"is the root of" two sorts of "evil," [1] in which are summed all the evils of this life, to wit — transgressions and pains, sins and sorrows; which are joined together to chastise the mother that engenders and sustains them; so that she is the tormenter of herself, putting the covetous man in great vexations and afflictions to gain or preserve riches with a miserable servitude and slavery of them. It is likewise a snare of Satan, with which he drags him through thorns and prickly shrubs of temptations, obscurities of faith, remorses of conscience, and of cares that sting him; and in the end he hangs him, like Judas, between heaven and earth, neither permitting him to enjoy the goods of the earth nor to attain to those of heaven.
2. To these chastisements Almighty God sometimes adds others, to show how much He abhors this vice, and such as sin therein in any of the five ways before-mentioned, of each of which I will set down an example.
Achan, because he took certain things of Jericho, contrary to the 'precept of Josue, was by God's commandment stoned to death, and all his wealth consumed with fire. [2] Nabal, overwhelmed with avarice, denied David the alms he asked; and because he was hard-hearted to him who was needy, he died with his heart as hard as " a stone." [3] Jezabel, with an inordinate desire to have Naboth's vineyard, in order to get possession of it caused him to be put to death; and she was thrown out of a window, and eaten by "dogs." [4] Ananias and Sapphira, because, when they had vowed poverty, they reserved to themselves " part of the price of" the sale of their "land," died disastrously. [5] Giezi, vanquished by covetousness, demanded money of Naaman, for the health that Eliseus the prophet had given
