John Trapp on Nahum 3:1

CHAP. III.

Verſe 1. WOe to the bloody city] Nineveh, that delighteth in warre, which One well calleth, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. the ſlaughter-houſe of mankinde, and Hell of this preſent world, Eſay 95. the Greek word [non-Latin text not transcribed], warre, ſignifieth muſh blood. Beſides that, many murthers were committed in her, and connived at, if not countenanced by a pretence of juſtice. Such a ſanguinary city is Rome: not onely drunk with the blood of ſaints,Jacob. Rev de vita Pontif. pag. 119. but alſo of her own children. Brazutus, ſet on by Hildebrand, was the death of ſix Popes ſucceſſively, within the ſpace of thirteen yeers. Pope John the 22. (who ſat Anno Dom. 1316.) flead a Biſhop, who had ſome way offended him,Ibid. 270. Spec. Europ. and afterwards burned him. Pope Paul the third, poyſoned two Cardinalls, Fulgoſus, and Contarenus, a Biſhop alſo, and Johannes Baptiſta Vergerius, becauſe he ſuſpected them of Lutheraniſme. The Italians generally, as they blaſpheme oftener then ſwear. ſo they murther more then revile or ſlander. Such another citie of bloods is Paris in France: witneſſe that barbarous Maſſacre, wherein they poyſoned the Qeen of Navarre, murthered the moſt part of the peerleſſe Nobility of France, with their wives and children, with a gre[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 word] of the common people, an hundred thouſand in one year, in divers parts of [illegible: 2 letters] Realm. Beſides 6000. Gentlemen, ſlain there in private quarrels, within the ſpace of ten years, as it appears by the kings pardons. Now if the blood of one Abel had ſo many tongues as drops, Gen. 4.8. the voice of they brothers bloods crieth unto me, what ſhall we think will be the woe of ſuch bloody Cities and States? Luther rendreth this Text.Aug. in Pſal. & Libera me de ſanguin. Woe to the murtherous State. Auſtin interpreteth it of all hainous offences, wherewith Nineveh was polluted. But ſurely if other ſinnes have a woe hanging at their heels, according to that of Job, chap. 10.15. If I be wicked, woe unto me; bloody men ſhall have a woe with a witneſſe, as thoſe that walk in the way of Cain, Jude 11. See Ezech. 24.6. Hab. 3.12. and remember that it was the ruin of that great city Nineveh.

It is all full of lies] [non-Latin text not transcribed] ſo the Seventy render it, Ʋniverſa, mendacium. ſhe is wholly made up of fraud and falſhood, mendacio[illegible: 1 letter]um loquaciſſima; no truth in her private contracts, no truſt in her publike tranſactions, and capitulations with other nations; be they never ſo ſtrongly concluded, or never ſo ſolemnly confirmed, yet had they no longer force with them, then ſtood with their own profit. This was ſides Ninivetica, as it was afterwards Punica, and is now Turcica: which will at length prove their downfall; as it befell Nineveh, and Carthage.

and robbery] Or, ravage; ſuch as lions exerciſe, Pſal. 7.3. Liars are commonly theeves: fraudulency is no better then robbery. If I have beguiled any man, Laceratio. ſaith Zacheus, I reſtore him foure-fold, Luke 19.9. as having wronged him no leſſe, then if I had robbed him. Hence they go here coupled. Violence is ſeldome ſundred from conning contrivance; in thoſe eſpecially that hunt after Monarchy, as N[illegible: 1 letter]mrod, Julius Caeſar, Pellem vulpinam leoninae. aſſuere Lyſander (whoſe counſell and practiſe was to eek out the lions hide, with the foxes skin, if need were) Jeroboam, Jehu, Herod, that fox, Julian, Caeſar Borgia, whom Machiavel propounds for a partern to Princes; telling them, that Juſtice it ſelf ſhould not be ſought after, but onely the appearance: becauſe the credit is a help, the uſe a cumber. That great Elixer, called Reaſon of State (though falſely ſo called, unleſſe it be ſeaſoned with Juſtice and Truth) hath ſo tranſmutative a faculty, as to make copper ſeem gold, right wrong, and wrong right: yea, when all pleas fail, it will ſtand for good, whiles there are forces to ſupport it.

The prey departeth not] They fetch in booty continually, they ſpoil and prey upon others without end or meaſure. Once they ſeemed to repent of their luxury and cruelty, at the preaching of Jonas; but now they are [illegible: 1 letter] bad again, or worſe then ever. They tear in pieces (our Engliſh ſeems to bee made of the Hebrew here) and greedily feed upon thoſe murthering morſels of ſin,Tureph. which they muſt di[illegible: 1 letter]geſt in hell, without better repentance, then they were ever yet acquainted with.