Kennetus King of Scotland, when he had murdered his Nephew Malcolme King Duffes son, Prince of Cumberland, and with counterfeit tears and protestations dissembled the matter a long time, at last his conscience accused him, his unquiet soul could not rest day or night, he was terrified with fearful dreams, visions, and so miserably tormented all his life.

It is strange to read what Cominæus hath written of Lewes the 11. that French King, of Charles the 8. of Alphonsus King of Naples, in the fury of his passion how he came into Sicily, and what pranks he plaid.

Guicciardine a man most unapt to believe lyes, relates how that Ferdinand his fathers ghost who before had died for grief, came and told him, that he could not resist the French King, he thought every man cried France, France;

the reason of it (saith Cominæus) was because he was a vile tyrant, a murderer, an oppressour of his subjects, he bought up all commodities, and sold them at his own price, sold Abbies to Jews and Falkoners; both Ferdinand his father, and he himself, never made conscience of any committed sin; and to conclude saith he, it was impossible to do worse then they did.

Why was Pausanias the Spartan Tyrant, Nero, Otho, Galba, so persecuted with spirits in every house they came, but for their murders which they had committed? Why doth the divel haunt many mens houses after their deaths, appear to them living, and take possession of their habitations, as it were, of their palaces, but because of their several villanies?

why had Richard the 3 such fearful dreams, saith Polydor, but for his frequent murders? Why was Herod so tortured in his mind? because he had made away Mariamne his wife. Why was Theodoricus the King of the Gothes so suspicious, and so affrighted with a fish head alone, but that he had murdered Symmachus, and Boethius his son in law, those worthy Romans? Cælius lib. 27. cap. 22.

See more in Plutarch, in his tract De his qui sero a Numine puniuntur, and in his book De tranquillitate animi, &c. Yea, and sometimes GOD himself hath a hand in it, to shew his power, humiliate, exercise, and to try their faith, (divine temptation Perkins cals it, Cas. cons. lib. 1. cap. 8. sect. 1.) to punish them for their sins.

God the avenger, as David terms him, ultor a tergo Deus, his wrath is apprehended of a guilty soul, as by Saul and Judas, which the Poets expressed by Adrastia, or Nemesis:

Assequitur Nemesisq; virûm vestigia servat, Ne malè quid facias. ———

And she is, as Ammianus lib. 14. describes her, the Queen of causes, and moderator of things, now she puls down the proud, now she rears and encourageth those that are good; he gives instance in his Eusebius; Nicephorus lib. 10. cap. 35. eccles. hist. in Maximinus and Julian.

Fearful examples of Gods just judgement, wrath and vengeance, are to be found in all histories, of some that have been eaten to death with Rats and Mice, as Popelius the second King of Poland, ann. 830. his wife and children; the like story is of Hatto Archbishop of Mentz, Ann. 969, so devoured by these vermine,

which howsoever Serrarius the Jesuite Mogunt. rerum lib. 4. cap. 5. impugne by 22 arguments, Tritemius, Munster, Magdeburgenses, and many others relate for a truth. Such another example I finde in Geraldus Cambrensis Itin. Cam. lib. 2. cap. 2. and where not?

And yet for all these terrors of conscience, affrighting punishments which are so frequent, or whatsoever else may cause or aggravate this fearful malady in other religions, I see no reason at all why a Papist at any time should despaire, or be troubled for his sins; for let him be never so dissolute a catiffe, so notorious a villain, so monstrous a sinner, out of that Treasure of Indulgences and merits of which the Pope is dispensator, he may have free pardon and plenary remission of all his sins.

There be so many general pardons for ages to come, 40000. years to come, so many Jubilies, so frequent gaol-deliveries out of Purgatory for all souls, now living, or after dissolution of the body, so many particular Masses daily said in several Churches, so many Altars consecrated to this purpose,

that if a man have either mony or friends, or will take any paines to come to such an Altar, hear a Mass, say so many Pater-nosters, undergo such and such penance, he cannot do amiss, it is impossible his mind should be troubled, or he have any scruple to molest him.

Besides that Taxa Cameræ Apostolicæ, which was first published to get money in the daies of Leo decimus that sharking Pope, and since divulged to the same ends, sets down such easie rates and dispensations for all offences, for perjury, murder, incest, adultery, &c. for so many grosses or dollers (able to invite any man to sin, and provoke him to offend, me thinks, that otherwise would not)

such comfortable remission, so gentle and parable a pardon, so ready at hand, with so smal cost and suit obtained, that I cannot see how he that hath any friends amongst them (as I say) or money in his purse, or will at least to ease himself, can any way miscarry or be misaffected, how he should be desperate, in danger of damnation or troubled in minde.

Their ghostly fathers can so readily apply remedies, so cunningly string and unstring, winde and unwinde their devotions, play upon their consciences with plausible speeches and terrible threats, for their best advantage settle and remove, erect with such facility and deject, let in and out, that I cannot perceive how any man amongst them should much or often labour of this disease, or finally miscarry. The causes above named must more frequently therefore take hold in others.