A Mirror both for Saints and Sinners, Treatise · Chapter 77
CHAP. LXXVII. Examples of Incontinence, Impudence, and Rapes.
COndemned, 2 Tim. 3. 3.
The punishment of it, Deut. 22. 23 &c. Hos. 4. 10, 13, 14. Ephes. 5. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 10. Heb. 13. 4. Rev. 21. 8. & 22 15. 1 Cor. 6. 9. Lev. 21. 9. Heb. 13. 4.
The evil of it, Prov. 6. 26, &c. Hos. 4. 11. 2 King. 9. 22. 1 Cor. 6. 13, &c. Gal. 5. 19. Prov. 29. 3. Luk. 15. 30.
Whores described. Prov. 7. 10.
Forbidden, Lev. 19 29. Act. 15. 20, 29. 1 Cor. 6. 18. Ephes. 5. 3. Col. 3. 5. 1 Thess. 4. 3. 1 Cor. 5. 9, 11. Heb. 12. 16.
Complained of, Hos. 4. 14. Jude 7. Rom. 1. 29. Jer. 5. 7. Prov. 7. 13. Ezek. 2. 4. & 3. 7. Jer. 3. 3. & 6. 15.
Remedies of it, 1 Cor. 7. 2. Matth. 5. 19. Job 31. 1.
Scriptural Examples: Rahab, Josu. 2. 1. Sampson, Judg. 11. 1. & 16. 1. two women, 1 King. 3. 16. Ammon, 2 Sam. 13. 14. Benjamites, Judg. 19. 25. Elie's sonnes, 1 Sam. 2. 22. An Israelite, Num. 25. 6. Sechem, Gen. 34. 2. Judah, Gen. 38. 16. Jesabel, 2 King. 9. 3. the strumpet, Prov 7. 13. the women, Jer. 44. 15, 16. Potiphar's wife, Gen. 39. 12. Absalon, 2 Sam. 16. 22. Ammon, 2 Sam. 13. 11.
Examples of Impudence.
Other Examples.
Ninias the son of Ninus and Semiramis, kept himself alwaies shut up in his Palace, and wholly spent his time amongst whores, and Catamites. Diod. Sic.
The like course did Sardanapalus take, thinking that all his felicity consisted in luxury, and uncleannesse. At last Arbaces, and Belochus two of his Princes conspired against him, and besieged him in Ninive, and when he saw that he could hold out no longer, he caused a great pile of wood to be made in his Palace, in which he shut up all his Concubines, and Catamites together with all his gold, silver, and treasures, and so setting it on fire, he cast himself into it, whereby they all perished together. Diod. Sic.
Candaules King of Lydia having a very beautiful woman to his wife, would needs make one of his Nobles called Gyges a witnesse thereof: and placing him behind the hangings in his Chamber, he caused his wife to strip her self naked, and to walk up and down the Chamber, that so Gyges might the better see her compleat beauty: but when the Queen came afterwards to hear of i…, she caused Gyges to kill the King her husband, and then married him, saying; That she was onelyonly fit for him that had so seen her nakednesse. Herod.
Megahysus General to Darius in Europe, sent Ambassadours to Amyntas King of Macedon, requiring him to send Darius earth, and water, in token of subjection: Amyntas fearing the Persian power assented to it, and made the Ambassadours a great supper; these Persians being merry with wine, required Amyntas to bring forth his wives, and daughters for their further entertainment; Amyntas consented, brought them forth, and placed them over against the Ambassadours, who being almost drunken, they began to kisse the Matrones, and Virgins, and immodestly to handle their breasts: Alexander the son of Amyntas taking this in scorn, desired his father to withdraw himself, whilest he chastised the petulancy of the Persians: and then calling forth the women, as if it were for them to dresse themselves more curiously, he caused divers youths to be dressed in their apparel, who carrying daggers under their clothes; when the drunken Ambassadours began to handle them immodestly, with their daggers they slew them all. Pez. Mel. Hist.
Claudius Tib. Caesar was so impudent, that he caused naked maids, and women to bring in, and attend upon him at Supper. Pez. Mel. Hist.
Examples of Rapes.
Solon made a Law amongst the Athenians, that if any one ravished a free woman he should pay an hundred Drachmes, and the Pander that procured it should pay 20 Drachmes: As also that it should be lawful for any man to sell his daughter, or sister, if she committed whoredome before marriage. Plut.
Two young men of Sparta being sent to the Oracle of Apollo at Delphos, in their journey lodged at the house of one Scedasus in Leuctra, a good man, and given much to hospitality: this Scedasus had two daughters, beautifull Virgins, upon whom these young men cast wanton eyes, and as they came back again, they turned into the same house, at which time Scedasus was from home, and the maids gave them kind entertainment, but they seeing their opportunity ravished them, and when they saw them make grievous moan for the wrong which they had suffered, they murthered them, and threw them into a pit, and so departed. Not long after Scedasus came home, and missing his daughters, looked up, and down for them; at last a little Dog that he had came whining to him, and ran out of doors inviting him to follow, which at last he did, and the dog brought him to the pit into which they were thrown, whence he drew them out, and hearing by his neighbours that those two men had been again at his house, he concluded that they were the murtherers, and therefore went to Lacedaemon, to complain to the Magistrates of that barbarous cruelty, where he made his moan first to the Ephori, and being neglected by them, then to the Kings, and they also neglecting it, he complained to the people, and finding no redresse, he with hands lift up to heaven complained to the gods, and then stabbed himself: but God left not this wickednesse long unpunished, for shortly after in a great battel which the Lacedaemonians fought in Leuctra against the Thebans, they were overthrown, and abundance of them were slain. Xenoph.
When Alexander M. took the City of Thebes by storm, one of his Captains ravished Timoclea, a Lady of admirable beauty, after which he asked her where she had hid her gold, and jewels? she told him, she would shew him the place, and so taking him into her Orchard, she shewed him a deep pit, which whilest he stooped to look into, she pushed him into it, and then overwhelmed him with stones: for this she was accused, and brought before Alexander, who asked her who she was? She with an undaunted courage answered: I am the sister of Theagines, who lost his life, fighting valiantly against thee for the liberty of Greece at Cheronaea: Alexander wondring at her beauty, and boldnesse, set her, and all her children at liberty. Diod. Sic.
Alexander M. having conquered Persia, and taken Persepolis the regal City, made a great feast to his Captains, at which many Curtizans were also present, and amongst the rest, Thais, that famous Athenian strumpet, who having bewitched Alexander with her beauty, perswaded him to burn down the Queens Palace, which was so stately a thing, that the like was not in the world. Parmenio much disswaded him from it, telling him what a dishonor it would be to him, by such a shamefull act to destroy that which he had gotten by his virtue, and valour, and how distastfull it would be to all the Asiaticks, who would thereby judge that he came not to conquer, and to possesse, but to lay waste Asia: but Alexander was so intoxicated with this harlot, that to gratifie her, he refused that good counsell, and caused it to be burnt down. Q. Cur.
Aurelius a Roman Painter, was so impudent, that all his delight was to draw the pictures of whores, and harlots, in immodest postures. Plin.
Aristogiton an Athenian Orator was so impudent in his whoredomes, that the Athenians called him Dog. Volat.
Octavianus Caesar banished his daughter Julia into a certain Island, for that in an immodest manner she frequented feasts in the night time. Dion.
She caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him: Come, let us take our fill of love untill the morning, let us solace our selves with loves,
Prov. 7. 13, 18.