The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 2 · Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXIII. Of Incestuous persons.
ALthough Incest be a wicked and abominable sin, and forbidden both by the Law of God and man, in so much that the very heathen held it in detestation, yet are there some so inordinately vicious and dissolute, that they blush not once to pollute themselves with this filthinesse, Reuben the Patriarch was one of this Gen. 35.vile crue, that shamed not to defile himselfe with Bilha his fathers concubine; but he was cursed for his labour: for whereas by right of eldership and birth he ought to have had a certain prerogative and authority over his brethren, his excellency shed it selfe Gen. 49.like water, and he was surpassed by his brethren both in encrease of progeny and renowne. Ammon one of King Davids sonnes was so strongly 2 Sam. 13.enchanted with the love of his sister Thamar, that to the end to fulfill his lust, he traiterously forced her to his will: but Absalom her naturall brother (hunting for opportunity of revenge for this indignity towards his sister) Rape. Lib. 2. cap. 21.invited him two yeares after to a banquet with his other brethren, and after the same, caused his men to murder him for a farewell.
The same Absalom that slew Amnon for Incest with his sister, committed himselfe incest with his fathers concubines, moved thereto by the wicked 2 Sam. 16.counsell of Achitophel, that advised him to that infamous deed of defiling his fathers bed: but it was the forerunner of his overthrow, as we have already heard.
Divers of the Roman Empetours were so villanous and wretched, as to Suct. Lamprid.make no bones of this sin with their owne sisters, as Caligula, Antonius, and Commodus: and some with their mothers, as Nero, so much was he given over and transported to all licentiousnesse.
Plutarch telleth us of one Cyanippus, that being overcome with wine, defloured Oros. l. 7. c. 4.his owne daughter Cyane, but he was slain of her for his labour. Neither do I thinke it so unnaturall a part for her to kill her father, as in him to commit incest with his owne daughter: for the Oracle lessened, or rather approved her fault, when it abhorred and chastened his crime: for when Syracusa was grievously infected with the pestilence, it was pronounced by the Oracle, That the plague should continue till the wicked person was sacrificed: which dark speech when no man knew, Cyane haled her father by the head to the Altar; telling them, that he was that wicked person pointed at by the Oracle, and there sacrificed him with her owne hands, killing her selfe also with the same knife, that her innocency might be witnessed even by her bloud. Thus it pleased God even among the idolatrous heathen, to execute justice and judgement upon the earth, though by the meanes of the devill himselfe, who is the authour of all such villany.
Valeria Thusculana was in love with her owne father, and under colour of another maid got to lie with him: which as soon as he understood, he slew Plutarch.himselfe in detestation of his owne ignorant abhomination and wickednesse: nay, so monstrous and horrible is this sin, even in the sight of man, that Nausimenes (a woman of Athens) taking her owne son and daughter together, Valerius.was so amazed and grieved therewith, that she never spake word after that time, but remained dumbe all the rest of her life time: as for the incestors themselves, they lived not, but became murderers of their owne lives.
Papyrius a Roman, got with childe his owne sister Canusia: which when their father understood, he sent each of them a sword, wherewith they slew themselves.
But above all, the vengeance of God is most apparent in the punishment Zodar. lib. 3.of Heraclius the Emperour, who to his notorious wickednesses, heresies, persecutions, and paganisme, he added this villany, to defile carnally his Paul. Diac. l. 18owne sister; so to his notorious punishments (the Sarasins sword, dropsie, and the ruine of the Empire) the Lord added this infamous and cruell judgement, that he could not give passage to his urine, but it would flie into his face, had not a pentise been applied to his belly to beat it downeward. And this last plague was proper to his last sin; wherein the very member which he had abused, sought revenge of him that had abused it; for that he had confounded nature, and most wickedly sinned against his owne flesh.
Agathias writing of the manners of the Persians, reporteth, That certain Agathias.Philosophers comming out of Aegypt into Greece, where they had seen all manner of unnaturall mixtures, found the carkase of a man without sepulchre; which when in charity they buried, the next day it was found unburied again: and as they went about to bury it the second time, a spirit appeared unto them, and forbad them to do it; saying, that it was unworthy that honour, seeing that when it lived he had committed incest with his owne mother. A notable story, shewing that the very earth abhorreth this monstrous confusion of nature: the truth whereof let it lie upon the Authors credit.
Most abominable was the incest of Artaxerxes King of Persia; for first he tooke to himselfe Aspasia his brother Cyrus concubine, having overcome Herodot. lib. 9.him in war; and afterward gave the same Aspasia to his owne son Darius to wife; from whom, after carnall knowledge, he tooke her againe, committing incest upon incest, and that most unnaturally: but mark how the Lord punished all this; first, Darius his eldest son was put to death for treason; then Othus (succeeding in the inheritance) slew Arsame another of his brethren; and albeit Artaxerxes himselfe dyed without note of judgement, yet his seed after him was punished for his offence; for so miserable a calamity pursued them all, that in the second generation not one was left to sit upon his throne.
Now to teach us how execrable and monstrous this kinde of sin is, and how much to be abhorred of all men, the example of a bruit beast may stand in stead of a lesson for us; it being so worthy of remembrance, that I thought meet to make rehearsall of it in this place. It is reported by Varro Varro.a learned and grave Writer (whom S. Augustine often commendeth in his Lib. 2. de Rerustica, cop. 7.booke de Civitate Dei) of a certaine horse which by no meanes could bee brought to cover a mare that was his damme, untill by hiding her head they beguiled his sences: but after when he perceived their guile, and knew his damme being uncovered, he ran so furiously upon the keeper with his teeth, that incontinently he tore him in pieces. Truly a miraculous thing, and no doubt divinely caused, to reprove the enormous and too unruly lusts of men.