A Mirror both for Saints and Sinners, Treatise · Chapter 32
CHAP. XXXII. Examples of fond Parents, and the miseries that they have brought upon themselves thereby.
FOrbidden, Deut. 13. 8, 9. Prov. 19. 18. & 13. 24. & 29. 17.
Scriptural Examples, Eli, 1 Sam. 2. 22, 29. David to Adonijah, 1 Kings 1. 6. to Absalom, 2 Sam. 18. 33.
How severely God punished Eli for his indulgence to his wicked sonnes. See it in 1 Sam. 2. 27, &c. & 3. 11, &c.
David also who cockered Absalom, and Adonijah above all the rest of his children, was most afflicted by them: one breaking out into open rebellion wherein he died: the other usurping the Crowne before his fathers death, which cost him his life also, 2 Sam. 15. 1 King. 1. 5, &c.
A certaine woman in Flanders, contrary to the will of her husband, used to feed her two sonnes with money to maintaine their riot: yea, to furnish them she would rob her husband: but presently after her husbands death, God plagued her, for this her foolish indulgence: for from rioting these youngsters fell to robbing, for the which one of them was executed by the sword, and the other by the halter, the mother looking on as a witnesse of their destructions. Ludo. Vives.
A young man in our owne Nation, as he was going to the gallows, desired to speak with his mother in her eare; but when she came instead of whispering, he bit of her eare with his teeth, exclaiming upon her as the cause of his death, because she did not chastise him in his youth for his faults; but by her fondnesse so imboldened him in his vices as brought him to this wofull end.
Seleucus marrying Stratonica the daughter of Demetrius, shortly after Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus fell in love with his stepmother, and not daring to discover it, for feare of the displeasure of his father, he pined a way from day to day: at last one of his Physicians found out the cause of his disease, and acquainted his father therewith, who out of indulgence to his sonne, calling his Nobles, and people together, said, I have decreed to make Antiochus my sonne King of all my superior Provinces, and to give him Stratonica for his wife, and Queen; and if she scruple the unlawfulnesse of the marriage, I desire you that are my friends, to perswade her that all things are honest and just, that a King shall decree for the publick profit. Plut.
Andronicus one of the Greek Emperours, doted with such extream impotency of partial affection upon his Nephew, young Andronicus, that in comparison of him, he disregarded not only the rest of his Nephews, but his own children also: being unwilling to spare him out of sight either day or night: but when this young man was stept further into yeares, besides a world of miseries, and molestations created to his Grand-father in the mean time, at last he pressed without resistance upon his Palace, with purpose to surprise his person, though the old Emperout intreated him with much affectionate eloquence, that he would reverence those hands which had oftentimes so willingly embraced him, and those lips which had so oft lovingly kissed him: and that he would spare to spill that blood, from which himselfe had taken the fountaine of life: yet for all this, he caused the old Emperour to be polled, shaven, and made a Monk, and not only so, but also the very Anvile of much dunghill-scorne, and vilest indignities, untill the workmanship of death had finished the sorrowful businesse of a wretched lfie Turk Hist.
Austine, upon a terrible, and dreadfull accident, called his people together to a Sermon, wherein he relates this dolefull story: Our Noble Citizen (saith he) Cyrillus, a man mighty amongst us, both in work, and word, and much beloved; had, as you know, one onelyonly sonne, and because but one, he loved him immeasurably, and above God: and so being drunke with immoderate doting, he neglected to correct him, and gave him liberty to do whatsoever he list: Now this very day (saith he) this same fellow thus long suffered in this dissolute, and riotous courses, hath in his drunken humour wickedly offered violence to his mother great with childe, would have violated his sister, hath killed his father, and wounded two of his sisters to death. Adfrat. in Eremo. Ser. 33.
Chasten thy sonne betimes, and let not thy soul spare for his crying,
Prov. 19. 18.