Queene Maries daies And since that tyme in Fraunce and Spaine and other places there hath been thereof to muche experience if the will of GOD had been otherwise Verse 10. More ouer he saieth And then shall many bee offended and shall betraie one an other and shall hate one an other And hath there not been many offences bothe giuen and taken Yea oftentymes more offence taken then occasion hath been giuen Was there euer the like treasons and treacherous conspiracies committed in any age As hath been in these our daies And was there euer more bitter hatred showed betwixt one and other then is at this present I am perswaded the like enemitie betweene partie and partie was neuer seen as is in this our age otherwise there would not be so many brabbling matters sette abroche almoste in euery Courte in Englande as there be c. Moreouer Christe sheweth that many false Prophetes shall arise and shal deceiue many for proofe whereof what saie you to the swarmes of Anabaptistes whiche doe sowe their Deuelishe doctrine almoste in euery place in the worlde And is not this verified also thinke you Of the secrete reuelation of H. N. and of the deuelishe darnell and cursed doctrine of Dauid George and Christopher Vitell and diuers others the cheefest Pillers of the familie of Loue Whose bookes of damnable heresies directly againste diuerse of the moste principall Articles of the christian faithe are scattered abroad in many places of this realme to the greate disturbaunce and breache of that vnitie of faithe which ought to be kept in the bonde of peace But thākes be giuen vnto God the Queenes Maiestie by her graue and learned Counsaile hath taken suche order that not onely all suche bookes shal be called in againe throughout the whole Realme but also that the Sectaries them selues shall bee attached and committed to close prison there to remain till either thei shal be purged and cleared of their heresies by recantation or els by the Lawes of the Realme to suffer the iuste sentence of condemnation for their demerites and to bee condemned as heretiques The heresies whiche thei maintain as thei are infinite in nomber so are thei also full of blasphemie 1 As namelie thei affirme that thei dooe liue so perfectly that thei synne not 2 Also that who soeuer is one of their cōgregation is either as perfecte as Christe or els a very Deuill 3 Thirdlie thei denie with Arrius that Christe is equall with the Father in the power and substance of the Godhead groundyng that opinion out of this place of the Scripture where Christe saieth Ihon. 14.27 My Father is greater then I. Not consideryng that Christe saieth in an other place I and my Father are one c. Ihon. 10.30 4 Thei doe affirme that the Resurrection is paste alreadie with Hymeneus and Philetus Whiche concernyng the truthe haue erred 2. Tim. 2.18 and dooe destroye the faithe of certaine 5 Thei do refuse to suffer persecution for their Religion because thei saie that their bodies are the temples of the holie Ghoste wherein thei doe deny the wordes of Christ who saieth Math. 5.10 Blessed are thei whiche suffer persecutiō for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kyngdome of heauen c. These with an infinite nomber of other grosse errours doe this deuelishe family of Loue maintain in their blasphemous bookes whiche I doe omit for breuities sake Onely haue I giuen the worlde a taste of a fewe of their opinions that by the consideration thereof all men maie maie take heede of the reste of their Pharisaicall Leuine and damnable doctrine whiche is set a broche in their seditious Bookes firste made in the Dutche tongue in the name of H. N. and lately translated into Englishe haue been secretly brought ouer from beyonde the Seas into the Realme The titles whereof are called Euangeliū Regni or a Ioyfull Message of the Kingdome Documentall sentences The Prophecie of Loue. A publishyng of the peace vpon earth and diuers others which for auoiding of tediousnesse I will not recite at this present Math. 24. verse 12. And furthermore Christ saieth ver 12. that because iniquitie shal bee encreased the loue of many shal be colde but he that endureth to the ende shal be saued Was there euer I praie you more iniquitie Did synne and transgression so aboundantly raigne euery where as it doth at this present Was Christian loue and brotherly fellowshippe more cold at any time then now No truely Suche wickednesse at this daie is raignyng generally vpon the face of the earth that if it were not for the electes sake that these wretched daies should bee shortened it were not possible that any fleshe should bee saued But to conclude our Sauiour Christ addeth verse 14. Math. 24.14 That this Gospell of the kyngdome shal be preached through the whole worlde for a witnesse vnto all Nations and then shall the ende come Now I hope that there is no man so impudent that will deny these Prophecies of Christe to bee alreadie fulfilled For so muche as the Gospell hath been so vniuersally and plentifully preached throughout the worlde that there is none who cā excuse hymself in the daie of the lorde and saie that he hath not heard the sounde of his Gospell preached and published vnto hym by those which are appointed to be the stewardes of suche holie misteries but rather thei must needes confesse that greate hath been the multitude of the Preachers c. What reason can there bee alledged to the contrarie then but that the consummation of the worlde is imminent Seyng that Christe who is the truthe the waie and the life hath spoken it Of whō it is written Math. 17.5 that a voice came out of a Cloude saiyng This is that my beloued Soonne in whom I am well pleased heare hym Hereunto I doe adde that which is writtē by the Apostle Paule 2. Thes 2.1 Now wee beseche you brethren by the commyng of our Lorde Iesus Christ and by our assemblyng vnto hym That you be not sodainly mooued from your minde nor troubled neither by spirite nor by woorde nor by letter as it were from vs as though the daie of Christe were at hande Lette no man deceiue you by any meanes For the daie shall not come except there come a departyng first that is to saie Apostasie or a deniall of the Christian faithe and that the man of synne be disclosed euen the sonne of perditiō whiche is an aduersarie and exalteth hymself against all that is called God or that is worshipped c. Well all these signes ye see haue been already paste and wee can not deny but that wee haue seene and yet doe daiely see an infinite nomber of Antichristes whiche deny the manifest and vndoubted truthe and fall to Poperie and all abhominable Idolatrie so that the daie of the Lorde can not bee farre of but must needes be at hande Moreouer I beseche you harken what Christe
⧠A blazyng Starre or burnyng Beacon seene the 10. of October laste and yet continewyng set on fire by Gods prouidence to call all sinners to earnest speedie repentance Written by Francis Shakelton Minister and preacher of the worde of GOD. ¶ I will shewe wonders in heauen and in the earth bloud and fire and pillers of smoke Ioel. 2 30. ¶ Imprinted at London by Ihon Kyngston for Henry Kirkham and are to bee solde at the signe of the blacke boye adioynyng to the little Northdore of sainct Paule 1580. To the right Honorable sir Thomas Bromley knight lord Chauncellour of Englande and one of her Maiesties moste honourable priuie Councell long life and health with increase of honor and all maner of spirituall blessynges IT maie be demed in the iudgement of the worlde a great presumptiō in me right Honourable thus vnaduisedly to aduēture the discourse of this late blazing Starre whiche appeared the x. daie of October laste 1580. whereof verie small or rather no accompt at all is made emong the vulgare sort for that it hath not altogether suche splēdant brightnesse and glisteryng radiation as some other Cometes heretofore haue had I knowe I say I shal be launced with the bitter reproofes and Zoilous reprehensions of certaine fine mouthed mates who looke for finer phrases and more mellow and sugred sentences then my poore skill or habilitie will aford My onely drift herein right Honourable is to disswade the worlde from freezing in the dregges of their synnes by admonisheyng them of the finall dissolution of the Engine of this worlde and seconde commyng of Christ in the cloudes whiche by many manifest and ineuitable reasons J gather can not bee farre of Jn respecte whereof accordyng to the duetie of my profession J exhort all men to awake out of their slepe by earnest repentance whiche is the perfecte and plain path waie to auert Goddes iuste plagues deseruedly threatened vnto vs. The artificiall description of whiche Starre together with his appearance motion colour continuance matter forme significatiō and effect as J by the aduise of some right skilfull in the Mathematiques haue by the waie superficiallie touched So dooe J leaue the fuller delineation thereof to them who professedly dwell in the same Art Astronomie I meane are best hable to yeeld their learned resolutions My profession drawyng me an other waie requireth an other maner of methode which as J haue here to my poore skill discouered So am J with all humilitie moste duetifully to craue your Honors pardō for the acceptance thereof at my handes till it shall please God to enhable me with other opportunitie to preferre vnto your Lordshippes censure some other woorke of greater momente importance Till then alwaies J shall humblie beseeche the Almightie lōg to preserue your good Lordshippe with honour healthe and all felicitie to his Diuine will and pleasure Amen Your Honors moste humble Francis Shakelton ¶ Jn hanc Francisci Shakeltonj Cometologiam Ogdoastichon ECce Shakeltonj non parua volumine paruo Commoda Brutigenis hexapla certa suis Eia agè lector in hoc forsan reperire libello Multa potes tibi quae vix aliunde patent Vt tibi vt patriae prodesset amicus amicae Participem tersi te facit esse styli Tu tantùm grates memor esto rependere dignas Sic fructum studij demetet ipse sui Thomas Newton Cestreshyrius SO often as there hath been at any time sene eclipses of the Sōne or the Moone either any Comette or blasyng Starre in any parte of the Heauen Those that are Christians haue forthwith been taught by Christe hymself to lifte vp their heades Luke 21.28 knowyng that their redemption draweth nigh that is to saie Christians are admonished thereby that the daie of Iudgement is at hande When thei shall see the Sonne of manne commyng in the Cloudes with power and greate glorie to iudge the quicke and the deade and to giue to euery man accordyng to his deedes that thei haue doen in their bodies be thei good or euill 2. Pet. 3.10 Whose comming shal be as Peter saith as a theefe in the night In the which daie the Heauen shall passe awaie with a noyce and the Elementes shall melte with heate and the yearth with the workes that are therein shall bee burnt vp whiche is as muche to saie that all the worlde shall bee consumed accordyng to the saiyng of our Sauiour Christe Math. 24.35 Heauen and yearth shall passe awaie but my wordes shall not passe awaie Arist lib. de caelo lib. 8. Phis Yet notwithstandyng I am not ignorant how that Aristotle the Prince of all those Philosophers whiche the Latinistes doe call Peripatetici doth labour very earnestly to proue that the worlde is eternall meanyng thereby that it hath no beginning neither shall it haue any endyng Of this opinion is Galenus also that moste experte Phisition of Pergamus a citie of Asia who liued in those daies that Marcus and Commodus were Emperors Galenus and dreamyng also of the perpetuitie and continuance of the worlde saith after this maner Sēper ita stetit sic igitur perdurabit Moreouer Manilius writeth thus Manilius Non alium videre patres alumne ne potes aspicient that is to say our Fathers haue seene no other worlde and shall our Nephewes see any other c. Moreouer you shall vnderstande that among the Latinistes Plinie Plinie doth also maintaine this opinion affirming Mundum esse aeternum immensum neque genitum neque interiturum vnquam Auerrois lib. 1. de caelo And in like maner Auerrois a follower and imitator of Aristotle doeth tread so right in his Maisters steppes that in his firste booke De caelo Idem super 8. Phis Arist he disputeth earnestly against those who doe acknowledge that the worlde was created c. Declaryng also the same thyng in his Commentaries where he doeth expounde and defende the argument of his Maister Aristotle concerning the eternitie and perpetuitie of the worlde I am not vnmindfull also of those wordes whiche Peter doeth alledge in the person of the vngodly and wicked worldlinges 2. Pet. 3.4 saiyng Where is the promise of his commyng For since the fathers dyed all thinges continue alike from the beginnyng of the creation But ye shall vnderstande that all these prophane and wicked reasons and Heathnishe and vnfruitfull questions shall bee confuted orderly God willyng in their places by the authoritie of the holy Scriptures Knowe ye therefore first deare Christians that almightie GOD hym self doeth teache vs by his holie Prophettes and Apostles but moste specially by his onely begotten Soonne Hebr. ◠2 whom he hath made heire of all thinges that the worlde was created of nothyng and shall returne into nothyng againe And therefore wee must not onely beleeue it Read Gene. 14.19 cap. 20.11 cap. 31.17 but also defende the same to bee so as he hath vndoubtedly spoken it And to the ende
that out of many testimonies a fewe maie bee recited the Prophet Moises beyng a liuely witnesse of this matter hath described the woorke of the creation of the worlde after this maner saiyng Nehem. 9.6 Iob. 2.9 Gene. 1.1 In the beginnyng GOD created the heauen and the yearth c. The Prophetes also followyng Moises maintainyng the same truth doe affirme God to be the creator of heauen and yearth Especially Dauid saiyng Psal 89.11 The heauens are thyne the earth also is thyne thou hast laied the foundation of the worlde and all that therein is Thou haste created the North and the South c. And againe Psal 102.25 Thou hast aforetyme laied the foundation of the yearth And the heauens are the worke of thy handes Thei shall perishe Reade more of this Psal 115.16 Psal 135.6 but thou shalt endure euen thei shall all waxe olde as doeth a garment and as a vesture thou shalte chaunge them and thei shal be chaunged but thou art the same and thy yeres shall not faile c. And as the Prophetes haue made mention of the creation of the worlde Iere. 27.5 and cap. 32.17 Amos. 4.13 Esay 43.5 ca◠45.12 Zacharie 12 Actes 4.24 cap. 24.15 Apoc. 10.6.8 Gene. 7. vers◠19.20.21.22 ◠24. Luke 17.26 so haue thei made rehersall of the consummation of the same Especially Moises in the deluge or the vniuersall floode doeth verie notablie describe vnto vs the type or figure of the consummation of the world And therefore our Sauiour Christe alludyng vnto the same generall destruction by his Euangelist Luke saieth That as it was in the daies of Noe so shall it bee in the daies of the Sonne of man The eate thei dranke the married wiues and gaue in marriage vnto the daie that Noe went into the Arke And the flood came and destroied them all Likewise also as it was in the daies of Lot thei eate thei dranke thei bought thei sold thei planted thei builte But in the daie that Lot went out of Sodome it rained fire and Brimstone from heauen and destroied thē all After these ensamples shall it bee in the daie when the Sonne of man shal be reuealed c. And therefore Christ saieth that the haruest is th ende of the worlde Math. 13.39 Cap. 28 20. And in like maner Beholde I am with you alwaie vntill the ende of the worlde Rom. 8.21.22 1. Cor. 10.11 Reade more Rom. 8.21.22 c. And againe All these thynges were written to admonishe vs vppon whō the endes of the worlde are come Apoc. 21.1 2. Pet. 3.13 Out of all these testimonies whiche I haue hetherto alledged that in the meane season I maie omitte that whiche is written of a newe heauen and a newe yearth this maie be concluded viz. That whatsoeuer God by his holie Prophetes and sainctes hath reuealed vnto the worlde must of necessitie bee iuste and true But he hath taught vs by their Ministerie that the worlde was not onely created by God but also shall hee consumed by hym Therefore wee must beleeue that the worlde had a beginnyng and shall haue an endyng But that I maie omitte many other reasons Aug. in 28. quest in vet Testam that I could alledge for the maintenaunce of the same thyng I will onely alledge the argumētes that Augustine vseth in his 28 question of the newe Testamente whose woordes are these to the vtter confutation of all those that doe affirme that the worlde is eternall The wordes of S. August Res aeterna diuersitatem abhorret cum sit nec tactu nec visu capienda c. That is to saie That thyng whiche is euerlastyng doeth abhorre all cōtrarietie because it can neither bee felt nor sene seeyng that it is without a bodie But the worlde is subiect to passiōs because that water doeth striue against fire and fire if it doe aboūde dooeth ouercome the water And for as muche as the yearth is colde and drie and maie bee burned because it is Res coporalis therefore it is a foule absurditte to affirme that the worlde is eternall c. But lettyng these thinges passe it shall manifestly be proued that this worlde shall perishe and passe awaie if wee doe but consider the partes whereof it doeth consist for doe we not see the yearth to be changed and corrupted Sometymes by the inundation of waters Sometymes by fiers And by the heate of the Sunne And doe we not sée that some partes of the same doe waxe old and weare awaie euen for verie age Doe wee not in some places also read that moūtaines haue falne doune by reason of earth quakes And Rockes haue been cracked and broken so in peeces that by the meanes thereof certaine Riuers haue been as it were dronke vp or els haue had recourse an other waie Also haue ye not read that the seas haue rebounded backe ouerwhelmed whole Cities and vtterly drouned whole Prouinces And what are these strange alterations els but euident argumentes that the worlde shall one daie haue an ende Naie I dooe saie moreouer that if wee will giue credite to the Mathematiques that constitution of the celestiall worlde is not thesame that it hath been in tymes paste for so muche as the Sunne is not so farre distant from vs now as it hath been heretofore So that some dooe affirme that the distance betwéene the Sonne and the earth whiche is the centre of the worlde is lesse now by the fourth part almost then it was in the tyme whē Ptolomeus liued Where hence thei dooe coniecture and gather that the Sūne at this daie is nerer vnto vs by 9976. German miles then it was before Wherefore if there be so greate alteration in the superior worlde what shall wee saie of the inferiour Let this therefore be a forcible argument to proue that the world shall haue an ende for so muche as it doeth waxe old and euery part thereof doeth feele some debilitie and weakenesse For there is lesse vertue in Plantes hearbes then euer was before And more feeble strength in euery liuing creature then euer was before And lesse age in men then euer was before It remaineth therefore of necessitie that shortly there shall be an ende and consūmation of the worlde because it is as it were subiecte to olde age and therefore feeble in euery parte But it is not sufficient for me to affirme that there shal bee an ende but I must also proue the maner of the ende of the worlde whiche shall bee by fire accordyng as it is written 2. Peter 3.7 1. Cor. 7.31 The heauens and the earth whiche are now are kepte by the same worde in store and reserued vnto fire against the day of Iudgemēt and of the destruction of vngodlie men But if ye doe demaunde of me how the heauen that now is and the yerth shal be burned with fire The aunswere is easily made that it shal bee Secundū formam non secundū essentiā
this Iudgement that the Lorde God hymself is the originall aucthour and principall worker of this Starre as of all others makyng it an immediate messenger and minister of his will accordyng to the tyme and place as it beste pleaseth his diuine and eternall maiestie Who seyng that we bee suche an obstinate and stiffenecked people that wee will not bee moued to loue hym neither in respecte of his long sufferaunce and louyng mercie shewed all waies towardes vs neither yet in respecte of that moste sweete and comfortable voice of the Gospell whiche hath been preached full .xxij. yeres vnto vs by his faithfull seruauntes and Ministers Dooeth now in his secrete councell goe an other waie to woorke and by fearfull Eclipses of Sonne and Moone and by glisteryng flames of fierrie Cometes and other suche like monstruous signes and tokens in the heauen and in the earth doeth goe I saie about to enforce and cōpell vs against our willes to be mindfull of the latter daie whiche is not farre of If we will giue any credite to the woordes of Christ who immediatly after he had made mention of the signes whiche should bee sene in the Sonne and in the Moone and in the Starres doeth forthwith adde these wordes Cū haec videritis euenire cognoscite quod prope est regnū dei That is to saie Math. 24.33 When ye se all these thinges knowe that the kyngdome of God is nere euen at the doores Luke 21.28 And againe when these thinges doe beginne to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heades For your redemption draweth nere Behold the Figge tree and all trees when thei now shoote forthe ye seyng thē knowe of your owne selues that Sommer is nere So likewise ye whē ye se all these thinges come to passe knowe you that the kyngdome of God is neare Verely I saie vnto you This age shall not passe till all these thynges bee doen heauen and yearth shall passe awaie but my woordes shall not passe awaie By that whiche hetherto hath been spoken you see how almightie God is not onely the creator and gouernour of Nature it self and of all Naturall causes but also he is suche a one as in the worke of this blasyng Starre is to bee acknowledged and confessed to bee the onely efficient cause And therefore he onely and not the blasyng Starre is to bee feared and had in reuerence consideryng that he is of power able not onely to chasten vs with temporall punishementes for the amendement of our liues in this wretched worlde But also in his Iustice maie condemne vs to eternall death and destruction in the kyngdome of darknesse where there is euerlastyng fire prepared for the Deuill and his angelles For whiche cause I can not deny but I must needes confesse that for the moste parte blasyng Starres are a token and signe of greate horror and feare and do prognosticate of some strange wonder and dooe threaten some imminent euill and mischeefe commonly vnto that parte of the yearth towardes the whiche thei seme to cast their beames moste directly And therfore those Philosophers which haue written of the effectes of blasyng starres haue founde by good experience that sometymes thei dooe signifie drouthe and barronnesse of the yearth whiche made Augustinus Niphus to witnesse that after the appearyng of a Comete Anno domini 1506. whiche was about the 22. yere of the raigne of kyng Henry the seuenth there followed within twoo yeres after suche a drought in Lumberdie that from the moneth of Ianuarie vnto Nouember after there fell no Raine at all in that Countrie Sometymes also after the appearyng of blasyng Starres there followeth moste commonly cruell and greate windes and mightie tēpestes with haile stones of suche a bignesse that through the same many houses are throwne doune and often times are cōsumed and burned with fire through the windes As almoste the whole countrie of Scotlande was once wasted by fire the 9. of Ianuarie 1251. a greate Comete of maruelous bignesse hauyng been seen before in Scotlande for many daies Anno 1248. Sometymes thei dooe signifie the death and change of Kynges and Princes and the alteration of kyngdomes cōmonwealthes As maie appeare Anno 1116. When Chichester was burnte there was sene a blasing starre the Moone not long tyme after semed to bee turned into blood after the which Maude the Queene of Englande died was buried at Westminster Likewise Anno do 1165. appeared a mightie Comete in Scotlande burnyng out with twoo long beames And within fourtie daies after died Malcolmus the iiij Kyng by name of the Scottes as the Chronicle reporteth Moreouer Anno 1214. in the moneth of Marche twoo Cometes of a maruellous bignesses verie fearfull to behold appeared in Scotlande the one going before and the other followyng the Sonne in the whiche yere that moste happie and good Kyng Willyam died after he had rained fourtie and nine yeres Likewise Anno 1538. appeared a Comet after the settyng of the Sonne which was placed in the signe Pisces and the taile of it lookyng towardes the East and shortly after died the Duke of Saxon. Also Anno 1539. the sixt daie of Maie appeared a Comete whiche endured burnyng three weekes and not long tyme after Isabell the wife of Charles the fift Emperour died in trauaile of childe in whiche yere also died George that duke of Saxonie And in the same yere as some doe write there appeared three Cometes in the moneth of Aprill after the whiche the Duke of Cleaue died and also the Bushop of Trent and diuers other noble personages In the yere of the Lorde 1540 the seuenth daie of Aprill happened a great coniunction of the Planettes and there appeared also a marueilous Eclipse of the Sōne whose beginnyng was before the Sonne risyng and did endure in the same Eclipse twoo whole howers after it was risen Also there was sene aboute the same tyme a maruelous straunge Comete in the euen after the whiche there followed so greate a drought that Hay Corne and all kinde of Pulse were verie scarce And the same yere the Castell of Prage a noble Citie in the kyngdome of Bohemia with the Cathedrall Churche were burned with fire and many fearfull fires happened in sondedrie places thesame tyme. Moreouer Anno 1547. in Heluecia in Germanie were sene in the aire twoo hostes of men of warre and twoo Lions gréeuously and terriblie fightyng together so long that the one semed to bite of the others head quite And the yere followyng the x. daie of Februarie was sene in Saxonie a Countrie also in Germanie a fire frō heauen that fell vppon certaine Cities and twoo hostes of menne were sene in the aire runnyng and skirmishyng one against an other besides diuers other straunge sightes very wonderfull to beholde And yet in these daies it will not sincke into the heades of many that there maie any suche strange sight appeare in the aire because wee can not render a naturall reason thereof