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. VIII. More Examples like unto the former.

IN the time of Achab, Benhadad King of Syria accom∣panied with two and thirty Kings, came very proudly against Israel, as it were in despight of God to bid him battell, but it turned to his owne shame and con∣fusion, being first dishonourably put to flight by 230 servants of the Princes of Israel (a small handfull to encounter so mighty an army:) and secondly, returning to seeke revenge, found the losse of 100000 footmen at one clap, besides 27000 which escaping by flight, were crushed in pieces by the ruine of a wall in the city Aphec. And so this brave gallant, that erst bragged, that the gold and silver of Israel, yea their wives and children were his, was now glad to fly for his life amongst the rest, and in his returne to hide himselfe, all dismaied in a little chamber; and from thence (being advised thereto by his servants) to send to intreat Achab for his owne life, which a little before thought him sure of the lives of all Is∣rael. Yet for all this, ere long hee enterprised a new practise against the Prophet Elizeus, and besieged also the city of Samaria so long, that cer∣taine women (constrained by extreme famine) devoured their children: but in the end he was compelled (through fearfull terror which God sent into his army by the noise of infinite Chariots and Horses which sounded in their eares, as if some puissant host of men of warre had been marching towards them) to forsake the siege, and flee with all his forces, leaving be∣hinde them their tents, horses, carriages, victuals, and munitions, to be a prey for them that pursued them not. And lastly, falling ficke, Hazael one of his owne servants, that succeeded him in the kingdome, to the end hee might dispatch him quickly, and without tumult, early in the morning tooke a thick cloth dipt in water, and spreading it over his face, stifled him to death.

When the Moabites and Ammonites rose up in arms against Iehosaphat King of Iuda, as soone as this good King humbled himselfe together with all his people before the face of God by fasting and prayer, forthwith God sent such a giddinesse of spirit amongst his enemies, that they killed one another: and the men of Iuda without being troubled with fighting, gathe∣red the spoile which they had scattered, and enriched themselves with their reliques.

Aman, promoted in honour and credit above all the Princes of the Court of King Assuerus, conceived so beastly an hatred against the poore dispersed Iewes (being at that time the only Church of God) that maliti∣ously he conspired, in one day to destroy and put to death the whole nation, to the very women and infants: and in accomplishing this his purpose, he mightily abused the authority of the King, whom he falsly informed. That this nation would not be subject to his ordinances and lawes which his other people were subject unto; and that therefore hee ought not to permit and suffer them any longer. But God that carrieth alwayes a watchfull eye over his Church, and knoweth how to breake and dash all

the enterprises of his enemies, brought all this wretches purposes to nought, by preserving miraculously those whom he would have destroyed, and making him doe reverence to Mordecheus, whom hee specially sought to bring to infamy, and for whom he had of purpose provided a gibbet to hang him on, but was hanged thereon himselfe, with ten of his sons: beside, all those which had conspired with him against the Iewes, were upon the same day which they had set downe for their massacre, by the kings commandement slaine by the hands of them whom they had appoin∣ted to the slaughter.

Balthasar King of Babylon, as he was feasting among his Princes, com∣manded amidst his cups, the golden and silver Vessels which Nebuchad∣nezzar had taken out of the Temple of Ierusalem, to be brought, that both he, and his princes, and his wives and concubines might drinke there∣in; exalting himselfe thus against the Lord of Heaven, and boasting in his idols of earth; therefore God being stirred up to wrath against him, ap∣pointed his destruction even whilest he thus dranke and made merry in the midst of his jollity, and caused a strange and fearefull signe to appeare be∣fore his eyes, a bodilesse hand writing upon the wall over against the can∣dlesticke; the words of which writing portended the destruction of his kingdome, which presently ensued; for the very same night hee was murthered, and the Scepter seised upon by Darius King of the Medes.

Antiochus, by sirname Epiphanes, or Excellent (though by truer report of people, contemptuously entituled the Furious) King of Asia, being veno∣mously enraged against the Iewes, began at the first marvellously to op∣presse them, to rob and spoile their Temple, and to slaughter the people. About ten yeares after, deceiving the poore people with faire and smooth words, covers of most vile and wretched treason, whilest they imagined no mischiefe, hee set upon them in such cruell sort, that the losse and desolation which they endured at that time was inestimable; for besides the destruction of Ierusalem their City, the slaughter of infinite multi∣tudes of their people, and the captivity of women and infants; as if all these were not enough, there was yet another misery to make up the full summe, worse than all the rest: which was this; The cursed tyrant see∣ing his purpose not to take the full effect, commanded every where, That all his subjects (I meane the Iewes) should forsake and abjure the Law of God, and be united into one Religion with the Infidels. By means of which Edict the Religion of God was defaced, the books of his Law rent and burned, and those with whom any such books were found, rigorously put to death: Which fearefull cruelty when the Iewes perceived, it caused many of them to wax faint hearted, and to give themselves over to wal∣low in the dirty fashions of the uncircumcised Idolaters, and in their mad∣nesse to subscribe to the unjust lawes of the vile monster. Now after he had committed all these outrages, he was repulsed with dishonour from the city of Elymais in Persia, which he went about to spoile and rob, and forced to fly to Babylon; where after tidings of the overthrow of his two armies in Iudea, with griefe and despight he ended his dayes.

Antiochus the sonne of this wretched father succeeding him as in his kingdome, so in wickednesse, perjury and disloyalty; when, to the end to consult about his owne affaires, he concluded a peace with the Iewes, and

by solemne oath as well of himselfe as his princes, confirmed the free exer∣cise of their Religion: behold, suddenly he falsied his plighted and sworne faith, and undid all that ever he had done; but it was not long ere hee also was overtaken by the army of Demetrius, and together with Lysias his Go∣vernour, put to death.

A while after reigned Alexander his brother, who whilest he was encom∣bred with the troubles of Cilicla, that revolted from him, the King of Aegypt his father in law came traiterously to forestall him of his king∣dome, tooke his wife, and gave her to hi•• deadliest enemy, and afterward gave him battell, discomfited his forces, and drove him to fly into Arabia for safety; where in stead of helpe, he found an hatchet to chop off his head, which was sent for a Present to gratifie the King of Aegypt withall.

Not long after, Antiochus his sonne recovered the Scepter of his Father; but alas his raigne endured but a small space; for being yet but a young childe, hee was slaine by Tryphon in the way as he led him to warre against the Iewes. And thus perished the cursed race of Antiochus, which felt Gods wrath upon it even in the third generation.

Antiochus the sonne of Demetrius (of whom mention was made but a little before) after hee had chased Tryphon from the kingdome of Asia, which he usurped, and broken the league which he had made with the Iewes, gave himselfe wholly to worke them mischiefe. Therefore comming against Ierusalem, he tooke it by force, commanding his souldiers to put all to death that were within the same▪ so that within three days there was such a massacre of young and old men, women, and children, that the num∣ber of the slaine arose to foure score thousand carkasses. After this, having executed many more villanies against this people, in so much as to make them renounce the law of God, putting them cruelly to death that did not obey his commandement, it came to passe, that this cruell tyrant was first of all put to flight by the inhabitants of Persepolis a city of Persia, for going aboue to rob their temple of their treasures: next endamaged by an overthrow of his army in Iudaea: which hee no sooner understood, but he tooke counsell in his fury how to be revenged of Ierusalem, and belched forth bitter threats against it. But in the meane time the Lord stroke him with a sudden and incurable plague, and surprised him with a horrible tor∣ment of his entrails. Howbeit, for all this he ceased not his malicious en∣terprise, but hasted forward his journey towards the Iewes with such ca∣gernesse, that in the way he fell out of his chariot, and bruised so his body, that it became putrified and so full of corruption, that very vermine scraw∣led out thereof, and the rotten flesh dropping piecemeale away, no man, no not himselfe being able to endure the stinch thereof. Then was he constrai∣ned in the midst of his torments to confesse, that it was meet that he should submit himself unto God, that he which is mortall, ought not to exalt him∣selfe so high, as to compare with the immortall God: and in this estate this reprobate ended his wicked dayes by a strange and most miserable kind of death.

Notes

• 1. King. 20.
• 2 King. 6. 2. King 7.
• 2. King. 8.
• 2. Chron. 20.
• Est▪ 17, & 9.
• Dan. 5.
• ••. Macch. 2 & 6.
• Epima••es.
• ••. Macch. 6.
• 1. Macch. 11.
• 1. Macch. 13.
• 2. Macch. 5.