authority to doe the like mischiefe And that which is yet more and worst of all he made no account nor reckoning of the admonitions of the Prophets but the rather and the more hardened his heart to runne out into all manner of cruelty and wickednesse that his sinnes might have their full measure For the very stones of the streets of Ierusalem were stained from one corner to another with the guiltlesse and innocent bloud of those that either for disswading him from or not yeelding unto his abhominable and detestable Idolatry were cruelly murthered Amongst the number of which slaine innocents many suppose that the Prophet Esayas although he was of the bloud-royall was with a strange manner of torment put to death Wherefore the flame of Gods ire was kindled against him and his people so that he stirred up the Assyrians against them whose power and force they being not able to resist were subdued and the King himselfe taken and put in fetters and bound in chaines carried captive to Babylon but being there in tribulation hee humbled his soule and prayed unto the Lord his God who for all his wicked cruell and abhominable Apostasie was intreated of him and received him to mercy yea and brought him againe to Ierusalem into his unhoped for kingdome Then was he no more unthankfull to the Lord for his wonderfull deliverance but being touched with true repentance for his former life abolished the strange gods broke downe their Altars and restored againe the true Religion of God and gave strait commandement to his people to doe the like Wherein it was the pleasure of the Highest to leave a notable memoriall unto all posterity of his great and infinite mercy towards poore and miserable sinners to the end that no man be his sinnes never so hainous should at any time despaire for Where sin aboundeth there grace aboundeth much more Admit that this revolt of Manasses was farre greater and more outragious than was Solomons yet his true repentance found the grace to be raised up from that 〈◊〉 â—ull downefall for God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and compassion on whom he will have compassion O the profound riches of the wisedome and knowledge of God! How unspeakable are his judgements and his wayes pâ—st finding out Amon the wicked sonne of this repentant â—ather committed also the like offence in serving strange gods but recanted not by like repentance and therefore God gave his owne servants both will to conspire and power to execute his destruction after hee had swayed the kingdome but two yeares CHAP. XVIII Of the third and worst sort of Apostata's BY how much the more God hath in these latter daies poured forth more plentifully his graces upon the sonnes of men by the manifestations of his Sonne Christ Iesus in the flesh and sent forth a more cleere light by the preaching of his Gospell into the world than was before times by so much the more culpable before God and guilty of eternall damnation are they who being once enlightened and made partakers of those excellent graces come afterwards either to despise or make light account of them or goe about to suppresse the truth and quench the spirit which instructed them therein This is the Sinne against the Holy Ghost which is mentioned in the sixth and tenth chapter to the Hebrewes and in the twelfth of Luke and in another place it is called a Sinne unto death because it is impardonable by reason that no excuse of ignorance can be pleaded nor any plaister of true repentance applyed unto it The Apostata's of the old Testament under the Law were not guilty of this sinne for although there were many that willingly and malitiously revolted and set themselves against the Prophets of God making warre as it were with the Holy Ghost yet seeing they had no such cleere testimonies of Christ Iesus and declaration of Gods Spirit as we have their sinne cannot be properly said directly to be against the Holy Ghost and so never to be remitted according to the description of this sinne in those passages of Scripture which were before recited as it may manifestly appeare by the former example of King Manasses The Apostle himselfe likewise doth averre the truth hereof when he saith If we sinne willingly after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a fearefull looking for of judgement and violent fire which shall devoure the adversaries If any man despised Moses Law he died without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be worthy which treadeth under foot the Sonne of God and counteth the bloud of the new Testament as a prophane thing whereby he was sanctified and doth despight to the Spirit of Grace Here we may see that this sinne is proper to those onely that lived under the Gospell and have tasted of the comfort and knowledge of Christ. Iudas Iscariot that wicked and accursed Varlet committed the deed and feeles the scourge of this great sinne for he being a Disciple nay an Apostle of Christ Iesus moved with covetousnesse after he had devised and concluded of the manner and complot of his treason with the enemie sold his Lord and Master the Savior of the World for thirty pieces of silver and betrayed him into the bands of theeves and murtherers who sought nothing but his destruction After this vile traitour had performed this execrable purpose by reason whereof he is called the sonne of perdition he could finde no rest nor repose in his guilty conscience but was horribly troubled and tormented with remorse of his wickednesse judging himselfe worthy of a thousand deaths for betraying that innocent and guiltlesse bloud If hee looked up he saw the vengeance of God ready to fall upon him and insnare him if hee looked downe he saw nothing but hell gaping to swallow him up the light of this world was odious to him and his own life displeased him so that being plunged into the bottomlesse pit of despaire he at last strangled himselfe and burst in twaine in the midst and all his bowels gushed out There is a notable example of Lucian who having professed Christianity for a season under the Emperour Trajan fell away afterwards and became so prophane and impious as to make a mocke at Religion and Divinity whereupon his sirname was called Atheist This wretch as he barked out like a foule mouthed dog bitter taunts against the religion of Christ seeking to rend and abolish it so he was himselfe in Gods vengeance torne in pieces and devoured of dogs Porphyrie also a whelp of the same litter after he had received the knowledge of the truth for despight and anger that he was reproved of his faults by the Christians set himselfe against them and published books full of horrible blasphemies to discredit and overthrow the Christian Faith But when he perceived how fully
conquered by the Normans comming with a forreine King being none of their naturall countrey In the yeare of our Lord sixe hundred threescore and eighteene Childerich King of France caused a Nobleman of his Realme called Bolyde to bee bound to a stake and there beaten to death without the pretence of any just crime or accusation against him For which cruelty his Lords and Commons being grievously offended conspired together and slew him and his wife as they were hunting In the raigne of Edward the second and Edward the third Sir Roger Mortimer committed many villanous outrages in shedding much humane bloud but he was also justly recompenced in the end first he murdered King Edward the second lying in Barkeley Castle to the end he might as it was supposed enjoy Isabel his wife with whom he had very suspitious familiarity Secondly he caused Edward the third to conclude a dishonorable peace with the Scots by restoring them all their ancient writings charters and patents whereby the Kings of Scotland had bound themselves to be feudaries to the Kings of England Thirdly he accused Edmund Earle of Kent uncle to King Edward of treason and caused him unjustly to bee put to death And lastly he conspi redagainst the King to worke his destruction for which and divers other things that were laid to his charge he was worthily and justly beheaded In the reigne of Henry the sixt Humfrey the good duke of Gloucester and faithfull protectour of the King by the meanes of certaine malicious persons to wit the Queene the Cardinall of Winchester and especially the Marquesse of Suffolke as it was supposed was arrested cast into hold and strangled to death in the Abbey of Bure For which cause the Lords hand of judgement was upon them all for the Marquesse was not onely banished the land for the space of five yeares but also banished out of his life for ever for as hee sailed towards France hee was met withall by a Ship of Warre and there presently beheaded and the dead corps cast up at Dover that England wherein he had committed the crime might be a witnesse of his punishment The Queene that thought by this meanes to preserve her husband in honour and her selfe in estate thereby both lost her husband and her state her husband lost his realme and the Realme lost Anjou Normandy with all other places beyond the sea Calice onely excepted As for the Cardinall who was the principall artificer of all this mischiefe he lived not long after and being on his death bed murmured and grudged against God asking wherefore hee should die having so much wealth and riches and saying That if the whole Realme would save his life he was able either by policy to get it or by riches to buy it but death would not be bribed for all his aboundant treasure he died miserably more like a Heathen than a Christian without any shew of repentence And thus was the good Dukes death revenged upon the princiall procurers thereof As the murder of a gentleman in Kent called master Arden of Feversham was most execrable so the wonderfull discovery thereof was exceeding rare This Arden being somewhat aged had to wife a young woman no lesse faire than dishonest who being in love with one Mosbie more than her husband did not onely abuse his bed but also conspired his death with this her companion for together they hired a notorious Ruffin one Blacke Will to strangle him to death with a towell as he was playing a game at tables which though secretly done yet by her owne guilty conscience and some tokens of bloud which appeared in his house was soone discovered and confessed Wherefore she her selfe was burnt at Canterbury Michael master Ardens man was hanged in chaines at Feversham Mosbie and his sister were hanged in Smithfield Greene another partner in this bloudy action was hanged in chaines in the high way against Feversham And Blacke Will the Ruffian after his first escape was apprehended and burnt on a seaffold at Flushing in Zeeland And thus all the murderers had their deserved dues in this life and what they endured in the life to come except they obtained mercy by true repentance is easie to judge CHA. XI Of the admirable discovery of Murders AS the Lord hath shewed himselfe a most just Judge in punishing most severely this horrible sinne of shedding mans bloud so hath he alwaies declared his detestation thereof and his will to have it punished by those who are in his stead upon the earth and have the sword of vengeance committed unto them by his miraculous and superhaturall detecting of such murderers from time to time who have carried their villanies so closely as the eye of man could not espy them plainely shewing thereby that the bloud of the slaine crieth to the Lord for vengeance from the earth as Abels did upon Cain and that God will have that law stand true and firme which he made almost before all other lawes He that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed If I should commit to writing all the examples of this kinde which either are recorded in Authors or which dayly experience doth offer unto us it would require rather a full Booke than a short Chapter for that subject And therefore I will be content with some few and those for truth most credible and yet for strangenesse most incredible And to begin with our owne countrey About the yeare of our Lord 867 a certaine Nobleman of the Danes of the kings stock called Lothebrocus father to Inguar and Hubba entring upon a certaine time with his hawke into a cockboat alone by chance through tempest was driven with his hawke to the coast of Northfolke in England named Rodham where being found and detained he was presented to king Edmund that raigned over the East-Angles in Northfolke and Suffolke at that time The King as hee was a just and good man understanding his parentage and seeing his cause entertained him in his Court accordingly and every day more and more perceiving his activity and great dexterity in hunting and hawking bare speciall favour unto him insomuch that the Kings Faulconer bearing privy malice against him for this cause secretly as they were hunting together in a wood did murther him and threw him in a bush Lothebroke being thus murthered and shortly missed in the Kings house no tydings could be heard of him untill it pleased God to reveale the murther by his dog which continuing in the wood with the corps of his Master at sundry times came to the Court and fauned on the King so that the King suspecting some such matter at length followed the trace of the hound and was brought to the place where Lothebroke lay Whereupon inquisition being made at length by some circumstances of words and other suspitions it was knowne that he was murdered by Berikâ— the Kings Faulconer who for his punishment he was set into the same boat of Lothebroke
boldly or rather furiously to the wall and cast himselfe downe headlong after which yet breathing hee got up on a steepe rocke and rending out his bowels with his owne hands threw them amongst the people calling upon the Lord of life that hee would restore them againe unto him The author of that booke commendeth this fact for a valiant and noble deed but surely wee are taught out of the booke of God by Gods spirit that it was a most bloudy barbarous and irreligious act for rather should a man endure all the reproaches and torments of an enemy than embrue his owne hands in his owne bloud and therefore if he were not extraordinarily stirred up hereunto by the spirit of God this must needs bee a just punishment of some former sinne wherein hee lay without repentance and a forerunner of an eternall punishment after this life Let us joyne Iudas and Pilate together the one being the betrayer of his Lord and Master Jesus Christ our Saviour the other the condemner of him and that against his conscience as they both agreed in one malicious practise against the life of Christ so they disagreed not in offering violence to their owne lives for Iudas hanged himselfe and his bowels gushed out and Pilat being banished to Vienna and oppressed with the torment of conscience and feare of punishment for his misdeeds to prevent all killed himselfe and so became a notable spectacle of Gods justice and Christs innocencie The Jewes as they are recorded in Scripture to bee a stiffe-necked and stubborne Nation above all the Nations under the Sunne so none were ever more hardy and daring in this bloudy practise of selfe-murther than they were which may bee thought a portion of Gods just judgement upon them for their sinnes three examples of greatest note I will propound which I thinke can hardly bee matched When the City of Jerusalem was taken by Herod and Sosius there was a certaine Jew that had hidden himselfe in a denne with his wife and seven children to whom Herod offered both life and liberty if hee would come forth but the stiffe-hearted wretch had rather die than bee captive to the Romanes therefore refusing Herods offer hee first threw downe his children headlong from a high rocke and burst their neckes next hee sent his wife after them and lastly tumbled himselfe upon their carkasses to make up the tragedie a horrible and lamentable spectacle of a proud and desperate minde The second example is nothing inferior to the former After the siege and sacking of Jotapata by the Romanes forty Jewes among whom was Iosephus the writer of this story having hid themselves in a cave by mutuall consent killed one another rather than they would fall into the hands of the Romanes Iosephus onely with one other by his persuasion by great art and industry after the other were slain proceeded not in that bloudy enterprise but yeelded themselves to the mercy of the enemies and so escaped with their lives This fearefull obstinacy may well be imputed to the justice of God upon them as for their other sinnes so especially for crucifying the Lord of life whose bloud they imprecated might fall on them and on their children The third example surpasseth both the former both in cruelty and obstinacy Eleazer the Jew after the taking of Jerusalem fled into the tower of Messada with nine hundred followers being besieged there by Sabinus Flavius a Roman Captaine when he saw that the walls were almost beaten downe and that there was no hope of escaping he persuaded his companions by a pithy and vehement Oration and drew them to this resolution that tenne should be chosen by lot which should kill all the rest together with their wives and children and that afterward they themselves should kill each other The former part of this Tragedy being performed the surviving tenne first set on fire the Tower that no prey might come unto the enemy the victuals only preserved to the end it might be knowne that not hunger but desperate valour drew them to this bloudy massacre then according to their appoyntment by mutuall wounds they dispatched one another and of so great a number not one remained besides one woman with her five children who hearing the horriblenesse of their determination hid her selfe in a cave in the ground and so escaped with the life of her selfe and her children and became a reporter of this whole story The like story is recorded by Livie touching the Campagnians who being besieged by the Romanes and constrained to yeeld up their City unto them upon composition Vibius a chiefe nobleman of the City with seven and twenty other Senatours that they might not fall into their enemies hands after they had glutted themselves with wine and good cheere dranke all of them poyson and so bewayling the state of their countrey and embracing each other and taking their last farewell died ere the enemies were received into the city Buthes otherwise called Boges by Herodotus Governor of Thracia being besieged in the city Eion by Cymon the Athenian captaine to the end that the enemy might receive no benefit nor great glory by his victory first caused the city to be fired and then by one consent they all killed themselves So likewise did Ariarathes king of Capadocia when he was besieged by Perdicca Cato Vticensis rather than he would fall into the hands of Iulius Caesar his enemy after his victory over Pompey fell upon his owne sword and slew himselfe having first read Plato's booke of the immortality of the soule So likewise did Marcus Antonius after that he was over come by Augustus And Cleopatra the Aegyptian Queene when as by her allurements she could not intice Augustus to her lust as she had done Anthony but perceived that she was reserved for triumph escaping out of prison and placing her selfe in her sumptuous sepulchre neere to the body of her dead paramour set an Aspe to her left arme by the venome whereof she died as it were in a sleepe Thus the Lord doth infatuate the mindes of wicked and ungodly persons and such as have no true knowledge nor feare of the true God in their hearts making them instruments of his vengeance and executioners of his wrath upon themselves Hannibal the sonne of Amilchar after many victories and much bloodshed of the Romans at last being overcome and doubting of the faith of Prusia the King of Bythinia to whom he was fled for succour poysoned himselfe with poyson which he alwayes carried in a Ring to that purpose At the destruction of Carthage when as Asdrubal the chiefe Captaine submitted himselfe to the mercy of Scipio his wife cursing and railing on him for his base mind threw her children into the midst of a fire and there ended her dayes and Asdrubal himselfe not long after followed her by a voluntary and violent death When Cinna besieged the city of Rome two brothers chanced to encounter
together in single fight one of Cinna's army the other of the contrary and the one having slaine the other after that the Conquerour perceived that it was his brother whom hee had slaine hee slew himselfe also to make satisfaction for his brothers blood and so they were both buried in one grave Norbanus a Consull of Rome flying from Scylla slew himselfe at Rhodes rather than he would fall into his enemies hands and so did likewise Marius the sonne at Praeneste Of the murderers of Iulius Caesar almost all became also the murderer of themselves Cassius stabb'd himselfe with the same dagger wherewith he had stabb'd Caesar Brutus the night before his overthrow at Philippi saw in his chamber a vision of a great fearefull man and he demanding who he was and what he would he answered I am O Brutus thy evill spirit and to morrow thou shalt see me at Philippi To whom Brutus with a bold courage answered I will therefore see thee there The next day Brutus being conquered by Augustus and Anthony at Philippi fell upon his own sword and slew himselfe Methridates that bloody and mighty King of Pontus being overcome of Lucullus and Pompey and set upon by his owne sonne went about to make away himselfe by poyson which when it tooke not effect by reason of his daily taking of Antidotes he forced a French souldier of his to lay violent hands upon him and so hee became a wilfull spiller of his owne blood that had caused the blood of so many thousands to be spilt His two wives Monica and Veronica hearing of the miserable end of the king made likewise themselves away for the one hanged her selfe but when the weight of her body broke the cord shee committed her selfe to Bochis the Eunuch to bee slaine the other received poyson which when it wrought not so speedily as shee desired Bochis also was made an instrument to dispatch her Most famous and notorious is the story of Lucretia who being ravished by Tarquinius the yonger and impatient of that injury and disgrace slew her selfe openly and gave cause by her death of the change of the Roman State from the government of Kings to Consuls Sophronia another Roman woman but a Christian when as she could by no meanes escape the lust of Decius the Emperour daily assaulting her chastity tooke a sword and by her husbands consent slew her selfe and so to prevent one sin she committed another farre worse than that she feared Portia the daughter of Cato and wife of Brutus hearing of the death of her husband at Philippi sought for a knife to kill her selfe which being denyed her she eat burning coales and so ended her life by a strange kinde of death Wee read of many wanton and lewd Poets that have thus made an end of themselves who as for the most they are Epicures and Atheists so seldome come to a good end Labienus the railing Poet who for that cause was called Rabienus understanding that his bookes were adjudged to bee burned by a publike Decree would not survive his own writings and therefore killed himselfe Lucretius the Atheist taking a love potion to incite his lust was by the force therof deprived of his sences and so deprived himselfe also of life in his rage Empedocles the vainglorious Poet affecting the name of a god and of immortality threw himselfe headlong into mount Aetna and so perished Silvius Italicus being taken with an incurable disease chose rather to be his owne murderer than to endure the torment of his sicknesse Cornelius Gallus an amatorius Poet having robbed the City Thebes over which he was set to be governour by Augustus Caesar and fearing to be called to account prevented the punishment of humane justice by executing the justice of God upon himselfe with his owne hands Of those that persecuted the Church of Christ very many were given over by God to be persecutors of themselves and spoylers of their owne lives as Nero for example the first Emperour that tooke in hand to persecute Christians he seeing himselfe in danger to be murdered by one appointed for that purpose to prevent the malice of the murderer murdered himselfe Magnentius another tyrant and enemy to Christs Church being overcome by Constantius brother to Constans whom he had slaine fled to Lions and there became his owne Butcher whose death as soone as his brother Decentius understood he also hanged himselfe Galerius the Emperour after he had tormented the Christians by all cruell means and left no way unattempted whereby he might root them out of his Kingdome fell into a grievous disease through the torment whereof not being able to endure any longer he thrust a sword into his own bowels and so miserably ended his dayes And to come neerer to our owne age in King Edward the sixths dayes one Clerke an open enemy to the Gospel hanged himselfe in the Tower so did Pavier Towne-clerke of London so did the sonne of one Levar a husbandman that mocked and scorned at the holy Martyr master Latymer so likewise did Henry Smith a Lawyer another open adversary to Gods truth Richard Long another enemy to Gods truth drowned himselfe at Calice in King Henry the eights dayes Iohn Plankney a Fellow of New Colledge in Oxford did the like Anno 1566. and likewise one Hanington a Fellow of the same Colledge in a well at Padua or as some thinke at Rome Of these you may reade more in the first booke Hither I might adde many examples of moderne experience as namely of a covetous wretch in the Isle of Elie who being cast in a suit of Law through impatience of griefe came home and hanged himselfe of another that had beene a great dealer in worldly matters and an undoer of a Family or two of good credit and revenue by usury and taking forfeiture of bonds and that by his owne flattering perswasion being himselfe arrested at Huntington for debt rather then he would satisfie it though he was able enough cut his owne throat after a most fearefull and horrible manner another being a man of note and good possessions threw himselfe downe headlong from the top of a Church Many such like examples I could adjoyne with their names and places of abode but I forbeare least by reporting Gods judgements upon the dead I should offend some that are alive These therefore already proposed may be a sufficient taste of this kinde of judgement inflicted by God upon wicked persons and also may serve for a caveat and warning to all men to take heed how they offer violence to their owne lives seeing it is not onely a punishment of sinne past but a fearfull sinne it selfe and a forerunner and causer of punishment to come even of eternall punishment except the Lord extraordinarily and miraculously shew mercy which none ought to presume of CHAP. XIII Of Paricides or Parent Murderers IF all effusion of humane blood be both horrible to behold and repugnant to nature
and til the land Now what was the cause of this lamentable destruction of this holy City of the Temple and Sanctuary of the Lord and of his owne people it is set downe by the holy-Ghost in expresse word 2 Chro. 36. 15 16. That When the Lord sent unto them by his Messengers rising early and sending because he had compassion on them and on his habitation they mocked the Messengers of God despised his words and misused his Prophets and therefore the wrath of the Lord arose against his people and there was no remedy Behold here the grievous judgement of the Lord upon such as contemned his Word and despised his Prophets Thus was the first city and temple destroyed and did the second fare any better no verily but far worse for as their sinne was greater in that the former Iews contemned only the Word spoken by the Prophets which were but servants these despised the Word spoken by the Sonne himself which is the Lord of life so their punishment was also the greater for as the Apostle saith If they which despised Moses Law died without mercy how much sorer punishment are they worthy of which tread under foot the Sonne of God and count the bloud of the Testament as an unholy thing and neglect so great salvation which first began to be preached by the Lord himselfe and afterward was confirmed by them which heard him Therefore the destruction of the second city and temple by Titus and Vespasian Emperours of Rome was far more lamentable than that of the former yea so terrible and fearefull was the judgement of God upon that nation at this time that never the like calamitie and misery was heard or read of there at the siege of Ierusalem the famin was so great within the walls and the sword so terrible without that within they were constrained to eat not only leather and old shoo 's but horse-dung yea their owne excrements and some to devour their owne children and as many as issued out were crucified by the Romans as they had crucified the Saviour of the world till they had no more wood to naile them on So that it was most true which our Saviour foreprophesied That such should be the tribulation of that time as was not from the beginning of the world nor should be againe to the end At this destruction perished eleven hundred thousand Iewes as Historians report besides them which Vespasian slew in subduing the country of Galilee over and besides them also which were sould and sent into Aegypt and other provinces to vile slavery to the number of seventeene thousand two thousand were brought with Titus in triumph of which part he gave to be devoured of wilde beasts and part otherwise most cruelly were slaine By whose case all nations may take example what it is to reject the visitation of Gods verity being sent unto them and much more to persecute them which be sent of God for their salvation And here is diligently to be observed the great equity of this judgment they refused Christ to be their King and chose rather to be subject unto Caesar now they are by the said their owne Caesar destroyed when as Christs subjects the same time escaped the danger The like example of Gods wrathfull punishment is to be noted no lesse in the Romans also themselves for despising Christ and his Gospel for when Tiberius Nero the Emperor having received by letters from Pontius Pilat a true report of the doings of Christ Iesus of his miracles resurrection and ascention into heaven and how he was received as God of many good men was himselfe mooved with beleefe of the same and did confer thereof with the whole Senat of Rome to have Christ adored as God But they not agreeing thereunto refused him because that contrary to the law of the Romans he was consecrated said they for a God before the Senat of Rome had decreed and approved him Thus the vaine Senat which were contented with the Emperor to raign over them were not contented with the meeke King of glory the Sonne of God to be their King yea they contemned also the preaching of the two blessed Apostles Peter and Paul who were also most cruelly put to death in the later end of Domitius Nero his raigne and the yeare of Christ 69 for the testimony and saith of Christ. And therefore after much like sort to the Iews were they scourged and entrapped by the same way which they did prefer for as they preferred the Emperour and rejected Christ so did God stirre up their owne Emperours against them in such sort that both the Senators themselves were all devoured and the whole city most horribly afflicted the space almost of three hundred yeares together Neither were they only thus scourged by their Emperors but also by civill wars whereof three were sought in two yeares at Rome after Nero's death as likewise by other casualties for in Suetonius is testified five thousand were hurt and slaine by fall of a Theatre How heavy and searefull the judgement of God hath beene towards those seven famous Churches of Asia to the which the holy Ghost writeth his seven Epistles Revel 2 and 3. histories sufficiently testifie and experience sheweth for whereas in the Apostles time and long after in the dayes of persecution no Churches in the world more flourished after when they began to make light account of the word of God and to fall away from the truth to errors from godlinesse to impieties the Lord also made light account of them and removed his Candlesticke that is the ministery of his Gospell from amongst them and made them a prey unto their enemies and so they which before were subjects to Christ are now slaves to Mahomet and there where the true God was worshipped is now a filthy Idol adored and instead of the Gospel of Christ is the Turks Alcoran in stead of the seven stars and seven candlesticks are seven thousand priests of Mahomet and worshippers of him and thus for the contempt of the Gospel of Christ is the Chrurch of Christians made a cage of Divels Venerable Bede in his Ecclesticall history of England reporteth That about the yeare of our Lord 420 after that the Brittons had been long afflicted by the Irish Picts and Scots and that the Lord had given them rest from all their enemies and had blessed them with such great plenty of corn and fruits of the earth as had not been before heard of they fell into all manner of sins and vices and in stead of shewing themselves thankfull to the Lord for his great mercies provoked his indignation more fiercely against them for as he saith together with plenty grew ryot and this was accompanied with a train of many other foule enormities especially the hatred of the truth contempt of the Word and that not only in the Laity and ignorant people but even also in the Clergy and Sheepheards of the
erecteth principalities and which maintaineth Common-wealths Kingdomes and Empires untill by the sum and weight of their iniquities they sink themselves into ruine and destruction And herein is he glorified by the execution of his most just and righteous judgements when the wicked after the long abuse of his lenety benignity and patience doe receive the wages and reward of their iniquities In this I say once again shineth out the wonderfull and incomprehensible wisedome of God when by the due ordering of things so different and so many hee commeth still to one and the same marke which hee once prescribed to wit the punishment of the world according to their demerits And this same is most manifest and apparant even in the Histories of prophane Writers albeit in their purpose it was never intended nor thought upon nor yet regarded almost of any that read the same men contenting themselves for the most part with the simple recitall of the story therein to take pleasure and passe away time without respecting any further matter Notwithstanding the true and principall use of their writings ought to be diligently to marke the effects of Gods Providence and of his justice whereby to learne to conteine our selves within the bounds of modesty and the feare of God seeing that they which have carried themselves any thing uprightly in equity temperance and other naturall vertues have been in some sort spared and the rest bearing the punishment of their iniquities have falne into destruction This consideration ought to perswade every man to turne from evill and to follow that which is good seeing that the Lord sheweth himselfe so incensed against all them which lead a wicked damnable and perverse life And this is the cause why I having noted the great and horrible punishments wherewith the Lord in most righteous judgement hath scourged the world for sin according to that which is contained as well in sacred as prophane Histories having gathered them together and sorted them one after another in their severall rooms according to the diversity of the offences and order and course of time which as neare as I could I endeavoured to sollow to the end to lay downe as it were in one Table and under one Aspect the great and fearefull judgements of God upon them that have rebelled or repugned his holy will And this I do not with purpose to comprehend them all for that were not onely difficult but impossible but to lay open the most notable remarkable ones that came to my knowledge to the end that the most wicked dissolute and disordered sinners that with loose reines runne fiercely after their lust if the manifest tokens of Gods severity presented before their eyes doe not touch them yet the cloud and multitude of examples through the sight of the inevitable anger and vengeance of God upon evill livers might terrifie and somewhat curb them Perjurers Idolaters Blasphemers and other such wicked and prophane wretches with murderers whoremongers adulterers ravishers tyrants shall here see by the mischiefe that hath falne upon their likes that which hangeth before their eyes and is ready to lay hold of them also For albeit for a time they sleep in their sins and blindnesse delighting in their pleasures and taking sport in cruelties and evill deeds yet they draw after them the line wherewith being more ensnared then they were aware they are taken and drawne to their finall destruction And this may teach and advertise both those that are not yet obstinate in their sins to bring themselves to some amendment and those that feare God already to strengthen and encourage them in the pursuit and continuance in their good course For if God shew himselfe so severe a revenger of their sinnes that take pleasure in displeasing him there is no doubt but on the contrary he will shew himselfe bountifull gracious and liberall in rewarding all them according to his promise which seeke to please him and conforme their lives unto his will Great and small young and old men and women and all other of what degree and condition soever may here learne at other mens charges how to governe themselves in duty towards God and betwixt themselves by a holy and unblameable life in mutuall peace and unity and by shunning and eschewing sin against the which God a most just Judge powreth forth his vengeance even upon the heads of them that are guilty thereof Beside here is ample matter and argument to stop the mouthes of all Epicures and Atheists of our age and to leave them confounded in their errors seeing that such and so many occurrents and punishmēts are manifest proofs that there is a God above that guideth the stern of the world and that taketh care of humane matters that is just in punishing the unjust and malicious Againe whereas so much evill and so many sins have reigned and swayed so long time and do yet reign and sway upon the earth we may behold the huge corruption and perversity of mankinde and the rotten fruits of that worme-eaten root Originall sin when we are not directed nor guided by the holy Spirit of God but lest unto our owne nature And hereby true faithfull Christians may take occasion so much the more to acknowledge the great mercy and singular favour of God toward them in that they being received to mercy are renewed to a better conversation of life then others In brief a man may here learne if he be not altogether void of judgement and understanding to have sin in hatred and detestation considering the wages and reward thereof and how the justice of God pursueth it continually even to the extreamest execution which is both sharp and rigorous Touching the word Iudgement I have imitated the language of Holy Scripture wherein as the Ordinances and Commandements of God are called Judgements because in them is contained nothing but that which is just right and equall so likewise the punishments inflicted by God upon the despisers of his Commandements are called by the same name as in Exod. 6. 6. 2 Chron. 20. 12. 22. 8. Ezech. 5. 8. 11. 9. and elsewhere because they also are as just as the former proceeding from none other fountaine save the most righteous judgement of God whereof none can complaine but unjustly The Names of the Authors from whom the most part of the Examples contained in this book are collected Moses and other sacred Writers Tertullian Cyprian Eusebius Socrates Theodoret. Sozomenes Nicephor Ruffinus Suidas Chrysostome Luther Illyricus Herodotus Thucydides Dion Halycarnasseus Diodorus Siculus Polybeus Plutarch Herodian Dyon Procopius Iornandes Agathius Aelianus Tit. Livius Salustius Suetonius Corn. Tacitus Amm. Marcellinus Iustinus Eutropius Lampridius Spartianus Flavius Vopiscus Cuspinianus Orosius Aimoinus Gregor Turonensis Anton Volscus Paulus Diaconus Luitprandus Olaus magnus Gothus Sabellicus Anton. Panormitanus Aeneus Silvius Ravisius Hieronymus Marius Alexander ab Alexandro Petrus Pramonstratensis Mich. Ritius Neapolitanus Fulgosius Fran. Picus Mirandula Bembus
in that very member wherewith he had offended A woman likewise having renounced her profession and feeling in herselfe no remorse of conscience for her fall went as she was wont to doe in the time of her rest and prosperity to the Bathes and Hot-houses to refresh herselfe as if all had had gone well with her but she was so seised upon and possessed by an evill Spirit that in stead of pleasure which she fought for she fell to lamenting and tormenting her owne flesh and chopt in pieces with her dainty teeth her rebellious tongue wherewith shee had spoken wicked words and dishonoured God and tasted meats offered to Idols and so this poore wretch whereas she should have wasted her selfe in teares of true repentance and in the true bath of grace and mercy because she had more care of cleansing her body from filth than her soule from sinne became corrupt and filthy both body and soule by the meanes of that uncleane spirit which God had given power to afflict her and armed her owne mouth which had tasted chewed and swallowed that cursed food furiously to rise against her selfe to destroy her so that she became her owne murtherer for she survived not long by reason that her bowels and intrails were choaked up to the throat with paine Another woman well stricken in yeares that in like manner had revolted from the Truth thrust her selfe notwithstanding into the assembly of the Faithfull as they were receiving the holy Sacrament But that holy food which nourished the soules of them that believed turned to her bane for she found there in stead of peace a sword in stead of norishment deadly and mortall poison in such sort that immediately after the receit of that holy Supper she began to be marvellously troubled and vexed in soule and felt the hand of God so heavy upon her for her offence committed in denying her Saviour to shun her persecution that trembling and stamping she fell downe dead There was also in like manner a certain man that having renounced his saith did notwithstanding present himselfe at the celebration of the holy Supper presuming to come and eat at his Table whom he had a little before denied but receiving into his hand part of the Sacrament as well as the rest and thinking to put it into his mouth it was turned into ashes whereupon he stood amazed and confounded in himselfe God manifesting in him that hee that revoked his faith and recoiled from Christ Jesus Christ Jesus would recoile from him give him over to death by depriving him of his grace and spoiling him of the power of his quickning and saving Spirit These are the fearfull examples of Gods Judgements which Saint Cyprian reporteth to have light upon back sliders in his time adding moreover that besides these many were possessed of devils robbed of their wits and inraged with fury and madnesse and all for this offence of Apostasie Amongst all the examples of our age of Gods severe justice upon Apostates the example of Francis Spiâ—ra an Italian Lawyer a man of credit and authority in his countrey is most pitifull and lamentable who having embraced the true Religion with marvellous zeal and made open profession of the same feared not freely to declare his opinion of every point of Doctrine that came in question and grew in knowledge every day more and more But it was not long ere he was complained of to the Popes Embassadour which when he understood and saw the danger wherein he was like to fall after he had long debated and disputed the matter in his owne conscience the counsell of the flesh and worldly wisedome prevailing he resolved at last to goe to the Embassadour to the intent to appease his wrath and do whatsoever he should command Thus comming to Venice and over-ruled with immoderate fear he confessed that he had done amisse craved pardon for the same promising ever after to be an obedient subject to the Popes Lawes and that which is more when it was enjoyned him that at his return home he should in his owne countrey openly recant his former profession he refused not but performed his recantation in due sort But it chanced very soone after that this miserable man fell sicke of body and soule and began to dispaire of Gods mercy towards him His Physitian perceiving his disposition judged that the cause of his bodies disease was a vehement conceit and thought of minde and therefore gave advice to minister counsell to his troubled minde very carefully that the cause being taken away the effect also might surcease To this end many learned men frequented him every day recalling into his minde and laying open before him many expresse places of Scripture touching the greatnesse of Gods mercy Which things he avouched to be true but said that those promises pertained not to him because he had renounced Christ Jesus and forsworne the known truth and that for this cause nothing was prepared for him but hell fire which already in soule hee saw and felt I would said he willingly if it were possible love God but it is altogether impossible I onely feare him without love These and such speeches used he with a stedfast countenance neither did his tongue at any time run at randome nor his answers savour of indiscretion or want of memory but advisedly warned all that stood by to take heed by his example how to listen too much to worldly wisedome especially when they should be called before men to professe the Religion of Christ. And lying in this extremity he refused all manner of sustenance rebuking and being angry with his sonnes that opened his mouth to make him swallow some food to sustaine him saying Since he had forsaken his Lord and Master all his creatures ought to forsake him I am afraid of every thing there is not a creature that hath not conspired to worke my destruction let me die let me die that I may goe and feele that unquenchable fire which already consumeth me and which I can by no meanes escape And thus hee died indeed pined to death in despaire and horrible torment of conscience Nichomachus a man that stoutly professed Christ Jesus in prosperity being brought to his triall at Troas and put into torments he denied him and being delivered by that meanes consented to offer sacrifice unto Idols But as soone as he had finished his sacrifice he was hoisted up by the spirit of darknesse whose darling now he was dashed against the earth so that his teeth biting his prophane tongue wherewith he had denied his Saviour in two he died continently Tamerus a professor of the true Religion was feduced by his brother to cleave unto Popery and to forsake his first love but for his defection from the truth the Lord gave him up into a ceprobate sense so that falling into despaire he hung himselfe Richard Denton a Blacksmith dwelling at Wels in Cambridge-shire having
that commeth beyond the mountaines from that scientificall Vniversity and Colledge of the right reverend Masters and from the excellent holinesse of some of their Popes whose manner of life is so dissolute lascivious dishonest and Sardanapal like that thereby their Atheisme is evidently and notoriously knowne and talked of by every one Hereof Pope Leo the tenth a Florentine by birth may serve for an example who as he was a very effeminate person given to all manner of delights and pleasure having no other care but of himselfe and his owne filthy carkasses ease so had he no more taste at all nor feeling of God and his holy Word than a dog he made the promises and threats contained in holy Scripture and all else that we beleeve matter to laugh at and things frivolous and of no weight mocking at the simplicity the faith and beleefe of Christians for one day when Cardinall Bembus who also shewed himselfe to be none of the best Christians in the world by his Venetian history where as ost as he speaketh of God be useth the plurall number after the manner of heathen writers alleadged a place out of the Gospell his damnable impudency was so great as to reply That this fable of Christ had brought to him and such as he no little profit Oh stinking and cursed throat to belch out such monstrous blasphemy doe not these speeches bewray a villanous and abhominable Atheist if ever any were Is not this to declare himselfe openly to be Antichrist For he is Antichrist which denieth Iesus to be Christ and which denieth the Father and the Sonne according as Saint Iohn saith Albeit in the meane while this cursed caitife that had as much religion as a dog made shew to be the protector and defender of the Catholicke Faith making warre with all his power against Christ Iesus in the person of his servant Luther Now after he had by his pardons and indulgences drawne out a world of money and heaped up great treasures by the maintenance of courtizans and whores and had enriched his bastards one day being at meat he received newes of the overthrow of the French in Lombardy whereat hee rejoyced out of measure and for that good tidings doubled his good cheare suddenly he was constrained to turne his copy from joy into sadnesse from pleasure into griefe and gnashing of teeth by a most bitter and unlooked for death which deprived him at once of all his pleasures to make him drink the cup of Gods fierce wrath and to throw him downe headlong into everlasting paines and torments which were provided for him Pope Leo saith Saint Martin of Belay in his second booke of memorable things hearing of the great losse which the Frenchmen sustained at Milan tooke so great joy thereat that a catarrhe and an ague ensuing killed him within three dayes after a happy man indeed to die with joy Pope Iulius the third was one of the same stampe nothing inferiour to the former in all manner of dissolute and infamous living and vile and cursed talke making knowne by his impiety that he had none other god but his belly and that he was none of Christs fold but one of Epicures crew he was such a glutton and so passionate in his lusts and so prophane a despiser of God and his Word that once at supper being inraged and blaspheming because they had not served in a cold Peacocke which he commanded to be kept whole at dinner though there were other hot on the table a Cardinall that was present desired him not to be so moved for so small a trifle What quoth he if it pleased God to be so angry for eating of an apple as to thrust Adam and Eve out of paradise should not I which am his Vicar be angry for a Peacocke which is far more worth than any apple See how this wicked wretch prophaned the holy Scripture and like an Epicure and Atheist mocked God but he died of the gout after he had been long plagued with it together with other diseases leaving none other good name behind him save the report of a most wicked and abhominable man Philip Strozze whom Paulus Iovius reporteth to have bin commonly bruited to be an Atheist was an Exile of Florence and afterwards prisoner there in the time of Cosimus Medius the Prince of that Commonwealth against whom this Philip had enterprized to make warre and being in prison he killed himselfe with the sword of a Spaniard his keeper which by oversight he had left behinde setting the point against his throat and falling downe upon it so may all Atheists perish and come to naught Francis Rabelais having suckt up also this poison used like a prophane villain to make all Religion a matter to laugh and mocke at but God deprived him of his sences that as he had led a brutish life so he might die a brutish death for he died mocking all those that talked of God or made mention of mercy in his eares How miserable was the end of Periers the author of that detestable book intituled Symbolum mundi wherein he openly mocked at God and his Religion even finally he fell into despaire and notwithstanding all that guarded him killed himselfe Iodelle also a French tragicall Poet being an Epicure and Atheist made a very tragicall and most pittifull end for he died in great misery and distresse even pined to death after he had rioted out all his substance and consumed his patrimony Ligneroles the Courtier to make himselfe seeme a man of service made open profession of Atheisme but his end and destruction came from thence whence he looked for credit and advancement To bring the matter to an end I will here set downe a notable and strange thing that chanced in the raigne of Lewis the ninth as Enguerran de Monstrelet in his second volume of Histories recordeth it upon the fifteenth day of Iune in the yeare of our Lord God 1464 there happened a strange thing in the Palace at Paris So it was that there was a matter in law to be tried betwixt the Bishop of Angiers and a rich citicen whom the Bishop charged to have spoken before many witnesses that he beleeved not that there was either God or Devill Heaven or Hell Now whilst the Bishops Lawyer laid to his charge these things the place began to tremble very much wherein they were and a stone fell downe from the roof amongst them all without hurting any yet every man was sore afraid and departed out of the house untill the morrow then the matter was begun againe to be pleaded which was no sooner in hand but the chamber began afresh to shake and one of the summers came forth of his mortisehole falling downwards two foot and there stayed so that all that were within the hall looking to have been slaine outright ran out so violently that some left behinde them their caps others their hoods others their slippers summarily glad was he
foure causes by which men are mooved to this unnaturall act and concludeth that for none of them nor for any other cause what soever a man ought to lay violent and bloudy hands upon himselfe yea concludeth peremptorily that a better life after death doth not receive such to wit that wilfully and desperately murder themselves and die without repentance as commonly they doe But here it is to be observed that many which seeme to make away themselves are murdered and made away by the Divell and not by themselves for otherwise it were not possible that then should perish so strangely as they doe as when some have beene hanged with their knees almost touching the ground others upon a weake twigge not strong enough to beare the weight of the tenth part of their body others beene drowned in a puddle of water which plainely sheweth that the Divell either as the principall actor or at least as a helper was the procurer of their murders and not alwayes themselves And therefore I must needs say with Luther That both charity and conscience inhibites resolutely to judge all such to be damned that seeme to have made havocke of their owne lives for the mercy of God is incomprehensible and why may he not save the soules of them whose bodies he gave leave to the Divell to torment yea to destroy Besides we read of many holy women who in the time of persecution cast themselves into the deep stream to preserve their chastity from the violence of the wicked persecutours and yet were reputed in the Church for holy Martyrs Saint Augustines judgement is worthy to be learned and imitated of all concerning this matter who thus defineth the case Of these saith he I dare avouch nothing rashly it may be the Church of God was perswaded by divine authority to receive them into the number of Martyrs or it may be they did this act not being deceived after the manner of men but being commanded of God not erring but obeying as also we are to judge of Sampson now when God biddeth and without all doubt makes knowne his will who can call this obedience a crime who can accuse a duety of piety But a little after he giveth a caveat Ne divina iussio ullo nutet incerto that is that we be sure God bids for often times the divell translates himself into an Angell of light and wil feine a message from God which proceedeth from his owne malice All this is to be conceived only touching that extraordinary case of those holy women that drowned themselves and yet were held for Martyrs in the Church of God as for others that shall wilfully and wofully shed their owne blouds and rob themselves of that precious jewell of life which God hath given them to keep no doubt but as they commit a horrible and hainous crime so they incurre a horrible and fearefull judgement yea the very act it selfe is both a crime and a judgment a crime deserving a further judgment even eternall damnation in hell fire and a judgement and punishment of some notable sinnes commâ—â—ed by them before and of an ungodly and wicked life unrepented of The drift therfore purpose of these examples following is this to shew how the Lord punisheth oftentimes in men an ungodly life with voluntary and wilfull murder of themselves and this wilfull murder of themselâ—es with eternall damnation after this life ended as a just recompence of their deserts and all to teach us repentance the onely means to prevent both these The first we reade of in holy Scripture that cruelly murdered himselfe with his owne hands was King Saul who as it is recorded of him was a most wicked man and a Tyran for being chosen from among all the people of Israel to be King by the Lords owne appointment and advanced as it were from the Plough to the Scepter he like a most ungratefull wretch kicked against his advancer and rebelled against his God that had done so great things for him yea hee not onely contemned his lawes and cast his commandements behind his backe but also proved a most cruell Tyran and shed much innocent blood amongst the rest of his cruelties this was the chiefe upon the false accusation of Doeg the Edomite he caused fourescore and five persons that were Priests and wore a linnen Ephod to bee staine at one time and Nob the Citie of the Priests to be smote with the edge of the sword both man and woman childe and suckling Oxe and Asse yea so wicked was he that when the Lord would not answer him neither by Prophets nor by dreames nor by any other meanes he went to take counsell of the Divell at the mouth of the Witch of Endor for all which his abominable wickednesse the Lord gave him over at last to so desperate a minde that rather than he would fall into the hands of his enemies he fell upon his owne sword and murdered himselfe Zimri also the King of Israel is set forth by the holy Ghost to be a wicked man and a traitor for he conspited against his master Ela the sonne of Baasha King of Israel and flew him as he was drinking in Tirza and proclaimed himselfe King in his roome but the army hearing thereof made Omri the Captaine of the hoste King who comming to besiege Tirza wherein Zimri was Zimri seeing that the Citie was taken went into the palace of the Kings house and there together with the house burnt himselfe rather than he would fall into the hands of his enemy Now the holy Ghost setteth it downe in plaine words that the Lord sent this judgement upon him for his sinnes which he had sinned in doing that which was evill in the of the Lord and walking in the way of Ieroboam who made Israel to sinne Achitophel that great Counsellor of State to King David of whom it is said that the counsell which he counselled was like the Oracle of God when hee saw that the counsell which hee gave was not followed but despised hee sadled his Asse and arose and went home into his owne citie and put his houshold in order and hanged himselfe And that this was Gods just vengeance upon him for his former wickednesse it may appeare both by his conspiracie with Absalom against his liege lord king David and also that wicked counsel which hee gave unto him of going in unto his fathers concubines in the sight of the people In the second booke of the Machabees is recorded a notable story of one Raz is an Elder of Jerusalem who is there set forth to bee a man of very good report constant in religion a father of the Jewes and a lover of the citie yet notwithstanding this man rather than hee would fall into the hands of Nicanor his enemy murdered himselfe after a most fearefull and savage manner for first hee fell upon his sword and when as for haste that stroke dispatched him not hee ran
spirit in a mighty tempest of thunder and lightening before the view of the whole multitude to their great astonishment insomuch that they fled at the sight thereof What shall wee say of Silla that monster in cruelty that most odious and execrable Tyran that ever was by whom all civile order and humane policie was utterly defaced and all vice and confusion in stead thereof set up did hee not procure the death of six thousand men at one clap at the discomfiture of Marius And having promised to save the lives of three thousand that appealed unto his mercy did he not cause them to be assembled within a Parke and there to have their throats cut whilest hee made an oration to the Senate It was hee that filled the channels of the streets of Rome and other cities in Italie with bloud and slaughters innumerable and that neither spared Altar Temple or other priviledged place or house whatsoever from the pollution and distainment of innocent bloud husbands were staine in their wives armes infants in their mothers bosomes and infinite multitudes of men murdered for their riches for if any were either rich or owners of faire houses or pleasant gardens they were sure to die besides if there were any private quarrell or grudge betwixt any citizen and some of his crew he suffered his side to revenge themselves after their owne lusts so that for private mislike and enmity many hundreds lost their lives he that saved an outlaw or proscribed person in his house of which there were too many of the best sort in his time or gave him entertainment under his roofe whether he were his brother sonne or parent whatsoever was himselfe for recompence of his curtesie and humanitie proscribed and sould and condemned to death and he that killed one of them that was proscribed had for reward two talents the wages of his murder amounting in value to twelve hundred crownes whether it was a bondslave that slew his master or a sonne that murdered his father comming to Preneste hee began to proceed in a kinde of justiciall forme amongst the citizens and as it were by law and equitie to practise wrong and injurie but ere long either being weary of such slow proceedings or not at leisure to prosecure the same any further he caused to meet together in one assemblie two thousand of them whom hee committed all to the massacre without any manner of compassion As hee was sitting one day in the middest of his pallace in Rome a souldier to whom he had granted the proscription of his dead brother as if he had beene alive whom he himselfe before the civile warre had slaine presented him in lieu of thanks for the great good turne the head of one Marcus Marius of the adverse faction before the whole citie with his hands all imbrued in bloud which hee also washed in the holy water staâ—ke 〈◊〉 Apolloes temple being near unto that place and all this being commended and countenanced by Silla hee decreed a generall disanulment and abrogation of all titles and rights that were passed before his time to the end to have the more liberty both to put to death whom he pleased and to confiscate mens goods and also to unpeople and repeople cities sack pulldowne and build and to depose make Kings at his pleasure the goods which he had thus seised he shamed not to sell with his owne hands sitting in his tribunall sear giving oftentimes a faire woman a whole countrey or the revenues of a citie for her beauty and to Players Jesters Juglers Minstrâ—â—s and other wicked effranchised slaves great and unnecessary rewards yea and to divers married women also whom pleasing his eye he deprived their husbands of perforce and espoused them to himselfe maugre their wils being desirous to ally himselfe with Pompey hee commanded him to cast off his lawfull wife and taking from Magnus Gâ—abriâ— his wife Aemilia made him marry her though already great with childe by her former husband but she died in travell in his house In seasts and banketâ—ings he was too immoderate for it was his continuall and daily practise the wine that hee dranke usually was fortie yeares old and the company that hee delighted to keepe was compact of ministriss tumblers players singers and such like rascals and with these he would spend whole dayes in drinking carousing dauncing and all dissolutenesse Now this disinordinate life of his did so augment a disease which was growne in his body to wit an imposthume that in time it corrupted his flesh and turned it into lice in such sort that though hee had those that continually followed him to sweepe them off and to louze him night and day yet the encrease was still so plentifull that all would not serve to cleare him for a moment insomuch that not his apparell though never so new and changeable nor his linnen though never so fresh nor his bath nor his laver no nor his meat and drinke could be kept unpolluted from the fluxe of this filthy vermine it issued in such abundance oftentimes in a day hee would wash himselfe in a bath but to no great purpose for his shame increased the more The day before he dyed he sent for one Granius who attending his death delayed to pay that which hee ought to the Common-wealth and being come in his presence hee commanded him to be strangled to death before his face but with straining himselfe in crying after his execution his imposthume burst and vomited out such streames of bloud that his strength failed him withall and passing that night in great distresse the next day made up his wicked and miserable end After that Caligula began to addict himselfe to impiety and contempt of God presently being not curbed with any feare nor shame he became most dissolute in all kinde of wickednesse for at one time he caused to be slaine a great number of people for calling him young Augustus as if it had beene an injury to his person to be so intituled and to say briefly of all his murders there were so many of his kindred friends senators and citizens made away by his meanes that it would be too long and tedious here to recite wherefore seeing that hee was generally hated of the people for his misdeeds hee wished that they all had but one head to the end as it might seeme that at one blow hee might dispatch them all In sumptuousnesse and costlinesse of dishes and banquets he neither found nor left his equall for he would sup up most pretious stones melted by art and swallow down treasures into his belly his banquets were often served with golden loaves and golden meats in giving rewards hee was sometime too too prodigall for he would cast great summes of money amongst the people certain dayes together untill his bags were drawne drie and then new strange shifts must be practised to fill them up againe his subjects he over charged with many new-found
not hope for salvation or remission of his sins because that of meer malice he had resisted and made war with God Cardinall Poole an Englishman had also somtimes professed himselfe to be well seen in the sincerity of the Gospell yet contrary to his conscience he sent into his countrey the Trophies and Ensignes of Antichrist the Pope which before had been rased out and abolished the realme but he died two or three daies after Queene Mary in horrible griefes terrors and fearfulnesse without any shew of repentance Stephen Gaediner Bishop of Winchester and after Chancellor of England shewed in his young yeares some forwardnesse to withstand the Popish abuses and superstitions but as soone as he was exalted to honour he turned over a new lease and began freshly and furiously to afflict and to rend the poore faithfull servants of Christ putting them to the cruellest deaths he could devise And yet more to discover his prophanenesse and rebellion he wrote many books against the pure Religion of God and being thus swolne with venomous spight against the Sonne of God beside the extreame covetousnesse whoredomes and extortions which raigned in him behold the Lord layd his hand of wrath upon him and stroke him with so strange a malady that before his death such horrible stinke issued from him that none of his friends and servants no not himselfe could endure the savour thereof his belly was swolne like a taber his eyes distracted and sunke into his head his cheeks thin and the appearance of his whole face very terrible his breath savoured of a filthy and intolerable stinke and all his members were rotten with continuall griefes and swounings yet this vile wretch in the midst of all these torments ceased not to yell out continuall blasphemies and infamous speeches and so despighting and maugring God died Peter Castellon Bishop of Maston having attained to great riches and renowne by the means of the Gospell turned notwithstanding his backe to Christ and mightily inveyed in his sermons at Orleance against the profession of his Religion seeking to make it knowne that he had not onely abjured and denied it but also that hee was a profest adversary unto it This man sitting at a time in his chaite fell into a strange disease which no Physitian had ever seene or could search out the cause of for one halfe of his body was extreme hot and burned like fire the other extreame cold and frozen like Ice and in this torment with horrible cries and groanings he ended his life A gray Frier called Picard who once was not ashamed of the Gospell afterwards set himselfe to preach against that which he had professed and being in the pulpit at Orleance after infinite blasphemies which he had disgorged against the Truth at last said That he protested before God and the holy assembly that he would never preach more after that day because he was an Apostate which saying he by and by impudently and constantly denied to the perill and damnation of his owne soule thinking by his horrible cursings and forswearings to abuse the poore ignorant and superstitions people but he no sooner came into the field but the puissant hand of God over-reached him and stroke him speechlesse so that he was carried thence halfe dead and within short space died altogether without any appearance of repentance Among other Iudges which shewed themselves hot and rigorous in persecuting and proceeding against the faithfull prisoners of Valence in Daulphine and other Romanes at that season when two Ministers of the same city suffered Martyrdome one Lanbespin a Counsellor and Ponsenas the Kings Atturney at the Parliament of Grenoble both two having been professors in times past were not the backwardest in that action but God made them both strange examples of his wrath for Lanbespin falling in love with a young maid was so extremely passionate therein that he forewent his owne estate and all bounds of civill honesty to follow her up and down whithersoever she went and seeing his love and labour despised and set at nought he so pined away with very thought that making no reckoning of himselfe such a multitude of lice so fed upon him and tooke so good liking of their pasture that by no means he could be cleansed of them for they increased and issued out of every part of his body in such number as maggots are wont to engender in a dead and rotten carrion At length a little before his death seeing his owne misery and seeling Gods heavy vengeance upon him he began to despaire of all mercy and to the end to abridge his miserable dayes he resolved to hungerstarve himselfe to death Which purpose the lice furthered for they stucke so thicke in his throat as if they would have choaked him every moment neither could he suffer any sustenance to passe downe by reason of them They that were eye witnesses of this pittifull spectacle were wondrously moved with compassion and constrained him to eat whither he would or not And that they might make him take cullissâ—s and other stewed broaths because he refused and strove against them they bound his armes and put gagges into his mouth to keep it open whilest others poured in the food And in this wise being gagged he died like a mad beast with abundance of lice that went downe his throat insomuch that the very Papists themselves stucke not to say That as he caused the Ministers of Valence to have gagges thrust into their mouths and so put to death so likewise he himself died with a gagge in his mouth As touching Ponsenas commonly called Bourrel a very Butcher indeed of poore Christians after he had sold his owne patrimony and his wives and friends also to the end to buy out his office and had spent that which remained in house keeping hoping in short space to take up twise as much as he had scattered fell downe into a strange and unknowne disease and shortly grew in despaire of Gods succour and favour towards him by a strong remembrance of those of Valence and the other Romanes which he had put to death which would never depart out of his minde but still presented themselves before him so that as one bestraught of reason and sence he denied his Maker and called upon his destroyer the Devill with most horrible and bitter ensuings which when his Clearke perceived he layd out before him the mercies of God out of all places of the Scripture to comfort and restore his decayed sense But in stead of returning to God by repentance and prayer he continued obstinate and answered his Clerke whose name was Stephen in this wise Stephen Stephen thou art blacke So I am and it please you quoth he but I am neither Turke nor Moore nor Bohemian but a Gascoigne of red haire No no answered he not so but thou art blacke but it is with sinne That is true quoth he but I hope in the bountifull mercy of God that for the love
of Christ who died for me my blacke sinnes shall not be imputed to me Then he redoubling his choler cried mainly after his Clerke calling him Lutheran Huguenot Villaine At which noise his friends without rushed in to know what the matter was But hee commanded that Stephen his Clerke should presently have a paire of bolts clapt on his heeles and to be burned for an Heretique In briefe his choler and rage boyled so furiously in him that in short space he died a fearefull death with horrible howling and outcries His creditors scarse gave him respite to draw his carkasse out of his bed before they seised upon all his goods not leaving his poore wife and children so much as a bed of straw to lye in so grievous was the curse of God upon his house Another great Prince having in former time used his authority and power to the advancing of Gods kingdome afterwards being seduced by the allurements of the world renounced God and tooke part with the enemies of his Church to make warre against it in which war he was wounded to death and is one notable example of Gods just vengeance to all that shall in like manner fall away CHAP. XIX Of Heretiques AS it is a matter necessarily appertaining to the first Commandement That the purity and sinceritie of the doctrine of Gods Word be maintained by the rule whereof he would have us both know him and understand the holy mysteries which are revealed to us therein so also by the contrary whatsoever tendeth to the corrupting or falsifying of the same Word rising from foolish and strange opinions of humane reason the same transgresseth the limits of this Commandement of which sort is Heresie an evill of its owne nature very pernicious and contagious and no lesse to be feared and shunned than the heat of persecution and by means whereof the whole nation of Christendome hath been heretofore tossed with many troubles and the Church of God grievously vexed But as Truth got ever the upper hand and prevailed against falshood so the broakers and upholders of falshood came ever to the worse and were confounded as well by the strength of Truth as by the speciall judgements of God sent downe upon the most part of them Theudas Iudas Galileus were two that seduced the Jews before Christ for the first of them said he was a Prophet sent from God and that he could divide the waters of Jordan by his word as Ioshuah the servant of the Lord did The other promised to deliver them from the servitude and the yoake of the Romanes And both of them by that means drew much people after them so prone is the common multitude to follow novelties and to beleeve every new sangle that is but yesterday set on broach But they came both to a deserved destruction for Fatus the Governour of Jury overtooke Theudas and sending his trunke to the grave carried his head as a monument to Jerusalem As for Iudas he perished also and all his followers were dispersed manifesting by their ends that their works were not of God but of men and therefore must needs come to naught After Christ in the Apostles time there was one Elymas a Sorcerer that mightily withstood the doctrine of Paul and Barnabas before Sergius Paulus the deputy and sowed a contrary heresie in his minde but Paul full of the Holy Ghost set his eyes on him and said O full of all subtilty and mischief the childe of the Devill and enemy of righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervert the strait wayes of the Lord Now therefore behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee and then shalt be blinde for season And immediately there fell upon him a mist and darknesse and hee went about to seeke some to lead him by the hand And this recompence gained hee for his erroneous and hereticall practise A while after him under the Empire of Adrian arose there another called Benchochab that professed himselfe to be the Messias and to have descended from Heaven in the likenesse of a Star for the safety and redemption of the people by which fallacy he drew after him a world of seditious disciples but at length he and many of his credulous rout were slaine and was called by the Iewes Bencozba that is the son of a lye And this was the goodly redemption which this Heretique brought upon his owne head and many of his fellowes It is reported of Cerinthus an Heretique that he denying and going about to darken the doctrine of Christs everlasting kingdome was overwhelmed by the sudden fall of an hot house which fell upon him and his associates as soone as S. Iohn was departed from it for Ireneus saith That he heard Polycarpus often report how S. Iohn being about to enter into the bathes at Ephesus when he perceived Cerinthus already within departed very hastily saying to those that bore him company that he feared that the house would fall upon their heads because of Cerinthus the heretique that was therein at that instnat Manes of whom the Maniches tooke their name and first originall forged in his foolish braine a fiction of two gods and two beginners and rejecting the old Testament and the true God which is revealed in the same published a fifth Gospell of his owne forgery yea and was so besotted with folly as Suidas testifieth of him that he reported himselfe to be the Holy Ghost when he had thus with his devillish heresies and blasphemies infected the world and was pursued by Gods just judgement at last for other wicked practises he had his skin plucked over his eares alive and so dyed in misery Montanus that blasphemous Caitise of whom came the Montanists or Pepuzian heretiques of a towne in Phrygia called Pepuza denied Christ our Saviour to be God and said he was but a man only like other men without any participation of divine Essence he called himselfe the Comforter and holy Spirit which was forepromised to come into the world and his two wives Priscilla and Maximilla he named his prophetesses and their writings prophecies howbeit all their cunning could not foretell nor prevent a wretched and desperate end which befell him for he hung himselfe after he had deluded the world a long season and proved by his end his life to have been vile and damnable according to the proverb Qualis vita finis it a A cursed life and a cursed death Of all Heretiques that ever troubled and afflicted Gods Church the Arrians were the chiefe the author and ringleader of which crue as by his vainglorious pride and ambition he sought to extoll himselfe above the clouds boasting and vaunting in his damnable errour so by the just vengeance of God he was abased lower than hell and put in everlasting shame and opprobry for he had long time as it were entred the list and combated with Christ and was condemned for an Heretique by the Nicene Councell and his bookes burned