The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 2 · Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV. Touching incestuous Marriages.
NOw as it is unlawfull to contract marriages with parties of contrary religion, so it is as unlawfull to marry those that are neare unto us by any degree of kindred or affinity, as it is inhibited not only by the law of God, but also by civill and politique constitutions: whereunto all nations have ever by the sole instinct of nature agreed and accorded, except the Aegyptians and Persians, whose abhominations were so great, as to take their owne sisters and mothers to be their wives. Cambyses King of Media and Persia, married his owne sister, but it was not long ere he put her to death: a just proofe of an unjust and accursed marriage. Many others there were in protract of time, that in their insatiable lusts shewed themselves no lesse unstaied and unbriedled in their lawlesse affections then he: One of which was Antigonus King of Judea, Joseph. antiq. lib. 17. cap. 15.son of Herodes, sirnamed Great, who blushed not to marry his sister, the late wife of his deceased brother Alexander, by whom she had borne two children: but for this and divers other his good deeds, he lost not only his goods (which were confiscated) but was himselfe also banished out of his countrey into a forraine place, from Judea to Vienna, in France.
Herod also the Tetrarch was so impudent and shamelesse, that he tooke The same, l…b. 18. cap. 3.from his brother Philip his wife Herodias, and espoused her unto himselfe: which shamelesse and incestuous deed Iohn Baptist reproving in him, told him plainly how unlawfull it was for him to possesse his brothers wise: but the punishment which befell him for this, and many other his sins, we have heard in the former booke, and need not here to be repeated.
Anton. Caracalla tooke to wife his mother in law, allured thereunto by her faire enticements: whose wretched and miserable end hath already been touched in the former booke.
The Emperour Heraclius, after the decease of his first wife, married his owne neece the daughter of his brother: which turned mightily to his undoing; for besides that, that under his raigne, and as it were by his occasion, the Saracens entred the borders of Christendome, and spoiled and destroyed his dominions under his nose, to his foule and utter disgrace, he was over and above smitten corporally with so grievous and irksome a disease of dropsie, that he dyed thereof.
Thus many men run ryot, by assuming to themselves too much liberty, and breake the bounds of civill honesty required in all Contracts, and too audaciously set themselves against the commandement of God, which ought to be of such authority with all men, that none (be they never so great) should dare to derogate one jot from them, unlesse they meant wholly to oppose themselves as profest enemies to God himselfe, and to turne all the good order of things into confusion. All which notwithstanding, some of the Romish Popes have presumed to encroach upon Gods right, and to disanull by their foolish decrees the lawes of the Almighty: As Alexander the sixth did, who by his Bull approved the incestuous marriage of Ferdinand Sleid. lib. 9.King of Naples with his owne Aunt his father Alphonsus sister by the fathers side: which otherwise (saith Cardinall Bembus) had been against all law and equity, and in no case to be tollerated and borne withall.
Henry the seventh, King of England, after the death of his eldest son Arthur, caused (by the speciall dispensation of Pope Iulius) his next son named Henry, to take to wife his brothers widdow called Katherine, daughter to Ferdinando King of Spaine, for the desire he had to have this Spanish affinity continued: who succeeding his father in the Crowne, after continuance of time, began to advise himselfe, and to consult whether this marriage with his brothers wife were lawfull or no; and found it by conference both of holy and prophane lawes utterly unlawfull: whereupon he sent certaine Bishops to the Queene to give her to know, That the Popes dispensation was altogether unjust, and of none effect to priviledge such an act: to whom she answered, That it was too late to call in question the Popes Bull which so long time they had allowed of. The two Cardinals that were in Commission from the Pope to decide the controversie, and to award judgement upon the matter, were once upon point to conclude the decree which the King desired, had not the Pope impeached their determination in regard of the Emperour Charles, nephew to the said Queene, whom he was loath to displease: wherefore the King seeing himselfe frustrate of his purpose in this behalfe, sent into divers Countries to know the judgement of all the learned Divines concerning the matter in controversie, who (especially those that dwelt not far off) seemed to allow and approve the divorce: Thereupon he resolved (rejecting his olde wife) to take him to a new, and to marrie (as he did) Anne of Bulloine one of the Queenes maides of honour, a woman of most rare and excellent beauty. Now as touching his first marriage with his brothers wife, how unfortunate it was in it owne nature, and how unjustly dispensed withall by the Pope, we shall anon see by those heavy, sorrowfull, and troublesome events and issues which immediatly followed in the neck thereof.
And first and formest of the evill fare of the Cardinall of Yorke, with whom the King being highly displeased for that at his instance and request, the Pope had opposed himselfe to this marriage, requited him (and not undeservedly) on this manner: first he deposed him from the office of the Chancellorship: secondly, deprived him of two of his three bishoprickes which he held: and lastly, sent him packing to his owne bouse, as one whom he never purposed more to see: yet afterward being advertised of certaine insolent and threatning speeches which he used against him, he sent againe for him: but he not daring to refuse to come at his call, dyed in the way with meere griefe and despight. The Pope gave his definitive sentence against this act, and favoured the cause of the divorced Ladie: but what gained he by it, save only that the King, offended with him, rejected him and all his trumpery, retained his yearely tribute levied out of this Realm, and converted it to another use: and this was the recompence of his goodly dispensation with an incestuous marriage: wherein although, to speake truly and properly, he lost nothing of his owne, yet it was a deep check and no shallow losse to him and his successors, to be deprived of so goodly a revenue, and so great authority in this Realme, as he then was.