this Iudgement that the Lorde God hymself is the originall aucthour and principall worker of this Starre as of all others makyng it an immediate messenger and minister of his will accordyng to the tyme and place as it beste pleaseth his diuine and eternall maiestie Who seyng that we bee suche an obstinate and stiffenecked people that wee will not bee moued to loue hym neither in respecte of his long sufferaunce and louyng mercie shewed all waies towardes vs neither yet in respecte of that moste sweete and comfortable voice of the Gospell whiche hath been preached full .xxij. yeres vnto vs by his faithfull seruauntes and Ministers Dooeth now in his secrete councell goe an other waie to woorke and by fearfull Eclipses of Sonne and Moone and by glisteryng flames of fierrie Cometes and other suche like monstruous signes and tokens in the heauen and in the earth doeth goe I saie about to enforce and cōpell vs against our willes to be mindfull of the latter daie whiche is not farre of If we will giue any credite to the woordes of Christ who immediatly after he had made mention of the signes whiche should bee sene in the Sonne and in the Moone and in the Starres doeth forthwith adde these wordes Cū haec videritis euenire cognoscite quod prope est regnū dei That is to saie Math. 24.33 When ye se all these thinges knowe that the kyngdome of God is nere euen at the doores Luke 21.28 And againe when these thinges doe beginne to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heades For your redemption draweth nere Behold the Figge tree and all trees when thei now shoote forthe ye seyng thē knowe of your owne selues that Sommer is nere So likewise ye whē ye se all these thinges come to passe knowe you that the kyngdome of God is neare Verely I saie vnto you This age shall not passe till all these thynges bee doen heauen and yearth shall passe awaie but my woordes shall not passe awaie By that whiche hetherto hath been spoken you see how almightie God is not onely the creator and gouernour of Nature it self and of all Naturall causes but also he is suche a one as in the worke of this blasyng Starre is to bee acknowledged and confessed to bee the onely efficient cause And therefore he onely and not the blasyng Starre is to bee feared and had in reuerence consideryng that he is of power able not onely to chasten vs with temporall punishementes for the amendement of our liues in this wretched worlde But also in his Iustice maie condemne vs to eternall death and destruction in the kyngdome of darknesse where there is euerlastyng fire prepared for the Deuill and his angelles For whiche cause I can not deny but I must needes confesse that for the moste parte blasyng Starres are a token and signe of greate horror and feare and do prognosticate of some strange wonder and dooe threaten some imminent euill and mischeefe commonly vnto that parte of the yearth towardes the whiche thei seme to cast their beames moste directly And therfore those Philosophers which haue written of the effectes of blasyng starres haue founde by good experience that sometymes thei dooe signifie drouthe and barronnesse of the yearth whiche made Augustinus Niphus to witnesse that after the appearyng of a Comete Anno domini 1506. whiche was about the 22. yere of the raigne of kyng Henry the seuenth there followed within twoo yeres after suche a drought in Lumberdie that from the moneth of Ianuarie vnto Nouember after there fell no Raine at all in that Countrie Sometymes also after the appearyng of blasyng Starres there followeth moste commonly cruell and greate windes and mightie tēpestes with haile stones of suche a bignesse that through the same many houses are throwne doune and often times are cōsumed and burned with fire through the windes As almoste the whole countrie of Scotlande was once wasted by fire the 9. of Ianuarie 1251. a greate Comete of maruelous bignesse hauyng been seen before in Scotlande for many daies Anno 1248. Sometymes thei dooe signifie the death and change of Kynges and Princes and the alteration of kyngdomes cōmonwealthes As maie appeare Anno 1116. When Chichester was burnte there was sene a blasing starre the Moone not long tyme after semed to bee turned into blood after the which Maude the Queene of Englande died was buried at Westminster Likewise Anno do 1165. appeared a mightie Comete in Scotlande burnyng out with twoo long beames And within fourtie daies after died Malcolmus the iiij Kyng by name of the Scottes as the Chronicle reporteth Moreouer Anno 1214. in the moneth of Marche twoo Cometes of a maruellous bignesses verie fearfull to behold appeared in Scotlande the one going before and the other followyng the Sonne in the whiche yere that moste happie and good Kyng Willyam died after he had rained fourtie and nine yeres Likewise Anno 1538. appeared a Comet after the settyng of the Sonne which was placed in the signe Pisces and the taile of it lookyng towardes the East and shortly after died the Duke of Saxon. Also Anno 1539. the sixt daie of Maie appeared a Comete whiche endured burnyng three weekes and not long tyme after Isabell the wife of Charles the fift Emperour died in trauaile of childe in whiche yere also died George that duke of Saxonie And in the same yere as some doe write there appeared three Cometes in the moneth of Aprill after the whiche the Duke of Cleaue died and also the Bushop of Trent and diuers other noble personages In the yere of the Lorde 1540 the seuenth daie of Aprill happened a great coniunction of the Planettes and there appeared also a marueilous Eclipse of the Sōne whose beginnyng was before the Sonne risyng and did endure in the same Eclipse twoo whole howers after it was risen Also there was sene aboute the same tyme a maruelous straunge Comete in the euen after the whiche there followed so greate a drought that Hay Corne and all kinde of Pulse were verie scarce And the same yere the Castell of Prage a noble Citie in the kyngdome of Bohemia with the Cathedrall Churche were burned with fire and many fearfull fires happened in sondedrie places thesame tyme. Moreouer Anno 1547. in Heluecia in Germanie were sene in the aire twoo hostes of men of warre and twoo Lions gréeuously and terriblie fightyng together so long that the one semed to bite of the others head quite And the yere followyng the x. daie of Februarie was sene in Saxonie a Countrie also in Germanie a fire frō heauen that fell vppon certaine Cities and twoo hostes of menne were sene in the aire runnyng and skirmishyng one against an other besides diuers other straunge sightes very wonderfull to beholde And yet in these daies it will not sincke into the heades of many that there maie any suche strange sight appeare in the aire because wee can not render a naturall reason thereof
And therefore this maketh moste men to doubt whether the laste straunge sightes whiche were sene in Rome 1580. Ianuarie 18. and in other places the reportes whereof are extante in print to bee sene bee true or no Also in the yere of our Lorde 1551. the 28. daie of Ianuarie there appeared a bloudie rodde and sondrie fearful fires séen in the ayre ouer Lisborne the cheef Citie of Portugall and there it rained bloud also after the whiche followed suche a fearfull yearthquake that about twoo hundred houses were greeuously shaken and throwne doune through the fall whereof aboue a thousande persones were slaine And here also I can not forget to speake of that greate blasing starre whiche was to see to in forme of a Broome or a bundell of roddes whiche appeared in the yere of our Lorde 1531. the ninth of September ouer Mentz a Citie in Germanie whiche did betoken a heauie burthen of Gods vengeaunce not onely to the state temporall but also to Ecclesiasticall persones But to proceade Anno 1551. the 21. of Marche at Madeburge in Germanie about seuen of the clocke in the mornyng seuen Rainebowes and three Sonnes were sene and in the euenyng the same daie thrée Moones Also Anno 1553. was heard a wofull crie saiyng Woe Woe twise together besides the sounde of Belles and the noyse of Trompettes And at the same tyme it happened that at Duryngia the Trees and Hearbes did not onely sweate bloud But fearfull noises were heard also euery night After the whiche Mauricius the Duke of Saxon fought in battell with Alberte of Brandenburge and at the same tyme beyng smitten with a Bullet died the thirde daie after the battell Moreouer Anno 1554. the firste daie of Februarie in the Citie of Catalane in Fraunce there appeared a marueilous sight aboute the Moone like vnto a greate fire arisyng from the Easte part and declinyng towardes the Weste and the Moone it self appeared like to a firebrand in sight And moreouer this fire in th aire did burne with a greate noyse and often tymes did caste forthe flames and sparkes of fire In the like sorte as a hotte burnyng Iron is wont to dooe beeyng beaten vpon a Smithes handuile And the 26. daie of Maie followyng it rained bloud also not farre from the toune of Dunckelspuell in Germanie Also there were seene three faire Rainebowes and so many Sonnes and Moones and two bloudie Crosses And the 11. daie of Iune followyng aboute fiue miles distaunce from Norinberge in Germanie there was sene in the Sonne a bloudie rodde and many companies of horsemen iustlyng together in the aire whiche so did continue for the space of twoo howers in so muche that it caused men greatly to feare that Doomes daie was at hand After the whiche strange sight Frederick the duke of Saxonie died the same yere And after that a notable toune in Germanie was wasted with fire Also in the yere of the lorde 1555. were sene in the Citie of Duringia three Sonnes the tenth daie of Februarie And moreouer at Lunēberge was seene in the aire a greate companie of Souldiers at the right hande of whom there stoode an Aungell holdyng a fierie sworde in his hande and a child was there seen sodainly emongst the people which did earnestly exhort the people generally vnto hartie repentaunce Affirmyng Goddes Iudgementes to bee at hande And when he had thus exhorted the people he vanished sodainly out of their sight and no manne could afterwardes tell where he was become And in the same yere within the boundes of Polonia were heard and seene a greate companie of Dogges barkyng and fightyng together and many of them were torne in peeces After the whiche fighte there followed greate warres and manslaughter betweene the inhabitauntes of Polonia and the Moscouites Also in Duringia the Sonne shinyng cleare there appeared in the aire a bright sworde like vnto a Turkie blade directing the poinct toward the South and the edge towardes the East Moreouer Anno 1557. on the nineth daie of Marche there were sene thre Sonnes and a verie faire Rainebowe and the 17. daie of the same monethe followyng there fell fire from heauen Also in an other place a fierie Globe was sene and it rained bloud in so muche that lumpes of bloud like to the bignesse of a mannes hande did droppe from heauen in the sight of many and in eche droppe were sene certaine figures like to mennes faces And vppon Sainct Laurence daie afterwardes the Sonne appeared all bloudie after the whiche the Frenche Kyng fought a greate battaill with Philip Kyng of Spaine And after that saincte Quintaines was taken c. Also Anno 1558. there appeared a verie fearfull Comet whiche continued burnyng many weekes After the appearance of whiche Comete was seene a straunge sight and no lesse fearfull to behold For the 21. of August the daie beeyng cleare and the weather calme twoo howers before Noone the Sonne beyng then verie clear also was enclosed about with a greate circle whiche was of many colours like vnto a Rainbowe and continued so in sight for fower howers and a halfe to the greate feare and amasement of all suche as beheld thesame And suche a fearfull sight as Plutarche reporteth was sene before the death of Caesar Moreouer Anno 1562. Heauen was sene to burne in many places of Germanie and a celestiall firebrande shined by night in the aire and stretched from the Northe vnto the Southe Also a greate bande of souldiers were seen in the aire whiche seemed to shed muche bloud doune And in the moneth of Aprill following the Sonne appeared maruelous bloudie as well at the risyng as at the settyng and continued so for three daies together Also Anno 1564. and in the sixth yere of the raigne of our gracious Queene Elizabeth the 7. of October at night all the Northe partes of the Element seemed to be couered with flames of fire proceadyng from the Northe Easte and North West towardes the middest of the firmamente where it staied afterwardes for the space of an hower and so descended West Also Anno 1572. and the 15. yere of the raigne of the Queenes moste excellent Maiestie the 18. daie of Nouember in the mornyng a Starre was sene Northward verie bright and cleare in the constellation of Cassiopeia and it semed so straunge as from the beginnyng of the worlde the like was neuer sene for in the iudgement of the moste experte Astronomers and suche as are moste skilfull in the Mathematiques in this our tyme and age that starre which did then appeare vnto our sighte was no Comete but mere supernaturall directly opposite to the Starre whiche appeared at the Natiuitie of our Sauiour Christe and placed in the verie intersection of Aequinoctium Terrestre and therefore maie worthely be tearmed or named a signe vnto the whole yearth As more at large appeareth in a Booke whiche was written by that worshipfull gentleman maister Thomas Digges called Alae seu Scalae Mathematicae where the miracle is by demōstrations
enstructe vs in this poincte then our Sauiour Christe hymself who made aunswere vnto his Disciples when thei vsed this question in his presence saiyng vnto hym Actes 1.6 Lorde wilt thou at this tyme restore the kyngdome to Israell And he saied vnto them It is not for you to knowe the tymes or the seasons whiche the Father hath put in his owne power c. This aunswere whiche thei did receiue of Christe a man would thinke would suffice any Christian seyng Christe his owne Disciples did neither enquire of the houre the daie or the yere but simplie proposed their question of the tyme vnto whō Christ made an excellent aunswere as is afore declared Agreeable vnto whiche place is the testimonie of Christ Iesus hymself saiyng Of that daie and of that howre knoweth no man Math. 24.36 Math. 13.32 no not the Angels that are in heauen neither yet the sonne of man but the Father onely And again Paule saieth 1. Thess 5.1 Of the tymes and seasons brethrē I haue no néede that I doe write vnto you for you your selues knowe perfectly that the daie of the Lorde shall come euen as a Theefe in the night For when thei shall saie peace and saffetie then shall come vpon them sodaine destruction as the trauaile vpon a woman with child and thei shall not escape But ye brethren are not in darknesse that that daie should come vpon you as it were a Theef Ye are all the children of light and the children of the daie wee are not of the night neither of the darkenesse Therefore let vs not sleepe as others doe but let vs watche and be sober c. For it is in vaine for vs to goe aboute to make a computation of those yeres whiche are remainyng in this world or to appoincte the daie or howre yere or tyme when it shal be consumed Seeyng it is not our partes and duties to knowe and searche these thinges as we haue heard out of the mouthe of the truthe hymself Christe Iesus Wherefore albeeit the Deuill our cōmon aduersarie doeth labour by all meanes to fill our heades with infinite and vnprofitable questions settyng a side all suche as are necessarie for our saluatiō yet let vs that are Christians prepare our selues to watchfulnesse and Christian meditation and praiers so often as we dooe heare any mētion of the daie of Iudgement for feare least when Christe our Maister commeth he finde vs sleepyng c. Let vs therefore staie and rest our selues here not seekyng curiously into the secretes of almightie God againste his Diuine will and pleasure And yet notwithstandyng to the ende we maie bee perswaded of the certaintie therof and of Christes godlie care and brotherlie loue and affectiō shewed towardes vs He hath lefte behynde hym some thyng in the woorde of GOD concernyng this matter whiche is necessarie for our comforte and enstruction Math. 24.22 First that those daies shal be shortened for the electes sake Whereby he doeth giue vs to vnderstande that the nomber of those yeres shall not bee accomplished and fulfilled whiche otherwise were appoincted vntill the consummation of the worlde Secondly thesame Christe hath added thus muche for our learnyng that seyng it is not expedient for vs to knowe the tyme of the consummation of the worlde yet notwithstanding there should appeare certain signes and tokens of thesame by the course whereof we maie easily coniecture of the euentes followyng Whereby our Sauiour Christe hath declared not onely his singuler loue whiche he beareth towards vs but also sheweth how muche he dooeth tender our saluation in that he doeth sende signes and tokens in heauen and in Earth as the forerunners of his seconde commyng vnto Iudgemente Whereof some are partly knowne of vs because thei are familier vnto our sences and some of them also are vnwonted and strange so that we maie truely saie that it pleaseth almightie God by suche monsters of Nature to admonishe vs of our dueties and obedience whiche wee owe vnto his diuine Maiestie For as whē we see the body of man whiche is the prison of the soule to be subiecte to many infirmities As namely when we sée the haire of a mannes head to beginne to shed and fall awaie or els to waxe white the eyes to wax bleared and dimme of sight The stomack to bee weake and vnapte to digestion the eares to be deffe the tongue to falter The knées to be ready to bowe vnder a manne and all the members and partes of manne to bee féeble and brought into subiection as it were through Biles and Vlcers and other diseases whatsoeuer that are incidēt to the Nature of man and at the present sight thereof wee can saie that those signes dooe presage that death is imminent and not farre of from that man And in like maner as whē we se the tiles of any edifice or buiding to bée broken the walles to beginne to totter the roffe to bée ready to fall doune the postes and principall timber to beginne to shrinke out of their iointes the foundation to be rotten c. Forthwith we can saie that thesame house is ready to decaie and come to vtter ruine for lacke of a good tenaunt or Landlorde that should kéepe the same in due reparation Euen so can not we chuse but confesse that all these late horrible and monsterous monsters of Nature I speake as well of men as of bruite beastes whiche are daiely seen in this our age Besides the manifolde straunge tokens and vnwonted signes whiche are oftentymes euidently seene in the Sonne and in the Moone and in the Starres and in all the hoste of Heauen Are as you would saie the Vlcers and Biles naie I maie saie plainlie the blaines of the whole worlde and doe verie notablie prognosticate and foreshewe vnto vs the vniuersall dissolution and destruction of the same No lesse then the Starre that stoode ouer Hierusalem like vnto a Sworde and also the straunge Comet whiche endured for the space of a whole yere the Deuill in the figure and shape of a man An armie of souldiours seene in the cloudes marchyng about the citie with a nomber of horsemen and chariotts with this voice that was heard in the Temple saiyng Lett vs goe hence Besides other euidēt and vgly shapes c. did foreshewe and Prognosticate vnto the Iewes the destruction that should come vpon the Citie of Hierusalem and the Inhabitauntes thereof Who contemned not onely these demōstrations of their destructiō that was imminent but also like blind and sencelesse beastes would not giue credite vnto those wordes whiche Christ hym self while he was conuersant in the earth did vtter against Hierusalem Who when he was come nere vnto it Luke 19.41 he behelde it and wept for it saiyng O if thou haddest euen knowne at the leaste in this thy daie those thinges which belong vnto thy peace But now are thei hid frō thine eyes for the daies shall come vpon thee that thyne enemies shall