Oblation found Acceptance with the Alenighty Whereas on the other hand irreligious Cain valued not the Laws of his Maker whether Civil or Ecclesiastick nor did he care to observe that Form and Mode of Divine Worship which God had prescribed But plaid the abominable Hypocrite putting the Allmighty off with a little Lip-Service and outward Formality for which Dissimulation His Person and Oblation was deservedly rejected by God And Cain being thus rejected does immediately revenge himself upon his Innocent Brother For his Breast boyling with Choler and Anger his Heart swelling with Envy and Malice against Abel he does without farther Deliberation not only Plot and Contrive but also unhappily accomplish and effect the Murthering of him As thus Abel in the Context So King CHARLES in the Day is most Inhumanely Destroyed and Murthered for his constant maintaining the True Reformed Religion the established Episcopal Government of the Church of England the Righteous and Equitable Laws of the Kingdom So that once again with Tears and grief of Heart let us say it Holy CHARLES was Murthered for his Piety and Faithfulness towards God for his Zeal towards the Protestant Church in defending her Doctrine and Discipline her Rites and Government in opposition unto all Jesuitical Factious Innovators witness his Learned Dispute with that Incomparable Scholar the Old Earl of Worcester For here we must premise that if King CHARLES would have yielded unto the unreasonable and unconscionable Demands of his Enemies both Papists and Dissenters who joyntly desired an Abolition of the known and ratified Laws of the Realm as also an utter Extirpation of the established Government of the Church and the Introduction of either the old Superstitious Mode of Rome or the new fangled Mode and Form of Geneva in Divine Worship If his Majesty would have consented unto these their most unjust Demands then indeed he might have lived longer though not without a galled and wounded heart But God be praised such was the heighth of his Faith such the undauntedness of his courage as that this Blessed Prince chose rather to die Manfully yea Gloriously with a good Conscience then to live Ignominiously and Shamefully with the stain and black spot of Guilt upon his Fore-head And as Righteousness and justice towards God and Man had been the drist and design of all his Actions so eternal Glory and happiness for himself was the ultimate end of all his Dusires and enterprises And therefore as he had not failed in the former so that he might not miss of the-latter he does most meekly and patiently submit to the cruel stroke of an unjust Death and dies a Martyr for the Reformed Protestant Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Defender of the Protestant Faith a patron of the Episcopal-Protestant Church But to proceed in the Parallel As Abel was Murthered according to Tradition in his own Field upon his own Ground and that not clarcarly or privately in a Cellar nor covertly in a Bed But Audaciously in the open Field in the full view of Heaven and Earth which cirenmstance extreamly argued the Brazen-Fore-head the Monstrous Impudency of Cain the Murderer So King CHARLES was persidiously Murthered and slain not in a Forreign Country nor in another Mans Territories but upon his own proper Ground at his very own Pallace Gate Nor was this done in a By-Corner of the Gate privately or obscurely but in the sight of Thousands For now the Conspirators were so hardened in wickedness and were grown so bold and confident as that they desired no cloak to cover their Villany and therefore they now scorning to assault His Royal Person sneakingly in an inner Chamber as Ehud did Fgglon or in a Bed as Hazael did Benhadad do with a most prodigious Audacity erect a Stage and Scaffâ—ld under the open Canopie of the Heavens on which they Act this Black and Horrid Tragedy in the eye and view of the whole World And as in the Text God set a Mark upon Cain which Mark was a token of the Divine Mercy and Justice of the Divine Clemency and Indigation First It was a Mark of Favor and Mercy for thereby God did assure Cain that although his Capital and unpardonable Crime deserved present Death yet he should not out of hand die but have a Reprieve and should live many yea hundreds of years and accordingly Cain did live a long tract of time and years after this his horrid Fact and Murther and did become in the World a very Great and Potent Man and made himself an absolute Prince and Monarch And as he was the first we read of who builded a City so he and his posterity were the first that Lorded it and Tyrannized in the World So in the Day God set a double Mark upon the Regicides one of Favor and Mercy the other of Justice and Indignation Of Faver in that the hand of the Divine Nemesis did not presently and immediately seize upon them according to their deserts but benignly suffered them to live several years after the perpetration of their Hellish and Treasonable Murther And which is very remarkable Many of them became great and potent especially as you all know one among them Masantello like exalted himself up into the very Threne and became an abiolute Monarch making his own Will the Law and Standard of his Actions And further as in the Text God to shew his wonderful Mercy and Clemenâ—y did six a Mark upon Cain which probably was as you have heard the Hebrew Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tau the first of Torah the Law and the first of Teshuvah Repentance thereby mumating that this Mark should be his Memento timely and heartily to Resent of his sin and Murther by which he had wittingly transgressed and broke the indispensable Law of God So in the Day God out of tender Bowels of Compassion suspended and deserred the Execution of his Vengeance upon the fore mentioned Delinquents Graciously adds unto their Days many years hoping that as Murthering Manasses and David so they would at last with a broken and bleeding heart with a mournful and penitent eye reflect back upon their unheard of Wickedness and endeavor to wash away the stain and tincture of that their Crimson sin in the Tears of godly sorrow and of Evangelical Repentance Secondly as in the Text Cain's Mark was a Token of the Divine Justice and Indignation hinting to him that although his Life for a while was reprieved and spared yet his sin and Murther was not pardoned For at last Vengeance found him out his sin and guilt at the long run like a Blood-hound as a Lyon skulking in the Highway seized upon him for so the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 4.7 Signifies at last the vindicative justice of God over-took him So in the Day Although the Divine Goodness gave the above mentioned Malefactors a long space of time to live and Repent in yet that Forbearance and Indulgence did not declare them pardoned and absolved For at
Gregory of Oxford mentions to wit that God did set some certain Letter of the Hebrew Alphabet on Cain And this his conjecture is borrowed from that incomparable Critick Gerundensis who tells us that the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oth signifies an Alphabetical Letter as well as signum a Mark and that the Hebrew Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate the Lord set a Mark upon Cain may as well be read thus the Lord set a Letter upon Cain c. Which Letter he and others think probably to be the Hebrew Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tau which is the first Letter of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teshuvah that is Repentance for God did primarily design by this Mark Cain's Repentance and conversion And it is not to be forgot that the very same Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tau God Commanded the destroying Angel to set on the Fore-heads of all those good Men who repented and mourned for the Abominations and Sins committed in the City For because the above mentioned devout Persons did seriously and after a godly manner sorrow and grieve for the Sins of the Land God Almighty when he commissioned his Angel to Kill and Destroy all the ungodly and wicked in the Land gave to the said Angel a special Charge first to Mark with the Letter Tau all those that truly Repented and that were to be preserved from that common Destruction for Ezek. 9.4 what we translate set a Mark upon the Fore-heads of the Men that sigh c. May thus be read as Junius observes c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is And Tertulll adversus judaeos c. 11. p. 104.10 says the same super quos est Tau signum ne accessetitis set a Tau upon the Fore-heads of the Men that sigh c. And Vatablus quoting the Hebrew Rabbies says they thus read the place and so does Drusius Tertullian and Grotius but they do not make this Letter Tau to be the first Letter of Teshuvah Repentance but rather of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Torah which signifies the Law and then the meaning of the place is this go set a Tau on all them who have conscientiously kept the Torah the Law of God and have mourned and sighed for others transgressing the same After this manner they conceive Cain was Marked in the Fore-head with the Letter Letter Tau which was to put him in mind of Two things First of Torah the Law of God which he had willfully broke in Murthering his Brother Secondly of Teshuvah His indispensable Duty of Repenting and bewailing that his so diabolical Act. And thus at large we have indeavored to give you the best account we can of the Nature of this Mark which God set upon Cain Thirdly It follows that we enquire out the end and final Cause for which God was pleased to set a Mark on Cain and in all likely hood Gods end was Two fold either in respect to Cain himself or else in regard to Posterity If in respect to Cain then it was either a Mark of Punishment or Secondly a Token of great Favor and Mercy towards him First It was a Mark of Punishment In as much as it signified Cain's Banishment and Excommunication out of the Glorious presence of God himself and from the Communion of his Holy Church For as it is a great Solace to a Pious and Devout Soul to enjoy God in the Society and Communion of his Church so is it on the other hand a great Judgment to be deprived of the same Ignatius in his Epistle to the Ephesians excellently describes the Priviledges of Church-Fellowship when he says that if the Prayers of One Holy Man such as Moses David or Jacob have been so prevalent and powerful with God Almighty as to divert immanent Judgments and to bring in Personal and National Blessings if so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. How much more perswasive then are the Prayers of the Bishops and whole Church unanimously met togerher as in one Chorus to Laud and Praise God And what can these Universal Prayers be but as a thick cloud of Incense Ascending up from the Altar to the highest Heavens and as the sweet Harmony and Melodious Consort of Celestial Musick sounding in the Ears of the Divine Goodness And as it is Heaven upon Earth thus to enjoy the Rayes and Beams of the Glorious Sun of Righteousness shining full bright within the pale and Bounds of his Church so on the other hand it is the greatest punishment imaginable yea verily Hell upon Earth though Erroneous and Debauched Men do not think so to be deprived of the same and swallowed up in worse than Cimmerian Darkness to be delivered up to Satan and cut short of the fruition of God and his Holy Ordinances This says that Ancient Father of the Primitive Church is one of the greatest punishments any Man on this side Hell is capable of And such was the punishment of Wicked Cain implyed and signified in his being Stigmatized Now that Cain was thus Excommunicated and Banished from the Church of God Paulus Fagius Bonfrenus as quoted in the Synops Crit. and the Learned Bochartus proves First from Gain's being a Vagabond and Wanderer upon the Earth For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we Translate Vagabond Buxtorf enterprets to signifie Extorrem that is an Exile a man Out-Lawd one that is deprived of all Law Ecclesiastick and Civil for so the Extorres were Sentenced and therefore seeing Cain was such a one he must necessarily be Excommunicated and abridged of all Church Priviledges and Fellowship Secondly In that Cain is said in the Verse immediately following the Text to go out from the presence of the Lord c. Paulus Fagius Discessit ab co loco ubi Dominus illum convenerat ubi tum erat Ecclesia Caetus piorum ad Cultum Dei Confluentium c. The summ whereof is this that Cain departed from the place where God met him and where the Church of God at that time was fixed and went his way into Nod that is into a strange Country or rather in terram Vagationis into a Land of Banishment and Exile far remote from all Divine Worship Ordinances and true Religion And there in that Land of his Banishment his Sons and Posterity became Idolatrous and extreamly wicked and welf they might being given up to vileness of affection Reprobateness of Mind and being shut up in Darkness and Spiritual Ignorance they might soon be alienated from the true Church and pure Worship of the ever living God So then as soon as Cain is become a Willful Murtherer God Banishes him out of his Glorious presence as also debars him from all Communion with the Church of God From which passage of Divine Providence we may with the above mentioned Author learn two special Truths First That Malos non esse ferendos in Ecclesia c. As soon as men are upon sufficient Grounds discovered and
proved to be notoriously wicked and enormous in their Actions and Conversations they then ought to undergo the Churches Censure in order to their Amendment And therefore as soon as Cain's Murther is Revealed and proved God out of Hatred and Indignation to that his Sin turns him out of his Favor and Churches Communion and all because Virtue and Vice Light and Darkness God and Belial may not cohabit and dwell together All care then is to be used for the preserving Gods Church pure and spotless without Wrinckle or Blemish For as God Almighty at the Judgment Day will make a Separation between the Sheep and the Goats So does he Authorize his Bishops Pastors and Governors of the Church Militant here upon Earth to Separate the Notoriously Bad from the Eminently Good As for Hypocrites and such Wicked Men whose Naughtiness cannot be discovered nor proved they being Masked over with an outward Profession and Form of Religion and so lying undiscovered must be tolerated in the Church for they are the Tares which will grow up with the wheat But as for all Cain's who are openly wicked whose Villanies may be read in their Fore-heads they are not to be permitted to enjoy so transcendent a Priviledge as Church Fellowship but ought to be presented in due Course of Law Secondly From hence we may be informed of the many Dangers Ghostly and Bodily all Excommunicated Persons are exposed unto Quantis in periculis versentur illi quà m expositi sint Satanae omnibus Malis Qui extra Ecclesiam sunt constituti c. A Wicked Man Excommunicated like Cain is from under the Protection and guard of Divine Providence he is exposed to Mens Malice to the Beasts cruelty and lies open to all the fiery Darts of Satans Temptations His Sin and Guilt subjects him to the vengeance and viols of Gods wrath and he may well fear that every Creature will take up Arms against him and become the Executioner of Gods Anger and so pay unto him the Wages of his sin which is Death and that which is worst of all he being Excommunicated Gods Church and Favor is given up unto a Reprobate Mind and unto all manner of Profaness as was Cain and his whole Generation But Secondly this Mark set on Cain was not only for a punishment to him as it denoted his rejectment and Excommunication out of Gods Church and Favor but also in that it was a perpetual Brand and Mark of Infamy and Ignominy set upon him on purpose to discover unto all Persons his foul fact his horrid Murther and Guilt Yea briefly it was as the Hand-writing on the wall or as the Finger of God Pointing out and declaring to the whole world This (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Cbrys Ho 19. in Gen 3. This is the Murtherer This is that cursed Cain who so maliciously slew his pious and innocent Brother Abel As this Mark of Cain's was for his punishment so likewise was it for a special Token and Sign of Gods clemency and Mercy towards him and that first in as much as it was a Mark of Preservation St. Chryl Tom. 3. in Psal 144. p. 5.20 c. and the assurance of a Long Life God might in his rigor and Justice have cut him off in the very Act of Sin but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unfathomable is the depth of Gods love unconceivable is the immensity of his Clemency unsearchable are the Riches of his Mercies towards the Sons of Apostolized Man he saves a live when he might justly have kill'd and suffers them to tread upon his Earth whose heavy load of guilt and sin might well have pressed and sunked them down to the centre of it Such is the Superlativeness of Gods Benignity such are the yearnings of his Bowels of Compassion towards Guilty-Cain as that he does not only here in the Text Reprieve him from the sudden Execution of the Sentence of a speedy Death according to the Tenor of the Law made against Murther but bestowed also Long life upon him which was a Mercy so great as that 't is beyond conception and expression And that Cain lived long as the premises speak is an universal Tradition and the Sacred Scriptures those infallible Oracles of Truth assure us that he lived to see his Childrens Children it was a general opinion among the Jews that Cain lived unto the Seventh Generation to this purpose they read the words immediatly before our Text. Whosoever Slayeth Cain Vengeance shall be taken on him Seven-fold c. The Hebrews read them thus Whosoever Slayeth Cain at the Seventh Generation Vengeance shall take hold on him And thus they make the words prophetical of Cain's living unto the Seventh Generation and of his being Kill'd in that Generation and who ever should then Kill him should be severely punished The same Tradition makes Lamech to be Author of Cain's Death For whilest he was lying solitary in the Woods upon the Ground Lamech an Hunter mistaking him for a wild Beast Shot and killed him for which Fact Lamech's two Wives Adah and Zillah v. 23. of this Chapter would no longer live with him but endeavored a Divorcement from him he being a Murtherer Wherefore Lamech makes his just defence and vindicates himself and takes off their Accusation of Wilful Murther alledging that he slew the Man Cain against his will unawares otherwise he had not done it and therefore if God did permit Cain a willful and malicious Murtherer to live so long as to the Seventh Generation he did not question but God would suffer Lamech who had at the worst committed only Man-slaughter unawares by mere casualty to live not only unto seven but also unto Seven times seven Generations that is unto a far greater number of years then did Cain St. Chrysostome is of opinion that Lamech was a very good and just man St. Chrysost in Gen. 4. Hem. 10. and that because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. a good man is always the first accuser of himself For such an one was Lamech who as soon as ever he had accidentally Kill'd a man does not conceal it as did Cain but ingenuously Confesseth it and therefore if Cain sound mercy much more Lamech But to conclude this particular we will no longer traverse the above mentioned Tradition nor dispute its verity or falsity only this we are assured of scil That Cain lived long after the Commission of his detestable Fact and the Signature on his Fore-head was a confirmation and sealing of the lease of a Long Life to him all which was an undenyable Argument of Gods Goodness and Mercy towards him 2. This Mark was a Token of great Mercy in that God thereby did declare he would not only give Cain a longer time to live in but also a longer time to repent in For by thus delaying his Execution God primarily aimed at Teshuvah his sincere Repentance and conversion expecting that now he should redeem time expiate and wash out as much