The Tragedies of Tyrants Exercised Upon the Church of God, Chapter 1
Of the fyrſt Tragicall Acte or perſecution after the birth of Chriſt, in which Herod ſurnamed the great, ſlew the young and innocent Children. Chapter. i.
AFter the perſecutiōs of the faithfull in the auncient holy Church, hereafter I will declare the perſecutions of the chriſtian Church, which began immediatly after the byrth of Chriſte, in the reigne of Auguſtus the Emperour.
When Chriſte in great pouertie was borne in a certen ſtable, ther came wiſe Herode the great firſte perſecuted our ſauiourmen from the Eaſt vntounto Ieruſalem, declaring the birth of the late borne king. With this tidings Herod (whom they call the greate, and Aſcalonite) beinge merueilous affraied, for he doubted leſt the new borne king ſhoulde driue him out of the kingdome of Iudea, whiche then he poſſeſſed at pleaſure & good will of the Romanes: he determined to ſlay this newe and latelye borne Kinge whilſt as yet hée lay in his ſwath clothes. And beinge ignorant wl… was the lately borne kinge, yet ki… …inge that hée was borne at Bethe… beecauſe hée would bee ſure not to … him: cauſed all the infantes of Be… lem and the places néere about, ſut… were two monethes ould or young bée ſlayne by his officers, and ſ… ours. Amongſt which his officers ſouldiours, this moſte cruell T… fownd ſome, that were not a frai… commit this ſtraunge tragedie, an… …ell murther. For the murderers, vngodly rakehelles, the ſeruantes … butcherly kinge, departinge vntounto A cruell ſlaughter.…thelem, fulfilled his commaundm… killinge all the younge children o… …thelem and the borders about, w… doubtleſſe the numbre was not ſ… For, which is horrible to heare, an… …trarie to the nature of mankinde, ſpared not ſomuch as the tendre in… in their cloutes, but haled them their mothers breſtes: wherby aroſe a great and miſerable cla… ſchritches and outcries of them, … moſt deare pledges and children were pluckt away by moſt vniuſte Tyranie and ſo cruelly and vnkindly murthered. Mathew the Euangeliſt maketh mencion of this ſorow and heuines, by whom Math. 2.this ſtorie is diligently writen, and for the better ſettinge foorth to the eie the greatnes of this miſerie and calamitie, the woordes of Ieremie are by him aleaged who writeth thus: A voice was heard in Rhama, lamentation, weepinge, and mutch mourninge, Rachell weepinge for her children, and would receaue no comfort becauſe they were not. In which woordes this is alſo to be noted, how perſecution doth not only touch and appertayne vntounto thoſe that are tormented or ſlayne, but vntounto thoſe alſo, who, although they ſuffre not the ſame thinges: yet do they louelove them, and are ioyned vntounto them that ſuffer, ſo that by the paines and ſuffryng of their frendes they ſuſtayne great gréefe of mynde, and thereby themſelues do ſuffer, and are partakers of perſecution.
Herod mooued this perſecution not ſo mutch for the infantes to ſlaye them, but for our Lorde Jeſus Chriſte to ſéeke him, finde him, and kill him.
Wherefore theſe innocent Infantes were ſlayne for Chriſtes ſake, and they whoſe Children they were ſuſtayned this great ſorrowe and heaueneſſe for Chriſts ſake, although at that time they vnderſtoode not the miſteries of God.
And therefore verie well theſe glytleſſe children, with their parentes are numbred among them whiche hauehave ſuffered perſecution for Chriſtes ſake. Neither is it to bée doubted, but theſe children by the force and efficacye of the frée grace and promiſe of God, were in the league and therfore had receyued Cyrcumcyſion, the ſigne and token of the league, and were the ſunnes of God, and then alſo were endued with the crowne of martyrdome for Chriſtes cauſe.Curious queſtions touching theſe Children.
Since therefore God of his mercye, and goodneſſe hath ſo gloryouſlye delte with theſe Children, let theſe curious queſtioners ceaſe here to inquire, what God did meane, & why he ſuffred theſe ſéelly and giltleſſe babes to be ſlayne for Chriſtes ſake? Why he deliuered not them alſo as he dyd Chriſte, whome he conuaied by flight into Aegipt? why he ſuffred the cruell Tyrant to commit ſo foule a murther? doth anie ſutch vnaccuſtomed crueltie & ſauagenes delight God? Likely enough it is, that at that time when theſe thinges were doone, troubleſome and carnall men vttered foorth mutch ſutch like talke. But the Godly, and men of ſownde iudgement, do quite reiect ſutch thoughtes and queſtions, nether do they ſpeake againſt the gouerment of God why hée premitteth this or that, but with all their hart they ſay with Dauid: The Lorde is iuſt in all his wayes, and holly in all his workes. Although the innocent children were depriued of this preſent life, yet were they rewarded with euerlaſtinge lyfe, and endued with vnſpeakeable glorie and honour. As for the mourninge and ſorowe of the parentes, God could requite that, ſundrie waies.
And God, likewiſe, who is diſpleaſed with crueltie, who alſo doth no euell, nether ſuffreth it to bée doone vnpuniſhed, vſeth euell déedes, wrath, and ſauage crueltie of his enemies vntounto the cōmodity of y• faithful, their deedes therwhile being naught, and nothyng therby the better. Poiſon is euil by his own nature, but by ye ſkil of the Phiſitions ye which is naught by nature is applied in medecines vntounto ye commoditie of men. So ſaid Ioſeph to his brethren that thei imagined miſchief againſt him, whē thei ſold him into Egipt, howbeit god turnd it to good, ſo likewiſe doth God in perſecutions. For in this firſt perſecution, wée béeholde euidently, as it were in a glaſſe, what is the ſubſtance & ſtate of al other perſecutions. For although this perſecution were very cruel & vnkind: notwithſtanding it tended vntounto the ſaluation & glory of all thoſe whom it touched. And likewiſe al other perſecutions of the faithful, although they be ſharp & cruell, yet are they profitable & honorable vntounto thoſe that ſuffer them. And like as the wiſe wil not much diſpute in this place, why god ſuffred thoſe children to be ſlaine: ſo are ye faithful of a moderate and quiet mind in perſecutions, nether do they accuſe god demaunding why he doth this or ye for wicked men, ſuffring the godly & innocēt to be oppreſſed. For they know, & beleue, ye gods gouerment is in al things good & iuſt, & without all reprehention. And like as ye giltleſſe innocēts were killed for chriſtes ſake and amongſt them Chriſt was ſought to be ſlayne: ſo in al perſecutions ye faithful a… murdered for Chriſts ſake, & Chriſt is he whom ye perſecutours ſéek and ſtudy to make away. And like as chriſte then was nether found, nor ſlain, but eſcaped ſo al perſecutions may ſlay ye godly, but they are neuer able to extinguiſh chriſt. But as Herod, contrary to his hope & expectation, notwithſtāding this murther could not be careles nor quiet in mind: ſo likewiſe, al perſecutors, although thei kil neuer ſo many yet ar thei not at reſt but alwaies remaining in feare, & carefulnes. Ambition and deſire to rule only enforced Herod to cōmit theſe horrible ſlaughters: al other perſecutiōs likwiſe The cauſe of this perſecution.hauehave ſprong foorth from ye like diſeaſe & euill affection. For in times paſt what ſtirs ambitiō, & deſire to rule, hauehave moued in ye kigdoms of Iuda & Iſrael it mai be known by ye tyrannical déeds of Saul Abner, Iereboam, Athalia, & ſuch lyke. And in our age manie of the clergie, and eccleſiaſticall ordre, hauinge obtained great honours: do feare leaſt their glory, pompe, ritches, pleaſures, prefermentes and honours ſhould decay, if the Goſpell were fréely preached. Sutche therfore for their kingdome, and pleaſures: with Herod, oppoſe themſelues againſt Chriſte and his woord, and are not ſtroken with horrour in eggynge foorth vntounto, or executinge a cruell déede, ſo that themſelues may lurke ſafe and quiet in their neaſtes. To conclude, like as this gréeuous and cruell perſecution of Chriſte, béegan immediatly after his incarnation by ſlaughter of the innocent babes: ſo is there nothing that the churche of Chriſte muſt looke for vntill the laſt iudgment, but perſecutions.