MAny and woonderfull wayes (good Christiā Reader) hathe God in all ages most mercifullye called all men to the knowledge of themselues, and to the amendemente of their Religion and conuersation, before he haue layd his heauy hande in wrathfull dyspleasure vpon them. And this order of dealing he obserueth, not onely towardes his owne deare children, but also euen towardes the wieked and castawayes: to the intente, that the one sorte tourning from their former sinnes, and becomming the warer al their life after, shold glorifie him the more for his goodnesse in not suffring them to continue in their sinnes vnreformed, to their destruction: and that the other sorte shoulde be made vtterly vnexcusable for their wylful persisting in the stubbornesse of the •• harde and frowarde heartes, against all his friendlie and fatherlie admonitions.

He called Cayne to repentance, before he punished him for shedding his brothers bloud, and gaue him a long time to haue bethought himselfe in.

He warned the olde Worlde a hundred yeare and more, before he brought the floud vpon the Earth.

He chastized the Children of Israel diuers wayes, ere he destroied them in the wildernesse.

He sent Hornets and wilde Beastes, as foregoers of his hoste, into the lande of Canaan, before he rooted oute the inhabiters therof.

He punished not Dauid for his murder and aduoutrie, vntill he had first admonished him by his Prophet.

He remoued not the Israelits into captiuitie, vntil al the warnings of his Prophets, and all the former corrections which he had vsed in vayne to reforme them, did shew them to be vtterly paste hope of amendment.

Before the last destruction of Ierusalem, there wente innumerable signes, tokens, and wonders.

Finally, God neuer powred out his grieuous displeasure and wrath vppon any Nation, Realme, Citie, Kingdome, State, or Countrey, but he gaue some notable forewarning thereof by some dreadfull wonder.

To let passe the examples of forreine Nations, which are many and terrible: what plagues, pestilences, famines, diseases, tempests, ouerflowing of waters both salte and freshe, and a number of other most prodigeous tokens happened successiuely long time together, before the displacing of the Britons by the hands of our auncetors, for their neglecting of Gods word preached and planted many hundred yeres among them? Likewise, what gret warnings did God giue to our forefathers, in diuers Princes reignes, before the alteration of the State, both by the Danes, and also by William the Conqueror? Againe, euen in these our dayes, how manifestly hath God threatned, and still doth threaten our contempt of his holy Religion, and our securitie and sound sléeping in sinne, shewing vs euident tokens of his iust displeasure néere at hande, both abroade and at home.

I will not speake of the great ciuill Warres, nor of the horrible and vnnaturall massacres of good men, betrayde vnder the holyest pretences, which haue bin of late yeares in the Countreys bordering vpon vs: bycause such dealings being pleasant to suche as séeke bloud, are taken for no wonders. Neyther will I stande vppon the rehearsall of the strange things that befell in the Realme of Naples in the yeare 1566. nor of the Earthquake, whereby a greate part of the Citie Ferrara in Italy was destroyed in the yeare 1570. or of the miraculous sights that were séene in France about Mountpellier, the yeare 1573. or of the like terrible sight that appeared little more than a yeare ago at Prage the chiefe Citie of Boemia: nor of diuers other things whiche haue hapned in forraine Countreys within the compasse of these fewe yeares: bycause it will perchance bée thought, that those tokens concerne the Countreys where they befell, & not vs.

Well, I will not say, That whatsouer things haue bin written aforetimes, were written for our learning, that wee might learne to beware by other mens harmes.

We haue signes and tokens ynow at home, if we can vse them to our benefite.

What shall we say to the sore Famine whiche hapned in the time of oure late soueraigne Lady Queene Mary, whiche was so greate, that men were faine to make bread of Acornes, and foode of Ferne rootes? or to the perticular Earthquake, in the time of oure most gratious soueraigne Lady that now is, which transposed the boundes of mens groundes, and turned a Churche to the cleane contrarie situation? or to the monstrous birthes both of Children and Cattell? or to the vnseasonablenesse of the seasons of some yeares, altering (after a sort) Sommer into Winter, and Winter into Sommer? or to the wonderfull new Starre so long time fixed in the heauen? or to the strange appéerings of Comets, the often Eclipses of Sunne and Moone, the great and strange fashioned lights séene in the firmament in the night times, the suddaine falling, and vnwonted abiding of vnmeasurable abundance of Snow, the excessiue and vntimely raynes and ouerflowing of waters, the greatnesse and sharpe continuance of sore frostes, and many other such wonderfull things, one following in anothers necke? Shall we say that none of these also do concerne vs? or rather more truly, that bycause they be gone and past (O ouer-great securitie and blindnesse of heart) we haue cleane forgotten them, or at leastwise make no great accompt of them, according to our common prouerb, that a wonder lasteth with vs but nine dayes.

Therfore, least we should want eyther proofe of the certaintie of Gods irreuocable iudgements, or argument of his continuall mercifull dealing towards vs, or matter wherewith to conuicte vs of our excessiue vnthankefulnesse: beholde, he sēdeth vs now lastly this Earthquake ye befel ye sixt day of this month, not so hurtful in present operation, as terrible in signification of things to come. For the tryed experience of all ages teacheth vs, and the wrytings of the wise and lerned (specially of holie Scripture) do assuredly witnes vnto vs, that such tokens are infallible fore warnings of Gods sore displesure for sinne, & of his iust plagues for the same, where amendement of lyfe ensueth not.

And although there bée peraduenture some, which (to kéepe them selues and others from the due looking back into the time earst mysspent, and to foade them still in the vanities of this worlde, least they should sée their own wretchednesse, and séeke to shunne Gods vengeance at hande) wil not sticke to deface the apparant working of God, by ascribing this miracle to some ordinarie causes in nature: Yet notwithstanding to the godlie and wel-disposed which look aduisedly into the matter, pondering the manner of this Earthquake throughly, and considering the manner of our dealings from the late restitution of the Gospell vnto this day, and conferring the same wyth the manner of Gods fauorable dealing wyth vs, and with his ordinary dealing in cases where his truthe hath bin planted & groweth to bée contemned: it must néedes appeare to bée the very finger of God, and as a messenger of the miseries due to such deserts.

For, firste of all, whereas naturally Earthquakes are sayde to be engendred by winde gotten into the bowels of the earth, or by vapors bredde and enclosed within the hollowe caues of the earth, where, by their stryuing and struggling of themselues to get oute, or being haled outwarde by the heate and operation of the Sun, they shake the earth for want of sufficient vent to issue out at: If this Earthquake had rysen of such causes, it coulde not haue bin so vniuersall, bicause there are many places in this Realme, which by reason of their substācial soūdnesse and massie firmnesse, are not to bée pierced by any windes frō wythout, nor haue any hollowenesse wherein to conceiue and bréede any such aboundance of vapors, specially in places farre distant from the Sea, or from Riuers, moores, marishes, fennes, or light & open soyles.

Neyther coulde it haue bene in so many places vniuersally at one instant both by sea and lande. For the stryuing therof within the grounde, taking his beginning at some certaine place, and procéeding forwarde to get a vent, would haue required some space of time to haue attained to so many places so farre off, or else haue broken out with great furie in some place that had bin weakest.

Againe, wheras in Earthquakes that procéede of naturall causes, certaine signes and tokens are reported to go before them, as, a tempestuous working and raging of the sea, the wether being fair, temperate, and vnwindie, calmenesse of the aire matched with great colde: dimnesse of the Sunne for certaine dayes •• fore: long and thinne strakes of cloudes appearing after the setting of the Sun, the weather being otherwise cleere: the troublednesse of water euē in the déepest welles, yéelding moreouer an infected and stinking sauour: and lastly, greate and terrible sounds in the earth, like the noise of gronings or thunderings, as wel afore as after the quaking: We finde not that any such foretoken happened against the cōming of this Earthquake. And▪ therefore we may well conclude (though there were none other reason to moue vs) that this miracle procéeded not of the course of any naturall causes, but of Gods only determinate purpose, who maketh euen the verye foundations and pillers of the earthe to shake, the mountaines to melte lyke war, and the seas to dry vp and to becom as a drie field, when he listeth to shewe the greatenesse of his glorious power, in vttering his heauie displeasure against sinne.

But putte the case that some naturall causes or secrete influences had their ordinarie operations in this Earthquake, whereof notwithstanding there is not any sufficient likelyhode: shall we so gaze vpon the meane causes, that we shal forget or let slip the chiefe & principall causes? Knowe we not (after so long hearing and professing of the Gospel) that a sparrow lighteth not on the ground with out Gods prouidence? That the neglecting of his louing kindenesse, and the continuing in sin without amendement, prouoke his vengeance? And yet that he of his owne fatherlie frée goodnesse, doth euer giue warning before he stryketh? Surely we can not but know it, yea and sée it too, vnlesse the God of this worlde haue so blynded our eyes, that we will not sée it. For it is daylie and almoste hourely tolde vs by the Ministers of his word, and the Byble lyes alwayes open for vs to reade it our selues, that as the onely originall cause and welspring of al plagues and punishmentes is sin: to the plagues and punishmentes themselues, and the orderlie disposing, directing, and guiding of all causes to their due endes & effectes, is the onely worke of God, who to make all offendors vnexcusable (as I sayde before) doth often cause euen the very Elements and senselesse creatures, to fore shew in most terrible maner euen by their naturall operations, the approching of his iust vengeance. And truly, as it is sayde in the Psalme, their speaking and talking vnto vs, is not so softly and whysperingly, as that the voyces of them can not be hearde: but contrarywise, they be so loud in our eares, so manifest to our eyes, and so sensible to oure féeling: that (vnlesse we bée stonie and steelie hearted, or giuen • uer to a leude minde,) they can not but hée gréeuous to our heartes, and terrible to oure consciences.

Nowe then, shall we thinke this rare and vnaccustomed miracle, suche as no man lyuing, nor none of our forefathers hath euer séene or hearde of, to be a thing of no importance, as hapning by chance, or grounded vpon some naturall causes: and not rather as a messenger and summoner of vs to the dreadful Iudgementseate of the almightie & euerliuing God?

Let vs enter into our selues, and examine our time paste. Since the sharpe tryall which GOD made of vs in the raigne of Quéene Marie, (at which time we vowed all obedience to GOD, if he woulde voutchsafe to deliuer vs againe from the bondage of the Romishe Antichryst, into the libertie of the Gospell of his sonne Iesus Chryste) he hearkening effectually to our requestes, hath gyuen vs a long resting and refreshing-time, blessed with innumerable benefites both of body and soule: For peace, health, and plentie of al things necessarie for the life of man, we haue had a golden worlde aboue all the residue of oure neyghbours rounde aboute vs.

The worde of truth hath bin preached vnto vs earely and late without lette or disturbance. And bicause our prosperitie hath made vs to play the wanton childrē against God, he hath chastized vs in the meane season with many fatherlie corrections.

Wée haue bin taught, instructed, exhorted, encouraged, allured, entreated, reprooued, rebuked, vpbrayded, warned, threatned, nurtured, and chastized. To be shorte, there is not that meane wherby we might be woon to the obeying and louing of oure God, whether it were by fauourable mildnesse or moderate rigor, but he hath ministred the same most mercifully and seasonably vnto vs. And what are we the better for all this?

Haue we so profited in this schole, that of Couetous we bée become Liberall? of Proude and Enuious, méek and Lowly? of Leacherous, Chaste? of Gluttons, Measurable féeders? of Drunkards, Sober? of Wrathfull and testie, Milde and patient? of Cruel and hard hearted, Pitifull and gentle? of Oppressors, Relieuers? and of Irreligious, Seruisable to GOD?

Haue we so put off the olde man, & so clothed ourselues with the new, in liuing sincerely according to ye doctrine we professe, that neyther the enimies of Chrystes Church, nor our owne consciences can reproue vs? Then néed we not to be of any signes from the Heauen aboue, nor of any tokens frō the earth beneath: for wée haue builded our houses wysely vpon the rocke, which neither wind, water, nor Earthquake, no nor Sathan him self with al his Féends can shake downe or empaire.

But alas, it is farre otherwise with vs: we haue growen in godlinesse as the Moone doth in light when she is past the full. For who sées not the emulation that remaynes stil among vs for excesse of apparell, fare, and building? Who perceyueth not the dysdaine of superiors to their inferiors, the grudge and heartburning of inferiors towardes their superiors, and the want of loue in al states one towardes another?

Who complayneth not of corruption in Officers, yea euen in Officers of Iustice and ministers of the Lawe? Is it not a common byworde (but I hope not true though cōmon) that as a man is frended, so the lawe is ended?

In Youth there was neuer lyke loocenesse and vntimelie libertie, nor in Age lyke vnstayednesse & want of dyscretion, nor the lyke carelesnesse of duety in eyther towardes other.

The Boye mateth the Man of aged grauity, and is cōmended for that which he deserueth to be beaten for.

Seruants are become maysterlike, & fellowes with Maysters: and Maysters vnable to maister their owne asfections, are become seruants to other folkes seruantes, yea and to their owne seruantes too.

Men haue taken vp the garish attire & nyce behauior of Women: and Women transformed from their own kinde, haue gotten vp the apparell and •• omackes of men: & as for honest and modest shamefastnesse the preferrer of all Uertues, it is so highly mislyked, that it is thoughte of some folkes scarce tollerable in children.

Hatred, malice, dysdaine, and desire of reuenge for the weighte of a feather, are the vertues of our yong Gentlemen in commendation of their manhoode and valiantnesse.

Déepe Dissimulation and Flatterie are counted Courtlie behauior: Mighte ouer commeth right: and Truthe is troden vnder foote.

Idlenesse & Pride bring dayly infinite numbers to that point, that they had rather rob and be shamefully hanged, than labour and liue with honesty.

Usurie, the consumer of priuate states, and the confounder of Common weales, is become a common (and in some mens opinions cōmendable) trade to liue by.

Faithfulnesse is fleede into exile, and falshode vaunteth himself in his place, til he haue gotten great summes of money into his hande, that hée maye playe the Banker oute, to the vndoing of such as trust him.

The Saboth dayes and holy dayes ordayned for the hearing of Gods word to the reformation of our lyues, for the administration & receyuing of the Sacramentes to our comfort, for the séeking of all things behouefull for bodye or soule at Gods hande by Prayer, for the mynding of his benefites, and to yéelde praise and thankes vnto him for the same, and finally, for the speciall occupying of our selues in all spiritual exercizes: is spent full heathenishly, in tauerning, tipling, gaming, playing, & beholding of B • arebaytings and Stageplayes, to the vtter dyshonor of GOD, impeachment of all godlynesse, and vnnecessarie consuming of mennes substances which ought to be better employed.

The wante of orderly Discipline and Catechizing, hath eyther sent great nū bers both olde and yong backe again into Papistrie, or let them runne loose into godlesse Atheisme.

And wolde God that we which call others to obedience, shewing them the way, and rebuking their vices: mighte not be iustly charged to bée as trumpets, which with their sound encourage other men to the battell, but fight not themselues. Nay would God that in al degrées, some suche as oughte to be Lanternes of light and Ringleaders to Uertue, were not infecters of others by their euill example.

I feare me that if the Prophete Esay were héere alyue, he would tell vs as hée sometime tolde the Iewes, that from the croune of our head to the sole of our foot, there is no whole or sounde parte in oure bodie, but that al is ful of sores, blaines, and botches. Thinke we then that such doing shal scape vnpunished, or such buildings stande vnshaken? Well may we deceyue our selues in so hoping: but God deceyueth not, neyther is deceyued.

It is wrytten, that euery plant which our heauenlie Father hath not planted, shal be plucked vp by the rootes, and that euery trée which beareth not good fruite, shall be cut downe and cast into the fire.

The Axe is layde to the roote of the trée: and the longer that Gods vengeance is in comming the, sorer it smyteth when it is come. Terrible and moste true is this saying of his by the mouth of Salomon: For as much as I haue called, and you haue refuzed: and I haue stretched oute my handes, and you haue not regarded it: but haue despized al my counsel, and set my correction at nought: therefore wil I also laugh at your destruction, and mock yee when the thing that yee feare commeth vpon you: euen whē the thing that yee be afrayde of breaketh in vpon you like a storme, and your miserie like a tempest. When trouble and heauynesse come vpon you on all sides: then shall ye call vpon me, but I wil not answere you, yee shal seeke me early, but yee shall not finde me: euen bicause yee hated knowledge, and didde not chooze the feare of the Lorde. Ye would none of my counsell, but hated my correction: and therfore shal ye eat the fruit of your owne ways, and be filled with your own inuentions. Soothly it is a dreadful thing to fall into the handes of the Lorde. For as he is merciful▪ so is he also iust, and in all his determinations he is vtterly vnchangeable. And (as the Prophet Jeremie sayeth) When sentence is once gone forth of his presence, it shal not retourne without performance.

Wherfore let vs not be as horsses and Mules whiche haue no vnderstanding: neyther let vs tarrie till Iudgement be sent forth vnto victorie. But let vs consider the time of our visitation, and whyle we haue time, let vs vse it to our benefit.

So long as God calleth vnto vs, so lōg as he entreteth vs, so long as he techeth, allureth, exhorteth or warneth vs, yea so long as he doeth as yet but threaten vs: so long the gate is stil open for vs, so as he will heare vs if we call, and be founde of vs if we séeke him. But if he once hold his peace, and begin too smite, then it is too late too call backe his hande, our crying wil not boote vs.

Therefore while we haue respite, and while it is called to daie, let vs not hardē our hartes as in the prouocation, and as in the day of Temptation in the wildernesse, but let vs hearken to his voyce, & forsaking the lustes and the wicked imaginations and deuices of our own h • rts, let vs turne to the Lorde our God wyth harty repentaunce and vnfeyned amendment of life, least (besides other meaner plagues both of bodye and minde) our Candlesticke be remoued, our light quē ched, Christs Gospel taken from vs, and we for our vnthankefulnesse be caste out with our children into vtter darkenesse: and in y• terrible day of Iudgemēt heare this dreadfull sentence of the iust Iudge pronoūced against vs: Depart from me yée workers of wickednesse, which hardened your harts against me and made your faces as hard as brasse, at such time as my long sufferaunce wayted for you, prouoking you by mildenesse and patience to amendement.