The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 2 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Of Murtherers.
AS touching Murther, which is (by the second commandement of the second Table) forbidden in these words, Thou shalt not kill: the Lord denounceth this judgment upon it, That he which striketh a man that hee dieth, shall Exod. 21.die the death. And this is correspondent to that Edict which he gave to Noah presently after the universall floud, to suppresse that generall cruelty which had taken root from the beginning in Cain and his posterity, being carefull for mans life; saying, That he will require the bloud of man, at the hands of either man or beast that killeth him: adding moreover, That whosoever sheddeth mans bloud, by man also his bloud shall be shed, seeing that God created him after Gen. 9.his owne Image: which he would not have to be basely accounted of, but deare and precious unto us. If then the bruit and unreasonable creatures Exod. 21.are not exempted from the sentence of death pronounced in the law, if they chance to kill a man: how much more punishable then is man, endued with will and reason, when malitiously and advisedly he taketh away the life of his neighbour? But the hainousnesse and greatnesse of this sinne is most lively expressed by that ordinance of God set downe in the 21 of Deutronomy, where it is enjoyned, That if a man be found slain in the field, Deut. 21.and it be not knowne who it was that slew him, then the Elders and Iudges of the next towne assembling together, should offer up an expiatory sacrifice by the hands of the Priests, to demand pardon for that cruell murther, that the guilt of innocent bloud might not be imputed unto them. And if by oversight or negligence without any malice, hatred, or pretence, one killed another, yet was he not exempted from all punishment, but suffered to fly to the city of refuge, to be kept, and as it were inclosed untill his innocency Num. 35.were made manifest, or at the least untill the death of the high Priest. From this (it may seeme) arose the custome of Painims in the like case; which was, that if a man had unwillingly committed murther, he did presently avoid the countrey, and goe unto some man of power and authority of a strange nation, and present himselfe at his gate, sitting with his face covered, humbly intreating pardon and reconciliation for his murther: and for one whole yeare he might not returne into his countrey. On this manner was the sonne of a certaine King of Phrygia entertained in King Craesus court, who unadvisedly had slaine his owne brother. Whereby Herod. lib. 1.it is manifest, how odious and execrable in all ages, and all places, and all people, this murther hath been: insomuch that men did shun their very meeting and company, and abandon them out of their temples and publicke assemblies, as people excommunicate and prophane. And yet for all this, mankinde (for the most part) like savage beasts hath by the instigation of that wicked spirit (who was a murtherer from the beginning) been too too addicted to this kind of cruelty, not being afraid to offer violence to nature, and shed innocent bloud. Such was the franticke and perverse cruelty of the second man Cain, when without any occasion, but onelyonly Gen. 4.through envy, he slew his brother Abel, and that traiterously: which deed, albeit it was done in secret and without the view of men, yet it could not shun the piercing eye of God, who reproved him for it, saying, That the bloud of Abel cried for vengeance from the earth. And although this cursed and wicked murtherer received not immediately a condigne punishment answerable to his crime (God to the end to spare mans bloud, using undeserved favour towards him) yet escaped hee not scot free, for he was pursued with a continuall torment and sting of confcience, together with such an incessant feare, that he became a vagabond and a runnagate upon the earth: and seeing himselfe brought into so miserable an estate, he fell to complaining, that the punishment was greater than he was able to beare. Thus God permitted this wretch to draw out his life in such anguish, that for a greater punishment he might pine away the rest of his daies without comfort. A man may find in this world many such brother murthering Cains, who for no occasion sticke not to cut their throats, whom (for the bond of common nature wherein all men are linked together as branches to one root) they ought to acknowledge for their brethren and friends: upon whom the heavy hand of God hath not beene more slacke to punish either by one meanes or other, than it was upon their eldest brother Cain. But seeing the number of them is so great, and it is not so convenient to heape up here so huge a multitude together, it shall suffice onelyonly to recount the most famous and notablest of them, as of those that have beene men of note and reputation of the world, or that through an ambitious desire of raigning, have by armes sought to atchieve their purposes: for these for the most part are the greatest murtherers and butchers of all, that through their wicked affections, worldly pompe, or desire of revenge, have no remorse of making the bloud of men run like rivers upon the earth, making no more account of the life of a man, than of a flie or a worme.
Such an one was Abimelech one of the sonnes of Gedeon, who to the end Iudg. 9.to usurpe the regiment of the people, (which his father before him refused) got together a rout of rascal and vile fellowes, by whose aid comming to his fathers house, he slew seventy of his brethren, even all except Ioathan the yongest, that stole away and hid himselfe. After which massacre, he raigned in jolity three yeares, and at the end thereof was cut short by God, together with the Sichemites his provokers and maintainers, who were also guilty of all the innocent bloud which he had shed: for God sent the spirit of division betwixt them, so that the Sichemites began to despise him, and rebell against him; but they had the worst end of the staffe, and were overcome by him: who pursuing the victory, tooke their city by force, and put them all to the edge of the sword. And after he had thus destroied their city, put fire also to the castle, wherein he consumed neere about a thousand persons of men and women, that were retired thither to save their lives. And thus God brought upon them the mischiefe which they had consented and put their hands unto: for as they had lent him aid and furtherance to the shedding of his brethrens bloud, so was their owne bloud with their wives and childrens shed by him: yet this tyran not content therewith, made war also with the inhabitants of Tebez, and tooke their city, and would have forced the tower also, wherein the citisens had inclosed themselves; but as he approched to the wall, a woman threw downe a piece of a milstone upon his head, wherewith finding himselfe hurt to death, he commanded one of his soldiers to kill him outright. And thus this wicked murtherer that had shed the bloud of many men, yea of his owne brethren, had his braines knockt out by a woman, and died a most desperate death.
The bloudy treachery of Baana and Rechab, chiefe captaines of Ishbosheth, Sauls son, in conspiring against and murthering their master whilest 2 Sam. 4.he slept, abode not long unpunished; for having cut off his head, they presented it for a present to king David, hoping to gratifie the king, and to receive some recompence for their paines. But David being of an upright Treason, lib. 2. cap. 3. & 4.and true kingly heart, could not endure such vile treachery, though against the person of his enemy; but entertained them as most vile traitors and master-murtherers, commanding first their hands and feet to be cut off, which they had especially imployed as instruments about that villany, and afterwards caused them to bee slaine, and then hanged for an example to all others that should attempt the like.
For the like cause was Ioab (Generall of king Davids host) for killing Abner traiterously (who forsaking Ishbosheth, had yeelded himselfe to the King) cursed of David, with all his house, with a most grievous and terrible Treason; lib. 2. cap. 3.curse. And yet notwithstanding a while after he came againe to that passe, as to murder Amasa one of Davids chiefe captains, making shew to salute and embrace him. For which cruell deed, albeit that in Davids time he received no punishment, yet it overtooke him at last, and the same kinde 2. Sam. 20.of cruelty which he had so traiterously and villanously committed towards others, fell upon his owne head, being himselfe also killed as he had killed others: which happened in king Solomons raigne, who executing the charge and commandement of his father, put to death this murderer in the tabernacle 1. King. 2.of God, and by the Altar, whither hee was fled as to a place priviledged for safetie.