John Trapp on Hosea 4:2

Verſe 2. By ſwearing, and lying, and killing, and ſtealing,] Heb. To ſwear, and lie, and kill, and ſteal, and commit adultery: To do all this is held, licitum & ſolenne, lawfull, or at leaſt pardonable. It is grown to a common practiſe: and cuſtome of ſinning hath taken away ſenſe of ſin.

By ſwearing,] Heb. by curſing, or ſwearing with an execration and curſing, which was commonly added to an Oath, to confirm it the more, Deut. 29.12, 21. Nehem. 10.29. And indeed, in every lawfull oath, God is called to witneſſe, to bleſſe us, if we ſwear right, and to curſe us, if otherwiſe. Such an oath is a ſpeciall part of Gods worſhip, and is oft put for the whole: as here, falſe and frivolous oaths are put for the violation of the whole firſt Table, and ſet in oppoſition to the knowledge of God in the Land: like as lying is oppoſed to truth; and killing, ſtealing, whoring, to mercy, or kindneſſe: Before, God had complained of their defects, or omiſſions: here of their commiſſions and flagitious practiſes. Swearers (but eſpecially falſe-ſwearers) are traytours to the State, as appeareth here, and Jer. 23.10. they bring a curſe, nay a large roul of curſes (ten yards long, and five yards broad) upon their hearts, and Zach. 5.2. and ſhall one day howl in hell. The ſame word that is here rendred ſwearing, ſignif[illegible: 1 letter]eth alſo to howl, Joel 1.8. Go to now therefore ye ſwearers, weep and howl for your miſeries that ſhall come upon you, Iames 5.1,—12. Weep here, where there be wiping handkerchiefs in the hand of Chriſt: better do ſo, then yell with devils who have borrowed your mouthes, to utter horrid blaſphemies. Swearing is of the devil, ſaith our Saviour, Matth. 5.37. and it brings men to the devil, ſaith St. Iames, Chap. 5.12. They object, that they ſwear nothing but the truth. But that's not alwayes ſo. Swearing and lying are here ſet together, as ſeldom ſundred. The marvel, if he that ſweareth commonly, do not forſwear frequently: for he ſweareth away all his faith and truth. But, ſay they ſwear truth: yet that excuſeth not. Truth is but one circumſtance of an oath, Ier. 4.2. Men, as they muſt ſwear in truth, ſo in righteouſneſſe, (not raſhly, furiouſly) and in judgement, not in jeſt. Swear not in jeſt, leſt ye go to hell in earneſt. It is the property and duty of a godly man to fear an oath, Eccleſ. 9.2. and not to forbear it onely. As on the other ſide, no ſurer ſigne of a profane perſon, then common and cuſtomary ſwearing. It were well if ſuch were ſerved as Lewis the ninth of France ſerved a citizen of Paris; he ſeared his lips for ſwearing, with an hot iron. And when ſome ſaid, it was too cruel an act; I would to God ſaid he, that with ſearing mine own lips with an hot iron, I could baniſh out of the Realm all abuſe of oathes. Thoſe that plead, they have gotten a cuſtome to ſwear, and therefore they muſt be born with, ſhall have the like anſwer from God that the thief had from the Judge. He deſired the Judge to ſpare him, for ſtealing had been his cuſtome from his youth, and now he could not leave it. The Judge replied, it was alſo his cuſtome, to give judgement againſt ſuch malefactours; and therefore he muſt be condemned.

And lying,] Fitly linked with ſwearing. Some gravell or mud ever paſſeth away with much water; ſo do ſome lies with much ſwearing. How oft do men forget their oathes, and ſwear again that they have not ſworn at all? Should mens excrements come from them as oft, and they not feel it, they would be full ſorry, and aſhamed thereof. Now ſwearing and lying [illegible: 1 word] file men much worſe then any jakes can do, Mark 7.22. and render them odious to God and good men. Lying is a bluſhfull evil: Therefore doth the liar deny his lie, as aſhamed to be taken with it; and our ruffians revenge it with a ſtab. God rankes and reckons it with the moſt monſtrous ſins; and ſhuts it out of heaven, Revel. 21.8. Ariſtotle ſaith,Ariſt. Ethic; lib. 4. c. 7. It is in it ſelf evil and wicked, contrary to the order of nature, (which hath given words to expreſſe mens mindes and meanings) deſtructive to humane ſociety. Pythagoras was wont to ſay, that in two things we become like unto God.Aelian. Var. hiſt. 1. In telling truth. 2. In beſtowing benefits. Now, Mentiri, is contra mentem ire; To lie, is to utter a known untruth with an intention to deceive, or hurt. The Cretians of old were infamous for this: The Friars of late: 'Twas grown to a proverb among our forefathers: A frier, a lier: 'Tis now amongſt us, Every lier is, or would be a thief. Hence, lying and ſtealing go coupled here: but betwixt them both ſtands killing, Tit. 1.1. [non-Latin text not transcribed], &c. as uſhered in by the former, and oft occaſioned by the later, Pro. 1.19.

and killing,] This follows fitly upon the former: for truth hath alwayes a ſcratcht face. The devil was firſt a liar, and then a murtherer.Joh. 8.44 He cannot ſo well murther, without he ſlander firſt. The credit of the Church muſt firſt be taken away, and then ſhe is wounded, Cant. 5.6. The people here in England, once complained, that Humphrey Duke of Glouceſter, that noble Patriot, Speed. was twice murthered: firſt, by detraction, and then by deadly practiſe. The French have a Proverb; Thoſe that have a minde to kill their neighbours Dog, make the world beleeve he was mad firſt. This is their Proverb, and accordingly was their practiſe in the Maſſacre of Paris. A little before which, they gave out, that the Proteſtants met by night, to plot againſt the State, and to commit all manner of uncleanneſſe amongſt themſelves. This is an old trick of the Devil and his Inſtruments, firſt to belie the Church, and to repreſent her to the world in the uglieſt hue; and then to perſecute her, like as of old they uſed to put the poor Chriſtians in Bears or Lions skins, and then bait them with dogs. Paulus Fagius reports a ſtory of an Egyptian, who ſaid, that the Chriſtians were a colluvies of moiſt filthy lecherous people. And for their keeping of the ſabbath, he ſaith, they had a diſeaſe upon them, and were therefore faine to reſt every ſeventh day. The Papiſts accuſed the Waldenſes (thoſe ancient Proteſtants) for Manichees; and that they affirmed there were two beginnings of things, God and the devill &c: and all becauſe they conſtantly affirmed that the Emperour had no dependance upon the Pope. They gave them out alſo for Arrians (and publiſhed their Croiſado's againſt them as enemies to Chriſt) and all becauſe they denyed that a cruſt was tranſubſtantiated into Chriſt. To make way for the ruine of England by the gun-powder-plot, they gave out beyond ſea that the people here looked as black as devils, were grown barbarous, and did eat young children. That we held opinion to worſhip no God, to ſerve the times, to prefer profit before right, to pretend the publike cauſe to our private luſts, to cover hatred with flattery,Eudaem Johannes. to confirme tyranny by ſhedding innocent blood, to keep faith no longer then will ſerve our own turnes &c. And if the plot had taken effect, they had fathered it upon the Puritans (having proclamations ready framed for the purpoſe) that under that name, they might have ſuckt the blood and reveld in the ruines of all ſuch here, as had but the love, or any ſhew of ſound religion. The word here uſed for killing ſignifies to kill with a murthering weapon, ſuch as David felt in his bones, Pſal. 42.10. ſuch as Colignius and other the poore Proteſtants felt in the French Maſſacre: where the Queen of Navarre was poiſoned, the moſt part of the peereleſſe Nobility in France murthered, together with their wives and children; and of the common people an hundred thouſand in one yeare, in diverſe parts of the realme. What ſhould I ſpeake of the innocent blood of Ireland, for which God hath already and yet ſtill will make diligent inquiſition. If the blood of Abel had ſo many tongues as drops Gen. 4.10. what then of ſo many righteous Abels? Surely I have ſeen yeſterday (ſaith God) the blood of Naboth 1. King. 9.26. Murther ever bleeds freſh in his eye: to him many yeares, yea that eternity that is paſt is but yeſterday. Neither is he wanting to puniſh it even in this preſent world. He avengeth the innocent blood that Manaſſeh ſhed, a long while after his death: he would not pardon it, no, though Manaſſeh repented of it, 2 King. 24.4. The mountains of Gilboah were accurſed, for the blood of Saul and Jonathan ſpilt upon them. 2 Sam. 1. and what a deale of doe we find in the law made, when a man was murthered Deut. 21.1, 2. &c. the valley where the expiatory ſacrifice was ſlaine in that caſe was from thenceforth to be neither eared nor ſowen Verſe 4. &c. in all to ſhew, what a precious eſteem God hath of mans life: and what controverſie with a land for ſhedding of blood.

and ſtealing] Thoſe publici latrones eſpecially, publike theeves that ſit in purple robes: and by wrong judgement oppreſs and rob the poor innocents are here intended, as Calvin thinks; See Iſa. (23. and 33.) So are all others that either by force or fraud get into their hands their neighbours goods; whether, I ſay, it be by violence or cunning contrivance, the Lord is the avenger of all ſuch. 1 Theſ. 4.6. So that though haply they lie out of the walk of humane juſtice and come not under mans cognizance, yet God will find them out, and ſend his flying roule of curſes after them, Zech. 5.2.3. he ſhall vomit up his ſweet morſels, here Job 20.15. or elſe diſgeſt in hell what he hath devoured on earth: as his belly hath prepared deceit, Job. 15.35.Serm. before K. Edw. 6. ſo God will take it out of his guts againe: either he ſhall make reſtitution of his ill-gotten goods, or for not doing it, he ſhall one day cough in hell, as Father Latimer phraſeth it.

and committing adultery] This is alſo an hainous crime (ſaith holy Job) yea it is an iniquity to be puniſhed by the Judges Chap. 31.11. Heathens have puniſhed it very ſeverely. Of one people we read that they uſed to put the adulterers or adultereſſes head into the panch of a beaſt where the filth of it lay, and ſo ſtiffled him. God puniſhed thoſe ſtinking Edomites with ſtinking brimſtone for their lothſome bruitiſhneſſe; and adjudged adultery to death: becauſe ſociety and purity of poſterity could not otherwiſe continue amongſt men. We read not in any general commandement of the law, that any ſhould be burnt with fire, but the high-prieſts daughter for adultery. Lev. 21.9. yet it ſeemes it was in uſe before the law, or elſe Judah was much to blame for ſentencing his daughter in law Tamar to the fire. Gen. 38.24. Let us beware of that ſin, for which ſo peculiar a plague was appomted, and by very Heathens executed. See Jer. 29.22.23. If men be ſlack to take vengance on ſuch, yet God will hold on his controverſie againſt them and avenge the quarrel of his covenant (for ſo wedlock is called Prov. 2.17.) either by his own bare hand, or elſe by the hands of the adulterers themſelves. See an inſtance of both theſe even in our times: In the yeare 1583. in London, two citiſens committing adultery together on the Lords day,Divine Tragedie were ſtruck dead with fire from heaven in the very act of uncleanneſſe: their bodies being left dead in the place half burnt up, ſending out a moſt lothſome ſavour, for a ſpectacle of Gods controverſy againſt adultery and ſabbath breaking. This judgment was ſo famous and remarkable that Laurentius Bayenlink a forrain hiſtorian hath thought good to regiſter it to poſterity.Opus Chronologiae. Or his Vniverſi. Antwerp. 1611. p. 110. Mr. Cleaver reports of one that he knew that had committed the act of uncleaneſſe: and in the horrour of conſcience he hang'd himſelf: But before, when he was about to make away himſelf, he wrot in a paper, and left it in a place to this effect: Indeed, ſaith he, I acknowledge it to be utterly unlawfull for a man to kill himſelf: but I am bound to act the Magiſtrates part, becauſe the puniſhment of this ſin is death: This act of his was not to be juſtified, Viz. to be his own deathſman: but it ſhewes what a controverſy God hath with adulterers, and what a deep gaſh that ſin makes in the conſcience.

they break out] like wild horſes over hedges: or proud waters over the banks. The Septuagint renders in [non-Latin text not transcribed] They are poured out. And St. Jude hath a like expreſſion, ſpeaking of the Libertines of his time Verſe 11. they run greedily, Gr: [non-Latin text not transcribed] they were powered out, or powred away as water out of a veſſel: they ran headlong, or gave themſelves over to work all uncleanneſs with greedineſſe, to ſatisfie their luſts, and to oppoſe with creſt and breſt whatſoever ſtands in their way; bearing down all before them.Beza. So Sodom and Gomorrah are (in the ſeventh verſe of the ſame epiſtle) ſaid by unbridled licentiouſneſſe to give themſelves over to fornication, In ſcortationem effuſae. And when Lot ſought to adviſe them better they ſet up the briſtles at him, with Baſe buſie ſtranger,Dubartas. comeſt thou hither thus Controwler-like to prate and preach to us? &c

Thus theſe Effractores (as the Pſalmiſt ſomewhere calleth them) theſe breach-makers, Judg. 16.9. Pſal. 2.3. breake Chriſts bands in ſunder, (as Sampſon did the ſeven green withes) and caſt away his cords from them. Theſe unruly Belialiſts get the bit betwixt their teeth, like headſtrong horſes; and caſting their rider, riſe up againſt him. They like men (or rather like wilde beaſts) tranſgreſſe the covenant Hoſ. 5.7. reſolving to live as they liſt, to take their ſwinge in ſin:Pſal. 12.4. for who, (ſay they) is Lord over us? Tremellius reades that text, tanquam hominis, they tranſgreſſe it as if it were the covenant of a man: they make no more of breaking the law, then as if they had to do with duſt and aſhes like them ſelves, and not with the great God that can tame them with the turn of his hand, and with the blaſt of his mouth blow them into hell. Hath he not threatened to walk contrary to thoſe that walk contrary to him, to be as croſs as they for the hearts of them, and to bring upon them ſeven times more plagues then before, and ſeven times and ſeven to that, till he have got the better of them? for is it fit that he ſhould caſt down the bucklers firſt? I trow not. He will be obeyed by theſe exorbitant, yokeleſſe, lawleſſe perſons; either actively, or paſſively. The law was added becauſe of tranſgreſſion: and is given, ſaith, the Apoſtle, not to the righteous, for they are [non-Latin text not transcribed] a law to themſelves,1 Tim. 1.9. (as the Thracians boaſted) but to the lawleſſe and diſobedient, who count licentiouſneſſe the onely liberty, and the ſervice of God the greateſt ſlavery; who think no veniſon ſweet but that that is ſtolen,Eccleſ. 2.2. nor any mirth but that which a Salomon would ſay to, Thou mad foole what do'ſt thou? Loc, for ſuch rebels and refractaries, for ſuch maſterleſſe monſters as ſend meſſages after the Lord Chriſt ſaying, We will not have this man to raigne over us, for theſe, I ſay, was the law made, to hamper them and ſhackle them, as fierce and furious creatures: to tame them and taw them with its foure iron teeth, 1 of Irritation, Rom. 7.7. 2.ly of Induration, Iſa. 6.10. 3.ly Of obligation to condigne puniſhment, Gen. 4.4. 4. Of execration, or malediction, Deut. 28.16, 17, &c, Let men take heed therefore how they break out againſt God: Let them meddle with their matches, and not contend with him that is mightier then they: 'Tis the Wiſe-mans counſell, Eccleſ. 6.10.

and blood toucheth blood.] i. e. there is a continuation, and as it were a concatenation of murders, and other horrible villenies, as was at Jeruſalem in the murther of Zacharias, the ſon of Barachias, the blood of the ſacrificer was mingled with the blood of the ſacrifice: And as Luke 13.1. the like fell out. So at Athens, when Scylla took the Town, there was [non-Latin text not transcribed], as mercileſſe ſlaughter; the gutters running with blood, &c. And ſo at Samaria (which the Prophet may here probably intend) when there was ſuch killing of Kings; (and they fall not alone) Hoſea killed his Predeceſſour Pekah, as he had done Pekahiah; Menahem killed Shallum, as Shallum had done Zacharias: ſo true is that of the Poet, Ad generum Cereris ſine caede & ſanguine pauci, Deſcendunt Reges,Juvenal. & ſiccâ morte tyranni.

What got moſt of the firſt Caeſars by their adoption, or deſignation to the Empire, Niſi ut citius interficerentur, but to be killed ſo much the ſooner? All or moſt of them, till Conſtantine, died unnaturall deaths: As afterwards, Phocas the traytour killed the good Emperour Mauritius, ſtewing him in his own broth. Heraclius ſlew Phocas, putting him to a ſhamefull and tormentfull death, &c. Conradinus King of Germany, and Duke of Sweveland was beheaded by Charles King of Naples and Sicily; Balthaſ. exner. Val. Max. Christian. pag. 274. and the headſ-man preſently beheaded by another, ne extaret qui jactaret tam generoſum ſanguinem à ſe effuſum, (ſaith mine Authour) that there might not be any left to boaſt, that he had ſpilt ſo noble blood. Our Richard the third,Daniels hiſt. 249. that bloody and deceitfull man, is ſaid to have uſed the inſtruments of his cruell plots, (his cut-throats I mean) as men do their candles; burn the firſt out to a ſnuffe, and then, having lighted another, tread that under-foot. Faux (that fatall actor of the intended Powder-tragedy) ſhould have been thus rewarded by his brethren in evil, had the plot taken effect. It is that famous and never to be forgotten fifth of November 1651. wherein I writ theſe lines: And therefore in way of thankfulneſſe to our ever-gracious Deliverer, I here think good to ſet down the relation as Mr. John Vicars (in his Quinteſſence of cruelty, or Poem of the popiſh Powder-plot) hath declared it to the world, as he had it from Mr. Clement Cotton, the Compoſer of the Engliſh Concordance, who alſo received it from Mr. Pickering of Titſmarſh-grove in North-hampton-ſhire, and it is thus. This Mr. Pickering being in great eſteem with King Iames, had an horſe of ſpeciall note, on which he uſed to hunt with the King: This horſe was borrowed of him (a little before the blow was to be given) by his brother in law Keyes (one of the Conſpiratours) and conveyed to London, for a bloody purpoſe, which thus was plotted: Faux on the day of the fatall blow, was appointed to retire himſelf to St. Georges-fields, where this ſaid horſe was to attend him to make his eſcape ſo ſoon as the Parlament-houſe was blowen up. It was likewiſe contrived, that the ſaid Mr. Pickering (noted for a Puritan) ſhould be that very morning murthered in his bed, and ſecretly conveyed away: As alſo that Faux himſelf ſhould have been murthered in St. Georges-fields, and there ſo mangled and cut in pieces as that it might not be diſcovered who he was. Whereupon it was to be bruited abroad, that the Puritans had blown up the Parliament-houſe: And the better to make the world beleeve ſo, there was Mr. Pickering with his horſe ready to make an eſcape, but that God ſtirred up ſome, who ſeeing the hainouſneſſe of the fact, and he ready to eſcape by flight, in deteſtation of ſo horrible a deed fell upon him, and killed him, and ſo had hackt him in pieces. And yet to make it to be more apparant to be ſo indeed, there was his horſe found alſo, which was of ſpeciall ſpeed and ſwiftneſſe, to carry him away: and upon this rumour, as maſſacre ſhould have gone thorow the whole Kingdome upon the Puritans. But when this plot, thus contrived, was confeſt by ſome of the Conſpiratours, and Faux in the Tower was made acquainted with it, (who had been born in hand, to be bountifully rewarded for that his ſervice in the Catholike cauſe) when he ſaw how his ruine was contrived, he alſo thereupon confeſſed freely all that he knew touching that horrid and hideous conſpiracie, which (before) all the torture of the rack could not force him to. The truth of all this, is atteſted by Mr. William Perkins, an eminent Chriſtian and Citizen of London, who had it from the mouth of Mr. Clement Cotton: which I could not but here inſert, as coming to my minde and Pen, on the very day whereon (46. years ſince) it ſhould have been acted, when my ſelf was but four yeers of age, and it being the utmoſt that I can remember: but if ever I forget, let my right hand forger her cunning. Remember, O Lord, theſe children of Edom, Pſal. 134.5, 7, 8. &c. theſe Romiſh Edomites,, Eſauites, Jeſuites, who ſaid, Raſe it, Raſe it, even to the foundation, O daughter of Babylon, &c. The Rabbines call the Romiſts, Edomites, (they interpret the mount of Eſau, Obad. ver. 21. to be meant of Rome) and well they may, for their blood-guiltineſſe, for which they are hated of God, Pſal. 5.6. Who cannot but remember, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. that their ſins (as a cart-rope) have reached up to heaven, Rev, 18.5. there having been a concatenation, or a continued ſeries of them, as the Greek there imports, and (as ſome here interpret) blood touching blood, according to Eſay 1.15. Your hands are full of blood. And Chap. 4.4. The filth of the daughter of Zion, and the blood of Jeruſalem. This ſence, the Chaldee Paraphraſe maketh. The Septuagint (with their [non-Latin text not transcribed], mingle blood with blood) ſeem to underſtand it of inceſtuous matches and mixtures forbidden, Levit. 18.6. and yet avowed by David George and his diſciples, and practiſed in the Court of Spain, by Papall diſpenſation.