City broke down the Walls Fortresses and places of strength plundered and destroyed all that came before him sparing none and set the City on fire so that for the space of forty days no body could be there for fire and smoak Thus was Rome utterly destroyed by the Goths according to the prediction of Scipio of Carthage who had prophesied it with tears 700 years before when the Romans burnt and destroyed Carthage Two years after the same King Totillas besieged the City of Placentia so long and hard that the Inhabitants were fain to eat one another and at last were forc't to surrender up the City to him In the year 591. there was such a dreadful Earthquake in Antioch that more then 60000 persons perished thereby and thereupon followed an extraordinary hot and dry Summer after which ensued a most fearful famine and a plague and the Lombards with much blood-shed did reform the old Lombards gross Barbarism to the Christian faith In the year 832. there was a terrible Earthquake in Italy whereby certain Citys and Hills were quite swallowed up Thereupon arose a destructive warr between the Emperour Lodovicus Pius and his three Sonns who sought by open warr raised against their Father to deprive him of his Government these three sonns made a League with Gregory the 4th Pope of Rome who threatned to depose the Emperour Lodowick But the German Bishops stuck close to the Emperour and said that if the Pope came thither to excommunicate he should depart thence excommunicated The year following namely 834. The Emperour Lodowick advanced with a great Army into Alsatz to reduce his seditious and rebellious sonns to obedience and submission but was surprized in the battle of Lugenfield by Basell and Lotharins whom Lodowick fully impowred to mannage the Government together with himselfe carried his Father prisoner a long time about with him as a spectacle of wonder At this the Princes of Germany were highly displeased and desired his Sons Lodowick and Pipin that they either by good means or by force would procure their Lord and Father's enlargement if they expected to find any faithful friendship from the High Dutch whereupon the Emperour was set at liberty again In the year 868. there was a great Comet seen in the Air after which followed many Earthquakes and after that a great plague and there did arise a terrible warr between the three Brothers the sons of the Emperour Lodowick which of them should get and enjoy the Empire alone The Danes sail'd over and invaded Scotland and there with sword fire and plundering put all things into confusion went afterwards into England and took Edmund the King of England prisoner in a Church drag'd him out and hang'd him up on a tree and shot his body full of Arrows the 20th day of November in the year 870. as Matthew Westmonster writes And King Harrald Haarfager waged a furious warr in Norway for the space of ten years subdued and expelled all the petty Kings and turned the Government into a Monarchy in the year 878. In the year 882. the 29th of December there hapned a fearful Earthquake in Germany whereby many fair houses and buildings in Worms were destroyed Thereupon it followed that the Normen and Danes under the conduct of Godfrid their King marched to the River Rhine rob'd and plunder'd all wheresoever they came demolisht and destroyed to the very ground Camerich Tornai Arras Tarren and Gent burnt up Lowen Utrecht Lurich Neus Coln Achen and Gulich Whereupon the Emperour Carolus Crassus was sent for cut of Italy by the French and German Princes to defend his own Countrey against the tyranny of the Normen but he could not prevail by force of Arms and therefore concluded a peace with them and delivered into their possession the Province of Newstria in France to be their own free inheritance which is called by them now at this day Normandia or Normandy In the year 983. there was a most terrible Earthquake in Italy whereby Beneventura and Capua were destroyed Thereupon followed an extraordinary drie Summer and burning drought which occasioned a great scarcity and a fearful plague In the year 990. there hapned terrible Earthquakes in many places and thereupon ensued fearful and incredible inundations of water all over Europe upon which followed an extraordinary hot and dry Summer that burnt up the fruits of the earth which occasioned a great scarcity and famine every where In Saxony there rained Fâ—sh out of the Air and in Albania there rained Corn from Heaven but unfit for the use of man The Sunn was wholly Eclipsed and a great piece of fire fell down out of the Air and burnt upon the earth after which followed a most terrible plague so that the living which bare the dead to their graves fell down dead themselves and were buried together and there came much fire from the River of Rhine also by which many of the adjacent Towns and Villages were wholly burnt up In the year 1085. there hapned a fearful Earthquake in England whereby many houses were overthrown and much harm done and it followed thereupon that King William of England caused all his Subjects annual Profits Estates and Incomes of every kind both of Corn-land Medows Woods Pastures Cattle and Sheep and every thing they had to live upon to be Registred and accordingly required great contribution of the Countrey which caused danger ous civil tumults uproars and discontents in the Land and there followed also a very unfruitfull year In the year 1085. there hapned a terrible Earthquake in Lorain whereupon there followed a fierce plague and suddain death of people And the same year there was unspeakable harm done in the Netherlands by great and unusual inundations of water both to people and Cattle In the year 1126. there was another terrible Earthquake in Italy which lasted 40 days Thereupon followed a lamentable mis-growth of the fruits of the earth and a most miserable famine as also a destructive and bloody warr between the Emperour Lotharius and the German Princes and between the Bohemians and Conrad Duke of Frankenland In the year 1135. there were several terrible Earthquakes heard of both in England and in Germany whereby many houses were thrown down the fire also burnt fearfully out of the earth for certain days together and could not be quenched by water nor by any other kind of thing And besides that there was very great mischief done in many places of Germany by other fire Mentz and its Cathedral was burnt in the Cities of Spire and Strasborg many Churches and Cloysters were laid in Ashes Ausburg was almost quite burnt up and a third part of Goslar Hall in Saxony flew up into the air in a smoak and the next year following there was such an extream hot and dry Summer that the waters in great Rivers Channels and streams contrary to Nature did so diminish that men might have gone dry-shod over where great Ships used to sail the Wells and Springs also
that Brimstone Bitumen or other such stuffe which easily and suddenly takes fire above the Earth should so heat those seething hot Springs within the earth which do arise in several places thereof because the fire is not after such a manner secretly contained and hidden in them as it is in a Flint Steel or in Calce viva that is unslak't Lime for assoon as the Flint and Steel is forcibly struck together they do presently produce apparent fire And when water toucheth or is cast upon unslak't Lime it kindles it self and presently discovers the secret nature of the fire that is in it and that so plainly that it will quickly set any thing a fire that will be kindled by fire And therefore we must not think that either the heat of the Sun or motus continui strong and perpetual motions which do otherwise occasion great heat here on earth and sometimes produces fire in Nature or the inward Warmth of the earth or any other substance which the subterraneous waters have their course through within the earth can be the cause of the said waters being so boyling hot as it is in the hot Bathes and in many other places of the Earth where it springs up but it must be the subterraneous fire it self to which it only and properly belongs in altissimo Caloris gradu to heat it in so high a degree Which fire without doubt is kindled in several parts of the earth when the subterraneous water forceth it self per subterraneos meatus or the subterraneous passages and pores of the Earth where Calx viva or other such kind of inflameable matter is as aforesaid And it is here to be observed That Bitumen by us called Jewes Lime will burn in the water without having any ayr but then it must first be set on fire above the water in the open Ayr and when it is kindled it will not be quenched by water no more then burning Pitch or Tarre will but the more water is cast upon it the fiercer it burnes There is also a Stone called Gagates that will burn vehemently in the water which Galen did so much admire that only to find and see it he sail'd with great danger of his Life round about Lycia Now Brimstone is a substance found in the Earth which is easily kindled when it is above the Earth but it will not burn except it have Ayr whence it may readily be observed that it is not Brimstone but Bitumen or Calx viva or some other substance yet unknown which is the thing that so burneth in the subterraneous waters and from whence they receive such their extraordinary heat that in many places of the Earth they spring up so extream boyling hot that one may scald Swine Fowle or the like in them and that so suddainly that a man can scarce dip them into those warers before the hair and feathers come off and if one hold them never so little in their very flesh will be boyled from the bones like some hot Springs in Island and in Germany as Thermae Badenses and the like Of this sort of hot springs called in Latine Thermae and by us commonly called hot Baths There are enough to be found in several countreys and kingdoms but especially in Germany as Leuker Bath in Wallissen Land by the Alpes of Poeninas Thermae Badensis in Hegoja the Wild Bath in the Land of Wittemberg Wiss-Bath in the Land of Hessen one by Elbogen in Bohemia and another at Achan in Brabant And that there is a great and dreadful fire in the innermost parts of the earth a man may apparently see and understand by those Mountains that do perpetually flame and burn without cessation giving a terrible prospect and yearly casting up vast quantities of Brimstone Pumistone and other burnt stuff like that of a Smiths Forge which the earth works and casts up of it selfe through such open hiatus or holes by the heat and force of the subterraneous fire where the said fire hath as I may say its breathing places Such a Mountain there is in Island called by Cosmographis Mons Heckla and by the Inhabitants Hecklefield the same Mountain burns continually with a blue brimstone-like and most dreadful flame casting up and bestrowing the fields round about with such great quantities of Brimstone that divers Ships may yearly be loaden off with it and it oft times strews the Land with so many ashes and other burnt stuff that the Countrey for the space of ten miles round about can yield no profitable increase and when it burns with greatest vehemence for it burns sometimes more fiercely then others it makes a terrible rumbling like the noise of loud Thunder and a fearful crackling and tearing that may be heard a long way off by the Inhabitants and such as sail by it The fire of this same Mountain is of a strange quallity and nature it can burn and consume water but cannot set on fire or consume Tow. Saxo Gramm in praefatione Anno 1626. did this mountain of Heckfield break out with such a flame that it cast terrible unusual pieces of fire out which flew round about a great way and burnt up many Houses and did irrepairable mischief to the Land and according to intelligence the ashes of that fire flew about certain hundreds of miles and was also seen in the Norther most parts of Norway which seems to be impossible yet it is related for certain that it was so The late Historiographers do write very strangely cerning such things as do yearly happen by and about this mountain In Campania hard by Neapolis there is also a burning mountain called Vesuvius or as some call it Vesevus which also burns continually without cessation This mountain hath several times bestrewed the Land thereabouts with so many ashes that they have cover'd the tops of the trees in the adjacent woods In the time of Titus Vespatian And Fl. Domitian the same mountain cast up such a fire that two Towns were burnt by it and also caused such a mighty and thick smoak that it wholly deprived the Sun of its light all over Italy so that the day there was as dark then as the darkest night And it also bestrew'd the whole Countrey with such an infinite and incredible quantity of ashes that it was cover'd over as with a great Snow which ashes were so blown and carried about by the winds that they flew to Africa Egypt and Syria Munster lib. 2. de Italia In the 16 th year of the Reign of Constantine the 5. the said Vesuvius did very great harm And in the year 1538. it broke out fresh again with a terrible and dangerous fire and an Earthquake and made a fearful deep hole in the earth in plain and even ground and round about the same hole cast up a mighty deal of earth like unto a great mountain Munster ibidem Pliny that great Naturalist when he endeavouring to profound the nature of this burning mountain went too neer
the mouth of the hole in the top of it was choakt by the smoak and damp of the said fire and lost his life In Sycillia there is also such a Mountain called Etna which in old time was and is yet much spoken of for its continual casting up of fire and brimstone whose fire is only seen at nights and nothing but smoak a days except when it breaks out very vehemently then the fire may be seen day and night In the year 1537. the same Mountain cast up a great piece of burning Brimstone into the Air which fell down again in several places in pieces and spoiled the adjacent Countreys Woods and Villages The precedent year namely 1536. the 22. of March did this Mountain of Etna begin to cast out a most terrible fire so that the whole Countrey was amazed and trembled at it and there was such a dreadful Earthquake with a crackling and ratling noise that many dyed for very fear and the ashes which that same fire cast up cover'd over not only Sycillia but also Calabria a Province in Italy like a great Snow The Learned Philosopher Empedocles was choak't and destroy'd by this mountains fire and smell when he to satisfie his curiosity concerning the nature and qualities thereof went too neer the hole Philosophers give the reason and cause of such wonderful and continual burnings to be this viz. That the Earth is hollow in many places within it selfe as shall be further declared in the fourth chapter and is full of Brimstone Bitumen and other kind of substances which can feed the fire As also unslakt Lime and Water by which the subterraneous fire is easiest and oftnest kindled Now the fire cannot burn except it have Air or as we may say a breathing place And therefore it is thought that Therma or those hot Baths that are found in several Countreys must be certain Spiracula or breathing holes by which the subterraneous fire doth in some kind get air unto it and when the air by what means soever it be gets into the hollow places in the earth where the fire is Then that fire increaseth into a flame and maketh burning coals or living Embers as it were even in the innermost parts of the earth Therefore it cannot be doubted but there must needs be great and wonderful yet natural Meatus ways or passages in and under the earth through which the heat and flame of the oft named subterraneous fire hath in several places its passage until it gets an open Spiraculum or breathing hole through such flaming mountains Here it is to be noted that those flaming mountains do not burn always alike outwardly but sometimes more and sometimes lesse for such reasons as this When the Hiatus or hole which is above in the mountain is stopt with any kind of stuff so that the fire is smother'd and cannot have its free air or breathing-place then it goes out though not quite but burns notwithstanding below in the earth and only sends forth some few sparkles or small flame and sometimes nothing but only smoak and a stinking burnt damp smell above the earth which sheweth that the fire below in the earth is not dead or wholly quenched but burns and works faintly under the earth as long as till either the former hole opens again or it cannot break through and make another Hiatus or breathing hole and then breaks out afresh again with so much the greater power and vehemence not without doing great mischief and dammage to the adjacent places as is afore declared Now from hence may any man sufficiently understand and observe that by the power operation and force of such fire in and under the earth there must needs be a boyling working distilling and changing of several Minerals and Metals especially considering that the Sun with the rest of the Planets have also their influence and do work effectually under the earth and this must needs be no small cause of great and terrible Earthquakes How Minerals and Metals are wrought decocted and prepared by nature under the Earth shall be handled in the following chapter CHAP. III. Concerning several Minerals Metals and substances in and under the earth and how they are wrought and changed TOuching Minerals which are wrought by nature below in the earth it is according to Physical judgement thus When any dry substance in and under the earth mixeth it selfe with any wet or moist substance by what means soever it hapneth whether by the Airs Fires or Waters passage under the earth and the same mixture either by the powerful influence of the Planets or by the heat of the oft named subterraneous Fire and warm waters is decocted and well boiled together then there is produced a Mineral according to the nature of the substances which are mixt together Also when the subterraneous waters in their several passages or courses under the earth do happen to cover over soak or steep any kind of mettal so long that they do contract gather a thickness to themselves from it and become like unto troubled waters above the earth and the same waters afterwards comes where the fire is or the heat of the subterraneous fire doth penetrate and force it selfe through to the same waters then there is boiled of that water a certain moist substance or matter which in time comes to be a hard and solid Mineral according to the nature of that mettal which the waters did so cover soak or steep and from which it had gathered its quality or thickness under the earth Moreover when such thick troubled and changed subterraneous waters continue long in a place without motion then that quality with which it is so thickned mixt or changed settles it self to the bottom as any thick and troubled water naturally doth where it remains and when the water gets any kind of passage out it runs away and that which is left behind in the bottom is dryed and hardned by the power and influence of the Sun and Planets and also by the subterraneous air or heat wrought into a Mineral suitable to the nature and quality of that from whence the subterraneous waters that are run away had gathered and received its thickness And this may now be more easily apprehended and understood by the following examples When the waters have their courses and passage through that earth which is full of Copper and such like Ore and covers soaks or steeps it so long and often that it becomes thick and muddy and its nature throughly altered and changed or infected by the quality thereof And the same waters afterward by the heat of the fire or the power and influence of the Planets is boyled and distilled in the earth then it becomes a Succus or natural green moist substance whereof being dryed comes the Mineral called Chrysocolla that is Mountaingreen and Virdigrease In like manner when the subterraneous waters covers over soaks or steeps pyriten aerosum friabilem that is a rusty Firrstone
which is easily ground to pieces and is called in High-Dutch Kys then it becomes a bitter Succus which afterwards turns to Victril and Alumen liquidum that is Allom. Likewise where the subterraneous waters or liquid substances have their courses and passage thorough or into Gold and Silver Ore then it becomes Lithargyrium Aureum Argenteum that is Litharidge of Gold and Silver Nor must we think that all Minerals are produced in the earth after this manner now spoken of but some after this manner and some otherwise by the influence of the Planets and other occult natural causes which ought to put us in mind of the omnipotency of God who by nature worketh the rough and unshapen earth and earthish liquid substances into such several very necessary and precious Minerals and Mettals for the great benefit and good of Mankind And it is also found by experience that many Minerals are so perfectly decocted and wrought below in the earth that they do afterwards spring up of themselves thorough the Clefts and Cranies of the Rocks like a pot that seeths and runs over As touching Mettals they are by nature wrought and produced below in the earth after divers secret and incomprehensible ways and manners yea even amongst and within the hard stones and mighty mountainous Rocks by which in like manner we have cause given to consider the omnipotency and bounty of God whereby he in so wonderful and inconceivable a manner doth change earth and stone into Gold Silver Iron Copper Tinn Lead and other very necessary Mettals for the profit and benefit of man And as the Fish is never so deep in the main Sea and other great waters streams but it is brought up for the food and sustentation of man in like manner is Gold Silver Iron Brass Tinn Lead c. never so deep below in the earth nor so hard fastned in and between the hard rocks under it but that by the Almighty power of God and the Art and Labour of those that work in the Mines it is brought up to light for the use and great benefit of Man Concerning which Job in his 28 chap. 1 2 verses writes thus The Silver hath its secret passage and the Gold its place Iron is taken out of the earth and Stone is melted into Copper Such favour hath the goodness and omnipotency of God shewed now in these last times of the world unto this Land and Kingdom of Norway especially since the year 1623. when that rich and famous Silver Mine in Sanswerd and since that time after time the rich Copper-Mine in Ewster-dale and Gulbrands-dale as well as the excellent Iron-Mine in Hedemarken and other places were found out improved to the great and profitable advancement of Trade And here is especially to be noted that Mettals are not discovered and brought to light and use in all places alike soone but some in one seculo or century of years and some in another After two three or more hundred years time and the reason is because they are not ripe all alike soone or perfectly wrought and prepared as the fruits of Trees or Herbs of the field are some of them sooner and some later ripe and that because some Metals are so deep below in the earth that they cannot so soon grow up and show themselves above or upon the earth nor can be perfectly wrought and prepared so soon as those Metals that are placed higher up in the earth and it is also partly because many Countreys and places that are full of Ore and metallish substances do yet lie so far from the Suns and Planets Courses which principally works and prepares them yea even in the deepest and innermost places of the earth that they cannot come so soon to maturity or be discovered and brought to use so soon as those Mines that are in the Southern Countreys either neerer or under the Suns and Planets courses And hence it is that the Mines in these Northern Countreys especially here in Norway and Sweden whose Southermost borders lie not above 34. degrees from the Artick or North-pole but the Northermost reaches up to 71. degrees of North Latitude lying far from the Sun and the other Planets courses and operations have not so soon come to maturity as those Mines in the South countreys and also in the East and West Indies which lye but 30 or 40 degrees from the Equinoctial on both sides from whence great quantities of Gold and Silver hath been and is now yearly brought into these Norther Countreys For the heat of the Sun and the power of the Planets by their presence there have a far greater force and influence in their operation then they have here with us where they never come so neer and besides their power and influence is much obstructed by that natural frost and cold which is here so neer under the Pole It is therefore well worth the notice that when any Ore-Mine is found here in Norway as happens often and in many places which upon tryal is found to yield good and fine Metal or Ore though not so rich as to defray all charges that therefore such Mines ought not to be wholly neglected and slighted but diligently registred and taken notice of for the benefit of our posterity because the Ore sheweth that there is good and fine Metal preparing in that Mine and possibly being deeper searcht into would be found rich enough but if it should not then be able to bear the charges it is because the Metal so found is not yet ripe enough and come to perfect maturity which in time may be wherein Nature and the Planets may do very much in halfe a hundred or a hundred years so that what is not yet ripe enough and come to full perfection in our time may be more ripe and come to better maturity in processe of the time of our posterity to the great profit benefit and advantage of these Kingdoms hereafter Now when Metals are thoroughly prepared and come to their maturity and perfection under the earth then they do discover themselves above the earth like as the fruits of trees when they are ripe enough fall down of themselves shewing thereby that they are now ripe or fit to be digged up and used And it is related amongst us that the rich Silver-Mine in Sanswerd by Dram did discover it selfe by shewing and putting forth its Ore through the cracks and clefts of the stones in that rocky Mountain in the year 1623. And it happens often that when the Countrey people here do burn the wood off from such great places where they intend to sow Corn that the force and vehemence of the fire reaches into the Rocks and makes them glowing hot and then the melted Ore or Metal runs out of their clefts and cracks whereby they are often discover'd and in time improved It is also to be admired how wonderfully nature doth prepare and produce several sorts of Ore in strange forms and
them they perishing from amidst the Congregation Concerning which we may read in the 19 Chapter of Numbers ver 2 31 32 33. 5. Some Earthquakes make the earth to sink lower down then it was before and it never riseth up again but remains always such a low and sunken Land 6. In some places especially by the Sea and sides of great Rivers and Streams the earth carries away Houses Trees Pastures and Meddows into the Sea and Rivers and such particular Earthquakes do often happen here in Norway chiefly in the South parts thereof 7. In some places the Earthquake carries a great rumbling sound and noise along with it like unto the noise of Thunder and so did this that was now amongst us for at first we knew not otherwise but it was Thunder before we saw the houses and moveables apparently to totter and shake 1. Now where such Earthquakes as these do happen there commonly follows storms and tempestuous winds with an unusual smell which ariseth with the Earthquake out of the earth And such an ensuing storm we had here in and about Christiana upon the second Whitsun-holyday which was the 24th day after the Earthquake was past when we poor sinners especially in Ackers Church were fain to get out in all hast fearing least the Church should have fallen down upon us the violence of which storm or whirlwind continued about a quarter of an hour 2. And Earthquakes do use to cause drought and burning heat in the air which we also were aware of certain days and weeks time to the no small dammage of the fruits of the earth 3. The Pestilence also and other poysonous diseases do commonly follow after great Earthquakes according as the Air and Damps which in such Earthquakes break out of the hollow places of the Earth was poysoned under it and afterwards poysons the Air above the Earth and doth naturally produce pernicious and poysonous diseases But God by his mighty power can graciously divert all these things what otherwise usually ensues after Earthquakes is shown in the following Chapter CHAP. VI. Historical Relations what by experience hath commonly been observed to follow after such great and remarkable Earthquakes THat which is Recorded concerning Comets viz. That they are never seen in the Air or Heavens without signifying some great and remarkable judgements and alterations ensuing we may well and truly both say and write concerning such remarkable and great Earthquakes that they do signifie extraordinary great mutations for Histories do show cleerly even from the beginning of the world that when any such great and remarkable Earthquake hath hapned in Nature there hath followed great and notable accidents and changes upon the earth in several Countreys and Kingdoms Concerning those Earthquakes which are Recorded to have hapned before the birth of Christ I will not speak at this time but only commemorate certain of the most notable that have hapned since and what ensued afterwards in divers places In the year of Christ 62. There was a terrible Earthquake in Rome and the year following that cruel Tyrant Emperour Nero caused the City of Rome to be set on fire of purpose to have burnt it quite down thereby to delight himselfe with seeing after what manner the lamentable destruction of the ancient and famous Citie of Troy was And when the fire of the City burnt with greatest violence he went up to the highest Tower or Terret of his Pallace and caused the destruction of Troy to be plaid upon several Musical instruments and sung before him that fire continued six days and seven nights In the year of Christ 80. there was a great Earthquake in Cypris upon which followed a great Plague which also reacht to Rome and there increased mightily Thereupon ensued a great and destructive warr against the Romans for Diurepaneus the King of the Goths advanced with the power of Gothland over the River Danubius and held a bloody battle with Opius Sabinus General of the Romans giving him and his Army a total defeat and killing all so that there scarcely escaped a man that could carry the Romans any certain intelligence concerning it In the year of Christ 104. there hapned a terrible Earthquake in Syria for certain days together whereby many stately buildings were demolished and many people were kill'd and destroy'd and it followed thereupon that the Emperour Trajanus fell into Armenia with a great power and vanquish'd it marched afterwards into Arbella and subdued the Parthians and advanced forward in such a manner as if he had purposed to have conquer'd the whole World having great fortune and success at the first but afterwards the Jews rebelled against the Romish power and would by no means be any longer subject to them wherefore under the conduct of Artemone their Leader killed and destroyed in Cyprus 240000 men and slew all the Romans that they could find or surprize every where And after this the Emperour Trajanus raised a great and puissant Army under the command of Marcus Turbonus and Lucius Quietus and sent them into Jewry and the Countreys thereabouts which took and destroy'd all that came before them and did conquer and subdue Hiberos Sarmatia Agarenos Arabia Bosphorum Colchos and also Saleuciam Ctesiphont and Babylon Dion Ammianus lib. 14. And after the aforesaid Earthquake the third general persecution began against the Christians under the Emperour Trajanus some writers do relate that it was as impossible to number the sand in the Sea as to compute the number of those that were most miserably Butcher'd and Martyr'd in this persecution for the confession of the faith of Christ In the year 111. when that wicked Emperour lay in his Winter quarters at Antioch there hapned a terrible Earthquake again so that the Emperour Trajanus caused himselfe to be carried out at a window and remained under the open Heavens till the Earthquake was past not daring to trust himselfe in any house or under any roof for a long time after and thereafter followed such a lamentable drought exceeding hot Air mis-growth of the Fruits of the earth Famine and poysonous Pestilence and a loathsom Stink from the earth as if all the Elements had conspired and plotted together to revenge the blood of those multitudes of innocent Christians so lamentably butcher'd and destroy'd by that in humane Emperour In the year 151. there was much harm done in many places of Italy by Earthquakes and thereupon ensued a fearful Plague which encreased so mightily there that it left many Towns wholly desolate and terrible inundations of Water did also spoyle many fair Cities and a multitude of Grashoppers devoured all the fruits of the earth almost all over Italy In the year 240. there hapned another terrible Earthquake in Italy whereby many Cities and much people did perish by the opening of the earth whereupon there was appointed ex libris Sybillinis that general burnt offerings should be made to the Gods not only in Rome but all over the Romish Empire And
became dried up in many places that many men fainted and dyed of thirst as well as Cattle yea many Buildings and countrey Villages were set on fire by the heat of the Sun and it caused a terrible famine in Europe In the year 1155. there fell many houses down in Burgundy and thereafter followed a great dissention between the Emperour Frederick Babarosa and the Pope of Rome which continued many years with much efusion of blood until the Emperour was openly excommunicated out of the Romish Church and suffer'd himselfe to be publikely absolved in St. Marks Church in Venice where Pope Alexander was not therewith contented that the Emperour went bare-leg'd to the Church and there kneeled on his bare knees with Prayer and Fasting for his offence committed against him but the Pope also shamelesly trode upon his neck with his feet In the year 1194. there was a great Earthquake in Denmark and it followed thereupon that the Vandals fell from the Danish Crown forsook their Christian faith and returned to the former idolatrous worship again whereupon King Knute of Denmark raised all the power of his Countrey caused the Schleswickers to prepare 130 Ships the Reepers 120 the Wendsussellers 50 the Fyeners 100 the Sealanders 120 the men of Skone 150 in all 670 ships and therewith fell upon Knute King of the Vandals who destroyed and kill'd all that came before them and carried away much plunder of Goods and Cattle out of the Countrey In the year 1300. there hapned a fearful Earthquake almost all over Europe thereupon followed an unusual dry Summer with extraordinary heat so that in Denmark and the small Islands men scarcely knew where to find any fresh water in any place And in Italy there arose such a fearful civil warr and dissention between two Princely Families called the Guelphs and Gibilines that it had neer ruin'd whole Italy It will be needless to write any thing more out of History concerning Earthquakes and what remarkable things have always ensued for from those many that are Recorded it may sufficiently be seen that Earthquakes signify no great good to Countreys and Kingdoms but God by his Almighty power can divert much evil A Theological conclusion with some instructions out of the Holy and infallible word of God what Earthquakes do signifie and teach unto us NOw when we enter into the Sanctuary of God that is into his Holy and infallible Word and there seek and enquire diligently for right instructions concerning Earthquakes then we shall receive this information viz. That God did create the world at first that it should be and remain fixt and unmoveable concerning which the Scripture giveth this testimony 1 Chron. 16. 30. Fear ye the Lord all the earth the world also shall be stable that it be not moved And also Psalm 89. 12. and 102. 25. In fundasti terram Thou hast laid the foundation of the earth and all that is in it Also Psalm 104. 5. Who laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed for ever Also Prov 3. 19. The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth And Isai 48. 13. Mine hand also hath laid the foundations of the earth From whence and other the like Oracles of the wholly Scripture we may cleerly discern and understand that God did not create the earth so loose and unfixed in the beginning that it should shake tremble and quake but always to remain steady and unmoveable 2 Pet. 3. 5. But when the Earth contrary to the fixed nature of its Creation shall tremble quake and shake then there must certainly be some extraordinary and important causes of it whereof the Holy Scriptures more especially intimateth two which moveth God to permit and produce such great and terrible Earthquakes namely First When the wickednesse of men is great upon the earth and the earth is corrupt and filled with violence Gen. 6. 5 11 13. Then is the Righteous and just wrath of God provoked to move the earth himselfe and cause her to tremble thereby to destroy men yea even the earth it self also Gen. 6. 13. By removing the Mountains and they know not which he overturneth in his anger when he causeth the earth to be shaken out of its place that the pillars thereof do tremble as Job speaketh chap. 9. 5 6. Concerning which the Holy scriptures do give this further testimony Exod. 15. 12. when thou strechedst out thy right hand the earth swallowed them Psal 18. 7. The earth shook and trembled the foundations also of the Hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth And Psal 104. 32. He beholdeth the earth and it trembleth he toucheth the Mountains and they smoak And concerning such Earthquakes the Prophet Isaiah teacheth thus Chap. 13. 13. The earth shall be removed out of her place by the fury of the Lord of Hosts in the day of his fierce anger And chap. 24. 18 19 20. The foundations of the earth do shake the earth is utterly broken down the earth is clean dissolved the earth is moved exceedingly the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunken man And Isai 29. 6. Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of Hosts with Thunder and with Earthquakes and with great noise with storms and tempests and with the flame of a devouring fire Also Nahum 1. 5 6. The mountains quake at him the hills melt and the earth is burnt at his presence c. Now where God in his wrath hath thus shaken the earth there her inhabitants might very well sigh deeply and pray with David in Psal 60. 2. O God thou hast made the earth to tremble thou hast broken it heal the breaches thereof for it shaketh Secondly when God hath been about to do some extraordinary thing upon the earth or make any remarkable alteration in Countreys and Kingdoms the Holy Scriptures do testifie that it is made known by preceding Earthquakes as by so many prodomos or Harbingers As for example when God himselfe descended down after an especial manner upon mount Sinai and there gave his wholly Law to the Isralites for the direction of themselves and of the whole world Then did the whole Mount greatly quake Exod. 19. 18. And when God brought his people out of Egypt though Moses hath not recorded that any Earthquake hapned then yet the Holy Scriptures do show that it was not done without a notable Earthquake by which the red Sea was divided in that place that the children of Israel went through and was so dry for the space of about sixty miles as the Tables of Cosmography do shew that the Israelites could go thorow dry-shod Exod. 14. 21 22. As Deborah the Prophetesse and Judge and Barack the son of Abinoam the Captain do testifie concerning this in their song of praise Judg. 5. 4 5. when the Lord went out of Seir and marched out of the fields of Edom the earth trembled and the mountains melted from before the Lord. And with this agreeth that of Asaph