and mentioned by St John,—the first of which is that of vain honours,
which is nothing more than a wicked desire, and a disordered inclination
to deprive another of his honours or lordships,—this passion is called
by St John _superbia vitæ_, and contains within it every vice, namely,
pride, vain-glory, anger, hatred and envy; for when he who is possessed
by this passion cannot accomplish his will, he becomes enraged against
God, and against those that stand in his way, and thus commits the sin
of anger, which increases soon against the person in possession of the
aforementioned superiority, to so great a degree that he practises to
put him to death.
‘The second covetousness is called ‘the covetousness of worldly riches,’
which is the passion to take away from another his wealth and moveables,
and is called by the evangelist _concupiscentia oculorum_. It includes
within it usury, avarice, and rapine.
‘The third covetousness is the _concupiscentia carnis_, which is merely
disorderly desires for carnal delights, or perhaps indolence; as, for
example, when a monk or other religious cannot endure to go to matins,
because he is more comfortable in his bed. Sometimes it consists in
gluttony, as when any one devours too much meat or wine, because they
are pleasing to his tongue and savoury to his palate. At other times, it
may shew itself in luxury, and in other shapes and manners which it is
unnecessary to explain.
‘My first article is therefore clear, when I said, that ‘covetousness
was the root of all evil,’ if we understand it as the apostle did, when
he said, ‘Radix omnium malorum cupiditas: et hoc de primo articulo hujus
primæ partis.’
‘To enter on the subject of the second article of my major, I shall take
it for granted that the greatest possible crime on earth is the crime of
high treason, for the highest honour under heaven consists in the royal
majesty. Can there then be a greater crime than any injury offered to
the royal majesty? As this crime, therefore, is the deepest, the
punishment of it should be the most severe.
‘There are two sorts of kingly dignity,—the one divine and perpetual,
the other human and temporal; and in like manner, there are two kinds of
high treason,—the first the crime of treason against the divine, and the
second against the human majesty. That of high treason against the
divine majesty may be again divided into two parts; first, when an
injury is offered personally to our Sovereign Lord God and Creator, such
as heresy and idolatry; secondly, when they are committed against the
spouse of our holy Lord God JESUS CHRIST,—namely the holy Church, and
when any schism or division is introduced within it. I therefore mean to
say, that heretics and idolaters commit the crime of high treason in the
first degree, and schismatics in the second.
‘The crime of human high treason may be divided into four degrees:
first, consisting of offences done personally against the prince,—of
offences done to the person of the queen, his spouse,—of such as are
done personally against their children,—and fourthly, of injuries done
to the public state. As the crime of high treason has been ever
considered as one of the most atrocious, the laws have ordained much
severer punishments against it than for any others. In cases of heresy
and human high treason, a man may be accused after his death, and a
process may be carried on against him: should he be convicted of heresy,
his body is taken up from the grave, his bones put into a bag, carried
to the place of execution, and burnt. In like manner, should any one be
convicted after his decease of human high treason, his body is taken up
from the grave, his bones put into a sack, all his wealth in land or
moveables is confiscated to the prince, and his children declared
incapable of holding lands or of succeeding to any property.
‘Having distinguished the crimes of high treason, I shall now proceed to
prove the second article of my major by authorities and examples,
namely, that covetousness has made many apostates, who have denied the
catholic faith, and worshipped idols. I have found many instances to
prove this, but it would take up too much time to relate the whole: I
shall confine myself to three only.
‘OF JULIAN THE APOSTATE.
‘The first example is Julian the apostate, who was a Christian and a
churchman; but to arrive at the imperial dignity of emperor of Rome, he
denied the catholic faith and his baptism, and adored idols, telling the
Christians, by way of colouring his apostacy, ‘Christus vere dicit in
evangelio suo, Nisi quis renunciaverit omnibus que possidet, non potest
meus esse discipulus.’ Saying, ‘You who wish to be Christians cannot
possess any thing.’
‘You must know, that this Julian was a churchman, very learned, and of
high descent; and it was said that he might, had he laboured for it,
have been pope; but as the popedom was at that time in a state of
poverty, he cared not for it,—and the imperial dignity being the highest
in the world, he was very eager to obtain it by any means. Having
considered that the pagans were sufficiently strong to refuse to be
governed by any Christian, he denied his baptism and the catholic faith,
and adopted the pagan religion in the adoration of idols. He also
persecuted the Christians, and defamed the name of JESUS CHRIST, which
he looked to as one means of succeeding to the empire.
‘The reigning emperor shortly after died; and the pagans, knowing that
Julian was of high birth, great learning, and the most bitter persecutor
of the Christians in the world, and who said more than anyone else
against our holy mother the church, elected him emperor.
‘I will now tell you the horrible death that put an end to his days.
During his government, the Persians rebelled against Rome. He collected
a large army to subdue them, and swore on the altars of his damned gods,
that should he return victorious, he would utterly destroy all
Christendom. In the course of his march with the army, he passed a city
called Cesarea, in the country of Cappadocia, where he met a very
learned doctor in theology, who was bishop of that town, and who is now
known by the name of St Basil.
‘He was an excellently good man, and, by means of the truth of his
doctrines, all the inhabitants of that country were become Christians.
‘St Basil waited on the apostate Julian, made his obeisance to him, and
presented him with three barley-loaves. The emperor was indignant at the
present, and said, ‘Does he send me mare’s food? I will return the
compliment by sending him horse-meat, namely, three bushels of oats.’
‘The good man excused himself, saying that it was such bread as he and
those of that country eat. The emperor, however, swore, that on his
return, he would destroy the town so completely that a plough should
pass over the ground, and make a field of the spot where the town now
stood, which field should bear wheat—‘Itaque juravit quod faceret eam
farriferam et non austeram’—and marched on with his army.
‘St Basil and the Christians took counsel together how they could save
the city from this threatened destruction, and imagined it would be best
to offer the emperor all their jewels and treasure to appease his anger.
They likewise proposed going in procession to a church of our Lady,
situated on a mountain near the city, and to remain there for three days
to pray to God to save them and their city from ruin.
‘On the third night, St Basil had a vision, in which he saw a great
company of angels and saints assembled before a lady, who thus spoke to
one of the saints, called the chevalier Mercure: ‘Thou hast always been
a faithful servant to my son and to me; and on this account I command
thee to go and kill the emperor Julian, that false apostate, who so
bitterly persecutes the Christians, and says such infamous things of my
son and me.’ She instantly restored Mercury to flesh and blood, who,
like a good knight, took his lance and shield from the roof of the
church where it had been affixed after his interment there, and went as
he was commanded. When he overtook Julian, he thrust his lance through
his body in the presence of his servants: having withdrawn his lance, he
threw it across his neck, and none of the emperor’s attendants knew who
he was.
‘St Basil, after this vision was ended, hastened to the church wherein
was the tomb of the knight, and found neither body nor lance, nor
shield. He called to him the keepers of the church, and asked them what
was become of the lance and shield? They replied, that in the preceding
night they had been carried away, but knew not how or by whom.
‘St Basil returned instantly to the mountain, and related his vision to
the clergy and people, adding that he had just visited the church where
the knight had been buried, but that neither his shield nor lance was to
be found, which was a strong confirmation of the truth of the vision.
‘The whole town, shortly after this, visited the church; and the shield
and lance were seen hanging to the roof, as formerly, over the tomb of
the knight,—but the point of the lance was covered with blood.
‘It was imagined that this action had required but one day and two
nights, and that on the second night the body had been replaced in the
tomb, and the arms under the roof. The point of the lance was covered
with the blood of Julian the apostate, as has been mentioned; and the
chronicle adds, that when slain, he received the blood in his hand,
saying, _Vicisti me Galilæe!_ that is to say, ‘Thou hast conquered me,
Galilean!’ alluding to JESUS CHRIST, and throwing his blood in the air.
‘The same chronicle says, that one of the counsellors and sophists of
this Julian had a similar vision respecting his miraculous death, and
that he came to St Basil to be baptised, like a good Christian. He told
him he had been present when the emperor was killed, and saw him throw
his blood from his hand up into the air. Thus ended miserably the life
of Julian the apostate.
‘We have another example in the monk Sergius, who was a Christian of the
church, but through covetousness got admitted into the company of
Mohammed, and became his apostle. This monk, considering that Mohammed
was a great captain in the armies of Syria and other countries beyond
sea, and that the principal lords of the country were almost all
destroyed by the plague, leaving only children behind them, said to
Mohammed, ‘If you will follow my advice, I will shortly make you the
greatest and most respected lord in the universe.’
‘Mohammed consented to his proposals; and it was agreed that Mohammed
should conquer the whole country by force of arms, and make himself lord
of it. The monk was to renounce the Christian religion, and compose a
new religious code, in the name of Mohammed. This was done; and all the
countries of Arabia, Syria, Africa, Fez, Morocco, Granada, Persia,
Egypt, with several others that had been Christians, were converted, or
the greater part of them, to the religion of Mohammed, six hundred years
after the incarnation of our Lord.
‘Mohammed gave to this monk great abundance of worldly riches, which his
covetousness received to the eternal damnation of his soul.
‘The third example is that of the prince or duke of Simeon, one of the
twelve tribes of the children of Israel. He was a very powerful prince,
and his name was Zambry, and was so smitten with concupiscence, and
carnal desires, for a pagan lady, who would not submit to his will
unless he consented to adore her idols, that he apostatised, and not
only adored idols himself, but induced many of his people and subjects
to do the same. The holy Scriptures thus speak of him: ‘At illi
comederunt et adoraverunt deos earum. Initiatusque est Israel
Beelphegor. Et iratus Dominus ait ad Moysem, tolle cunctos principes
populi, et suspende illos contra solem in patibulis, &c. et paulopost:
et ecce unus de filiis Israel intravit coram fratribus suis ad scortum
madianitem, &c. Quod cum vidisset surrexit de medio multitudinis
Phinees, et arrepto pugione ingressus est post virum Israelitem in
lupinar, et perfodit ambos simul in locis genitalibus. Et occisi sunt
viginti quatuor millia hominum. Et sic Phinees placavit Deum. Et ideo
innocentius inde miseria conditionis humanæ ait. Extrema libidinis
turpitudo: quæ non solum mentem effæminat, sed etiam corpus aggravat.
Omne namque peccatum quodcunque fecerit homo extra corpus est; qui autem
fornicatur in corpus suum peccat.’
‘That is to say, This duke and a great part of his people committed
fornication with pagan and saracen women of the country of Moab, who
induced them to worship their idols. God was much angered thereat, and
said to Moses, who was their sovereign commander, ‘Take all the princes
of the people and hang them up on a gibbet in the face of the sun.’ ‘But
why,’ said he, ‘hang all the princes?’ Because part of them were
consenting to this crime, and the other part, though not following their
example, were neglectful to avenge such heavy offences against God,
their Creator.
‘Moses instantly assembled all the princes and people of Israel, and
told them what God had commanded him. The people began to weep, because
the offenders were so powerful the judges dared not condemn them,—and
duke Zambry had full twenty-four thousand men of his tribe.
‘This duke quitted the assembly, and, in the presence of all the people,
entered the house of the pagan lady, the mistress of his heart, who was
the handsomest woman of the country. A valiant man, named Phineas,
roused by this insult to his God, stepped forth, and said, ‘I vow to
God, that I will instantly avenge this offence.’ He departed without
saying more, or having any commands from Moses, and having entered the
lady’s house found her in dalliance with her lover, when, with a knife
or dagger, he pierced their bodies through, and instantly put them to
death. The twenty-four thousand adherents of the duke wished to revenge
his death in battle, but, through God’s grace, they were the weaker, and
were all slain.
‘This example of the valiant man Phineas is worthy of notice,—for he was
so much enamoured with the love of God, and so grieved on seeing the
daring insult offered to him, that he was regardless of exposing his own
life to danger; nor did he wait for the orders of Moses to perform the
act,—but he did it because he saw that the judges would not do their
duty, some through neglect, others from fear of duke Zambry.
‘See what praise and recompense he received for this act, as it is
written in the holy Scriptures: ‘Dixit Dominus ad Moysem, Phinees filius
Heleazari filii Aaron sacerdotis avertit iram meam a filiis Israel, quia
zelo meo commotus est contra eos ut non ipse delerem filios Israel in
zelo meo idcirco loquere ad eum. Ecce do ei pacem fæderis mei et erit
tam ipsi quam semini ejus pactum sacerdotii sempiternum: quia zelatus
est pro Deo suo, et expiavit scelus filiorum Israel.’
‘That is to say, That the act he had done was so agreeable to God that
he rewarded him, by ordaining that none but such as were of his blood
should be anointed priests; and this is confirmed by the writings in the
Old Testament: ‘Placuit et cessavit seditio, et reputatum est ei ad
justitiam usque in sempiternum.’ Scribitur in Psalmo. Which means, That
this action redounded to the honour, glory and praise of Phineas and his
family for ever.
‘Thus it plainly appears, that concupiscence and disorderly lusts had so
entangled the duke Zambry in their snares that he became an idolater,
and worshiped idols.—Here concludes the third example of my second
article.
‘Respecting the third article of my major, I must show from the
authority of the Bible, which none dare contradict, that covetousness
has made many become disloyal, and traitors to their sovereigns; but
although I could produce numerous instances from the Scriptures and
other writings, I shall confine my examples to three only.
‘OF LUCIFER.
‘The first instance is that of Lucifer, the most perfect of all the
creatures God had made, of whom the prophet Isaiah says, ‘Quomodo
cecidisti de cœlo Lucifer, qui mane orieberis: qui dicebas in corde tuo,
conscendam supra astra Dei, exaltabo solium meum, ascendam supra
altitudinem nubium et similis ero altissimo. Veruntamen ad infernum
detraheris in profundum laci.’ Scrib. Is. xiv.
‘Lucifer, as the prophet writes, considering himself as the most perfect
of creatures, said, within his own mind, ‘I will exert myself so greatly
that I will place myself and my throne above the angels, and rival God;’
that is to say, he would have the same obedience paid to him. For this
end, he deceived numbers of angels, and brought them over to his party,
so that they were to do him homage and obedience, as to their sovereign
lord, and be no way subject to GOD; and Lucifer was to hold his
government in like manner to GOD, and independent of all subjection to
him.
‘Thus he wished to deprive GOD, his Sovereign and Creator, of the
greater part of his power, and attribute it to himself, being induced to
it by covetousness, which had taken possession of his mind.
‘St Michael, on discovering his intentions, came to him, and said, that
he was acting very wrong; and that, since GOD had formed him the most
perfect of his creatures, he was bounden in gratitude to pay him greater
reverence and obedience than all the others, for the gracious favours
that had been shewn him. Lucifer replied, that he would do no such
thing. St Michael answered, that neither himself nor the other angels
would suffer him to act so injuriously to their Sovereign Lord and
Creator. In short, a battle ensued between them,—and many of the angels
took part on either side, but the greater number were for St Michael.
‘St Michael slew Lucifer with a perdurable death,—and he and his legions
were cast out of heaven by force, and thrown into hell. Their sentence
is in the xiith chap. of the Revelations: ‘Michael et angeli ejus
preliabantur cum dracone, et draco pugnabat et angeli ejus cum eo;’ et
paulum post,—‘et projectus est in terram draco ille, et angeli ejus
missi sunt cum eo. Et audivi vocem magnam in cœlo dicentem, nunc facta
est salus, et virtus, et regnum Deo nostro;’—which means, That St John
saw in a vision this battle, and how Lucifer was cast with his angels
from heaven into hell. When the battle was won, he heard a loud voice
proclaiming through the heavens, ‘At present, peace is restored to our
Lord God and to his saints.’—Thus ends the first example of the third
article.
‘The second instance refers to the fair Absalon, son to David king of
Jerusalem.—Absalon, considering that his father was become old and very
feeble, practised a conspiracy against him, and had himself anointed
king. He collected ten thousand fighting men, whom he marched toward
Jerusalem, to put his father to death and take possession of the town.
‘King David received intelligence of what was intended, and in
consequence fled from the city of Jerusalem, with some of his faithful
friends, to a town beyond Jordan, whither he summoned his adherents. A
battle was shortly proposed in the forest of Lendeue, whither Absalon
came with a large force of men at arms, leading them as their prince.
His constable and other knights advised him to remain within the forest,
for it was strongly situated. This he did; but as he was one of the most
expert knights in the world, he would himself form his army into three
battalions: the first was put under the command of Joab, his constable;
the second was given to Bisay, brother to Joab; and the third was
commanded by Eschey, son to Jeth. When the battle took place, it was
very severe and hard fought; but the party of Absalon was slain or put
to flight.
‘It happened, as Absalon was flying on his mule after the defeat of his
party, that he passed under an oak, whose spreading branches caught hold
of his hair, and thus suspended him, while his mule galloped from under
him. Absalon had that day taken off his helmet from his head, the more
readily to escape,—and his hair was extremely thick and long, reaching
to his girdle, and got twisted among the branches, so that he seemed to
hang there miraculously, as a punishment for the disloyal treason he had
formed against his father and sovereign.
‘Absalon was seen in this situation by one of the men at arms of Joab,
constable to king David,—and he hastened to tell Joab of it, who
replied, ‘When thou sawest him, why didst thou not kill him? and I would
have given thee ten golden besants, and a handsome girdle.’ The man
answered,—‘If thou wouldst have given me ten thousand besants, I should
not have dared to have touched him, or done him the least evil; for I
was present when the king commanded thee, and all his men at arms,
saying, ‘Save me my child Absalon! Oh, save him from being slain!’’
‘Joab said, ‘that the commands of the king were contrary to his honour
and safety; and that so long as Absalon should live, the king would be
always in peril, and we shall not have peace in the kingdom. Lead me
where Absalon is.’ And the man led him to where Absalon was hanging by
his hair. Joab, on seeing him, thrust his lance thrice into his body,
near to the place of his heart, and then had him thrown into a ditch and
covered with stones; for according to the laws of God, all traitors
against their fathers and sovereigns were to be put to death and covered
with stones.
‘When David heard of the death of his son, he went into an upper
chamber, and wept bitterly, uttering these words: ‘Fili mi Absalon, fili
mi quis mihi tribuat ut ego moriar pro te Absalon fili mi[120].’
‘It was told to Joab and the other captains, that David was inconsolable
for the loss of Absalon, which made them very indignant; and Joab went
to David, and said,—‘Confudisti hodie vultus omnium servorum tuorum qui
salvam fecerunt animam tuam. Diligis odientes te, et odio habes
diligentes te, et ostendisti hodie quia non curas de ducibus tuis, et de
servis tuis, et vere cognovi modo quod si Absalon viveret, et nos omnes
occubuissemus tunc placeret tibi. Nunc igitur surge et precede et
alloquens satisfac servis tuis: juro enim tibi per dominum, quod si non
exieris, ne unus quidem remansurus sit tecum nocte hac; et pejus erit
hoc tibi, quam omnia mala, quæ venerunt super te ab adolescentia tua
usque in præsens.’ Scribitur, 2 Reg. xix.
‘That is to say, The good knight Joab went to the king, and said to him
without disguising his sentiments, ‘Thou hatest those who love thee, and
art fond of such as hate thee: thou wouldst that we, who have risked our
lives in battle to save thee, had perished, so that Absalon had lived.
Thy captains and people are so wroth against thee that, unless thou
arise and seat thyself at thy gate to thank them cheerfully as they
enter thereat, they will deprive thee of thy kingdom, and choose another
king; and no greater misfortune will have befallen thee from thy youth
to this day, unless thou dost as I have advised.’
‘The king, feeling the justice of what Joab had said, went and seated
himself at the gate to thank his men at arms on their entrance, and made
them good cheer.
‘In this example, it is to be noticed, that Joab killed Absalon contrary
to the king’s express orders, because they were prejudicial to the
honour of God, of the king, and of the people.
‘Notwithstanding that Joab slew Absalon, they had always been intimate
friends, insomuch that Joab had made peace for him with his father David
for a murder which he had committed on the eldest of the king’s sons,
and for which Absalon had been a fugitive from the kingdom four years.
‘Some may, however, argue the contrary, because king David, when on his
death-bed, charged his son Solomon, who was to succeed him, to punish
Joab; but I am sure it was not for the above-mentioned act,—for although
Joab, at the time he slew Absalon, was a good and loyal knight, he
committed too great faults toward the end of his days. The first, when
he killed a very good knight and man at arms, called Amasa,—and,
secondly, by putting that excellent knight Abner to death treacherously,
namely, by embracing him, and at the same time, thrusting a knife into
his body; and as king David had not punished Joab for these two enormous
crimes himself, he felt such compunctions of conscience for it on his
death-bed, that he ordered king Solomon to have it done when he should
be deceased, and punish him in this mortal life, that Joab might escape
perpetual damnation, saying thus: ‘Tu scis quæ fecerit mihi Joab filius
Sarviæ quæ fecerit duobus principibus exercitus Israel, Abner filio Ner,
et Amasæ filio Jether, quos occidit, et effudit sanguinem belli in pace.
Facias ergo juxta sapientiam tuam, et non deduces caniciem ejus pacifice
ad infernos.’ Scribitur, 2 Reg. xi.