VVonderfull straunge sightes seene in the element, ouer the citie of London and other places on Munday being the seconde day of September: beginning betweene eight and nine of the clocke at night, increasing and continuing till after midnight: most strange and fearefull to the beholders.

WONDERFVLL straunge sightes seene in the Element , ouer the Citie of London and other places , on Munday being the seconde day of September : beginning betweene eight and nine of the clocke at night , increasing and continuing till after midnight : most strange and fearefull to the beholders .

Psalm . 19.1 .

The Heauens declare the glory of God , and the firmament sheweth his handy worke .

AT LONDON ; Printed by Robert Walde-graue , dwelling without Temple-barre , neere vnto Sommerset-house .

The Call of England .

AS nothing can mooue or stirre man more effectually , vnto the feeling of his owne sins , then the lawe of God , thundred out , & threatned against the conscience of his iniquity : so , nothing can draw him , more forcibly vnto repentance , then the sencible sight and feeling , of fearefull and mighty plagues , heauenly threatninges , and strange and prodigious wonders , drawn by the efficient cause ( God ) from the operations of earthy , ayrie , watry , & heauenly supernal Elementes . As on Munday , beeing the second of September , Anno 1583. was seen very strange sights in the ayre , beginning betwixt the houres of eight & nine at night . And so increasing & continuing till after midnight , but chiefly betwixt eleuen & twelue was séen maruailous strange , rare , miraculous , & wonderful permouements , ad and regrediacions , with constellations of the ayre , and watery elements , which were sometime darke , sometime red , sometime fiery , and bloody colloured , with streames like sharpe speares , shooting straight vpwarde , and meeting togeather , ( as it were ) in a round point , with flashes , much brightnesse , many streames , and straunge and vnwonted collours of the rainebow . As also with the collour of the fire of Brimstone , and seeming as it were burning with fierye flashes and smoake . Straunge , and fearefull no doubt to the beholders , as though the gallant frame , of all the radient skie and elements , had beene euen then about to be set on fire . All which threates and often preachings from Heauen , by Fyre , doth yet once agayne call our disobedience , vnto speedy obedience , and amendment of life . I therefore , as one that beheld the same , although of all others , the most vnfittest to report it , haue here in wryting , published the very trueth , and sight , as it then appeared and was manifestly seene , ( ouer our horrizon at London ) & no doubt of many others . To the end that none might be ignorant , of that last warning , which appeared , to call vs vnto repentaunce . Before the Lord God ( whose mercies , are alwaies as great , as him selfe ) do bring any notable ouerthrow , or destruction vpon any nation , kingdome , or people , he firste of all giueth them warning , to the ende , that if they repent not , yet they might be found , vnexcusable , as hauing no cause , to plead ignorance . Thus he dealt towardes the Sodomites , to whom , before hee destroyed them . ( With fire and brimstone from heauen ) hee sent three Angels to Abraham , to giue them warning , who prayed for them . And before he destroyed the old worlde , Gen. 18. by the diluge of water , he sent them Noah , who preached by the preparing of an Arke , an hundreth and twenty yeares , so that euery stroke of his hammers , might haue been a sufficient sermon , to warne them , of the comming of the waters : before the dearth came vpon Egipt , Gen. 6. the Lorde sent Ioseph , to prouide barnes , and store , for old father Iacob , & his familie , as it appeareth , in the 45. chapiter of Gene.

When the heart of Pharaoh , could be mollified , towards the Aegyptians , by none other meanes then by the Lordes punishmentes , The Lorde sente ten merueilous notable plagues , and wonders vppon Pharaoh , and al his host , yea , from the hiest that sitteth on th emperiall seate , to the lowest , that grindeth in myll , or slandeth behinde the doore , and made his stoute stomacke , somewhat to stoupe . The Lorde hath forwarned vs a great while , & yet doth not cease , so to doe stil , first by his Law , then by his gospel , thirdly by the benefites , that we haue continually receiued of him , fourthly by his creatures , and miraculous tokens , strange monsters , blazing commets , vnwonted enundations of waters , straunge fishes , perrillous warres , earthquakings , and last of all , firye constellations , as now also lately appeared , and is here afore more plainly specified . Obseruing in al pointes ( touching the declaration of that strange sight , which I sawe ) the trueth , so neare as I can . Requesting , the gentle readers , to pardon me , as one vnlearned , and willing to submit my faltings , alwaies to the censure , iudgement , and discretion of the learned , whom I reuerence . Requesting al , to bear in mind , the holy words of S. Peter in his second epistle , and thirde Chapter , which are spoke to this purpose . First , that there shal come in the latter dais mockers , walking after their owne lustes , And saying , wher is the promise of his comming ? For euer since , the olde fathers fel asleepe , al things haue continued still alike from the beginning and creation of the worlde . For this they know , ( how be it are wilfully ignoraunt of it ) howe that the heauens were of old , and the earth consisting of the water , and the water by the worde of God . By the which the worlde that then was ( as I haue sayde before ) perished , being ouer runne with Water . But the heauens , and the earth which be now , are kept in store , by his worde , and reserued vnto fire , against the day of iudgement , and the pardition of vngodly men . And therefore be not ignoraunt of this , that one day is with the Lord , as a thousand yeares , and a thousand yeares , as one day . And that the Lord is not slack in comming , as some men count slacknesse , but is patient to vs warde , ( forasmuch ) as he would haue no man lost , but receiued all , vnto repentance . Neuerthelesse , whether ye repent , or continue stil in your sinnes , yet the day of the Lorde shall come , as a theefe in the night , in which the Heauens shal passe away with a greate noise , and the elementes shal melt , with feruent heat , the earth also and the workes that are therein , shal be vtterly burned . Seing then , that al these things shal perish , what manner of persons ought ye to bee , in al manner of holy conuersation and Godlinesse . Looking for , and hasting vnto the comming of the day of God , by whom , the heauens shall perishe with fire , and the elementes shall melte with feruente heate . Wherefore good Christians and beeloued brethren , seeing that you doe nowe looke for suche thinges , which vndoubtedly shall come to passe , be diligent , that ye may be founde of the Lord in peace , without spot , and vndefiled . Wherefore seeing ye bee warned , ( and that afore hand by diuers and sundry preadmonitions ) to take heed . Take heed and beware , least ye fall away ( thorow the error of the wicked ) from your owne stedfastnes . But growe ye in grace , and in the knowledge of our onely Lord , and Sauiour Iesus Christ , to whom be glory both now and foreuer . Amen .

Farewell in the Lord , Thomas Day .

¶ THE CALL OF England , which setteth out our great sinne and iniquities , Gods long sufferaunce , his sundry kindes of callings , our slacknesse in comming , our incredulity in beleeuing , and our iust destruction . NO comfort , solace , nor no ioy , can lodge within my brest , Because thou dost me stil annoy , with thy vnquiet rest . Repent England , and turn with spéed , whilst God doth dayly cal , For he doth sende , and byd thee mend , before thy dreadful fal . Deare England thou , dost dayly grieue and vex me euery way , To see my workes and prooue my deeds , what I can do , or say . Repent England , &c. Ful twenty yeares and foure thou hast at large , heard out my cry , And stil by word , I say repent by waters , earth , and skie . Repent england , &c. And as vpon Ierusalem , I did both weepe and waile , So doth my louing preachers cry , but nothing can preuaile , Repent england , &c. Thou thinkest not vpon my call , my voyce thou dost note hare , My preachers meeke , my word most sweet to saue , thou dost not feare . repent england , &c. Neglecting stil , thou dost fulfil all wickednesse and sinne , And hast delight , both day and night to fit , and dwel therein . repent england , &c. What sinnes in Noy , his time were found , or els in Sodomes store , That doth not now in thee abound , a thousand times , and more . repent england , &c. Is not thy whooredome , and thy pride , thy vsury , and gaine , Thy waight , and measure vniust tryde , still lodged in thy braine . repent england , &c. No care to get , so that thou haue , thy pining purse to fil , Who be vndon , although thereby thy brothers blood thou spil . repent england , &c. Loe England now , what meaneth else , thy rents which tripled Bee , In such a rate , that none but thou or thine , can dwell with thée . repent England , &c. And is it all , nay leases great , yea Fines and Incomes bare Vp such a price , that non that s wise , but thee and thine doth feare . repent England , &c. Why dealest thou so ( O England ) with thine annointed king , Who fills thy store , and empts thy store againe , of euery thing . repent england , &c. But auarice ( that bagg ) stirres vp , thy Tygred natures kinde , To wring and wrest the poore , to fill thine vncontented minde . repent england , &c. Thus carelesly , thou dost contemne the poore , whom thou shouldst feed , And to the ritch thou makest feastes with fare thou dost exceed . repent england , &c. Esteeming more thy gluttony , thy pride , and idle lyfe , Then care , and conscience of the poore , to end their law and stryfe , repent england , &c. Yet God doth send his Ionas stil , thee England to cal , While there is time , if thou wilt heare , and feare , from sinne to fal . repent england , &c. If not , his iudgement is most swift , remember Easter past , how on the wednesday , he did shake this earth , and all things fast . repent england , &c. Both Castles , townes , and Towers strong , and Mountaines euery where , The ground most firme , and al thereon did shake , and quake for feare . repent england , &c. If then his wrath be found so fearce , as sencelesse things makes nymble , Shall it not make the stoutest hearts , of vnderstanding tremble ? repent england , &c. Yes , yes , O england think not so , but that thou shalt be found , And as amazed gydsicke man , fal flat with death to ground . repent england , &c. While thou hast time , therefore repent , and call to God for grace , That he from wrath may yet relent , and al thy sinnes deface . repent england , &c. Vnto thee which his iudgements call , and cause thee to decline , And thitherward appoint thy path , as by a squared lyne . repent england , &c. Repent I say , and soeke his face , whilst it is to be found , In this same special time of grace , here liuing on the ground . repent england , &c. And dare thou not protract the time , to dally any more , Because the iudge with iudgement comes , and standeth at the dore . and saith repent , &c. With wonders strange and monsters fell , and blazing starres by past , Doth stil Prognosticate and tell , of iudgement at the last . repent england , &c. What sicknes new , with plagues are sent , what flouds do ouerflow , In euery place , what wars are bent to tell vs it is so . repent england , &c. And euerything in their degree , as nature hath assignde , The tyde , the time , and winters bee , vnnatural by kinde . repent england , &c. What warninges hath beene often sent to thee , by flashing streames Of fire , which bids thee to repent and wake , out of thy dreames . repent england , &c. The clowdes , likewise infixt with bloude , and Brimstome fire , like smoken , With collours strange , not oft like seene , a day of dome betoken . repent england , &c. As late ( alacke ) on Munday last , who so abroad did range , Betwixt the howres of leuen and twelue , might see it very strange . repent england , &c. On al the parts of heauenly sky . was tokens to remember , The latter comming of the Lorde , the second of September . repent therefore O england , &c. Therefore while thou haste time and space , and whiles he calles thee still , Come vnto him , turne not thy face , obey vnto his wil. repent england , &c. And thou shalt haue , that he hath bought , and purchast for thee free , The kingdome of eternall rest , for thy reward and fee . repent england , &c. Lord send vs al those heauenly ioyes , with thee for to remaine , And vs defend from sathans noyes , and euerlasting paine . repent england , &c. God saue our queene Elizabeth , and stablish still her raigne , In health , and wealth , and happy peace , thy Gospel to maintaine . Repent ( O England ) then with speed , and turne from sathans thrall . Both man and wife , amend your life , and Christ wil saue you all . FINIS .

Notes, typically marginal, from the original text

Notes for div A19994-e80