THe anger and terrible countenance of God , of late shewed in this Land here amongst vs , may awaken vs from the fast sléepes of security , and turne vs to the Lord by true repentance . Therefore least his heauy Iudgments in like maner come vpon vs at vnawares , and we be taken sodainely sléeping , let vs with the wise Uirgins in the Gospell kindle our Lampes , that we may be found ready when our Bridegroome commeth in great glory , to giue euery one as his works shall be .

For we are to acknowledge and consider , that the Lord hath not ceased from time to time , at his good will and pleasure , to send prodigies and wonders in euery age , to forewarne and forearme vs of his Iudgements hanging ouer our heads for sin : as appeareth by the late examples declared amongst vs .

In the County of Stafford in the parish of Burton vpon Trent , dwelled of late a frée houlder of good lands & means , named Thomas Henworth , as well stored with money and other houshold goods , as any one of his rancke and calling in that Countrey . Amongst which temporall blessings , God bestowed vpon him two sonnes , but not so happy in the elder as in the younger : for the first borne , which by succession should haue béene his heyre , and possessor of his lands , was from his mothers wombe borne both deafe and dumb , and withall , so silly and simple , that he had not that sufficient reason of gouernment as the younger had : by which meanes the old man , as it were offended at Gods prouidence disinherited the elder , and by will gaue his whole meanes to the younger , vpon condition binding him to giue yearely a certaine stipend to his dumbe brother .

This condition stood at the old mans death as a legasie , the younger inherited , the elder dispossessed : the younger commanded , the elder obeyed : the younger rich , the elder poore .

This was the partiall policie of worldly wisedome , but God the giuer and bestower of all good things , hereat much displeased , gaue but small blessings to the possessor of these riches . For this young Heyre in the midst of his ioyes being richly marryed , was visited with sicknesse , and being struck ( by the hand of God ) euen vnto death , called then to minde the wrongs done to his poore dumbs brother : and therefore fearing a deserued iustice in the world to come , he returned backe some part of his brothers right , and by will gaue him one halfe of his lands and goods , and shortly after dyed .

Thus the younger brother in the height of his prosperitie taking his last leaue of the inconstant vaine pleasures and profits of this incertaine world , left his wife sole Executrix to performe his will & testament ordained in behalfe of his wronged brother : but she ( as many Executors and Ouerséers doe ) regarding neyther right nor equitie , neglected to performe the will of her deceased husband : and to make her vniust dealings the more strong , within short time she married another husband named Richard Crispe , a man as it séems contented to take what he found and perceiuing the dumbe fellow to be destitute of friends , became his owne caruer , and most vniustly kept the dead mans will vnperformed : by which meanes the dumbe fellow was kept in his former pouerty , and forced to relie still vpon the bare allowance of his brother and sister in law , which was almost nothing at all .

These vniust dealings passed on , vntill such time as the eye of heauen looking downe and espying the vnconscionable dealings of this Richard Crispe , and vniust wrongs sustained by the dumbe wretch , became a gentle Iudge , and tooke the matter into his owne hands , before whose face goods vnlawfully gotten and detayned , together with their owners , are consumed as stubble in the fire , and scattered abroad as dust in the winde .

So happened it with this Richard Crispes estate : for in Ianuary last , hauing his goods and cattle about him in abundance , his garners and barnes well stored with corne , his ricks and stacks of pease and hay furnishing his yards , and little remembring from whence it came , nor from whom it was wrongfully detained , in the midst of this plenty the righteous Iudge of Heauen and Earth , before whose All-séeing Eye not onely the words and workes , but the very thoughts and imaginations of all men lie open and naked continually , suffering now no longer the wrongs of this dumbe creature to goe vnreuenged , sent a most fearefull and strange iudgement , for all others , who in like manner make no conscience to leaue the wils of the dead vnperformed , to take example by .

In Ianuary last , as I said before , there beganne a most secret and strange fire in the middle of a Pease Ricke or Houell , standing in the yard of this Richard Crispe , consuming the stalks and straw , but leauing the Pease vnburnt : afterward with great violenes it flew to a hay stacke , in like manner wasting downe the same with such eager fury , as it was most terrible so sée , leauing standing vpright in the middle of the hay , a long pole vnconsumed , also an Ash trée growing close by the same , which was not so much as once scorched thererewith , after this immediatly the fire flew as it were with burning wings into a corne barne where it kindled very strangely on the top of a beame in the middle bay , consuming and burning inwardly the timber , and straw of the sheafe likewise , leauing the corne vntouched , as it excéeded all wonder to behold .

Therefore I am héere to insert a likelihood , that it was not the negligence of man , but the angry hand of God , that wrought this fiery example , for wheresoeuer this Crisp went , the fire as it were followed him , and séemed to flye from others that sought to quench it , nine seuerall times began it againe to renew , and would not quite bee extinguished , vntill such time as Crisp departed his dwelling and went to remaine with a friend at the other part of the parish : in whose absence , the pease and corne thus strangely left vnconsumed , was sifted and gathered together , but good for no vse , no not so much as féeding for hogges , for they would neither eate nor come néere it : yet let vs iudge the best and censure as mortalls may doe , and conclude that it was onely the will of God , and a casualty procéeding onely from his diuine prouidence .

But againe to our matter : This Richard Crispe , within a while after , hauing repaired what the fire had wasted , returned againe to his dwelling house , yet nothing at all remembring she poore dumbe fellowes wrongs , which sate still in the bosome of heauen soliciting reuenge , whilst he both careles and dreadlesse of any further mishap ensuing , went with his wife safely ( as hee thought ) to bed , in the middle of night , the fire began to kindle in a chéese-house ouer his bed-chamber , and increased so sodainely , and with such raging fiercenes , that it quickly ouer-matstred mans helpe , and in a very short time consumed the place ouer which it first tooke hold , with other roomes adioyning to the same , burning inwardly , leauing the thatch of the houses vntouched which lay as couerings ouer the same , where not the least part thereof was wasted with the smallest sparke : which was as is it séemes another iudgement of Gods anger laid vpon this man , if without offence we may so speake it .

Yet for all this was his hard heart no whit mollified ▪ but growing still blind in his owne conctous desires , vntill such time as a third accident affrighted him more then the former two , which hapned some month after , and thu● it befell : his losses being repayred the third time he came to dwell in the same house againe , where within a day or two after his comming , the fire began as before , to kindle and take hold of a certaine out-house , where his empty , wains or carts stood for shelter of foule weather , but such was the raging fury thereof , that it sodainly grew past all helpe of sauing the same , and withall a further Iudgement hapned thereon , for these empty waines or carts which before were wont to bee drawn● forth by one or two men at the most , were at this time growne so heauy , that ten or twelue were not sufficient to doe it , by which meanes they were quite consumed as they stood and burned into ashes .

Surely this was the worke onely of Gods hands , the third time effected to the great feare of all the beholders , let no man therefore thinke to escape vnpunished , nor by any pollicy frée himselfe from Gods Iustice , that thus makes an intended purpose , to defeat the helplesse innocent , Orphan , or Widdow , or by power and authority goes about to contradict the Testament of the dead , for there can be no more shame , nor greater iniury to a countryes gouernment , then in so doing ; and in so dooing , the poore are oppressed and the rich not blessed .

As for example , this vnfortunate man whose estate being thus much impouerished , is now become ( as it is reported ) sorrowfull and repentant , and most willing to satisfie to the vttermost of his power , all the Legacies giuen and bequeathed by his predecessor his wiues former husband , and is most willingly contented to performe all dues and rites belonging to the poore dumbe Creature , whose wrongs no doubt haue entred heauen gates , and procured gods Iustice to stand his best Arbitrator .

Thus by all humane reason can we no otherwise thinke , but that these fore-passed accidents & strange Iudgements of God , are sent vs for examples of punishment , to driue all other from the like wickednes , yet some there bee ( I doubt ) will giue but small credence , and hardly beléeue the testimony by which they are published : which incredulity and contempt of Gods wrath , procéedeth from our sinnes , our sléeping sinnes , from which our dreaming worldlings might be rouz'd vp if we would but relent at these and such like fearfull menaces , and thus much for the first .

And now for my second , which hapned at Chagford in Deuonshire , where by the fall of the Stannery court house , many good and worshipfull Gentlemen receiued their doomes of hard misfortune , as is verified , which through the cursed imprecation of a periurd wretch fell vpon them-therefore with your patience , I will insert some few ex , amples of like feare and mischance , to make the matter it selfe bring with it a truer touch of trembling terror .

AS the name of God it selfe is most glorious , so should we not vse it but with trembling and feare , for the Lord saith he , shall be pronounced guilty that taketh his name in vaine .

As for example , I haue read of two young men , making but a iest of Gods most glorious name , striued whether of them could sweare most terriblest , or curse most horriblest , but their iesting was so odious in Gods sight , that one of them was presently stooken with madnesse , the other with sodaine death .

There was another within these few yeares in the North of England , that deuised new oathes , such as were not common in vse , wherevpon the Lord sent a canker , that soone eat out his tongue ▪ euen the very instrument wherewith he blasphemed God , therefore wee 〈◊〉 that it is euill ieasting with Gods reuerence , for they that vse it cannot escape due punishment .

Diuers other fearefull iudgements against this most vild sinne of cursing , swearing and forswearing , are left recorded for examples to vs : as of a certaine Maid , who disobeying her Mothers commandement , her Mother cursed her saying : The Diuell take thee . And the same houre the Diuell entred into her and shee fell madde .

In like manner there was a man in Friburg in Misnia , who commanded his sonne to goe about some businesse , but he neglected to go with such spéed as his Father commanded him , the Father sell to banning and cursing him with these or the like words . Did I bid thee goe in hast , and standest thou still ? Now still mayst thou stand I pray God , and neuer mayst thou stirre out of that place ! And presently a heauy iudgement fell vpon the Sonne , so that he was not able to goe nor to be drawne away by any strength , but there he abode for thrée whole yeares .

I haue likewise read that for taking Gods name in vaine some haue beene blasted with fire from heauen , some stricken with long and strange diseases , some possessed of the Diuell , some haue had their mouths as black as coles , and some such fiery tongues that they could not close their teeth , which they had so often opened to blaspheme God .

Thus haue you heard the reward of prophane swearing , and bitter curses , whereby Gods holy name is much dishonoured , and the speaker in danger of damnation , where vnto I w●ll now adde the late accident hapning at Chagford in Deuonshire vpon Friday the 6. of March last past , vpon which day his highnes Court of Stanneryes being holden the Court set , and great assemblies of Esquires and Gentlemen there present the Iurors cal'd , sommond forth and sworne vpon their oathes , without partiality to giue vpright verdict : being thus charged , falshood must néeds be odious hath to God and man , and none but gracelesse wretches will be so impious as to prefer the same vnto the seat of Iustice .