Printed by John Bryce.
MDCCLXXXII.
Had I not confined myself at first to the limits of an Appendix to the lives of our Scots worthies, I might have written a volume, containing the same hints of the most notable Apostates, Blasphemers, and wicked Persecutors, Jew and Christian, in all the different kingdoms and countries wherein the true religion and knowledge of the true God hath been professed, from the earliest ages to this present century; and which may be yet attempted, if this meet with the approbation of the Public, and a call and farther encouragement be given for that purpose.
THE INTRODUCTION.
I presume, that any person, who has diligently perused the history of the lives of our noble Scots worthies, will by this time be able to form some idea in their own minds of the religious, virtuous and faithful lives, joyful and comfortable deaths of a certain number of Christ's noble witnesses, confessors and martyrs, who through much tribulation emerged forth of all their difficulties in much faith and patience, and are now inheriting the promise in that land and celestial Jerusalem above, where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary be at rest.
It now follows of course, that I should present another scene unto the reader's view, viz. a short index or memorial of the wicked, apostate, perfidious and flagitious lives, and miserable and lamentable deaths of some of the most particular persons that opposed and oppressed the church of Christ, and mal-treated and persecuted them. But previous to the opening of this tragical train of examples, (of the Lord's righteous justice and judgment on his and his church's enemies) let the following few particulars be observed. And,
1st, Let none think that this is a subject foreign or remote to either scripture, apocrypha, or history. No; I might instance Cain, the proto-persecutor and murderer; Pharaoh, who was drowned in the Red sea; Corah and others, who were swallowed up quick and burnt before the Lord; Saul, who finished his own regicide; wicked Joram, whose bowels fell out; apostate Joash and Jehoiakim, who burnt the roll, came to ignominious ends: Ahab and Zedekiah, false prophets, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire; Haman, who was hanged: Antiochus Epiphanes, who was eaten of vermin, and rotted while alive; Melenaus the apostate, who was smothered to death in ashes; Herod, who killed the children of Bethlehem, and had the same fate with Antiochus; Herod Antipas, who killed John Baptist; Herodias and Salmon the dancer came to fearful ends: Judas and Caiaphas became their own executioners; Pilate also ended his own wretched life; Herod Agrippa was eaten up of worms: Nero and all the succeeding emperors, authors of the ten persecutions; Philip II. of Spain, Charles IX. Henry III. and IV. kings of France, Dukes of Guise, Anjou, Austria, &c. the cardinals Wolsey and Pool, bloody Mary of England, bishop Gardiner, with an immense number more both of this and inferior ranks, too tedious here to mention, came all to deserved wretched deaths suitable to such wicked and bloody lives.—Nay, God will have such reverence paid to what bears the name of deity and religion, that even amongst the very heathens, who had not the knowledge of the true God, those who blasphemed or affronted the gods, robbed their temples, or mal-treated and persecuted their priests, did not pass without some public mark of divine displeasure, (of which I might give a number of instances from history, were it needful). And should such as are favoured with an objective revelation of the true God and way of salvation in and by him, who destroy his heritage, persecute his people, blaspheme his name, and make a mock of religion, go unpunished? Nor,