The theatre of Gods judgements wherein is represented the admirable justice of God against all notorious sinners ... / collected out of sacred, ecclesiasticall, and pagan histories by two most reverend doctors in divinity, Thomas Beard ... and Tho. Taylor ...

CHAP. XIX. Of Heretiques.

AS it is a matter necessarily appertaining to the first Commandement, That the purity and sinceritie of the doctrine of Gods Word be maintained, by the rule whereof he would have us both know him, and understand the holy mysteries which are revealed to us therein: so also by the contrary, whatsoever ten∣deth to the corrupting or falsifying of the same Word, rising from foolish and strange opinions of humane reason, the same transgresseth the limits of this Commandement: of which sort is Heresie, an evill of its owne nature very pernicious and contagious, and no lesse to be feared and shunned than the heat of persecu∣tion: and by means whereof the whole nation of Christendome hath been heretofore tossed with many troubles, and the Church of God grievously vexed. But as Truth got ever the upper hand, and prevailed against fal∣shood: so the broakers and upholders of falshood came ever to the worse, and were confounded as well by the strength of Truth, as by the speciall judgements of God sent downe upon the most part of them.

Theudas & Iudas Galileus were two that seduced the Jews before Christ: for the first of them said he was a Prophet sent from God, and that he could divide the waters of Jordan by his word, as Ioshuah the servant of the Lord did. The other promised to deliver them from the servitude and the yoake of the Romanes. And both of them by that means drew much people after them: so prone is the common multitude to follow novelties, and to be∣leeve every new sangle that is but yesterday set on broach. But they came both to a deserved destruction: for Fatus the Governour of Jury overtooke Theudas, and sending his trunke to the grave, carried his head as a monu∣ment to Jerusalem. As for Iudas, he perished also, and all his followers were dispersed, manifesting by their ends, that their works were not of God, but of men, and therefore must needs come to naught.

After Christ, in the Apostles time there was one Elymas a Sorcerer, that mightily withstood the doctrine of Paul and Barnabas, before Sergius Paulus the deputy, and sowed a contrary heresie in his minde: but Paul full of the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, and said, O full of all subtilty and mischief, the childe of the Devill, and enemy of righteousnesse, wilt thou not cease to pervert the strait wayes of the Lord? Now therefore behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and then shalt be blinde for season. And immediately there fell upon him

a mist and darknesse, and hee went about to seeke some to lead him by the hand. And this recompence gained hee for his erroneous and hereticall pra∣ctise.

A while after him, under the Empire of Adrian, arose there another cal∣led Benchochab, that professed himselfe to be the Messias, and to have de∣scended from Heaven in the likenesse of a Star, for the safety and redemp∣tion of the people: by which fallacy he drew after him a world of seditious disciples; but at length he and many of his credulous rout were slaine, and was called by the Iewes Bencozba (that is) the son of a lye. And this was the goodly redemption which this Heretique brought upon his owne head and many of his fellowes.

It is reported of Cerinthus an Heretique, that he denying and going about to darken the doctrine of Christs everlasting kingdome, was over∣whelmed by the sudden fall of an hot house which fell upon him and his associates, as soone as S. Iohn was departed from it: for Ireneus saith, That he heard Polycarpus often report, how S. Iohn being about to enter into the bathes at Ephesus, when he perceived Cerinthus already within, departed very hastily; saying to those that bore him company, that he feared that the house would fall upon their heads, because of Cerinthus the heretique, that was therein at that instnat.

Manes, of whom the Maniches tooke their name and first originall, for∣ged in his foolish braine a fiction of two gods, and two beginners, and re∣jecting the old Testament, and the true God which is revealed in the same, published a fifth Gospell of his owne forgery, yea and was so besotted with folly (as Suidas testifieth of him) that he reported himselfe to be the Holy Ghost: when he had thus with his devillish heresies and blasphemies infe∣cted the world, and was pursued by Gods just judgement, at last for other wicked practises he had his skin plucked over his eares alive, and so dyed in misery.

Montanus that blasphemous Caitise, of whom came the Montanists, or Pepuzian heretiques, of a towne in Phrygia called Pepuza, denied Christ our Saviour to be God, and said he was but a man only like other men, with∣out any participation of divine Essence: he called himselfe the Comforter and holy Spirit which was forepromised to come into the world; and his two wives Priscilla and Maximilla, he named his prophetesses, and their wri∣tings prophecies: howbeit all their cunning could not foretell nor prevent a wretched and desperate end which befell him; for he hung himselfe, after he had deluded the world a long season, and proved by his end, his life to have been vile and damnable, according to the proverb, Qualis vita, finis it a, A cursed life, and a cursed death.

Of all Heretiques that ever troubled and afflicted Gods Church, the Arrians were the chiefe: the author and ringleader of which crue, as by his vainglorious pride and ambition he sought to extoll himselfe above the clouds, boasting and vaunting in his damnable errour; so by the just ven∣geance of God he was abased lower than hell, and put in everlasting shame and opprobry: for he had long time as it were entred the list, and combated with Christ, and was condemned for an Heretique by the Nicene Councell, and his bookes burned: and then afterwards making shew before Constantine the Emperour, with a solemne oath to recant his old errours, and approve the profession of Faith, which the Councell of Nice had set forth concern∣ning

Christs divinity, whereunto also he subscribed his name: but all that he did was in hypocrisie, to the end to renew and republish the more boldly his false and pernitious doctrine. But when he thought himselfe neerest to the attainment of his purpose, and braved it most with his supporters and companions, even then the Lord stroke him with a sudden fear in the open street, and with such horrible pangs in his guts, and vehement desire of dis∣burthening nature, that he was faine to come unto the publick houses ap∣pointed for that purpose, taking them which were next at hand for a shift: but he never shifted from them again; for his breath went out of his mouth, and his guts ran out of his fundament, and there lay he dead upon his owne excrements.

As the Emperour Constantius was a great favourer and supporter of this sect, and maintained it against, and in despight of true Christans, and by that meanes stirred up schismes and dissentions throughout all Christen∣dome: so the Lord to requite him, stirred up Iulian; whom he himselfe had promoted to honour, to rebell against him: whose practices as he went a∣bout to suppresse, and was even ready to encounter, a grievous Apoplexy sudenly surcharged him so sore, that he died of it; before he could bring his purpose to passe.

The Emperour Valens was infected also with this poyson, wherewith likewise he infected the Gothes, who by his means were become the grea∣ter part Arrians, and not Christians: but neither went he unpunished▪ for when he marched forth to represse the rage of the furious Gothes, who were spread over all Thracia, and had given them battell, he lost the day, and being shamefully put to flight, was pursued so fiercely, that hee was faine to hide himselfe in a little house, which being set on fire by the Gothes, he was burnt therein.

As for Nestorius, which would maintaine by his foolish and dangerous opinions, that the divinity of Christ was divided from his humanity, ma∣king as it were two Christs of one, and two persons of one, and so turned upside downe that whole ground-worke of our salvation, escaped no more the just vengeance of God than all other Hereticks did: for first he was ba∣nished into a far country, and their tormented with a strange disease; the very wormes did gnaw in pieces his blasphemous tongue, and at length the Earth opened her mouth, and swallowed him up.

Concerning the Anabaptists, which rose up about five hundred yeares since, it is evidently known how divers wayes God scourged and plagued many of them: some of them were destroyed by troops and by thousands; others miserably executed and put to death in divers places, as well for their monstrous and damnable heresies, as for many mischiefes and outra∣ges which they committed. By all which things God doth exhibit and set before our eyes, how deere and precious in his sight the purenesse of his holy Word, and the unity of his Church is; and how carefull and zealous every one of us ought to be in maintaining and upholding the ••ame: when as he revengeth himselfe so sharply upon all those that go about to pervert and corrupt the sincerity thereof, or which be breeders of new sects and di∣visions among his people.

Olympus (by office Bishop of Carthage, but by profession a ••avourer and maintainer of the Arriah heresie) being upon a time in the Bath 〈◊〉〈◊〉 himselfe, he uttered with an impious mouth, blasphemous words against

the holy Trinity, but a threefold thunderbolt came from above, and stroke him dead in the same place; teaching him by his paine, and all other by ex∣perience, what it is to blaspheme the Lord of Heaven, or with polluted lips to mention his sacred Majesty. This hapned in the yeare of our Lord God five hundred and ten.

Cyril hath recorded unto us of his owne knowledge, a more wonderfull and admirable wonder of God upon an Heretique than all the rest, and such an one indeed, as the like (I dare say) was never heard of: The history is this; After the decease of Saint Hierome, there stood up one Sabinianus a perverse and blasphemous fellow, that denied the distinction of persons in the Trinity, and affirmed the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy-Ghost, to be but one distinct person: and to give credit to his heresie, he wrot a booke of such blasphemies, tending to the confirmation of the same, and fathered it upon Saint Hierome, as being the Author of it. But Silvanus the Bishop of Nazaren mightily withstood and reproved him, for depraving so worthy a man now dead; and offering his life for the truth, made this bargain with Sabinianus, That if Saint Hierome the next day did not by some miracle te∣stifie the falsenesse of his cause, he would offer his throat to the hangman, and abide death; but if he did, that then he should die. This was agreed upon by each party, and the day following, both of them accompanied with great expectation of the people, resorted unto the Temple of Jerusa∣lem to decide the controversie. Now the day was past, and no miracle ap∣peared, so that Silvanus was commanded to yeeld his neck to that punish∣ment which himselfe was Author of: which as he most willingly and con∣fidently did, behold, an Image like to Saint Hierome in shew, appeared and stayed the hangmans hand, which was now ready to strike: and vanishing forthwith, another miracle succeeded; Sabinianus head fell from his shoul∣ders, no man striking at it, and his carkasse remained upon the ground dead and sencelesse. Whereat the people amased, praising God, clave unto Silvanus, and abjured Sabinianus heresie. Whence wee may observe the wonderfull wisedome of God, both in punishing his enemies, and trying his children whither they will stand to his Truth or no; and learne thereby, neither rashly to measure and limit the purposes of God, nor yet timo∣rously to despaire of help in a good cause, though we see no meanes nor likelihood thereof.

Grimoald King of Lombardy was infected with the Arrian heresie, for which cause the Lord punished him with untimely death; for having been let bloud, the eleventh day after as he strove to draw a bow, he opened the veine anew, and so bled to death.

••abades King of Persia, when he saw his sonne Phorsuasa addicted to the Maniches, he assembled as many as he could of that sect into one place, and there setting his Souldiers on them, slew them till there was not one left.

Photinu•• a Gallograecian, for renuing the heresie of Hebion, and affirming Christ to be but an excellent man borne naturally by Mary, after the man∣ner of other men, excelling in justice and morall vertues, was by the Empe∣rour Valentinianus justly banished.

The Emperor Iustinian favouring the heresie of the Apthardocites, when as he gave out one Edict whereby Anastasius the Bishop, and all other that maintained the truth, should be banished; suddenly he was stroken with

an inward and invisible plague, which took away his life, and forestalled his wicked and cruell determination from comming to the desired effect. In all which examples we may see how God doth not onely punish here∣tiques themselves, but also their favorers and supporters, yea the very pla∣ces and cities wherein they lived and broached their blasphemies: as by the destruction of Antioch is seene, which being a very sinke of hereticks, was partly consumed with fire from Heaven above, in the seventh yeare of Iu∣stinus the Emperour, and partly overthrowne with earth-quakes below, wherein Euphrasius the Bishop, and many other were destroyed.

Moreover, besides those, there were under Pope Innocent the third, cer∣taine heretickes called Albigenses, or Albiani, which being possessed with the same spirit of fury that the Maniches were, affirmed that there were two Gods; the one good, and another evill: they denied the Resurrection, despised the Sacraments, and said that the soules of men after their separa∣tion, passed either into hogs, oxen, serpents, or men, according to their me∣rits they would not spare to pollute the Temples appointed for the service of God, with their excrements, and other filthy actions, and to defile the holy Bibles with ruine, in despight and contumely. This heresie like an evill weed, so grew and increased, that the branches thereof spread over al∣most all Europe; a thousand cities were polluted therewith; so that it was high time to cut it short by violence and the sword, as it was; for they were oppressed with so huge a slaughter, that an hundred thousand of them were slaine, partly by war, partly by fire, at one time.

Gregory of Tours hath recorded the life and death of an hereticall Monk of Bordeaux; that by the help of Magicke wrought miracles, and tooke upon him the name and title of Christ, saying hee could cure diseases, and restore those that were past help by physick, unto their healths: hee went attired with garments made of goats haire, and an hood, professing an au∣sterity of life abroad, whereas he plaid the glutton at home; but at length his cousenage was discovered, and he was banished the city, as a man unfit for civill society.

In the yeare of our Lord God 1204, in the Empire of Otto the fourth, there was one Almaricus also that denied the presence of Christ in the Sa∣crament, and said, that God spake as well in prophane Ovid, as holy Augu∣stine: he scoffed at the doctrine of the Resurrection, and esteemed heaven and hell but as an old wives fable. Hee being dead, his disciples were brought forth into a large field neere Paris, and there in the presence of the French King, degraded and burnt: the dead carkasse of Almaricus being ta∣ken out of the Sepulchre and burnt amongst them, it fell out that whilest they were in burning, there arose so huge a tempest, that heaven and earth seemed to move out of their places; wherein doubtlesse the soules of these wicked men felt by experience, that hell was no fable; but a thing, and such a thing as waited for all such Rebels against God, as they were.

Anastasius, Emperour of Constantinople, being corrupted with the he∣resie of Eutiches, published an Edict, wherein all men were commanded to worship God not under three persons as a Trinity, but as a Quaternity, containing it in foure persons: and could not by any counsell be brought from that devillish error, but repelled from him divers Bishops with great reproach, which came to perswade him to the contrary: for which cause not long after, a flash of lightning from Heaven suddenly seised

upon him, and so hee perished when he had raigned twenty eight yeares.

Iustinus the second also, who after the death of Iustinian obtained the Imperiall Crowne, was a man of exceeding pride and cruelty, contemning poverty, and murthering the Nobility for the most part. In avarice his desire was so insatiate, that he caused iron chests to be prepared, wherein he might locke up that treasure which by unjust exactions he had extorted from the people. Notwithstanding all this, he prospered well enough un∣till he fell into the heresie of Pelagius, soone after which, the Lord bereft him of his wits, and shortly aster of his life also, when hee had raigned e∣leven yeares.

Mahomet, by birth an Arabian, and by profession one of the most mon∣strous hereticks that ever lived, began his heresie in the yeare 625. His off-spring was out of a base stocke; for being fatherlesse, one Abdemonoples a man of the house of Ismael, bought him for his slave, and loved him great∣ly for his favour and wit: for which cause he made him ruler over his mer∣chandise and other businesse. Now in the meane while one Sergius a Monk (flying for heresie into Arabia) instructed him in the heresie of Nestorius: a while after, his Master died without children, and left behinde him much riches, and his wife a widow of fifty yeares of age, whom Mahomet married, and when she died, was made heire of all her riches. So that now (what for his wealth and cunning in Magick) he was had in high honour among the people. Wherefore (by the counsell of Sergius) hee called himselfe the great Prophet of God. And shortly after (when his fame was published) he devised a Law and kinde of Religion called Alcaron, wherein hee bor∣rowed something almost of all the heresies that were before his time, with the Sabellians he denied the Trinity: with the Maniches he said there was but two persons in the Deity: he denied the equality of the Father with the Sonne, with Eunomius: and said with Macedone that the Holy Ghost was a creature; and approved the community of women with the Nicho∣laits: he borrowed of the Jewes circumcision; and of the Gentiles much superstition; and somewhat he tooke of the Christian verity, besides many devillish fantasies invented of his owne braine: those that obeyed his Law, he called Sarazins. Now after he had lived in these monstrous abuses forty yeares, the Lord cut him off by the falling sicknesse, which he had dissem∣bled a long time, saying when he was taken therewith, that the Angell Ga∣briel appeared unto him, whose brightnesse hee could not behold: but the Lord made that his destruction, which be imagined would be for his ho∣nour, and setting forth his Sect.

Infinite be the examples of the destruction and judgement of private Heretiques in all ages, and therefore we will content our selves with them that be most famous. In the yeare of our Lord 1561, and the third yeare of the raigne of Queen Elizabeth, there was in London one William Geffery, that constantly avouched a companion of his called Iohn Moore to bee Christ our Saviour, and could not bee reclaimed from this mad perswa∣sion, untill hee was whipped from Southwarke to Bedlam, where the said Moore meeting him, was whipped also, untill they both confes∣sed Christ to bee in Heaven, and themselves to bee sinfull and wicked men.

But most strange it is, how divers sensible and wise men were deluded and carried beside themselves by the subtilty of Satan, in the yeare 1591,

and of the raigne of Queene Elizabeth 3 3, the memory whereof is yet fresh in every mans head and mouth, and therefore I will but briefly touch the same. Edmund Coppinger and Henry Arthington, two gentlemen, being asso∣ciated with one William Hacket, sometimes a prophane & very leud person, but now converted in outward shew, though not in inward affection, were so seduced by his hypocriticall behaviour, and the devils extraordinary de∣vices, that from one point to another they came at last to thinke, that this Hacket was anointed to be the Judge of the world; and therefore comming one day to Hackets lodging in London, he told them they had been anointed of the Holy Ghost: then Coppinger asked him what his pleasure was to be done? Goe your way (saith he) and proclaim in the citie, that Christ Jesus is come with his fanne in his hand to judge the earth: and if they will not beleeve it, let them come and kill me, if they can. Then Coppinger answe∣red, it should be done forthwith; and thereupon (like mad-men) he and Arthington ran into the streets, and proclaimed their message aforesaid: and when by reason of the concourse of people they could not proceed any further, they got up into two emptie carts in Cheape, crying, Repent, repent, for Christ Iesus is come to judge the world: and then pulling a paper out of his bosome, he read out of it many things touching the office and calling of Hacket, how he represented Christ by taking part of his glorified body, &c. Besides, they called themselves his Prophets, one of Justice, another of Mercy. And thus these simple men were strangely deceived by a miracu∣lous illusion of Satan, who no doubt by strange apparitions had brought them into this vaine conceit. But let us observe the end of it; it was thus: the whole citie being in amaze, tooke Hacket, the breeder of this device, and arraigning him before the Maior and other Justices, found him guiltie as well of this seditious practise, as of speaking traiterous words against the Queene: wherefore he was shortly after hanged on a gibbet in Cheap-side, counterfeiting to his last his old devices, and at length uttering horrible blasphemies against the Majestie of God. As for his Prophets, Coppinger dyed the next day in Bride well, and Arthington was kept in prison, upon hope of repentance.

Notes

• Acts 5. 36. 39. Euseb. Eccles. Hist. l. 2. c. 10. Ios. Antiq. lib: 18. c. 1. & lib. 20. cap. 2.
• Act. 12.
• Euseb. l. 4. c. 6. Phi. M. chron.
• Euseb.
• Euseb. Socrat.
• Nicep. l. 4. c. 23. Cent. 3. cap. 8.
• Socrat. Theod. Sozom.
• Socr. l. 2. c. 17.
• Ruff. l. 2. c. 13. Iornand.
• Niceph. l. 14. cap. 36.
• Paul. Diac. in Anast. Hist. Sa∣bel. l. 5. c. 4. 〈…〉〈…〉, lib. 1. c. 31. 〈…〉〈…〉 lib. 1. c. 25.
• Gasp. ••ed. l. 3. cap. 10. & 11.
• Platin•• sub. Siri••i••, 7.
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••••.
• 〈…〉〈…〉. ••.
• Paul. Diac. l. 5.
• Contempt of the Word, l. 1. c. 34.
• Athoisme, l. 1. c. 25.
• Stow Chron.
• Ibid.
• Hypocrisie in regard of Hac∣ket, l. 1. c. 22.