MAny and woonderfull wayes ( good Christian 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 sendeth vs now lastly this Earthquake the befel the 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 substancial soundnesse and massie firmnesse , are not to bée pierced by any windes from 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 euen 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 comming 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 Iudgement-seate 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 children 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 the 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 from 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 heart-burning 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 common ) 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 commended 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 .