John Trapp on Proverbs 20:25

Verſ. 25. It is a ſnare to a man who devoureth, &c.] Hee doth as a fiſh that ſwallows the hook, as the Eagle that ſtole the fleſh from the Altar with a coal ſticking to it, that ſet the whole neſt on fire, &c. What a ſad end befell Cardinal Wolſey, Act. & Mon. whileſt hee ſought more to pleaſe the King than God, as himſelf ſaid? And what a revenging hand of God purſued his five chief Agents that were moſt inſtrumental for him in that ſacrilegious enterpriſe? One of them killed his fellow in a duel, and was hanged for it. A third drowned himſelf in a Well. A fourth fell from a great eſtate to extream beggery. Dr. Allen (the laſt and chiefeſt of them) being Arch-biſhop of Dublin, was cruelly ſlain by his enemies.Scult. Annal. tom. 2. p. 332. Utinam his & ſimilibus exemplis edocti diſcant homines res ſemel Deo conſecratas timidè attrectare! ſaith Scultetus, who relates this ſtory; I would men would take heed by theſe and the like examples how they meddle with things once conſecrated to God. If Divine Juſtice ſo ſeverly puniſhed thoſe that converted Church goods (though not ſo well adminiſtred) to better uſes, doubtleſs, becauſe they did it out of ſelfiſh and ſinful principles and intentions; what ſhall become of ſuch as take all occaſions to rob God, that they may inrich themſelves? Luth. in Gen. 47 Spoliantur parochiae & Scholae non aliter ac fi fame necare nos velint, ſaith Luther, Pariſhes and Schools are polled and robbed of their mantenance, as if they meant to ſtarve us all.

And aftervews to make inquiry] viz. How hee may devour that tid bit without kecking, and not finde it hard meat on his conſcience. But a man may eaſily eat that on earth, Speeds Chron. fol. 826. that hee ſhall have time enough to digeſt in hell. The fear of this made Queen Mary reſtore again all Eccleſiaſtical livings aſſumed to the Crown, ſaying, that ſhee ſet more by the ſalvation of her own ſoul, than ſhee did by ten Kingdoms. Ibid. 496. And upon the like motive King Lewis of France (about the year 1152.) caſt the Popes Bulls (whereby hee required the fruits of vacancies of all Cathedral Churches of France) into the fire, ſaying, Hee had rather the Popes Bulls ſhould roaſt in the fire, than his own ſoul ſhould fry in hell.