¶ A discourse upon the Earthquake that happened through this Realm of England, and other places of Christendom, the sixth of April. 1580. between the hours of five and six in the Evening.  
Written by Arthur Golding, Gentleman.  
AT LONDON, Imprinted by Henry Binneman dwelling in Thamis street near Baynerds castle.   

MAny and wonderful ways (good Christian Reader) hath God in all ages most mercifully called all men to the knowledge of themselves, and to the amendment of their Religion and conversation, before he have laid his heavy hand in wrathful displeasure upon them. And this order of dealing he observeth, not only towards his own dear children, but also even towards the wicked and castaways: to the intent, that the one sort turning from their former sins, and becoming the warer all their life after, should glorify him the more for his goodness in not suffering them to continue in their sins unreformed, to their destruction: and that the other sort should be made utterly unexcusable for their wilful persisting in the stubborness of the●● hard and froward hearts, against all his friendly and fatherly admonitions.  
He called Cain to repentance, before he punished him for shedding his brother's blood, and gave him a long time to have bethought himself in.  
He warned the old World a hundred year and more, before he brought the flood upon the Earth.  
He chastized the Children of Israel divers ways, ere he destroyed them in the wilderness.  
He sent Hornets and wild Beasts, as foregoers of his host, into the land of Canaan, before he rooted out the inhabiters thereof.  
He punished not David for his murder and adultery, until he had first admonished him by his Prophet.  
He removed not the Israelits into captivity, until all the warnings of his Prophets, and all the former corrections which he had used in vain to reform them, did show them to be utterly passed hope of amendment.  
Before the last destruction of jerusalem, there went innumerable signs, tokens, and wonders.  
Finally, God never powered out his grievous displeasure and wrath upon any Nation, Realm, City, Kingdom, State, or Country, but he gave some notable forewarning thereof by some dreadful wonder.  
To let pass the examples of foreign Nations, which are many and terrible: what plagues, pestilences, famines, diseases, tempests, overflowing of waters both salt and fresh, and a number of other most prodigious tokens happened successively long time together, before the displacing of the Britons by the hands of our ancestors, for their neglecting of God's word preached and planted many hundred years among them? Likewise, what great warnings did God give to our forefathers, in divers Princes reigns, before the alteration of the State, both by the Danes, and also by William the Conqueror? Again, even in these our days, how manifestly hath God threatened, and still doth threaten our contempt of his holy Religion, and our security and sound sleeping in sin, showing us evident tokens of his just displeasure near at hand, both abroad and at home.  
I will not speak of the great civil Wars, nor of the horrible and unnatural massacres of good men, betrayed under the holiest pretences, which have been of late years in the countries bordering upon us: because such dealings being pleasant to such as seek blood, are taken for no wonders. Neither will I stand upon the rehearsal of the strange things that befell in the Realm of Naples in the year 1566. nor of the Earthquake, whereby a great part of the City Ferrara in Italy was destroyed in the year 1570. or of the miraculous sights that were seen in France about mountpelier, the year 1573. or of the like terrible sight that appeared little more than a year ago at prague the chief City of Boemia: nor of divers other things which have happened in foreign Countries within the compass of these few years: because it will perchance be thought, that those tokens concern the Countries where they befell, & not us.  
Well, I will not say, That whatsoever things have been written aforetimes, were written for our learning, that we might learn to beware by other men's harms.  
We have signs and tokens enough at home, if we can use them to our benefit.  
What shall we say to the sore Famine which happened in the time of our late sovereign Lady Queen Mary, which was so great, that men were feign to make bread of Acorns, and food of fern roots? or to the particular Earthquake, in the time of our most gracious sovereign Lady that now is, which transposed the bounds of men's grounds, and turned a Church to the clean contrary situation? or to the monstrous births both of Children and cattle? or to the unseasonableness of the seasons of some years, altering (after a sort) Summer into Winter, and Winter into Summer? or to the wonderful new Star so long time fixed in the heaven? or to the strange appearings of Comets, the often Eclipses of Sun and Moon, the great and strange fashioned lights seen in the firmament in the night times, the sudden falling, and unwonted abiding of unmeasurable abundance of Snow, the excessive and untimely rains and overflowing of waters, the greatness and sharp continuance of sore frosts, and many other such wonderful things, one following in another's neck? Shall we say that none of these also do concern us? or rather more truly, that because they be gone and passed (O overgreat security and blindness of heart) we have clean forgotten them, or at leastwise make no great account of them, according to our common proverb, that a wonder lasteth with us but nine days.  
Therefore, lest we should want either proof of the certainty of God's irrevocable judgements, or argument of his continual merciful dealing towards us, or matter wherewith to convict us of our excessive unthankfulness: behold, he sendeth us now lastly this Earthquake the befell the sixth day of this month, not so hurtful in present operation, as terrible in signification of things to come. For the tried experience of all ages teacheth us, and the writings of the wise and learned (specially of holy Scripture) do assuredly witness unto us, that such tokens are infallible fore warnings of Gods sore displeasure for sin, & of his just plagues for the same, where amendment of life ensueth not.  
And although there be peradventure some, which (to keep themselves and others from the due looking back into the time erst misspent, and to foade them still in the vanities of this world, lest they should see their own wretchedness, and seek to shun God's vengeance at hand) will not stick to deface the apparent working of God, by ascribing this miracle to some ordinary causes in nature: Yet notwithstanding to the godly and well-disposed which look advisedly into the matter, pondering the manner of this Earthquake thoroughly, and considering the manner of our dealings from the late restitution of the Gospel unto this day, and conferring the same with the manner of God's favourable dealing with us, and with his ordinary dealing in cases where his truth hath been planted & groweth to be contemned: it must needs appear to be the very finger of God, and as a messenger of the miseries due to such deserts.  
For, first of all, whereas naturally Earthquakes are said to be engendered by wind gotten into the bowels of the earth, or by vapours bred and enclosed within the hollow caves of the earth, where, by their striving and struggling of themselves to get out, or being haled outward by the heat and operation of the Sun, they shake the earth for want of sufficient vent to issue out at: If this Earthquake had risen of such causes, it could not have been so universal, because there are many places in this Realm, which by reason of their substantial soundness and massy firmness, are not to be pierced by any winds from without, nor have any hollowenesse wherein to conceive and breed any such abundance of vapours, specially in places far distant from the Sea, or from Rivers, moors, marshes, fens, or light & open soils.  
Neither could it have been in so many places universally at one instant both by sea and land. For the striving thereof within the ground, taking his beginning at some certain place, and proceeding forward to get a vent, would have required some space of time to have attained to so many places so far off, or else have broken out with great fury in some place that had been weakest.  
Again, whereas in Earthquakes that proceed of natural causes, certain signs and tokens are reported to go before them, as, a tempestuous working and raging of the sea, the wether being fair, temperate, and unwindie, calmness of the air matched with great cold: dimness of the Sun for certain days ●●fore: long and thin streaks of clouds appearing after the setting of the Sun, the weather being otherwise clear: the troubledness of water even in the deepest wells, yielding moreover an infected and stinking savour: and lastly, great and terrible sounds in the earth, like the noise of groanings or thunderings, as well afore as after the quaking: We find not that any such foretoken happened against the coming of this Earthquake. And▪ therefore we may well conclude (though there were none other reason to move us) that this miracle proceeded not of the course of any natural causes, but of Gods only determinate purpose, who maketh even the very foundations and pillars of the earth to shake, the mountains to melt like war, and the seas to dry up and to become as a dry field, when he listeth to show the greatness of his glorious power, in uttering his heavy displeasure against sin.  
But put the case that some natural causes or secret influences had their ordinary operations in this Earthquake, whereof notwithstanding there is not any sufficient likelihood: shall we so gaze upon the mean causes, that we shall forget or let slip the chief & principal causes? Know we not (after so long hearing and professing of the Gospel) that a sparrow lighteth not on the ground with out God's providence? That the neglecting of his loving kindness, and the continuing in sin without amendment, provoke his vengeance? And yet that he of his own fatherly free goodness, doth ever give warning before he striketh? Surely we can not but know it, yea and see it too, unless the God of this world have so blinded our eyes, that we will not see it. For it is daily and almost hourly told us by the Ministers of his word, and the Bible lies always open for us to read it ourselves, that as the only original cause and wellspring of all plagues and punishments is sin: to the plagues and punishments themselves, and the orderly disposing, directing, and guiding of all causes to their due ends & effects, is the only work of God, who to make all offenders unexcusable (as I said before) doth often cause even the very Elements and senseless creatures, to foreshow in most terrible manner even by their natural operations, the approaching of his just vengeance. And truly, as it is said in the Psalm, their speaking and talking unto us, is not so softly and whysperingly, as that the voices of them can not be heard: but contrariwise, they be so loud in our ears, so manifest to our eyes, and so sensible to our feeling: that (unless we be stony and steely hearted, or given ●uer to a lewd mind,) they can not but he grievous to our hearts, and terrible to our consciences.  
Now then, shall we think this rare and unaccustomed miracle, such as no man living, nor none of our forefathers hath ever seen or heard of, to be a thing of no importance, as happening by chance, or grounded upon some natural causes: and not rather as a messenger and summoner of us to the dreadful judgement-seate of the almighty & everliving God?  
Let us enter into ourselves, and examine our time paste. Since the sharp trial which GOD made of us in the reign of Queen Marie, (at which time we vowed all obedience to GOD, if he would vouchsafe to deliver us again from the bondage of the romish antichrist, into the liberty of the Gospel of his son jesus christ) he hearkening effectually to our requests, hath given us a long resting and refreshing-time, blessed with innumerable benefits both of body and soul: For peace, health, and plenty of all things necessary for the life of man, we have had a golden world above all the residue of our neighbours round about us.  
The word of truth hath been preached unto us early and late without let or disturbance. And because our prosperity hath made us to play the wanton children against God, he hath chastised us in the mean season with many fatherly corrections.  
We have been taught, instructed, exhorted, encouraged, alured, entreated, reproved, rebuked, upbraided, warned, threatened, nurtured, and chastised. To be short, there is not that mean whereby we might be won to the obeying and loving of our God, whether it were by favourable mildness or moderate rigour, but he hath ministered the same most mercifully and seasonably unto us. And what are we the better for all this?  
Have we so profited in this school, that of Covetous we be become Liberal? of Proud and Envious, meek and Lowly? of Lecherous, Chaste? of Gluttons, Measurable feeders? of Drunkards, Sober? of Wrathful and testy, Mild and patiented? of Cruel and hard hearted, Pitiful and gentle? of Oppressor's, Relievers? and of Irreligious, serviceable to GOD?  
Have we so put off the old man, & so clothed ourselves with the new, in living sincerely according to the doctrine we profess, that neither the enemies of Christ'S Church, nor our own consciences can reprove us? Then need we not to be of any signs from the Heaven above, nor of any tokens from the earth beneath: for we have builded our houses wisely upon the rock, which neither wind, water, nor Earthquake, no nor Satan himself with all his fiends can shake down or impair.  
But alas, it is far otherwise with us: we have grown in godliness as the Moon doth in light when she is past the full. For who sees not the emulation that remains still among us for excess of apparel, far, and building? Who perceiveth not the disdain of superiors to their inferiors, the grudge and heart-burning of inferiors towards their superiors, and the want of love in all states one towards another?  
Who complaineth not of corruption in Officers, yea even in Officers of justice and ministers of the Law? Is it not a common byword (but I hope not true though common) that as a man is friended, so the law is ended?  
In Youth there was never like looseness and untimely liberty, nor in Age like unstaidness & want of discretion, nor the like carelessness of duty in either towards other.  
The Boy mateth the Man of aged gravity, and is commended for that which he deserveth to be beaten for.  
Servants are become maysterlike, & fellows with Masters: and Masters unable to master their own asfections, are become servants to other folks servants, yea and to their own servants too.  
Men have taken up the garish attire & nice behaviour of Women: and Women transformed from their own kind, have gotten up the apparel and stomaches of men: & as for honest and modest shamefastness the preferrer of all virtues, it is so highly misliked, that it is thought of some folks scarce tolerable in children.  
Hatred, malice, disdain, and desire of revenge for the weight of a feather, are the virtues of our young Gentlemen in commendation of their manhood and valiantness.  
Deep Dissimulation and Flattery are counted Courtly behaviour: Might over cometh right: and Truth is trodden under foot.  
Idleness & Pride bring daily infinite numbers to that point, that they had rather rob and be shamefully hanged, than labour and live with honesty.  
Usury, the consumer of private states, and the confounder of Common weals, is become a common (and in some men's opinions commendable) trade to live by.  
Faithfulness is fled into exile, and falsehood vaunteth himself in his place, till he have gotten great sums of money into his hand, that he may play the Banker out, to the undoing of such as trust him.  
The Saboth days and holy days ordained for the hearing of God's word to the reformation of our lives, for the administration & receiving of the Sacraments to our comfort, for the seeking of all things behoveful for body or soul at God's hand by Prayer, for the minding of his benefits, and to yield praise and thanks unto him for the same, and finally, for the special occupying of ourselves in all spiritual exercises: is spent full heathenishly, in taverning, tippling, gaming, playing, & beholding of B●arebaytings and stageplays, to the utter dyshonor of GOD, impeachment of all godliness, and unnecessary consuming of men's substances which ought to be better employed.  
The want of orderly Discipline and Catechizing, hath either sent great numbers both old and young back again into Papistry, or let them run lose into godless Atheism.  
And would God that we which call others to obedience, showing them the way, and rebuking their vices: might not be justly charged to be as trumpets, which with their sound encourage other men to the battle, but fight not themselves. Nay would God that in all degrees, some such as ought to be Lanterns of light and Ringleaders to Virtue, were not infecters of others by their evil example.  
I fear me that if the Prophet Esay were here alive, he would tell us as he sometime told the jews, that from the crown of our head to the sole of our foot, there is no whole or sound part in our body, but that all is full of sores, blains, and botches. Think we then that such doing shall scape unpunished, or such buildings stand unshaken? Well may we deceive ourselves in so hoping: but God deceiveth not, neither is deceived.  
It is written, that every plant which our heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be plucked up by the roots, and that every tree which beareth not good fruit, shall be cut down and cast into the fire.  
The Axe is laid to the root of the tree: and the longer that God's vengeance is in coming the, sorer it smiteth when it is come. Terrible and most true is this saying of his by the mouth of Solomon: For as much as I have called, and you have refused: and I have stretched out my hands, and you have not regarded it: but have despised all my counsel, and set my correction at nought: therefore will I also laugh at your destruction, and mock ye when the thing that ye fear cometh upon you: even when the thing that ye be afraid of breaketh in upon you like a storm, and your misery like a tempest. When trouble and heaviness come upon you on all sides: then shall ye call upon me, but I will not answer you, ye shall seek me early, but ye shall not find me: even because ye hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. Ye would none of my counsel, but hated my correction: and therefore shall ye eat the fruit of your own ways, and be filled with your own inventions. Sooth it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the Lord. For as he is merciful▪ so is he also just, and in all his determinations he is utterly unchangeable. And (as the Prophet Jeremy sayeth) When sentence is once gone forth of his presence, it shall not return without performance.  
Wherefore let us not be as horses and Mules which have no understanding: neither let us tarry till judgement be sent forth unto victory. But let us consider the time of our visitation, and while we have time, let us use it to our benefit.  
So long as God calleth unto us, so long as he entreateth us, so long as he teacheth, allureth, exhorteth or warneth us, yea so long as he doth as yet but threaten us: so long the gate is still open for us, so as he will hear us if we call, and be found of us if we seek him. But if he once hold his peace, and begin too smite, than it is too late too call back his hand, our crying will not boot us.  
Therefore while we have respite, and while it is called to day, let us not harden our hearts as in the provocation, and as in the day of Temptation in the wilderness, but let us hearken to his voice, & forsaking the lusts and the wicked imaginations and devices of our own h●rts, let us turn to the Lord our God with hearty repentance and unfeigned amendment of life, lest (besides other meaner plagues both of body and mind) our Candlestick be removed, our light quenched, Christ's Gospel taken from us, and we for our unthankfulness be cast out with our children into utter darkness: and in the terrible day of judgement hear this dreadful sentence of the just judge pronounced against us: Depart from me ye workers of wickedness, which hardened your hearts against me and made your faces as hard as brass, at such time as my long sufferance waited for you, provoking you by mildness and patience to amendment.  
FINIS.   

¶ The report of the said Earthquake, and how it began.  
ON Easter wednesday, being the sixth of April. 1580. somewhat before six of the clock in the afternoon, happened this great Earthquake whereof this discourse treateth: I mean not great in respect of long continuance of time, for (God be thanked) it continued little above a minute of an hour, rather shaking God's rod at us, than smiting us according to our deserts: Nor yet in respect of any great hurt done by it within this Realm: For, although it shook all houses, castles, churches, and buildings, every where as it went, and put them in danger of ruin: yet within this Realm (praised be our Saviour Christ for it) it overthrew few or none that I have yet heard of, saving certain stones, attorneys, walls, and Pinnacles, o high buildings, both in this City and in divers other places: Neither do I hear of any Christian people that received bodily hurt bo it, saving two children in London, a boy and a girl, being at Sermon among a great number of people in Christ's church by Newgate market, of whom the boy named Thomas Grace, was slain out of hand, with the fall of a stone shaken down from the roof of the Church: and the girl (whose name was Mabell Euerite) being sore hurt there at the same present by like casualty, died within few days after: But I term it great in respect of the universalnesse thereof almost at one instant, not only within this Realm, but also without, where it was much more violent, and did far more harm: and in respect of the great terror which it then struck into all men's hearts where it came, and yet still striketh into such as duly consider how ●●tely God may be offended with all men for sin, and specially with this Realm of England, which hath most abundantly tasted of God's mercy, and most unthankfully neglected his goodness, which yet still warneth us by this terrible wonder, what far more terrible punishments are like to light upon us ere long, unless we amend our sinful life and conversation b● times.   

Imprinted at London, by Henry Bynneman. Anno. 1580.