A sermon occasioned by the execution of a man found guilty of murder preached…

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 6•00 Murders committed. And in popish Countries, they have Sanctuaries for Murderers⁽ⁱ⁾ A man that has bin guilty of wilful Murder, if he does but run into a Church (as they call it) or into a Monastery, he is protected in those bloody places of Refuge. Their Writers plead for this. And tho no convicted Murderer did ever escape the stroke of Justice in this Land (which is a matter of rejoicing) yet it is a very sad thing that any in such a place as this should be found guilty of such a Crime: that men should do so wickedly in a Land of Uprightness! but so it has been. Divers have been executed for this sin formerly, and here is one that is to be executed for it this day. And there have been several Murders committed among us, the Authors of which are not yet known. Some have bin so monstrously wicked and unnatural, as to imbrue their hands in the blood of their own Children; who they are God knows, and