The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 1 · Chapter 32
CHAP. XXXII. Punishments for the contempt of the Word and Sacraments; and abuse of holy things.
NOw it is another kind of taking the Name of God in vaine, to despise his Word and Sacraments: for like as among earthly princes, it is accounted a crime no lesse than treason, either to abuse their pictures, to counterfeit or deprave their seales, to rent, pollute, or corrupt their letters patents, or to use unreverently their messengers, or any thing that commeth from them: So with the Prince of heaven it is a fin of high degree, either to abuse his Word prophanely, which is the letters patents of our salvation; or handle the Sacraments unreverently, which are the seales of his mercy; or to despise his Ministers, which are his messengers untous. And this he maketh knowne unto us not only by Edicts and Commandments, but also by examples of his vengeance on the heads of the offendors in this case. For the former, look what Paul saith, That for the unworthy receiving of the Sacraments, many were weake and sicke among the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 11. 29, 30.and many slept. How much more then for the abusing and contemning the Sacraments? And the Prophet David, That for casting the Word Psal. 50. 16, 17.of God behinde them, they should have nothing to do with his Covenant. How much more then for prophaning and deriding his Word? And Moses, when the people murmured against him and Aaron, saith, That Exod. 16. 8.their murmurings were not against them, which were but Ministers, but against the Lord. How much more then is the Lord enraged, when they are scoffed at, derided, and set at naught? Hence it is that the Lord denounceth Deut. 4. 2. & 12. 13. Apoc. 22. 18. Proverb 30. 6;a Wo to him that addeth or taketh away from the Word; and calleth them dogs that abuse such precious pearles.
But let us come to the examples wherein the grievousnesse of this sinne willly more open than by any words can be expressed.
First, to begin with the house of Israel, which were the sole select people of the Lord, whom he had chosen out of all other nations of the world, to be his owne peculiar flocke, and his chiefe treasure, above all other people of the earth, and a kingdome of Priests, and a holy Nation; when Exod. 19 6.as they contemned and despised his Word spoken unto them by his prophets, and cast his law behinde their backe, he gave them over into the hands of their enemies, and of Ammi made them Loammi; that is, of his people, made them not his people: and of Ruhama, Loruhama; that is, of such as had found mercy and favour at Gods hand, a nation that should obtain no mercy nor favour, as the Prophet Hosea speaketh.Hosea 1. 6, 7.
This we see plainly verified first in the ten tribes, which under Ieroboam fell away from the Scepter of Iuda: for after that the Lord had sundry times scourged them by many particular punishments, as the famin, sword, and pestilence, for their idolatry and rebellion to his law; at the last in the ninth yere of the raign of Hoshea King of Israel, he brought upon them a finall and generall destruction, and delivered them into the hands of the King of Ashur, who carried them away captive into Assyria; and placed them in Hala and in Habor, by the river of Gosan, and in the cities of the Medes; and in stead of them seated the men of Babel, of Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, in the cities of Samaria. Thus were they utterly rooted up, and spued out of the land of their inheritance, and their portion given unto strangers, as was threatned to them by the mouth of Moses the servant of the Lord: and the cause of all this is set down by the Deu. 28. a King. 17. 13.holy Ghost, 2 Kin. 17. 13. to be, for that though the Lord had testified to them by al his prophets & seers, saying, Turn from your evill wayes, and keepe my commandements and my statutes, according to all the Law which I commanded your fathers: neverthelesse they would not obey, but hardned their necks: & then it followeth in the 18 ver, Therfore the Lord was exceeding wroth with Israel, and put them out of his sight, and none was left but the Tribe of Iuda onelyonly.
Now though the kingdome of Iuda continued in good estate long after the desolation of the ten tribes, (for this hapned in the raigne of Ahaz. King of Iuda;) yet afterward in the raigne of Zedekiah, the great and famous citie Ierusalem was taken by Nabuchadnezzar the King of Babel, and utterly ruined and defaced: the glorious and stately temple of the Lord, built by Salomon, the wonder of the world, was burnt down to ashes, together with all the houses of Ierusalem, and all other great houses in the land: all the rich vessels and furniture of the temple, of gold, silver, and brasse, were carried to Babel by Nabuzaradan the chiefe steward. The king himselfe was bound in chaines, and after he had seen his owne sons slaine before his eyes, had his owne eyes put out, that he might never more take comfort of the light. The priests and all the greatest and richest of the people were carried away in captivity, and only the poore were left behind to dresse the vines and til the land. Now what was the cause of this lamentable destruction of this holy City, of the Temple and Sanctuary of the Lord, and of his owne people? it is set downe by the holy-Ghost in expresse word, 2 Chro. 36. 15, 16. That, When the Lord sent unto them by his 2 Chron, 36. 15, 16.Messengers, rising early, and sending, because he had compassion on them, and on his habitation, they mocked the Messengers of God, despised his words, and misused his Prophets: and therefore the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and there was no remedy. Behold here the grievous judgement of the Lord upon such as contemned his Word, and despised his Prophets.
Thus was the first city and temple destroyed: and did the second fare any better? no verily, but far worse: for as their sinne was greater, in that the former Iews contemned only the Word spoken by the Prophets which were but servants, these despised the Word spoken by the Sonne himself, which is the Lord of life; so their punishment was also the greater: for as the Apostle saith, If they which despised Moses Law died without mercy, how Heb. 10. 28. 29.much sorer punishment are they worthy of which tread under foot the Sonne of God, and count the bloud of the Testament as an unholy thing, and neglect so great salvation, which first began to be preached by the Lord himselfe, and afterward was Heb. 2. 3.confirmed by them which heard him. Therefore the destruction of the second city and temple by Titus and Vespasian Emperours of Rome, was far more lamentable than that of the former: yea, so terrible and fearefull was the judgement of God upon that nation at this time, that never the like calamitie and misery was heard or read of: there at the siege of Ierusalem the famin was so great within the walls, and the sword so terrible without, that within they were constrained to eat not only leather and old shoo's, but horse-dung, yea their owne excrements, and some to devour their owne children: and as many as issued out were crucified by the Romans, as they had crucified the Saviour of the world, till they had no more wood to naile them on. So that it was most true which our Saviour foreprophesied, That such should be the tribulation of that time, as was not from the beginning of Matth. 24. 21.the world, nor should be againe to the end. At this destruction perished eleven hundred thousand Iewes, as Historians report; besides them which Vespasian slew in subduing the country of Galilee: over and besides them also which were sould and sent into Aegypt and other provinces, to vile slavery, to the number of seventeene thousand: two thousand were brought with Titus in triumph; of which, part he gave to be devoured of wilde beasts, and part otherwise most cruelly were slaine. By whose case all nations may take example, what it is to reject the visitation of Gods verity being sent unto them, and much more to persecute them which be sent of God for their salvation. And here is diligently to be observed the great equity of this judgment: they refused Christ to be their King, and chose rather to be subject unto Caesar; now they are by the said (their owne) Caesar destroyed, when as Christs subjects the same time escaped the danger.
The like example of Gods wrathfull punishment is to be noted no lesse in the Romans also themselves, for despising Christ and his Gospel: for when Tiberius Nero the Emperor having received by letters from Pontius Tertul. Apol. cap. 5.Pilat, a true report of the doings of Christ Iesus, of his miracles, resurrection, and ascention into heaven, and how he was received as God of many good men, was himselfe mooved with beleefe of the same, and did confer thereof with the whole Senat of Rome, to have Christ adored as God. But they not agreeing thereunto, refused him, because that contrary to the law of the Romans, he was consecrated (said they) for a God before the Senat of Rome had decreed and approved him. Thus the vaine Senat which were contented with the Emperor to raign over them, were not contented with the meeke King of glory, the Sonne of God, to be their King; yea they contemned also the preaching of the two blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, who were also most cruelly put to death in the later end of Domitius Nero his raigne, and the yeare of Christ 69, for the testimony and saith of Christ. And therefore after much like sort to the Iews were they scourged and entrapped by the same way which they did prefer: for as they preferred the Emperour, and rejected Christ, so did Sueton. Tacitus.God stirre up their owne Emperours against them, in such sort, that both the Senators themselves were all devoured, and the whole city most horribly afflicted the space almost of three hundred yeares together. Neither were they only thus scourged by their Emperors, but also by civill wars, whereof three were sought in two yeares at Rome after Nero's death: as likewise by other casualties: for in Suetonius is testified, five thousand were hurt and slaine by fall of a Theatre.
How heavy and searefull the judgement of God hath beene towards those seven famous Churches of Asia, to the which the holy Ghost writeth his seven Epistles, Revel. 2 and 3. histories sufficiently testifie, and experience sheweth: for whereas in the Apostles time, and long after in the dayes of persecution, no Churches in the world more flourished; after, when they began to make light account of the word of God, and to fall away from the truth to errors, from godlinesse to impieties, the Lord also made light account of them, and removed his Candlesticke, that is, the ministery of his Gospell, from amongst them, and made them a prey unto Revel. 2. 5.their enemies: and so they which before were subjects to Christ, are now slaves to Mahomet; and there where the true God was worshipped is now a filthy Idol adored; and instead of the Gospel of Christ, is the Turks Alcoran; in stead of the seven stars and seven candlesticks are seven thousand priests of Mahomet, and worshippers of him: and thus for the contempt of the Gospel of Christ, is the Chrurch of Christians made a cage of Divels.
Venerable Bede in his Ecclesticall history of England reporteth, That Beda li. 1. ca. 15.about the yeare of our Lord 420, after that the Brittons had been long afflicted by the Irish, Picts, and Scots, and that the Lord had given them rest from all their enemies, and had blessed them with such great plenty of corn, and fruits of the earth, as had not been before heard of, they fell into all manner of sins and vices, and in stead of shewing themselves thankfull to the Lord for his great mercies, provoked his indignation more fiercely against them: for, as he saith, together with plenty grew ryot, and this was accompanied with a train of many other foule enormities, especially the hatred of the truth, & contempt of the Word, and that not only in the Laity and ignorant people, but even also in the Clergy and Sheepheards of the people: for which cause the Lord first sent among them such a contagious plague, that the living were scarce sufficient to bury the dead: and when by this punishment they were not reclaimed, then by their owne counsels and procurement the Lord brought upon them a fierce and mighty nation, even the Saxons of Germany; who albeit they came at first as helpers and succorers of them against their enemies, yet ere long proved their sorest foes themselves, and after much bloudshed drave them almost quite out of their Kingdome, confining them into a haven, nooke, and corner of the same, where they remaine till this day: and all this came upon them (saith that reverend Authour) for their ingratitude for Gods mercies, and contempt of the Word of God.
Againe, we reade a little before this, how that God stirred up Gildas Acts and Monuments, pag. 32.a godly learned man, to preach to the old Brittons, and to exhort them to repentance and amendment of life, and to forewarne them of plagues to come, if they repented not: but what availed it? Gildas was laughed to scorne and taken for a false Prophet; the Brittons, with whorish faces and unrepentant hearts, went forward in their sins; and what followed? God to punish their contempt of his Word and Ministers, sent in their enemies on every side, and destroying them, gave their land to other nations.
Againe, not many yeares past, Almighty God seeing idolatry, superstition, Acts and Monuments. pag. 32.hypocrisie, and wicked living used in this land, raised up that godly learned man Iohn Wickliffe to preach unto our fathers repentance, and to exhort them to forsake their idolatry and superstition: but his exhortations were not regarded, he with his sermons was despised, his bookes and himselfe after his death, were burnt: What ensued? A most grievous and heavy vengeance: they slew their lawfull King, and set up three other on a row, under whom all the noble bloud was slaine up, and halfe the Commons destroyed; what by warre in France, and civile discord among themselves, the cities and towns were decayed, and the land brought half to a wildernesse. O, extrem plagues of Gods just vengeance!
But these examples be generall over whole nations: now let us descend to particular judgments upon private persons, for contemning, scorning, or despising the Word of God, the holy Sacraments, and the Ministers of the same.
Hemingius a learned Divine, in his exposition upon the first chapter of S. Iohns Gospell reporteth, That about the yere 1550 there was a certain Nich. Heming.lewd companion in Denmark, who had long made profession to mocke at all Religion, and at devout persons: This fellow entering into a Church where there was a sermon made by the Minister of the place, began contrary to all those that were present, to behave himselfe most prophanely, and to shew by lewd countenances and gestures, his dislike and contempt of that holy exercise: to whom the preacher (being instant upon his businesse in hand) spake not a word, but only sighing, praied unto God, that this mocker might be suppressed: who seeing that the Preacher would no… contest against him, but contemned his unworthy behaviour, goeth out of the Church, but yet not out of the reach of Gods vengeance: for presently as he passed out, a tyle fell from the house upon his head, and slew him upon the place: a just judgement upon so prophane a wretch. From whence all scorners and deriders of godly sermons, and the preachers of the same, may take example for their amendment, if they have any grace in them.
Christopher Turke a Counsellor of Estate to a great Nobleman in Germany, Mart. …ydius, Celebrat. deut. excels.going one day to horse, and mocking at a certaine godly Nobleman who was then prisoner in his enemies hands, uttered these or such like speeches; See what is become of these gallants, that sung so much one with anothe…, When any one doth wrong us, God is our succor and defence: but he had scarce ended his words, when as a sudden griefe tooke him, so that he was forced to alight from his horse, and to be carried to bed; where in stead of singing, he dyed in dispaire, drawing forth his tongue as blacke as a cole, and hanging out of his mouth. This happened the ninth of Iune, 1547.
The contempt of the Sacrament of baptisme was most notably punished Georst. le feure, lib. 3. Annal. Misniae.in a certaine Curate of Misnia in Thuring: whose custome was whensoever hee had baptised any women children, in contempt of the foeminine sex, and without any regard to the holy Sacrament, to say, That they should not carry them backe to the house, but cast them into the River. This prophane Curate looking one day over the bridge of Elbe (which is a large and a deepe River) how the boats did passe; no man touching him, nor his braine any way altered, but by a secret judgement of God, fell over the bridge into the water, and was presently drowned: that he which so impiously wished drowning to other, and that at the Sacrament of Baptisme, was drowned himselfe. This happened in the yeare 1505.
The contemptuous and irreverent handling of the Word of God in the Acts and Monuments. pag. 1730.pulpit, together with open hatred of the Gospel, was most famously revenged in one Nightingale the Parson of Gondal besides Canterbury, in the raigne of Queen Mary, Anno 1555. This wretched Parson upon Shrove Sunday (which was the third day of the monethmonth of March) making a Sermon to his parishioners, entred beside his text, into an impertinent discourse of the Articles lately set forth by the Popes authority, in commendation thereof, and to the disgrace of the Gospell: saying more over thus unto the people, My masters and neighbours, rejoice and be merry, for the prodigall sonne is come home: for I know that the most part of you are as I am, I know your hearts well enough, and I shall tell you what happened to me this weeke past: I was before my Lord Cardinall, and he hath made me as cleane from sinne as I was at the Font-stone; and he hath also appointed me to notifie unto you the Bull of the Popes pardon; and so reading the same unto them, he thanked God that ever he lived to see that day: adding moreover, that he beleeved, that by the vertue of that Bull he was as cleane from sinne as that night that he was borne: which words he had no sooner uttered, but the Lord to shew that he lyed, stroke him with sudden death, and so he fel down out of the pulpit, never stirring hand nor foot, not speaking word, but there lay, an amazement and astonishment to all the people.
Denterius an Arrian Bishop being at Bizantium, as he was about to baptise one Barbas after his blasphemous manner, saying, I baptise thee in the name of the Father, through the Sonne, in the holy Ghost, (which forme of words is contrary to the prescript rule of Christ, that bad his disciples to baptise all nations, In the Name of the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost) the water suddenly vanished, so that he could not then be baptised: wherefore Barbas all amased, fled to a Church of purer Religion, and there was entertained into the Church by baptisme. Socrates in his Ecclesiasticall History reporteth the like accident to have happened to a Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 17.Iew, who had beene oftentimes baptised, and came to Paulus a Novatian Bishop, to receive the Sacrament againe; but the water as before vanished; and his villany being detected, he was banished the Church.
Vrbanus Formensis and Foelix Iducensis, two Donatists by profession, rushing into Thipasa a city of Mauritania, commanded the Eucharist to be Op…at. Meltuit. Lib 2 contra Paren…anum. Cent. 4. cap. 6.throwne among the dogs; but the dogs growing mad thereby, set upon their owne Masters, and rent them with their teeth, as being guilty of despising the body of Christ. Certainly a notable judgement to condemne the wicked behaviour of those miscreants, who were so prophane, as not only to refuse the Sacrament themselves, but also to cast it to their dogs, as if it were the vilest and contemptiblest thing in the world.Vide lib. 1. cap. 17.
Theopompus a Phylosopher being about to insert certaine things out of the writings of Moses, into his prophane works, and so to abuse the sacred Word of God, was stricken with a frenzy; and being warned of the cause thereof in a dreame, by prayers made unto God, recovered his sences againe. This story is recorded by Iosephus. As also another of Theodectes Jeseph. Antiq: Liba 2. cap. 2.a Poet, that mingled his Tragedies with the holy Scripture, and was therfore stricken with blindnesse, untill he had recanted his impiety.
In a towne of Germany called Itzsith, there dwelt a certaine husbandman Luther in Coloq…ijs.that was a monstrous despiser and prophaner of the Word of God and his Sacraments: he upon a time amidst his cups, railed with most bitter termes upon a Minister of Gods Word; after which, going presently into the fields to overlooke his sheepe, he never returned alive, but was found there dead, with his body all scortched and burnt as blacke as a cole: the Lord having given him over into the hands of the Divell, to be thus used for his vile prophanenesse and abusing his holy things. This D. Iustus Ionus in Luthers Conferences reporteth to be most true.
In the yeare of our Lord 1553, a certain Coblers servant being brought up among the professors of the reformed Religion, and having received Philip. Melan.the Sacrament in both kinds, after living under Popery, received it after their fashion in one kinde; but when he returned to his old Master, and was admonished by him to go againe to the Communion as he was wont, then his sleepy conscience awaked and he fell into most horrible dispaire, crying that he was the Divels bondslave, and therewithall threw himselfe headlong out of the window, so that with the fall his bowels gushed out of his mouth, and he died most miserably.
When the great persecution of the Christians was in Persia under king Sozomen lib. 2. cap. …1.Sapor, in the yeare of our Lord 347, there was one Miles an holy Bishop, and constant Martyr; who preaching, exhorting, and suffering all manner Vide lib. 1. cap. 16.of torments for the truth of the Gospel, could not convert one soule of the whole city whereof he was Bishop, to the faith: wherefore in hatred and detestation of it he forewent it cleane: but after his departure the Lord made them worthily …ue their contempt of his Word; for he sent the spirit of division betwixt King Sapor and them, so that he came with an army of men and three hundred Elephants against it, and quickly subverted it, that the very apparance and memoriall of a city was quile defaced and rooted out. For certainly this is a sure position, where Gods word is generally despised, and not regarded nor profited by, there some notable destruction approcheth.
In a certaine place there was acted a tragedy of the death and passion of Christ in shew, but in deed of themselves: for he that played Christs part, P…lip. Melanct. in Collectane… Manlij.hanging upon the Crosse, was wounded to death by him that should have thrust his sword into a bladder full of bloud tyed to his side; who with his fall slew another that played one of the womens part that lamented under the Crosse: his brother that was first slaine seeing this, slew the murtherer, and was himselfe by order of justice hanged therefore: so that this tragedy was concluded with foure true, not counterfeit deaths, and that by the divine providence of God, who can endure nothing lesse than such prophane and rediculous handling of so serious and heavenly matters. In the Vniversity of Oxford the history of Christ was also played, and cruelly punished, and that not many yeares since: for he that bore the person of Christ, the Lord struck him with such a giddinesse of spirit and brain, that he became mad forthwith, crying when he was in his best humour, That God had laid this judgment upon him for playing Christ. Three other Actors in the same play were hanged for robbing, as by credible report is affirmed.
Most lamentable was the judgement of God upon Iohn Apowel (sometimes a Serving-man) for mocking and jeasting at the Word of God: This Iohn Apowel hearing one William Malden reading certaine English prayers, mocked him after every word, with contrary gaudes and flouting termes; insomuch that at last hee was terribly afraid, so that his haire stood upright on his head, and the next day was found besides his wits, crying night and day without ceasing, The Divell, the Divell, O the Divell of Hell, now the Devill of hell there he goeth: for it seemed to him as the Acts and Monuments, pag. 2103.other read, Lord have mercy upon us, at the end of the prayer, that the Devill appeared unto him, and by the permission of God depilved him of his understanding. This is a terrible example for all those that be mockers, at the Word of God, to warne them (if they doe not repent) lest the vengeance of God fall upon them in like manner. Thus we see how severely the Lord punisheth all despisers and propha…rs of his holy things, and thereby ought to learne to carry a most dutifull regard and reverence to them, as also to note them for none of Gods flocke, whosoever they be that deride or contemne any part of Religion, or the Ministers of the same.