of heauen shal bee moued The sonne of God shall sit on his throne the wicked shall receaue the iudgement of death and the faithfull bee carried into the euerlasting Kingdome Wherefore the Lord shall come not tarie He promised signes of his comming those signes he hath sent He promised that he would come immediatelie after those signes wherefore those signes beeing accomplished hee will come and that sodainlie like a mightie tempest For heauen and earth shall faile but one iot of his promise shall not faile Wherefore insomuch as wee see so manie of the promises alreadie fulfilled let vs be patient in the rest and not murmure against him as the Children of Israel did in the wildernesse least a sodaine destruction come vpon vs as it did vpon them and we be cast aliue both bodie and soule into the bottomlesse pit They which beleeue not in the cōming of Christ doe imitate the foolish exāple of Iulius Cesar who being often warned before to take heed to himself least some great treason were wrought against him in the Ides of March made but a mock thereof the same day that hee was slaine saying to some of his familiars which counselled him not to go that day into the Senate house Why saith he they haue tolde mee this good while that I should be in danger when the Ides of March were come they are come and yet I am safe I saith one they are come but they are not yet past And so by his owne follie negligence he was the same day slaine In like manner these that doe but mocke at the Lords comming do see indeed that al the signs which were promised should come to passe are founde to bee true but yet because Christ is not come together with the signes they thinke perhaps that he will not come But ô ye fooles ye see them to be come indeed but ye see them not yet finished neither shall ye see them so soone ended as ye shal see the promise of his comming iustified Some motions yee had perhaps this last yeere to think vpon that day more than ye be accustomed because of the great expectation of the Prophesie of the yere 1588 and for that ye heard by manie probable reasons and coniectures of men drawen from the cōsent and agreement of times from the coniunctions of planets which threaten either finall destruction or wonderfull alteration and from the equalitie of numbers in the yeeres of the worlde 5550 and 5555 which iumpe with the yeres of Christ 1588 and 1593 that either the world should then ende or else verie strange things should then happen Howbeit this yere being past yee seeme now to liue more securelie yee feare God lesse yee care lesse for religion yee delight more in vanities yee sinne more greedelie yee prouoke Gods wrath more greeuouslie yee runne more headlong into damnation and yee sing your olde tune Where is the promise of his comming more reprochfullie than euer yee did before Neuertheles if so manie and so strange things happened that yere as the like did not in so short space in many ages before mē hauing no more knowledge therof thā that which could be gathred by cōiecture of the stars by cōparing time with times what effects do we think shal folow vpō the sure infallible prophesie warranted by the spirit of God himselfe in the canonicall scriptures If the starres that are but creatures can point to the time when God will worke such mighty operations in other of his creatures as against that yere they did whereby the proud lustie mindes of mightie Monarchs are abated wherby puissant and strong armies are dissolued whereby the most inuincible nauies and strong castles of the sea be destroyed whereby the leagues cōspiracies of princes shal be made frustrate wherby they that haue plaid so manie horrible tragedies in the Church and haue caused the bloud of so manie hūdred thousands to be spilled shal the same yeere finish their daies some by bloud some by death Nay if the pore herrings of the sea haue this yere brought vs letters of warning from God written vpon the skins of their little bodies that Christ cōmeth that quickly what think we shal the performāce of gods eternal promise or the least word that proceedeth out of his mouth bring to passe against al the tyrants and blood suckers of this worlde against all the enemies of his Church and religion against all them that make but a mocke at the glorious comming of Christ against all the strong and mightie Cities of the earth yea and against the consummation of the whole globe of the world But ye my masters that giue so great credit to the reuolutions of the heauens and to the threatning of the starres planets look wel to your selues from henceforth for besides that the Lord hath promised very shortly to com himselfe and call you to a reckoning hee hath put also into his creatures new accidents the effects whereof shall continue not one but one and twentie yeeres at the least if the Lorde come not before and those greater than haue euer bin since the world was made the straungenes whereof shall amase you and the effects thereof shall trouble you when ye shall see the Sunne and Moone so often and in so short time eclipsed when you shall see the brightnes of heauen at noone time darkened when God shall powre out his wrath aboundantly by plagues and famines by winds and tempestes by fearefull ouerflowings of waters and by the ruine and destruction of some Prouinces when ye shall perceiue the strength of all creatures diminished when the earth will not bring foorth her benefites when by this time all truth and righteousnes will be vanished all loue and societie among men will bee dissolued when all men will altogether loue themselues and no man will any whit loue another when naturall affection of men towards their owne will bee prostrate when all obedience to God and to Magistrates to parents and maisters to Kingdomes and Common weales will be abolished whē nothing will bee done for duetie and conscience but all for feare and necessitie when all truth all charitie and all goodnes will be abandoned and when there shall be nothing but pride enuie dissimulation oppression lust and couetousnes in all the whole earth when the earth it selfe will craue at the hands of GOD Come Lord Iesus come quicklie and deliuer me from this intolerable burden which the foundation that I am builded vpon namely thy heauenly word is not able anie longer to beare Wherefore If Christ haue discouered vnto vs vpon whom the latter endes of the world are come all the signes and tokens which he promised of his comming If he haue sent Preachers into the world to proclaime the Gospell of his kingdome If he haue reuiued as it were his owne name againe that laie hidden in Images and dumme Idolls If he haue resumed vnto himselfe his owne authoritie
one dish but once in a day of them that haue manie dainties at their table woulde satisfie the poore that lie in miserie at their gate The superfluitie of fare that is spent in one dayes interteinment would giue reliefe to all that be lame and impotent The monie that is spent in strong and needlesse drinke would pay all the duties that belong to a Prince Neuerthelesse so vile and corrupt is the nature of man so desperately doeth hee runne into his owne fleshly desires that though hee knewe his poore and needie brother shoulde perish for want that his Countrie and Common weale should be in distresse nay that his own life should lye vpon the abstinence of one meale or forbearing of one match at drinking he would not leaue his greedie appetite Although men at this day are ashamed to see such beastlinesse in others Albeit they are greeued when they heare of the drunkennesse of Noah when his two sonnes couered him of Lot when he lay with his own daughters Although they know that death was pronounced against Aaron Leuit. 10. if he dronke wine or strong drink Gen. 25. That Esau lost his birth-right for the greedinesse of a messe of potage That Balthazar in his dronkennesse sawe a finger vpon the wall Dan 5. that wrote the finall ende both of him and his kingdome and that the drunken banquet of Benadab 4. King 20. was the destruction 32. Kings with all their Armie Albeit that wo is pronounced to them Esay 5. that rise vp early to follow dronkennesse that wine maketh a man scornfull and vnquiet Pro 20. Ezech. 16. Gal. 5. that fulnesse of meate was one of the great causes why Sodom was destroyed and finally that no drunkard nor glutton shall inherite the kingdome of heauen yet are not men by al these warnings moued yet doe they follow the wickednesse thereof and that with more greedinesse than euer before All their felicitie is in banqueting all their pleasure is in drinking all their delight is in their belly all the pastime of their life is in gluttonie good cheere Esay 22.13 Come say they let vs eate and drinke and bee merie for to morrow we shall die Nothing at this day but eating nothing but drinking nothing but powring in of cups from morning to night and from night to morning and so al their life long without respect of time or place or holie dya or Sabboth day without feare of lawes without feare of life without feare of God and without feare of damnation or any hope of saluation Wherefore this vice beeing greater than euer requireth a greater vengeance and speedier comming vnto iudgement than euer But I tremble at this day with horrour and greefe when I heare the name of the Lorde to bee so commonly and continually taken in vayne and to bee dishonored in euery corner For wheras we are straightly charged that we should not sweare neither by heauen nor by the earth nor by any other othe so wicked and peruerse is the nature of man so crosse and contratie to the will and commaundement of God so vntoward to that he should and so readie to that hee should not that whatsoeuer he is most forbidden that doth he most insue If there bee any corner whereinto he may start from the impunitie of mans lawe thether doth he runne headlong without regarde of any diuine prohibition and without feare of Gods terrible iudgement and condemnation And for this cause where a publike weale hath made no expresse lawe for the punishment of swearing there men make no conscience of any othe in the world there heauen and earth is no othe with them there the creatures of God are nothing with them there the Lord of hoasts is nothing with them the name of his blessed Sonne is nothing with them nay all the precious members of our Sauiour that suffered for vs are too little for them to bee a testimonie of all their vntruthes of all their vilanies of all their abhominations that they worke in the worlde But if they promise or vowe any thing which they haue any minde to perfourme or if they would iustifie themselues in any thing wherein their conscience cleereth them that will they affirme by that little trueth and faith which they haue But if they be stirred vp vnto furie if their bloud be warmed with surfeting and drunkennesse if they be greedie of reuenge agaynst such as haue offended them if they promise to meete vpon any wicked enterprise if it be for the sauing of a small penie in their purse or for defence of their credite in a playne vntruth in euery trifling matter in euery vayne enterprise in euery idle game and communication and action that will they confirme with the most vehement and mightie othes that they can deuise The blessed and diuine soule of Christ the precious and deere bloud of the Lambe immaculat and all the glorious and excellent members of Christ nay be Maiestie of Christ and of the Father himselfe are nothing in their vile and vnpurre lippes This I say is the naughtie nature of man to bee euer contrarie to the commaundements of God If GOD had commaunded vs that whatsoeuer wee promise or affirme or answere or iustifie in this life wee should call heauen and earth to record or his creatures or himselfe or some of his bodily members we should neuer haue heard an othe in this worlde But because hee forbad vs all these thinges and that our affirmation should bee nothing but yea and nay therefore wee most impudentlie abuse all his creatures and most shamefully blaspheme the name of GOD in all our wordes in all our affirmations iustifications and actions and therfore shall all these bee a testimonie agaynst vs in the day of iudgement Looke well vnto it therfore ye that be these luftie and wilfull swearers in the world ye that call the Lorde of hostes so often to witnesse with your vntruths and vanities bee yee sure that the Lorde is not deafe but doth heare you hee hath registred written vp all the idle words that ye haue spoken in your banqueting in your surfetings in your gaming 's and in al the loose and lewd behauiour of your liues hee hath written in the face of euerie creature all the testimonies that ye called them to witnesse with you much more shall yee finde printed in his presence nay yee shall haue it engrauen both in your owne conscience and in the Maiestie of his person all the wilfull and rash othes wherby ye haue called him to record and vnlesse you speedely repent you in this life and cease for euer to blaspheme the name of God as yee haue done yee shall shortly come before the supreme Iudge where it shall be so hardly layd to your charge as ye shal wish that the mountaines might couer you and the earth shadow you from the presence of God whom you haue so highly displeased For the horrible sinne
vnderstande when the last token is fulfilled yet hath he also confirmed the same by other inuincible reasons drawen partlie from such thinges as we sensiblie and daylie perceiue and partlie from his owne power and omnipotencie Learne saith he of the figge tree when the branches bee tender and hath put forth leaues for then ye be sure that the summer is 〈◊〉 hand Againe Heauen and earth shall perish but my word shall not perish As if he might say When all these tokens that I haue spoken of be fulfilled ye shall be sure that I will then come and the last token before my comming is That the Gospel of my kingdom shal be preached in all the world for a witnesse vnto all Nations And there shall not be a kingdome in the worlde but either at the first sounding of my word or at the second shall heare that I am the Sauiour and redeemer of mankinde Beholde I haue spoken it Heauen and earth shall passe away before one iot of my worde passe These I say be the verie tokens times before his comming Albeit to speake of the hower or day or month nay of the yere it selfe wherm he wil com were high pride and presumption seeing there is neither mā nor angel that knoweth it But this we know for certeintie that manie Ages past the Gospell was published welneere in all Asia Aphrica and Europe a number of which Nations for their vnthankfulnesse were depriued of the benefit thereof and manie other are falne into great Apostasie Also we see it plaine that in this age of ours the glad tidings of Christ hath after some sort bin caried vnto al the barbarous natiōs in the nether part of the world we liue in cōtinual hope that in short space it shal be more sīcerly more vniuersallie published thā hetherto it hath bin which being proclaimed we may then bee bolde to say that Christ is at the verie point of his comming And yet neuertheles al that is no hindrāce but that it behoueth vs both thus day to morrow euerie day night hower to watch be readie with our lampes burning left the Bridegrome take vs vpon the sodaine vnprouided of oyle so while we expect yet some longer time of his comming we bee quite excluded out of the kingdome of heauen Al these things haue I affirmed and prooued out of the infallible worde of God by that which we haue seen with our eyes do vnderstand of our owne knowledge to be alreadie come to passe most agreeablie to the worde of God Wherby we may be assured that if anie thing be yet to come that the Scriptures haue promised touching the end of the world the same shal shortly in his due time be performed And this was my special purpose in this Treatise to proue that because the foolish vngodlie vnbeleeuing nature of men is in these daies beyond all other ages and times before so curious to search inquire for the time of Christes comming which time God hath reserued to himselfe I might draw them as much as is possible from seeking the same at the hands of men frō whō without the help of Gods spirite there proceedeth nothing that is certain or true or godlie send them to the most true and certain and vndoubted prophesie of the word of God Neuertheles I am not ignorant that there be also manie humane reasons manie probable cōiectures manie tēporal signes tokēs many sufficient argumēts cōcerning the end of the world that do concurre with the prophesie of the scriptures al which as long as they serue to iustify cōfirme whatsoeuer Christ the Prophetes Apostles haue promised concerning the same we must rather giue credite vnto them than reiect condemne them Among which are al those reasons which are commonly made to ratifie the saying of Elias that the world shall not continue the full of 6000. yeres which prophesie though it be not in the scriptures but cited by the Rabbins yet because all the other parts of the same Prophesie haue succeeded euery thing in his due time that it doth so well cōcurre with the tokens that Christ shewed for the end of the world and with that saying of Christ Those dayes shal be shortened for the elect sake we must imbrace the same as a true prognosticate religiously descended from that holie Author But in verie deede in this prophesie of Elias is contained a large field to prooue the neerenesse of the day of iudgement howbeit I wil not walke much therein because I knowe it hath been exactlie handled of manie Onelie this I say that the Scripture it selfe confirmeth and infallible reason prooueth and so manie tokens both of heauen aboue and of the earth beneath testifie that the world shall not last to the end of sixe thousand yeeres And so much the rather when we plainelie see all the tokens of the latter day to be now welneere fulfilled And I haue proued that there are not aboue 70. yeres past or thereabout since the last and most reuealing of Antichrist That is to say since he was openlie freelie and without feare published to be that sonne of perdition Within which time the tokens that Christ spoke of concerning the ende of the worlde are alreadie shewed and lacke but little of a perfect fulfilling And doe we thinke that when so great and so manie things haue been accomplished in so short a space as 70. yeres that the verie litle or nothing which remaineth should be in performing 400. yeeres and moe which are to finish vp the number of 6000. yeres Or may we not not referre that saying of Christ This generation shall not be past till all these things be fulfilled And againe For the chosens sake these dayes shal be shortened as well to this third age of the world as to the destruction of Ierusalem which was but 50. yeres after As if he should say In this latter age of the world and especiallie towards the ende thereof when Antichrist is reuealed and Sathan which is the diuell is loosed there shal be so great famines plagues earthquakes so great and hortible persecutions such leagues and conspiracies of Princes against my Church so manie false Prophetes to deceaue the worlde such hating and betraying one of another yea and such trouble and vexation on euerie side besides the iniquitie that shall then so mightelie abound that if it be possible the verie chosen may be deceaued Wherfore for their sakes I wil shorten those troublesome dayes and will cut off a part of this latter age so that it shal not be equall to the other ages that went before Besides what wonderfull alterations haue wee heard of and seene in the world since the memorie of man What chaunge in the nature of the creatures what mutation both in the actions and affections of men and in the accidents of this life and occurrents of estates such as our forefathers in
A second Sound or Warning of the Trumpet vnto Judgement Wherein is proued that all the tokens of the Latter day are not onelie come but welneere finished With an earnest Exhortation to be in continuall readinesse By Anthonie Marten Sewer of her Maiesties most honorable Chamber When ye see these things come to passe be ye sure that he is euen at the doores Mark 13. PRO LEGE ET GREGE LOVE KEPYTHE LAWE OBEYETH THE KYNGE AND IS GOOD TO THE COMMEN WELTHE Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwin for Andrew Maunsell 1589. To the Queenes most excellent Maiestie Most renowmed and mightie Prince Jt pleaseth your highnes after a long winters abode in some one of your Princely Pallaces the stormes of colde being past and the pleasant spring tide come to remooue your householde into a fresh and wholsome aire And for a warning to your officers and seruaunts of your Court you doe cause the Trumpet to bee three seuerall times sounded against you descende from the higher part of your mansion But if it happen to bee long before the seconde warning of the trumpet be giuen the third is no sooner sounding but your owne Person is then comming Then must all your seruants be readie to waite vpon you you are the Souereigne and not to expect for anie They that be not readie at the same instant are not worthie of such a Prince nor to haue reward for such a seruice Euen so the most inuincible King of glorie Christ Jesus who by his holie spirit hath been present in this worldly mansion with his houshold the Church welneere 1600. yeares while it hath abidden many sharpe and bitter stormes hath been as it were imprisoned within the Pallace of this wretched world is now minded speedely to remooue the same into his owne Countrie a pleasand land and place of felicitie The first warning of his remooue he sounded by his Apostles when his fame was spread ouer all the world by the first preaching of the Gospel The second he hath proclaimed by the preachers of his word whom he reuiued as it were out of the dust within these 70. yeres And together with them are sent all the promised tokens of his comming Howbeit the day being so farre spent before his seconde warning wee shall see himselfe speedely descend from aboue with the third sound of the trumpet and in the voyce of an Archangel And those that watch for him with their lampes burning he will receiue and the rest he will exclude from his kingdom from the reward of his seruice VVherfore your Highnes beeing one of his principall seruants nay at this day the chiefe Stewarde of his household it shall be a perpetuall honour to your kingdome a not able blessing to your subiects an vnspeakable benefit to the Church an acceptable seruice to Christ yea an eternal felicitie to your self if the light of your lampe do continuallie shine and the oyle of your workes doe perpetually abound that nowe at his comming ye may bee readie to enter with him into that glorie which he hath promised to all those which be faithfull seruants Your Maiesties most humble Subiect and Seruant Anthonie Marten A second Sound or warning of the Trumpet vnto iudgement OFten sundrie times did God foreshew vnto our forefathers in the olde Testament the first comming of his Son into this world the taking of our nature vpon him most plainly euidently did he declare vnto them that Christ by his death should restore vs vnto life and that by his resurrection and ascension hee should make perfect the worke of our saluation In like manner did hee with no lesse perspicuitie set foorth vnto them the returne of our Sauiour vnto iudgement and that all men should rise againe vnto immortalitie and render an account of all their workes and actions All this did hee promise them by his Prophetes iustifie in his person and confirme firme by manie maruellous signes and wonders such as were neuer heard of before since the beginning of the world Yet did the obstinate Iewes harden their hearts and beleeued not Wherefore God made them no more nation but scattered them into all lands in such wise wee see them at this day to be a scorne and derision vnto all people Neither can the example of these men so often rebuked by vs for their incredulitie so greatly blamed for their obstinacie so sharply reprooued by vs for their crueltie so iustlie despised for their ignominie any thing amend vs in the same things wherin wee condemne them For what promise haue they and wee haue it not performed What Prophesie had they and we haue it not fulfilled What true Religion had they and we haue it not restored What worde what testimonie what signes what miracles what mercies what graces and what benefites had they and we haue them not a thousand times more increased Yet are we altogether either incredulous of the promises or doubtful of the performance or else carelesse and desperate of our own deliueraunce And this maketh vs to leane to the fables and deceaueable doctrines of men more then to the true Prophesies of the word of God to the commandements of Christ and his Apostles who haue declared the second comming of Christ and that in such plaine and euident sort as they haue shewed the verie time when the manner how and the things themselues that shoulde withholde the signes and tokens that should goe before and all other certainties whatsoeuer are necessarie for man to knowe as concerning the same And by this meanes if the iudgement of God and finall destruction of the world do come sodainely vpon man before he be aware there is no ignoraunce to be pleaded there is no excuse to bee regarded there is no darkenesse of the Scriptures to be alledged For it al the holie Bible there is not anie one thing that the mercie and goodnesse of our God hath set downe more amplie taught more plainlie and set foorth more expreslie for the assurance of our faith than the tokens of Christs comming And as the preaching and publishing of the Gospel by the Apostles ministers and disciples of Christ in the first ages after his ascension was the first warning of the Trumpet sounded at that time vnto all Nations against the resurrection of the flesh and of Christs returne againe vnto iudgement so the reuiuing of the Gospel and reuealing of Antichrist by preaching of the worde together with the other signes tokens that Christ himselfe told vs should come to passe before his second comming is a peremptorie warning that shall be giuen vnto all flesh For the last sound of the Trumpet shall bee no more properlie a warning but an hastie and sodaine comming a crying vnto iudgement and appearing of Christ in the cloudes a perishing of the heauens a consuming of the earth and all the workes thereof with fire Wherefore I meane heere to put the Christian world in minde of all those tokens as
a little before the day of iudgement Our Sauiour Christ saith that before the end of the world Nation shall rise against nation Math. 24. Mark 13. and Realme against Realme and there shall be famines and pestilence and earthquakes in certaine places When Antichrist hath long and quietly helde the possession both of the temporall and spirituall swordes when hee hath manie yeeres taken vpon him the office of Christ to be the King of Kinges and Lord of Lords and to haue the domimon aswel of the soules as of the bodies of men it is great horrible griefe vnto him to loose so high a dominion and to stoope from the office of God which hee taketh vpon him among men to become as an other man therefore he deuiseth by all meanes to punish and disquiet the Saints of God Whom he may bring into his power them he vexeth them he tormenteth them he burneth them hee destroyeth without all pitie or mercie And if they be such as for their authoritie and greatnesse he cannot or by reason of the protection of others he dare not bring vnder his tyrannie he stirreth vp Kings and Princes of his confederacie to make warres vpon them Or if that faile he moueth their owne subiects to rebel and put themselues in armes against them Whereby hee hath at this day set in an vprore the whole Christian world kingdome against kingdome and nation against nation one people against another that he may the easier as hee thinketh defende his proud and insolent gouernment his false and superstitious religion and the seate and dignitie of his Popedome Neither can that place of Scripture of Nation rising against Nation and kingdome against kingdome be more necessarilie vnderstood of anie other warres to be made between Prince Prince than such as Antichrist raiseth vp for religion sake Neither did I euer heare of anie warres before this age of ours between the nations kingdoms of Christendome for Christ his cause that is to say for the true worshipping of him for the preaching of his Gospel for the difference in opinions for the libertie of the conscience and for the triall of the true Church and that so earnestlie and continuallie and without hope of reconciliation till now that Antichrist for the sauing of his dominion hath made all these commotions and troubles in the world which cannot bee decided till Christ in his owne person come to trie his own cause in iudgement But for all other temporall causes the Nations and Princes of Christendome haue one risen against another euer since the time that Christ ascended vp into heauen Wherefore this is the sense meaning of these words of Christ Towards the ende of the worlde when Antichrist is reuealed and that he feareth to forgo his Crowne and dominion hee shall stirre vp the Princes that be his Confederates to warre vpon the Nations and Cities that professe the Gospel that what he is not able to doe of his owne power nor by his false and forged miracles nor by gathering of his general Councels nor by pronouncing of his excommunications and curses nor by the wrong interpretations of the Scriptures nor by the writings and disputations of his schoole Doctors nor by sending abroad of his Seminarie priests and hypocrites that wil he endeuor to do by the help of other princes vnder pretence of doing God good seruice And this notable token foretolde of Christ as touching his second comming we see is alreadie at hand and is like euerie day more and more to bee verified to the great effusion of Christian bloud In like manner as concerning famine pestilences and earthquakes foreshewed by Christ in the second place they are not so fitlie to bee referred to anie of those which houe ben in times past before this man of sinne was reuealed For those haue been heeretofore manie great and horrible yee and at somtimes in some places almost vniuerfall But those which haue happened and shall happen in our time when Antichrist shal be more and more reuealed superstition abandoned the power of the beast decreased the kingdome of Christ reuiued the Gospel freelie published and the second warning of the trumpet sounded those be vndoubted testimonies and tokens that the day of the Lord is at hand Such haue were now had within the compasse of these few yeeres euen manie and great and horrible somtimes in particular Cities and Countries and sometime in whole Prouinces of Christendome What wonderfull famines haue we had in places distressed besieged by the champions of Antichrist both in Fraunce the Low Countries and other Christian Prouinces not sent immediately by the finger of God but constrained for the most part by the crueltie of Antichrist by whose meanes it is to be prooued that beyond the horror of all famines that euer I heard of or read men haue been constrained to pull out the dead carkases buried in graues to make sustenance for their bodies Pestilences also there haue been manie and great besides those former signes and tokens In England in Fraunce in Spaine in Italy welneere in euerie countrie of Christendome We our selues also haue lately heard and felt great and fearefull earthquakes to put vs in minde of the promise of Christ and therefore to assure our selues of his speedie comming vnto iudgement least if we prouide not for the same we be sodeinly taken tardie and for our wickednes be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone that neuer shal be quenched In the third place is shewed what anguish trouble the Saints of God shall endure for Christes sake especially when they haue made it manifest to all the world that the Pope of Rome is that sonne of perdition which exalteth himself aboue God For then doth he seek by all maner of meanes to kil destroy them by imprisonment by torment by fire by sworde by poyson by laying in waite by treason by charging them with heresie by taking away their good name and by causing them to bee hated of all people euermore imagining with himselfe that by these persecutions hee shall so wast and destroy them that at the length the remembrance of them shall be cleerely extinct from the face of the earth Howbeit the more blood he spilleth the more the Church of God increaseth and the longer thinketh to put off the day of iudgement the sooner shall it be hastened for the chosen sake and for the destruction of the wicked worlde and of him in the midst thereof Fourthly when the worlde shall perceiue so great troubles to arise by preaching of the Gospel and that no temporall benefite commeth thereby that it causeth kingdomes to bee at warres one against another that there be as great or greater famines plagues and earthquakes as euer that iniquitie aboundeth more that euer that the loue of men faith towards God is lesse than euer that Gods displeasure is more greeuous than euer Finally that the Pope for all the preaching against
of swearing is so continually accustomed in your mouths and the name of God and of his holy members is so abused in your actions as he can no longer indure the wickednesse thereof but wil hasten himselfe vnto iudgement Now if these sinnes besides manie others that I might recite doe so abound at this day in the hearts of men and doe breake out so mightily in their actions as the things themselues declare that the day of iudgment is at hand what shall we say of the sinne of couetousnesse the roote and welspring of all other mischiefes Wherein men at this day doe so farre exceed the measure of our forefathers as the later wee are borne the more corruption we haue receiued the neerer to the day of the Lord the lesse affection haue we to heauenly things and the more desire of worldlie vanities And albeit this sinne of coueting bee set downe as a capital crime in the holy Scriptures yet do we make small account of the same Howbeit if the children of Israel fled before their enimies Iosu 7. onely for the couetousnesse of Achan and that Achan himselfe was iudicially and formally executed because he had hidden to his owne vse some thinges that were accursed if Nabal the Carmelite for his couetous minde 1. Sam. 25. in denying some sustenance vnto Dauid and his seruants in time of necessitie was striken by God that he died finally if Gehezi the seruant of Elizeus 4. Kings 5. was punished with a foule leprosie for requiring and taking but a small gifte of Naaman the Sirian whome his Master had frankly freely a litle before healed of the same disease what deserueth the vnsatiable mind of Christians in our time that without all measure or ende without feare of God without regard of religiō with out remorse of cōscience without sense of other mēs griefes be it right or wrong whether it cōcerne God or the Church the Prince or the Commonweale the father or the sonne neighbour or straunger friend or foe life or death if it may turne to our owneprofit commoditie we seeke by all manner of meanes to attaine therevnto though we die for it in this life and be sure of damnation in the life to come without all remorse of conscience or anie care of restitution Howbeit all this commeth to passe that the word of God may not be frustrate which saith that in the latter day iniquitie shall abound and the loue towardes God and man shall decaie And the abundance of all sinne doth grow from this verie roote of coueting greedinesse of riches But in verie deede the meanes that this sinne hath had to come to such ripenesse in these our dayes haue been farre greater than euer in anie Age before For euen since the time that it pleased God to shewe foorth all other signes and tokens which hee had promised to come against the ende of the world what wayes haue men attempted what artes haue they deuised to fulfill their greedie appetite and desire Be there anie lands that they haue not searched or anie seas that they haue not sayled Bee there anie dangers that they haue not ventured Is there anie colde or heate that they haue not indured Is there anie world that they haue not compassed anie myne that they haue not opened anie bloud that they haue not spilled nay anie people that they haue not destroyed to attaine to their desire Doe they not trauell more willinglie more often and farther from the vppermost face of the earth to the nethermost part of the same from the Sunne rising to the Sunne setting from the South to the North and to all the endes of the world and all for the insatiable desire of golde siluer redde claie and white than they woulde doe for the sauegard of their owne life And yet the more they haue the more they want the more they want the more they couet In such sort as if the earth and sea were emptied of their treasures I suppose that they woulde seeke to Heauen for temporall riches which they cannot beelead vnto for the saluation of their soules Wherefore this vice of couetousnesse is now so primie full as it craueth an ende and dissolution of the world Now come wee to the last token and restimonie of the comming of Christ namelie That the Gospell shal be preached in all the world for a witnes vnto all nations and then shall the ende come As I wrote before that the reuealing of Antichrist and man of sinne which sitteth in the Temple of God should be the first token of that secōd comming of Christ so the preaching of the Gospell ouer all the world both by the circumstance of the Euangelicall historie and by the consequence of the thinges themselues must of necessitie bee the last token before his comming And this is also confirmed by Iohn in the Reuelation when he saith Apoc 14. That he sawe an Angell flie in the midst of heauen hauing the euerlasting gospell to preach to all nations kindreds and people and saying Giue glorie to God for the hower of his iudgment is come And immediatelie after this preaching of the word an other Angell crieth Babylon is falne that great Citie is falne that made all Nations drinke of the Cup of her fornication For if there bee no other way to make Babylon to fall to reueale Antichrist the enimie of Christ and to banish the Apostasie of the Church procured by the same Antichrist but the preaching of the word and free course of the Gospek thē is there also no other way to inlarge the kingdom of Christ to gather the Saints of God into one but onely the free course and publication of the Gospell which by litle and litle shall consume as it hath gebun the spirite of error and apostasie of the Church till the brightnes of Christes presence haue vtterly destroyed the same al the authors abettors thereof Wherfore whatsoeuer other tokens shal be at the verie comming of Christ as no doubt but ther shal be many both in the Sunne and Moone and starres and in al the creatures of God as behoueth in so great an alteration consummation of the worlde Mat. 24. Mark 13. and as Christ himselfe hath most effectually set downe in his holy word yet this publishing of the Gospel in all the world shall vndoubtedly be the very last token before his comming as it is euidently set down by the holy Ghost himself when he saith And then shal the ende come And when the Angels after preaching of the word said Apoc 14. The houre of iudgement is come thrust in thy sythe and reape for the haruest is ripe As if he should say When Antichrist of Rome which exalteth himselfe aboue me shal be reuealed to be the principal head that hath caused so great a falling away from the truth in my Church hee shall trouble and persecute you to the death he shall make