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A sermon occasioned by the execution of a man found guilty of murder preached…
A sermon occasioned by the execution of a man found guilty of murder preached at Boston in N.E. March 11th 1685[/]6. : (Together with the confession, last expressions & solemn warning of that murderer to all persons; especially to young men, to beware of those sins which brought him to his miserable end.) / By Increase Mather, teacher of church of Christ.
Boston: printed by R.P. i.e, 1687
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
besides to make sport with exercising cruelty on dumb creatures, which had never bin miserable had not the sins of men made them so, it is a wicked thing, and ought not to be among those that call themselves Christians.
besides to make sport with exercising cruelty on dumb creatures, which had never bin miserable had not the sins of men made them so, it is a wicked thing, and ought not to be among those that call themselvs Christians.
Infor. 3• If Murder be such a Crime as hath been showed, It is then a sorrowful thing that so many of the Children of men should be found guilty of this Evil. There are some places of the world where Murder is a common sin. The dark corners of the earth, are full of the habitations of Cruelty. And there are many in the world, that call themselves Christians, who nevertheless delight in shedding innocent blood. Persecutors are Murderers. Bloody Papists are in the Scriptures charged with Murder on this account: it is said of them, they repented not of their Murders, Rev. 9. 21. namely of their murdering the Saints of God for their Religion, for the Truth-sake, and because they would not comply with their Superstitions and Idolatries. That Mother of Harlots, the Church of Rome, she has made herself drunk with blood; many Millions of Saints have been murdered by her. Persecutors are Cain's Children. O how many are there going ⟨p. 20⟩up and down the world with Cain's […] in their hands to this day! It was Luther's Saying, Cain will •ill Abel to the end of the world. But besides this▪ That which the Civil Laws of Nations make to be Murder, is frequent in some places. A late Historian reports, that in the the Kingdom of France, *within the space of ten years, there were known to be no less than 600 Murders committed. And in popish Countries, they have Sanctuaries for Murderers