The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 1 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. How the Iustice of God is more evidently declared upon the mighty ones of this world, than upon any other, and the cause why.
SEeing then that these men are more guilty and culpable of sinne than any other, they deserve so much a more grievous punishment, by how much their misdeeds are more grievous: for doubtlesse, There is a God that judgeth the earth (as the Psalmist saith) who as hee is benigne and mercifull towards those that feare and obey him, so he will not suffer iniquity to goe unpunished: This is hee (saith the Prophet) that executeth justice, mercy, and judgement upon the earth: for if it be the duty of an earthly Prince, to exercise not only clemency & gentlenesse, but also sharpnes and severity, therby punishing & chastising malefactors, to suppresse all disorders in the common wealth; then it is very necessary, that the justice of our great God, to whom all soveraign rule & authority belongs, and who is the Iudge over al the world, should either manifest it self in this world, or in the world to come: & chiefly towards them which are in the highest places of acount, who being more hardened and bold to sin, do as boldly exempt themselves from all corrections and punishments due unto them, being altogether unwilling to be subject to any order of justice or law whatsoever: and therefore by how much the more they cannot be punished by man, and that humane lawes can lay no hold upon them; so much the rather God himselfe becommeth executioner of his owne justice upon their pates: and in such sort, that every man may perceive his hand to be on them. Let any adversity or affliction light upon a man of low degree, or which is poore and desolate, no man considereth of it rightly; but talking thereof, m…n cease not to impute the cause of this poore soules misery, either to poverty, or want of succour, or some other such like cause. Therefore if any such be in griefe, or by chance fallen into some pit and drowned, or robbed and killed in the way by theeves: straightway this is the saying of the world, That it commeth thus to passe, either because he was alone without company, or destitute of help, or not well looked to and regarded: and thus they passe over the matter. But as concerning great men, when they are any way afflicted, no such pretences or excuses can be alleadged; seeing they want neither servants to attend upon them, nor any other means of help to succor them: therefore when these men are overtaken and surprised with any great evill, which by no means they can eschew, and when their bold and wicked enterprises are pursued and concluded with strange and lamentable events, in this we must acknowledge an especiall hand of God, who can intangle and pull downe the proudest and arrogantest He that lives, and those whom the world feareth to meddle withall. These proud gallants are they against whom God displaieth his banner of power more openly, than against meaner and baser persons: because these poore soules finde oftentimes to their paines, that they are punished without cause, and tormented and vexed by those tyrants, not having committed any offence at all, to deserve it: whereas (as Philip Comine saith) who dare be so bold as to controll or reprehend a King and his favorites, or to make enquiry of his misdeeds: or having made inquisition of them, who dare presume to informe the Iudge therof? who dare stand up to accuse them? who dare sit down to judge them? Nay who dare take knowledge of them? and lastly, who dare assay to punish them? Seeing then in this case, that our worldly justice hath her hands bound behind her from executing that which is right; it must needs be that the sovereigne Monarch of heaven and earth should mount up into his Throne of Iudgement, and from thence give his definitive unchangable sentence, to deliver up the most guilty and hainous sinners to those paines and torments which they have deserved; and that after a strange and extraordinary manner, which may serve for an example to all others.