ought to be aboue the prince not the prince aboue the lawes Dial. 4. ote legibus it is then most manifest that the prince is tyed vnto the lawes euen in such sort that without the same the gouernment which he swaieth can neuer be lawfull and commendable And if it be true that the Magistrate is or ought to be a Speaking law as it is said and ought to maintaine the authoritie and credit thereof by the due and vpright administration of Iustice for if he did not this he were a dumb law and without life How is it possible that he should make it of authority sorce with others if he despiseth and transgresseth it himselfe Dauid did neuer assume so much to himselfe as to desire to haue liberty to do what he listed in his kingdom but willingly submitted himselfe to that whicâ— his office and duty required 2. Sam. 5. making euen then when he was installed and established king ouer the whole land a couenant of peace with the princes and deputies of the people and wee know that in euery couenant and bargaine both parties are bound to ech other by a mutuall bond to perfourme the conditions which they are agreed vpon the like is vsed at the coronation of Christian Kings where as the people is bound and sworne to do their allegiance to their Kings so the kings are also solemnly sworne to maintaine and defend true religion the estate of iustice the peace and tranquilitie of their subiects and the right and priuiledges which are nothing but the lawes of the Realme whereas Dauid was by the Prophet Nathan reprooued for the adultery and murder which he had committed he neither vsed any excuse nor alledged any priuiledge whereby he was exempted from the rigour of the law to iustifie his fact but freely confessed without any cloake that he had sinned Whereby it appeareth of how small strength and authority their opinion and words be which thinke or affirme that a prince may dispence with the lawes at his pleasure by this opinion was the mother in law of Antonius Caracalla seduced who hauing by her lasciuious and filthy allurements enticed her sonne in law to lust and loue her and to desire her for his wife perswaded him that he might bring his purpose to passe and that it was lawfull enough for him if he would though for other it was vnlawfull seeing that he was Emperour and that it belongeth not to him to receiue but to giue lawes by which perswasion that braue marriage was concluded and made vp contrary to the law of nature and nations and to all honestie and vertue So it was reported how Cambyses tooke his owne sister to wife Herod lib 3. whome notwithstanding a litle after he put to death which thing being not vsuall then among the Persians not daring to enterprise it although he was a most wicked man without the aduise of the magistrates and counsellers of his realme hee called them togither and demaunded whether it was lawfull for him to make such a marriage or no to whome they answered freely that there was no prescript law which did allow of it yet that they might sooth him vp fearing to incurre his displeasure they said further that though there was no law to command it yet such a mighty king as hee might doe what he pleased In like manner that trencher Philosopher Anaxarchus after that he had told Alexander the Great Plutarch with a loud voice that he ought not to feare the penaltie of any law nor the reproch nor blame of any man because it belonged onely to his office to create lawes for all other to liue by and to prescribe the limits of lawfull and lawlesse things and that it became him beeing a conquerour to rule like a lord and a master and not to obey any vaine conceit of law whatsoeuer and that what thing soeuer the king did the same was sacred iust and lawfull vvithout exception And by this meanes made his proceedings farre more dissolute and outragious in many things then euer they were before Dion in the epitome of Xiphiline reporteth how the Emperours were wont to vsurpe this priuiledge to be exempted from all lawe that they might not be tied to any necessity of doing or leauing vndone any thing and how in no case they would endure to be subiect to any written ordinances the which thing is manifest euen in the behauiour of the chiefest of them aswell in regard of their life and manners as of the gouernment that they vsed in their Commonwealths For first of all Augustus Caesar hauing kept in his owne hand the office of the Triumuir ten yeeres as Suetonius testifieth hee also vsurped the Tribunes office and authority and that til his dying day and likewise tooke vpon him the Censureship namely the office of correcting and gouerning manners and lawes if need required whose successours a man may truly say for the most part trampled vnder their feete all sincere and sacred lawes by their notorious intemperance dissolutenesse and cruelties And yet for all this there wanted not a parasiticall lawyer vvho to please the Emperour his lord and master the better and to vnderprop and as it vvere seele ouer vvith a faire shevv that tyrannicall gouernment vsed by other Emperours foisted in this as a lavv amongst the rest Princeps legibus solutus est That the prince was exempted from all law As for that which they alledge out of Aristotles Politiques maketh nothing to set a colour vpon this counterfait for saith Aristotle if there be any man that excelleth so in vertue aboue all others that none is able to compare with him that man is to be accounted as a God amongst men to whome no law may be prescribed because he is a law vnto himselfe all which I graunt to be true if that which was presupposed could take place for where no transgression is found there no law is necessary according as Saint Paul said The law was not giuen for the iust but for the vniust and offenders but where is it possible to find such a Prince so excellent and so vertuous that standeth not in need of some law to be ruled by Of the like force and strength is that which is written in the first booke of Institutions tit 2. the wordes are these The Princes pleasure serueth for a law because the whole bodie of the people hath translated all their authoritie power and iurisdiction vnto him this is spoken of the Romane Emperours but vpon the ground of so slender silly reason that vpon so weake a foundation it can neuer stand for if it be demanded whether this action of the people of giuing ouer their right and prerogatiue to their Prince be vvilling or constrained vvhat answere vvill they make If it be by constraint and feare as it is indeed vvho will not iudge this vsurping of their libertie vtterly vniust and tyrannicall when one man shall arrogate that to himselfe vvhich
the Lord hath preserued her maiestie not onely from these but many other secret and priuie foes and that most miraculously and contrarie to all reason and hath spread his winges ouer her to defend her from all her enemies the consideration whereof as it ought to stirre vp in euerie one a thankfull heart to acknowledge his mercies and a fearefull care not to displease him that is so gratious vnto vs so it ought also to incite euerie one of vs to pray incessantly for her further preseruation as being the soule of our soules and life of our liues for surely if the Lord depriue vs of her life our sinnes are the cause and our smart will be the effect thereof Moreouer there is yet another kind of treason and another rancke of traitors as pernicious as any of the former and as odious before God and man Such are they which either vpon priuate quarrels or receiued iniuries or hope of gaine or any other silly respect forsake their countries take part with the enemies to fight against it or they that in time of necessity refuse to fight or dare not fight in defence of it the former sort are called fugitiues and the latter cowards As touching the first they haue beene alwaies in detestation in well gouerned pollicies and also euermore seuerely punished The Aeginates punished them with the losse of their right hand thumbes to the end they might no more handle a speare or a sword but an oare The Mitylenians with losse of their liues The inhabitants of Samos marked them in the face with the picture of an oule and the Romanes punished them after diuerse fashions Fabius Maximus caused all those that had fled from the Romane succours to the enemy to loose their hands Africanus the former though gentle mild by nature yet in this respect he borrowed from forraine cruelty for hauing conquered Carthage got into his power all those Romane rebels that tooke part against his country hee hung the Romanes as traitors to their countrie Valerius maximus and mitigated the punishment of the Latines as but perfidious confederates Africanus the latter when hee had subdued the Punicke Nation hee threw all fugitiues amongst wild beasts to be deuoured Lucius Paulus after the conquest of the king of Persia committed these fellows to the mercie of Eliphantes Generally there is no Nation vnder the sunne which holdeth them not in execration and therfore our English fugitiues who vnder cloke of religion not onely abandon their countrie their kindred and their Prince but also conspire the vndoing swear the destruction of them are they not worthie to be handled like traitors and to haue their quarters spectacles of perfidie The bridge and gates of London beare witnesse of the wofull ends that these Iesuits come vnto As touching cowards I meane such as preferring their liues or liberty or any other by-respects before their countries welfare either dare not or wil not stand stoutly in defence of it in time of war and danger they deserue no lesse punishment then the former seeing that as they are open oppugners so these are close vnderminers of the good thereof And therefore the Romans did sharply chasten them in their gouernment as may appear by diuerse examples of the same as first they were noted with this ignominy neuer to eat their meat but standing hereunto they were sworne Nay they were in such hatefull account amongst them Alex. ab Alex. that when Anniball offered the Senat 8000 captiues to be redeemed they refused his offer saying that they were not worthy to bee redeemed that had rather bee taken basely then die honestly valiantly the same Senat dealt more fauourably with the captiues which king Pirrhus tooke for they redeemed them but with this disgrace degrading them from their honors and places vntill by a double spoile they had won their reputation againe L. Calpurnius Piso handled Titius the captaine of his horsemen in Sicilia one who being ouercharged with enemies deliuered his weapons vnto them on this maner Valerius Max. lib. 2. cap. 2. he caused him to go barefooted before the army wearing a garment without seames hee forbad him society with any saue such as were noted with the same fault and from a Generall ouer horsemen he debased him to a common souldior How did the same Senat correct the cowardise of Caius Vatienus who to the end to priuiledge himselfe from the Italick war cut off all the fingers of his left hand euen they proscribed his goods and cast him into perpetuall prison that that life which he refused to hazard in defence of his countrie hee might consume in bondage and fetters Fulgosius saith Lib. 2. cap. â— that among the Germanes it was so vnhonourable a part to loose but a shield in the war that whosoeuer had happened to doe so was suspended both from the place of common councill and from the temples of religion insomuch that many as he reporteth killed themselues to auoid the shame The people called Daci punished cowards on this sort they suffered them not to sleepe but with their heads to the beds feetward besides by the law they made them slaues and subiects to their owne wiues what viler disgrace could there be then this Plu. Agefilaus And yet the Lacedemonians plagued them more shamefully for with them it was a discredit to marrie in the stock of a coward any man might strike them lawfully and in their attire they went with their clothes rent and their beards halfe shauen Thus are all kind of traitors continually punished of the Lord by one means or other and therefore let vs learne to shun treason as the vilest and the detestablest thing in the world CHAP. IIII. Of such as haue murdered their rulers or Princes ZImri captaine of halfe the chariots of Elah King of Israel conspired against his Lord All this whole chapter in regard of murder belongeth to the sixt commandemâ—nt 1. Kâ—ng 16. as hee was in Tirza drinking till hee was drunke in the house of Arza his steward and came vpon him suddainely and smote him till hee died and possessed the kingdome in his roome Howbeit herein he was the Lords rod to punish the house of Baasha yet when the punishment was past the Lord threw the rod into the fire for he inioied the crown but seuen daies For all Israell detesting his fact made Omri king ouer them who besieged him in Tirza and droue him inro that extremity that hee went into the pallace of the kings house and burnt himselfe and the house with fire 2. Kin. 12.21 Iozachar the sonne of Shimeah and Iehozabod the sonne of Shomer came to no better end for murdering Iehoash King of Iuda for Amaziah his sonne after the kingdome was confirmed vnto him caused them both to bee put to death But their children hee slew not 2. King 14.5 according to that which is written in the book of the law
his princes and his wiues and concubines might drinke therein exalting himselfe thus against the Lord of heauen boasting in his Idols of earth therfore God being stirred vp to wrath against him appointed his destruction euen whilst he thus dranke and made merry in the midst of his iolity and caused a strange and fearfull signe to appeare before his eies a bodilesse handwriting vpon the wall ouer against the candlestick The words of which writing portended the destruction of his kingdom which presently ensued for the very same night he was murdred and the scepter seased vpon by Darius king of Media CHAP. XI Of the kings which in hatred to the law and religion of God afflicted the Iewes in the time of the Machabees 1. Mach. 2. 6. ANtiochus by sirname Epiphanes or excellent though by truer report of people contemptuously intituled the furious king of Asia being venimously enraged against the Iewes began at the first marueilously to oppresse them to rob and spoile their temple and to slaughter the people About ten yeeres after deceiuing the poore people with faire and smooth words couers of most vile and wretched treason whilst they imagined no mischiefe he set vpon them in such cruell sort that the losse desolation which they endured at that time was inestimable for besides the destruction of Ierusalem their city the slaughter of infinite multitudes of their people and the captiuitie of women and infants as if all these were not enough there was yet another misery to make vp the full sum worse then all the rest which was this The cursed tyrant seeing his purpose not to take the full effect commaunded euery where that all his subiects I meane the Iewes should forsake and abiure the law of God be vnited into one religion with the infidels By meanes of which edict the religion of God was defaced the bookes of his law rent and burned and those with whome any such books were found rigorously put to death Which fearfull crueltie when the Iewes perceiued it caused many of them to wax faint hearted to giue themselues ouer to wallow in the durty fashions of the vncircūcised idolaters in their madnes to subscribe to the vniust lawes of the vile monster Now after he had committed all these outrages he was repulsed with dishonour frō the city Elymais in Persia which he went about to spoile rob and forced to fly to Babylon where after tidings of the ouerthrow of his two armies in Iudea with grief despite he ended his daies Antiochus the sonne of this wretched father 1. Mach. 6. succeeding him as in his kingdom so in wickednes periury disloialty when to the end to consult about his own affaires he cōcluded a peace with the Iewes by solemne oath as well of himselfe as his princes confirmed the free exercise of their religiō behold suddenly he falsified his plighted sworn faith vndid all that euer he had done but it was not long ere he also was ouertaken by the army of Demetrius togither with Lysias his gouernor put to death A while after reigned Alexander his brother 1. Mach. 11. who whilst hee was encumbred with the troubles of Cilicia that reuolted from him the king of Aegypt his father in law came traiterously to forestall him of his kingdome tooke his wife gaue her to his deadliest enemy and afterward gaue him battell discomfited his forces and droue him to flie into Arabia for safety where in stead of help he found an hatchet to chop off his head which was sent for a present to gratifie the king of Aegypt withall Not long after Antiochus his son recouered 1. Mach. 13. the scepter of his father but alas his reign endured but a small space for being yet but a yong child he was slaine by Triphon in the way as he led him to war against the Iews and thus perished the cursed race of Antiochus which felt Gods wrath vpon it euen to the third generation Antiochus the son of Demetrius of whom mention was made but a litle before after he had chased Triphon from the kingdome of Asia which he vsurped 2. Mach. 5. and broken the league which he had made with the Iewes gaue himselfe wholly to worke them misceiefe Therfore comming against Ierusalem he tooke it by force commanding his souldiers to put all to death that were within the same So that within three daies there was such a massacre of young and old men women and children that the number of the slaine arose to fourescore thousand carcasses After this hauing executed many more villanies against this people in so much as to make them renounce the lavv of God putting them cruelly to death that did not obey his commandement It came to passe that this cruell tyrant was first of all pur to flight by the inhabitants of Persepolis a city of Persia for going about to rob their temple of their treasures next endamaged by an ouerthrow of his armie in Iudea which he no sooner vnderstood but he tooke counsell in his fury how to be reuenged on Ierusalem and belched forth bitter threats against it But in the meane while the Lord stroke him with a sudden incurable plague surprised him with a horrible torment of his entrails Howbeit for all this he ceased not his malitious enterprisse but hasted forward his iourny towards the Iews with such egernesse that in the way he fell out of his charriot bruised so his body that it became putrified so full of corruption that very vermine scrawled out therof and the rotten flesh dropped peecemeale away no man no nor himselfe being able to endure the stinch therof Then was he constrained in the midst of his torments to confesse that it was meet that he should submit himselfe vnto God that he which is mortall ought not to exalt himselfe so high as to compare with the immortall God and in this estate this reprobate ended his wicked daies by a strange and most miserable kind of death CHAP. XII Of those that persecuted the sonne of God and his Church IF they who in the law iniured and persecuted the Church of God were punished according to their deserts as we haue already heard is it any maruell then if the enemies persecuters of our Lord Sauiour Christ Iesus which labour by all meanes to discountenance and frustrate his religion and to oppresse his Church do feele the heauy fearfull vengeance of God vpon them for their wickednes vnbeliefe No verily for he that honoreth not the sonne honoureth not the father which sent him and is guilty therfore before God of impiety prophanesse From this hamous crime king Herod in no wise can be exempted that caused all the infants of Bethlehem of two yeres old vnder to be cruelly murdred Mat. 2. in hope therby to put the true Messias and sauiour of the world to death For which deed accompanied
the dung of oxen serued some for meate others fedde vpon the leather of old shooes and buckles and diuers women were driuen to the extremitie to boile and eate their owne children Many thinking to saue their liues by flying to the enemy were taken and slit in pieces in hope to find gold and siluer in their guts in one night two thousand were thus piteously dealt withall and at last the whole city was by force taken and the holy Temple consumed by fire And this in generall was the miserable issue of that lamentable warre during which fourescore and seuenteene thousand Iewes were taken prisoners and eleuen hundred thousand slaine for within the city were inclosed from the beginning to the ending all those that were assembled togither from all quarters of the earth to keepe the Passeouer as their custome was As touching the prisoners some were carried to Rome in triumph others were here and there massacred at their conquerours wils somes lot it was to be torne in peeces and deuoured of wild beasts others were constrained to march in troopes against their fellows and kill one another as if they had beene enemies All which euils came vpon them for the despite and fury which they vsed towards the Sonne of God and our Sauiour and that was the cause why he foreseeing this desolation wept ouer Ierusalem and said That it should be besieged on euery side and rased to the ground and that not one stone should be left vpon another because it knew not the time of her visitation Likewise said he to the women that bewailed him as he was led to the crosse That they should not weepe for him but for themselues and their children because of the daies of sorrow which were to come wherein the barren and those that had no children the dugs that neuer suckled should be counted happy So horrible and pitifull was the destruction of this people that God would not suffer any of his owne children to be wrapped in their miseries nor to perish with this peruerse and vnbeleeuing nation for as Eusebius reporteth they were a little before the arriuall of these mischiefes aduertised from heauen by the especiall prouidence of God to forsake the city and retire into some farre countrey where none of these euils might come neere them This example belongeth also to the contempt of the word Lib. 1. cap. 34. The relikes of this wretched people that remained after this mighty tempest of Gods wrath were dispersed and scattered throughout all nations vnder heauen being subiect to them with whome they soiourned without king prince Iudge or magistrate to lead and guide them or to redresse their wrongs but were altogither at the discretion and commandement of the lords of those countries wherein they made their abode so that their condition and kind of life is at this day so vile and contemptible as experience sheweth that no nation in the world is halfe so miserable which is a manifest badge of Gods vengeance yet abiding vpon them And yet for all this these dispersed reliques ceased not to vomit out the fome of their malice against Christ it being so deepe rooted an euill and so inueterate that time nor reason could reuoke them from it And no maruell seeing that God vseth to punish the greatest sinnes with other sinnes as with the greatest punishment so they hauing shut their eies to the light when it shined among them are now giuen ouer to a reprobate and hardened sense otherwise it were not possible they should remaine so obstinate And albeit God be thanked wee haue many conuerts of them yet I dare say for the most part they remaine in malitious blindnes barking against despiting both our sauiour himselfe all that professe his name although their punishments haue bin still according to their deserts as by these examples following shall appeare The Iewes of Inmester a towne lying betwixt Calchis Antioch being vpon a time celebrating their accustomed plaies and feasts in the midst of their iollity as their vse is they contumeliously reuiled not onely Christians but euen Christ himselfe for they got a Christian child and hung him vpon a crosse and after many mocks taunts making themselues merry at him they whipt him to death What greater villany could there be then this or wherein could these deuils incarnate shew forth their malice more apparantly then thus not content once to haue crucified Christ the Sauiour of the world but by imitation to performe it againe and as it were to make known that if it were vndone they would do it So also handled they a boy called Simeon of two yeeres and an halfe old in the yeere of our Lord 1476 Iob Fincel lib. 3 another in Fretulium fiue yeres after that But aboue all they massacred a poore carpenters son in Hungary in hatred of Christ whom they falsly supposed to be a carpenters son for they cut in two all his veines suckt out his blood with quils And being apprehended and tortured they confessed that they had done the like at Thirna 4 yeeres before that they could not be without Christian blood for therwithall they anointed their priests But at all these times they suffered iust punishmēt for being still taken they were either hanged burned murdred or put to some other cruell death at the discretion of the magistrates Moreouer they would at diuers times buy the holy host of some popish priest and thrust it through with their kniues and vse it most despitefully this did one Eleazarus in the yere of our Lord 1492 the 22 of October but was burnt for his labour And eight and thirty at another time for the same villany by the Marquesse Ioachinus for the caitiues would suffer themselues to bee baptized for none other end but more securely to exercise their villanies Casp Hedius lib. 3. cap. 6. Another Iewe is recorded in the yeere of our Lord 147 to haue stollen the picture of Christ out of a Church and to haue thrust it through many times with his sword whereout when blood miraculously issued he amazed would haue burned it but being taken in the manner the Christians stoned him to death The truth of which story though I will not stand to auow yet I doubt not but it might be true considering that either the deuill might by his cunning so foster and confirme their superstition or rather that seeing Christ is the subiect of their religion as well as of ours though after a corrupt and sacrilegious forme and that the Iewe did not so much aime at their religion as at Christ the subiect of it the Lord might shew a miracle not to establish their errour but to confound the Iewes impiety especially in those young yeeres of the Church But that their impiety may be yet more discouered I will here set downe the confession of one of their owne nation a Iewe of Ratisbone conuerted to the faith one very skilfull in the
Socrat. lib. 3. hist ecclesiast cap. 20. that hee died thereof When he vndertooke this voiage hee was furnished with such brauery both of apparell and all things else as it might seeme it appertained to him and none else to ouerwhelme and ouersway the world still belching out threats against poore Christians whome he had determined at his returne from Persia vtterly to destroy and leaue none aliue as was afterwards reported by one of his counsaile The number of his souldiers was so innumerable and his strength so impregnable that hee made no other reckening but to be lord of Persia in a verie short space But loe how the Lord ouerturneth the attempts of his enemies this great army as S. Chrysostome reporteth against the heathen in which he put so much confidence seemed ere long to be rather a vast and weake multitude of women infants then an host of warriours for by his euil and foolish conduct and gouernment there rose so great a famine amongst them that their horses which were prouided for the battell serued for their bellies yea and for want of that too many hundreds died for hunger and thirst Euer when he skirmished his own side came to the worst doing more scath to themselues then to their enemies and last leading them so vndiscretely they could not by any meanes escape but were constrained after he was slaine to intreat the Persians to suffer them to retire and so as many as could escaped and fled away to saue their liues And thus this braue armie was thus miserably dismembred and discomfited to the euerlasting shame of that wicked Apostate One of the treasurers of this wicked Emperour who to please his master Theod. lib. 3. cap. 13. Sozom. lib. 5. cap. 8. Contempt the word Lib. 1. cap. 34. forsooke also the religion of Christ being on a time mocking and deriding the ministery of the holy word died miserably on a sudden vomiting his owne blood out of his mouth and as Chrysostome saith his priuie parts being rotten and putrified and consumed with lice for all that euer he could doe to remedy the same It is recorded of Trebellius the first king of the Bulgarians that being conuerted with his people to the faith of Christ to the end to giue himselfe the quieter to the meditation exercise of religion resigned ouer his kingdome to his eldest sonne whome when he perceiued to renounce the faith and to follow strange gods he not only depriued of all his roiall dignity but also caused his eies to be put out for a punishment of his Apostasie and bestowed the kingdome vpon his other sonne shewing thereby that hee that abandoneth the true light of saluation is not worthy to enioy the comfortable light of the world A Diuine of Louaine one Iames Latonus who was well instructed at the first in the knowledge of the truth afterwards renouncing the same endeuoured with all his power to impugne oppresse it this man being on a time mounted into a pulpit to preach before the Emperor Charles the fift was at the very instant so amased astonished that no man could perceiue what he said so made himself a laughing stock to all that audience seeing himselfe thus disgraced he returned frō Brussels to Louaine where he fell into such grief sorow of mind for the dishonor which hee had gotten that it turned at length into despaire and in his daily lectures these or like words oftentimes escaped him after that goodly sermon that he had impugned the truth of God which when diuers of his own coat heard they caused him to be shut vp fast in a house where in desperation he died telling euery man he was damned and that hee could not hope for saluation or remission of his sinnes because that of meere malice hee had resisted and made war with God Cardinal Poole an Englishman had also somtimes professed himself to be wel seene in the sincerity of the gospel yet contrary to his conscience he sent into his countrie the trophees 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 fearefulnesse without any shew of repentance Stephan Gardiner bishop of Winchester and afterward Chancelor of England shewed in his yoong yeares some forwardnesse to withstand the Popish abuses and superstitions but assoone as he was exalted to honor he turned ouer a new leafe began freshly and furiously to afflict and to rend the poor and faithfull seruants of Christ putting them to the cruellest deaths hee could deuise And yet more to discouer his profanesse rebellion he wrot many books against the pure religion of God being thus swolne with venomous spight against the son of God beside the extreame couetousnesse whoredomes extortions which raigned in him behold the Lord laid his hand of wrath vpon him stroke him with so strange a malady that before his death such horrible stincke issued from him that none of his friends and seruants no not himselfe could endure the sauour therof his belly was swoln like a taber his eies distracted and sunke into his head his cheeks thin the appearance of his whole face very terrible his breath sauoured of a filthie intollerable stincke and all his members were rotten with continual griefes sownings yet this vile wretch in the middest of al these torments ceased not to yell out continual blasphemies and infamous speeches and so despighting and maugring God died Peter Castellan bishop of Maston hauing attained to great riches and renowne by the meanes of the gospell turned notwithstanding his backe to Christ and mightily inueyed in his sermons at Orleance against the profession of his religion seeking to make it knowne that he had not onely abiured and denied it but also that hee was a profest aduersarie vnto it This man sitting at a time in his chaire fell into a strange disease which no Phisition had euer seen or could search out the cause of for one halfe of his body was extreme hote and burned like fire the other extreame cold and frozen like I se and in this torment with horrible cries and gronings hee 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 being in the pulpit at Orleance after infinit blasphemies which he disgorged against the truth at last said That he protested before God and the whole assemblie that hee would neuer preach more after that day because he was an Apostatae which saying hee by and by impudently and constantly denied to the perill damnation of his owne soule thinking by his horrible curses forswearings to abuse the poore ignorant and superstitious people but he no sooner came into the field but the puissant hand of God ouerreached him and stroke him speechlesse so that he was caried thence
Constantinople exercising more cruelty at his returne then euer hee had done before him for he not only put to death Leontius and Tiberius but also all that any way fauoured their parts It is said of him that he neuer â—â—â—w his mangled nose but he caused one of them to be executed to death At last he was slaine by Philippicus to verifie the word of the Lord That he which striketh with the sword shall perish with the sword Albonius king of Lumbardy drinking vpon a time to his wife Rosimund in a cup made of her fathers skull whome he in battaile had slaine so displeased her therewith that shee attributing more to naturall affection then vnity of marriage decreed with her selfe to hazard life and kingdome to be reuenged vpon this grieuous iniury wherefore shee thus practised A knight called Hemichild was enamoured with one of her maids him she brought into a secret darke place by pollicie in shew to enioy his loue but indeed to be at her commaund for shee supplied his loues place and then discouering her selfe put it to his choise either to kill her husband or to be accused by her of this villany Hemichild chose the former and in deed murdered his lord in his bed and after the deed done fled with her to Rauenna But marke how the Lord requited this murder euen most strangely for they both which had beene linkt togither in the fact were linkt togither also in the punishment and as they had beene ioynt instruments of anothers destruction so he made them mutuall instruments of their owne for Rosimund thinking to poison him too made him drinke halfe her medicine but he feeling the poison in his veines staied in the midway and made her sup vp the other halfe for her part so they died both togither The Electors of the Empire disagreeing in suffrages Munst cosâ—n Philip. Melan. lib. 5. Adolphus duke of Nassauia Albertus duke of Austria tooke vpon them the regiment and managing of the state whereupon grewe grieuous warres in all Germany and dissention betweene the two statemen so that Adolphus was slaine by the duke of Austria in battaile by the city of Spire whose death was thus notably reuenged All that tooke part against him or that were accessary to the murder perished most strangely Albert Earle of Hagerloch was slaine Otto of Ochsensteme hanged the bishop of Mentz died suddenly of an apoplexie in his sellar the bishop of Stratsbrough was butchered by a butcher the Earle of Leimingen died of a phrensie the duke of Austria himselfe was slaine by his nephew Iohn from whome he had taken the gouernment of Sueuia because of his vnthriftinesse generally they all came to destruction so grieuous is the crie of innocent blood against those that are guiltie thereof After the death of Woldimirus king of Rhythenia his son Berisus succeeded in the kingdome Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. who though hee was a vertuous and religious prince yet could not his vertue or religion priuiledge him from the malice of his brother Suadopolcus who gaping and itching for the crowne slue his brother this good prince as he was sleeping in his chamber togither with his Esquire that attended vpon him Chron. Pol. lib. 2. cap. 10. and not content herewith but adding murder to murder he assaulted another of his brethren by the same impiety and brought him to the same end Whereupon the last brother Iorâ—slaus to be reuenged on this villany set vpon him with an army of men and killing his complices droue him to flie to Crachus king of Polonia for succour who furnishing him with a new army sent him backe against his brother in which battell his successe being equall to his former he lost his men and himselfe escaping the sword died in his flight to Polonia and was buried in a base and ignoble sepulchre fit enough for so base ignoble a wretch And that we may see how hatefull and vngodly a thing it is to be either a protectour or a sauer of any murderer marke the iudgement of God that fell vpon this king of Polonia though not in his owne person yet in his posterity Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. for he being dead his eldest sonne and heire Crachus was murdered by his younger brother Lechus as they were hunting so disguised and torne that euery man imputed his death not to Lechus whose eies dropt crocadiles teares but to some sauadge and cruell beast Howbeit ere long his treachery being discouered and disseised of his kingdome hee died with extreame griefe and horrour of conscience And thus wee see that Crachus his kingdome came to desolation for maintaining a murderer Iohn the high priest of Ierusalem sonne and successour to Iudas had a brother tearmed Iesus to whome Bagoses the lieuetenant of Antaxerxes army promised the priesthood Ioseph anâ—iq Iudaic. l. r 1. c 7 meaning in deed to depose Iohn and install him in his roome vpon which occasion this Iesus growing insolent spared not to reuile his brother that in the temple with immodest opprobrious speeches so that his anger being prouoked ProfanatioÌ„ of holy things lib. 1. cap. 34. hee slue him in his rage a most impious part for the high priest to pollute the holy temple with blood that of his owne brother and so impious that the Lord in iustice could not choose but punish the whole natioÌ„ for it most seuerely For this cause Bagoses imposed a tribute vpon them euen a most grieuous tribute that for euery lambe they offered vpon the altar they should pay fifty groats to the king of Persia besides the prophanation of their temple with the vncircumcised Persians who entred into it at their pleasures and so polluted the sanctuary and holy things of God this punishment continued vpon them seuen yeeres and all for this one murder Gerhardus Earle of Holsatia after he had conquered the Danes in many and sundry battailes Treason lib. 2. cap. 3. was traiterously slaine in the city Kanderhusen by one Nicolaus Iacobus a rich Baron so that whome the open enemie feared in the field him the priuie subtill foe murdered in his chamber But the traitour and murderer albeit he fled to the castle Schaldenburg and got a band of soldiers to defend himselfe yet he was surprised by the Earls sonnes who tormenting him as became a traitor to be tormented at last rent his body into foure quarters and so his murder and treason was condignly punished Aboue all the execution of Gods vengeance is most notably manifested in the punishment and detection of one Parthenius an homicide treasurer to Theodobert king of France Greg. of Tours lib. 3. cap. 36. who hauing traiterously slaine an especiall friend of his called Ausanius with his wife Papianilla when no man suspected or accused him thereof hee detected and accused himselfe after this strange manner As hee slept in his bed suddenly hee roared out most pitifully crying for helpe or else hee perished