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
him can no more be remoued out of his seate than euer the vngodly seede of Antichrist are so offended therewith as they betray into wicked hands their owne countrimen their kinred and acquaintance yea they hate their own brethren seek their destruction And this did Christ foreshewe to happen in the ende of the world Fiftly he declared that at the same time manie false Prophetes should arise and deceiue a multitude For when Antichrist perceiued that he might not preuaile by anie of those vile and violent meanes that hee had practized but that his power neuerthelesse decreased and his al hominable superstition and idolatrie was daily more and more disclosed he erected certein Seminarie places for learning with good maintenaunce to the same for all those that would resort vnto them of all nations to the ende they might bee sent home againe after they haue been certeine yeres ripened and rottened in superstitious doctrine that by their fained hypocrisie and by their false fables and prophesies they might reconcile all those that were fled from the Antichristian faith promising them so manie and so great matters as their holy Father by his Commission had giuen them in charge And these ministers of his be they which Paule the Apostle said To haue the forme of godlinesse but denie the power thereof haue by their false prophesies 2. Thess 3. caried away manie poore soules captiue into hell and themselues also are damned for euer without repentaunce And this token of the Lordes comming is nowe likewise fulfilled Againe Christ hath declared that before the iudgment day iniquitie shall abound and the loue of manie shall wexe colde But what kinde of iniquitie do we think shal aboūd before the second coming of Christ Verelie al kinde of sine and wickednesse that euer was in the world since the creation of the same not onely the secrete sinnes that proceede from mans heart whereby the whole man is corrupted but the publike offences and enormities done by man against man against God against the Church against the Common weale and against all iustice godlinesse and Religion And is it anie maruell why all wickednesse shoulde abounde now towards the ende more than euer before why the charitie of man towardes man why the loue of man towardes God why the zeale of man towardes godlinesse should now bee lesse than before though now the word of God be more plentifullie preached that before the sacraments more sincerely ministred than before heresies false worshipping more sōudlie conuinced than before the true Church from the false more euidently discerned than before Antichrist himselfe more plainly detected than before and our saluation now more neere at hand than before No verely For now is the time that Christ prescribed neuer before Now is Sathan our olde enimie loosed now it Antichrist his seruant reuealed For euer since the time that the kingdome of Christ hath been reuiued by preaching of the Gospell the Dragon hauing the time of his thousand yeeres captiuitie welneere expired and perceiuing his dominion to be but short is come foorth to aide and strengthen and heale the wound of the beast against the Saintes of God and against the Lambe Who ioyning their forces together seeke by their craftie and lying hypocrisie not onely to bereaue men of their saluation by deceiuing and bewitching of their soules and by driuing them forwarde to all manner of sinne and wickednesse but also to destroy their bodies and all by bringing in vpon them all manner of cruel Inquisitions warres torments miseries and deathes that man can deuise Wherefore the nature of man being euer more and more corrupted since the fall of Adam therewithall driuen by the violent inticement of sin and perswasion of the diuell it is not possible without the mightie assistance of Gods spirite but that iniquitie should not onely abound but euen nowe be growen to the full And to speake more particularlie of the sinnes against God against man and against our owne selues I say that they doe now by meanes of Antichrist and his adherentes more infinitely abounde than euer Whereby it may euidently appeare that the dissolulution of all thinges is at hande Was not Lucifer an Angell of light and desired in his heart to be but equal with God And is Antichrist any more thā man somewhat lower than the Angels and yet exalteth himselfe aboue God Did Adam breake any more commaundements of God then one when he was ashamed and cast out of Paradice But do not we daylie breake all the commaundements of God and yet are not once ashamed of our nakednesse Was not Cayn counted a reprobat because he was angrie with God and killed his owne brother about the accepting of their sacrifices But are not wee euery day vexed and disquieted against God if but the least attempt that we go about succeed not according to our desire But bee there not also as greeuous and horrible paricides and murders among vs euen for the smallest and least occasions Was it not counted a monstrous and horrible Idolatrie of the Children of Israel when they forgot God that had brought them out of the land of Egipt and worshipped a golden Calfe which they themselues had made because that Moses the seruant of God and their generall Captaine was but fourtie dayes absent from them Agayne is not the Idolatrie in these dayes of them that professe the name of Christ beyond al comparison greater when they forsake him that redeemed them from the power of Sathan and do daylie worship stockes and stones and a peece of vnleauened bread when as Christ himselfe their head and Captaine is continually present with them by his holy Saincts and Godhead vntill the end of the world Was not the infidelitie of the Children of Israell counted exceeding great when as they beleeued not the promises of GOD who had done so great wonders for them both in Egipt and at the red Sea For which cause they themselues were destroyed and their children were made to wander fourtie yeares in the wildernesse for the sinnes of their fathers But is not the infidelitie of the Christians in our time much more horrible when as GOD hath done for them farre greater thinges then euer he did for the Children of Israell euen by sending his owne Sonne for their sakes into the world to deliuer them from the slauerie of Sathan and euerlasting destruction of bodie and soule where he keepeth them as the apple of his eye from being consumed of the nations round about them when hee talketh with them daylie and familiarlie from heauen out of his holie worde when hee feedeth them from aboue with his owne precious bodie when hee indueth them with grace supernaturall by his holie spirite when hee blesseth them with all his benefites both bodily and ghostly and yet are not we more vnfaithfull vnthankfull and vnfruitfull than the Children of Israell They beleeued not because the time of the promises vnto them made
A second Sound or Warning of the Trumpet vnto Judgement Wherein is proued that all the tokens of the Latter day are not onelie come but welneere finished With an earnest Exhortation to be in continuall readinesse By Anthonie Marten Sewer of her Maiesties most honorable Chamber When ye see these things come to passe be ye sure that he is euen at the doores Mark 13. PRO LEGE ET GREGE LOVE KEPYTHE LAWE OBEYETH THE KYNGE AND IS GOOD TO THE COMMEN WELTHE Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwin for Andrew Maunsell 1589. To the Queenes most excellent Maiestie Most renowmed and mightie Prince Jt pleaseth your highnes after a long winters abode in some one of your Princely Pallaces the stormes of colde being past and the pleasant spring tide come to remooue your householde into a fresh and wholsome aire And for a warning to your officers and seruaunts of your Court you doe cause the Trumpet to bee three seuerall times sounded against you descende from the higher part of your mansion But if it happen to bee long before the seconde warning of the trumpet be giuen the third is no sooner sounding but your owne Person is then comming Then must all your seruants be readie to waite vpon you you are the Souereigne and not to expect for anie They that be not readie at the same instant are not worthie of such a Prince nor to haue reward for such a seruice Euen so the most inuincible King of glorie Christ Jesus who by his holie spirit hath been present in this worldly mansion with his houshold the Church welneere 1600. yeares while it hath abidden many sharpe and bitter stormes hath been as it were imprisoned within the Pallace of this wretched world is now minded speedely to remooue the same into his owne Countrie a pleasand land and place of felicitie The first warning of his remooue he sounded by his Apostles when his fame was spread ouer all the world by the first preaching of the Gospel The second he hath proclaimed by the preachers of his word whom he reuiued as it were out of the dust within these 70. yeres And together with them are sent all the promised tokens of his comming Howbeit the day being so farre spent before his seconde warning wee shall see himselfe speedely descend from aboue with the third sound of the trumpet and in the voyce of an Archangel And those that watch for him with their lampes burning he will receiue and the rest he will exclude from his kingdom from the reward of his seruice VVherfore your Highnes beeing one of his principall seruants nay at this day the chiefe Stewarde of his household it shall be a perpetuall honour to your kingdome a not able blessing to your subiects an vnspeakable benefit to the Church an acceptable seruice to Christ yea an eternal felicitie to your self if the light of your lampe do continuallie shine and the oyle of your workes doe perpetually abound that nowe at his comming ye may bee readie to enter with him into that glorie which he hath promised to all those which be faithfull seruants Your Maiesties most humble Subiect and Seruant Anthonie Marten A second Sound or warning of the Trumpet vnto iudgement OFten sundrie times did God foreshew vnto our forefathers in the olde Testament the first comming of his Son into this world the taking of our nature vpon him most plainly euidently did he declare vnto them that Christ by his death should restore vs vnto life and that by his resurrection and ascension hee should make perfect the worke of our saluation In like manner did hee with no lesse perspicuitie set foorth vnto them the returne of our Sauiour vnto iudgement and that all men should rise againe vnto immortalitie and render an account of all their workes and actions All this did hee promise them by his Prophetes iustifie in his person and confirme firme by manie maruellous signes and wonders such as were neuer heard of before since the beginning of the world Yet did the obstinate Iewes harden their hearts and beleeued not Wherefore God made them no more nation but scattered them into all lands in such wise wee see them at this day to be a scorne and derision vnto all people Neither can the example of these men so often rebuked by vs for their incredulitie so greatly blamed for their obstinacie so sharply reprooued by vs for their crueltie so iustlie despised for their ignominie any thing amend vs in the same things wherin wee condemne them For what promise haue they and wee haue it not performed What Prophesie had they and we haue it not fulfilled What true Religion had they and we haue it not restored What worde what testimonie what signes what miracles what mercies what graces and what benefites had they and we haue them not a thousand times more increased Yet are we altogether either incredulous of the promises or doubtful of the performance or else carelesse and desperate of our own deliueraunce And this maketh vs to leane to the fables and deceaueable doctrines of men more then to the true Prophesies of the word of God to the commandements of Christ and his Apostles who haue declared the second comming of Christ and that in such plaine and euident sort as they haue shewed the verie time when the manner how and the things themselues that shoulde withholde the signes and tokens that should goe before and all other certainties whatsoeuer are necessarie for man to knowe as concerning the same And by this meanes if the iudgement of God and finall destruction of the world do come sodainely vpon man before he be aware there is no ignoraunce to be pleaded there is no excuse to bee regarded there is no darkenesse of the Scriptures to be alledged For it al the holie Bible there is not anie one thing that the mercie and goodnesse of our God hath set downe more amplie taught more plainlie and set foorth more expreslie for the assurance of our faith than the tokens of Christs comming And as the preaching and publishing of the Gospel by the Apostles ministers and disciples of Christ in the first ages after his ascension was the first warning of the Trumpet sounded at that time vnto all Nations against the resurrection of the flesh and of Christs returne againe vnto iudgement so the reuiuing of the Gospel and reuealing of Antichrist by preaching of the worde together with the other signes tokens that Christ himselfe told vs should come to passe before his second comming is a peremptorie warning that shall be giuen vnto all flesh For the last sound of the Trumpet shall bee no more properlie a warning but an hastie and sodaine comming a crying vnto iudgement and appearing of Christ in the cloudes a perishing of the heauens a consuming of the earth and all the workes thereof with fire Wherefore I meane heere to put the Christian world in minde of all those tokens as
a little before the day of iudgement Our Sauiour Christ saith that before the end of the world Nation shall rise against nation Math. 24. Mark 13. and Realme against Realme and there shall be famines and pestilence and earthquakes in certaine places When Antichrist hath long and quietly helde the possession both of the temporall and spirituall swordes when hee hath manie yeeres taken vpon him the office of Christ to be the King of Kinges and Lord of Lords and to haue the domimon aswel of the soules as of the bodies of men it is great horrible griefe vnto him to loose so high a dominion and to stoope from the office of God which hee taketh vpon him among men to become as an other man therefore he deuiseth by all meanes to punish and disquiet the Saints of God Whom he may bring into his power them he vexeth them he tormenteth them he burneth them hee destroyeth without all pitie or mercie And if they be such as for their authoritie and greatnesse he cannot or by reason of the protection of others he dare not bring vnder his tyrannie he stirreth vp Kings and Princes of his confederacie to make warres vpon them Or if that faile he moueth their owne subiects to rebel and put themselues in armes against them Whereby hee hath at this day set in an vprore the whole Christian world kingdome against kingdome and nation against nation one people against another that he may the easier as hee thinketh defende his proud and insolent gouernment his false and superstitious religion and the seate and dignitie of his Popedome Neither can that place of Scripture of Nation rising against Nation and kingdome against kingdome be more necessarilie vnderstood of anie other warres to be made between Prince Prince than such as Antichrist raiseth vp for religion sake Neither did I euer heare of anie warres before this age of ours between the nations kingdoms of Christendome for Christ his cause that is to say for the true worshipping of him for the preaching of his Gospel for the difference in opinions for the libertie of the conscience and for the triall of the true Church and that so earnestlie and continuallie and without hope of reconciliation till now that Antichrist for the sauing of his dominion hath made all these commotions and troubles in the world which cannot bee decided till Christ in his owne person come to trie his own cause in iudgement But for all other temporall causes the Nations and Princes of Christendome haue one risen against another euer since the time that Christ ascended vp into heauen Wherefore this is the sense meaning of these words of Christ Towards the ende of the worlde when Antichrist is reuealed and that he feareth to forgo his Crowne and dominion hee shall stirre vp the Princes that be his Confederates to warre vpon the Nations and Cities that professe the Gospel that what he is not able to doe of his owne power nor by his false and forged miracles nor by gathering of his general Councels nor by pronouncing of his excommunications and curses nor by the wrong interpretations of the Scriptures nor by the writings and disputations of his schoole Doctors nor by sending abroad of his Seminarie priests and hypocrites that wil he endeuor to do by the help of other princes vnder pretence of doing God good seruice And this notable token foretolde of Christ as touching his second comming we see is alreadie at hand and is like euerie day more and more to bee verified to the great effusion of Christian bloud In like manner as concerning famine pestilences and earthquakes foreshewed by Christ in the second place they are not so fitlie to bee referred to anie of those which houe ben in times past before this man of sinne was reuealed For those haue been heeretofore manie great and horrible yee and at somtimes in some places almost vniuerfall But those which haue happened and shall happen in our time when Antichrist shal be more and more reuealed superstition abandoned the power of the beast decreased the kingdome of Christ reuiued the Gospel freelie published and the second warning of the trumpet sounded those be vndoubted testimonies and tokens that the day of the Lord is at hand Such haue were now had within the compasse of these few yeeres euen manie and great and horrible somtimes in particular Cities and Countries and sometime in whole Prouinces of Christendome What wonderfull famines haue we had in places distressed besieged by the champions of Antichrist both in Fraunce the Low Countries and other Christian Prouinces not sent immediately by the finger of God but constrained for the most part by the crueltie of Antichrist by whose meanes it is to be prooued that beyond the horror of all famines that euer I heard of or read men haue been constrained to pull out the dead carkases buried in graues to make sustenance for their bodies Pestilences also there haue been manie and great besides those former signes and tokens In England in Fraunce in Spaine in Italy welneere in euerie countrie of Christendome We our selues also haue lately heard and felt great and fearefull earthquakes to put vs in minde of the promise of Christ and therefore to assure our selues of his speedie comming vnto iudgement least if we prouide not for the same we be sodeinly taken tardie and for our wickednes be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone that neuer shal be quenched In the third place is shewed what anguish trouble the Saints of God shall endure for Christes sake especially when they haue made it manifest to all the world that the Pope of Rome is that sonne of perdition which exalteth himself aboue God For then doth he seek by all maner of meanes to kil destroy them by imprisonment by torment by fire by sworde by poyson by laying in waite by treason by charging them with heresie by taking away their good name and by causing them to bee hated of all people euermore imagining with himselfe that by these persecutions hee shall so wast and destroy them that at the length the remembrance of them shall be cleerely extinct from the face of the earth Howbeit the more blood he spilleth the more the Church of God increaseth and the longer thinketh to put off the day of iudgement the sooner shall it be hastened for the chosen sake and for the destruction of the wicked worlde and of him in the midst thereof Fourthly when the worlde shall perceiue so great troubles to arise by preaching of the Gospel and that no temporall benefite commeth thereby that it causeth kingdomes to bee at warres one against another that there be as great or greater famines plagues and earthquakes as euer that iniquitie aboundeth more that euer that the loue of men faith towards God is lesse than euer that Gods displeasure is more greeuous than euer Finally that the Pope for all the preaching against
nation to rise against nation for vpholding of his damnable heresie and hee shall cause you to bee hated for my sake but feare not my little ones for when yee shall see all these troubles to happen bee ye sure that my comming and your redemption draweth nigh For my word shall runne out very swiftly and in a short space consume that which he by his hypocrisie and tyrannie had in many yeares contriued He that hath caused al Princes to drinke of the poysoned cuppe of his fornication him will I sodainly destroy with the breath of my mouth Yea and least ye should any longer bee deceiued by his false signes and deceiuable errors my word shall be published in all the world and then is the time of my comming then is the haruest of the earth ripe and then will I thrust in my sickle and reape And this publication of the Gospell ouer all the world is the second sound vnto iudgment For as our Sauiour Christ gaue the first sound when he sent foorth his Apostles and commaunded them to teach all nations Math. 2◠and to baptize them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and to plant Churches in al those places which receiued the word of truth that the fame of Christ and sound of the Gospell went foorth at that time to all lands where any people did inhabite So now all things being fulfilled that the Scriptures had promised should come to passe betweene the first warning and the second The Gospell of our Sauiour is begun agayne to be renewed published ouer al the world and that more freely and without perill then euer before by reason of the godly minds and good indeuors of Christian Magistrates And this I say is the second sound of the Trompet besides which wee are to expect no more till Christ himself enuyrond with thousands of Angels and in the Trompet of God voyce of an Archangell shal descend from heauen and commaund the dead to arise and shall gather his elect from the foure windes and from euery part of heauen and earth and from the deepe places And as this publishing of the Gospell is a most assured token of his comming so by reason of the effects thereof it is more notable then all the rest For it seemeth to bee but simple in shewe but it is wonderfull in operation It is contayned in playne and familiar termes but it searcheth the very roote of the heart It appeareth but foolishnesse to the vngodlie and to them that perish but it confoundeth the wisedome and craftines of this world It is but small and of no reputation amongst men but it driueth proud and mightie tyrants from their feates and exalteth into their places them which submit themselues vnto it It is but weake in sight of the world but it is the power of God vnto saluation in them that beleeue and it cutteth more sharp than a two edged sword ouerthrowing all the imaginations 2. Cor. 10. vers 4.5 6. and euery high thing that is exalted agaynst the knowledge of God bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ and hauing readie vengeance against all disobedience And it is no new Gospell that is now preached but it is the old Gospell newly published It is the same that the Apostles taught planted but the ingratitude of the world left and contemned If any nation at this day haue been kept in blindnes if any haue been held frō the benefite of the Gospell their owne sinnes and abhominations haue been the cause thereof for that they haue wilfully withheld the truth in their own vnrighteousnes and haue despised both God the Father his Sonne haue wrought despite vnto the spirit of grace For the creation both of themselues and of all the visible things of the world might make both God and his eternitie manifest enough vnto thē yet would they not acknowledge him but haue followed their own imaginations haue turned the glory that is due vnto the only wise vncorruptible God either vnto creatures farre inferior to themselues or els they haue worshipped deuils damnable spirits forsaking the true God that made both them al the world Besides this they cannot pleade ignorance For vndoubtedly the sound of his Gospell hath first or last gon into all lands And though perhaps later into one countrie than into another that hath God done in his wonderfull wisedome and prouidence who beholdeth all the nations in the world at one view seeth into all their actions beholdeth all their hearts perceiueth who be inclined vnto any goodnes who haue giuen ouer themselues to a wilfull and reprobate mind And as he beholdeth all men so he calleth all men some at the first houre and some at the last that he may haue mercie on whom it pleaseth him and may shut vp vnder infidelitie those that are hard harted Neuerthelesse if there be any nation that heard not of Christ in the first sound of the Trompet by the Apostles nor in all this time that the preaching of the Gospell hath been discontinued yet now there is not doubt but in this second warning publication of the word of God through the prosperous successes of our blessed Soueraign by the care that she other godly Princes of the reformed Churches haue to aduaunce the kingdome of Christ there shall bee no corner within the whole circumference of the earth but in short space shall not only haue the sound of the Gospell but a perfect publication and spreading of the same with a full knowledge of Christ For the Gospell shall be published ouer all the world and then commeth the end And vndoubtedly if the Gospell had been preached and taught vnto the people of America and the lower India by the Spanyards and Portingalls when they first found out those nations with such plainnes and simplicitie as is done by vs in the reformed Churches without adding of Images or superstitions or vanities no lesse peeuish and vngodly then the abhominations that those Infidels themselues had before vsed the kingdome of Christ had long before this day been receiued and spread ouer all those large and ample Territories Wherefore the more greeuous shall bee their damnation that haue so mocked and deceiued them and the greater is the mercie of God if he impute not their ignorance vnto them Now that wee haue breefly declared all the signes and tokens which the holy Ghost hath promised in the Scriptures to come to passe before the ende of the world wee must also with the like perspicuitie examine whether this be not the time or very neere thervnto that Christ shall come agayne in glorie to iudge both the quick and the dead which is the second part of this discourse For albeit that he hath set downe all these tokens of his comming so exactly and in such order as it is vnpossible but that anie man capable of reason may
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