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
if he would humble vs as he did Nabucadonosor and make vs to eate grasse with the beastes of the field and to water vs with the deaw of heauen till our hearts were whollie turned vnto him againe rather than do fill vs so abundantlie with all manner of temporal blessings With health in our bodies plentie in our coffers ioy in our families fauour with our Princes to haue praise with priuate persons and to haue authoritie in kingdomes but therewith to bee depriued of the grace and mercie of God of Christes promised saluation and in steede of the pleasures of this life to receaue paines intollerable both of bodie and soule in the life to come Wherefore ô my bretheren remember what yee are where yee are and whether yee goe Yee are of those for whom the world was made For whome the remnant was saued in Noahs floud For whome God hath shewed a thousand miracles in Aegipt in the redde Sea and in the wildernesse For whome Christ liued so manie yeeres in this wretched world and for whome hee suffered so shamefull death vpon the Crosse Yee are the seede of Abraham and generation of the blessed Yee are of the Church and members of Christes bodie Yee are the vessells of the holie Ghost if yee liue holilie and vnblameablie And ye are of them to whom the promise of euerlasting life was made Remember also that yee are in this transitorie world a place so latelie made which shall so shortlie perish wherein there is nothing but lustes of the fresh lustes of the eyes and pride of life Remember that a thousande yeeres with the Lorde are but as one day and that all your whole life is not one hower of such a day Remember that yee are in a place full of miseries cares and troubles among a crooked and peruerse generation among a people that haue solde them selues to commit wickednesse and that with all greedie desire That a mans dayes passe awaie like a shaddowe and his yeeres like vanitie That though he be the mightiest Prince Monarch of the world yet when age infirmities creepe vpon him he desireth to be losed from the burthen of this flesh Againe remember the place whereunto yee shall tende For yee are heere but pilgrimes and straungers for a little season And as manie of you as are Christes must home to your owne Countrey of Heauen A place of libertie a place of felicitie a place of euerlasting pleasure Where time shall be no more time where night and darkenesse shall be banished where yee shall neither hunger nor thirst where yee shall neither lust nor desire where it is vnpossible yee shoulde die anie more where the Lorde him selfe shall bee your foode and portion and the light of your countenaunce where the measure of your ioyes shall be full and where ye shall liue in pleasure and felicitie for euermore But on the other side as manie of you as are called Christians and are not of the flocke of Christ as manie as refuse this saluation offered you in not beleeuing as you ought and liuing as you should As manie of you as trust not whollie to be saued by the merite of Christ Iesus but iustifie your selues by your owne workes Naie all you that boast of your faith in Christ and yet mortifie not your carnall members nor walke in the steppes of his commaundements As many as make Christ Iesus but a straunger to you and seeke for other Mediatours than his owne selfe As manie as frame vnto the Church a monsterous head vpon the earth besides our owne mercifull head Christ Iesus in heauen As manie as will make the decrees of mans corrupt iudgement equall with the most holie and sacred word of GOD As manie as refuse to laie holde on Christ by faith and runne for helpe vnto Images and dumme Idolls As manie as frustrate the benefites of Christes death by redeeming their sinnes with monie and pardons As manie as thinke to obtaine their requestes by a set number of verball prayers without any earnest meditation of the merite and promise of Christ As manie as prophane that glorious bodie of Christ Iesus by worshipping of any creature for and in the name of him and so cut off the hand of faith whereby we hold fast by him as he sitteth on the right hand of his Father Briefly as many as know that God must be worshipped in spirit and trueth and yet will cleaue to the apish toyes and foolish superstitions of Antichrist Finally as many as walke after their owne waies and not as the Lord himselfe hath commaunded in his holie worde All these must likewise home to their countrie a place of torment a place of eternal trouble a cruell and terrible habitation continuallie to bee vexed with burning fire and most intollerable heate mingled neuerthelesse with palpable darknes not for a time and season but perpetuallie and for euer there to remaine vnder the dominion of Lucifer and his Angels whose workes they followed and whose commaundements they obeyed Wherfore if there yet remaine in you any sparke of godlinesse anie loue of Religion anie dutie towards God anie hope of the resurrection to come anie desire of saluation anie feare of damnation if all faith all conscience all goodnesse and all religion be not quite extinguished reuiue your mindes lifte vp your hearts ascend vnto Christ by faith Set your affection vpon things aboue and not vpon thinges beneath Cast away all vaine and idle cogitations reforme your liues forsake your sins returne no more to your filthie pleasures giue ouer your superfluous vanities cleanse your selues from all vngodlinesse as you haue hetherto giuen ouer your members to serue vncleannesse so make them now to be seruants vnto righteousnesse Crucifie the olde man in you that the bodie of sinne may be vtterly destroyed Come out from Babylon and be no more partaker of her wickednesse touch no more vncleannesse and the Lord will receiue you Euery one of you abound in charitie one towards another euen as Christ hath loued you and hath giuen himselfe for you Be renewed in the spirite of your minde and put on the newe man which is shapen in holinesse and righteousnesse Examine your selues whether you be in the faith and knowe for certaintie that Christ is in you except ye bee reprobates Clense your hearts from all filthines and sinne and go forth to meet with the Bridegrome So shall all your former sinnes be wiped out of his remembrance Ye shal be his people and he wil be your God He will seperate you from the wicked and set you on his right hand He will protect you in this life from al your enemies and in the life to come will giue you a kingdome of euerlasting happinesse Come therfore Lord Iesus Come quicklie for the saluation of thy chosen and gladnes of thy people FINIS
schismes and corruptions Whether they haue punished those Rulers of the Churche that cause the trueth of GOD to bee euill spoken of for their vngodlinesse Finallie whether in all their actions both at home and abroade priuate and publique in the Churche and Common-weale they haue done all thinges with a faithfull and sinceere heart and with the testimonie of a pure and good conscience Which if they haue they shal be coheires with Christ and shall reigne with him in glorie and felicitie for euermore otherwise they shall stande among the guiltie sinners receaue iudgement of condemnation according to their merites Next vnto Kinges and absolute Princes must come to a reckoning before the chiefe Iudge Christ Iesus the Gouernours of the Churche and Rulers of Prouinces and particular places to whome the Prince for his owne discharge hath committed his authoritie to see that GOD bee truelie serued and Iustice among his subiectes duelie executed And therefore yee my reuerent Fathers of the Churche yee whose office it is both to teach and feede and gouerne the Churche vnder your charge Christ will shortlie call you to a straight accompt First whether yee came into your office by a plaine and direct waye or els stole into it by some corrupt and sinister meanes Whether yee desired the office of a Bishop for the goodnesse of the worke or for the gayne and profite of the liuing Whether yee set before your eyes the benefite of the Church and aduancement of the Gospell more than the honour and dignitie that is attributed vnto your calling The seconde Article wherein yee must trie your selues before the Supreame Bishoppe is Whether you haue indeuoured as farre as in you lyeth to cleanse the whole Church vnder you of all vngodlie worship worshippers in the same And whether ye haue been carefull to appease al schismes and controuersies to the vttermost of your power whether yee haue sincerelie and diligentlie preached Christ as hee hath prescribed in his holie word whether yee haue weeded out of your whole gouernments all infamous vngodlie schismaticall yea and as much as in you lieth all vnlearned Pastors which either by their wicked examples offend corrupt and marre their flocke or els be altogether carelesse and negligent of them whether ye haue executed all the censures of the Church with a faithfull and single heart hand without all fauour and corruption for the aduauncement of the glorie of God and edifieng of die whole congregation Item whether you haue remooued or reformed all such your Commissaries and other meane officers if anie such you haue that by their corrupt and auaritious proceedings haue caused the most iust most holie and most pure religion of Christ to bee blasphemed and hated among the enemies of the Gospell and haue giuen so great an offence to the rest of the Church as manie haue runne into greeuous schismes and verie damnable opinions by reason of the same Likewise in all iust appeales made vnto you whether you haue in charitie and conscience indeuoured with all care and diligence to reforme all things that haue been wronged by your inferiour officers Finally whether ye haue fed the hungrie clothed the naked and lodged the harborlesse and whether to the proportion of your liuing ye haue been as liberall to the poore and impotent members of Christ as carefull to aduaunce your selues and yours with worldly riches and honors And thus whether yee haue in all thinges indeuoured to the vttermost of your power both by your sound doctrine by example of your owne life and by your faithfull and vpright gouernment to walke worthie of your vocation and haue kept the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace In al these things shall ye shortlie be examined and tried before the triumphant Iudge Christ Iesus Againe ye that bee the gouernours of Prouinces and all other Iudges and great officers vpon whom dependeth either the liues or the goods or the causes of other Subiects albeit the most of you haue long time escaped the temporall sword yet shall you not now escape the last iudgement of God For the bloud of the fatherles and widdowes haue cryed vp to the Lord of hoasts and he commeth to take an account of your vngodlie and vncharitable iudgements Shall not your owne consciences in that day accuse you as much as a thousand witnesses that you fled from iudgement and peruerted equitie That ye build vp Syon with bloud Malach 3. and Ierusalem with wickednesse That ye heads haue iudged for reward and that ye Priestes haue taught for hier and ye Prophets haue prophesied for monie That ye haue contemned the low estate of the poore feared to execute Iustice against the mightie That ye haue often preuented the trueth of the cause by a contrarie impression and conceipt in your minde That ye haue been more carried with the faire intisement of mans eloquence than with a plaine and simple declaration of the trueth That ye haue either stayed your iudgement by letters or wearied your suters by charges or consumed them by delayes or discouraged them by your speeches or mocked them by your vanities or driuen them to dispaire by your iniustice Finally that ye haue not onlie seene the bribing and extortion and scraping of pettie clarkes and inferiour ministers which ye might haue redressed but that ye your selues also haue bin partakers of their sinnes Shall not all these things bee layd open before your eyes in that great and terrible daie Generally all ye that be rich abound with goods and possessions in this life leaue off the greedie desire of monie and dispose well of the riches that ye haue Make ye friends while ye maie of your vnrighteous Mammon that ye be not taken short when the Lord commeth For he is speedilie comming and will take a straight account of all you that haue abused your stewardshippes and haue not bin faithfull in that was committed vnto you He hath sounded his Trompet now this second time and hath giuen you a lawfull warning he hath tolde you often before and he telleth you now againe at the last that you heape not vnto your selues treasure vpon the earth where the Canker and rust do corrupt theeues breake in steale That if riches increase you should not set your heart vpon them Psal 62. That riches helpe not in the day of vengeance and he which trusteth in them shall haue a horrible fall That though ye thinke Psal 49. that your dwelling places shall continue for euer yet ye shall dye and leaue your riches to others That because thou hast trusted in thine owne treasure therefore thou and thy Princes and Priestes shall be carried into captiuitie That he which stoppeth his eare frō the crye of the poore Prou. 21. he shall crye himselfe and not bee heard That the deceiptfulnes of riches choketh vp the word of GOD I am 5. and maketh it vnfruitfull 1. Timot. 6. That we should
vaine worde that they haue spent all the time of their life and so to receaue iudgement for the same Thus are all mortall men and women cyted to appeare before the Iudgement seate of God to aunswere for themselues There shall then be no excepting of persons before him but Emperors Kings and Princes their subiects seruaunts and vassals all both Magistrates and people the highest Prelates and poorest Ministers Lords and tenants masters and seruants parents and children olde and young one with another shall all stand before the face of the Lorde to receiue their iudgement and either for their vngodlinesse to be accused and condemned or else hauing walked with a perfect heart before him they shal bee iustified and saued by the death and redemption of Christ Wherefore seing al these things shall thus happen that shortly how sodainly we know not and seing the day of the Lord wil steale vpō vs like a theefe in the night 2. Pet 3. when the hauens shall passe away and the earth and al the workes therein shal be vtterly burned with fire seeing we shall immediately be caried away vnto iudgement and seeing the Lord is not slacke but will speedelie come as he hath promised what manner of persons ought we to be in holinesse and godly conuersation How ought we to purge our liues from the dead and damnable workes of this world to serue the true and liuing God Howe well furnished ought we to be at all houres with all the armour of God that nothing but truth may proceede out of our mouths That all our actions bee defended by iustice and vpright dealing That wee may treade all our steppes in the Gospell of peace That we may haue a strong faith to withstand the deuill and all the temptations of this life That wee relie whollie vppon the saluation of Christ and that the word of God may dwell plentifully in vs wherewith we being indued we shall be readie at euery instant to meete the Lord when he commeth in the clowdes with power and great glorie But what shall the Lord say to them that bee so carelesse and negligent as they will not watch one small time in praier and meditation for his comming Shall they not in that great day be accused of the greatest vnfaithfulnes in the world Yea shall they not bee condemned of foule and beastlie ingratitude when for the pure loue that he beareth to vs he hath so sensiblie before hand shewed vs of all these things that haue happened and hath willed vs to watch and bee readie with our Lampes burning because the Sonne of man will come at such an houre as we knowe not O vngratefull and faithlesse generation maie he saie it repenteth me that I haue been so kinde and louing to you and that I haue bestowed vpon you so large and ample benefites when ye were dead in the burthen of your sinnes and were in thraldome of the deuill and of all your mortall enernies and had no other waie to be relieued but by me I humbled my selfe from the throne of my Maiestie and tooke your nature vpon me I came not as I might haue done like a great Prince and Monarch of this world but was content to abase my selfe to be borne of a poore woman to bee brought vp like a poore childe to walke in the forme of a poore seruant and to liue poorely from the daie of my birth to the daie of my death I indured nakednesse and cold and hunger for your sakes yea thirtie yeares together and vpward did I abide all the calamities of this life for your sakes I submitted my selfe to the lawe of man and obserued euerie iot and title of the same for your sakes I fasted fourtie daies and fourtie nights for your sakes I wrought great miracles and wonders in the world for your sakes And when the time of my passion was come I sweate water and bloud for your sakes I was scourged buffetted and beaten for your sakes I abode a crowne of sharpe thornes vpon my head for your sakes I indured spitting railing and despightfull words against my selfe for your sakes And in the ende I suffered amost shamefull and cruell death vppon the Crosse for your sakes For you and your saluation haue I done all this and yet ye will not beleeue the signes that I haue shewed nor prepare your selues to watch for my comming Therefore I will come so sodainlie vppon you as it shall be too late for you to repent and whome I finde not watching and prepared for me him will I cast into the vttermost darkenes where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Wherefore my deare brethren in Christ when we haue diligentlie weighed and considered these things how iustlie how innocentlie and how purelie ought wee to shewe our selues in all the whole course of our liues looking daylie and hourelie for the appearing of our Sauiour that we maie be blamelesse in the daie of his cōming It is for our learning edifying that al the holie Scriptures are written that all the teaching instructiōs warnings therin are giuē that all the miracles of God from the beginning haue been shewed that all the examples of our forefathers haue been published that God from the beginning was so mindfull of our redemption that he sent his owne Sonne for our saluation It is we that he hath been so carefull to preserue so many ages together in the middest of so many crooked and peruerse nations from the hands of so many cruell bloudie tyrants Who were preserued in the Arke from the first destruction of the world by waters but we Who were saued from death in the great famine of Egipt and countries adioyning but we Who were deliuered from Pharao from the inhabitants of Chanaan and from manie other nations with a mightie and stretched out arme but we Who were preserued in the great and horrible persecutions of the Primitiue Church from being vtterly consumed of tyrants but we Who were safelie kept by God as the apple of his owne eye in so great and generall Apostacie of the Church but we Who were againe deliuered by God from the power of Antichrist and were indued with the knowledge of his truth but we Nay who haue receiued so many tokens of the end of the world warnings of Christes comming as we For the heathen haue no knowledge of his lawes And they that bee straungers from Christ feare not his iudgements And all they which sinned without law shall perish without law Againe if iudgement begin first with the house of God what shall become of them that beleeue not the Gospell Why do not wee then with all faithfulnesse and willng heart receiue all these Oracles sent vs by God Why doe wee not thankfully accept his benefites Why do we not beleeue his promises Why do wee not prepare our selues for his iudgements Why doe we not weepe and bewaile and lament for our sinnes Why are we so stonie and
comparison of vs that haue the light of the Gospell liued but in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death be a notable testimony against vs in the day of iudgemēt since they feared god more reuerētly serued him more willingly obeyed him more dutifully and loued him more feruently thē we Since they had more compasston vpon their pore brethren more deuotion vnto al good workes and more regard to their owne saluation then we Since they had lesse dissimulation lesse craft lesse hypocrisie lesse malice lesse couetousnesse less wickedness in their life then we Compare the great zeale of our predecessors with the colde deuotion that wee haue in these daies and we shall be ashamed of our selues The good deedes which were done by them were done simplie either for the loue they bare to God or as they tooke it for the honor of his seruice and religion or of a compassion to their poore brethren or for the safetie of their owne soules or of a zeale they bare to their parents departed or for a benefite to the Common wealth or to ease the burthen of their successors or for the furtherance of Schooles and learning or for some such other either good or wel-meaning intent But on the other side what little good soeuer we doe we doe it neither of a lone towards GOD nor of a charitable minde towards our neighbour nor of any remorse of conscience in our selues nor yet of any affection towards our natiue countrie but all that the most of vs do we do it either for vaine glorie or for pleasing of other mens humours or to bee seene and praised of men or to auoyd the clamor of the world or by compulsion and commandement or for feare of shame and punishment or by importunate sute that is made or because wee knowe not els what to do with that we haue Wherefore the former with their blind zeale and supposed good intent shall rise vp in the daie of iudgement and condemne vs for the fruitlesse ostentation and boasting of our faith If the men of Niniuie which repented at the preaching of Ionas and the Queene of the South that came so farre to heare the wisedome of Salomon shall rise in iudgement against the Iewes that would not beleeue and amend for all that could bee said vnto them by Christ and the Prophets What shall so manie Prophets and Preachers of God do against vs in that day who daily hourelie and continuallie rebuke vs for our sinnes and stirre vs vp by all meanes to amendment of our liues shewing vs that the daie of the Lord is at hand O Iesus why should we now be further from the obeying of thee than when wee were further from thee Shall the brightnes of thy presence and the light of thy blessed word which lighteneth euerie man that commeth into the world and whose propertie is to giue light and saluation to all them that will receiue the same shall it shine I saie vppon such stonie and grauelie hearts as haue no power to bring forth true repentance nor any fruites of a godlie life And shall the Deuill so preuaile against them for whom thou hast shed thy most precious bloud that sodainlie vppon the reuealing of Antichrist and sending of new Ambassadours from thee to put thinges in order against thy comming he shall turne the hearts of all men from all goodnesse and vertue to vice and crueltie alter the natures of things from better to worse bring in Schisme Atheisme Treason and all vngodlines into the worlde and make iniquitie flowe beyond measure ouer all the bankes of the earth Howbeit Lorde if this bee thy will and that by no other meanes thy holie word should bee verified namelie that wickednesse should so mightilie abound before thy comming If thy promise should on this wise bee fulfilled If thy chosen must on this manner bee tried and that this should bee one of the last tokens of thy comming wee accept all these things as Oracles sent before and wee assuredlie looke for thine owne selfe in person to followe Wherefore ye my brethren of the Church of England for whose cause specially I haue written this second warning or sound of the last Trompet beare in minde all these thinges that I haue declared vnto you Examine your owne consciences whether ye haue not tasted of the blessings of GOD in measure more aboundantlie in fauour more apparantlie in mercie more infinitlie and in signes and tokens more wonderfullie than anie nation in the world Againe consider with your selues how all these graces and mercies haue been requited of you Whether there bee anie nation of the worlde more vnthankfull for Gods benefites more forgetfull of his promises more disobedient to his commaundements more negligent in their callings more factious in practises more contentious in Religion more inclined to Treason more vncharitable in action more colde in deuotion more rash in enterprises more restlesse in vanities more greedie in getting more carelesse in spending more slowe to vertue and more forward to vice And finally more desperate to all kinde of mischiefe then commonly the people of this kingdome are Wherefore if the mercies of God did not daylie salue the deadly wounds and diseases of our soule wee should long before this time haue come to a feareful and horrible end But that the Lord doth yet spare you impute it not to your owne desert but to his great mercy That ye perish consume not in his wrath it is of his mercie That ye liue vnplagued of your enemies is of his mercie That ye loose not his Gospell and true Religion is of his mercie That we see our Elizabeth reigne in holinesse health and prosperitie is long of his mercie And yet for all this do we reiect his goodnesse discredite his promises dishonor his seruices disallowe his tokens continue in sinnes deuide the Church with Schismes and slaunder the trueth of the Gospell by our vngodlines yet for all this do ye crye Peace Peace and think that all shall go aswell with you at the last as it did at the first And consider not the mercifull patience and long suffring of the Lord how he calleth you to repentance For ye shall al dye with euerlasting destruction vnlesse ye speedily shewe foorth the fruites of repentance And the patient forbearing of temporall punishment of your bodies in this life doth breede the greater weight of perpetuall shame and damnation both of bodie and soule in the life to come Farre more easie should it bee for vs if our sinnes had not deserued greater punishement that it would please the Lord fatherlie to correct vs while wee are heere either with publicke warres plagues and famines or else with priuate sicknesse penurie imprisonment and with losse of goods and possessions if he would feede vs with the bread of teares and with the water of affliction if he would exercise vs with all kinde of miserie and so purge and trie vs as it were by fire yea
that was attributed vnto men and Saincts departed out of this life If he haue reuealed that man of sinne that taketh the whole office of Christ vpon him If he haue sent all the plagues and famines and earthquakes that his wisedome and counsell deuised best for the fatherly correction of his people before the iudgement If nations and kingdomes which are either enemies to his Gospell or straungers from his Church haue banded themselues against the Lord and against the generation of the godlie If the father haue been against the sonne and the mother against the daughter and brother against brother for the name of Christ If many false Prophets haue come in the name of Christ taught the people shameful forgeries when the Lord neuer sent them If men betray one another and hate and persecute one another for their conscience sake If iniquitie be so filled vp with the measure of it selfe as it can hardly bee any more augmented Finally if the preaching of the Gospell be at this day carried from one kingdome to another welneere vnto the ende of the world and all these things to be the tokens of Christes comming And if so manie straunge thinges haue happened besides in these our daies that haue not done the like in manie ages before and all these in the Church and concerning the Church and most agreeable to the time of Christes owne prophesie Then is the second warning of the Trompet sounded vnto iudgement It is high time therefore to awake out of sleepe and to slumber no more in the cogitations of vngodlinesse It is time that wee should cast off the cares of this life and make our selues readie for the daie of the Lord It is time yea more then time that wee should cast away the workes of darknesse and put on the armour of light It is time that wee should laie awaie all filthinesse and sinne for now is our saluation neerer then when wee first beleeued The axe is now put to the roote of the tree that euen now wee must either bring foorth fruite or els bee cut downe and cast into the fire Behold now is the acceptable time now is the daie of saluation now will the Lorde shewe himselfe a mightie GOD and his name shall be magnified in all the world He came at the first and wee knewe him not beholde he commeth againe and all men shall knowe him he came before simplie to take our nature vpon him and to dye for our sinnes but he cōmeth againe as a conquerour to be reuenged of his enemies and as a bountifull Prince to reward his Subiects He came into the world which he himselfe had made but the world would not receiue him because it was not worthv of him Wherfore hauing wrought the work of our redemption he ascēded vp vnto his Father where by his holie spirit he hath gouerned kept and preserued his Church one thousand and well neere sixe hundred yeares and now he commeth in his own person to call all men to an accompt and to cite all men to his Iudgement and those that haue vsed their talents well in this life shall be sure of an eternall reward in his kingdome Math. 25. but if they haue been negligent and vnprofitable seruants and without care of the Lords comming he will cast them into the vttermost darknes where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth There shall be no Lord no King no Emperour nor Pope vpon the earth that shall bee exempt from this Iudgement Can any Prince or Magistrate of the world compare himselfe in brightnes and glorie vnto Lucifer that glorious Angell yet he might not escape the iudgement of GOD but the higher he was in glorie the greater was the shame of his fall Remember therefore O ye Christian Princes and Magistrates and ye that haue charge and rule of Gods people whom God hath made his Liutenants generall within your owne dominions remember that the Lord is comming and will call you to an accompt before the throne of his Iudgement The greater your Kingdomes and Territories be the greater is the reckoning that he requireth of you and the more absolute you bee in commaunding all the more are you bound to giue an accompt for Ye are the Caesars to whom Paule appealed from you lieth no appeale to anie superior in this life As the Lord hath deliuered vnto your custodie the greatest number of Talents so he looketh to reape at your hands the greatest gaines It pitieth me to temember the woful and greeuous state of all mortall men in this miserable life the desperate and dangerous case wherein they liue the often and imminent perills that they fall into the manifold temptations vexations and disquietnes of mind that they are brought into the continuall inticements of the flesh and the diuell that they enter into besides the rash and furious and vngodlie actions that they desperatelie runne into That when they shall shortlie stand before the Tribunall seate and their owne conscience iustlie accusing them thereof there shal be no wisedome no policie no counsell no eloquence of the tongue that can excuse or satisfie the least offence of this life This is the generall state of all mankinde But alas for griefe that Princes should both nowe and then also before the Iudgement seate be in more wofull case than all other persons and subiects of this mortall life That they should bee in greater daunger than all men liuing that they shoulde bee subiect to more miscarying and mishaps than all men liuing that they shoulde haue more vexations disquietnesse and cares of minde than all men liuing that temptations of the flesh that prouocations vnto lust and desire of pleasures shoulde take more holde of them than of all men liuing and that the way vnto all vngodlie actions should be more open vnto them than to all men liuing And of all these thinges must they shortlie yeelde an account together with all men liuing And yet beholde when the Awdit is ended for this a Quietus est for all matters concerning themselues there is a new inditement framed against them wherein they must bee called to an other reckoning Then shall the Register of all their gouernement bee read before them then will it be seene whether they haue ministred Iustice vnto their people That is to say Whether they haue hearde the fatherlesse and oppressed when they haue cried vnto them Whether they haue taken notice of such appeales as haue ben made vnto them Whether they haue punished vngodlie and corrupt Iudges which solde their subiectes for siluer and the righteous for a poore rewarde Whether they haue spared the innocent bloud and not pardoned them that runne on still in wickednesse Whether in all their publique enterprises they haue respected the glorie of GOD more than their owne commodities Whether they haue nursed protected and defended the Churche of GOD to the vttermost of their power Whether they haue preserued it from all heresies errours