And why hath hee done it Surely that in both sorts they themselues and al men might see that if God as in respect of outward punishment spare not his owne people who are as deare to him as the apple of his eye he will much lesse in this or that which is to come winke at the sinnes of the wicked for if iudgement beginne at the house of God as Saint Peter saith what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospell of God and that his seruants might vnderstand that therefore they are chastened of the Lord in this life to the end that the drosse of their corruption being scoured from them they shoulde not perishe with this wicked world And as for his mercie what can wee cast our eie vpon I will not say if wee looke vpon it with sanctified and inlightned minds from aboue but euen in the light of reason or nature and that in this very desolation it self or thinke vpon with our mindes in which we may not see the glory of it breake forth as the sunne in his greatest brightnes For if the Prophet Ieremiah for himselfe and his people did frankly confesse it as he doth indeed Lament 3. that it was the Lords mercie that they were not consumed And the faithfull in Isaiah willingly acknowledge that vnles the Lord of hosts had reserued some though but few they had beene as Sodom and made like vnto Gomorrah Haue not wee as good cause with vnfained minds and mouths also to speak and declare the same More than the one halfe of the towne by much was neither touched by fire howsoeuer it was threatned therewith nor receiued any great losse and yet I hope they thinke not themselues more righteous than the rest sure I am they should not imagine any such thing for euē amongst them that felt not the flame I am sure there were as great transgressors as they that tasted of it And as for them vpon whom the losse did light and indeede lieth very heauilie a great part of their dwelling houses I confesse was sore set vpon assaulted yea very much scorched with fire but yet not destroyed much also of their goods or housholde stuffe graciously spared though greatly defaced impaired And which is a very rare strange thing specially in so exemplary a iudgment none of them or theirs in their bodies or persons hurt with this fearful flame Nay which is more of all that confused multitude that was there for needful help and succour some running one way and some another some crying one thing and some another some doing this and some that and all as if it were a beast of many heads for the time by reason they were without good guides or gouernement not one of them all I saye for ought I heard maymed or hurt Surely if a better eie had not watched ouer them than humane and a more not onely mightie but gracious hand vphelde them than their owne a thousand to one as wee say in our prouerbe but that in climing of houses beating downe of tiles occupying of axes casting of water all which and many the like are vsed in such fearefull extremities euery one besides running thicke and threefold in anothers necke but that diuers had beene wounded if not slaine And yet to the end we might behold euen as it were with our bodily eyes as well as with the eies of our minde Gods great and gracious goodnes not one of so many did miscarrie or was as we may say scarse touched at all with any dangers either deadly or grieuous What shall we say then without all controuersie he that cannot learne by that which is past to feare and tremble before God in so fearefull a iudgement must needes be deemed to haue at the least a carelesse hart if not benummed and senselesse For shall the Lion roare and not all the beastes of the forrest feare And he that cannot bee thankfull for the gracious reseruation that God of his meere mercie hath made both of men buildings goods c. and that as well for other mens as for his owne may iustly bee said to bee of an vnthankfull minde and mouth to Godwarde and of an vncharitable heart towards his brethren And whosoeuer cannot vse it to further him in faith vnfained and sincere repentance as in regard of the former part of his life mispent and for carefulnesse circumspection for that which is to come let him doubt at the least if not despaire of his present and subsequent condition For if God shall giue vs so liuely documentes as these are and wee not receiue instruction thereby or bee in some good measure bettered thereby both for knowledge beliefe and obedience hee shall haue iust occasion to take vp that grieuous complaint against vs which he hath done to men of like qualitie and disposition and to say Hearken O heauens thou O earth heare for the Lord speaketh I haue brought vp children yea I haue exalted them but falling away they haue rebelled against me The oxe knoweth his owner and the asse his Masters cribbe but Israell knoweth not my people consider not Ah sinfull nation ah people laden with iniquitie a very wicked seede corrupted children they haue forsaken the Lorde they haue contemptuously prouoked the holy one of Israell wherefore should ye be smitten any more sith you increase your falling away the whole head is dangerouslie sicke and the whole heart languisheth from the sole of the foote to the toppe of the head there is no soundnes but wounds and swellings and a sore that runneth continuallie c. which miserable mischiefes and grieuous inconueniences that we may thorow Gods goodnes speedily auoide as also by the same assuredly attaine the contrary good thinges it shall bee good for vs to marke first the hand that striketh vs lest otherwise not knowing that we runne whither wee should not and forsake that we ought to cleaue vnto Secondly the causes mouing such exemplary iudgement because the ignorance thereof may make vs to lay it where wee should not and to cleere them that wee ought to charge And lastly the endes that are aimed at in these chastisements because as we are not afflicted without cause so we are not chastised but to some good and holy purpose Hee that thus correcteth men is euen the eternall God himselfe as we may well see not only by this generall sentence of the Prophet Amos saying Is there any euill in the citie that the Lord hath not done chap. 3. meaning by the terme euill the euill of punishment and affliction and not the euill of sinne and transgression because God cannot that way hee is so absolutely good be an actor at al but also by the particular confession that Iob the holy man of God maketh when hee saith euen of the greatest iudgements almost that can fall out vpon men in this life The Lorde hath giuen the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord.
TO THE HONORABLE AND HIS VERIE GOOD LL. SIR IOHN POPHAM Knight Lord chiefe Iustice of England and Sir William Periam Knight Lord chiefe Baron of her Maiesties Court of Exchequer T.W. hartily wisheth the abundant riches of al Gods mercies in this life eternal blessednes in that which is to come thorow Christ THough I doubt not my good Lords but that you haue ere this heard of the feareful and lamentable fire that in September last light vpon the towne of VVooburne in the countie of Bedford and am fullie perswaded that according to the measure of heauenly wisedome that God hath vouchsaued to you both you haue made spirituall profit not only thereof but of sundry other such like iudgments past alreadie in diuers quarters of our kingdom and iustly feared that hereafter may fall out vpon vs for our sinnes yet because the particularities of that punishment are not so wel and certainly knowne as were meete mens minds are so various and fame increaseth by going as wee say in the Prouerbe besides that euen in these things likewise there is a trueth fit to be vnderstood also because the generalitie of men either see them not because they are blind or els bee amazed at thē for a while because they haue no further insight or else make not good vse of them because they are of carelesse hearts I haue thought it sit and that vnder your Lordshippes protections and with your good acceptation also I trust to publishe though a short yet a true narration of that pitifull spectacle and therewithall some meditations of mine owne concerning that matter begunne within a daye or two after the aforenamed fire it selfe and finished in howe short a space I will not write least I might seeme to vaunt In regard of the matter I haue aimed at nothing but this that the trueth it selfe being laide open and some obseruations made thereupon men might bee lead by the hande to make some profitable vse of it they being drawne on to repentance for that which is past and carefully to looke to themselues for that which is to come least otherwise the flame of Gods wrath should break forth further against vs and that to our vtter wasting and destruction For the manner obserued in this discourse it is not so methodicall I confesse as it should be but the reason thereof was the sodain feare and great griefe that I conceiued vpon the very viewe and sight of the ruines it had made all making me vnfit indeed for that present especiallie for matter or manner to handle such a subiect as it ought both the one and the other then tooke such a deepe impression in me and that is the reason also and nothing else I assure you why I seeme as it were so confusedly to deale in the cause for how can a distempered mind be sit especially in methode to propound any matter sith that to the orderlie deliuerie of thinges there must of necessitie concurre a quiet hart and a staied head Howbeit this I dare notwithstanding protest that for the bodie of the treatie there is in it nothing vnsound or vncertaine and therefore in that respect may the more safely be receiued As for the reasons leading me to present this little labour to your Lordships though they bee many the same waightie also yet take them I beseech you in a worde as it were You haue vouchsaued me sundry honorable fauours and I would not willingly seeme or be thought either vnmindfull of them or vnthankefull for them in any dutie that God hath or shal be pleased to inable me to performe You execute the iustice of the land nay which is more the verie iustice of God himselfe euen deriued from himselfe by her Maiesties holy hand and power How fit therefore it is that his example should bee set before you whose person you doe in some sort beare and whose iudgement also you execute in your functions that so you might in your places tread also in some good measure in his pathes your selues can more wisely iudge than I am able to relate You both professe the holy gospell of Christ and may in some sort and sense be reckoned amongst them that mourne for your owne sinnes and for the transgressions of the land also How meet it is that you and others with you shuld see that you haue not taken vp this lamentation without cause as welfor that which is past present as for that which is feared to come But I will represse my selfe in these thinges and will not cease according to all the graces that I haue receiued frō God to commēd these causes into his most merciful hands who only worketh wonderful things both in heauen and in earth that so turning vs from our euil waies vnto himselfe and knitting our harts daily more and more vnto him wee may haue assured hope of the bettering of our estate in this life according to his owne good pleasure or at the least of the euerlasting sauing of our soules notwithstanding all the troubles and turmoiles that may fal out in the world The Lord alwaies and in all things also direct your Lorships both by his holy spirite and vntill the daye of Christ make perfecte in you all good works that hee hath begun for the prosperitie of Sion or the commoditie of the common wealth to his glorie and your euerlasting comforte thorowe Christ London the 1. of Nouember 1595. Your Lordships bounden and readie euer in Iesus Christ Tho. Wilcocks the Lords vnworthie A short narration of the fearefull fire that fell in the towne of VVooburne in the Countie of Bedford on Saturdaie the 13. of September last 1595. Lord Iesus begin and make an ende MEN brethren and fathers yea whosoeuer amongst you truly feareth God vnfainedly loueth his lawe stedfastlye beleeueth his promises and sincerely obeieth his wil to you and to euery one of you I say are the words of trueth and exhortation following directed not of a hatefull heart I assure you against any for I wish would labour your good generally and especially the saluation of your soules as mine owne nor yet of a minde curious in other mens causes with the neglect of them that belong to my selfe for I know it to bee displeasing before God and vnprofitable to my selfe but of an earnest desire in christian charitie by al meanes lawful and that according to my vttermost abilitie to assay to doe good vnto others as vnto mine owne soule and to labour what I can the setting forth of his glory that hath created vs and placed vs in this worlde for that speciall end and purpose that so at the last also after we haue a little glorified him here we might thorough his mercie and Christs merites obtaine the fruition of euerlasting life and the immortall glorification of our bodies and soules in that great and last day Wherein if either thorow the vncleanenes of my heart or the pollution of my hands or
did carrie sparkes flames from one house to another yea which is more strange from the one side of the towne to the other this being by the faithfull testimonie of sundry credible persons not onely eare but eye witnesses also truely reported that there was by the violence and vehemency of the same winde taken vp from one of the houses so consumed and standing not farre from the Church a flake of thatch inflamed as broad as it were a sheete and caried quite and cleane ouer the Chauncell of the Church the schoolehouse and some other housing of the west side of the towne and fell vpon some of the housing of the east side of the said towne where also it burned some fifteene or sixteene baye of building as I take it To all this we may adde as meanes to increase this inkindled flame the carefulnes of the people come together out of the fieldes and their carelesnes also If any man thinke it strange that such contraries should either be in one and the selfe same subiect or further one and the selfe same action let him weigh that the care that they had to carrie some of their goods out of their dwelling houses into the streetes and other places least the fire also should haue taken hold therof made them carelesse to stop the passage of the fire which driuen as I say by the force of the wind did not only passe speedily from one place to another but made as it were a glade from the end of the town on the backside of it especially euen to the Churche or temple yet standing there thanks be to God not much decayed or defaced to the end the people might more diligently resorte and repaire thereto and more fruitfully profite by the heauenly exercises there performed than ther haue done or else God will proceed further yea more fiercely against it the towne and all And which is not of least consequēce concerning this cause Though the people of the countrey came in very louingly and readily many of them leauing their owne labours and freeing their hired workemen from their taske and paying them notwithstanding their daies wages to helpe to extinguish and quench the fire and indeed though diuers of them wrought and toiled very sore and hard there about yet some thorow want of experience in such particular actions and causes and other some for lacke of good guidance and directiō a special remedie doubtlesse in such extreame and dangerous causes tooke not the readiest and easiest way to stop or hinder the passage of this fearefull flame but being as commonly people are in other cases of greater quiet and therefore no maruaile in this hurly burlie of many mindes what thorowe ignorance and strangenes of the sight and want of experience in such vnusuall actions confounded in themselues cried some one thing and some another and indeede did some one thing and some another all supposing they saide and did for the best but indeed though not of purpose for I dare not so much as thinke that any caried such bad minds increased rather the desolation and wast than any manner of way lessened the same In all this lamentable discourse or narration there are surely many points worthy the obseruation and marking all and euerie one whereof directly tende to the manifestation of most excellent things in God himselfe for example his great power his gracious prouidence his perfect iustice his heauenly wisdome and mercie more than fatherly yea more than can be spoken or thought of and to the declaration of many foule and feareful corruptions that lie lurking in vs and altogether serue for our Christian admonition and instruction as well for that which is past and present as also for all time hereafter to come specially if wee haue eies to see the wayes of God in his works or hearts to tremble at his iudgements or mindes that can bee affected with his fauours or any grace and abilitie to make good vse either of the one or of the other For tell me I pray you first was not this a plaine proofe of his power vpon so small beginnings to make so great a flame and wasting fire to execute his iudgement by so weake instruments and meanes to raise vp the creatures for the further dispersing of the iudgement to accomplish his owne purpose and counsell in so short a season and small a time to strike such feare and amazednes into the mindes not onely of weake women and little children but of men who seeme to haue more courage and wisdome that their heads should not be able to deuise what were most profitable nor their hands fit to execute anie thing to speake of in comparison If any and euery one of these be euident declarations of his might and maiestie what then are al these together but strong instruments more effectually to perswade our hearts in his all-working and almightie power And dooth not this shew his wonderfull prouidence that he did not onely beare the persons of all and euery one of them as it were vpon the wings of his gracious goodnes so as wee may by a manner of speech saye and confesse it to the glory of his name and the strengthening of our perswasion in trouble against time to come that not one of them did so much as dash his foot against a stone but spared much of that that the fire had as wee may say laid handes on and the flame no doubt woulde haue consumed that that it had fearefully taken hold of had not he restrained it and kept it as it were in his fist Doth not this argue hisiustice in striking for sinne he that knoweth Gods nature will easily giue glory to God in it and confesse the truth For we know by the trueth of the worde and our experience and obseruation in the world that he delighteth not in punishing the sonnes of men and if their transgressions were not as it were gable ropes to hale downe iudgements surelie men should neuer taste of this howsoeuer it might be alwayes in the diuine nature Nay I will say more May wee not as well in the maner of the iudgement as in the iudgement it selfe yea in the very things striken with his wrath beholde the haude of God punishing the sinnes of men in those members and matters they had most abused to licenciousnesse and euill Yea to speake more plainely of this particular was it not a token of wrath from aboue by fire to consume their bread meate and strong drinke that they had prepared against the faire thereby to put them in mind how they haue offended yea doe offend notwithstanding this chastisement and correction in abusing these blessings to gourmandise and drunkennes And doth not this manifest his wisedome that in that outwarde iudgement he hath scourged as sundry prophane and carelesse men so some also that in some measure do vnfainedly feare his name heartily loue his trueth and carefully walke in obedience of his will
particular persons and places touched afflicted with this present and searefull iudgement who if others then they much more shoulde vnfainedly stoope downe and hartily and hastily also humble themselues vnder the hand that hath striken them by how much not only in their own knowledge and conscience their sinnes are greater than other mens but also because the punishment was present in their eies fell vpon their bodies goodes and houses and shoulde which whether it doth yea or no I know not but if it do not I pray God it may more effectually therefore pearce and enter into their soules and spirites for all time present and to come What a mightie hande of God hath gone forth against the whole land by manifold and fearefull fires in the seuerall quarters and corners of it which whosoeuer will but seriously thinke vpon them that are past recall to memorie those that howsoeuer men forget them are yet fresh and as it were bleeding in the harts and eies of them that feare God hee caunot chuse but see and confesse strange and wonderfull iudgements In some particulars behold the rest the burning of Beckles the wasting of Nantwich the cōsuming of Marleborough in the west and which though it come in the last place is not the least iudgement the destroying of Stratforde vpon Auon twise in one yeare with that great and grieuous punishment Nay let vs proceede further London the blazing beacon to the whole lande and the mother citie of all the kingdome hath bin made thorowe the iustice of God against it for sin a fearefull spectacle of Gods wrath to others not onely while diuers priuate mens houses goodes and possessions haue beene defaced thereby but while the steeple of their cathedrall Church a place that many imagined for the deuotion and holines of it could not haue been touched with any such iudgement was not onely inflamed and consumed it selfe but ministred matter of feare also and that not without good cause respect that it would haue fired the whole citie it selfe Sundrie other sortes of iudgements hath God exercised that famous place and the whole lande withall as with that infectiue and destroying sickenesse the plague or pestilence that noysome disease of the small pocks measels c. great penurie and scarsitie of victuals and by meanes thereof and together with the same a generall dearth of all thinges belonging either to the pleasures or the profits of this present life to which also adde the threatning of the sworde for a fearefull inuasion and the feare of domesticall stirres to disturbe our long and happie peace with infinit others according to the innumerable multitude of sins and transgressious multiplied against his maiestie the very sting whereof standeth vp in our soules to accuse vs euery night when we lye downe and euery day when wee rise vp And yet who hath I will not saye soundly profited by these things for vnfained humiliation before God but thought seriously vpon them for the bettering of vs or for any other good respect before men in the worlde Certainely whosoeuer will looke into these things with a single eye I doe not thinke the contrary but hee shall clearely perceiue that whatsoeuer iniquitie was in any particular person state or degree amongst vs or whatsoeuer disorder was either in church or common wealth it resteth notwithstanding this hand of iustice and iudgement gone foorth against vs still vnreformed as though wee thought that God in heauen did not either beholde our sinnes or did strike vs without cause or as though there were no ende why hee did punish vs. And though it bee true indeede that in the midst of these iudgements he hath remembred mercie and hath not let his wrath lie hard vpon vs lest we also might reach out our hands to iniquitie but hath giuen vs great abundance of manifold fauours turning our sickenes into health our penurie into plentie our dread of danger and distresse into all manner of holy ioy and ouer and besides hath bestowed vpon vs the blessed light of his holy worde both in the publike ministerie priuate exercises of it the very know ledge and light of it breaking foorth as the flowings of the sea if wee could so haue accepted of it and all this hath beene done to this end that we might haue beene led by the lines of loue and cordes of men to haue walked more vprightly and carefully with the Lord who is the God of our life and of our health and of our peace and all yet haue we misled by the malice of Satā and thorow the corruption of our owne hearts and deceiued by the pleasures of sinne which indure but for a while lift vp our heeles and our handes against him and hardned our hearts and our faces against all his waies in all his workes either of mercie or of iudgement for he that was filthie is filthie still and all the abominations of the land vnder the burden whereof also the very earth it selfe groaneth and therfore men should much more mourne if they were not senseles and graceles are so farre off from being lessened and diminished that they daily increase and get head amongst vs and ouer vs which whosoeuer wil but in vprightnes of heart and iudgement in the particulars consider of cannot but giue glory vnto God and herein acknowledge and confesse the trueth As for the pride of the lande it is increased not onely by the excesse and abuse of our commodities at home but by bringing in of forraine wares and olde and newe fond deuises which in the finenes and in the varietie and vanitie of them do ouer and besides wast and weare the wealth of our own countrey our golde siluer tinne lead and other things of worth and durablenes being transported for such trumperie Gluttonie and drunkennesse I thinke did neuer so much abound no not when England had the name for great hospitalitie and housekeeping there being come now in the steed of it not onelie amongst the poore but amongst the rich noble and all either no housekeeping at all or the same so pinching and miserable as not onely the poore being readie to starue in our streetes crie out of it but euen the very maniall seruants many times doe very bitterlie and that not without good cause complaine of the same also Touching the extortion oppression briberie vsurie and other iniquities that euery where amongst high and low do daylie preuaile what shall we say the very stones in the streete and the beastes in the fielde and other dumbe and insensible creatures though men should hold their tongues doe in their kinde seriouslie crie out against it and saye euen as the Prophet did in his dayes Iustice is turned into gall and wormewood and the poore are bought and solde for siluer and the needy for shooes whoredome and filthie life in al sorts and degrees of men both openly and secretly did neuer so much ouer flow and increase as at this day
measure and manner fearefully consume both bough and branch roote and bodie trunke stocke and all in a day And if this bee the state and condition of the generalitie as indeede it is what shall become of the particulars the whole bodie consisting of them as it were of seueral parts but that they also must remaine vnder the same iudgement To you therefore that now are vnder this hand hammer of Gods heauie indignation is it that I write and speake Can you deny but that euen many dayes and yeares alreadie passed you haue long agoe pulled this and a more grieuous iudgement by much downe vpon you from almightie God If you should the heauens would blush at you and the earth would beare witnes against you and testifie vnto your faces the filthines of your words and workes Mee thinketh it should bee farre better for you to giue glorie to God and vnfeinedly confesse that it is his singular fauour to haue spared you so long and that it is his more then common mercy that ye were not al consumed What hath been threatned against you out of Gods word you cannot be ignorant of What punishments haue light vpō you by the plague the small pockes and now this last fearefull fire you cannot but feele What Hath God stricken you without a cause Be it far from you either to speake it or thinke it for that were to condemne the most iust iudge of the world for your owne clearing yea and to go against the stinging testimonie which euery day when you rise vp and euery night when you lye downe telleth you the cleane contrary But if you should proceede to that height are not other mē that haue watched ouer you preached spoken vnto you in the name of the Lord able to cōuince you of falsehood to your faces and to throw the dounge of your iniquity vpon your countenances Giue them therefore leaue to declare the truth to you and labour to beare with patience and to profit by the word of exhortation sith it is directed to you for your good and vnfeined humiliation also for they knowe you and your offences far better than you your selues Perhaps you will thinke this speech strange but deceiue not your owne hearts I beseech you for if you will weigh that naturallie we are blinde to discerne sinne and after they see it yet many times they are partiall in their owne waies and euen bleare vp their vnderstanding and harden their hearts and againe that they are more quicke and better sighted to discerne other mens transgressions than their owne as also that God reuealeth not the sinnes of the people vnto his faithful seruants the Prophets by the halfes I think you would or at the least I am sure you should be of another mind To reckon vp all the particulars were harde and impossible for who can vnderstande his faultes And yet not to lay downe some were to faile in the iustififying of the charge which were vniust and to let you alone in your iniquities which shuld be vncharitable This therefore I say that amongst the infinite and innumerable sinnes of your soules there are some particulars that haue beene and are most odious before God and most apparant in the view of the world Amongst which I reckon in the first place a fearefull contempt of godlines in the most of you and a great and grieuous carelesnesse thereof euen in the best How often and long hath God spoken vnto you by the publike ministerie of his worde in the holy exercises of prayer preaching administration and participation of his blessed sacraments If you could haue seene your happines in that behalfe both for the length of them the graces of the men that God vsed as meanes to publish his trueth vnto you your fauors both waies not farre inferior to any congregation of the land and in these respects indeede going before many it had beene well but how little you haue profited by them nay howe carelesly you haue heard them how coldly you haue frequented them your grosse ignorance in the grounds of Christian religion sheweth the first fewe or none of you being able to render a reason thereof to them that shall aske you your sleeping in the church talking one with another and turning of your bookes there and vsing of your owne priuate deuotions or prayers in the time of publike preaching prayer a grieuous transgression no doubt proueth the second and your dayly and continuall absence therfrom and specially vpon the Lordes day then lying in your beds haunting of alehouses riding and going abroad for your worldly affaires of pleasure and profite manifesteth the third And how weary you are when you are there let this testifie none preuent the time of publike assemblies and some come in the midst of your exercises to the great disturbance of the same and others that are there and that some againe before the sermons are finished other some after the prayers made and before the singing of the Psalme and the vsuall blessing to bee pronounced departe thence wherof you as well as they that tarrie should be partakers posting also out of the Church as it were frō a play or may game as though you supposed that no more reuerence should be shewed there than in other places or that some parte of diuine seruice belonged vnto you and not other some whereas in trueth you ought to be alike partakers of the whole And how should wee looke for any goodnes where this that is the seede of sinne and the nurse of all abominations swayeth so much Surely when men haue once cast Gods lawe behind their backes and haue it not in deede in a high and reuerēd regard what can there bee to restraine them from euill or to direct them in good Nay what shall not then bee right and lawfull though indeede it bee neuer so corrupt and vile From this therfore as from a streame and fountaine of filthinesse haue flowed all your othes particular transgressions as first for example your swearing and cursing by the first blaspheming of Gods name and haling down wrath and vengeāce from the Lord vpon your selues your wiues children familie friends yea all the goodes and cattle that you haue and possesse for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine and sure wee are that the plague of God shal not depart from the house of the swearer as also wee may perceiue by the signe of the flying booke mentioned Zachar 5. in which were contained curses against euery one that sweareth who also should be cut off as wel on this side as on that yea that this iudgement should enter into and remaine in the midst of such swerers houses and should consume the same with the timber thereof and stones thereof And by the second not onely testifying the malice and madnes of your owne harts against men and other creatures of GOD vpon which you powre out the
not contented therewith you delight to drawe others from townes and places abroad and rounde about you to be partakers with you of the selfe same iniquitie and that not onely vpon your market and fayre daies and times of resort but euen vpon other daies of the weeke yea vpon the Lords day it selfe wherein you are so farre off from withstanding euill that not one of you yet for ought I knowe hath been found either to represse this foule vice of quaffing and drunkennes in your selues or to shut your doores against them that fall into riot and excesse that way Adde vnto these the adulteries whoredomes and fearefull filthinesses that haue heretofore and daylie doe fall out amongst you and then you shall see also whether God haue causeleslie stricken you with this and other iudgements or whether you haue not indeede good cause for the same vnfeinedly and speedily to humble your selues least otherwise the wrath begun proceede and breake forth to an vtter wasting of you and yours For your secret sinnes that way I will say nothing but leaue them to God to whome they are best knowne and to your owne hearts which should bee touched with a godly sorrow for them and for your other iniquities likewise Consider a little I pray you of your open transgressions and waigh them for amendment of life Diuers of your daughters and maidseruants haue beene in former time and of late shamefully defiled Your sonnes and other of your families haue been the authors and the actors of this grieuous villanie wherein also sundry of them haue growne to this shamelesnesse in their sinne that they haue gone with out stretched necks and brasen foreheads as though they had done none iniquitie at all Your towne by this mernes too much impouerished alreadie hath beene charged with the keeping of a bastardlye broode beside other foule inconueniences that haue followed flowen from this grieuous transgression To reckon vp the rest of your iniquities would bee to too tedious by these labour to learne to loth and to leaue them and all the other whatsoeuer soundly and speedily to turne vnto the Lorde and no doubt but you shall find fauor for yet with the Lord there is mercie that he may bee feared Otherwise know and assure your selues that if thorowe the pleasures of sinne which indure but for a while your hearts shall bee hardened and you either put the euill day farre from you or do not with speede turne vnto God in a holy conuersation and amendment of life you and yours shall both feele the hande of God pursuing you in this life and eternally perish in that which is to come Good and bad are this day propounded vnto you and the way of life and death set before your eyes Looke well to it and beware that the Lord haue not iust occasion thorow your carelesesse and contempt of his trueth to say Thy destructon O Israell is of thy selfe I knowe that the waies and the workes of a mans life are not in his owne hands or power but that it is God that worketh in vs both the will and the deed according to his own good pleasure Notwithstanding sith 〈◊〉 hath beene so gracious to offer let not 〈◊〉 〈…〉 least otherwise 〈…〉 harde against 〈…〉 we shall 〈…〉 And that which iâ— the Angleâ—es of 〈…〉 in â—â—me particular hand 〈◊〉 to you 〈◊〉 doe in the largenes of my 〈◊〉 speake and wish vnto the whole land whose peace and prosperitie I will pray for to my utter most God assisting me procure al the daies of my life FINIS