And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.
Ver. 15. And it came to pass, &c.] How many innocents, in all ages, have perished by false accusation! Here, this vermin accuseth her husband of foolishness, her servant of filthiness; which she first affirmeth, secondly confirmeth, by producing his garment, left in her hands. That "accuser of the brethren" Rev 12:10 set her on; as he did the malicious heathens, to traduce and denigrate those pure primitive Christians (purer than snow, whiter than milk; ruddier than rubies; their polishing was of sapphire, Lam 4:7), as so many murderers, man-eaters, adulterers, church-robbers traitors, &c. a Which last, Lipsius calls Unicum crimen eorum, qui crimine vacabant. So the Waldenses were spitefully accused of Manicheeism, and Catharism; and thereupon a Croisado [crusade] was published against them, as common enemies. b So, a little afore the massacre of Paris, it was given out by the French Papists, that the Protestants in their conventicles plotted treason, acted villany, &c. c And after the massacre, there was a coin stamped, in the fore-part whereof, together with the king's picture, was this inscription; Virtus in rebelles: and on the other side, Pietas excitavit iustitiam. Those that kill a dog, make the world believe he was mad first: so the enemies of the Church ever first traduced her to the world, and then persecuted her; d first "pulled off her veil," and then "wounded her." Son 5:7
a Tertullian.
b Arch. Ussher., De Christ. Eccles. Success. et Statu. p. 236.
c Camden's Elisab., fol. 163.
d Qui son chien vult tuer, la rage luy met sus. - A French Proverb.