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. XXXVII. Of Theeves and Robbers.

IT followes that we speake in the next place of such as by their greedy covetousnesse and unquenchable desire of lucre, transgresse the fourth commandement of the second Table; to wit, Thou shalt not steale: wherein not only simply theft, but also Sacriledge is condemn∣ed: and first of Sacriledge.

Into this sin fell wretched Aehan in the time of Io∣shua, * 1.1 when in the sack of Jericho he seeing a Babylo∣nish garment, with certaine gold and silver, covered it and stole it away, and hid it in his Tent, contrary to the commandement of the Lord: for which cause the Lord was offended with his whole people, as if they all had been accessary to the crime, and en••eebled them so before their enemies, that they were beaten downe at Hay, and shamefully put to flight: neither was his anger appeased, untill that the offendant being divinely and miraculously descryed, was stoned to death and burnt with his children and all his sub∣stance.

But to come unto prophane stories, let us begin with Heliodorus, Treasu∣rer * 1.2 of Seleuchus King of Asia; who by the Kings commandement and sug∣gestion of one Simon Governour of the Temple, came to take away the gold and silver which was kept in the Treasury of the Temple, and to transport it unto the Kings Treasury; whereat the whole City of Jerusalem put on sackeloth, and poured out prayers unto the Lord: so that when Heliodorus was present in the Temple with his soldiers ready to seise upon the treasure, the Lord of all spirits and power shewed so great a vision, that he fell sud∣denly into extreame feare and trembling: for there appeared unto him an horse with a terrible man sitting upon him, most richly barbed, which came

fiercely and smote at him with his forefeet: moreover, there appeared two yong men, notable in strength, excellent in beauty, and comely in apparell, which stood by him on either side, and scourged him with many stripes: so that Heliodorus that came in with so great a company of souldiers and at∣tendants, was strucken dumbe, and carried out in a litter upon mens shoul∣ders; for his strength was so abated, that he could not help himselfe, but lay destitute of all hope of recovery, so heavy was the hand of God upon him, untill by the prayers of Onias the high Priest he was restored; then loe he confessed, that he which dwelt in heaven had his eye on that place, and defended it from all those that came to hurt and spoile it.

Another of this crue was in Crassus the Romane; who entering Jerusa∣lem, * 1.3 robbed the Temple of two thousand talents of silver and gold, beside the rich ornaments, which amounted in worth to eight thousand Talents, and a beame of beaten gold containing three hundred pound in weight: for which sacriledge, the vengeance of God so pursued him, that within a while * 1.4 after he was overcome by the Parthians, and together with his son slain, his evill gotten goods being dispersed, and the skull of his head being made a ladle to melt gold in, that it might be glutted with that being dead, which alive it could be never satisfied with.

Herod following the steps of Hircanus his predecessor, that tooke out of * 1.5 the sepulchre of King David three thousand talents of money, thinking to finde the like treasure, broke up the sepulchre in the night, and found no money, but rich ornaments of gold, which he tooke away with him; how∣beit to his cost: for two of his servants perished in the vault, by a divine fire, as it is reported, and he himselfe had small successe in his worldly af∣faires ever after.

Iulian the Apostata robbed the Church of the revenues thereof, and took away all benevolences and contributions to schooles of learning, to the end the children might not be instructed in the liberall Arts, nor in any other good literature. He exaggerated also his sacriledge with scornfull jeasts; saying, That he did further their salvation by making them poore; seeing it was written in their owne Bibles, Blessed are the poore, for theirs is the king∣dome of heaven: but how this sacrilegious theefe was punished, is already declared in the former booke.

Leo Groponymus took out of the Temple of Constantinople an excellent * 1.6 crowne of gold beset with precious stones; which Mauritius had dedicated to the Lord; but as soon as he had set it on his head, a cruell fever seised upon him, that he dyed very shortly.

The punishment of the sacriledge of Queen Vrraca in Spaine was most wonderfull and speedy▪ for when in her war against her son Alphonsus shee * 1.7 wanted money, she robbed the Church dedicated to S. Isidore, and tooke with her owne hands the treasures up, which her souldiers refused to do: but ere she departed out of the Church vengeance overtooke her, and strooke her dead in the place.

Moreover, the Lord so hateth this irreligious sin, that he permitteth the devill to exercise his cruelty upon the spoilers of prophane and Idolatrous temples, as he did upon Dyonisius the Tyran of Syracusa; who after many robberies of holy things, and spoiling the Churches, dyed suddenly with extreame joy, as authors report. He spoiled the Temple of Proserpina at Locris, and shaved off the golden beard of Aesculapius at Epidamnum; say∣ing,

It was an unseemly thing for Apollo to be beardlesse and his son bearded: he deprived Iupiter Olympus of his golden ra••ment, and gave him a woollen coat instead thereof; saying it was too heavy for him in the Summer, and too cold in winter, and this was more convenient for both seasons. The pre∣text of all his sacriledge was this, That seeing the gods were good, why should not he be partaker of their goodnesse.

Such another was Cambyses King of Persia, who sent fifty thousand men * 1.8 to rob and destroy the temple of Iupiter Ammon; but in their journey so mighty a tempest arose, that they were overwhelmed with the sand, not one of them remaining to carry newes of their successe.

Brennus was constrained to slay himselfe, for enterprising to rob the Tem∣ple * 1.9 of Apollo at Delphos: Philomelus, Onomarchus, and Phayllus, went about the same practise, and indeed robbed the Temple of all the treasures there∣in; but one of them was burned, another drowned, and the third broke his neck: to conclude, the Athenians put to death a yong childe, for taking but a golden plate out of Diana's Temple; but first they offered him other jewels and trinkets, which when he despised in respect of the plate, they ri∣gorously punished him as guilty of sacriledge.

Cardinall Wolsey being determined to erect two new Colledges, one at * 1.10 Oxford, and the other at Ipswich, obtained licence and authority of Pope Clement the seventh, to suppresse about the number of forty monasteries, to furnish and set forward the building of his said Colledge: which irreligi∣ous sacriledge (I call it sacriledge both because he was perswaded in con∣science that those goods belonged to the Church, and so to him it was sa∣criledge: as also for that he did it in pride of his heart) was furthered by five persons, who were the chiefe instruments of the dissolution of Daintry Monastery, because the Prior and Covent would not grant them certaine lands in farme at their owne price. But what punishment ensued upon them at Gods hand the world was witnesse of: for of these five persons, two fell at discord amongst themselves, and the one slew the other, for the which the survivor was hanged; the third drowned himselfe in a well; the fourth, being then worth two hundred pounds, within three yeares became so poore that he begged untill his dying day; and the fifth (called Doctor Allen) was cruelly maimed in Ireland▪ The Cardinall himselfe falling into the Kings displeasure, was deposed from his bishoprick, and dyed miserably: the Colledges which he meant to have made so glorious a building, came never to any good effect, the one at Ipswich being cleane defaced, the other at Oxford unfinished.

And thus much of sacriledge: Now let us come and see the punishment of simple theft, the principall cause whereof is covetousnesse; which is so unruly an evill, and so deep rooted in the heart of man, that ever yet it hath used to encroach upon the goods of others, and to keep possession of that which was none of its owne; breaking all the bonds of humanity, equity, and right, without being contained in any measure or meane; whereof wee have a most notable example in the old world before the flood, which (by Moses report) overflowed with iniquity and extortion, the mighty ones op∣pressed the weak, the greater trode under foot the lesse, and the rich devour∣ed the poore. When the Lord saw the generall deluge of sin and disorder thus universally spread (which indeed was a signe of great defection and contempt of him) he like a just judge that could not endure these monstrous

iniquities, sent a deluge of waters amongst them, by opening the windowes of heaven, and breaking up the fountaines of the great deepes, and giving passage to the waters both by heaven and earth, so that it raigned forty daies, and forty nights without ceasing, and the waters prevailed upon the earth, and overcovered the high mountaines by fifteen cubites, the earth being re∣duced into the same estate which it had in the beginning before the waters were tooke away from the face thereof: verily it was a most hideous and sad spectacle, to see first the vallies, then the hils, and last the highest moun∣taines so overflowne with water, that no shew or appearance of them might be perceived; it was a dreadfull sight to behold whole houses, tossed to and fro up and downe in the waves, and at last to be shivered in pieces: there was not a City nor village that perished not in the deep, not a tree nor tow∣er so high that could overpeere the waters: as they increased more and more in abundance, so feare, horrour, and despaire of safety encreased in the heart of every living soule. And on this fashion did God punish those wicked re∣bels, not at one blow, but by little and little increasing their paine, that as they had a long time abused his patience, and made no reckoning of amend∣ment, so the punishment of their sin might be long and tedious. Now in this extremity one could not help another, nor one envy another, but all were concluded under the same destruction, all surprised, assieged, and envi∣roned alike, as well he that roved in the fields, as he that stayed in the houses, he that climbed up into the mountaines, as he that abode in the vallies, the mercilesse waters spared none: it was to no purpose that some ascended their high houses, some climbed upon trees, and some scaled the rockes, nei∣ther one nor other found any refuge or safety in any place, the rich were not saved by their riches, nor the strong by the pith of their strength, but all pe∣rished and were drowned together, except Noah and his family: which pu∣nishment was correspondent unto the worlds iniquity, for as the earth was corrupted and polluted with abundance of sin, so God sent abundance of wa∣ter to purge and cleanse away the filthinesse thereof, as at the latter day hee will send fire to purifie and refine heaven and earth from their dregs, and re∣store them to their first and purest estate. And thus God revenged the ex∣tortion and cruelty of that age.

But yet for all this, those sins were not then so defaced and rooted up, but that they be burnished againe and growne in time to as big a bulke: for even at this day the greatest part of the world is given to practise fraud and deceit, and by unlawfull meanes to incroach upon others goods: which subtilties though they desire never so to disguise and cloke, yet will they ever be condemned and reputed kindes of theft before God: now as some are of greater power & authority than others in the world, so answerable to themselves is the quality of their sins, and by consequence the punishment: the greater of power, the greater theeves, and the greater judgment; for if a poore man that through poverty and necessity cutteth a purse or stealeth any other trifle, be culpable, how much more culpable shall he that is rich be, that usurpeth the goods of his neighbour?

Draco the lawgiver of Athens, appointed death to be the punishment of sheft: Solon mitigated that rigour, and punished it with double restitution: The Locrians put out his eyes that had stolne ought from his neighbour: The Hetrurians stoned them to death: The Scythians abhorred them more than all creatures, because they had a community of all things except their

cups the Vatoeiane used such severity towards this kinde of men, that as 〈…〉〈…〉 taken a handfull of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he was sure to die for it.

〈…〉〈…〉 being Censor, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 demeed his owne son Buteo to death, being apprehended for theft. Tiberius the Emperour punished a souldier after the time 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for stealing i•• ••eaco••ke in summe, there was no Commonwealth 〈…〉〈…〉 was not highly detested, and sharply 〈…〉〈…〉 the 〈…〉〈…〉 where it w••s permitted and tollerated, 〈…〉〈…〉 of 〈…〉〈…〉.

〈…〉〈…〉 yet as 〈…〉〈…〉 a just dead of Tamberlaine that * 1.11 mighty 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and Conquerour of Asia, when a poore woman complained 〈…〉〈…〉 of his souldiers, that had taken from her a little milke and a 〈…〉〈…〉 the caused the souldiers belly to be ripped to see that her 〈◊〉〈◊〉 had falsely accused him on no, and finding the milke in his stomacke; adjudged him worthy of that punishment, for stealing from poore •••• woman.

When Theophilus raigned Emperour in the East there was a certaine * 1.12 souldier possessed of a very gallant and brave horse which his Captaine by all mea••es possible sought to get from him▪ but he would not in any case 〈…〉〈…〉 he put him forth of pay, and tooke his horse, from him by force, and sent him for a present to the Emperour Theophilus: now it chanced that this poore souldier was slaine in the battell for want of his horse, and his wife and children lest destitute of succour, insomuch that through necessity she was constrained to flie to Constant inople, and to com∣plaine to the Emperour of the injury done unto her husband; with this re∣solution entring the City, she met the Emperour riding upon her hus∣bands horse, and catching the horse bridle, challenged him not on••y for stea∣ling the horse, but also being the cause of her husbands death. The Empe∣rour wondring at the woman boldnesse, examined her more narrowly▪ and found out the whole practise of that wicked Captaine whom he banished presently, his Empire, and bestowed his possession in recommence upon the distressed widdow.

Ibicus the Poet being set upon by Theeves, when he saw that they would not only spoile him of his money but of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he also cryed for help and revenge to the cranes that flew over his head a while after •••• these murder∣ing 〈…〉〈…〉 together in the market Place, the same cranes appearing unto 〈…〉〈…〉 they whispered one another in the care, and said, ••onder 〈…〉〈…〉 which though secretly spoken, yet was over∣he••rd 〈…〉〈…〉 they being examined and found guilty, were put to death for their 〈◊〉〈◊〉. The like story Martin Luther reporteth touching a traveller; * 1.13 only 〈…〉〈…〉 in this that as Cranes detected the former: so Crowes laid open the latter.

In the yeare 138••▪ when as all Saxony was so infested with Theeyes that * 1.14 no man could travell safely in the countrey the Princes calling a Councell, for downe this order. That not only the Theeves themselves should be se∣verely punished▪ but all that did protect, or harbour any of them; which 〈…〉〈…〉 as Theodoricke Country of We••ingr••de impugned, the body of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Councell sent for him, and adjudged him to a most cruell and shamefull 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

In the yeare 1410▪ Henry Duke of Luneburg a most just and severe * 1.15 Prince, went about to purge his Countrey from all thefts and robberies▪

insomuch that the least offence committed in that kinde he suffered not to go unpunished: now it hapned as the Duke went towards Lun••burge, he sene before him one of his chiefest officers to provide necessaries against his comming: who riding without a cloak, the weather being cold, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a ploughman to lend him his cloak till his returne: which when the clowne refused to do, he took it without leave, but it cost him his life for ••••, for the ploughman awaited the Dukes comming and directed his complaint un∣to him on this manner: What availeth i•• (O•• most noble Prince•• to seek to suppres the courage of thieves and spoilers, when as thy chiefest officers dare commit such things uncontrolled, a•• the Lieutenant of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 but now taken from me my cloak? The Duke hearing this complaint, and conside∣ring the cause, dissembled his counsell 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his returne 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from Lune∣burge unto the same place, where calling for his Lieutenant, and rating him for his injury, he commanded him to be hunged upon a tree. A won∣derfull severity in justice, and worthy to be commended: for what hope is it to root out small and pity thieves, if we suffer grand thieves to go un∣corrected?

There is another kinde of these practised of them that be in authority, who under the title of confiscation assume unto themselves stollen goods, and so much the re••dilier, by now much the value of the things amounteth to more worth: an action altogether unjust, and contrary to both divine and humane lawes, which ordain to restore unto every man his owne: and truly he that in stead of restitution withholdeth the goods of his neigh∣bour in this manner, differeth no more from a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 than that the one stealeth boldly without fear, the other ••n••orously and with great danger: and what greater corruption of justice can there be than this? For who would follow the Law upon a thiefe, when he knoweth he shall rather run into further charge, than recover any of his old losse? Beside this, it hap∣neth that poor small theeves are often drawne to the whip, or driven to banishment, of sent to the gallowes, when rich grand theeves lie at their case, and escape uncontrolled, albeit the quality of their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be far un∣equall: according to the Poet:

The simple dove by law is censured, * 1.16 When ravenou•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 escape unpunished.

The world was ever yet full of such ravenou•• Ra••ens; so nimble in pilling others goods, and so greedy of their owne gain, that the poor people in stead of being maintained and preserved in the peaceable enjoy∣ing of their portions, are gnawne to the very bone•• amongst them: for which cause Homer in the person of Agamemnon calleth them devourers of men. Likewise also the Prophet David in the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Psalme calleth them Eaters of his people: and yet want they not flatterers and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 friends (canker wormes of a Common-wealth) that urge them forwards, and devise daily new kinde of exactions, like horse-lead••es to suckt out the very bloud of mens purses: shewing so much the more wit and deceit therein, by how much the more they hope to gain a great part 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of unto their selves: being like hunger-starved Harpeis, that will never be forti∣fied, but still match and catch all that commeth near their 〈◊〉〈◊〉: and these are they that do good to no man, but hurt to all; of whom the Mer∣chant findeth himselfe agrieved, the Artificer trodden under foot, the poor labourer oppressed, and generally all men endammaged.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Joshua 7.
• * 1.2

  Iosephus.
• * 1.3

  Iosephus. Zonar.
• * 1.4

  Camposul. lib. 1.
• * 1.5

  Iosephus l. 17. Zonar. Annal. 1
• * 1.6

  Lib. a. cap. 20. Zonar as.
• * 1.7

  Fulgos. l. 1. c. a.
• * 1.8

  Sabel. l. 1. c. 3. Herod. lib. 4.
• * 1.9

  Fulg. lib. 1. c. 2.
• * 1.10

  Stow. Chron.
• * 1.11

  Tbeatr. histor.
• * 1.12

  Zonar. Annal. 3
• * 1.13

  Luther.
• * 1.14

  Albert. Crantz. lib. 10. cap. 7.
• * 1.15

  Crantz. lib. 10. cap. 30.
• * 1.16

  Dat veniam cervis, vexat censura colum∣bas.