The DEVILS REIGN upon EARTH, Being a Relation of several sad and bloody Murders lately committed, especially that of Sir Geo. Sands his Son, upon his own Brother; set forth that others may be terrified from the like thereby, the like being never known in any Age before.  Ephes. 4. 26. 
Be angry, and sin not, neither give place to the Devil. For the Devil is come down having great wrath, knowing shalt his time is but short. And power was given him to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another.  Revel. 12. 11, & 6. 4.  a rampant devil 
August 21 London, Printed for john Andrews, 1655.   

THe mind of man being corrupted by Adam's fall, is very apt and prone to be deluded by Satan, as woeful experience in all ages hath sufficiently testified; but more especially in this last and worst age of the world, the Devil hath ever been a busybody: he hath never been idle; no sooner had God created man and woman, but the Devil tempts them to disobey the commands of God, and prevails, and by that fall of our first parents, he hath gotten ground upon all mankind, so that they are taken captive by him at his will: and having gotten power over the sons of men, he is very busy to improve it, and like a cunning sophister, oftentimes doth, to the ruin of themselves and others. This he doth when he instigates men on to destroy themselves by murdering of others, wherein no age can compare with this for sad examples.  
In Gen. 4. we read how wicked Cain by the instigation of Satan, and the corruption of his own heart, slew his own brother Abel; surely the Devil is very powerful, when there were but three men, he could destroy two of them, the body of Abel, and both body and soul of Cain, who for that wicked murder was mace a Vagabond all his days, and perpetually branced with the infamous name of murtherèr.  
The beloved Disciple of Christ, S. john, exhorting Christians to love one another, in his Epistles, in chap. 3. sets forth the difference between the children of God and the children of the Devil, In this (saith he) the children of God are manifest, and the children of the Devil; who so doth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother: and wherefore slew he him? Becruse his own works were evil, and his brothers good. By which it appears, that it is the Devil that a●imates men on to murder; For he was a murderer from the beginning, saith Christ, joh. 8. 44. O that men were wise, that they would consider their latter end; for did men consider when they destroy and murder others, that they murder their own soviss, and bring themselves to untimely ends, there would not be such frequent and horrid murders as now there are.  
But the Devil fils men with a revengeful saith, and keeps them ignorant of this, until they have committed their intended murder, and then he leaves them to be purished, either by the Laws of men, or else possesses them with wrerched thoughts of cestroying themselves, as may be seen in this following Relation.  

A perfect and full Relation of the sad and heinous murder committed at Shelvidge. less in Kent, near Feversham, by Sir Geo Sands his youngest son, upon the body of his own and only brother, on the 6 of August last, 1655. for which bloody Fact he was condemned to die at Maidstone the 15 o● the same; by which the Knight their Father is bereft of both his Children, and no Heir left to inherit his great Estate.  
SIr George Sands of Shelvidg-lees in Kent near unto Fever shame, a man well known not only in Kent, but also in London, and other places, and a man of a very great Estate, having only two sons, and no other children; on Monday the 6th. of August, 1655. at night, the youngest so most unnaturally murdered his Brother in his bed with a Cleaver, the manner how, was as followeth.  
The eldest of these two Gentlemen having taken to wife one Mistress Delain, a very handsome Gentlewoman, but of no great fortune, considering the great estate he was likely to enjoy, and not having the consent of his father thereunto, he was persuaded from her (as it is said) by his father, who promised him, upon condition he would leave her, to settle the greatest part of the Estate upon him, and to leave but little thereof so his brother, who should be as it were sublervient to him. Now upon this temptation he was induced to obey men rather than God; for the Scripture saith, what God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. And Let not the Husband put away his Wife, saith S Paul, 1 Cor. 7. 12.  
Now after this, the Knight their father arrayed them both in two very rich suits of apparel, both alike: now it so happened that the elder Brother had by some accident soiled his Doublet, and there upon on the the next morning, he would have put on his younger Brothers Doublet, and left him the soiled one, which he unwilling to do, refused the same. Which when the Kr. their Father heard of, and seeing them in contention about it, commanded his younger son to submit to his elder Brother Up on this, the young Gentleman conceiving his elder Brother to be more affected by his Father then himself, was greatly moved, and urged upon the same, and so resolved one way or other to be revenged.  
Being in this distracted and disturbed condition, the Devil, who goes about like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour, took advantage of his revengeful thoughts and intents, possessed him with the thoughts of murder. Which he concealing still harboured in his breast, although it was little suspected; yet for a while, the space of three months, he had not opportunity to do, although he had secretly laid wait to do it; and for that purpose had secretly conveyed out of the Kitchen the fatal instrument, a Cleaver, with which he did the Fact.  
The Maids missing this Cleaver, sought after, but could not find it, and so supposed some one or other had stolen it; but he had conveyed the same into the bottom of his chest, where he kept it privately till Monday the 6 of August, 1655. at night: at which time the Devil appearing to him, he took it, and as his brother lay in his bed asleep, not mistrusting any thing, he clest in sunder his head there with; after which, the Devil bidding him to make use work, he run his sword several times most barbarously into his body.  
Now the Devil having effected this wiced work, strait way possessed him with esperate thoughts of being his own Executioner, bidding him destroy himself: Who immediately went to his Father's chamber with his hands all blood, and told him how that he had murdered his brother, and was now going to destroy himself: Who being greatly affrighted, immediately started up, and laid hold of him, and to his great grief and lamentation, found it to be so indeed. Whereupon he was apprehended, and sent to Maidstone, where he was condemned to die the 15th. of August, 1655.  
These Gentlemen were well beloved in the place wheat their Father lives, both by rich and poor, who now do greatly lament this sad and most unhapp accident.   

Here follews another Relation of several strange murders lately committed.  
ONe Mistress Grace Grissin by name, but indeed Graceless by this odious action of hers, a Silk throwsters' wife in the Borough of Southwark, one who lived in good repute and fashion; her Husband being troubled with a cold, desired her to fetch him some Honey, and give him; which she did, and put poison therein, and so poisoned him: For which Fact she was burned to death according to the Law, at Kingston upon Thames, the 6th. of August last, 1655.  
Also there were excuted at the same time there, three other Women for several murders. One of them quarrelling with another woman, violently thrust a Napkin down her throat and choked her. Another was for beating out the brains of her own child with a Hammer: the other also was for wilful murder.  
Likewise on the 6. of August last, there were two Milk-women as they were going along the fields near S Giles', there they saw a woman going very saintly along, and going to her to see what the matter was, they espied a new born child in her apron, which she confessed she was going purposely to make it away, and did attempt it several times, but had not the power to do it, and so was prevented.   

A Relation of a sad accident that happened in Sea-coal Lane in London.  
On Saturday night the 11 of August, 1655. several workmen being at work in Seacoal-Lane, intending to let an House of Office into the Common-shore, and when they had made way for it, they unstopping the vent, it broke out so violently upon them, that it struck them down, and the candle being out, one of the master-workmen was stifled to death.  
Several other strange murders have been committed of late, such as no ageever knew the like before, of which this following is one.   

A true Relation of a great and bloody Murder committed at Penard in Somersetshire, near Lidford, where on the 1 of August 1655. were murdered four children together by their own mother.  
UPon the first day of August last passed, there being a fair at a place called Lidford in Somersetshire, a Carpenter that lived at Penard near thereunto, went thither to set up stand, leaving his wile, and four small Children at home, the eldest of which was nine years of age: But at his return home, he found all his four children murdered, and put into a Chest. It is supposed that his Wife did this bloody act, by reason she is not to be found.  
Now having given you a short, but sad Relation of several sad accidents, I think a word or two of Christian admonition will not be unseasonable.  
O that every one that hears this sad, but true Relation, would fear the Lord, and abhor such bloody action, and take heed to themselves, lest they also be deluded by Satan; for he hath many sleights and devises to destroy poor souls.  
If men would but faithfully and constantly serve the Lord, and walk according to his Commandments, there would not be so many strange and sad accidents to be heard of every day, as now there are: For when men, for want of Grace, do for sake God, God doth justly for sake them; and then the Devil enters into them, and cartieth them forth into all manner of wickedness.  
If men would but practise goodness, and resist the Devil by the strength of Grace, he would soon flee away from them, as Saint james saith, for he is a professed enemy to all goodness. And though his finger's itch to be tampering with those that are good, yet is sure only to take those in his snare who forsake the Lord; for those that faithfully serve the Lord, and fear him with their whole heart, God hath promised to keep them, and will assuredly do it.  
The Devil deals with men as the Panther doth with beasts, he hideth his deformed head till he hath with his sweet sent drawn them into his clutches. When the Devil first tempts to sin, he shows himself like a Parasite, a mere flatterer; but when men have once fulfilled his desires, he will soon show himself what he is, a roaring Lion, a destroying Serpent: at first he tempts men into little sins, and then having drawn them to that, he tempts them to greater; as he did this young Gentleman Mr. Sands, first possessing him with revengeful thoughts, then having filled him with that, ends his design with murder.  
When a man gins to sin, he knows not where or when he shall end; for the Devil is cunning, and will draw men if they be but once deluded by him, from one degree of sin to another, from anger to wrath, from wrath to malice and envy, from malice and envy to inhuman murder, and so utterly destroys them, without the great mercy of God. Little sins it may be have but little temptations; but its devilish to sin either with or without temptation: therefore when the Devil tempts to sin, and saith, Do this, 'tis but a little one; let us say, It is a very great unkindness against God, to yield unto the least sin, Be angry, and sin not, saith the Apostle; do not yield in the least unto Satan, if thou dost, thou art undone for ever; for he will thereby get advantage against you.  
The Devil tempting a young man to one of these three sins, either to kill his Father, or else to lie with his mother, or else to be drunk; he thinking to yield to the lesser, namely to be drunk, that thereby he might (as he conceived) be freed from the other, which no doubt were then odious in his eyes, he yielded to the Devil to be drunk, and then being drunk, he first killed his father, and after committed abomination with his mother.  
Now the Lord help every one that desires to fear the Lord, constantly to avoid all occasions of sin: which that we may all do, the grace of God, and the God of all grace so keep and direct us in all our ways, that so we may be kept from the power and rule of Satan, and from the reign and dominion of sin, and from an irrevocable downfall into hell for evermore; and give us all grace so to live here, that we may live for ever hereafter.   
Amen.  
FINIS,   

The plain man's plain Path way to Heaven, directing every one how they may be saved; very utefull in these times of temptation, and is but of two pence price: Is to be sold by john Andrews, at the White Lion in the Old. Bayly.   

As Cain slew his brother Abel, so now doth men and women kill and murder one another, the Father and Mother their own Children, and one Brother another.  
 sacrificial lamb  Cain murdering Abel  

Accursed Cain, the first to murder bend,  
Did seek, yet never could obtain for to repent  
But now, like Fudasses', men kill and slay  
Their dearest Friends, the Devil to obey.