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A73737 The vvonders of the ayre, the trembling of the earth and the warnings of the world before the Iudgement day. Written by Thomas Churchyard esquire, seruant to the Queens Maiestie. Churchyard, Thomas, 1520?-1604. 1602 (1602) STC 5260.5; ESTC S124798 16,729 25

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THE VVONDERS OF THE AYRE THE TREMBLING OF THE EARTH And the warnings of the world before the Iudgement day VVritten by Thomas Churchyard Esquire seruant to the Queenes Maiestie Imprinted at London by Thomas Dawson 1602. To the right woorshipfull M. D. Sezar master of the requests master of S. Katherns and iudge of the Admiraltie Thomas Churchyard wisheth great worship wisedome and wealth with the fauour of Prince and good people ioyned to such a vertuous life as alwayes waites for heauenly faelicity WHen the light of my life and candell of earthly comfort was almost burnd out good M. Doctor Seazar it was Gods will I should addresse my selfe and suite to our sacred Soueraigne the mighty Caesar of our world who often times poured oyle into my wasting lamp and finding in wants a worthy maister of requests that would not suffer my dimme candell blaze to be blowne out so for my benifit you brake with her Maiestie and brought from her gratious goodnesse the little I liue vpon and am likely to die withall which kind curtesie of yours voyd of all taking of money drew my affection and hart in a manner out of my bowels and my inward spirits to be so farre in your dept that I searched the best of my inuentions to the bottom the shallownes whereof was so great that I found but little of contentment fit to present you withal Than I bethought me of a translation out of Plinie 30. yeres agoe set downe in prose by me Of the wonders of the ayre Trembling of the earth and warnings of the world desirous euery day to publish in print that simple translation of mine but long sicknesse held my good wil so far backe that weake body saw no season to serue my hope In the mean while a great learned doctor called doctor Holland most learnedly with great payne translated all Plinies workes I hearing thereof reioyced much because his torch would blaze so cleere that the blindest sight in the world should thereby see where the sweete kirnell lay when the hard shelled nut was crackt and opened so cunningly So taking his gallant booke as a witnes of my labors though I neuer read one line of his translation I boldly set foorth this worke of mine hoping that you and the wise of the world will accept and iudge as my paines and study may merit in that trust and confidence I present the patronage of these paynes to your consideration and approued wisedome confessing that neuer worke went from me with a greater good will nor lesse flattery God so knowes who increase in you grace and goodnes with worldly worship what your owne hart desires Yours in all that he may at commandment Thomas Churchyard The generall Epistle to the Readers COme gazing world whose restles mind wold see read each thing And mark what wonders wit may find that in this booke I bring Note now howe nature is beguild and God the nature takes Of euery wonder vnder Sunne and thereof triumple makes Come searching heads that finely shifts the grosest bran from flowre Who knows through suttel sleights of world no more thā naturs pour And marke what maruels mighty God with maiestie doth shoe Our simple age and carelesse time where lewde like learned goe Come you that liues like Epicures and likes no world but this And thinks when your bad life is gone there is no other blisse And note another kind of cause that can constraine vs all In prostrate maner humble wise with face on floure to fall Come proudest peacoks in your plumes with ruffling painted robes Come you that lookes when starres will fall staers on goodly globes And veiw how starrs and planets falls and earthly causes too If God when nature is at worst strange things himselfe will doo Come stubborne men that will not stoupe at fearfull signes and shoes Nor care for trembling of the earth which wonders comes and goes By course of nature as some say but therein make a pause Though kind commands amasse of things there is a greater cause That moues the earth shakes the world wel worldlings come see What wonders God hath wrought for men that wise and thankful be And see what warnings God hath sent to those he meanes to stricke Preserues the good wher fauour leads plagues wher growes mislike You stout stifnecked people proud that stands on reasons ground Come heere how farre past reasons earth in learned eares doth sound Make faith a proofe of your hard harts and so let nature guide And you shall see who shootes aright and when your shafts are wide If natures law and reasons rules might run with right away No place were left for God that rules to rule and beare the swaie O wily wits and babling tonges yeeld vp your reasons lore And folllow our great captaines steps that marcheth still before Who leaues them lagging far behind that lookes not after grace And in their owne opinions dwell with bold and shamelesse face Come all the flocke of new found sects that swarmes to much this day And you shall see what glory great Gods goodnes doth bewray Come Deitists and Athists all bring brabling bookes and wordes That you in bitter sorte let fall sometime with iests and bords And see his mighty workes aboue that rules all at his will Who makes earth ayre and waters moue to make men muse on still Come cunning brains whose quick conceits are ripe and in their prime Come read strange things that wonders are bestow therein some time Come souldiers that loues sword fire mark what wars God makes With kings and kingdomes in his ire when he the quarrell takes Come see the fall of mighty men that many battayls won Yet dropt downe headlong now and then as fatall chances run Come you that thinke you sit so fast you can ne slip nor slide And thinke by gesse of wonders past what you may iudge this tide Come hither high aspiring mind that hopes the cloudes to clime And by these warnings heere you find reforme your selues in time Come you that please I say no more my verses so I ende And craue that you with patience read that I with paines haue pend THE Wonders of the ayre The trembling of the earth And the warnings of the world before the iudgement day IN the dangerous dayes and sorrowfull season of Repentance when people ought rather to fal to praier then disputations and the manifest workes of the almightie commands the consciences of men to leaue of friuolous arguments and not to meddle too much with the height or deepe misteries that passeth common capacitie and the reach of weake iudgements It is most necessarie towardes the honouring of God and edifying of good men that preachers should pronounce meekenesse and mercy and writers should perswade probable matter that may drawe busie witts from curious questions and quiet the wauering mindes of those that are carryed away with euerie light wind and wordes full of vanitie
short and vse the pearcing and weighty words of the Gospell we are told of warres earthquakes desolation faintnes of faith and warned if God did not shorten those dayes for the chosens sake the very elect might be dissaued and but a fewe should be saued so many opinions and errours would arise and iniquitie would be so great that it would striue for the victorie and faith would waxe so cold that God and all goodnes should in a maner be forgotten wherefore the maker of heauen and earth reuiues our dead memories with earthquakes and wonders not engendered and produced by naturall causes because that omnipotent Lord doth what he listeth both in the elements and earth compelling them to worke his will as their courses be set by the infallible order and ordinance of his maiestie that doth with his owne workmanship what séemeth best in his sight Now I pray you vnder patience and fauour demaunded shall the little starre lately séene in Iuly last be forgotten as vnfitte to be reckoned or noted for the smalenesse of it among the wonders of the ayre indeede the incredulitie of the world and hardnes of stonie hearted men beléeues as little as they may eyther of the forewarnings of God or diuine preachings of good men who daily in swéetest maner openeth the scriptures vnto vs and shewes familiar examples out of the old Testament and the new that might mooue millions to repentance and frame a fraternall conuersion among the people but thousandes growe so stubborne and stifnecked that they neither will stoupe to consider what is spoken nor bend their mindes to the amendment of life but runs all on head without looking backe into errours and vaine imaginations thinking that wonder or that worthy matter will blowe ouer and stands in feare of nothing no scarce of a terrible blast of thunder that often teares men beastes and trées in pieces and striketh down flat to the ground high towres and stately buildings All these strange accidents rehearsed and ten thousand times as many more fearefull matters if they might be set downe as a spectacle to our sight can neuer change nor alter the common course of our dissolute maners and incredulous mindes A wonder lastes but nine dayes a signe in the ayre is but wondred at an earthquake is called but a common custome of many causes a blazing starre makes people but babble a while a mounster in beast or man brings no great maruels a sommer winter like is but wayed as wicked world pleaseth an vnnaturall wett out of season is named but a foule weather a tempest or blustring stormes is quickly quieted with a calme a dearth of graine and all sustentation of man tries but our patience and seldome brings repentance and the plague of the sworde warre and pestilence is sodainly forgotten so carelesse is our life and so full of incredulitie are our hartes wherefore neither excellent men in a pulpit true writers of good bookes setting out of auncient histories nor shewing of fearefull examples séemes to doe no good neither to the benifite of the body nor blessednesse of the soule Than of necessitie all must be committed to Gods grace and goodnesse whose mercies must vphold vs or else the wonders of the ayre the trembling of the earth and the incredulitie of the world will increase the wrath of the almightie and bring a badde world to confusion Warnings to the world IN the forenoone doctor Rogers being in a matter to the rebuke of some disorders hee sawe sodainly fall a great darkenesse ouer all the Church a cracke of thunder following the darkenes whereby all the people were not onely amazed but likewise stricken downe in a great terrour and trembling and at their fall were marked vnder their clothes with bloudy signes and shewes of Gods wrath most wonderfull to behold because their garments were kept whole and sound at which season and feare some seemed dead and fell so sicke on the sodaine that long after they recouered not yet the preacher not a whit stricken nor none of his folkes hurt notwithstanding as doctor Rogers told me many of the people at that instant present were stricken downe but howsoeuer thinges fell out by Gods visitation and sufferance the mightie maiestie of the Lord was myraculously séene and vnderstoode in this fearefull action The bishop yet most stoutely preached in the after noone when no such wonders were to be noted at that instant but incredulous people cares for no wonders for the like of this was at Bongie a parish church in Northfolke I saw it my selfe and beheld the clocke house belfrie and walls torne in pieces euen as a mans hand had bin thrust through a great péece of warme waxe and another church neighbour to this at the very same season was visited with some signe of Gods displeasure for in some one of them or both were sundry people slaine other churches since that time as Norwich of late and Born in Huntington shire haue witnessed to the world that Gods anger on churches hath often beene marueilously séen which may make many men wonder at the strangnesse thereof namely for that in churches and places of prayer God permits and openly suffers his people to perish and chiefely when they are at seruice where men ought rather to be mindfull of their offences and frailtie of life then beare in breast any motion that may purchase Gods displeasure But some doe iudg and that a great number the vilest sorte that honours no vertue makes or would make the house of prayer a denne of théeues and so foorth as Christ himselfe found fault withall Solomon and no other was ordayned to build the Temple of the Lord and when it was finished Sollomons owne wordes and prayer in that Temple is a most diuine note and wonder to looke vpon honour and admyre wel well I dare say no more but God is marueilous angrie at some matters or men pertayning to the Church when in that holy house he sendeth such myracles and sendeth such warnings I referre the iudgement thereof to graue Fathers and Diuine preachers So bringing to an ende the small matter of this booke that hath treated of Wonders and signes in the ayre Trembling and shaking of the earth and warnings from God sent before the iudgement day which mightie matters because they passe my reach to iudge off and the common skill of men to discusse and deside I leaue vnto the almightie that daily workes wonders sendes warnings shewes myracles and neuer rests from making men knowe his dutie towardes the admiring of him and his workes which the more men write off thinke on or dispute in the more farther they run headlong to heapes of errours follies and vnpardonable offences wherefore auoyding ouer much boldnes and presumption of entering too farre in these causes I conclude and commit all to his mercies FINIS The Lords prayer and creede in verse with the ten Commandements OVr Father which art in persons three Thy mighty name most
great countrey where now is the Sea Atlantique and in the Sea Mediterranie a marueilous deale of land is sunke and couered with water yea to the very gulfe of Ambracia which is in Acarnanie which commeth out of Corinth the same hauing one member or legge vpon Gréece and how many countries in Europe Azia and other partes are destroyed by the Sea and originall cause of earthquakes I hope now néedeth not to make particular report off albeit some notorious thinges may be by the sufferance of learned men that readeth touched and somewhat treated off vnder fauour as farre as serueth to my purpose There was an earthquake in the Emperour Tiberius time so wonderfull that it ouerthrewe twelue townes in Asia all in one night and during the warres of Carthage it was reported to the Senate of Rome that within one yéere was seauen and thirtie earthquakes but now behold what followed the very selfe same season Hanniball discomfited the Romans néere the lake of Perouse and yet neither of both the armies which was a most maruell hard nor felt no péece of the earthquakes albeit the earth trembled so often as it was to bee supposed that the whole world would haue sodainly béene ouerwhelmed Thus you see the earth which is the mother of mankind though she séemes sencelesse is mooued by the almightie to tremble and shake when man is toward destruction and commonly no bloudy battayls haue happened but an earthquake or commet went before the one to make man looke vpward to the heauens where he desires to dwell and the other to warne him and plainely shew him he must fall to the earth and ashes from whence all flesh did rise and tooke his originall and surely it is a manifest signe of Gods fauour when that both heauen and earth and all other thinges wee can beholde are occupyed and working away by some misterie to call vs to repentance and make the pilgrime prepare himselfe to be gon from the vaile of miserie and miserable dungeon of disquietnes but now I pray you regard what Plinie sayeth he being but an infidell in respect of a Christian nowe truely sayth he The trembling of the earth neuer is the cause of one euil alone nor all the danger is not onely in the trembling for it alwayes presageth some mishappe and Des aster to come and likewise saith he there was neuer séene earthquake in the citie of Rome but some great mischance fell out suddenly after if an infidell beleeued so and hath set downe his opinion in print for an infallible rule and ground to builde vpon me thinke Christians should confesse without any difficultie that the naturall cause of earthquakes is a supernaturall matter which neither agitations nor exalations can command by their force to mooue so great a masse of earth as an earthquake shaketh though Aristotle and sundry others makes a great argument on the like purpose If all earthquakes commetts in the ayre signes and wonders in the skyes and many other notorious maruells rise on a naturall cause it may be asked who sent the starre to be séene at Christs birth and who caused the whole world to shake at his death if nature by the course of her operation worketh such wonders then belike that fearefull earthquake had happened though Christ had not dyed and at the same houre and instant though Christ had not suffered for man the earthquake would not haue fayled the ordinarie season and working that springs on exalations agitations and such like matter Aristotle for all his superexcellent learning knew no more then pertayned to the iudgement of a man and though all the déepe wise men of the world and the world it selfe were possest with his bookes and arguments it passeth all reason to beleeue that the earth can shake and the whole world trembling without his will and pleasure that made the day and night and knoweth all thinges before they come to passe and is both the mouer and maker of heauen and earth And surely I beléeue that neither all the Diuels in hell nor all the Angels in heauen nor all the coniurers and sorcerers in the world haue no power of themselues to turne vp side downe a little mountaine much lesse haue they power to turne mightie kingdomes into the Seas and make the maine Sea dry land no doubt but the winds waters ayre fire and earth working together haue an excellent force and nature to woorke their effects and bring to passe thinges both marueilous and past mans cunning to compasse but to shewe armies and battayls in the skies commetts in the cloudes force the heauens to rayne bloud compell the heauie molde to remooue and shake the vniuersall world is a diuiner matter to speake off and deserueth in a most high manner to bee handled and more reuerenced regarded and feared when it happeneth For such strange sights are the very messengers that the great iudge sendeth before his comming and the only warnings the world in the latter dayes shall haue before this olde earth shall be consumed and new Ierusalem shall be made nature can not of her selfe make sweete apels sowre sowre apels sweete change and exchange the naturall kind of trées or other fruite as in Lyche was seene a towne of Surrie at the ariuing of king Xerxes in those partes read Aristander and the commentaries of Caius Epidius and they will shew you thinges to be wondred at of trées if it be true that they affirme they say trees did speake which nature denies and reason can not conceiue but trées stones and all other sencelesse thinges God may make speake aswell as he made Balams Asse reprooue his owne maister and the Oxe in Rame cry Roma caue tibi Plinie in his naturals sayth that it was reported of the Romains that in the territorie of Cuma a cittie of Ionie a great and a high tree did sincke so lowe into the earth that nothing but a fewe small sprayes on the very toppe thereof was to be seene but what thinke you followed after marry many mischiefes terrible bloudshedde wicked conspiracies and open dissentions for the ciuill war betweene Pompeie and Iulius Caesar began at that present and ended not God knowes a long while after the Romaines to knowe what the sincking of that tree did signifie did looke in their bookes of deuinations and their they found that this wonder presaged a matter of greate consequence threatned the slaughter of multitudes of men What néedes nowe to search or rehearse prophane histories for the weight and worthinesse of a true argument touching earthquakes wonders in the ayre and warnings of the world that manifestly setteth foorth the myraculous doings and maiestie of the almighty for you néede not to goe any further for a ready resolution of these poyntes but to the holy scripture which plainely declares that in the latter dayes you should see signes in the ayre wonders in the world the starres fall from heauen the Sunne and Moone loose their light and to be