe by telling them that the originall was upon record and by that they might be fully satisfied yet all would give them no satisfaction till very wearinesse made them give over their heavy execrations then the sonne offered them whatsoever was his to dispose of at their pleasure which they very churlishly refused and bad him take all and the Devill give him good with it which drew teares from the sonnes passionate eyes who after his blessing craved but denyed very dolefully left them and was no sooner departed from them but to compasse this money they began to devise and consult about his death which they concluded to be performed that night and when hee was sleeping in his bed they both set violently and tygerly upon him forcing daggers into his breast so that inforced with the agony of the wounds he opened his eyes and spying both his parents with their hands imbrued in his bloud he with a loud ejaculation clamour'd out these words or to the same sence Quae non Aurum hominem cogis quae non mala suades In Natos etiam stringere ferra Iubes That is O Gold to what dost thou not compell man to what evils dost thou not perswade are not these sufficient but must thou cause parents to sheath their weapons in their owne bowels their children which words were uttered with such a loud and shrill shreeke that it was heard by the neighbours who starting out of their beds and breaking open the doores found them in the very act before the body was cold for which they were apprehended
eye backbiting pride foolishnesse all these evils come from within and defile a man c. Rom. 13. 12. The night is past and the day is at hand let us therefore cast away the workes of darknesse and let us put on the armour of light so that we walke honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkennesse neither in chambering and wantonnesse c. Corinth 2. 12. 21. I feare least when I come againe my God shall abase me amongst you and I shall bewaile many of them which have sinned already and have not repented them of the uncleannesse and fornication and wantonnesse which they have committed Ephes. 4. 19. Which being past feeling have given themselves unto wantonnesse and to worke all uncleannesse 2 Peter 2. 18. For in speaking swelling words of vanity they beguile with wantonnesse through the lusts of the flesh them that were cleane escaped from those which were wrapped in errour promising them liberty and are themselves the servants of corruption And againe 1 Peter 4. 3. For it is sufficient that we have spent the time past of our life after the lusts of the Gentiles walking in wantonnesse lust drunkennesse in gluttony drinking and abhominable Idolatry wherein it seemeth to them strange that you runne not with them into the same excesse of riot therefore speake they evill of you c. There is also Fornicatio differing in some kinde from the former and this includeth all unlawfull copulation or illicite congression in any tye of wedlock consanguinity affinity order religion or vow and this is twofould spirituall and corporall or carnall that spirituall is meere Idolatry so hatefull to God and so often forbid in the holy Text which is attended by infidelity and every hurtfull superstition It includes also the lust of the eye with the consent of the minde according to that Text Whosoever shall looke upon a woman and lust after her c. All uncleane pollution is called carnall fornication and that which is called simplex or simple is Soluti cum soluta and a most mortall sinne and provoketh the wrath of the Lord Deut. 22. 23. If a maid be betrothed to an husband and a man finde her in the Towne and lie with her then you shall bring them both out unto the gates of the same Citie and shall stone them with stones to death the maide because she cryed not being in the Citie and the man because he humbled his neighbours wife so thou shalt put away evill from among you Eccles. 19. 2. Wine and women leade wise men out of the way and put men of understanding to reproofe and hee that accompanieth adulterers shall become impotent rottennesse and wormes shall have him to heritage and he that is bold shall be taken away and be made an example Jerem. 6. and 7. How should I spare thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworne by them that are no gods Though I fed them full yet they committed adultery and assembled themselves by companies in the harlots houses they rose up in the morning like fed horses for every one neighed after his neighbours wife shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my soule be avenged on such a Nation as this Hosea 4. 10. For they shall eate and not have enough they shall commit adultery and shall not increase because they have left off to take heed of the Lord wheredome and wine and new wine take away thine heart Againe Vers. 14. I will not visit your daughters when they are harlots nor their spouses when they are whores for they themselves are separated with harlots and sacrifice with whores therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall 1 Cor. 6. The fornicatour shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Hebr. 3. Nor the fornicatours and adulterers Adulterium or Adultery the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrews Ninph and it is twofold Spirituall and Carnall that which is called spirituall is metaphoricall including every sin committed by a Christian man because every Christian soul is contracted to Christ the Husband That which is called carnall is either simple or single when but the one party is married or double when both are in the matrimoniall or conjugall tie and all of these are condemned in the holy Text Gen. 20. 3. God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said unto him Behold thou art but dead because of the woman Sarah whom thou hast taken for she is a mans wife Now then deliver the man his wife again for he is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee that thou mayst live but if thou deliver her not again be sure that thou shalt die the death even thou and all that thou hast Lev. 20. 10. And the man that committeth adultery with another mans wife because he hath committed adultery with another mans wife the adulterer and the adulteresse shall die the death Lev. 5. 20. But if thou hast turned from thine husband and so art defiled and some man hath lien with thee besides thine husband then the Priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing and the Priest shall say unto the woman The Lord make thee to be accursed and detestable for the oath among the people and the Lord cause thy thigh to rot and thy belly to swell Verse 28. When ye have made her drinke the water if she be defiled and have transgressed against her husband then shall the cursedwater turned into bitternesse enter into her and her belly shall swell and herthigh shall rot and the woman shall be accursed amongst the people Prov. 32. He that committeth adultery with a woman is destitute of understanding he that doth it destroyeth his own soul he shall finde a wound and dishonour and his reproach shall never be put away Again 30. 18. There be three things hid from me yea four that I know not The way of an Eagle in the air the way of a Serpent upon a stone the way of a ship in the midst of the sea and the way of a man with a maid Such is the way also of an adulterous woman she eateth and wipeth her mouth and saith I have not committed iniquity Eccles. 23. 22. And thus shall it go with every wife that leaveth her husband and getteth inheritance by another for first she hath disobeyed the law of the most High and secondly she hath trespassed against her own husband and thirdly she hath played the where in adultery and gotten her children by another man she shall be brought into the congregation and examination shall be made of her children her children shall not take root and her branches shall bring no fruit a shamefull reproach shall she leave and her reproach shall not be put out c. Wisd. 3. 16. The children of adulterers shall not be partakers of the holy things and the seed of the wicked shall be rooted out and though they live long yet shall they be
being neither set to school nor put to manufacture or trade whereby to get their livings have been found to filch pillage steal and break houses which brings them at length to the Gallowes what fils the Bridewels and Correction-houses with so many rogues and vagabonde but idlenesse what makes so many maunders and high-way beggers so many brothers of the broomestaâ—â—e who not able to compasse a sword or pistoll will adventure to set upon men and rob them with staves bats and cudgels what makes so many pimps panders apple-squires bawdes prostitutes and whores the very cankers and impostumes of a Common-weal but sloth and idlenesse and what are the fruits of their ribaldries and 〈…〉 ries but aches and it ches â—â—rpegues fluxes rheumes catarrhes and a thousand other diseases who though they escape the rope which is the presentest and suddeâ—nest cure for them all yet the best houses they can hope to purchase are lame spittles and hospitals I need not aggravate these any further as not being things private rare or scarce happening in an age but as common as Noverint universâ— for scarce a monethly Sessions passes here in the City without hanging and carting To prevent which and to avoid the manifold mischiefes incident nay impending over this sin of floath and idlenesse let every man and woman in the fear of God apply themselves to their severall vocations and callings to supply as far as in them lies the necessities belonging to this life and to become industrious and laborious members of the Church and Common-weal and for the life to come to take the counsell of our Saviou 〈…〉 Matth. 24. 22. Watch therefore for you know not at what hour your Master will come of this be sure That if the good man of the house knew at what watch the theefe would come he would surely watch and not suffer his house to be digged through This condemneth sleepy floath and â—rowfie negligence neither is doing good onely commanded but the negligence and omitting of doing good is damnable and subject to everlasting torment as you may reade Matth. 5. 41. Then he shall say to them on the left hand depart from me ye â—ursed into everlasting fire which is prepared for the devill and his angels for I was an hungred and yee gave me no mâ—â—â— I thirsted and ye gave me no drinke I was a stranger and ye took me not in unto ye I was 〈◊〉 and ye clothed me not I was in prison and ye visited me not and these are me sinnes of omission Their judgement is not for taking away the bread from the hungry and drinke from the thirsty but for not supplying them with such necessities when they stood in want thereof for this is spoken of the poor members of Christ. I conclude with this sin of Idlenesse thus most sure we shall Reddere rationem that is answer for every idle act when we shall render an account for every idle word CHAP. V. Gods Iudgements against Covetousnesse THis Vice is defined to be a dishonest and insatiable desire of having which is superabundant in desiring acquiring and keeping but altogether deficient in parting with or giving this inordinate desire of riches is quite opposite to Liberality and to Justice which ought to distribute suum cuique and may be divided into these four Heads Mortall Veniall Capitall and Generall It is called mortall when a man taketh or reteines that which belongeth to another man unjustly and then it is either Theft Rapine Vsury or Deceit in buying or selling or else when we prefer the inordinate love of riches before our love to God and our neighbour And then called veniall when though we love wealth we use no indirect course to get it nor hinder others by our illiberality or gripplenesse to keep it and may be called good husbandry It is capitall and so called because it is the head of many other sinnes and exceedeth either in retaining from whence ariserh obduration against pity which is also called inhumanity or the unquietnesse of the minde which begets superfluous solicitude and care or violence when we take from others injustly and by force or fallacy when we equivocate in our bargaines or perjury when we use an oath to confirme it or fraud when for gain we sticke not to deceive or prodition and that was the sin of Iudas who for a price betrayed his Master It is called generall because of it there be many species one specially consists either in the defect of giving or the excesse in the desire of having of the first in giving he is called Parcus who giveth little Tenax who gives nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who parts with that he gives with great difficulty Excesse in acquiring consists in gaining filthily or injustly filthily by illiberall acts as striving to enrich ones selves by base vile and sordid meanes in which is included all meretricall gain got by prostitution or panderisme with the like and amongst these injustly avaritious are numbered Vsurers guilty of oppression and extortion Theeves who rob either openly or privately spoilers of the dead false Executours c. and Dicers who covet to prey on the goods of their friends living And this grand vice with all the severall branches thereof is condemned in the holy Scriptures Gen. 18. 21. Moreover provide thou amongst all the people men of courage fearing God men dealing truly hating covetousnesse c. It is the tenth Commandment Thou shalt not covet thy neigbours house neither shalt thou covet thy neighbours wife And Levit. 19. 11. Ye shall not steal neither deal falsly neither lye one to another thou shalt not do thy neighbour wrong nor rob him Deut. 23. 20. Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother that the Lord thy God may blesse thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whether thou goest to possesse it Iob 20. 15. He hath devoured substance and he shall vomit it for God shall draw it out of his belly And 27. 8. For what hope hath the hypocrite when he hath heaped up riches if God take away his soul. Psal. 62. 10. Trust not in oppression nor in robbery be not vain if riches encrease set not thine heart upon them Prov. 1. 19. Such are the wayes of every one that is greedy of gain he would take away the life of the owners thereof Ier. 8. 10. Therefore will I give their wives unto others and their fields unto them that shall possesse them for every one from the least unto the greatest is given unto covetousnesse and from the Prophet unto the Priest every one dealeth falsly Ezech. 18. 7. He that hath not oppressed any but hath restored the pledge to his debtour he that hath spoiled none by violence but hath given his bread to the hungry and hath covered the naked with a garment and hath not given forth upon usury neither hath taken any increase but hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity and hath executed true judgement
betwixt man and man and hath walked in my statutes and hath kept my judgements to deal truly he is just and shall surely live saith the Lord. Matth. 6. 24. No man can serve two masters for either he shall hate the one and love the other or else he shall leane to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and riches Luke 12. 15. Wherefore he said nnto them take heed and beware of covetousnesse for though a man have abundance his life standeth not in his riches Iohn 12. 4. Then said one of his Disciples even Iudas Iscariot Simons son which should betray him Why was not this oyntment sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor now he said this not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thiefe and had the bag and bare that was given It is Radix omnium malorum 1 Tim. 6. 10. For the desire of money is the root of all evill which whilest some lusted after they erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrowes for they that will be rich fall into many temptations and snares and into many foolish and noysome lusts which drown men in perdition and destruction Covetous men are contemners of Gods Word Matth. 13. 22. And he that received the seed amongst thornes is he that heareth the Word but the cares of the world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choak the Word and he is made unfruitfull It is no better than idolatry Col. 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are on earth fornication uncleannesse the inordinate affections evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatry They are miserable and vain Iob 20. 19. He hath undone many he hath forsaken the poor and hath spoiled houses which he builded not surely he shall feel no quietnesse in his body neither shall he reserve of that which he desired there shall none of his meat be left therefore none shall hope for his goods when he shall be filled with his abundance he shall be in pain and the hand of the wicked shall assail him he shall be about to fill his belly but God shall send upon him his fierce wrath and shall cause to rain upon him even upon his meat c. They are not capable of everlasting life Col. 6. 10. Nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor railers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God Many more Texts there are to the like purpose but I come nearer to shew you examples of Covetousnesse and the punishments thereof out of the sacred Scriptures We reade Iosh. 7. 20. And Achan answered Ioshua and said I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel and thus and thus I have done I saw amongst the spoiles a goodly Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight and I covered them and behold they lie hid in the earth in the midst of my tent and the silver under it It followeth Verse 24. Then Ioshua took Achan the son of Zerah and the silver and the garment and the wedge of gold and his sonnes and his daughters and his oxen and his asses and his sheep and his tents and all that he had and all Israel with him brought them to the valley of Achor and Ioshua said in asmuch as thou hast troubled us the Lord shall trouble thee this day and all Israel threw stones at him and burnt them with fire and stoned them with stones c. It was also punished in Nabal 1 Sam 1. 25. who was churlish gripple and covetous and ungratefull to David and his servants for which the Text saith Verse 36. And about ten dayes after the Lord smote Nabal that he died who not onely lost his life hut had his wife Abigail given unto David whom he before despised Ahab King of Israel for coveting of Naboths vineyard and by the meanes of his wife Iezebel putting him to death that her husband might take possession thereof hear his terrible judgement that followed 1 Kings 21. 17. The Word of the Lord came to Eliah the Tishbite saying Arise go down to meet Ahab King of Israel which is in Samaria lo he is in the vineyard of Naboth whither he is gone down to take possession of it therefore shalt thou say unto him thus saith the Lord hast thou killed and also gotten possession and thou shalt speak unto him saying thus saith the Lord in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs licke even thy blood also behold I will bring evill upon thee and will take away thy posterity and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall as well him that is shut up as him that is left in Israel and I will make thy house like the house of Ieroboam the son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah for the provocation whereby thou hast provoked and made Israel to sin and of Iezebel spake the Lord saying the dogs shall eat Iezebel by the wals of Iezreel the dogs shall eat him of Ahabs stocke that dieth in the City and him that dieth in the fields shall the fowles of the air eat c. Now what more fearfull judgement could have been pronounced against them all which punctually happened unto them according to the Prophets saying Further we reade Esay 1. 23. Thy Princes are rebellious and companions of thieves every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards they judge not the fatherlesse neither doth the widows cause come before them therefore saith the Lord God of hostes the mighty One of Israel Ah I will case me of my adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies Ier. 22. 17. Thine eyes and thine heart are but onely for thy covetousnesse and to shed innocent blood and for oppression and for destruction even to do this Therefore thus saith the Lord against Iehoiakim the son of Iosiah King of Iudah they shall not lament him saying ah my brother and ah my sister neither shall they mourne for him saying ah Lord or ah his glory he shall be buried as an asse is buried and cast forth without the gates of Ierusalem Ezech. 22. 27. Her Princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey to shed blood and to destroy soules for their own covetous lucre In thee have they taken gifts to shed bloud thou hast taken usury and the increase and thou hast defrauded thy neighbour by extortion and hast fogotten me saith the Lord God behold therefore I have smitten mine hands upon thy covetousnesse that thou hast used and upon the blood which hath been in the midst of thee I will scatter thee amongst the heathen and disperse thee in the countries c. Amos 4. 1. Hear this word ye kine of Baashan that are in the mountaines of Samaria which oppresse the poor and destroy the needy c. The Lord God hath sworne by his holinesse that loe the dayes shall come upon you that