neere as I can by that order which Christ himselfe and his Apostles wel neere 1600. yeeres past haue declared in the word of God And therein I will examine how manie of those signes and tokens be past and howe manie of them doe yet remaine to be fulfilled Then will I see whither this bee not the verie time that Christ hath prescribed to returne againe or if the time be not yet full complete whither it bee not so verie neere therevnto as it is most certaine that the same shall not be long deferred Lastlie I will do my best to stirre vp the mindes of all men to repentance and to prepare themselues with all the diligence duetie they can shewe in this life to go foorth of meete with that great Prince of glorie Christ Iesus Albeit our forefathers in euerie age since the time of the Apostles had manie signes and tokens whereby euerie one might looke for the day of the Lord in that age werein he liued and the rather because Paule said in his time that the examples of the old Testamēt wer writtē for a warning vnto vs vpō whō the ends of the world were come 1. Cor. 10 11 yet because the perceiued by the wordes of Christ that there were other tokens to be performed which neither they had seene nor yet did wel cōceiue they might not so boldlie prescribe the day of the Lord to be at hand as we may now affirme it to be For although Saint Paule as I haue shewed did say that the ends of the worlde were come vpon them in his dayes yet lie bad the Thessalonians that they should not bee deceaued by anie spirit or word or letter to thinke that the day of the Lord was then at hand 2. Thess 2.2 For hee taught them that there should be first a falling away from the faith and that Antichrist should be reuealed before the comming of Christ Which things were not to bee performed within the compasse of so fewe yeeres but required a longer time and manie other matters depended thereon Now howsoeuer this prophesie of Antichrist may seeme to take a latter place in the holie Historie after some other signes and tokens of Christs comming yet if we haue regarde to the first times when the Bishop of Rome was declared to bee that Antichrist it may take the first place before al other signes accomplished after Christ his ascension Neuerthelesse if we meane so plaine perfect a reuealing of Antichrist as it shall be no lesse euident vnto al other nations of Christendome than it is now vnto vs who doe sensibly see perfectly know him to be the verie man of sinne which was prophesied before whereunto the holie Ghost had respect in putting this signe after others in the place of Mathew Marke and else where then may it be called the last signe or token of all Because as the publishing of the worde ouer all the world groweth by little and little so the perfect reuealing of Antichrist vnto all Nations is daily more and more plainely and euidently discerned thereby And in this respect the preaching of the word with the consuming of him shall end both together at the verie comming of Christ and not before because the Scripture saith that the spirit of the Lords mouth shall consume him but the brightnes of his comming shall vtterly destroy him 2. Thess 2.8 And both this and the rest of the tokens that depende on the same are most euident and vndoubted testimonies of the latter dav Wherefore I will first shew how all those thinges are performed partly in other time before but most especially in this age of ours Within which time also I will declare all the rest of the tokens of Christ comming to be in a manner fully complete When the kingdome of Christ was increased and growen to the full by preaching of the Gospel and that the Bishop of Rome began also to growe great in Italy by decaying of the Empire by the giftes and donacions of Princes then did also the same Bishop fall from true religion to superstition from the right seruice of God to false worshipping from sinceritie to hypocrisie from the rules of Gods word to the reasons decrees of men And as his greatnesse increased the Emperours power diminished so the Apostasie of that Church was the more discerned Antichrist of Rome the more reuealed and so when Rome the seate of the Empire was vtterly remoued from the temporal Magistrate and wholly inuested in the Pope and that the Pope claimed to be the vniuersall Bishop there was now nothing to hinder but that all men might discerne how farre the Church was falne from God who was very Antichrist the Author of the same Howbeit though he by this meanes shewed himself to be that Antichrist which both the Prophetes and also Christ and his Apostles had so manifestly described before hand as there can be nothing in the Scriture more plaine yet can it not be saide that Antichrist was fully reuealed till this latter age of ours both because the infinite measure of his iniquitie was neuer before fulfilled with so great power and signes and lying wonders as it hath bene now within these few ages past and also because hee made princes his ministers and vassals to see that his commaundements were obserued and his honour dignitie and power maintained and that none shoulde be so hardie as to bring his name in question or to finde fault with anie part of his superstition But when it pleased God of his infinite mercie to put into the hearts of Kings and Princes prudently to snake off his intollerable yoke from their shoulders and to send foorth preachers of his word that shoulde openly pronounce him to bee verie Antichrist and to proue it to his face out of the worde of God that he is that man of sinne foreshewed in the Scripture then it might truly be said that there was no impediment betweene him and home but that he is perfectly infallibly and expresly discouered taught knowen to be Antichrist among all them that professe the Gospel of Christ Wherefore the matter being so true as both the word of God it selfe affirmeth and the testimonies and proofes of innumerable Writers extant inuincibly cōfirmeth I need not wade anie further herein than is necessarie to induce the matter I haue in hand For this beeing true that the Apostacie of that Church drawing to an ende by preaching of of the word that all the impediments which kept Antichrist backe that he could not be so manifest to the world being remoued that Antichrist himself is now in this age of ours most euidently discyphered and that those be the principall and most apparant signes of he Lords comming whereof the rest or manie of them depend and might not be shewed till these were fulfilled we are now to see what other tokens the holy Ghost hath set downe in the word written that should be shewed
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
schismes and corruptions Whether they haue punished those Rulers of the Churche that cause the trueth of GOD to bee euill spoken of for their vngodlinesse Finallie whether in all their actions both at home and abroade priuate and publique in the Churche and Common-weale they haue done all thinges with a faithfull and sinceere heart and with the testimonie of a pure and good conscience Which if they haue they shal be coheires with Christ and shall reigne with him in glorie and felicitie for euermore otherwise they shall stande among the guiltie sinners receaue iudgement of condemnation according to their merites Next vnto Kinges and absolute Princes must come to a reckoning before the chiefe Iudge Christ Iesus the Gouernours of the Churche and Rulers of Prouinces and particular places to whome the Prince for his owne discharge hath committed his authoritie to see that GOD bee truelie serued and Iustice among his subiectes duelie executed And therefore yee my reuerent Fathers of the Churche yee whose office it is both to teach and feede and gouerne the Churche vnder your charge Christ will shortlie call you to a straight accompt First whether yee came into your office by a plaine and direct waye or els stole into it by some corrupt and sinister meanes Whether yee desired the office of a Bishop for the goodnesse of the worke or for the gayne and profite of the liuing Whether yee set before your eyes the benefite of the Church and aduancement of the Gospell more than the honour and dignitie that is attributed vnto your calling The seconde Article wherein yee must trie your selues before the Supreame Bishoppe is Whether you haue indeuoured as farre as in you lyeth to cleanse the whole Church vnder you of all vngodlie worship worshippers in the same And whether ye haue been carefull to appease al schismes and controuersies to the vttermost of your power whether yee haue sincerelie and diligentlie preached Christ as hee hath prescribed in his holie word whether yee haue weeded out of your whole gouernments all infamous vngodlie schismaticall yea and as much as in you lieth all vnlearned Pastors which either by their wicked examples offend corrupt and marre their flocke or els be altogether carelesse and negligent of them whether ye haue executed all the censures of the Church with a faithfull and single heart hand without all fauour and corruption for the aduauncement of the glorie of God and edifieng of die whole congregation Item whether you haue remooued or reformed all such your Commissaries and other meane officers if anie such you haue that by their corrupt and auaritious proceedings haue caused the most iust most holie and most pure religion of Christ to bee blasphemed and hated among the enemies of the Gospell and haue giuen so great an offence to the rest of the Church as manie haue runne into greeuous schismes and verie damnable opinions by reason of the same Likewise in all iust appeales made vnto you whether you haue in charitie and conscience indeuoured with all care and diligence to reforme all things that haue been wronged by your inferiour officers Finally whether ye haue fed the hungrie clothed the naked and lodged the harborlesse and whether to the proportion of your liuing ye haue been as liberall to the poore and impotent members of Christ as carefull to aduaunce your selues and yours with worldly riches and honors And thus whether yee haue in all thinges indeuoured to the vttermost of your power both by your sound doctrine by example of your owne life and by your faithfull and vpright gouernment to walke worthie of your vocation and haue kept the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace In al these things shall ye shortlie be examined and tried before the triumphant Iudge Christ Iesus Againe ye that bee the gouernours of Prouinces and all other Iudges and great officers vpon whom dependeth either the liues or the goods or the causes of other Subiects albeit the most of you haue long time escaped the temporall sword yet shall you not now escape the last iudgement of God For the bloud of the fatherles and widdowes haue cryed vp to the Lord of hoasts and he commeth to take an account of your vngodlie and vncharitable iudgements Shall not your owne consciences in that day accuse you as much as a thousand witnesses that you fled from iudgement and peruerted equitie That ye build vp Syon with bloud Malach 3. and Ierusalem with wickednesse That ye heads haue iudged for reward and that ye Priestes haue taught for hier and ye Prophets haue prophesied for monie That ye haue contemned the low estate of the poore feared to execute Iustice against the mightie That ye haue often preuented the trueth of the cause by a contrarie impression and conceipt in your minde That ye haue been more carried with the faire intisement of mans eloquence than with a plaine and simple declaration of the trueth That ye haue either stayed your iudgement by letters or wearied your suters by charges or consumed them by delayes or discouraged them by your speeches or mocked them by your vanities or driuen them to dispaire by your iniustice Finally that ye haue not onlie seene the bribing and extortion and scraping of pettie clarkes and inferiour ministers which ye might haue redressed but that ye your selues also haue bin partakers of their sinnes Shall not all these things bee layd open before your eyes in that great and terrible daie Generally all ye that be rich abound with goods and possessions in this life leaue off the greedie desire of monie and dispose well of the riches that ye haue Make ye friends while ye maie of your vnrighteous Mammon that ye be not taken short when the Lord commeth For he is speedilie comming and will take a straight account of all you that haue abused your stewardshippes and haue not bin faithfull in that was committed vnto you He hath sounded his Trompet now this second time and hath giuen you a lawfull warning he hath tolde you often before and he telleth you now againe at the last that you heape not vnto your selues treasure vpon the earth where the Canker and rust do corrupt theeues breake in steale That if riches increase you should not set your heart vpon them Psal 62. That riches helpe not in the day of vengeance and he which trusteth in them shall haue a horrible fall That though ye thinke Psal 49. that your dwelling places shall continue for euer yet ye shall dye and leaue your riches to others That because thou hast trusted in thine owne treasure therefore thou and thy Princes and Priestes shall be carried into captiuitie That he which stoppeth his eare frō the crye of the poore Prou. 21. he shall crye himselfe and not bee heard That the deceiptfulnes of riches choketh vp the word of GOD I am 5. and maketh it vnfruitfull 1. Timot. 6. That we should
vaine worde that they haue spent all the time of their life and so to receaue iudgement for the same Thus are all mortall men and women cyted to appeare before the Iudgement seate of God to aunswere for themselues There shall then be no excepting of persons before him but Emperors Kings and Princes their subiects seruaunts and vassals all both Magistrates and people the highest Prelates and poorest Ministers Lords and tenants masters and seruants parents and children olde and young one with another shall all stand before the face of the Lorde to receiue their iudgement and either for their vngodlinesse to be accused and condemned or else hauing walked with a perfect heart before him they shal bee iustified and saued by the death and redemption of Christ Wherefore seing al these things shall thus happen that shortly how sodainly we know not and seing the day of the Lord wil steale vpō vs like a theefe in the night 2. Pet 3. when the hauens shall passe away and the earth and al the workes therein shal be vtterly burned with fire seeing we shall immediately be caried away vnto iudgement and seeing the Lord is not slacke but will speedelie come as he hath promised what manner of persons ought we to be in holinesse and godly conuersation How ought we to purge our liues from the dead and damnable workes of this world to serue the true and liuing God Howe well furnished ought we to be at all houres with all the armour of God that nothing but truth may proceede out of our mouths That all our actions bee defended by iustice and vpright dealing That wee may treade all our steppes in the Gospell of peace That we may haue a strong faith to withstand the deuill and all the temptations of this life That wee relie whollie vppon the saluation of Christ and that the word of God may dwell plentifully in vs wherewith we being indued we shall be readie at euery instant to meete the Lord when he commeth in the clowdes with power and great glorie But what shall the Lord say to them that bee so carelesse and negligent as they will not watch one small time in praier and meditation for his comming Shall they not in that great day be accused of the greatest vnfaithfulnes in the world Yea shall they not bee condemned of foule and beastlie ingratitude when for the pure loue that he beareth to vs he hath so sensiblie before hand shewed vs of all these things that haue happened and hath willed vs to watch and bee readie with our Lampes burning because the Sonne of man will come at such an houre as we knowe not O vngratefull and faithlesse generation maie he saie it repenteth me that I haue been so kinde and louing to you and that I haue bestowed vpon you so large and ample benefites when ye were dead in the burthen of your sinnes and were in thraldome of the deuill and of all your mortall enernies and had no other waie to be relieued but by me I humbled my selfe from the throne of my Maiestie and tooke your nature vpon me I came not as I might haue done like a great Prince and Monarch of this world but was content to abase my selfe to be borne of a poore woman to bee brought vp like a poore childe to walke in the forme of a poore seruant and to liue poorely from the daie of my birth to the daie of my death I indured nakednesse and cold and hunger for your sakes yea thirtie yeares together and vpward did I abide all the calamities of this life for your sakes I submitted my selfe to the lawe of man and obserued euerie iot and title of the same for your sakes I fasted fourtie daies and fourtie nights for your sakes I wrought great miracles and wonders in the world for your sakes And when the time of my passion was come I sweate water and bloud for your sakes I was scourged buffetted and beaten for your sakes I abode a crowne of sharpe thornes vpon my head for your sakes I indured spitting railing and despightfull words against my selfe for your sakes And in the ende I suffered amost shamefull and cruell death vppon the Crosse for your sakes For you and your saluation haue I done all this and yet ye will not beleeue the signes that I haue shewed nor prepare your selues to watch for my comming Therefore I will come so sodainlie vppon you as it shall be too late for you to repent and whome I finde not watching and prepared for me him will I cast into the vttermost darkenes where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Wherefore my deare brethren in Christ when we haue diligentlie weighed and considered these things how iustlie how innocentlie and how purelie ought wee to shewe our selues in all the whole course of our liues looking daylie and hourelie for the appearing of our Sauiour that we maie be blamelesse in the daie of his cōming It is for our learning edifying that al the holie Scriptures are written that all the teaching instructiōs warnings therin are giuē that all the miracles of God from the beginning haue been shewed that all the examples of our forefathers haue been published that God from the beginning was so mindfull of our redemption that he sent his owne Sonne for our saluation It is we that he hath been so carefull to preserue so many ages together in the middest of so many crooked and peruerse nations from the hands of so many cruell bloudie tyrants Who were preserued in the Arke from the first destruction of the world by waters but we Who were saued from death in the great famine of Egipt and countries adioyning but we Who were deliuered from Pharao from the inhabitants of Chanaan and from manie other nations with a mightie and stretched out arme but we Who were preserued in the great and horrible persecutions of the Primitiue Church from being vtterly consumed of tyrants but we Who were safelie kept by God as the apple of his owne eye in so great and generall Apostacie of the Church but we Who were againe deliuered by God from the power of Antichrist and were indued with the knowledge of his truth but we Nay who haue receiued so many tokens of the end of the world warnings of Christes comming as we For the heathen haue no knowledge of his lawes And they that bee straungers from Christ feare not his iudgements And all they which sinned without law shall perish without law Againe if iudgement begin first with the house of God what shall become of them that beleeue not the Gospell Why do not wee then with all faithfulnesse and willng heart receiue all these Oracles sent vs by God Why doe wee not thankfully accept his benefites Why do we not beleeue his promises Why do wee not prepare our selues for his iudgements Why doe we not weepe and bewaile and lament for our sinnes Why are we so stonie and
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
that was attributed vnto men and Saincts departed out of this life If he haue reuealed that man of sinne that taketh the whole office of Christ vpon him If he haue sent all the plagues and famines and earthquakes that his wisedome and counsell deuised best for the fatherly correction of his people before the iudgement If nations and kingdomes which are either enemies to his Gospell or straungers from his Church haue banded themselues against the Lord and against the generation of the godlie If the father haue been against the sonne and the mother against the daughter and brother against brother for the name of Christ If many false Prophets haue come in the name of Christ taught the people shameful forgeries when the Lord neuer sent them If men betray one another and hate and persecute one another for their conscience sake If iniquitie be so filled vp with the measure of it selfe as it can hardly bee any more augmented Finally if the preaching of the Gospell be at this day carried from one kingdome to another welneere vnto the ende of the world and all these things to be the tokens of Christes comming And if so manie straunge thinges haue happened besides in these our daies that haue not done the like in manie ages before and all these in the Church and concerning the Church and most agreeable to the time of Christes owne prophesie Then is the second warning of the Trompet sounded vnto iudgement It is high time therefore to awake out of sleepe and to slumber no more in the cogitations of vngodlinesse It is time that wee should cast off the cares of this life and make our selues readie for the daie of the Lord It is time yea more then time that wee should cast away the workes of darknesse and put on the armour of light It is time that wee should laie awaie all filthinesse and sinne for now is our saluation neerer then when wee first beleeued The axe is now put to the roote of the tree that euen now wee must either bring foorth fruite or els bee cut downe and cast into the fire Behold now is the acceptable time now is the daie of saluation now will the Lorde shewe himselfe a mightie GOD and his name shall be magnified in all the world He came at the first and wee knewe him not beholde he commeth againe and all men shall knowe him he came before simplie to take our nature vpon him and to dye for our sinnes but he cōmeth againe as a conquerour to be reuenged of his enemies and as a bountifull Prince to reward his Subiects He came into the world which he himselfe had made but the world would not receiue him because it was not worthv of him Wherfore hauing wrought the work of our redemption he ascēded vp vnto his Father where by his holie spirit he hath gouerned kept and preserued his Church one thousand and well neere sixe hundred yeares and now he commeth in his own person to call all men to an accompt and to cite all men to his Iudgement and those that haue vsed their talents well in this life shall be sure of an eternall reward in his kingdome Math. 25. but if they haue been negligent and vnprofitable seruants and without care of the Lords comming he will cast them into the vttermost darknes where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth There shall be no Lord no King no Emperour nor Pope vpon the earth that shall bee exempt from this Iudgement Can any Prince or Magistrate of the world compare himselfe in brightnes and glorie vnto Lucifer that glorious Angell yet he might not escape the iudgement of GOD but the higher he was in glorie the greater was the shame of his fall Remember therefore O ye Christian Princes and Magistrates and ye that haue charge and rule of Gods people whom God hath made his Liutenants generall within your owne dominions remember that the Lord is comming and will call you to an accompt before the throne of his Iudgement The greater your Kingdomes and Territories be the greater is the reckoning that he requireth of you and the more absolute you bee in commaunding all the more are you bound to giue an accompt for Ye are the Caesars to whom Paule appealed from you lieth no appeale to anie superior in this life As the Lord hath deliuered vnto your custodie the greatest number of Talents so he looketh to reape at your hands the greatest gaines It pitieth me to temember the woful and greeuous state of all mortall men in this miserable life the desperate and dangerous case wherein they liue the often and imminent perills that they fall into the manifold temptations vexations and disquietnes of mind that they are brought into the continuall inticements of the flesh and the diuell that they enter into besides the rash and furious and vngodlie actions that they desperatelie runne into That when they shall shortlie stand before the Tribunall seate and their owne conscience iustlie accusing them thereof there shal be no wisedome no policie no counsell no eloquence of the tongue that can excuse or satisfie the least offence of this life This is the generall state of all mankinde But alas for griefe that Princes should both nowe and then also before the Iudgement seate be in more wofull case than all other persons and subiects of this mortall life That they should bee in greater daunger than all men liuing that they shoulde bee subiect to more miscarying and mishaps than all men liuing that they shoulde haue more vexations disquietnesse and cares of minde than all men liuing that temptations of the flesh that prouocations vnto lust and desire of pleasures shoulde take more holde of them than of all men liuing and that the way vnto all vngodlie actions should be more open vnto them than to all men liuing And of all these thinges must they shortlie yeelde an account together with all men liuing And yet beholde when the Awdit is ended for this a Quietus est for all matters concerning themselues there is a new inditement framed against them wherein they must bee called to an other reckoning Then shall the Register of all their gouernement bee read before them then will it be seene whether they haue ministred Iustice vnto their people That is to say Whether they haue hearde the fatherlesse and oppressed when they haue cried vnto them Whether they haue taken notice of such appeales as haue ben made vnto them Whether they haue punished vngodlie and corrupt Iudges which solde their subiectes for siluer and the righteous for a poore rewarde Whether they haue spared the innocent bloud and not pardoned them that runne on still in wickednesse Whether in all their publique enterprises they haue respected the glorie of GOD more than their owne commodities Whether they haue nursed protected and defended the Churche of GOD to the vttermost of their power Whether they haue preserued it from all heresies errours
not trust in the vncertaintie of riches Psal 112. but in the true and liuing God That he which disperseth his goods and giueth to the poore his righteousnesse shall remaine for euer That blessed are the rich which be found without blemish and haue not put any trust in monie and riches And a thousand such other profitable warnings and promises hath he giuen you But ye haue hardned your hearts and thinke that ye shall neuer come to an account how ye haue bestowed them Werefore the Canker and rust of them yea the vayne and friuolous bestowing of theÌ„ without profite to your neighbour or benefite to the Church or Common weale shall be a witnes against you at the day of Iudgement Yea the supreme Iudge himselfe all the holie Angells elect of God shall testifie against you nay your owne conscience shall accuse you when you see before your eyes those whom ye despised and oppressed And the Lord himselfe in that daie shall saie vnto you you are they vpon whom I bestowed so many benefites wheÌ„ as I might haue giuen them vnto others farre more worthie then you I made you stewards of my treasures to dispose them as might bee most agreeable to mine owne honor for the reliefe of your poore brethren which are members of my bodie whome ye sometime derided and iested at and thought their life to be but madnes Wis 5. and their end to be without honor But now ye see that I haue chosen them before you and made them heires of my saluation You in this life had aboundance of all good things but because ye vsed not those things as I had commaunded you but abused them to your owne lustes I testifie against you that the poore which before time indured al the penurie and miserie of this life shall now possesse the inheritance of my kingdome and ye shall bee turned out They in stead of the cold hunger nakednesse and trouble which they suffered vpon the earth shall now inioy all honor glorie pleasure and felicitie for euermore But ye which exalted your selues in the pride of your riches and dreamed of no other happines but temporall honors and treasures of the earth ye shall now from henceforth feele nothing but euerlasting paines and griefes in hell and bee tormented with the deuill and his Angels Ye see the poore continuallie before you in the streates the maymed and miserable go from doore to doore the impotent Lazars lye at your gates the poore farherlesse children and widdowes in continuall want They desire but the scraps that fall from your table you shut you cares against them and in the distresse of their soule they crie vnto God and shall not God deliuer them in the time of their trouble and call you to an account for them in the day of Iudgement O vnkinde and vngratefull nature of man beyond all the creatures that God hath made The birdes of the aire that be lame or olde or not able to seeke foode are fed by the labour of other birds The wilde beasts that be sicke and impotent to take anie pray of themselues are fedde by the pray of others But shal men so degenerate from their own nature and from the kind and nature of al other beasts of the fielde that hauing ouer and aboue that which should susteine themselues and their familie they wil not feede the hungrie nor cloath the naked nor helpe the maymed and impotent Wherefore those beasts and foules of the aire shal rise in the day of iudgement against them nay al the creatures of God that are obedient vnto man serue for his life and sustenaunce shal be a witnesse against them in that woful dreadfull day of the Lord. Neither shall those rich whether they bee men or women escape the iudgement of God which gathering to themselues abundance of treasure deferre all their good deeds til the time of their death determine then to dispose all things after a good and charitable manner seeing for the most part either their life is so dainlie taken from them before they haue set all in order Or while they liue they are spoyled of that they haue Or else some other mischaunce commeth after their death that things cannot be disposed according to their will But especiallie since in the meane time they haue suffred manie Christian soules to perish for lacke of their helpe Againe what thanke is it to them to be liberal then when they must of necessitie leaue their riches vnto others and cannot vse the same anie more themselues Neither wil the Iudge in that day so straightlie inquire how they bestowed the riches which they had at their death as he will examine whether they did the workes of charitie in their life Namelie Whether they had pitie on the fatherles children widowes when they cried vnto them Whether they helped the lame and blinde and impotent that were not able to shifte for themselues Whether they gaue fuel and clothes to them that were cold and naked Whether they releeued poore prisoners when the yron entered into their soules Whether they gaue Phisicke to the sicke and surgerie the wounded Whether they lent their monie freelie without hope of gaine Whether they eased the common burden of the poore in time of famine Whether they helped their Countrie and Common weale in time of necessitie Whether they ministred vnto the Saintes in their aduersitie Whether they put their helping hand to the vpholding of Religion And finallie Whether they did all these things with a single eye and faithfull heart not to be seene of men but for pure loue to Christ his members And then if they haue anie thing lefte at their death to be spared from their owne familie let them bestow the same in such wise as may most tend to the glorie of God to the edifieng of the Church and benefite of the Common weale And God shall restore them a thousand folde in the life to come But if they sawe all those necessities of their brethren and did shut vp their compassion from them and thought all too little for themselues while they liued all the good deedes at their death shall not be imputed one iot vnto them but they shal haue their poâ—tioÌ„ with hipocrites where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth For they that haue shewed no mercie vnto others shall haue iudgement without mercie to them selues Generallie there is no estate nor degree of person whatsoeuer in this life that shal escape froÌ„ this iudgement but all shall appeare before the seate of GOD and they that haue not walked with an vpright and sincere heart before him nor haue beleeued effectuallie nor liued fruitefullie in Iesus Christ wherby their sinnes might not be imputed to them shall aunswere before him not onelie for all the actuall sinnes that they haue coÌ„mitted against God against their neighbor and against their owne soules but they shall also yeelde an account for euerie idle and
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
was not yet perfourmed wee beleeue not when all the prophesies deliuered to vs in the Scriptures bee alreadie fulfilled They grudged and wauered when they were wandering in the desolate wildernesse wanting many pleasures and delights of this deceiuing life wee mistrust though we now be in a delightfull and pleasant land and abound in all worldlie comforts that can be deuised for man They misdoubted the first comming of Messias because the words proceded frō the mouths of men but manie of vs beleeue not his second comming though he himselfe haue absolutely promised and shewed the tokens of the same by his owne holy word And so iniquitie and incredulitie abound this day beyond all the ages and times of the worlde Wherefore the Lord must of necessitie come to deliuer his people from the intollerable burden thereof Againe was not the disobedience and murmuring of Israel against God and against Moses his Lieutenant so incomparable great as the earth opened and swallowed vp the principall leaders of that conspiracie and all their habitations and families Yea so angrie was the Lord with this sinne that had it not been for Moses sake hee woulde then haue dispatched the whole generation of them from the face of the earth But if we will but looke into the Christianitie see what disobedience there is to the commandementes of God what continuall murmuringes against him what daylie discontentments with the blessings that he sendeth what rebellions conspiracies and seditions against the Princes which be his Lieutenaunts yea what treasons trecheries against the royall person of their Souereignes Nay what banding there is against Christ his Church to roote out both him and his holie word that neither of them should haue anie more being in the world wee shall finde that the burden of iniquitie is at this day so exceeding heauie as the foundations of the world being so farre out of course must needs fall to ruine and desolation Moreouer within what age and memorie of man is is knowen in what writings ethnicke or christian hath it bene founde nay by what place of Scripture can it be prooued especiallie since the former destruction of the world by waters that the sinne of lust fornication did so generally inuade the whole world as it doth at this present daye What sinne doeth so speedely procure the displeasure of God the destruction of the vngodly and the finall ende of all thinges by fier as doth the flame of lust and concupisence But what needeth mee to recite the greatnesse of this sinne when the vengeance and punishments that God hath brought and daily doth bring vpon fornicatours and adulterers both among Infidels and Christians in euerie age and in all families and kingdomes doth euidently shew the same And albeit we knowe that for this sinne specially God burned vp the cities of Sodome and Gomorrhe into ashes that he slewe in one day three or foure and twentie thousand Isaclites for committing that abhomination with the daughters of Moab albeit I say we know that this sinne so sore displeaseth our God impaireth our credite wasteth our goods weakneth our bodies dulleth our memories tormenteth our mindes and worketh al manner of woe both to soule and bodie in this life and keepeth vs frō inheriting of euerlasting life in the world to come yet doe we in this age take such vile and filthie pleasure therein as we exceede all the abhomination of Sodom and therein the world may seeme to match all the Generations that haue gone before vs. And the greatest cause why God hath not yet powred vpon vs the same or greater vengeance than he did vpon our forefathers is because hee hath nowe but a short time of patience and then commeth the day of vengeance For he hath alreadie sounded his Trumpet vnto iudgement he hath signified by his prophets he hath pronounced by his Preachers hee hath published by his signes and tokens and hee hath opened plainelie by the word of his promise that hee commeth speedelie like a Lion vpon his enemies and to reward with destruction and vengeance all them that worke wickednesse But I am ashamed to speake of the loathsome and horrible sinne of drunkennesse and surfetting For although there be diuers other sinnes wherein for the vilenesse of them men may be compared with brute beasts yet in this sinne men without all comparison excell all beasts and liuing creatures in the world For beasts being voide of all reason yet doe they knowe what is necessarie and sufficient for them and therefore doe they rarelie or neuer take anie more sustenaunce than is meete for their health although they haue neuer so great plentie ministred vnto them But man that is indued with reason and speech the two principall things whereby he is discerned from other beasts and whereby he hath the dominion of them during the time that he is occupied in the sinne of drunkennesse he is not onelie depriued of that excellent knowledge and gouernment that God hath giuen him aboue other creatures but while his head is ouercharged with wine he hath neither the power of vnderstanding nor the sense of feeling that other beasts haue O most horrible and cruell sinne O monstrous disease of the flesh howe easelie mightest thou be lefte what little neede hath man of thee and yet what dangerous and deadlie enormities dost thou bring vpon him both against himselfe against his neighbour against the Commonweale and against the commaundements of our gracious God He that is ouerloden with wine and strong drinke foultreth in his speech reeleth too fro falleth on the ground or tumbleth into the ditch the world goeth round about him shame doth not lay holde on him but others are ashamed for him The presence of persons doth not feare him euerie man scorneth him euerie man shunneth him euerie man derideth him but nothing doth greeue him Againe he whose head is not so deepelie drowned in drinke but is ouer merie therewith hath fraighted his bodie and pampered his bellie as well with meate as drinke how slow is he to all vertue how prone is he to al kind of mischiefe Pouertie woe strife sorowe bralling and wounds without a cause followe them that delight in wine and delicate fare And Prou. 21 Prou. 13. Through gluttonie commeth sickenesse and by surfetting death O that men woulde also weight the greatnesse of this sinne by cōsidering the mischiefs that it bringeth For besides that it destroyeth the health of the bodie and shorteneth mans life it also alienateth the minde prouoketh anger stirreth vp lusts consumeth riches discouereth secrets peruerteth iudgement it causeth sloth in the bodie dulnesse in wit weaknesse in the memorie and vnwillingnesse to euerie good action The abundaunce that is consumed by this one onelie vice woulde supply all the wantes in the Common weale The forbearing of one meale within this kingdome of all the people but once in a yere would feed a mightie Armie a whole moneth The sparing of
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
comparison of vs that haue the light of the Gospell liued but in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death be a notable testimony against vs in the day of iudgemēt since they feared god more reuerētly serued him more willingly obeyed him more dutifully and loued him more feruently thē we Since they had more compasston vpon their pore brethren more deuotion vnto al good workes and more regard to their owne saluation then we Since they had lesse dissimulation lesse craft lesse hypocrisie lesse malice lesse couetousnesse less wickedness in their life then we Compare the great zeale of our predecessors with the colde deuotion that wee haue in these daies and we shall be ashamed of our selues The good deedes which were done by them were done simplie either for the loue they bare to God or as they tooke it for the honor of his seruice and religion or of a compassion to their poore brethren or for the safetie of their owne soules or of a zeale they bare to their parents departed or for a benefite to the Common wealth or to ease the burthen of their successors or for the furtherance of Schooles and learning or for some such other either good or wel-meaning intent But on the other side what little good soeuer we doe we doe it neither of a lone towards GOD nor of a charitable minde towards our neighbour nor of any remorse of conscience in our selues nor yet of any affection towards our natiue countrie but all that the most of vs do we do it either for vaine glorie or for pleasing of other mens humours or to bee seene and praised of men or to auoyd the clamor of the world or by compulsion and commandement or for feare of shame and punishment or by importunate sute that is made or because wee knowe not els what to do with that we haue Wherefore the former with their blind zeale and supposed good intent shall rise vp in the daie of iudgement and condemne vs for the fruitlesse ostentation and boasting of our faith If the men of Niniuie which repented at the preaching of Ionas and the Queene of the South that came so farre to heare the wisedome of Salomon shall rise in iudgement against the Iewes that would not beleeue and amend for all that could bee said vnto them by Christ and the Prophets What shall so manie Prophets and Preachers of God do against vs in that day who daily hourelie and continuallie rebuke vs for our sinnes and stirre vs vp by all meanes to amendment of our liues shewing vs that the daie of the Lord is at hand O Iesus why should we now be further from the obeying of thee than when wee were further from thee Shall the brightnes of thy presence and the light of thy blessed word which lighteneth euerie man that commeth into the world and whose propertie is to giue light and saluation to all them that will receiue the same shall it shine I saie vppon such stonie and grauelie hearts as haue no power to bring forth true repentance nor any fruites of a godlie life And shall the Deuill so preuaile against them for whom thou hast shed thy most precious bloud that sodainlie vppon the reuealing of Antichrist and sending of new Ambassadours from thee to put thinges in order against thy comming he shall turne the hearts of all men from all goodnesse and vertue to vice and crueltie alter the natures of things from better to worse bring in Schisme Atheisme Treason and all vngodlines into the worlde and make iniquitie flowe beyond measure ouer all the bankes of the earth Howbeit Lorde if this bee thy will and that by no other meanes thy holie word should bee verified namelie that wickednesse should so mightilie abound before thy comming If thy promise should on this wise bee fulfilled If thy chosen must on this manner bee tried and that this should bee one of the last tokens of thy comming wee accept all these things as Oracles sent before and wee assuredlie looke for thine owne selfe in person to followe Wherefore ye my brethren of the Church of England for whose cause specially I haue written this second warning or sound of the last Trompet beare in minde all these thinges that I haue declared vnto you Examine your owne consciences whether ye haue not tasted of the blessings of GOD in measure more aboundantlie in fauour more apparantlie in mercie more infinitlie and in signes and tokens more wonderfullie than anie nation in the world Againe consider with your selues how all these graces and mercies haue been requited of you Whether there bee anie nation of the worlde more vnthankfull for Gods benefites more forgetfull of his promises more disobedient to his commaundements more negligent in their callings more factious in practises more contentious in Religion more inclined to Treason more vncharitable in action more colde in deuotion more rash in enterprises more restlesse in vanities more greedie in getting more carelesse in spending more slowe to vertue and more forward to vice And finally more desperate to all kinde of mischiefe then commonly the people of this kingdome are Wherefore if the mercies of God did not daylie salue the deadly wounds and diseases of our soule wee should long before this time haue come to a feareful and horrible end But that the Lord doth yet spare you impute it not to your owne desert but to his great mercy That ye perish consume not in his wrath it is of his mercie That ye liue vnplagued of your enemies is of his mercie That ye loose not his Gospell and true Religion is of his mercie That we see our Elizabeth reigne in holinesse health and prosperitie is long of his mercie And yet for all this do we reiect his goodnesse discredite his promises dishonor his seruices disallowe his tokens continue in sinnes deuide the Church with Schismes and slaunder the trueth of the Gospell by our vngodlines yet for all this do ye crye Peace Peace and think that all shall go aswell with you at the last as it did at the first And consider not the mercifull patience and long suffring of the Lord how he calleth you to repentance For ye shall al dye with euerlasting destruction vnlesse ye speedily shewe foorth the fruites of repentance And the patient forbearing of temporall punishment of your bodies in this life doth breede the greater weight of perpetuall shame and damnation both of bodie and soule in the life to come Farre more easie should it bee for vs if our sinnes had not deserued greater punishement that it would please the Lord fatherlie to correct vs while wee are heere either with publicke warres plagues and famines or else with priuate sicknesse penurie imprisonment and with losse of goods and possessions if he would feede vs with the bread of teares and with the water of affliction if he would exercise vs with all kinde of miserie and so purge and trie vs as it were by fire yea
if he would humble vs as he did Nabucadonosor and make vs to eate grasse with the beastes of the field and to water vs with the deaw of heauen till our hearts were whollie turned vnto him againe rather than do fill vs so abundantlie with all manner of temporal blessings With health in our bodies plentie in our coffers ioy in our families fauour with our Princes to haue praise with priuate persons and to haue authoritie in kingdomes but therewith to bee depriued of the grace and mercie of God of Christes promised saluation and in steede of the pleasures of this life to receaue paines intollerable both of bodie and soule in the life to come Wherefore ô my bretheren remember what yee are where yee are and whether yee goe Yee are of those for whom the world was made For whome the remnant was saued in Noahs floud For whome God hath shewed a thousand miracles in Aegipt in the redde Sea and in the wildernesse For whome Christ liued so manie yeeres in this wretched world and for whome hee suffered so shamefull death vpon the Crosse Yee are the seede of Abraham and generation of the blessed Yee are of the Church and members of Christes bodie Yee are the vessells of the holie Ghost if yee liue holilie and vnblameablie And ye are of them to whom the promise of euerlasting life was made Remember also that yee are in this transitorie world a place so latelie made which shall so shortlie perish wherein there is nothing but lustes of the fresh lustes of the eyes and pride of life Remember that a thousande yeeres with the Lorde are but as one day and that all your whole life is not one hower of such a day Remember that yee are in a place full of miseries cares and troubles among a crooked and peruerse generation among a people that haue solde them selues to commit wickednesse and that with all greedie desire That a mans dayes passe awaie like a shaddowe and his yeeres like vanitie That though he be the mightiest Prince Monarch of the world yet when age infirmities creepe vpon him he desireth to be losed from the burthen of this flesh Againe remember the place whereunto yee shall tende For yee are heere but pilgrimes and straungers for a little season And as manie of you as are Christes must home to your owne Countrey of Heauen A place of libertie a place of felicitie a place of euerlasting pleasure Where time shall be no more time where night and darkenesse shall be banished where yee shall neither hunger nor thirst where yee shall neither lust nor desire where it is vnpossible yee shoulde die anie more where the Lorde him selfe shall bee your foode and portion and the light of your countenaunce where the measure of your ioyes shall be full and where ye shall liue in pleasure and felicitie for euermore But on the other side as manie of you as are called Christians and are not of the flocke of Christ as manie as refuse this saluation offered you in not beleeuing as you ought and liuing as you should As manie of you as trust not whollie to be saued by the merite of Christ Iesus but iustifie your selues by your owne workes Naie all you that boast of your faith in Christ and yet mortifie not your carnall members nor walke in the steppes of his commaundements As many as make Christ Iesus but a straunger to you and seeke for other Mediatours than his owne selfe As manie as frame vnto the Church a monsterous head vpon the earth besides our owne mercifull head Christ Iesus in heauen As manie as will make the decrees of mans corrupt iudgement equall with the most holie and sacred word of GOD As manie as refuse to laie holde on Christ by faith and runne for helpe vnto Images and dumme Idolls As manie as frustrate the benefites of Christes death by redeeming their sinnes with monie and pardons As manie as thinke to obtaine their requestes by a set number of verball prayers without any earnest meditation of the merite and promise of Christ As manie as prophane that glorious bodie of Christ Iesus by worshipping of any creature for and in the name of him and so cut off the hand of faith whereby we hold fast by him as he sitteth on the right hand of his Father Briefly as many as know that God must be worshipped in spirit and trueth and yet will cleaue to the apish toyes and foolish superstitions of Antichrist Finally as many as walke after their owne waies and not as the Lord himselfe hath commaunded in his holie worde All these must likewise home to their countrie a place of torment a place of eternal trouble a cruell and terrible habitation continuallie to bee vexed with burning fire and most intollerable heate mingled neuerthelesse with palpable darknes not for a time and season but perpetuallie and for euer there to remaine vnder the dominion of Lucifer and his Angels whose workes they followed and whose commaundements they obeyed Wherfore if there yet remaine in you any sparke of godlinesse anie loue of Religion anie dutie towards God anie hope of the resurrection to come anie desire of saluation anie feare of damnation if all faith all conscience all goodnesse and all religion be not quite extinguished reuiue your mindes lifte vp your hearts ascend vnto Christ by faith Set your affection vpon things aboue and not vpon thinges beneath Cast away all vaine and idle cogitations reforme your liues forsake your sins returne no more to your filthie pleasures giue ouer your superfluous vanities cleanse your selues from all vngodlinesse as you haue hetherto giuen ouer your members to serue vncleannesse so make them now to be seruants vnto righteousnesse Crucifie the olde man in you that the bodie of sinne may be vtterly destroyed Come out from Babylon and be no more partaker of her wickednesse touch no more vncleannesse and the Lord will receiue you Euery one of you abound in charitie one towards another euen as Christ hath loued you and hath giuen himselfe for you Be renewed in the spirite of your minde and put on the newe man which is shapen in holinesse and righteousnesse Examine your selues whether you be in the faith and knowe for certaintie that Christ is in you except ye bee reprobates Clense your hearts from all filthines and sinne and go forth to meet with the Bridegrome So shall all your former sinnes be wiped out of his remembrance Ye shal be his people and he wil be your God He will seperate you from the wicked and set you on his right hand He will protect you in this life from al your enemies and in the life to come will giue you a kingdome of euerlasting happinesse Come therfore Lord Iesus Come quicklie for the saluation of thy chosen and gladnes of thy people FINIS