The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 2 · Chapter 46
CHAP. XLVI. Of Calumniation and false witnesse bearing.
WE have seen heretofore what punishments the Lord hath laid upon those that either vex their neigbours in their persons, as in the breakers of the fifth, sixth, and seventh Commandments; or dammage them in their goods, as in the eighth: now let us look unto those that seek to spoil them of their good names, and rob them of their credit by slanderous reproaches, and false and forged calumniatious, and by that meanes go against the ninth Commandment, which saith, Thou shalt not bear false witnesse against thy neighbour: In which words is condemned generally all slanders, all false reports, all defamations, and all evill speeches else whatsoever, whereby the good name and credit of a man is blemished, stained, or impoverished; and this sin was not onelyonly inhibited by the divine Law of the Almighty, but also by the lawes of Nature and Nations: for there is no Countrey and People so barbarous, with whom these pernitious kinde of Creatures are not held in detestation: of tame beasts (saith Diogenes) a flatterer is worst, and of wilde beasts a backbiter or a slanderer: and not without great reason, for as there is no disease so dangerous as that which is secret, so there is no enemy so pernitious as he which under the colour of friendship biteth and slandereth us behinde our backs: but let us see what judgement the Lord hath shewn upon them, to the end the odiousnesse of this vice may more clearly appear.
And first to begin with Doeg the Edomite, who falsly accused Achimelech the High-Priest unto Saul, for giving succour unto David in his necessity and flight: for though he told nothing but that which was true, yet of that 1 Sam. 22. 9.truth some he maliciously perverted, and some he kept backe: and falsehood consisteth not onelyonly in plain lying, but also in concealing and misusing the truth: for Achimelech indeed asked counsell of the Lord for David, and ministred unto him the Shew-bread and the sword of Goliah, but not with any intent of malice against King Saul for he supposed, and David also made him beleeve, that he went about the Kings businesse, and that he was in great favour with the King: which last clause the wicked accuser left out, and by that meanes not onelyonly provoked the wrath of Saul, against the High-Priest, but also when all other refused, became himselfe executioner of his wrath, and murdered Achimelech, with all the nation of the Priests, and smote Nob the City of the Priests with the edge of the sword, both man, and woman, childe, and suckling, oxe and asse, not leaving any alive (so beastly was his cruelty) save Abiathar onelyonly, one of the sons of Achimelech, that fled to David, and brought him tidings of this bloudy massacre. But did this … Spirit of God in the 52. Psalme proclaimeth his judgement: Why boastest thou in Psal. …. 1. 2. ….thy wickednesse thou Tyran? Thy …, and is like a sharpe rasor that cutteth deceitfully, &c. but God shall destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee and plucke thee out of thy tabernacle, and root thee out of the Land of the living.
Next to this man we may justly place Achab the King of Israel, and Iesabel 1 King. 21.his wife, who to the end to get possession of Naboths vineyard (which being his inheritance he would not part from) suborned by his wives pernitious counsell false accusers, wicked men, to witnesse against Naboth, that he had blasphemed God and the King, and by that meanes caused him to be stoned to death: but marke the judgement of God denounced against them both by the mouth of Elias, for this wicked fact: Hast thou killed (saith he) and taken possession? Thus saith the Lord, In the place where the dogs licked the bloud of Naboth, shall dogs even licke thy bloud also: and as for Jesabel, dogs shall eat her by the wall of Iesrael: thy house shall be like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nabat: I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, &c. Neither was this onelyonly denounced, but executed also; as we may reade, 1 Kin. 22. 38. & 2 Kin. 9. 36, 37, &c. & 2 Kin. 10. 7, &c.
Amaziah the Priest of Bethel under Ieroboam the wicked King of Israel, Amo… 7. 17.perceiving how the Prophet Amos prophesied against the Idolatry of that place, and of the King, he falsly accused him to Ieroboam, to have conspired against him; also he exhorted him to flie from Bethel, because it was the Kings Chappell, and flie into Judah, and prophesie there; but what said the Lord unto him by the Prophet? Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line, and thou shalt die in a polluted land: Loe there was the punishment of his false accusation.
How notable was the judgement that the Lord manifested upon Hamon Ester 7. 10.the Syrian for his false accusing of the Jewes, to be disturbers of the Common-wealth, and breakers of the lawes of King Ahasuerosh? Did not the Lord turne his mischief upon his own head? The same day that was appointed for their destruction, the Lord turned it to the destruction of their enemies, and the same gallowes which he prepared for Mordecai was he himselfe hanged upon.
The men that falsly accused Daniel to King Darius, for breaking the Dan. 6.Kings edict, which was, that none should make any request unto any for thirty dayes space, save onelyonly to the King himselfe, fared no better: for when as they found Daniel praying unto God, they presently accused him unto the King; urging him with the stability which ought to be in the Decrees of the Kings of Media and Persia, that ought not to be altered; in such sort, that King Darius (though against his will) commanded Daniel to be throwne amongst the Lions, to be devoured of them; but when he saw how miraculously the Lord preserved him from the teeth of the Lions, and thereby perceived his innocency, he caused his envious accusers to be thrown into the Lions den, with their wives and children, who were devoured by the Lions ere they could fall to the ground.
Notorious is the example of the two Judges that accused Susanna, both how she was delivered, and they punished.
But let us come to prophane …istories: Apelles that famous Painter of Ephesus, felt the sting and …tternesse o… this venomous vi…er, for he was falsly accused by Antiphilus another Painter, an envier of his art and excellent workemanship, to have conspired with Theodota against King Ptolomie, and to have been the cause of the defection of Pelusium from him: which accusation he laid against him, to the end that seeing he could not Theat. Hist.attain to that excellency of art which he had, he might by this false pretence worke his disgrace and overthrow; as indeed he had effected, had not great persuasions been used, and manifest proofes alledged of Apelles innocency and integrity: wherefore Ptolomie having made triall of the cause, and found out the false and wrongfull practise, he most justly rewarded Apelles with an hundred talents, and Antiphilus the accuser with perpetuall servitude: upon which occasion Apelles in remembrance of that danger painted out Calumniation on this manner; a Woman gayly attired, and dressed with an angry and furious countenance, holding in her left hand a torch, and with her right a young man by the hair of the head, before whom marched an evill favoured sluttish usher, quicke-sighted, and palefaced, called Envy, at her right hand sat a fellow with long eares like King Midas to receive tales, and behinde her two waiting maids, Ignorance and Suspition. And thus the witty Painter, to delude his own evill hap, expressed Vide l. 1. c. 12. Example of Nero.the lively Image and nature of that detracting sin.
This tricke used Maximinus the Tyran to deface the Doctrine and Religion of Christ in his time; for when he saw that violence and torments Euseb. l. 9. c. 6.prevailed not, but that like the Palme, the more it was trodden and oppressed, Nicep. l. 7. c. 27.the more it grew, he used this subtilty and craft to undermine it: he published divers bookes full of Blasphemy, of a conference betwixt Christ and Pilate, and caused them to be taught to children in stead of their first elements, that they might no sooner speak than hate and blaspheme Christ: Moreover, he constrained certain wicked lewd women to avouch that they were Christians, and that vile filthinesse was dayly committed by them in their assemblies; which also he published far and near in writing: howbeit, for all this the Lords truth quailed not, but swum as it were against the stream, and encreased in despight of Envy: and for these false accusers, they were punished one after another with notable judgements; for one that was a chiefe doer therein became his owne murderer, and Maximinus himselfe was consumed with wormes and rottennesse, as hath beene shewed in the former Booke.
It was a law among the Romans, that if any man had enforced an accusation Eus. l. 5. cap. 21.against another, either wrongfully, unlawfully, or without probability, both his legs should be broken, in recompence of his malice: which custome, as it was laudable and necessary, so was it put in execution at divers times, as namely under the Emperour Commodus, when a prophane Nicep. l. 4. c. 26.wretch accused Apollonius (a godly and profest Christian, and afterward a constant martyr of Christ Jesus) before the Judges, of certaine grievous crimes, which when he could by no colour or likelyhood of truth convince and prove, they adjudged him to that ignominious punishment to have his legs broken, because he had accused and defamed a man without cause.
Eustathius Bishop of Antioch, a man famous for eloquence in speech, Nicep. l. 8. c. 46.and uprightnesse of life, when as hee impugned the heresie of the Arrians, was circumvented by them, and deposed from his Bishopricke by this meanes: they suborned a naughty strumpet to come in with a childe in her armes, and in an open Synod of two hundred and fifty Bishops to accuse him of adultery, and to sweare that hee had got that childe of her body: which though he denied constantly, and no just proofe could be brought against him, yet the impudent strumpets oath tooke such place, that by the Emperours censure hee was banished from his Bishopricke; howbeit ere long his innocency was knowne, for the said strumpet being deservedly touched with the finger of Gods justice in extreame sicknesse, confessed the whole practise, how she was suborned by certaine Bishops to slander this holy man, and that yet she was not altogether a lyar, for one Eustathius a handy-crafts man got the childe, as shee had sworne, and not Eustathius the Bishop.
The like slander the same hereticks devised against Athanasius in a Synod Philip Melanct. Chron. lib. 3. Nicep. l. 9. c. 23.convocated by Constantine the Emperour, at Tyrus; for they suborned a certaine lewd woman to exclaime upon the holy man in the open assembly, for ravishing of her that last night against her will: which slander he shifted off by this devise, he sent Timotheus the Presbyter of Alexandria into the Synod in his place, who comming to the woman, asked her before them all, whether she durst say that he had ravished her; to whom she replyed, yea, I sweare and vow that thou hast done it (for shee supposed it to have beene Athanasius, whom shee never saw) whereat the whole Synod perceived the cavill of the lying Arrians, and quitted the innocency of that good man. Howbeit these malicious hereticks seeing this practise not to succeed, invented another worse then the former; for they accused him to have slaine one Arsenius, whom they themselves kept secret; and that hee carried one of his hands about him, wherewith he wrought miracles by enchantment: but Arsenius, touched by the spirit of God, stole away from them, and came to Athanasius, to the end he should receive no damage by his absence, whom he brought in to the Judges, and shewed them both his hands, confounded his accusers with shame of their malice, insomuch as they ranne away for feare, and satisfied the Judges both of his integrity, and their envious calumniation: the chiefe Broker of all this mischiefe was Stephanus Bishop of Antioch, but he was degraded from his Bishopricke, and Leontius elected in his roome.
In our English Chronicles we have recorded a notable history to the like effect of King Canutus the Dane, who after much trouble, being established in the Kingdome of England, caused a Parliament to bee held at London; where (amongst other things there debated) it was propounded to the Bishops, Barons, and Lords of that Assembly, Whether in the composition made betwixt Edmond and Canutus any speciall remembrance was made for the children or brethren of Edmond, touching any partition of any part of the land? which the English Lords, flattering the king, though falsly and against the truth, yea and against their owne consciences, denied to be; and not onelyonly so, but for the Kings pleasure confirmed their false words with a more false oath, that to the uttermost of their powers they would put off the bloud of Edmond from all right and interest: by reason of which oath and promise they thought to have purchased with the King great favour; but by the just retribution of God it chanced farre otherwise: for many of them, or the most part, especially such as Canutus perceived to have sworne fealtie before time to Edmond and his heires, he mistrusted and disdained ever after: insomuch, that some he exiled, many he beheaded, and divers by Gods just judgement died suddenly.
In the Scottish Chronicles we read how Hamilton the Scot was brought unto his death by the false accusation of a false Frier called Campbel: who being in the fire ready to be executed, cited and summoned the said Frier to appeare before the high God, as generall Judge of all men, to answer to the innocency of his death, and whether his accusation were just or not, betwixt that and a certaine day of the next monethmonth, which he there named. Now see the heart and hand of God against a false witnesse, ere that day came the Frier died without any remorse of conscience; and no doubt he gave a sharpe account to Almighty God of his malicious and unjust accusation.
In the yeare of our Lord 1105, Henry Archbishop of Mentz, being complained of to the Pope, sent a learned man, a speciall friend of his, to excuse him, named Arnold; one for whom he had much done, and promoted to great livings and promotions: but this honest man in stead of an excuser became an accuser; for hee bribed the two chiefest Cardinals with gold, and obtained of the Pope those two to be sent Inquisitors about the Archbishops case: The which comming into Germany, summoned the said Henry, and without either law or justice, deposed him from his Archbishoprick, and substituted in his place Arnold, upon hope of his Ecclesiasticall gold: Whereupon that vertuous and honourable Henry is reported to have spoken thus unto those perverse Judges: If I should appeale to Acts and Monuments.the Apostolike Sea, for this your unjust processe had against me, perhaps I should but lose my labour, and gaine nothing but toyle of body, losse of goods, affliction of minde, and care of heart: Wherefore I doe appeale to the Lord Jesus Christ, as to the most highest and just Judge, and cite you before his judgement seat, there to answer for this wrong done unto me; for neither justly, nor godly, but corruptly, and unjustly, have you judged my cause. Whereunto they scoffingly said, Goe you first, and we will follow. Not long after, the said Henry dyed: whereof the two Cardinals having intelligence, said one to the other jestingly, Behold he is gone before, and wee must follow according to our promise. And verily they spoke truer than they were aware; for within a while after they both dyed in one day: the one sitting upon a jakes to ease himselfe, voyded out all his entrailes into the draught, and miserably ended his life: the other gnawing off the fingers of his hands, and spitting them out of his mouth, (all deformed in devouring of himselfe) died. And in like wise not long after the said Arnold was slaine in a sedition, and his body for certaine dayes lying stinking above the ground unburied, was open to the spoyle of every raskall and harlot. And this was the horrible end of this false accuser, and those corrupted Judges.
Thus were two Cardinals punished for this sinne: and that we may see that the holy father the Pope is no better than his Cardinals, and that God spareth not him no more than he did them; let us heare how the Lord punished one of that ranke for this crime.
It is not unknowne, that Pope Innocent the fourth condemned the Emperour Fredericke at the Councell at Lyons, his cause being unheard, and before hee could come to answer for himselfe: For when the Emperour, being summoned to appeare at the Councell, made all haste hee could thitherward, and desired to have the day of hearing his cause prorogued, till that he might conveniently travell thither; the Pope refused, and contrary to Gods law, to Christian Doctrine, to the prescript of the law of nature and reason, and to all humanity, without probation of any crime, or pleading any cause, or hearing what might be answered, taking upon him to be both Adversary and Judge, condemned the Emperour being absent. What more wicked sentence was ever pronounced? What more cruell fact (considering the person) might be committed?
But marke what vengeance God tooke upon this wicked Judge. The writers of the Annals record, that when Fredericke the Emperour, and Conrade his sonne were both dead, the Pope gaping for the inheritance of Naples and Sicilie, and thinking by force to have subdued the same, came to Naples with a great hoast of men: where was heard in his court manifestly pronounced this voyce; Veni miser ad judicium Dei, Thou wretch come to receive thy judgement of God. And the next day the Pope was found in his bed dead, all black and blew, as though he had beene beaten with bats. And this was the judgement of God which he came unto.
To this Pope and these Cardinals let us adde an Archbishop, and that Acts and Monuments, pag. 700.of Canterbury; to wit, Thomas Arundel, upon whom the justice of God appeared no lesse manifestly than on the former: For after hee had unjustly given sentence against the Lord Cobham, he died himselfe before him; being so striken in his tongue, that he could neither swallow nor speake for a certaine space before the time of his death.
Hither might be adjoyned the vengeance of God upon Justice Morgan, who condemned to death the innocent Lady Iane; but presently after fell madde, and so dyed, having nothing in his mouth but Lady Iane, Lady Iane.
In the reigne of King Henry the eighth, one Richard Long, a man of armes in Calice, bore false witnesse against master Smith, the Curate of our Lady Parish in Calice, for eating flesh in Lent, which hee never did: but hee escaped not vengeance; for shortly after he desperately drowned himselfe. A terrible example unto all such as are ready to forsweare themselves on a Booke upon malice, or some other cause: a thing in these dayes over rise every where, and almost of most men little or nothing regarded.
About the same time one Gregory Bradway committed the same crime of false accusation against one Broke, whom being driven thereunto by feare and constraint, he accused to have robbed the Custome-house, wherein hee was a Clerke, of foure groats every day; and to this accusation he subscribed his hand: but for the same presently felt upon him the heavy hand of God; for being grieved in his consciene for his deed, hee first with a knife enterprised to cut his owne thro…t; but being not altogether dispatched therewith, the Gaoler comming up and preventing his purpose, hee fell forthwith into a furious frenzie; and in that case lived long time after.
Hitherto we may adde the example of one William Feming, who accused an Acts and Monuments.honest man called Iohn Cooper, of speaking trayterous words against Queene Mary, and all because he would not sell him two goodly bullockes which he much desired: for which cause the poore man being arraigned at Berry in Suffolke, was condemned to death by reason of two false witnesses which the said Feming had suborned for that purpose, whose names were White and Greenwood; so this poore man was hanged, drawne, and quartered, and his goods taken from his poore wife and nine children, which are left destitute of all helpe: but as for his false accusers, one of them died most miserably; for in harvest time being well and lusty, of a sudden his bowels fell out of his body, and so he perished: the other two what ends they came unto, it is not reported; but sure the Lord hath reserved a sufficient punishment for all such as they are.
Many more be the examples of this sinne, and judgements upon it; as Acts and Monuments, pag. 2100.the Pillories at Westminster, and daily experience beareth witnesse; but these that we have alledged shall suffice for this purpose: because this sinne is cousin Germane unto perjury, of which you may read more at large in the former booke. It should now follow by course of order, if wee would not pretermit any thing of the law of God, to speak of such as have offended against the tenth Commandement, and what punishment hath ensued the same: but forsomuch as all such offences for the most part are included under the former, of which wee have already spoken; and that there is no adultery, nor fornication, nor theft, nor unjust warre, but it is annexed to, and proceedeth from the affection and the resolution of an evill and disordinate concupiscence, as the effect from the cause: therefore it is not necessary to make any particular recitall of them, more than may well bee collected out of the former examples added hereunto; that in evill concupiscence and affection of doing evill, which commeth not to act, (though it be in the sight of God condemned to everlasting torments) yet it doth not so much incurre and provoke his indignation, that a man should for that onelyonly cause be brought to apparent destruction, and be made an example to others, to whom the sinne is altogether darke and unknowne: therefore we will proceed in our purpose without intermeddling in speciall with this last Commandement.