but of the body and that for a time and consider with all that there is another death co come both of body and soule wherein you shall die eternally from-God and yet liue eternall to intollerable torments Consider then I pray you the Terrour of that great day where the fire howsoeuer spirituall yet shall thereby bee the more intollerable and yet the conscience shal be more stinging then the fire tormenting and the euerlasting exclusion from the presence of God shall make vp the measure of those vnsufferable torments If they were but for a hundred or a thousand nay a million of yeares yet there were some hope at length of release but remember that the worme neuer dyeth the fire neuer goet out because the wrath of God like a riuer of Brimstone doth continually maintaine the same Thus you may meditate vpon those endles torments And this by Gods mercy may worke in you that hartie and seasonable sorrow for your present sinnes whereby you may prepare to your present ends and so preuent those endles torments But be not too suddaine in applying mercy when your sinnes haue beene so many For it is not euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Consider also that there can be no comfort in God till there be true sorrow for sinne the best sacrifices were sodden in the sowrest hearbs and the sacrifice best pleasing vnto God is that of a broken and contrite heart Onely bee you wise to try your sorrow There is a sorrow vnto death which is carnall and hypocritical rather greiuing for the punishment then the offence if therefore you will bee sorry in hope of 〈…〉 y you must in 〈…〉 God in your punishment 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ere farre greater and greiua for your sinnes that haue deserued more For your punishment is not great or then your faint but your 〈…〉 t greater then your punishment If you would farther trik the sinceritie of your sorrow examine it then by the fruit thereof Godly sorrow breeds Repentance and true Repentance expresseth it selfe in the hearty confession of sin and true confession is not forced but voluntarie not only of what apparant euidence wrings from vs but what is secret and only knowne to our selues and vnto God And thiâ—â—e it not enough to satisfie the world of what you are now conuicted of vnlesse you also discharge your conscience so farre as possibly you may remember of all that hidden burthen of sin which at the day of iudgement will be certainely layd open and charged vpon you euen to your vtter pressing downe and ouerwhelming for euer And withall lay it to your harts that if you shall fayle to acknowledge what you are now conuicted of as you shall least of all satisfie God who knoweth your harts to shall you not satisfie the world in this your obstinacy which must needs bee conuicted with such apparant euidences as haue bene deliuered and so iustly condemne you in that wherein you seeke to Iustifie your selues Let me heare speak vnto you euen from my very soule and set you in a way for your soules eternall good Do not thinke that euery Psalme of Miserere is sufficient to expiate your fault or to giue you an interest in the pardoÌ„ of your sin no I tell you you must confesse your faults to the world be-before you leaue the world You haue offended God and man as farre as confession may yeeld satisfaction do it care you die Oh feare and remember that saying As the tree falls so it lies If you bee dead while you liue you cannot hope to liue when you are dead If we forget our sinnes God will remember them and if we confesse them God will forget them Remember the good successe of the Prodigall child hee no sooner came home to his Father and confessed his sin but his Father ran to meete him and kissed him killed the fatted calfe for him and cloathed him with the be 〈…〉 〈…〉 yment Euen so our heauenly Eather hath offered his onely sonne as the fatted calfe for the redemption of all penitent sinners he is ready to meete vs if wee bee comming to him by Repentance nay to kisse and embrace vs if we cast of our sinnes and insteed of those theenish raggs you weare to cloath you with that glorious Robe of his perfect righteousnesse This I hope and wish that you may be so happie as to finde And therefore I desire you to embrace the Mercy of God that is now offered vnto you Labour to breake your hard harts with the consideration of his tender compassions and ease your distressed soules by the the acknowledgement of your sinnes Remember that God will not endure a stubborne sinner but they which are heauie laden with the burthen of their sins shal be welcome vnto him And to this end aboue all things take heede of desparing Consider that the mercy of God is aboue all your mysery whatsoeuer and that you shall more offend in disparing of Gods mercy then in shedding of the blood of so many innocents eueÌ„ as Iudas more offended in despayring of the pardon of his sinne then in betraying of that iust one who was the ransome for his sinne and let this last part be the best which is to comfort you Now I commend you with my best affections to the mercy and goodnesse of God wishing you to glorifie God in the confession of your greinous faults remembring that no time can priueledge no place conceale nor Persons beare downe and smother the shedding of blood but God in his due time will discouer the same and make the places of concealement the stages of discouery Yea he will make the Actors themselues to discouer their owne sinnes The blood of Abel shall crie for vengeance from the earth and the blood of these murthered soules hath cried for vengeance from the bottome of the Pond And therefore Iustifie God in this wonderfull discouery And so the Lord giue you wisedome in time to make your Peace with him This was the effect of the reuerend Iudges Exhortation as himselfe pleased to anow the same Which beeing ended their iudgement was pronounced and so respited till Manday for their execution that so in the méan time they might bee prepared by repentance to the comfortable issue thereof And this of the third Scoene of this second part of this Tragedy CHAP. 7. 1 Containing the execution of the Murtherers 2 And such accidents as fell out therein 3 Together with such Vses as may be made thereof VVe are now come to the last Scoene of this Tragedy concerning the Execution of the murtherers And herein we may first behold the singular wisedome of God in disposing thereof according to the diuers condition of the Murtherers For wheras there was two conuicted condemned for this haynous murther namely Land and Worlich Though these both were brought to the Gallowes and knew no more but they should both dye yet such was the prouidence of God guiding
and iust scandall either awaken them to repentance or conuince them to punishment Behold how the Lord takes the wise in their craftines They desire to be senselesse of sin that they may commit it more greedily and the more greedily they commit the same the more they prouoke the world through their scandall and it one danger to awaken them thereout what remedie is now left in carnall wisedome to make vp the breach and lull them a sléepe againe Behold againe the hight of this wisedome in sin and obserue how the Lord takes the wicked in their craftines If Elia will Prophesy no good but euill vnto vs while wee sleepe in sin yet welfare Zidkiah that will warrant good successe therein flattering vs that wee may go vp and prosper because hitherto it hath gone well with vs and though he lie falsely yet he will walke in the spirit that hee may deceiue more effectually yea hee wants not his rough garment of tything mint and comin yea he will not spare herein to humble flesh by voluntary deuotions of Pilgrimage penances and such like trash to the satisfying of the flesh euen in a great shew of wisedome to abase the same And what now shall be spared for the sinne of the soule though it be to the parting with our substance yea our first borne and all yea which is the hight of this delusion shall not a greater sinne be made a price for the lesse shall not the murther of Princes become an expiation for all our personall sinnes Behold here the depth of the Mistery of iniquity and admire with me the Justice of God in taking the whore and her accursed brood in their owne craftines that while they estéeme their owne blood vile that they may murther the Lords annoynted they haue iustly brought the Kings of the earth vpon their heads to secure themselues in subuerting Antichrist whom otherwise they could haue bene contented still to haue made their band for the satisfying of their lusts Oh! the vnsearchable riches of the wisedome and mercy of our God who turnes about the carnall wisedome of man tending only to it present bodily good to be meanes of remouing that great stumbling blocke whereby their soules were ensnared that so they might ascribe vnto him alone the glorie of their true happines so farre aboue and contrary to their corrupt intent Well thus we see how the Lord takes the wise in their craftines That the world may securely reuel in sin the false Prophet must bee a snare vpon Mispah to cry ayme thereto that so the blind leading the blind both may fall into the ditch And is not this prouidence of God very remarkeable in these daungerous dayes of the contempt and peruerting of the word of God that though the Lord feedeth the hungry with good and wholesome food yet the daintie and full stomake is either choaked with chaffe or puffed vp with wind that so seeming that which he is not he may not see what truely he is and thereby be both preuented of sound curing and withall hardened to destruction Behold here then some further light to iustifie the Prouidence of God in the ouer-flowing of sinne amidst so glorious light of the Gospell Not that the word is any true cause thereof but onely a meanes to discouer and conuince the same whereby as through our naturall rebellion the more sinne is conuinced the more it is enraged and so encreased thereby so through carnall wisedome the light being peruerted becomes a broker vnto sinne and thereby proues a further meanes to encrease and ripen the same And yet all this in great Iustice and exceeding Equity The Lord herein giuing the wicked their desires for the accomplishment of his righteous decree in their condemnation in that themselues are their owne caruers in the meanes there vnto And all this executed by his mighty word becomming thus vnto the wicked a sauour of death vnto death whereby as he taketh the wise Papist and Atheist in their Craftines so doth he also iustly confound the Prophane Libertine who while he fathers that vpon the Word which proceeds from his owne corrupt sense and application thereof doth therefore Iustifie the word in his hardening thereby and so is Iudged by the Word while he peruerteth the same to such ends as are contrary thereunto And thus hitherto for the Iustifying of Gods prouidence in disposing of such greuious sinnes as do accompany and preuaile euen in the most glorious light of the Gospell of Iesus Christ. CHAP. 2. Wherein first an entrance is made by way of Application vnto the Particular sinne of Murther being the proper subiect of this Treatise where 2. The Progeny and heynousnesse of this sinne is discouered and enlarged 3. The causes and occasions thereof in generall are explained 4. The Dangerous Effects and consequences thereof are detected And so 5. Such seuerall vses are propounded as both tend to the preuenting of this sinne as also for the wise suppressing and weeding out thereof FRom that which hitherto hath bene discoursed concerning the Prouidence of God in disposing of such multiplicity and encrease of sinne in this glorious light of the Gospell we may gather these Conclusions First that the Gospell is not properly the cause of these euils but onely 1 the ignorance thereof 2 peruerting the light to the iustifying of sinne or else our want of loue and so obedience thereunto 2 That as Ignorance breeding Error and so Disobedience to the truth is the Mother of all that grosse wickednesse that is discouered thereby So in that Popery is the chiefe and onely Patron of ignorance so it becomes also the very Chaos of all errors and delusions and so proues the maine Broker to all grosse and desperate wickednesse 3 That whereas the weapons of Popish warfare are only carnall and diuellish vsing these as her last refuge when her Paper bolts and enchantments will not preuaile to roote out and destroy all her opposits as being that Scarlet-coloured Whore whom nothing will secure and satisfie but the bloud of Saints and all such as shall oppose her Tyranny Therefore howsoeuer all other sinnes are harbored in her bosome as beeing ashamed to haue them knowne to the world Yet this sinne of Murther is her cheife darling and glorious sinne whereof she is so farre from being ashamed as that she raignes only thereby and triumphs therewith not onely vpon her pretended power of the secular sword whereby she arrogates supreme authority ouer life death But especially vpon pretence of the Power of her Keyes whereby presuming ouer the soules as well as the bodies of men she thereby confirmes and iustifies this her vnsatiable thirst of bloud as either seruing for the good of their soules whose bodies she butchered or else by cutting off such supposed Leapers thereby securing the estates of others Thus doth her Progeny declare the same who is of her Father the Diuell that was a murtherer from the beginning So her condition doth
import no lesse who being an harlot hunts for the precious life of man so her very Name doth portend and glorie therein as being that Apollyon that Child of Perdition ordained of God in his Justice for the plaguing of vnbeléeuers and thereby to ripen her owne destruction yea her very Habite proclaimes the same as being Died bloud-red with the slaughter of the Saints and her End also shall manifest the same when she shall be made drunken with her owne bloud and drowned therein because she hath shed the bloud of the Saints Behold here these the generation of this bloudy sinne Sathan the Arch enemy of Mankind enuying his happinesse and that especially vnder the Time of the Gospell that he might vtterly destroy him both roote and branches head taile soule and body to this end abusing the security and Pride of the Times begdt thereupon the Whore of Babylon that great Enchantresse and deceiuer of the world And that he might by this Bastard execute his malice more fully against the Saints when she came to age began to reuell in Pride and Soueraignty then he begat on her this Monstrous and bloudy sinne whereby as the Viper eateth out the bowels of her Mother so the first aduentures of this Cruel brat were atchieued against it Damme one Pope cruelly making away each other And being thus throughly fleshed and imbrued in her owne bloud Is it any maruaile if she spares not other Is it not iust with God that while she spares not her owne bloud to take away the lines of the annointed of the Lord that the Princes of the Earth should secure themselues in letting out her life bloud and consuming her vtterly with fire that so her Memoriall may perish from the earth Behold the righteous doome of Iehoua against the Whore And obserue we wisely herein the Progeny of this bloudy sinne and issue thereof Shall we now further way this sinne in the Ballance of the Sanctuary that thereby we may discerne the greatnesse thereof so be brought into greater detestation of y e same First then let vs measure it by the obiect against which is committed and heere consider wee these particulars First the Murtherer doth what lies in him to take a way the life of God himselfe in that hee destroyes his Liuely Image in Man not so much that outward frame and substance of the Body as if God were like vnto man in his outward feature as some carnal Capernaites haue dreamed as those Acts of the Diuine soule which it exercised in the bodie these the boudy hands do wholy abolish whereby man in regard of his better part was made after the Image of God yea hereby the life of God his prouidence and other acts of his gouernment is in a manner extinguished in that creature who is thus by cruell hand cut off from that holie regiment 2. The bloody minded man as he thirsts greedily after blood so doth he lie in waite priuily for his pray partlie fearing to attempt vpon equall termes as being through his inward guilt a very dastard and coward and partly hoping hereby to make surer worke when all meanes of preuention shal be forestalled and frustrated And doth he not hereby proue oftimes a murtherer of his brothers soule taking him thus on the suddaine and so preuenting Repentance May we not consider herein the malice of Diasius the Lawyer who in a deadly hatred to his brothers soule first enforced him to deny his faith in Christ and then instantly tooke away his life 3 The Murther in destroying his Brother destroyes himselfe not only in that his brother wasis owne flesh but in that he necessarily exposeth himselfe either to be his owne Butcher though the horror of his conscience as many haue done or else iustly lies open to the sword of the Magistrate who aboue all other sinnes will not suffer this vnreuenged Yea doth not the Murtherer in sinning willingly plotting his cruelty with deliberation and desperatenes doth he not heerein commonly murther his owne soule as excluding himselfe through this wilfulnes the mercy of God What should I speake of those fearefull euents that haue followed the same hath not the Father murthered the sonne comming home as a stranger for lucre of his mony when he came to the notice thereof did he not first murther his wife that procured him thereto and afterward layd violent hands vpon himselfe And did not this accident bring his onely daughter to an vntimely end and so the whole roote and branches were wholly cut off vtterly And if here wee shall consider that hereby many a wife hath beene depriued of her husband many children made Orphanes and so exposed to all extremitie doth not the murtherer make faire worke for the Diuell And is not the common Parents hereby depriued of many a good member doth not the common Mother hereby lament the losse of many a Nursing Father and so is exposed to combustions and desolations Behold heere the haynousnesse of this sinne by the consideration of the Obiect against which it was committed And may wee not hereby also guesse at it greatnesse in regard of the subiect that committeth the same 1 Is not the Murtherer a Traytor in the highest degree both committing treason against God whose Image hee thus defaceth and beeing guilty of treason against his Prince and Countrey whom he depriueth of their guard and glory Is not he a Traytor to his Brother in surprizing him so cruelly Is he not a Traytor against himselfe in betraying his owne life and soule hereby to the graue and destruction Surely if of all other the hypocrite shall be beaten with many stripes then must the Murtherer looke for his ful payment because hee crowcheth and boweth to onsnare his poore Brother he kisseth and betrayeth fawneth and stabbeth saluteth and smiteth speakes peaceably with his tongue when his hand is ready to shed bloud and all this with a breath to take away breath and triumph more securely in his masked wickednesse What should I say the Murtherer is an Atheist If he thought the eye of God were vpon him hee durst not thus wilfully deface the Image of God The Murtherer is an Idolater in defacing the Image of God and setting vp the Idoll of reuenge in his heart which he adores aboue all that is called God either Gods presence the Magistrates sword Gods Image in his brother his life in himselfe In a word as there is not any sinne wherein the Murtherer hath not a share so herein is his case most fearefull and desperate that not sinning of infirmity but of malice and digested hatred as herein horesembles his father the Diuell so hereby he casts himselfe desperately vpon his malice to indure vnquenchable torments for the recompence of his vnsaciable malice Thus by the subiect of this grieuous sinne wee may seeke some farther scantling of the haynousnesse thereof Shall we now proceede to examine this sinne by the causes thereof that
maintaine peace with God A second preseruatiue against this bloody sinne is to maintaine peace with Men I say so farre as possible we may to haue peace with all men This we shall do If we be carefull to giue vnto each his due according to their callings and occasions as comfort to whom comfort belongs tribute to whom tribute c. 2 If we can in all wrongs looke vp to God and so leaue vengeance vnto him as considering wee haue deserued in his Justice a thousand fold more 4 If we be quicke in prouoking to goodnesse and recompensing the same and slow to wrath or any such occasions as may breed discord and such consequences as follow thereupon 5 Being wise not to further them in sinne or smother the same vnlesse it be of infirmity where there is some signe of repentance as knowing that brethren in euill will proue whippes to each other They haue not loued so dearely till their turnes be serued as when they haue their will they wil hate most deadly Witnes Ammon his dealing with Thamar his sister 6 Lastly that wee may keepe peace with men bee wee very wise in ruling our tongues auoyding rash censuring vpbraiding taunting c whereby anger is kindled and reuenge prouoked Thus may we maintaine peace with men A third Preseruatiue against this Monstrous sin is wisedome to auoyd the occasions thereof Which are those before touched As Pride Enuie Lust Ielousie Ambition Couetousnes Rage Bitter speaking Drunkennes and the like Unto which we may adde these that follow 1. Euill company as being a speciall firebrand as to all other sins so this how many murthers haue bene hatched and atchiued by the Oportunity and Benefit hereof 2 Discontent whereby the mind being inwardly at war with it selfe cannot be at peace with any other but hath this onely desperate remedie to ease it owne feuer euen to fall vpon any that stands in it way friend nor foe nothing comes amisse 3 Superstition as bewitching the heart with such vnsatiable loue that it thinkes no cost to deare no losse to great for the satisfying of it will worshippe no though it were to cause their children to passe through the Fire though it were to launch themselues with kniues and offer vp their bodies for the sinne of their soules Math. 6. 5. 6. 4 Vnlawfull recreation or abuse and excesse in lawfull Thus may we preuent this bloody sinne Lastly also take we some good directions how to weede it out and here there are Some instructions for the Magistrate that seeing the sword is put in his hands therefore he beware how hee suffer the Murtherer to escape least he heare that sentence because thou hast suffered a man to escape that was appoynted to death therefore thy life shall go for his life thy people for his people 2 Whereas there hath bene of antient time when trialls of titles depended rather vpon valour then truth an ordinary manner of disciding great differences by single combate betweene two parties this as it is vtterly vnlawfull and so no better then murther because they are not equall meanes to discide controuersies And 2. It falleth out that he is Conquerour before men who is guilty before God therefore the Magistrate must in no wise giue way to these lest he be guilty of the blood that is spilt hereby 3 Much lesse may he tollerate those single combates that rise vpon quarrels and vaine pleas of reputation Valour disgracefull speeches c. because they haue neither any sound warrant from the Word no not in any reason or equity may be endured 4 As for Sanctuaries and Popish Receptacles for Murtherers neither may the Magistrate allow of these because the Lord hath expresly commanded That such an one shall be taked from his Alter and die Exod. 21. 14. according as Ioab was serued in the like case 1. Kings 2. 24. 5 Seeing populous assemblies vnder pretence of Recreations are vsually occasions of Quarrels and so of murthers therefore the Magistrate must be meruailous wise in giuing an Inch lest the People take an Ell rather studying to restrains the vnbridled corruption of the people with such as may humble the flesh then to yeeld them any occasion to turne their liberty into wantonnesse remembring that the pretence of such liberty hath beene the colour to draw vnlawfull assemblies together and so prouoke to Rebellion and great blood shed Consider the blood that was spilt in iest when Ioab and Abner met together with their companies and tell me whether that iest were not in earnest that merriment madnesse Thus for the Magistrate For Priuate men let them wisely obserue those rules deliuered formerly for preuention of this sinne and the same will also enable them to wéede it out And thus hitherto of this bloody sinne together with the Nature Haynousnesse Causes and Meanes to preuent the same It followeth now that wee make some particular application hereof vnto the instance in hand that so wee may discerne the truth of this Description confirmed in this example And therein wonder at the wisedome and prouidence of God in permitting so horrible a wickednesse and after so long concealing thereof in due season discouering the same CHAPTER 3. Of the particular Murther at Halsworth And first of the occasions and causes thereof 2 Of the Actors and Accessaries therein 3 Of the Parties that were Murthered 4 Of the Manner and Circumstances how they were made away 5 Of the Meanes to conceale the Murther beeing committed 6 And diuerse obseruations considerable on either side HAuing thus discoursed of the Nature of Murther in generall It now remaineth that we examine the Particular instance that hath occasioned this Discourse Namely the Murther that was lately discouered and conuicted at the Last Assize at Berry Wherein first offers it selfe to our consideration such circumstances as occasioned and drew out this sinne The Maine Roote and ground whereof was this One M. Norton dwelling in the Towne of Halsworth in high Suffolke being a man though of faire possessions yet of a very foule and euill fauour Both in regard of his Profession as being no better then a Church-Papist the most dangerous subiect the Land hath As also in regard of his practise being sutable to his profession and therefore of necessity debosht and desolate hauing his neighbours vineyard lying by him cast his eye vpon it and hauing got some hold in the Land of his Neighbour Widdow Leeson either beeing morgaged vnto him or forfeited vpon the morgage that he might cléere the land wholly to himselfe from the widow and her Issue First attempted by cunning sleights and secret oppressions yea by feined kindnesses as feeding them with money and to draw the widow and her children to his Lure or else to inwrap them so in his snares that vpon any occasion he might either curbe them or make pray of them To this end when otherwise he could not bring them to his bent vpon a pretended Action he cast the eldest of
Concerning as the two former the Parties that were Murthered together with the manner thereof and meanes to conceale the same Wherein howsoeuer all was done that carnall wisedome could deuise and the patience of God for six whole yeares together seemed to applaud and subscribe thereunto So that now it might seeme the Tragedy was finished and all further expectation preuented Yet as this was the Lords time to put to his owne hand for the discouery of this horrible crime So when he began once each creature in his place ministred gratiously vnto him for the full manifestation and conuiction thereof Attend therefore in the feare of God Three other Scaenes of this Tragedy Wherein now the Murtherers are to play their parts vpon the Stage of Iustice. And if euer thou desirest to be 〈…〉 tisfied in the wonderful Prouidence of God both in the discouery of Murther and challenging of the murtherers by a strange and secret hand if euer thou wouldst obserue a full and Honorable tryall of so foule a crime attend I say in the Name of God to that which followeth and if thou beest not fully satisfied in all these I must needes conclude that either thou wantest vnderstanding to discerne the Power and Wisedome of the Lord or thou wantest an heart to adore and magnifie the same Onely my desire is that thou woldst not stumble at my weake handling thereof thereby to challenge so excellent matter but rather hereby to prize the worth thereof as if it could not be sufficiently handled And if thou discernest any sparke of true light amidst so great darknesse and corruption any power of God in so great infirmity my earnest desire is that hereby thou wouldst ascribe vnto God the glory of his mercy that so thou mayst begin where I haue ended and still informè and inflame thy heart with such wonderfull workes of God CHAP. 4. Where first of the Reason why howsoeuer other sinnes come after Iudgement yet this sinne of Murther is seldome left vndiscouered 2. Of the Many wayes whereby the Lord hath discouered Murther from time to time with diuers instances thereof 3. That it was the Finger of God that detected this blood 4. Of the Manner and Instruments imployed herein 5. And the seuerall Vses to bee made thereof HJtherto of the first part of this Tragedy concerning the parties that were murthered and that exibited in three seuerall Scoenes according to the seuerall degrees whereby this murther was committed Th◠second part of this Tragedy now followeth concerning the discouery and iudgement of the murtherers And this also is enlarged in foure seuerall Scoenes The first whereof containes the discouery of the murther and murtherers The second expresseth their Iudgement and Conuiction The third their Iudgement and Condemnation The fourth representeth their righteous Execution As in the little world the soule of Man the vnderstanding leads the Conscience and the Conscience leads the Affection So is it in the soule of the greater world I mean Iustice and the due execution thereof There must bee first a discouery of the Crime before it be conuicted and it must be conuicted before it be censured For as Conscience without Knowledge is blind and erronious so the will and affections without conscience are peruerse and exorbitant Euen so conuiction of sinne before it be discouered produceth erronious Iudgement and sentencing of sinne before it be conuicted is no better then to peruert Iustice and condemne the innocent And yet as it cannot be denied but as the thunder breakes out before the lightning so where the party delinquent is of that exorbitant power that it cannot stand with the safety of a diseased state to question him Iudicially because his greatnesse may either outbraue or suppresse Iustice If in this extremity sentence and execution anticipate legall triall as this is to be ascribed to the necessity of the state so it may well stand with the prerogatiue of the Prince who in such exigents may performe Martiall Law And this also answerable to the diuine Iustice who in such like cases vpon it Prerogatiue royall hath executed vpon exorbitant sinners before their legall conuiction iustified his Ministers in the like executions But as these extraordinary cases may not prescribe to such persons and offences as are ordinary so we may obserue that the wise Lord in al ordinary trials hath kept this ordinary course As first to discouer though not so much for his owne information vnto whom all things past are present nothing so hid as is not knowne before it is done much moreafter as for our satisfaction so also in the second plate to conuince sinne being discouered and then to execute vpon the same And euen the same course hath our wise and glorious God taken in méeting with bloudy and crying sinnes Long hath the bloud of these slaughtered soules cryed for vengeance from the bottome of the pond Long had the Lord deserted the answering of their crie but when he saw a conuenient time he rowsed vp himselfe He put on righteousnesse as a brest-plate and an Helmet of Saluation vpon his head and he put on a garment of vengeance for a clothing and was clad with Zeale as a cloake and so according to their deedes he repayed fury to the murtherers recompenee to his enemies If wee doubt that it was the Lords doing that his onely hand discouered the Murther and detected the murtherers harken I pray you to the discourse that followeth and if we shal not herein acknowledge the immediate finger of God it is because there is no true knowledge of God in vs. You haue hitherto heard the rase of the Murthered how they were brought to their end how disposed in their end the bottom of the pond was their Graue and obliuion was their Motto and there I hope was an end of their part of the Tragedy Now harken I beseech you to the second part of the Tragedy concerning the Murtherers And here first are presented vnto you as in a dumbe shew the carcases of the Murthered raised out of the Pond by a Diuine Instinct and in a strange and wonderfull manner discouering and fastning vpon the Murtherers and these be the Actors in this first Scoene Will you heare the truth thereof confirmed by the story then hearken I say againe vnto that which followeth and conclude with the worthy Iudge that it was Digitus Dei the immediate Finger of God The Pond wherein these bodies lay you must imagine had a Maister that occupied the Farme and ground wherein it was vnto whose custody the Lord hauing committed in trust these slaughtered soules doth now require of him the discouery and restoring of them for the satisfying of his Justice But would you know the manner how the Lord required them of Him marke I beséech you and wonder at the wisedome and Power of God herein Because the bloud of the slaine could not cease crying for vengeance till they were recompenced Therefore the Farmer can
of mercy must die the death that so blood might be recompensed with blood and the land may be clensed from the guilt thereof And so according thereunto Justice administred without respect of persons yet with great wisedome according to the different degrees and circumstances in the committing of the Crime Heere is no admittance of Sanctuarie nor any such like protection to frustrate the course of Justice and nuzling of the wicked in their sinne so happy are we that God hath taken from our necks that cruell and bloody yoake of Antichrist who not onely maintained his owne tyranny by blood but also protected others therein And yet much more in this respect miserable if we shall not bee more thankefull for the light of the Gospell and improoue the time of our visitation with more profit and aduantage But blessed bee the Lord for the fruit of his Word that Justice hath his due course Iniquity braues it not vncontrould and righteousnesse may haue countenance enough if it bee accompanied with sobriety and meekenesse of wisedome If Sincerity be made a cloake for contentions and priuate lucre is it not wisedome to pluck off this vizard that so the Hypocrite may be ashamed and the sober Christian iustified But whither am I going I must retire my selfe to my present station We are now expecting the Judgement giuen vpon these Malefactors And blessed be God our expectation was more then satisfied Oh how true is it that Judges are in the place of God that he honoureth them as his Deputies and furnisheth them extraordinarily with diuine gifts What Maiesty doth shine in their honourable persons what wisedome and Equity flowes from their lippes what Righteousnesse mixed with Clemency appeares in their sentences Harken I pray you vnto that which followeth witnesse with me the truth of all these The Bench being set the prisoners are called to the Barre doubtfull matters are referred to a further cleering smaller offences are censured accordingly The greater and Capitall crimes of Blood and such like come now to be sentenced And that the sentence may be better layd to heart and take déeper impression to worke repentance and so thereby prepare the offenders to their deaths Harken I pray you vnto the diuine and graue speech the reuerend Judge makes vnto them in such words as these The speech at the giuing of Iudgement YOu Prisoners at the barre whose liues now stand wayting vpon death as you looke vp to vs with feare so wee looke downe vpon you with sorrow Your feare is to receiue punishment for your mis-doing and our sorrow is that wee must pronounce it Yet not without hope to bring you to Repentance which may gaine you pardon for your sin But as wee haue the commaundement of God to warrant and comfort vs herein that the malefactor must die so wee hartily desire of God that your condemnation may not bee of death vnto death but rather a meanes to a better life Now in these cases three things best befit a Iudge which are Discretion Correction and Comfort 1 Discretion to make an offender know his fault 2 Correction to Pronounce and inflict the punishment 3. Comfort that notwithstanding the denouncing and inflicting of the punishment yet so to prepare the delinquent vnto death that he may find life in death and so see heauen vpon earth before the world leaues him and he the world Concerning the knowledge of your fault that will best appeare by your acknowledgment thereof For without this acknowledgment there can be no sound Repentance Thus did God himselfe deale with his seruant Dauid in those his vncleane and bloody facts first to bring him to the sight of those sinnes he put the case by another and so brought Dauid to pronounce sentence vpon himselfe so my desire is that each of you would make Dauids case your owne And as in the like facts you would bee ready in another mans case to pronounce sentence as he did against the man that had dealt so cruelly so now to make his example your paterne to make it your owne case That as hee being conuinced by the Prophet to bee the man whom he had condemned in the like case of another was thereby brought to an acknowledgement of his owne sin and so receiue a gratious acquittance so you also being now conuicted of your heauy and bloody facts by such apparant euidence may by Dauids example bee brought to an acknowledgement thereof and so with Dauid obtaine an answere of the pardon of your sin howsoeuer for the satisfying of the world and humbling of the flesh you are like with Dauid to answere bloud for bloud The second thing I noted was Correction But the better to prepare you for it tell mee you poore soules that haue had a great portion of sorrow by your imprisonment if these three things do not now trouble you more then euer before that is Sorrow Shame and Feare 1 Sorrow for your life past so wickedly missed 2 Shame for your present facts 3 Feare not so much of your present punishment which ends in the punishment as of the iudgement to come bringing with it eternall torments and yet beginning but where the other ends To begin with this last because if it had beene well remembred by you it might haue preuented the former and yet being well applyed may release you from the latter that you may take a deeper impression of that great and generall Assizes Be you aduised not so much to looke vpon Vs who haue only power to kill the body as to looke vp vnto the Lord who hath power to destroy both body and soule and remember his last and dreadfull comming in the clouds where each of you must appeare personally without Deputy delay or Aduocate to receiue according to your workes which you haue done in your bodies be they good or euill And that you may preuent the extremity of that Iugdement my aduice vnto you is that you would erectin a iudgement seate your owne soules iudging your selues by the euidence of your owne consciences that so you may not be iudged of the Lord. So did Dauid obtaine the pardon of his sinne he had no sooner iudged himselfe for his sinnes and confessed them vnto the Lord but the Lord forgaue him the iniquity of them all and no sooner shal you acknowledge your selues worthy to die but the Lord will answere you you shall not die but liue For if you be now dead in sin by hardening your harts in the deniall thereof though you be liuing to the world yet you are dead vnto God and so shall neuer die out of the punishment of sin how soeuer you be euer dying in the horror thereof But if you shall now dievnto sin by vnfayned Repentance though you may die for your sin by the hand of man yet you shall liue for euer without sin by the power of God And therefore howsoeuer you must die temporally to satisfie the Law yet remember this is
the heart of the Reuerend Iudge that the one being more tractable to confesse the truth and giuing sou 〈…〉 hope of his repentance both for his owne and the Countries good who expect yet a further discouery of foure principall offenders not yet knowne or conuicted Hee was therefore onely brought vpon the Ladder and so prepared to execution that so he might conuince the other of the crime being still obstinate therein and satisfie the world concerning his owne guiltinesse of the Fact Wherein as he did not obscurely bewray himselfe at least an accessary though not so cleerely and particularly as was expected for his comfort yet he spared not to challenge his fellow standing obstinate on the dentall and by many circumstances conuicted him to 〈…〉 es the chiefe Murtherer Whereby as it may seeme hee was not an Actor in the Murther himselfe but onely priuie thereto by relation or consequence so was hee therefore repriued for the further cleering of the truth and freeing of his owne conscience from any secret burthen yet lay therevpon As for the other who the more hee was conuicted remained still more obstinate whether in policy that hee might be also repriued in hope of mollifying his heart and bringing him to repentance or vpon desperatenesse and so seeing no way but one must now prepare himselfe to the vengeance of God and confound the worlds expectation or harden the world in such like sinnes therefore was he iustly cut off that he might doe no more mischiefe though to his owne greater confusion thus dying in his sinne And yet behold the power of Gods iustice preuayling on his conscience though he would not confesse his sinne in particular yet he acknowledged to his shame what the world tooke too much notice of and himselfe did formerly much glory in that he was much delighted in Drunkennnsse himselfe yea which was the hight of his sin he was strong to be are his drinke and so gloried to draw others into the same excesse that so hee might pride himselfe in his great power that could out drinke others and thereby also more easily make prey of them Which as it was the meanes whereby hee caught Iohn Leeson in his snare so if consequents may be gathered by their Antecedēts it must needs follow hereupon that he made prey of him especially seeing he could not deny but he accompanied him that day at the Mill-hill when he was made away and his pretences that Iohn was gone for Ireland as were disprooued and confounded by contradictions in his owne and wiues speeches But howsoeuer such apparent conuictions both at the Barre and Gallowes euen from his owne mouth though he stil denied the fact as 〈◊〉 hath bin giuen heretofore the t 〈…〉 so wee hope time will more 〈…〉 eetely discouer his madnesse herein And so we leaue him to the fruite of his si 〈…〉 But before we end this Sc 〈…〉 one scruple is to be cleered that wheras Justice so 〈…〉 ends the 〈…〉 ying thereof in the punishment of the body as that it specially aymes at the good of the soule it might seeme therefore to haue beene fitter that Worlich being more penitent would haue dyed presently and Land being so obstinate should haue beene respited for his better preparing to his end For satisfaction where of we must know that as the iudgement against sinne is directed by a speciall in 〈…〉 ct scour God and so therin doth vsually 〈…〉 ble his 〈…〉 teous 〈◊〉 which is th 〈…〉 to h 〈…〉 that hath shal be giuen but to him th 〈…〉 nothing shall be taken away 〈◊〉 that which he s 〈…〉 th 〈…〉 haue therefore to Worlich that hath some spacke of grace and 〈…〉 rse opportunity was further yeelded to encrease and perfect the worke And from Land that hath nothing in truth if wee may c 〈…〉 e by the effect therefore that was taken away which it seemed belonged vnto him euen longer time and space of Repentance A notable Image of Gods righteous decras in the hardening of y e one softning of the other and a wise item to obstinate sinners that what they haue beene in their liues they likely prooue in their deathes And withall a sweete word of comfort to al broken and bleeding hearts that the Lord wil waite vpon them that he may haue mercy vpon them And this we wish hartily may be portion of that poore soule that now is respited in the hope thereof And thus endeth the history of this bloudy Tragedy Iustifying the Righteous Do 〈…〉 e of the Lord That he that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed againe CHAP. 8. Containing the conclusion of the whole With promise of further light THus hast thou Christian Reader a briefe of the most lamentable History which euer I heard or read of concerning the cruell murther of this widowes children Together with the admirable discouery thereof by the Finger of God as also the procéedings against so many of the Malefactors as are yet discouered What now remaineth but that thou glorifie God with me for the execution of his righteous iudgements Assuring thee that as I was an eye witnesse of these particulars so I haue deliuered thee therein the truth according to the euidences confirmed by the consent of the best warrants to establish the same onely I haue forborne to specifie the particular information of many witnesses because as many of them were spared at the Barre séeing the rest were sufficient so of those that were giuen in I haue also spared some as specifying the same in effect with those that are wouen into the history because I did not so much respect the order of their allegations at the Barre as the fitnesse of their application to the vse and life of the Story If herein I haue giuen any light or spirit by this manner of handling remember I wrote it not for a nine dayes wonder to vanish like a dreame but that it might leaue such impression in thy heart as might prouoke thée to know the Lord by his executing of Justice and so hereby learne to make vse of his Prouidence in all his workes promising thee that if thou shalt profitably vse this discouery to this end thou shalt be fitted not onely with further light herein as occasion shall be offered but as thou maiest make profitable vse of many other labours published by me formerly for the common good so thou shalt shortly be furnished with my long expected Paines concerning the Delusions of the Time and cure of a wounded Spirit which I am reuising and polishing at my best leysure s for thy good herein And so desiring thy harty prayers vnto God for his furtherance hereunto I commend thee to the grace of our Glorious Lord. In whom I rest thine and the Churches seruant THO. COOPER FINIS Heb. 2. 13. Ierem. 44. 16. Rom. 7. 8. 9. Psalm 50. Eccle. 8. Iob 22. Rom. 6. 1. 1. Thes. 2 12. Hos. 14. 13. 14. Ioh. 8. 44. The heynnusnesse and greatnesse of this sinne By the Obiect Psal. 10. Causes of murther 1 Enuy. 2 Pride 3 Adultery 4 Iealousie 5 Lust. 6 Ambition 7 Couetousnesse 7 Rage 9 Bitter speaking Two Cautions Antidotes to preuent murther To mainetain peace with God Reuel 13. 11. Pro. 7. Psal. 55. Math. 6. Psal. 37. Vse Pro. 23. Vse Thomas Leeson 1. Thes. 5. 5. Psal. 9. 13. 14. Reuel 6. 9 Rom. 8. 19 20. Psa. 58. 12. Psal. 75. 2. Plato in Timeo Case of the Guise iustified and Marquesse D'ancre As in the case of Nadab and Abiu Cosbi and Zimri Sir Henry Mountague Lord chiefe Iustiée