The riches of Gods love unto the vessels of mercy, consistent with his absolute…The riches of Gods love unto the vessells of mercy, consistent with his absolute…

As for the last clause of this odious Parallel, concerning the end of Tiberius his course in this, namely that so he might cover his cruelty in their death under pretext of justice. Undoubtedly I should think the putting of them to death was just in case they did convitiate their Prince whatsoever their provocations were. For hereby they deserved death, yea everlasting death and damnation. His sin was in causing them to be provoked hereunto, and so also it might be in the manner of their execution. For it is written of him that fame necavit, he famished them. I know Tiberius was cruel enough, but by the story it seems, that policy, wicked policy moved him unto this; first to intend their deaths because he saw the affections of the people towards them, belike for Germanicus his sake, a worthy man according to those times. For when he found that in the beginning of the year, vows were made on their behalf, to wit, for their preservation he dealt with the Senate, that such rewards ought not to be tendered, but towards such who were of experience and of ripeness of age: and that hereupon the inward character of his affection towards them being discovered, he laid them open to every mans criminations, variaque fraude inductos ut & concitarentur ad convitia & concitati perderentur, accusavit per literas, amarissimè congestis etiam probris, & judicatos hosts fame necavit. And anon after, the same Author discovers the reason of all this, to wit, that seeing Germanicus was but his adopted Son, and one Drusus by name was his natural son, and his own son Drusus being dead, leaving a son Tiberius behind him, he desired to make him as his natural son his successor in the Empire. Aelium Sejanum ad summam potentiam non tàm benevolentia provexer at quàm ut esset cujus ministerio ac fraudibus liberos Germanici circumveniret: Nepotemque suum ex Druso filium naturalem ad successionem Imperii confirmaret. Sure we are God hath no need of any such politic courses; neither hath he need of any pretext of justice to take a mans life from him. It is confessed now of all hands, that God can annihilate the holiest Angel by power absolute. And if it be in the power of God to keep any man from sin, as I think no wise man will deny, surely it is in his power to refuse to keep any reasonable creature from sin.

As for the last clause of this odious Parallel, concerning the end of Tiberius his course in this, namely that so he might cover his cruelty in their death under pretext of justice. Undoubtedly I should think the putting of them to death was just in case they did convitiate their Prince whatsoever their provocations were. For hereby they deserved death, yea everlasting death and damnation. His sin was in causing them to be provoked hereunto, and so also it might be in the manner of their execution. For it is written of him that fame necavit, he famished them. I know Tiberius was cruell enough, but by the story it seems, that policy, wicked policy moved him unto this; first to intend their deaths because he saw the affections of the people towards them, belike for Germanicus his sake, a worthy man according to those times. For when he found that in the beginning of the yeare, vowes were made on their behalfe, to wit, for their preservation he dealt with the Senate, that such rewards ought not to be tendred, but towards such who were of experience and of ripenesse of age: and that hereupon the inward character of his affection towards them being discovered, he laid them open to every mans criminations, variaque fraude inductos ut & concitarentur ad convitia & concitati perderentur, accusavit per literas, amarissimè congestis etiam probris, & judicatos hostes fame necavit. And anon after, the same Author discovers the reason of all this, to wit, that seeing Germanicus was but his adopted Sonne, and one Drusus by name was his naturall sonne, and his own sonne Drusus being dead, leaving a sonne Tiberius behind him, he desired to make him as his naturall sonne his successor in the Empire. Aelium Sejanum ad summam potentiam non tàm benevolentia provexer at quàm ut esset cujus ministerio ac fraudibus liberos Germanici circumveniret: Nepotemque suum ex Druso filium naturalem ad successionem Imperii confirmaret. Sure we are God hath no need of any such politique courses; neither hath he need of any pretext of justice to take a mans life from him. It is confessed now of all hands, that God can annihilate the holiest Angel by power absolute. And if it be in the power of God to keep any man from sin, as I think no wise man will deny, surely it is in his power to refuse to keep any reasonable creature from sin.