John Trapp on Malachi 3:13

Verſ. 13. Your words have been ſtout againſt me] Or, reenforced, or ſtrongly confirmed. Superant me verba veſtra, ſo ſome have rendred it. By your hard and hatefull words you have been too hard for me, as it were. And it is, as if God ſhould ſay, I have given you my beſt advice o break off your ſinnes, and to bring me my tythes, that I might bleſſe you both with ſtore, and honour. But I have loſt my labour: I ſee well, my ſweet words are worſe then ſpilt upon you, who are ſo hardened in your errour and blaſphemy, Prov. 23.8. Verba quid incaſſum non proficientia perdo. Mal. 2.17. that you are ſtill clamouring and caſting out odious words againſt me. Once before you had ſet your foul mouthes againſt me, and like ſo many wolves (that were wood) you held up your heads and howl'd out theſe ugly words, Every one that doth evil is good in the ſight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them, &c. (was it poſſible that the wit of malice could deviſe ſo high a ſlander?) And now you are at it again, creaking like doors that move upon ruſty hinges, nay clattering and bluſtering out ſuch helliſh and hideous blaſphemies, as at the hearing whereof, it is great wonder if the heavens ſweat not, earth gape not, ſea roar not, all creatures conſpire not to be avenged upon you: as the very ſtones in the wall of Aphek turned executioners of thoſe blaſphemous Aramites, when as being but ignorant Pagans, their tongues might ſeem no ſlander.

Your words have been ſtout againſt me] Yea ſtouter and ſtouter: your wickedneſſe frets like a canker, and encreaſeth ſtill to more ungodlineſſe, 2 Tim. 2.17. Evil men and deceivers grow worſe and worſe, 2 Tim. 3.13. as being given up by God, Rom. 1.28. acted and agitated by the devil, Epheſ. 2.2. ſerving diverſe luſts and pleaſures, Tit. 3.3. which to ſatisfie is an endleſſe piece of buſineſſe. Neither let any here ſay, they were but words that theſe are charged with, and words are but wind, &c. for words have their weight, and are marvellous provoking. Leviter volant, ſed non leviter violant. You ſhall find ſome, ſaith Eraſmus, that if death be threatned, can deſpiſe it: but to be belied they cannot brook, nor from revenge contain themſelves. As a murthering-weapon in my bones, ſaith David, mine enemies reproach me, Pſal. 42.10. Deſperate ſpeeches and blaſphemies that impoſe upon the Lord any thing unbeſeeming his Majeſty (a thing common among the Jews, even at this day) he can by no means away with. See how God ſtomacketh ſuch proud contumelious language, Pſal. 73.11. and 94.4, 5, 6, 7, &c. Zeph. 1.12. Ezech. 9.9. See how he puniſhed it in him that bored thorough his great Name, Lev. 24.11. Ludovike commonly called St. Lewis, cauſed the lips of blaſphemers to be ſeared with an hot iron. Philip the French King puniſhed this ſin with death, yea though it were committed in a Tavern. The very Turks have the Chriſtians blaſpheming of Chriſt in execration: and will puniſh their priſoners ſorely, when as, through impatience, or deſperateneſſe, they wound the ears of heaven: Yea the Jews in their ſpeculations of the cauſes of the ſtrange ſucceſſe of the affairs of the world,Specul. Europae aſſigne the reaſon of the Turks prevailing ſo againſt the Chriſtians, to be their blaſphemies: and among other ſcandals and lets of their converſion, are all thoſe ſtout words darted with helliſh mouthes againſt God in their hearing, ſo ordinarily and openly, by the Italians eſpecially, who blaſpheme oftner then ſwear, and murther oftner then revile or ſlander. Andrew Muſculus in his diſcourſe, intituled, The devil of blaſphemy, hath a memorable ſtory of a deſperate dice-player in Helvetia, Anno 1553. at a town three miles diſtant from Lucerna. Where, on a Lords-day, three wretched fellows were playing at dice, under the town-wall. One of them, named Ʋlricus Schraeterus, having loſt a great deal of money, ſwore that if he loſt the next caſt, he would fling his dagger at the ſace of God. He loſt it, and in a rage threw up his dagger with all his might toward heaven. The dagger vaniſhed in the air, and was ſeen no more: five drops of blood fell down upon the table where they were playing, which could never be waſhed out, (part of it is ſtill kept in that town for a monument) the blaſphemer (to ſay the beſt of him) was fetcht away preſently body and ſoul by the devil, with ſuch an horrible noiſe, as affrighted the whole town. The other two came to a miſerable end ſhortly after. The truth of this relation is further atteſted by Job Fincelius, and Philip Lonicerus, Theat. hiſtor. pag. 142.

yet ye ſay, What have we ſpoken ſo much againſt thee?] Chald, What have we multiplied to ſpeak before thee? As if they ſhould ſay, [illegible: 1 letter]t is not ſo much that we have ſpoken, that thou ſhouldeſt make ſuch a buſineſſe of it. Nothing more ordinary with graceleſſe men, then to elevate and extenuate: great ſins with them, are ſmall ſins, and ſmall ſins no ſins: when as every ſinne ſhould ſwell like a toad in their eyes, and the abundant hatred thereof in their hearts, ſhould make them ſay all that can be ſaid for the aggravation and deteſtation of it: ſith there is as much treaſon in coyning pence as bigger pieces; becauſe the ſupreme authority is as much violated in the one as in the other. But this ſin of theirs was no peccadillo, as appeareth by the following inſtance.