thereafter followed that very great destructive warr between the Persians and the Romans on the one hand and the Goths and Romans on the other hand to the great weakning and spoyling of the Romish Empire In the year 256. there sunk down many fair buildings people and all especially in Italy whereupon there followed terrible distempers all over the Romish Empire that all the Provinces of it were full of warrs and uproars and there was such a mighty Plague at Rome and in Achaia that there dyed at Rome in one day 5000 people all of the plague And the year after did arise the Sect of the Samosatenians by Paul Samosatenus a Bishop of Antioch which did much prevail and caused very great disturbance in the Church of God In the year 345. there hapned a destructive Earthquake in and about Antioch whereby many Towns were spoiled and destroyed and it continued almost a whole year sometimes ceasing and presently beginning again Thereupon followed a great warr between the Emperor Constantine and his Brother Constantem for the Emperial Monarchy wherein Constantine was beaten and overthrown by AnAnquileja and afterwards cast into the flood Alsa where he had his burial And after the same Earthquake did also happen fearful Schisms and differences in Religion for the Emperour Constantem himselfe turn'd Arian and caused an universal Synod to meet at Laodicea in which those holy Fathers of the Church and Bishops namely Athanasius of Alexandria Eusebius of Vercelis Dionisius of Meiland Hillarius of Pictavia Paulinus of Trier and many other Bishops and at last Pope Julius himselfe were deposed from their offices and places and banisht And presently after that did the Socinian Heresie arise by Photinus Praesbiterius Sirmienses which filled the Church of Christ with much trouble and confusion About this there was a great Synod of Divines met at Sardis in Illyrico wherein were Assembled 376 Bishops at which time the Church of Christ was wretchedly distracted and divided for although 300 of the Bishops remained constant to the true Christian faith and Religion yet the 76 Eastern Bishops fell from it and became Arians But the Sect of the Socinians was condemned by both sides In the year 348 there hapned a great Earthquake in Campania and Italy whereby Dyrachium was wholly destroyed and Rome shook and trembled for the space of three days and nights In Campania were many towns quite spoiled thereupon there followed again great distractions and disturbances both in Church and State For the Emperour Constantem caused two general Synods of Divines to be Assembled one in Armenia in Italy in which the Catholick Christian faith was confessed and maintained by more then 400 Fathers of the Church and the other at Saleucia in Isauria wherein the Arian Heresie was by a hundred and fifty Bishops approved justified and acknowledged for good And in the temporal state there followed a long and destructive warr between the Emperour Constantem and Magnentius with unspeakable efusion of bloud on both sides In the year 366. there hapned terrible Earthquakes all over the world the Sea broke through in divers places doing much harm At Constantinople it Hailed such great stones that they destroyed many People and much Cattle Nicaee was wholly demollished to the very ground the Romish Empire was fill'd with warrs and uproars in all places The High Dutch rob'd and plunder'd in France Sarmatae that is the Polanders and Muscovites on the one side and Quadi that is the Silesians on the other side invaded Hungary The Saxons on the one side and the Scots on the other side fell upon England the Goths did what they listed in Panonia and overcame Scythia and Thracia the Persians subdudued and took Armenia so that the Romish Empire was lamentably imbroyled and it proved Earthquake sufficient to the Inhabitants of those Countreys and Kingdoms In the year of Christ 400. There hapned a very great and dangerous Earthquake in High Germany and the Heavens lookt like a burning flame for divers days together Thereupon it followed that King Snie of Denmark waged a destructive warr against King Biorn of Sweden in which warr he lost his own life and the Lombards together with a great resort of several other Nations marched out of the Countrey of the Vandals 300000 strong over the Rhine into France and plunder'd it quite through from thence they advanced into Spain where they did the like and continued there a long time The Hunnes also at that time made an unspeakable warr upon the Romans lost in one battle 125000 men but slew 210000 of the Romans shortly after this they had another battle again wherein the Hunnes lost 40000 men In the year 406. there hapned several Earthquakes in High Dutchland especially by the River Rhine Thereupon King Rorick of Denmark fell into High Dutchland the year following vanquished subdued and possest himselfe of the Countrey round about went over the River Rhine and destroyed Mentz Worms Spire and Trier ruin'd and destroyed all the adjacent Towns so that the Inhabitants yea even nature it self seemed to be amazed and to tremble at his approach For which is strange when he came before the City of Metis that is Metz and laid siege unto it a great part of the City walls fell down to the ground by an Earthquake so that without any resistance or striking a stroak he took the City In the year 412. there hapned many Earthquakes both in Asia and Europe Whereupon ensued a great plague of pestilence in most Countreys and also a most terrible famine and scarcity by means of the great mis-growth of the fruits of the earth Also fearful Tempests Storms and Hail that many Hailstones weigh'd eight pound Alaricus the King of the West Goths fell into Italy and almost utterly destroyed the City of Rome purposed to have destroyed Italy and called Rome by the name of Gothia And after these Earthquakes did also arise the Pelagian heresie by Pelagius an English Heretick against which was holden an universal Synod at Carthage consisting of 270 Bishops amongst which especially was St. Jerom and St. Augustine also Attilla the King of the Hunnes began to tyrannize cruelly in Europe having great and wonderful fortune and success In the year 488. there hapned great and terrible Earthquakes in the Romish Empire for a moneths time together whereby many Mountains Castles and Cities were destroyed and overthrown and many people perished And it ensued thereupon that Odoacer of Saxony by open Hostility invaded Italy and was defeated three times by King Diderick of Bern so that he was forced to flye for refuge to Ravennam and was besieged there by the Goths three years together In the year 544. there hapned as is Recorded several terrible Earthquakes almost all over Europe but especially at Rome and in Italy Whereupon it followed that Totillas the King of the East Goths besieged Rome so straightly that the Inhabitants were forced to eat Dogs and Cats for hunger Afterwards he took the
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
one of King Davids chief Musitians Psal 77. 16 and 18. The waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee and were afraid c. the voice of thy Thunder was in the Heavens thy Lightning lightned the world the earth trembled and shook And that none should doubt that this hapned at the very same time when the children of Israel came out of Egypt Asaph concludeth the aforesaid Psalm with these words in the last verse Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron Moreover when God would in an especial manner appear unto that precious man of God the Prophet Elias upon mount Horeb and there verbally instruct him what he in the Lords behalf should do in several Kingdoms Then there hapned a great Earthquake before but the Lord was not in the Earthquake as we may read in 1 Kin. 19. 11. It is also Recorded by the Prophet Amos that there hapned in Jewry a great Earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel and Amos was called by God two years before the said Earthquake from amongst the Heardsmen of Tekoa to preach and reprove sharply the great and manifold fins which did then abound in all the Countreys thereabouts as we may read in the first chapter of Amos ver 2. c. and in the following Chapters And that this same Earthquake was no small one we may sufficiently understand by that prophetical Doctrine which the Prophet Zachary preached unto his Auditors certain hundreds of years after when he putteth the remnant of the people of Israel that were returned home from their 70 years Babylonish captivity in mind and did then cause them plainly to understand that the said Earthquake was a great terrible and dreadful one for the Prophet writes thus Zac. 14. 5. ye shall flee like as ye fled from before the Earthquake in the days of Uzziah King of Judah As for the new Testament therein do the Holy Evangelists make mention concerning several Earthquakes that hapned in those times The Evangelist St. Matthew in chap. 27. 51. and forward writes that at the time of the death of Jesus Christ the vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom and the earth did quake and the rocks rent and the graves opened So that the Centurion and those that were with him watching Jesus when they saw the Earthquake and those things that were done feared greatly By this Earthquake doubtlesse the Lord for his part did show his fierce wrath against those that had dealt so unmercifully with his only beloved son and on the other side Christ himself did also show his enemies how easily he could have caused the earth in that Earthquake to have opened under them and suffered them altogether like the seditious Korah Dathan and Abiram in former time with all their retinue wives and children to have sunk down alive into Hell Numb 16. But our most Gracious and patient Saviour was not come then to destroy but to redeem and deliver mankind from the wrath and righteous judgements of God Luk 9. 56. And therefore not one Jew of the enemies of Christ perished in this Earthquake but the long suffering of God did hereby yet seek to draw them to repentance Rom. 2. 4. Also at the time of our Lord Jesus Christ his Resurrection there hapned a great Earthquake again concerning which the above named Evangelist St. Matthew writeth thus chap. 28. 2 4. Behold there was a great Earthquake c. and the keepers did shake and became as dead men Concerning this Earthquake Divines aâ—e of several opinions for some think that this Earthquake hapned sub descensu Christi ad inferos when Christ descended into Hell or to the lowermost or innermost parts of the earth as St. Paul writeth Eph 4. 9. And then presently did a mighty great conflict begin between the Prince of darkness the Devil on the one side that would have preserved his Pallace and kept what he had in peace Luk 11. 21. And the Prince of life and Lord of Glory the Lord Jesus Christ on the other side that is called a stronger then he that came upon him to overcome him Luk 11. 22. And by this great and powerful conflict Christ redeemed mankind and took away the power from him that had the power over death that is the Devil and delivered them who through fear of death were all there life time subject to bondage Heb. 2. 14. 15. wherein the Devil with all the powers of Hell strived mightily to oppose him but Christ gets the victory at last having spoiled the principalities and powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it as St. Paul writes Collos 2. 15. and that according to his own prophesie by the Prophet Hosea chap. 13. 14. where he in time of old speaketh thus O death I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction Now at such a mighty contest hapning in hell or the innermost parts of the earth could not the earth contein it self but was forced thereby to shake tremble and quake so that the Evangelist might well say Lo there was a great Earthquake Concerning this Luther writes thus Annotante D. Johanne Gerhardo Homil. Sacr. parte 2. super Feria pasch 1 Concione 3. in hoc terrae motu Christus ad inferos descendit Satanam ligavit captivam duxit captivitatem infernum destruxit claves abstulit morti praedam eripuit c. That is in this Earthquake Christ descended into Hell bound Satan took captivity captive spoyled hell and carried away the keys and took away the prey of death from him Other Divines especially those that are preachers are of this opinion that this Earthquake hapned at the time of Christs Resurrection which was upon Easter-day in the morning thereby shewing that as the earth at the time of Christs death did quake and tremble in compassion of the bitter pain and innocent death of its Lord and Creator so by a particular great Earthquake she did now rejoyce again at his Resurrection and did leap and dance for joy of the victory and conquest obtained by Jesus Christ and as it were with both hands to speak after the fashion of men delivered her Lord and Creator from her which now she had inclosed in her to the third day Each of these Divines opinions do I allow to be worthy and Godly forasmuch as neither of them do in the least oppose the Holy Scriptures But besides this the Evangelist St. Luke Recordeth that when Peter had preached that excellent Sermon in Jerusalem in the great festival of Whitsontide concerning the death of Christ on the one side and his glorious and victorious Resurrection from the dead on the other and then by the same Sermon converted about 5000 men to the faith and confession of Christ Act. 4. 4. After the same Sermon with the unanimous and earnest prayers supplications and
thanksgiving of the faithful were ended it is mentioned in the 31 verse of the afore named Chapter that the place was shaken wherein they were assembled together and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spake the word with boldness And again when Paul and Silas were cast into prison in Philippi the chief City of that part of Macedonia Act. 16. 12. and they then in the prison prayed and sang praises to God there was suddenly a great Earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened and every ones bands were loosned ibid. ver 26. so that the Keeper and all his house were thereby converted to the faith of Christ and were baptized ver 33. c. I will not now speak concerning what the Evangelist St. John Records in his Book of the Revelations chap. 6. 12. 8. 5. 11. 13 19. and 16. 18. Because generally Divines and the faithful Teachers of the Christian Church do expound those things Allegorically and do understand thereby the great and terrible persecutions and efusion of blood which the Church of Christ hath partly suffered now lyeth under hereafter shall suffer by means of divers Heretiques false Teachers and Tyrants which will assist them towards the end of the world from whom the Lord in mercy preserve these Countreys and Kingdoms for Jesus Christ his sake But that most serious prophesie which Jesus Christ the foundation and mouth of Truth as a true Prophet did prophesie and leave unto his Church concerning such Earthquakes as should really happen before his last Glorious appearance ought by no means to be here forgotten or omitted And Christ himselfe hath prophesied concerning Earthquakes toward the end of the world after this manner Mat. 24. 7. and there shall be famines and pestilences and Earthquakes in divers places And Mar 13. 8. there shall be Earthquakes in divers places famines and troubles Also Luk 21. 11. And great Earthquakes shall be in divers places and famizes and pestilences and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from Heaven From whence it may be concluded that when God Almighty now in these last times of the world doth permit such great and spacious Earthquakes so many miles in length to happen men ought not lightly and carelesly to slight them and think no more of them but to regard and receive them as signifying partly some certain new and unusual accident impending or approaching And partly as the infallible prodomos or forerunners of the last day yea and the creatures earnest expectation that waiteth for the glorious manifestation of the sons of God Forasmuch as the creature is made subject to vanity against its will And the creature groaneth and travaileth in pain together with our selves to be delivered from the bondage of corruption as Paul teacheth Rom 8. 19 20 c. Now therefore mark attentively and consider well with thy selfe O thou intelligent Reader that if the sencelesse and dead creatures such as Earth Rocks Seas Islands and the like that have neither mouth nor tongue brain nor heart can so quake and tremble yea as it were bewaile and condole themselves when their Lord and Creator is angry or intendeth to visit Countreys and Kingdoms with any uncouth or strange thing how much more ought the hearts of men whilst they live and in time too to be amazed and to tremble and quake for fear of the wrath of God and his impendent judgements And if so be they will not do it now in the time of Grace then may we justly cry out and complain upon them with that Holy and reverend Father of the Church Saint Ambrose O hominum pectora Saxis duriora Oh thou heart of man that art harder and more insensible than the Rocks and Stones for they can quake but the heart of man not yea then we may well complain with the Prophet Jeremy chap. 5. 3. Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a Rock they have refused to return And also with the Prophet Zachary in chap. 7. 12. Yea they have made their hearts as and Adamant stone therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts O man man consider now well with thy selfe in time that if thou canst not now be moved to tremble and quake for that God that can so move the earth and cause her to tremble and quake then thou maist justly fear that when the Lord Almighty will so move the earth that the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up 2 Pet. 3. 10. that it will be then too late for thee to tremble and quake And if any now may be moved to great fear and amazement by these small Earthquakes which do no very great harm what kind of anguish and terrour thinkest thou will at that time fall upon all ungodly and incorrigible men that here would never fear such a God Truly then the Kings of the earth and the rich men and the chief Captains and the mighty men and every bondman and every free-man shall hide themselves in the Denns and in the Rocks of the mountains and say to the mountains and Rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Oh Jesus Christ thou Rock of Salvation and precious corner-stone of Zion do thou mollifie our hard and stony hearts and according to thy promise give us hearts of flesh Ezek. 36. 26. That we may now in the time of Grace be amazed and tremble at our bloudy sins and their well deserved and impendent punishment that so the punishment may be either graciously mittigated or wholly diverted according to thy Divine will for thy great mercies sake Amen Now he that can give any better or more perfect instruction or information concerning Earthquakes and yet will not do it committeth a great sin inasmuch as he concealeth such wonderful works of the Lord. FINIS Errata In the 3 page of the Preface line 19. for 40. read 160. page 18. line ult for cannot read caâ— Meaning here Norway Note that this must doubtlesse be by an Earthquake Suspirium
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