A second Sound, or Warning of the Trumpet unto Judgement.  
Wherein is proved, that all the tokens of the Latter day, are not only come, but well-near finished.  
With an earnest Exhortation, to be in continual readiness.  
By Anthony Marten Sewer of her majesties most honourable Chamber.  
When ye see these things come to pass, be ye sure that he is even at the doors.  Mark. 13. PRO LEGE ET GREGE LOVE KEPYTHE LAW, OBEYETH THE KING, AND IS GOOD TO THE comen wealth 
Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwin, for Andrew Maunsell. 1589.   

To the Queen's most excellent Majesty.  
Most renowned and mighty Prince, It pleaseth your highness, after a long winter's abode in some one of your Princely Palaces, (the storms of cold being past, and the pleasant spring tied come) to remove your household into a fresh and wholesome air. And for a warning to your officers, and servants of your Court, you do cause the Trumpet to be three several times sounded, against you descend from the higher part of your mansion. But if it happen to be long before the second warning of the trumpet be given, the third is no sooner sounding, but your own Person is then coming. Then must all your servants be ready to wait upon you: you are the Sovereign, and not to expect for any. They that be not ready at the same instant, are not worthy of such a Prince, nor to have reward for such a service. Even so the most invincible King of glory Christ Jesus, who by his holy spirit, hath been present in this worldly mansion, with his household the Church well-near 1600. years while it hath abidden many sharp and bitter storms, & hath been as it were imprisoned within the Palace of this wretched world, is now minded speedily to remove the same into his own Country, a pleasand land, and place of felicity. The first warning of his remove, he sounded by his Apostles, when his fame was spread over all the world, by the first preaching of the Gospel. The second he hath proclaimed by the preachers of his word, whom he revived (as it were) out of the dust, within these 70. years. And together with them, are sent all the promised tokens of his coming. Howbeit the day being so far spent, before his second warning, we shall see himself speedily descend from above with the third sound of the trumpet, and in the voice of an Archangel. And those that watch for him with their lamps burning, he will receive, and the rest he will exclude from his kingdom, & from the reward of his service. Wherefore your Highness, being one of his principal servants, nay, at this day the chief Steward of his household, it shall be a perpetual honour to your kingdom, a not able blessing to your subjects, an unspeakable benefit to the Church, an acceptable service to Christ, yea an eternal felicity to yourself, if the light of your lamp do continually shine, and the oil of your works do perpetually abound, that now at his coming, ye may be ready to enter with him into that glory which he hath promised to all those which be faithful servants.  
Your majesties most humble Subject, and Servant: Anthony Marten.   

A second Sound or warning of the Trumpet unto judgement.  
OFten & sundry times did God foreshow unto our forefathers in the old Testament, the first coming of his Son into this world, & the taking of our nature upon him most plainly & evidently did he declare unto them, that Christ by his death should restore us unto life, and that by his resurrection and ascension, he should make perfect the work of our salvation. In like manner did he with no less perspicuity set forth unto them, the return of our Saviour unto judgement, and that all men should rise again unto immortality, and render an account of all their works and actions. All this did he promise them by his Prophets, justify in his person, and confirm firm by many marvelous signs and wonders: such as were never heard of before since the beginning of the world. Yet did the obstinate jews harden their hearts and believed not. Wherefore God made them no more nation, but scattered them into all lands, in such wise we see them at this day to be a scorn and derision unto all people.  
Neither can the example of these men so often rebuked by us for their incredulity, so greatly blamed for their obstinacy, so sharply reproved by us for their cruelty, so justly despised for their ignominy, any thing amend us in the same things wherein we condemn them. For what promise have they, and we have it not performed? What prophesy had they, and we have it not fulfilled? What true Religion had they, and we have it not restored? What word, what testimony, what signs, what miracles, what mercies, what graces, and what benefits had they, and we have them not a thousand times more increased. Yet are we altogether either incredulous of the promises, or doubtful of the performance, or else careless and desperate of our own deliverance. And this maketh us to lean to the fables and deceivable doctrines of men, more than to the true Prophecies of the word of God, & to the commandments of Christ and his Apostles, who have declared the second coming of Christ, and that in such plain and evident sort, as they have showed the very time when, the manner how, and the things themselves that should withhold: the signs and tokens that should go before, and all other certainties whatsoever are necessary for man to know, as concerning the same. And by this means, if the judgement of God and final destruction of the world do come suddenly upon man before he be aware, there is no ignorance to be pleaded, there is no excuse to be regarded, there is no darkness of the Scriptures to be alleged. For it all the holy Bible, there is not any one thing that the mercy and goodness of our God hath set down more amply, taught more plainly, and set forth more expressly, for the assurance of our faith, than the tokens of Christ's coming.  
And as the preaching and publishing of the Gospel by the Apostles, ministers and disciples of Christ, in the first ages after his ascension, was the first warning of the Trumpet, sounded at that time unto all Nations against the resurrection of the flesh, and of Christ's return again unto judgement: so the reviving of the Gospel, and revealing of Antichrist by preaching of the word; together with the other signs & tokens that Christ himself told us should come to pass before his second coming, is a peremptory warning that shall be given unto all flesh. For the last sound of the Trumpet, shall be no more properly a warning, but an hasty and sudden coming, a crying unto judgement, and appearing of Christ in the clouds, a perishing of the heavens, & a consuming of the earth and all the works thereof with fire.  
Wherefore I mean here to put the Christian world in mind of all those tokens, as near as I can by that order, which Christ himself and his Apostles well near 1600. years past have declared in the word of God. And therein I will examine how many of those signs and tokens be past, and how many of them do yet remain to be fulfilled. Then will I see, whither this be not the very time that Christ hath prescribed to return again: or if the time be not yet full complete, whither it be not so very near thereunto, as it is most certain that the same shall not be long deferred. lastly, I will do my best to stir up the minds of all men to repentance, and to prepare themselves with all the diligence & duty they can show in this life, to go forth of meet with that great Prince of glory Christ jesus.  
Albeit our forefathers in every age since the time of the Apostles, had many signs and tokens, whereby every one might look for the day of the Lord in that age wherein he lived; and the rather because Paul said in his time, that the examples of the old Testament were written for a warning unto us upon whom the ends of the world were come; 
1. Cor. 10, 11,  yet because the perceived by the words of Christ, that there were other tokens to be performed, which neither they had seen, nor yet did well conceive, they might not so boldly prescribe the day of the Lord to be at hand, as we may now affirm it to be. For although Saint Paul (as I have showed) did say that the ends of the world were come upon them in his days, yet lie bad the Thessalonians that they should not be deceived by any spirit, or word, or letter, to think that the day of the Lord was then at hand. 
2. Thess. 2.2.  For he taught them that there should be first a falling away from the faith: and that Antichrist should be revealed before the coming of Christ. Which things were not to be performed within the compass of so few years, but required a longer time, and many other matters depended thereon. Now howsoever this prophesy of Antichrist may seem to take a latter place in the holy History after some other signs and tokens of Christ's coming, yet if we have regard to the first times when the Bishop of Rome was declared to be that Antichrist, it may take the first place before all other signs, accomplished after Christ his ascension. Nevertheless if we mean so plain & perfect a revealing of Antichrist, as it shall be no less evident unto all other nations of Christendom, than it is now unto us, who do sensibly see & perfectly know him to be the very man of sin which was prophesied before (whereunto the holy Ghost had respect, in putting this sign after others in the place of Matthew, Mark and else where) then may it be called the last sign or token of all. Because, as the publishing of the word over all the world, groweth by little and little, so the perfect revealing of Antichrist unto all Nations, is daily more and more plainly and evidently discerned thereby. And in this respect, the preaching of the word with the consuming of him shall end both together, at the very coming of Christ, and not before: because the Scripture saith, that the spirit of the Lords mouth shall consume him, but the brightness of his coming shall utterly destroy him. 
2. Thess. 2.8.  And both this, and the rest of the tokens that depend on the same, are most evident and undoubted testimonies of the latter dav. Wherefore I will first show how all those things are performed partly in other time before, but most especially in this age of ours. Within which time also I will declare all the rest of the tokens of Christ coming to be in a manner fully complete.  
When the kingdom of Christ was increased, and grown to the full by preaching of the Gospel, and that the Bishop of Rome began also to grow great in Italy, by decaying of the Empire, & by the gifts and donations of Princes, than did also the same Bishop fall from true religion to superstition; from the right service of God, to false worshipping; from sincerity, to hypocrisy; from the rules of God's word, to the reasons & decrees of men. And as his greatness increased, & the emperors power diminished, so the Apostasy of that Church was the more discerned, & Antichrist of Rome the more revealed: and so when Rome, the seat of the Empire was utterly removed from the temporal Magistrate, and wholly invested in the Pope, and that the Pope claimed to be the universal Bishop, there was now nothing to hinder, but that all men might discern how far the Church was fallen from God, & who was very Antichrist the Author of the same. Howbeit, though he by this means showed himself to be that Antichrist, which both the Prophets and also Christ and his Apostles had so manifestly described before hand, as there can be nothing in the scripture more plain, yet can it not be said, that Antichrist was fully revealed, till this latter age of ours; both because the infinite measure of his iniquity was never before fulfilled, with so great power and signs and lying wonders, as it hath been now within these few ages past: and also because he made princes his ministers and vassals, to see that his commandments were observed, and his honour, dignity and power maintained; and that none should be so hardy as to bring his name in question, or to find fault with any part of his superstition.  
But when it pleased God of his infinite mercy to put into the hearts of Kings and Princes, prudently to snake off his intolerable yoke from their shoulders, and to send forth preachers of his word, that should openly pronounce him to be very Antichrist, and to prove it to his face out of the word of God, that he is that man of sin foreshowed in the Scripture, than it might truly be said, that there was no impediment between him and home, but that he is perfectly, infallibly, and expressly discovered, taught & known to be Antichrist among all them that profess the Gospel of Christ.  
Wherefore, the matter being so true, as both the word of God itself affirmeth, and the testimonies and proofs of innumerable Writers extant invincibly confirmeth, I need not wade any further herein, than is necessary to induce the matter I have in hand For this being true, that the Apostasy of that Church drawing to an end by preaching of of the word; that all the impediments, which kept Antichrist back, that he could not be so manifest to the world being removed; that Antichrist himself is now in this age of ours most evidently discyphered, and that those be the principal and most apparent signs of he Lords coming, whereof the rest or many of them depend, and might not be showed till these were fulfilled; we are now to see what other tokens the holy Ghost hath set down in the word written, that should be showed a little before the day of judgement.  
Our Saviour Christ saith, that before the end of the world Nation shall rise against nation, 
Math. 24. Mark. 13.  and Realm against Realm, and there shall be famines, and pestilence, and earthquakes in certain places.  
When Antichrist hath long and quietly held the possession both of the temporal and spiritual sword, when he hath many years taken upon him the office of Christ, to be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and to have the domimon aswell of the souls as of the bodies of men, it is great & horrible grief unto him to lose so high a dominion, and to stoop from the office of God which he taketh upon him, among men, to become as an other man: & therefore he deviseth by all means to punish and disquiet the Saints of God. Whom he may bring into his power, them he vexeth, them he tormenteth, them he burneth, them he destroyeth without all pity or mercy. And if they be such as for their authority and greatness he cannot, or by reason of the protection of others he dare not bring under his tyranny, he stirreth up Kings and Princes of his confederacy, to make wars upon them. Or if that fail, he moveth their own subjects to rebel and put themselves in arms against them. Whereby he hath at this day set in an uproar the whole Christian world; kingdom against kingdom, and nation against nation, & one people against another, that he may the easier (as he thinketh) defend his proud and insolent government, his false and superstitious religion, and the seat and dignity of his Popedom. Neither can that place of Scripture of Nation rising against Nation, and kingdom against kingdom, be more necessarily understood of any other wars to be made between Prince & Prince, than such as Antichrist raiseth up for religion sake. Neither did I ever hear of any wars before this age of ours between the nations & kingdoms of Christendom for Christ his cause: that is to say, for the true worshipping of him, for the preaching of his Gospel, for the difference in opinions, for the liberty of the conscience, and for the trial of the true Church: and that so earnestly and continually and without hope of reconciliation; till now that Antichrist for the saving of his dominion, hath made all these commotions and troubles in the world, which cannot be decided till Christ in his own person come to try his own cause in judgement. But for all other temporal causes the Nations and Princes of Christendom have one risen against another ever since the time that Christ ascended up into heaven.  
Wherefore this is the sense & meaning of these words of Christ: Towards the end of the world when Antichrist is revealed, and that he feareth to forego his Crown and dominion, he shall stir up the Princes that be his Confederates to war upon the Nations and Cities that profess the Gospel, that what he is not able to do of his own power, nor by his false and forged miracles, nor by gathering of his general Counsels, nor by pronouncing of his excommunications and curses, nor by the wrong interpretations of the Scriptures, nor by the writings and disputations of his school Doctors, nor by sending abroad of his Seminary priests and hypocrites, that will he endeavour to do by the help of other princes, under pretence of doing God good service. And this notable token foretold of Christ as touching his second coming, we see is already at hand, and is like every day more and more to be verified to the great effusion of Christian blood.  
In like manner, as concerning famine pestilences and earthquakes, foreshowed by Christ in the second place, they are not so fitly to be referred to any of those which have been in times past, before this man of sin was revealed. For those have been heretofore many, great and horrible, ye and at sometimes in some places almost universal. But those which have happened, and shall happen in our time, when Antichrist shallbe more and more revealed, superstition abandoned, the power of the beast decreased, the kingdom of Christ revived, the Gospel freely published, and the second warning of the trumpet sounded, those be undoubted testimonies and tokens that the day of the Lord is at hand. Such have were now had within the compass of these few years, even many, and great, and horrible: sometimes in particular Cities and Countries, and sometime in whole Provinces of Christendom.  
What wonderful famines have we had in places distressed & besieged by the champions of Antichrist, both in France, the Low Countries, and other Christian Provinces; not sent immediately by the finger of God, but constrained for the most part by the cruelty of Antichrist: by whose means it is to be proved, that beyond the horror of all famines that ever I heard of, or read, men have been constrained to pull out the dead carcases buried in graves, to make sustenance for their bodies.  
Pestilences also there have been many and great, besides those former signs and tokens: In England; in France, in Spain, in Italy, & well-near in every country of Christendom.  
We ourselves also have lately heard and felt great and fearful earthquakes, to put us in mind of the promise of Christ, and therefore to assure ourselves of his speedy coming unto judgement, lest if we provide not for the same, we be suddenly taken tardy, and for our wickedness be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, that never shallbe quenched.  
In the third place is showed, what anguish & trouble the Saints of God shall endure for Christ's sake; especially when they have made it manifest to all the world, that the Pope of Rome is that son of perdition, which exalteth himself above God. For then doth he seek by all manner of means to kill & destroy them: by imprisonment, by torment, by fire, by sword, by poison, by laying in wait, by treason, by charging them with heresy, by taking away their good name, and by causing them to be hated of all people: evermore imagining with himself, that by these persecutions, he shall so waste and destroy them, that at the length the remembrance of them shall be clearly extinct from the face of the earth.  
Howbeit the more blood he spilleth, the more the Church of God increaseth; and the longer thinketh to put off the day of judgement, the sooner shall it be hastened for the chosen sake, and for the destruction of the wicked world, and of him in the midst thereof.  
Fourthly, when the world shall perceive so great troubles to arise by preaching of the Gospel, and that no temporal benefit cometh thereby; that it causeth kingdoms to be at wars one against another, that there be as great or greater famines, plagues, and earthquakes as ever, that iniquity aboundeth more that ever, that the love of men & faith towards God, is less than ever, that God's displeasure is more grievous than ever. Finally that the Pope for all the preaching against him, can no more be removed out of his seat than ever: the ungodly seed of Antichrist are so offended therewith, as they betray into wicked hands their own countrymen, their kindred and acquaintance, yea they hate their own brethren, & seek their destruction. And this did Christ foreshow to happen in the end of the world.  
Fiftly he declared, that at the same time many false Prophets should arise and deceive a multitude. For when Antichrist perceived, that he might not prevail by any of those vile and violent means that he had practised, but that his power nevertheless decreased, and his all hominable superstition and idolatry was daily more and more disclosed, he erected certain Seminary places for learning, with good maintenance to the same, for all those that would resort unto them of all nations, to the end they might be sent home again, after they have been certain years ripened and rottened in superstitious doctrine, that by their feigned hypocrisy, and by their false fables and prophecies, they might reconcile all those that were fled from the Antichristian faith, promising them so many and so great matters, as their holy Father by his Commission had given them in charge: And these ministers of his be they which Paul the Apostle said, To have the form of godliness, but deny the power thereof: & have by their false prophecies, 
2. Thess. 3.  carried away many poor souls captive into hell, and themselves also are damned for ever without repentance. And this token of the Lords coming is now likewise fulfilled.  
Again Christ hath declared, that before the judgement day, iniquity shall abound, and the love of many shall wax cold.  
But what kind of iniquity do we think shall abound before the second coming of Christ? verily all kind of sine and wickedness, that ever was in the world since the creation of the same, not only the secret sins that proceed from man's heart, whereby the whole man is corrupted, but the public offences and enormities done by man against man, against God, against the Church, against the Common weal, and against all justice, godliness and Religion. And is it any marvel, why all wickedness should abound now towards the end, more than ever before? why the charity of man towards man, why the love of man towards God, why the zeal of man towards godliness, should now be less than before? though now the word of God be more plentifully preached that before; the sacraments more sincerely ministered than before heresies & false worshipping more sonudlie convinced than before: the true Church from the false more evidently discerned than before, Antichrist himself more plainly detected than before; and our salvation now more near at hand than before? No verily. For now is the time that Christ prescribed, & never before. Now is Satan our old enemy loosed, now it Antichrist his servant revealed.  
For ever since the time that the kingdom of Christ hath been revived by preaching of the Gospel, the Dragon having the time of his thousand years captivity well-near expired, and perceiving his dominion to be but short, is come forth to aid and strengthen, and heal the wound of the beast, against the Saints of God, and against the Lamb. Who joining their forces together, seek by their crafty and lying hypocrisy, not only to bereave men of their salvation, by deceiving and bewitching of their souls, and by driving them forward to all manner of sin and wickedness, but also to destroy their bodies and all, by bringing in upon them all manner of cruel Inquisitions, wars, torments, miseries and deaths that man can devise. Wherefore the nature of man being ever more and more corrupted, since the fall of Adam, & therewithal driven by the violent enticement of sin, and persuasion of the devil, it is not possible without the mighty assistance of God's spirit, but that iniquity should not only abound, but even now be grown to the full.  
And to speak more particularly of the sins, against God, against man, and against our own selves; I say, that they do now by means of Antichrist and his adherentes more infinitely abound, than ever. Whereby it may evidently appear, that the dissolulution of all things is at hand. Was not Lucifer an Angel of light, and desired in his heart to be but equal with God? And is Antichrist any more than man, somewhat lower than the Angels, and yet exalteth himself above God? Did Adam break any more commandments of God than one, when he was ashamed and cast out of Paradise? But do not we daily break all the commandments of God, and yet are not once ashamed of our nakedness? Was not cain counted a reprobat, because he was angry with God, and killed his own brother about the accepting of their sacrifices? But are not we every day vexed and disquieted against God, if but the least attempt that we go about succeed not according to our desire? But be there not also as grievous and horrible parricides and murders among us, even for the smallest and least occasions? Was it not counted a monstrous and horrible Idolatry of the Children of Israel, when they forgot God that had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and worshipped a golden Calf which they themselves had made, because that Moses the servant of God and their general Captain, was but forty days absent from them. Again, is not the Idolatry in these days of them that profess the name of Christ, beyond all comparison greater, when they forsake him that redeemed them from the power of Satan, and do daily worship stocks and stones, and a piece of unleavened bread, when as Christ himself their head and Captain is continually present with them by his holy Saints and Godhead, until the end of the world?  
Was not the infidelity of the Children of Israel counted exceeding great, when as they believed not the promises of GOD, who had done so great wonders for them, both in Egypt and at the red Sea? For which cause they themselves were destroyed, and their children were made to wander forty years in the wilderness for the sins of their fathers. But is not the infidelity of the Christians in our time much more horrible, when as GOD hath done for them far greater things, than ever he did for the Children of Israel, even by sending his own Son for their sakes into the world, to deliver them from the slavery of Satan, and everlasting destruction of body and soul; where he keepeth them as the apple of his eye, from being consumed of the nations round about them; when he talketh with them daily and familiarly from heaven out of his holy word, when he feedeth them from above with his own precious body; when he endueth them with grace supernatural by his holy spirit; when he blesseth them with all his benefits both bodily and ghostly; and yet are not we more unfaithful, unthankful, and unfruitful, than the Children of Israel? They believed not, because the time of the promises unto them made, was not yet performed: we believe not when all the prophesies delivered to us in the Scriptures, be already fulfilled. They grudged and wavered, when they were wandering in the desolate wilderness, wanting many pleasures and delights of this deceiving life: we mistrust, though we now be in a delightful and pleasant land, and abound in all worldly comforts that can be devised for man. They misdoubted the first coming of Messiah, because the words proceeded from the mouths of men: but many of us believe not his second coming, though he himself have absolutely promised, and showed the tokens of the same, by his own holy word. And so iniquity and incredulity abound this day, beyond all the ages and times of the world. Wherefore the Lord must of necessity come to deliver his people from the intolerable burden thereof.  
Again, was not the disobedience and murmuring of Israel against God, and against Moses his Lieutenant, so incomparable great, as the earth opened and swallowed up the principal leaders of that conspiracy, and all their habitations and families? Yea, so angry was the Lord with this sin, that had it not been for Moses sake, he would then have dispatched the whole generation of them from the face of the earth. But if we will but look into the Christianity, & see what disobedience there is to the commandements of God, what continual murmurings against him, what daily discontentments with the blessings that he sendeth: what rebellions, conspiracies, and seditions, against the Princes which be his lieutenants, yea, what treasons & treacheries against the royal person of their sovereign's. Nay what banding there is against Christ & his Church, to root out both him and his holy word, that neither of them should have any more being in the world, we shall find that the burden of iniquity is at this day so exceeding heavy, as the foundations of the world being so far out of course, must needs fall to ruin and desolation.  
Moreover, within what age and memory of man is is known; in what writings ethnic or christian hath it been found; nay, by what place of Scripture can it be proved, (especially since the former destruction of the world by waters) that the sin of lust & fornication did so generally invade the whole world, as it doth at this present day? What sin doth so speedily procure the displeasure of God, the destruction of the ungodly, and the final end of all things by fire, as doth the flame of lust and concupiscence? But what needeth me to recite the greatness of this sin, when the vengeance and punishments that God hath brought, and daily doth bring upon fornicators and adulterers, both among Infidels and Christians, in every age, and in all families and kingdoms, doth evidently show the same. And albeit we know, that for this sin specially, God burned up the cities of Sodom and Gomorrhe into ashes; that he slew in one day three or four and twenty thousand Isaclites, for committing that abomination with the daughters of Moab: albeit I say, we know that this sin so sore displeaseth our God, impaireth our credit, wasteth our goods, weakeneth our bodies, dulleth our memories, tormenteth our minds, and worketh all manner of woe both to soul and body in this life, and keepeth us from inheriting of everlasting life in the world to come: yet do we in this age take such vile and filthy pleasure therein, as we exceed all the abomination of Sodom: and therein the world may seem to match all the Generations that have gone before us. And the greatest cause why God hath not yet powered upon us the same or greater vengeance than he did upon our forefathers, is because he hath now but a short time of patience, and then cometh the day of vengeance. For he hath already sounded his Trumpet unto judgement, he hath signified by his prophets, he hath pronounced by his Preachers, he hath published by his signs and tokens, and he hath opened plainly by the word of his promise, that he cometh speedily like a Lion upon his enemies, and to reward with destruction and vengeance, all them that work wickedness.  
But I am ashamed to speak of the loathsome and horrible sin of drunkenness and surfeiting: For although there be divers other sins, wherein for the vileness of them, men may be compared with brute beasts: yet in this sin, men without all comparison excel all beasts and living creatures in the world. For beasts being void of all reason, yet do they know what is necessary and sufficient for them: and therefore do they rarely or never take any more sustenance than is meet for their health, although they have never so great plenty ministered unto them. But man, that is endued with reason and speech, the two principal things whereby he is discerned from other beasts, and whereby he hath the dominion of them; during the time that he is occupied in the sin of drunkenness, he is not only deprived of that excellent knowledge and government, that God hath given him above other creatures, but while his head is overcharged with wine, he hath neither the power of understanding, nor the sense of feeling, that other beasts have. O most horrible and cruel sin, O monstrous disease of the flesh, how easily mightest thou be left, what little need hath man of thee, and yet what dangerous and deadly enormities dost thou bring upon him, both against himself, against his neighbour, against the Commonweal, and against the commandments of our gracious God? He that is overladen with wine and strong drink, foultreth in his speech, reeleth too & fro, falleth on the ground, or tumbleth into the ditch; the world goeth round about him, shame doth not lay hold on him, but others are ashamed for him. The presence of persons doth not fear him, every man scorneth him, every man shunneth him, every man derideth him, but nothing doth grieve him.  
Again, he whose head is not so deeply drowned in drink, but is over merry therewith, & hath freighted his body, and pampered his belly, as well with meat as drink, how slow is he to all virtue, & how prone is he to all kind of mischief? poverty, woe, strife, sorrow, brawling and wounds without a cause, follow them that delight in wine and delicate fare. And, 
Prou. 21, Prou. 13.  Through gluttony cometh sickness, and by surfeiting, death.  
O that men would also weight the greatness of this sin, by considering the mischiefs that it bringeth. For besides that it destroyeth the health of the body, and shorteneth man's life, it also alienateth the mind, provoketh anger, stirreth up lusts, consumeth riches, discovereth secrets, perverteth judgement: it causeth sloth in the body, dullness in wit, weakness in the memory, and unwillingness to every good action. The abundance that is consumed by this one only vice, would supply all the wants in the Common weal. The forbearing of one meal within this kingdom of all the people but once in a year, would feed a mighty Army a whole month. The sparing of one dish but once in a day, of them that have many dainties at their table, would satisfy the poor that lie in misery at their gate. The superfluity of fare, that is spent in one days entertainment, would give relief to all that be lame and impotent. The money that is spent in strong and needless drink, would pay all the duties that belong to a Prince. Nevertheless, so vile and corrupt is the nature of man, so desperately doth he run into his own fleshly desires, that though he knew his poor and needy brother should perish for want, that his Country and Common weal should be in distress, nay that his own life should lie upon the abstinence of one meal, or forbearing of one match at drinking, he would not leave his greedy appetite. Although men at this day are ashamed to see such beastliness in others: Albeit they are grieved when they hear of the drunkenness of Noah, when his two sons covered him: of Lot, when he lay with his own daughters. Although they know that death was pronounced against Aaron, 
levit. 10.  if he drunk wine or strong drink; 
Gen. 25.  That Esau lost his birthright for the greediness of a mess of pottage; That Balthasar in his drunkenness saw a finger upon the wall, 
Dan 5.  that wrote the final end both of him and his kingdom; and that the drunken banquet of Benadab, 
4. King 20.  was the destruction 32. Kings with all their Army. Albeit that woe is pronounced to them, 
Esay. 5.  that rise up early to follow drunkenness; that wine maketh a man scornful and unquiet; 
Pro 20. Ezech. 16. Gal. 5.  that fullness of meat was one of the great causes why Sodom was destroyed: and finally, that no drunkard nor glutton shall inherit the kingdom of heaven, yet are not men by all these warnings moved, yet do they follow the wickedness thereof, and that with more greediness than ever before. All their felicity is in banqueting, all their pleasure is in drinking, all their delight is in their belly, all the pastime of their life is in gluttony & good cheer, 
Esay. 22.13.  Come (say they) let us eat and drink, and be merry: for to morrow we shall die. Nothing at this day but eating, nothing but drinking, nothing but pouring in of cups from morning to night, and from night to morning, and so all their life long, without respect of time, or place, or holy day, or Sabbath day; without fear of laws, without fear of life, without fear of God, and without fear of damnation, or any hope of salvation. Wherefore this vice being greater than ever, requireth a greater vengeance, and speedier coming unto judgement, than ever.  
But I tremble at this day with horror and grief, when I hear the name of the Lord to be so commonly and continually taken in vain, and to be dishonoured in every corner. For, whereas we are straightly charged, that we should not swear, neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath; so wicked and perverse is the nature of man, so cross and contrary to the will and commandment of God, so untoward to that he should, and so ready to that he should not, that whatsoever he is most forbidden, that doth he most ensue. If there be any corner, whereinto he may start from the impunity of man's law, thither doth he run headlong without regard of any divine prohibition, and without fear of God's terrible judgement and condemnation. And for this cause, where a public weal hath made no express law for the punishment of swearing, there men make no conscience of any oath in the world; there heaven and earth is no oath with them; there the creatures of God are nothing with them; there the Lord of hosts is nothing with them; the name of his blessed Son is nothing with them; nay, all the precious members of our Saviour that suffered for us, are too little for them to be a testimony of all their untruths, of all their villainies, of all their abominations that they work in the world. But if they promise or vow any thing which they have any mind to perform, or if they would justify themselves in any thing wherein their conscience cleareth them, that will they affirm by that little truth and faith which they have: But if they be stirred up unto fury; if their blood be warmed with surfeiting and drunkenness; if they be greedy of revenge against such as have offended them; if they promise to meet upon any wicked enterprise, if it be for the saving of a small penny in their purse, or for defence of their credit in a plain untruth, in every trifling matter, in every vain enterprise, in every idle game, and communication, and action, that will they confirm with the most vehement and mighty oaths that they can devise. The blessed and divine soul of Christ, the precious and dear blood of the Lamb immaculate, and all the glorious and excellent members of Christ: nay, be Majesty of Christ, and of the Father himself, are nothing in their vile and unpurre lips. This I say is the naughty nature of man, to be ever contrary to the commandments of God. If GOD had commanded us that whatsoever we promise, or affirm, or answer, or justify in this life, we should call heaven and earth to record, or his creatures, or himself, or some of his bodily members, we should never have heard an oath in this world. But because he forbade us all these things, and that our affirmation should be nothing but yea and nay, therefore we most impudently abuse all his creatures, and most shamefully blaspheme the name of GOD, in all our words, in all our affirmations, justifications, and actions: and therefore shall all these be a testimony against us in the day of judgement.  
Look well unto it therefore, ye that be these luftie and wilful swearers in the world, ye that call the Lord of hosts so often to witness with your untruths and vanities, be ye sure that the Lord is not deaf, but doth hear you: he hath registered & written up all the idle words that ye have spoken, in your banqueting, in your surfeitings, in your gamings, and in all the lose and lewd behaviour of your lives: he hath written in the face of every creature, all the testimonies that ye called them to witness with you; much more shall ye find printed in his presence, nay, ye shall have it engraven both in your own conscience, and in the Majesty of his person, all the wilful and rash oaths, whereby ye have called him to record: and unless you speedily repent you in this life, and cease for ever to blaspheme the name of God as ye have done: ye shall shortly come before the supreme judge, where it shall be so hardly laid to your charge, as ye shall wish that the mountains might cover you, and the earth shadow you from the presence of God, whom you have so highly displeased. For the horrible sin of swearing is so continually accustomed in your mouths, and the name of God and of his holy members, is so abused in your actions, as he can no longer endure the wickedness thereof, but will hasten himself unto judgement.  
Now, if these sins, besides many others that I might recite, do so abound at this day in the hearts of men, and do break out so mightily in their actions, as the things themselves declare, that the day of judgement is at hand; what shall we say of the sin of covetousness, the root and wellspring of all other mischiefs. Wherein men at this day do so far exceed the measure of our forefathers, as the later we are borne, the more corruption we have received: & the nearer to the day of the Lord, the less affection have we to heavenly things, and the more desire of worldly vanities. And albeit this sin of coveting, be set down as a capital crime in the holy Scriptures, yet do we make small account of the same. Howbeit, if the children of Israel fled before their enemies, 
josu. 7.  only for the covetousness of Achan, and that Achan himself was judicially and formally executed, because he had hidden to his own use some things that were accursed; if Nabal the Carmelite for his covetous mind, 
1. Sam. 25.  in denying some sustenance unto David and his servants in time of necessity, was stricken by God that he died; finally, if Gehezi the servant of Elizeus, 
4. Kings 5.  was punished with a foul leprosy, for requiring and taking but a small gift of Naaman the Sirian, whom his Master had frankly & freely a little before healed of the same disease what deserveth the unsatiable mind of Christians in our time, that without all measure or end, without fear of God, without regard of religion, with out remorse of conscience, without sense of other men's griefs, be it right or wrong, whether it concern God or the Church, the Prince or the Commonweal, the father or the son, neighbour or stranger, friend or foe, life or death: if it may turn to our owneprofit & commodity, we seek by all manner of means to attain thereunto, though we die for it in this life, and be sure of damnation in the life to come, without all remorse of conscience, or any care of restitution, Howbeit all this cometh to pass, that the word of God may not be frustrate, which saith, that in the latter day iniquity shall abound, and the love towards God and man shall decay: And the abundance of all sin doth grow from this very root of coveting & greediness of riches. But in very deed the means that this sin hath had to come to such ripeness in these our days, have been far greater than ever in any Age before; For even since the time that it pleased God to show forth all other signs and tokens, which he had promised to come against the end of the world; what ways have men attempted, what arts have they devised to fulfil their greedy appetite and desire? Be there any lands that they have not searched, or any seas that they have not sailed? Be there any dangers that they have not ventured? Is there any cold or heat that they have not endured? Is there any world that they have not compassed; any mine that they have not opened, any blood that they have not spilled; nay, any people that they have not destroyed to attain to their desire? Do they not travel more willingly, more often and farther, from the uppermost face of the earth to the nethermost part of the same, from the Sun rising to the Sun setting, from the South to the North, and to all the ends of the world, and all for the insatiable desire of gold & silver, red clay and white, than they would do for the safeguard of their own life? And yet the more they have, the more they want; the more they want, the more they covet: In such sort, as if the earth and sea were emptied of their treasures, I suppose that they would seek to Heaven for temporal riches, which they cannot beelead unto for the salvation of their souls. Wherefore this vice of covetousness is now so primie full, as it craveth an end and dissolution of the world.  
Now come we to the last token and testimony of the coming of Christ, namely; That the Gospel shallbe preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations: and then shall the end come.  
As I wrote before, that the revealing of Antichrist and man of sin, which sitteth in the Temple of God, should be the first token of that second coming of Christ: so the preaching of the Gospel over all the world, both by the circumstance of the evangelical history, and by the consequence of the things themselves, must of necessity be the last token before his coming. And this is also confirmed by john in the Revelation, when he saith; 
Apoc 14.  That he saw an Angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to all nations, kindreds, and people, and saying; Give glory to God, for the hour of his judgement is come. And immediately after this preaching of the word, an other Angel crieth, Babylon is fallen, that great City is fallen, that made all Nations drink of the Cup of her fornication. For if there be no other way to make Babylon to fall, to reveal Antichrist the enemy of Christ, and to banish the Apostasy of the Church procured by the same Antichrist, but the preaching of the word and free course of the Gospek then is there also no other way to enlarge the kingdom of Christ, & to gather the Saints of God into one, but only the free course and publication of the Gospel: which by little and little shall consume as it hath gebun the spirit of error and apostasy of the Church, till the brightness of Christ's presence have utterly destroyed the same, & all the authors & abettors thereof. Wherefore whatsoever other tokens shall be at the very coming of Christ (as no doubt but there shallbe many both in the Sun and Moon, and stars, and in all the creatures of God, as behoveth in so great an alteration & consummation of the world, 
Mat. 24. Mark. 13.  and as Christ himself hath most effectually set down in his holy word) yet this publishing of the Gospel in all the world shall undoubtedly be the very last token before his coming, as it is evidently set down by the holy Ghost himself, when he saith, And then shall the end come: And when the Angels after preaching of the word said, 
Apoc 14.  The hour of judgement is come: thrust in thy sith and reap, for the harvest is ripe. As if he should say, When Antichrist of Rome, which exalteth himself above me, shallbe revealed to be the principal head that hath caused so great a falling away from the truth in my Church, he shall trouble and persecute you to the death: he shall make nation to rise against nation, for upholding of his damnable heresy, and he shall cause you to be hated for my sake: but fear not my little ones; for when ye shall see all these troubles to happen, be ye sure that my coming, and your redemption draweth nigh. For my word shall run out very swiftly, and in a short space consume that which he by his hypocrisy and tyranny had in many years contrived. He that hath caused all Princes to drink of the poisoned cup of his fornication, him will I suddenly destroy with the breath of my mouth. Yea, and lest ye should any longer be deceived by his false signs and deceivable errors, my word shall be published in all the world, and then is the time of my coming, then is the harvest of the earth ripe, and then will I thrust in my sickle and reap. And this publication of the Gospel over all the world is the second sound unto judgement. For as our Saviour Christ gave the first sound, when he sent forth his Apostles, and commanded them to teach all nations, 
Math. 2●.  and to baptise them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the holy Ghost, and to plant Churches in all those places which received the word of truth: & that the fame of Christ and sound of the Gospel went forth at that time to all lands, where any people did inhabit. So now, all things being fulfilled, that the Scriptures had promised, should come to pass between the first warning and the second; The Gospel of our Saviour is begun again to be renewed & published over all the world, and that more freely and without peril then ever before, by reason of the godly minds and good endeavours of Christian Magistrates. And this I say is the second sound of the Trumpet: besides which, we are to expect no more till Christ himself enuyrond with thousands of Angels, and in the Trumpet of God & voice of an Archangel shall descend from heaven, and command the dead to arise, and shall gather his elect from the four winds, and from every part of heaven and earth, and from the deep places. And as this publishing of the Gospel is a most assured token of his coming, so by reason of the effects thereof, it is more notable than all the rest. For it seemeth to be but simple in show, but it is wonderful in operation. It is contained in plain and familiar terms, but it searcheth the very root of the heart. It appeareth but foolishness to the ungodly, and to them that perish, but it confoundeth the wisdom and craftiness of this world. It is but small and of no reputation amongst men, but it driveth proud and mighty tyrants from their feats, and exalteth into their places them which submit themselves unto it. It is but weak in sight of the world, but it is the power of God unto salvation in them that believe, and it cutteth more sharp than a two edged sword, overthrowing all the imaginations, 
2. Cor. 10. vers. 4.5 6.  and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, and having ready vengeance against all disobedience. And it is no new Gospel that is now preached, but it is the old Gospel 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 have been kept in blindness; if any have been held from the benefit of the Gospel, their own sins and abominations have been the cause thereof, for that they have wilfully withheld the truth in their own unrighteousness, and have despised both God the Father & his Son, & have wrought despite unto the spirit of grace. For the creation both of themselves, and of all the visible things of the world, might make both God and his eternity manifest enough unto them: yet would they not acknowledge him, but have followed their own imaginations, & have turned the glory that is due unto the only wise & uncorruptible God, either unto creatures far inferior to themselves, or else they have worshipped devils & damnable spirits, forsaking the true God that made both them & all the world. Besides this they cannot plead ignorance: For undoubtedly, the sound of his Gospel hath first or last gone into all lands. And though perhaps later into one country than into another, that hath God done in his wonderful wisdom and providence, who beholdeth all the nations in the world at one view, seethe into all their actions, beholdeth all their hearts, perceiveth who be inclined unto any goodness, & who have given over themselves to a wilful and reprobate mind. And as he beholdeth all men, so he calleth all men, some at the first hour, and some at the last; that he may have mercy on whom it pleaseth him, and may shut up under infidelity those that are hard hearted. Nevertheless, if there be any nation that heard not of Christ in the first sound of the Trumpet by the Apostles, nor in all this time that the preaching of the Gospel 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 Sovereign, & by the care that she & other godly Princes of the reformed Churches have to advance the kingdom of Christ, there shall be no corner within the whole circumference of the earth, but in short space shall not only have the sound of the Gospel, but a perfect publication and spreading of the same, with a full knowledge of Christ. For the Gospel shall be published over all the world, and then cometh the end. And undoubtedly, if the Gospel had been preached and taught unto the people of America, and the lower India, by the Spaniards and Portingalls, when they first found out those nations, with such plainness and simplicity, as is done by us in the reformed Churches, without adding of Images, or superstitions, or vanities, no less peevish and ungodly, than the abominations that those Infidels themselves had before used, the kingdom of Christ had long before this day been received and spread over all those large and ample Territories. Wherefore the more grievous shall be their damnation, that have so mocked and deceived them: and the greater is the mercy of God if he impute not their ignorance unto them.  
Now that we have briefly declared all the signs and tokens, which the holy Ghost hath promised in the Scriptures to come to pass before the end of the world, we must also with the like perspicuity, examine whether this be not the time, or very near thereunto that Christ shall come again in glory to judge both the quick and the dead, which is the second part of this discourse. For albeit that he hath set down all these tokens of his coming so exactly and in such order, as it is unpossible, but that any man capable of reason may understand when the last token is fulfilled: yet hath he also confirmed the same by other invincible reasons, drawn partly from such things as we sensibly and daily perceive, and partly from his own power and omnipotency. Learn (saith he) of the fig tree when the branches be tender, and hath put forth leaves, for than ye be sure that the summer is 〈◊〉 hand. Again, Heaven and earth shall perish, but my word shall not perish. As if he might say: When all these tokens that I have spoken of be fulfilled, ye shall be sure that I will then come: and the last token before my coming is, That the Gospel of my kingdom shallbe preached in all the world, for a witness unto all Nations: And there shall not be a kingdom in the world, but either at the first sounding of my word, or at the second, shall hear that I am the Saviour and redeemer of mankind. Behold I have spoken it: Heaven and earth shall pass away, before one jot of my word pass. These I say be the very tokens & times before his coming. Albeit to speak of the hour, or day, or month, nay of the year itself wherm he will come, were high pride and presumption: seeing there is neither man nor angel that knoweth it. But this we know for certainty: that many Ages past, the Gospel was published well-near in all Asia, Aphrica and Europe: a number of which Nations for their unthankfulness were deprived of the benefit thereof, and many other are fallen into great Apostasy. Also we see it plain, that in this age of ours, the glad tidings of Christ, hath after some sort been carried unto all the barbarous nations in the neither part of the world: & we live in continual hope that in short space it shallbe more sincerely & more universally published than hitherto it hath been; which being proclaimed, we may then be bold to say, that Christ is at the very point of his coming. And yet nevertheless all that is no hindrance, but that it behoveth us both thus day, & to morrow, & every day & night & hour, to watch & be ready with our lamps burning, left the Bridegroom take us upon the sudden & unprovided of oil; & so while we expect yet some longer time of his coming, we be quite excluded out of the kingdom of heaven. All these things have I affirmed and proved out of the infallible word of God, & by that which we have seen with our eyes, & do understand of our own knowledge to be already come to pass, most agreeably to the word of God. Whereby we may be assured, that if any thing be yet to come that the Scriptures have promised touching the end of the world, the same shall shortly & in his due time be performed. And this was my special purpose in this Treatise to prove: that because the foolish, ungodly, & unbelieving nature of men, is in these days beyond all other ages and times before, so curious to search & inquire for the time of Christ's coming, which time God hath reserved to himself; I might draw them, (as much as is possible) from seeking the same at the hands of men, (from whom without the help of God's spirit, there proceedeth nothing that is certain, or true, or godly) & send them to the most true, and certain, and undoubted prophesy of the word of God. Nevertheless I am not ignorant, that there be also many human reasons, many probable conjectures, many temporal signs & tokens, & many sufficient arguments concerning the end of the world, that do concur with the prophesy of the scriptures: all which as long as they serve to justify & confirm whatsoever Christ, the Prophets & Apostles have promised concerning the same, we must rather give credit unto them, than reject & condemn them. Among which are all those reasons which are commonly made to ratify the saying of Elias, that the world shall not continue the full of 6000. years: which prophesy though it be not in the scriptures, but cited by the Rabbins, yet because all the other parts of the same prophesy have succeeded every thing in his due time & that it doth so well concur with the tokens, that Christ showed for the end of the world, and with that saying of Christ, Those days shallbe shortened for the elect sake: we must embrace the same as a true prognosticate, religiously descended from that holy Author.  
But in very deed in this prophesy of Elias is contained a large field to prove the nearness of the day of judgement: howbeit I will not walk much therein, because I know it hath been exactly handled of many. Only this I say; that the Scripture itself confirmeth, and infallible reason proveth, and so many tokens both of heaven above, and of the earth beneath testify that the world shall not last to the end of six thousand years.  
And so much the rather, when we plainly see all the tokens of the latter day to be now well-near fulfilled. And I have proved, that there are not above 70. years past or thereabout since the last and most revealing of Antichrist: That is to say, since he was openly, freely and without fear published to be that son of perdition. Within which time, the tokens that Christ spoke of concerning the end of the world, are already showed, and lack but little of a perfect fulfilling. And do we think, that when so great and so many things have been accomplished in so short a space as 70. years, that the very little or nothing which remaineth, should be in performing 400. years and more, which are to finish up the number of 6000. years? Or may we not not refer that saying of Christ (This generation shall not be passed, till all these things be fulfilled. And again: For the chosens sake these days shallbe shortened) as well to this third age of the world, as to the destruction of jerusalem, which was but 50. years after? As if he should say: In this latter age of the world, and especially towards the end thereof, when Antichrist is revealed, and Satan which is the devil is loosed, there shallbe so great famines, plagues, & earthquakes, so great and horrible persecutions, such leagues and conspiracies of Princes against my Church, so many false Prophets to deceive the world, such hating and betraying one of another, yea and such trouble and vexation on every side, besides the iniquity that shall then so mightily abound; that if it be possible the very chosen may be deceived.  
Wherefore, for their sakes I will shorten those troublesome days, and will cut off a part of this latter age, so that it shall not be equal to the other ages that went before.  
Besides, what wonderful alterations have we heard of and seen in the world, since the memory of man? What change in the nature of the creatures? what mutation both in the actions and affections of men, and in the accidents of this life and occurrents of estates; such as our forefathers in many hundredth years before never heard of? All which things, since they most and chief happened or began about the time that the Gospel in our age was revived by preaching, and when the kingdom of Christ began to be restored, they be manifest tokens of the end of the world.  
Hath not these many and mighty Kingdoms of England, Scotland, Denmark, Swethland, Poland, Germany, Belgica, and a great part of the large kingdom of France (all which be as much as the rest of Christendom) retired themselves, and been reclaimed within this space from the Romish bondage, and from Antichristianitie to the true worshipping of Christ, by believing of the Gospel preached unto them?  
Was not the Art and skill of Printing devised by Christians, and specially practised in our time; by the means whereof, though not only, yet chief all other Religions in the world are found to be most shameful and Idolatrous: and only the true and sincere worshipping of Christ magnified and extolled in all the world? Were not all the learned tongues and languages renewed by Christians in our time, from a rude barbarism (wherein they had many ages been a sleep) to an excellent and perfect form both of speaking and writing?  
Is not the desire of Christians in our time, more earnestly bend to seek a perfection of all Arts and Sciences, and a more exquisite form of Religion then ever was in any age before us since the sincere times of the Primitive Church?  
Were not all the order and manner of Instruments and habiliments of war and warfare in our age, well near contrary to that it was before; especially by the devise of guns, which the devil together with his deliverance out of bondage, devised for the speedy destruction of mankind, and great effusion of blood; all making way to the second coming of Christ our King?  
Was not the finding out of the new, or (as I may say) of the neither world, by the endeavour and travel of Christians in our time, one of the most wonderful accidents that hath happened since the time of Christ: and even as a sign and token before the latter day; that GOD which hath shut up those nations so many ages before in unbelief, would now yet in the latter time call them to the knowledge of his Son: if any perhaps would hearken to his word, that they also might be saved, and healed by the death of Christ?  
Is it not likewise a special token of the end of the world, that such extraordinary Stars and Comets, such strange and rare Conjunctions of the Planets, such marvelous removings of earth, whereof no mortal man can give any natural reason; together with mighty overflowings of the Sea, whereby whole Countries and people are destroyed?  
But is it not as great a sign and token hereof, that within so few as fifteen years now to come, there shall happen five Eclipses of the Sun, besides many others of the Moon; such and so terrible as the like never happened within so short a space since the beginning of the world?  
Doth not also the sudden decay of man's strength, and stature, & age, together with the unwilling mind he hath to all godliness, virtue, and charitable actions, prognosticate unto us any less than the things before?  
Moreover, do not the trees, the plants, the herbs and fruits, and all other senseless things of the earth, which should be for the comfort of man, most sensibly show unto us by the decay of their strength, of their taste and virtue (which not long since they had in greater measure) that within a short time, there shall be no more use of them? Nay, doth not the earth itself complain, that she hath powered out of her bowels in a manner all the store of her treasures and commodities, wherewith she was freighted for the use of man? Yea, do not all the creatures of God earnestly expect when the Son of God shall appear, that they also may be delivered from the bondage of corruption?  
But shall we not account this also to be a great sign of the end of the world, that it pleased God in this age and never before, both to endue man with knowledge, and to lead him, as it were by the hand, about the whole compass of the earth: That when he had seen all, and compassed all, and yet found all to be nothing but trouble, and vanity, and vexation of mind, by sea and land, & in all places where he came, he might glorify his Creator and Saviour, which had given so excellent gifts, and virtues, and knowledge, and civility, and so just a Religion unto his Christian people, before so many and so great nations, which in comparison of them, lived without God, without faith, and without all humanity; and might the rather be drawn from the love of this earthly mansion, to long for the day of Christ, and to be translated to a more joyful and everlasting habitation?  
To be short: The number of Prophets that GOD doth daily send to admonish all people of the latter day, and to give them warning to be in a readiness; because they teach no lies, but such things as they find in the word of God, are no less to be believed then those that prophesied of the first coming of Christ.  
To make an end hereof, the opinions, or rather firm belief of sundry several learned & wise men, so far distant asunder by places, but so nearly conspiring together by the unity of their judgements, and consent of their spirits as touching the coming of Christ, do declare, that the Bridegroom is even now coming, and crave us to wait for him all hours of the day and night, that we may enter with him into the marriage feast.  
Where be now these Atheists? where be these mockers? where be those that walk after their own lusts, and say; where is the promise of his coming? Behold the winter blasts are now gone, and the comfort of the spring is come: The Lord shall come speedily forth like a Lion out of his den, and will be avenged of them that speak blasphemy, and will destroy all the workers or wickedness: Behold the Ark is now well-near finished, the number is accomplished, the Church established, the chosen confirmed: The trumpet hath sounded: The king's son must be married: The feast is prepared, the bidden guests have refused: All sorts of people in all the high ways of the world are gathered, the wedding is furnished: The king and the bridegroom are coming: The earth and the sea shall yield up their dead: the son of man shall appear in the clouds: he shall come with exceeding glory: Angels without number shall attend upon him: All nations of the world shall draw unto him: The godly shall triumph and rejoice in him: The generation of the wicked shall tremble to see him: The godly shall stand at his right hand, the wicked on his left: Heaven shallbe opened, the earth shallbe consumed, the sea shallbe dried: The Sun & the Moon shallbe darkened, and all the powers of heaven shallbe moved: The son of God shall sit on his throne, the wicked shall receive the judgement of death, and the faithful be carried into the everlasting Kingdom. Wherefore the Lord shall come & not tarry. He promised signs of his coming, & those signs he hath sent: He promised that he would come immediately after those signs; wherefore those signs being accomplished, he will come, and that suddenly like a mighty tempest. For heaven and earth shall fail, but one jot of his promise shall not fail. Wherefore, insomuch as we see so many of the promises already fulfilled, let us be patiented in the rest, and not murmur against him as the Children of Israel did in the wilderness, lest a sudden destruction come upon us, as it did upon them, and we be cast alive both body and soul into the bottomless pit.  
They which believe not in the coming of Christ, do imitate the foolish example of julius Cesar, who being often warned before to take heed to himself, lest some great treason were wrought against him in the Ideses of March, made but a mock thereof the same day that he was slain: saying to some of his familiars, which counseled him not to go that day into the Senate house; Why (saith he) they have told me this good while, that I should be in danger when the Ideses of March were come: they are come, and yet I am safe; I saith one, they are come, but they are not yet past: And so by his own folly & negligence he was the same day slain. In like manner, these that do but mock at the Lords coming, do see (indeed) that all the signs which were promised should come to pass, are found to be true: but yet because Christ is not come, together with the signs, they think perhaps that he will not come. But o ye fools; ye see them to be come indeed: but ye see them not yet finished, neither shall ye see them so soon ended, as ye shall see the promise of his coming justified.  
Some motions ye had perhaps this last year, to think upon that day, more than ye be accustomed, because of the great expectation of the prophesy of the year 1588.; and for that ye heard by many probable reasons and conjectures of men (drawn from the consent and agreement of times, from the conjunctions of planets, which threaten either final destruction or wonderful alteration, and from the equality of numbers in the years of the world 5550 and 5555, which jump with the years of Christ 1588. and 1593.) that either the world should then end, or else very strange things should then happen. Howbeit this year being past, ye seem now to live more securely, ye fear God less, ye care less for religion, ye delight more in vanities, ye sin more greedily, ye provoke God's wrath more grievously, ye run more headlong into damnation: and ye sing your old tune; Where is the promise of his coming more reproachfully, than ever ye did before.  
Nevertheless, if so many and so strange things happened that year, as the like did not in so short space in many ages before? & men having no more knowledge thereof, than that which could be gathered by conjecture of the stars, & by comparing time with times, what effects do we think shall follow upon the sure & infallible prophesy, warranted by the spirit of God himself in the canonical scriptures? If the stars that are but creatures, can point to the time when God will work such mighty operations in other of his creatures, as against that year they did: whereby the proud & lusty minds of mighty Monarches are abated, whereby puissant and strong armies are dissolved, whereby the most invincible navies and strong castles of the sea be destroyed, whereby the leagues & conspiracies of princes shallbe made frustrate, whereby they that have played so many horrible tragedies in the Church, and have caused the blood of so many hundred thousands to be spilled, shall the same year finish their days, some by blood, some by death: Nay if the poor herrings of the sea, have this year brought us letters of warning from God, written upon the skins of their little bodies, that Christ cometh & that quickly, what think we shall the performance of gods eternal promise, or the least word that proceedeth out of his mouth bring to pass against all the tyrants and blood suckers of this world, against all the enemies of his Church and religion, against all them that make but a mock at the glorious coming of Christ, against all the strong and mighty Cities of the earth: yea, and against the consummation of the whole globe of the world? But ye my masters that give so great credit to the revolutions of the heavens, and to the threatening of the stars & planets, look well to yourselves from henceforth, for besides that the Lord hath promised very shortly to come himself and call you to a reckoning, he hath put also into his creatures new accidents, the effects whereof shall continue not one but one and twenty years at the least (if the Lord come not before) and those greater than have ever been since the world was made, the strangeness whereof shall amaze you, and the effects thereof shall trouble you, when ye shall see the Sun and Moon so often and in so short time eclipsed; when you shall see the brightness of heaven at noon time darkened; when God shall power out his wrath abundantly by plagues and famines, by winds and tempests, by fearful overflowings of waters, and by the ruin and destruction of some Provinces; when ye shall perceive the strength of all creatures diminished, when the earth will not bring forth her benefits, when by this time all truth and righteousness will be vanished, all love and society among men will be dissolved, when all men will altogether love themselves, and no man will any whit love another, when natural affection of men towards their own will be prostrate, when all obedience to God and to Magistrates, to parents and masters, to Kingdoms and Common weals will be abolished, when nothing will be done for duty and conscience, but all for fear and necessity, when all truth, all charity, and all goodness will be abandoned; and when there shall be nothing but pride, envy, dissimulation, oppression, lust and covetousness in all the whole earth; when the earth itself will crave at the hands of GOD, Come Lord jesus, come quickly, and deliver me from this intolerable burden, which the foundation that I am builded upon, namely, thy heavenly word, is not able any longer to bear. Wherefore, If Christ have discovered unto us, upon whom the latter ends of the world are come, all the signs and tokens which he promised of his coming, If he have sent Preachers into the world to proclaim the Gospel of his kingdom; If he have revived as it were his own name again, that lay hidden in Images and dumb Idols; If he have resumed unto himself his own authority, that was attributed unto men and Saints departed out of this life; If he have revealed that man of sin that taketh the whole office of Christ upon him; If he have sent all the plagues, and famines, and earthquakes, that his wisdom and counsel devised best for the fatherly correction of his people before the judgement: If nations and kingdoms which are either enemies to his Gospel, or strangers from his Church, have banded themselves against the Lord and against the generation of the godly: If the father have been against the son, and the mother against the daughter, and brother against brother, for the name of Christ: If many false Prophets have come in the name of Christ, & taught the people shameful forgeries when the Lord never sent them: If men betray one another, and hate and persecute one another for their conscience sake: If iniquity be so filled up with the measure of itself, as it can hardly be any more augmented: Finally, if the preaching of the Gospel, be at this day carried from one kingdom to another well-near unto the end of the world; and all these things to be the tokens of Christ's coming: And if so many strange things have happened beside in these our days, that have not done the like in many ages before, and all these in the Church, and concerning the Church, and most agreeable to the time of Christ's own prophesy. Then is the second warning of the Trumpet sounded unto judgement.  
It is high time therefore to awake out of sleep, and to slumber no more in the cogitations of ungodliness: It is time that we should cast off the cares of this life, and make ourselves ready for the day of the Lord: It is time, yea more than time that we should cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light: It is time that we should lay away all filthiness and sin; for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed. The axe is now put to the root of the tree: that even now, we must either bring forth fruit, or else be cut down and cast into the fire. Behold, now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation, now will the Lord show himself a mighty GOD, and his name shall be magnified in all the world. He came at the first, and we knew him not: behold, he cometh again, and all men shall know him: he came before simply to take our nature upon him, and to die for our sins; but he cometh again, as a conqueror to be revenged of his enemies, and as a bountiful Prince to reward his Subjects: He came into the world, which he himself had made, but the world would not receive him, because it was not worthv of him. Wherefore having wrought the work of our redemption, he ascended up unto his Father, where by his holy spirit he hath governed, kept, and preserved his Church one thousand and well near six hundred years, and now he cometh in his own person to call all men to an account, and to cite all men to his judgement; and those that have used their talents well in this life, shall be sure of an eternal reward in his kingdom: 
Math. 25.  but if they have been negligent and unprofitable servants, and without care of the Lords coming, he will cast them into the uttermost darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. There shall be no Lord, no King, no Emperor, nor Pope upon the earth, that shall be exempt from this judgement. Can any Prince or Magistrate of the world compare himself in brightness and glory unto Lucifer that glorious Angel, yet he might not escape the judgement of GOD, but the higher he was in glory, the greater was the shame of his fall.  
Remember therefore O ye Christian Princes and Magistrates, and ye that have charge and rule of God's people; whom God hath made his Liutenants' general within your own dominions, remember that the Lord is coming, and will call you to an account before the throne of his judgement: The greater your Kingdoms and Territories be, the greater is the reckoning that he requireth of you: and the more absolute you be in commanding all, the more are you bound to give an account for. Ye are the Caesars, to whom Paul appealed, from you lieth no appeal to any superior in this life. As the Lord hath delivered unto your custody the greatest number of Talents, so he looketh to reap at your hands the greatest gains.  
It pitieth me to temember the woeful and grievous state of all mortal men in this miserable life, the desperate and dangerous case wherein they live, the often and imminent perils that they fall into, the manifold temptations, vexations, and disquietness of mind that they are brought into, the continual enticements of the flesh and the devil that they enter into, besides the rash, and furious, and ungodly actions, that they desperately run into; That when they shall shortly stand before the Tribunal seat, and their own conscience justly accusing them thereof, there shallbe no wisdom, no policy, no counsel, no eloquence of the tongue, that can excuse or satisfy the least offence of this life: This is the general state of all mankind.  
But alas for grief, that Princes should both now, and then also before the judgement seat, be in more woeful case, than all other persons and subjects of this mortal life; That they should be in greater danger than all men living; that they should be subject to more miscarrying and mishaps; than all men living; that they should have more vexations, disquietness, and cares of mind, than all men living; that temptations of the flesh, that provocations unto lust, and desire of pleasures, should take more hold of them, than of all men living; and that the way unto all ungodly actions should be more open unto them, than to all men living: And of all these things must they shortly yield an account, together with all men living. And yet behold when the Awdit is ended for this, & a Quietus est for all matters concerning themselves, there is a new indictment framed against them, wherein they must be called to an other reckoning. Then shall the Register of all their government be read before them: then will it be seen whether they have ministered justice unto their people: That is to say; Whether they have heard the fatherless and oppressed, when they have cried unto them; Whether they have taken notice of such appeals, as have been made unto them; Whether they have punished ungodly and corrupt judges, which sold their subjects for silver, and the righteous for a poor reward; Whether they have spared the innocent blood, and not pardoned them that run on still in wickedness; Whether in all their public enterprises, they have respected the glory of GOD, more than their own commodities; Whether they have nursed, protected, and defended the Church of GOD to the uttermost of their power; Whether they have preserved it from all heresies, errors, schisms, and corruptions; Whether they have punished those Rulers of the Church, that cause the truth of GOD to be evil spoken of, for their ungodliness: Finally, whether in all their actions, both at home and abroad, private and public in the Church and Commonweal, they have done all things with a faithful and sincere heart, and with the testimony of a pure and good conscience. Which if they have, they shallbe coheirs with Christ, and shall reign with him in glory and felicity for evermore: otherwise they shall stand among the guilty sinners, & receive judgement of condemnation according to their merits.  
Next unto Kings and absolute Princes, must come to a reckoning before the chief judge Christ jesus, the Governors of the Church, and Rulers of Provinces and particular places, to whom the Prince for his own discharge hath committed his authority, to see that GOD be truly served, and justice among his subjects duly executed.  
And therefore ye my reverent Fathers of the Church, ye, whose office it is both to teach, and feed, and govern the Church under your charge: Christ will shortly call you to a strait account; First, whether ye came into your office by a plain and direct way, or else stole into it by some corrupt and sinister means; Whether ye desired the office of a Bishop for the goodness of the work, or for the gain and profit of the living; Whether ye set before your eyes, the benefit of the Church, and advancement of the Gospel, more than the honour and dignity that is attributed unto your calling.  
The second Article wherein ye must try yourselves before the Supreme Bishop, is, Whether you have endeavoured as far as in you lieth, to cleanse the whole Church under you, of all ungodly worship & worshippers in the same: And whether ye have been careful to appease all schisms and controversies to the uttermost of your power; whether ye have sincerely and diligently preached Christ, as he hath prescribed in his holy word; whether ye have weeded out of your whole governments, all infamous, ungodly, schismatical, yea (and as much as in you lieth) all unlearned Pastors, which either by their wicked examples offend, corrupt and mar their flock, or else be altogether careless and negligent of them; whether ye have executed all the censures of the Church, with a faithful and single heart & hand, without all favour and corruption, for the advancement of the glory of God, and edifying of die whole congregation.  
Item, whether you have removed or reform all such your Commissaries and other mean officers, (if any such you have) that by their corrupt and avaricious proceed, have caused the most just, most holy, and most pure religion of Christ, to be blasphemed and hated among the enemies of the Gospel: and have given so great an offence to the rest of the Church, as many have run into grievous schisms and very damnable opinions, by reason of the same.  
Likewise in all just appeals made unto you, whether you have in charity and conscience endeavoured with all care and diligence to reform all things that have been wronged by your inferior officers. Finally, whether ye have fed the hungry, clothed the naked, and lodged the harbourless; and whether to the proportion of your living, ye have been as liberal to the poor and impotent members of Christ, as careful to advance yourselves and yours with worldly riches and honours. And thus, whether ye have in all things endeavoured to the uttermost of your power, both by your sound doctrine, by example of your own life, and by your faithful and upright government, to walk worthy of your vocation, and have kept the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. In all these things shall ye shortly be examined and tried before the triumphant judge Christ jesus. Again, ye that be the governors of Provinces, and all other judges and great officers, upon whom dependeth either the lives, or the goods, or the causes of other Subjects; albeit the most of you have long time escaped the temporal sword, yet shall you not now escape the last judgement of God. For the blood of the fatherless and widows have cried up to the Lord of hosts, and he cometh to take an account of your ungodly and uncharitable judgements. Shall not your own consciences in that day accuse you, as much as a thousand witnesses; that you fled from judgement and perverted equity; That ye build up Zion with blood, 
Malach 3.  and jerusalem with wickedness; That ye heads have judged for reward, and that ye Priests have taught for hire, and ye Prophets have prophesied for money: That ye have contemned the low estate of the poor, & feared to execute justice against the mighty: That ye have often prevented the truth of the cause, by a contrary impression and conceit in your mind: That ye have been more carried with the fair enticement of man's eloquence, than with a plain and simple declaration of the truth, That ye have either stayed your judgement by letters, or wearied your suitors by charges, or consumed them by delays, or discouraged them by your speeches, or mocked them by your vanities, or driven them to despair by your injustice. Finally, that ye have not only seen the bribing and extortion and scraping of petty clerks and inferior ministers, which ye might have redressed, but that ye yourselves also have been partakers of their sins. Shall not all these things be laid open before your eyes in that great and terrible day?  
Generally, all ye that be rich & abound with goods and possessions in this life, leave off the greedy desire of money, and dispose well of the riches that ye have: Make ye friends while ye may, of your unrighteous Mammon, that ye be not taken short when the Lord cometh. For he is speedily coming, and will take a strait account of all you, that have abused your stewardshippes, and have not been faithful in that was committed unto you. He hath sounded his Trumpet now this second time, and hath given you a lawful warning, he hath told you often before, and he telleth you now again at the last, that you heap not unto yourselves treasure upon the earth, where the Canker and rust do corrupt, & thieves break in & steal, That if riches increase, you should not set your heart upon them, 
Psal. 62.  That riches help not in the day of vengeance, and he which trusteth in them shall have a horrible fall. That though ye think, 
Psal. 49.  that your dwelling places shall continue for ever, yet ye shall die and leave your riches to others, That because thou hast trusted in thine own treasure, therefore thou and thy Princes and Priests shall be carried into captivity, That he which stoppeth his ear from the cry of the poor, 
Prou. 21.  he shall cry himself and not be heard, That the deceitfulness of riches, choketh up the word of GOD, 
I am. 5.  and maketh it unfruitful, 
1. Timot. 6.  That we should not trust in the uncertainty of riches, 
Psal 112.  but in the true and living God, That he which disperseth his goods, and giveth to the poor, his righteousness shall remain for ever, That blessed are the rich which be found without blemish, and have not put any trust in money and riches. And a thousand such other profitable warnings and promises hath he given you. But ye have hardened your hearts, and think that ye shall never come to an account, how ye have bestowed them. wherefore the Canker and rust of them; yea the vain and frivolous bestowing of them without profit to your neighbour, or benefit to the Church or Common weal, shall be a witness against you at the day of judgement. Yea the supreme judge himself, all the holy Angels & elect of God, shall testify against you: nay, your own conscience shall accuse you, when you see before your eyes those whom ye despised and oppressed; And the Lord himself in that day, shall say unto you: you are they upon whom I bestowed so many benefits, when as I might have given them unto others far more worthy than you: I made you stewards of my treasures, to dispose them as might be most agreeable to mine own honour, for the relief of your poor brethren, which are members of my body, whom ye sometime derided and jested at, and thought their life to be but madness, 
Wis. 5.  and their end to be without honour: But now ye see, that I have chosen them before you, and made them heirs of my salvation. You in this life had abundance of all good things, but because ye used not those things as I had commanded you, but abused them to your own lusts, I testify against you, that the poor which before time endured all the penury and misery of this life, shall now possess the inheritance of my kingdom, and ye shall be turned out. They, in stead of the cold, hunger, nakedness, and trouble, which they suffered upon the earth, shall now enjoy all honour, glory, pleasure, and felicity for evermore: But ye which exalted yourselves in the pride of your riches, and dreamt of no other happiness, but temporal honours and treasures of the earth, ye shall now from henceforth feel nothing but everlasting pains, and griefs in hell, and be tormented with the devil and his Angels. Ye see the poor continually before you in the streets, the maimed and miserable go from door to door, the impotent Lazars lie at your gates, the poor fatherless children and widows in continual want. They desire but the scraps that fall from your table, you shut you cares against them, and in the distress of their soul they cry unto God: and shall not God deliver them in the time of their trouble, and call you to an account for them in the day of judgement? O unkind and ungrateful nature of man, beyond all the creatures that God hath made! The birds of the air that be lame or old, or not able to seek food, are fed by the labour of other birds: The wild beasts that be sick and impotent to take any pray of themselves, are fed by the pray of others; But shall men so degenerate from their own nature, and from the kind and nature of all other beasts of the field, that having over and above that which should sustain themselves and their family, they will not feed the hungry, nor  the naked, nor help the maimed and impotent. Wherefore those beasts and fowls of the air shall rise in the day of judgement against them; nay all the creatures of God that are obedient unto man, & serve for his life and sustenance, shallbe a witness against them in that woeful & dreadful day of the Lord.  
Neither shall those rich, whether they be men or women, escape the judgement of God; which gathering to themselves abundance of treasure, defer all their good deeds till the time of their death, & determine then to dispose all things after a good and charitable manner: seeing for the most part, either their life is suddenly taken from them before they have set all in order; Or while they live, they are spoiled of that they have; Or else some other mischance cometh after their death, that things cannot be disposed according to their will: But especially, since in the mean time, they have suffered many Christian souls to perish for lack of their help. Again, what thank is it to them to be liberal then, when they must of necessity leave their riches unto others, and cannot use the same any more themselves.  
Neither will the judge in that day, so straightly inquire how they bestowed the riches which they had at their death, as he will examine whether they did the works of charity in their life: Namely; Whether they had pity on the fatherless children, & widows, when they cried unto them; Whether they helped the lame, and blind, and impotent, that were not able to shift for themselves; Whether they gave fuel and clothes to them that were cold and naked; Whether they relieved poor prisoners, when the iron entered into their souls; Whether they gave Physic to the sick, and surgery the wounded; Whether they lent their money freely without hope of gain; Whether they eased the common burden of the poor in time of famine: Whether they helped their Country and Common weal in time of necessity; Whether they ministered unto the Saints in their adversity; Whether they put their helping hand to the upholding of Religion: And finally, Whether they did all these things with a single eye, and faithful heart, not to be seen of men, but for pure love to Christ & his members: And then if they have any thing left at their death to be spared from their own family, let them bestow the same in such wise as may most tend to the glory of God, to the edifying of the Church, and benefit of the Common weal: And God shall restore them a thousand fold in the life to come. But if they saw all those necessities of their brethren, and did shut up their compassion from them, and thought all too little for themselves while they lived; all the good deeds at their death shall not be imputed one jot unto them, but they shall have their portion with hypocrites, where shallbe weeping and gnashing of teeth: For they that have showed no mercy unto others, shall have judgement without mercy to themselves:  
generally, there is no estate nor degree of person whatsoever in this life, that shall escape from this judgement, but all shall appear before the seat of GOD, and they that have not walked with an upright and sincere heart before him, nor have believed effectually, nor lived fruitfully in jesus Christ, whereby their sins might not be imputed to them, shall answer before him, not only for all the actual sins that they have committed against God, against their neighbour, and against their own souls, but they shall also yield an account for every idle and vain word, that they have spent all the time of their life, and so to receive judgement for the same.  
Thus are all mortal men and women cited to appear before the judgement seat of God to answer for themselves. There shall then be no excepting of persons before him: but Emperors, Kings, and Princes, their subjects, servants, and vassals, all, both Magistrates and people, the highest Prelates and poorest Ministers, Lords and tenants, masters and servants, parents and children, old and young, one with another shall all stand before the face of the Lord to receive their judgement; and either for their ungodliness to be accused and condemned, or else having walked with a perfect heart before him, they shallbe justified and saved by the death and redemption of Christ.  
Wherefore seeing all these things shall thus happen, & that shortly, & how suddenly we know not: and seeing the day of the Lord will steal upon us like a thief in the night, 
2. Pet 3.  when the havens shall pass away, and the earth and all the works therein shallbe utterly burned with fire: seeing we shall immediately be carried away unto judgement, and seeing the Lord is not slack, but will speedily come as he hath promised, what manner of persons ought we to be in holiness and godly conversation? How ought we to purge our lives from the dead and damnable works of this world to serve the true and living God? How well furnished ought we to be at all hours with all the armour of God, that nothing but truth may proceed out of our mouths: That all our actions be defended by justice and upright dealing: That we may tread all our steps in the Gospel of peace; That we may have a strong faith to withstand the devil and all the temptations of this life; That we rely wholly upon the salvation of Christ; and that the word of God may dwell plentifully in us; wherewith we being endued, we shall be ready at every instant to meet the Lord when he cometh in the clouds with power and great glory. But what shall the Lord say to them that be so careless and negligent as they will not watch one small time in prayer and meditation for his coming? Shall they not in that great day be accused of the greatest unfaithfulness in the world? Yea, shall they not be condemned of foul and beastly ingratitude; when for the pure love that he beareth to us, he hath so sensibly before hand showed us of all these things that have happened, and hath willed us to watch and be ready with our Lamps burning, because the Son of man will come at such an hour as we know not? O ungrateful and faithless generation, may he say, it repenteth me that I have been so kind and loving to you, and that I have bestowed upon you so large and ample benefits, when ye were dead in the burden of your sins, and were in thraldom of the devil, and of all your mortal enernies, and had no other way to be relieved but by me, I humbled myself from the throne of my Majesty, and took your nature upon me: I came not as I might have done, like a great Prince and Monarch of this world, but was content to abase myself to be borne of a poor woman, to be brought up like a poor child, to walk in the form of a poor servant, and to live poorly from the day of my birth to the day of my death. I endured nakedness, and cold, and hunger for your sakes, yea thirty years together and upward did I abide all the calamities of this life for your sakes, I submitted myself to the law of man, and observed every jot and title of the same for your sakes, I fasted forty days and forty 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 sweat water and blood for your sakes, I was scourged, buffeted, and beaten for your sakes, I abode a crown of sharp thorns upon my head for your sakes, I endured spitting, railing, and despiteful words against myself for your sakes: And in the end I suffered a most shameful and cruel death upon the Cross for your sakes. For you and your salvation have I done all this, and yet ye will not believe the signs that I have showed, nor prepare yourselves to watch for my coming. Therefore I will come so suddenly upon you, as it shall be too late for you to repent; and whom I find not watching and prepared for me, him will I cast into the uttermost darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  
Wherefore my dear brethren in Christ, when we have diligently weighed and considered these things; how justly, how innocently, and how purely ought we to show ourselves in all the whole course of our lives, looking daily and hourly for the appearing of our Saviour, that we may be blameless in the day of his coming. It is for our learning & edifying that all the holy Scriptures are written, that all the teaching, instructions, & warnings therein are given, that all the miracles of God from the beginning have been showed, that all the examples of our forefathers have been published, that God from the beginning was so mindful of our redemption, & that he sent his own Son for our salvation. It is we that he hath been so careful to preserve so many ages together, in the midst of so many crooked and perverse nations, & from the hands of so many cruel & bloody tyrants. Who were preserved in the Ark from the first destruction of the world by waters, but we? Who were saved from death in the great famine of Egypt and countries adjoining, but we? Who were delivered from Pharaoh, from the inhabitants of Chanaan, and from many other nations with a mighty and stretched out arm, but we? Who were preserved in the great and horrible persecutions of the Primitive Church, from being utterly consumed of tyrants, but we? Who were safely kept by God as the apple of his own eye, in so great and general Apostasy of the Church, but we? Who were again delivered by God from the power of Antichrist, and were endued with the knowledge of his truth, but we? Nay, who have received so many tokens of the end of the world, & warnings of Christ's coming, as we? For the heathen have no knowledge of his laws, And they that be strangers from Christ, fear not his judgements, And all they which sinned without law, shall perish without law. Again, if judgement begin first with the house of God, what shall become of them that believe not the Gospel?  
Why do not we then with all faithfulness and willng heart receive all these Oracles sent us by God? Why do we not thankfully accept his benefits? Why do we not believe his promises? Why do we not prepare ourselves for his judgements? Why do we not weep and bewail and lament for our sins? Why are we so stony and hard hearted, that there is No example of temporal punishments in other, no feel of God's wrath in ourselves, no threatening of God's vengeance to come, no remembrance of punishments past, no remorse of conscience for our sins, no promise of temporal blessings, no assurance of eternal rewards: neither signs in heaven above, nor tokens in the earth beneath, nor the hope of everlasting salvation, nor fear of perpetual damnation, that can once effectually move us to amend our lives, and make us to forsake the sin that reigneth in our mortal bodies; although we know die kingdom of heaven to be never so near, nay, even at the very door. Wherefore I fear me it will be pronounced against us, that was sometime against the unbelieving cities of juda. Woe be unto you Christians, and especially you that have taken upon you to reform my Church, and to have my Gospel preached among you, woe I say be unto you: For if the signs and miracles that have been in your time, and among you, had been done among the Turks and Infidels, yea among the most savage Indians of the world, they would long since have repent insackecloth and ashes! O that we would open the fountains of our heart, and power in contrition into our soul! O that we had a flood of tears to bewail the multitude of our sins! O that we would have but some part of that affection towards ourselves, that the creatures of God have towards us! For they mourn and lament for our sins, they long for our deliverance because of our sins; The earth trembleth & quaketh because of our sins; The Son and the Moon want of their light and beauty, for our sins, The heavens power down floods of destruction for our sins; The plants and herbs lack their virtue and operation, for our sins: The winds go forth of their places, & the seasons of the year keep not their wont course, for our sins: yea, the natures of all creatures are in a manner changed for our sins. But what shall I say more? The Angels of God do mourn for our sins: The very souls of the righteous do lament for our sins: And it grieveth the spirit of God himself, that we persist in our sins: But all this moveth not our senses, nor yet melteth our own hearts for our sins:  
All that we speak, all that we writ, all the labour we take, is in vain: For our heart is as hard as the Adamant, and our soul refuseth counsel. Every man speaketh of the mercies of GOD; Every man acknowledgeth his benefits? Every man hath the word of God in his lips; Every man crieth Lord, Lord; but no man doth the will of his heavenly Father; Every man confesseth the tokens of Christ to be come, but no man prepareth himself his coming: No man maketh atonement with his brother, no man showeth the fruits of faith, no man forsaketh his wicked life, no man keepeth his vessel pure and holy to the Lord. Every man blameth, every man reproveth, every man condemneth shameful acts in others, but no man amendeth any one sin in himself. O gracious GOD, why should thy people thus forget thee? why should they be thus stiffnecked against thee? why should they so deeply dissembled with thee? why should they make as though they believed thy word, when they be so far from reforming of their lives? why should they be so ravished with earthly delights, that perish in a moment, and contemn the heavenly joys, which continue for ever? why should they be thus distraught from the sense and feel of happiness, to follow the delights and pleasures of their own fancies? Shall the care of transitory riches of this world, drown the desire of glory in the world to come? Shall the ugly and deceivable lusts of sin, that breed long and bitter repentance, prevail above the beautiful contemplation of thine eternal Godhead? Shall this vale of misery, (wherein we see nothing but sin and wickedness, nothing but care and vexation of mind, nothing but perils by land and sea, at home and abroad, in bed and at board, in freedom and in bondage, in poverty & in wealth, in honour and disgrace, at all times, and in all places, both in life and in death) be more deeply printed in our heart, than the Kingdom of Christ; wherein the body shall be changed from corruption to immortality, from dishonour to glory, from weakness to strength, from a natural body to a spiritual body; wherein all pains and sorrows shall be utlie vanished, and all quietness and tranquillity of conscience shall dwell for evermore? Nay, shall the affection which we bear to father, or mother, or brother, or sister, or wife, or children, or lands, or goods, or to have die whole earth at our beck and commandment, once separate us from the love that is in Christ jesus; from the company that we shall have with his holy Angels, from the fellowship of all the godly and elect people, and from the continual fruition of God's divine presence and Majesty? GOD forbidden.  
What is the cause then that we so greedily embrace and lay hold upon these transitory things? Nothing verily, but the corruption of our own nature, the following of our own sensual pleasures, and the instigation of the devil; who laboureth now towards the end of the world more strongly than ever, to draw all the souls that he can into damnation with himself; of whom we, to our great shame, stand in sear, as though Christ our Conqueror had never redeemed us, as though he that had once saved us, could no more defend us.  
But alas, why should we not continually and unfeignedly pray unto God to assist us, and with the strength of his holy spirit to defend us from all our wicked enemies, that in him, & by him we may have grace to vanquish and overcome, whensoever we are pressed or disquieted either in body or mind.  
But as concerning sin, albeit we for our own parts have made such a covenant with death, as whatsoever be said unto us we will not amend: & have entered into such a league with hell, that we will not be saved: albeit we have refused the mercy of God, that calleth all men to repentance, and would all men to be saved; yet after we have once received the knowledge of the truth, and have been baptised in the name of Christ, and have promised to live in his true faith and fear, let us never so tread under foot the Son of God; nor work such despite unto the spirit of grace, that through our ungodly and sinful life, we should make the Gentiles to hate the name of Christ for our sakes, and by this means to keep both out selves and others too out of the kingdom of Christ. Which otherwise, if they saw our just and sincere converation answerable to the form of our profession, they would join themselves unto the body of Christ, & so magnify his name over all the world.  
Shall not the zeal of our forefathers, who in comparison of us that have the light of the Gospel, lived but in darkness and in the shadow of death, be a notable testimony against us in the day of judgement; since they feared god more reverently, served him more willingly, obeyed him more dutifully, and loved him more fervently than we? Since they had more compasston upon their poor brethren, more devotion unto all good works, and more regard to their own salvation than we? Since they had less dissimulation, less craft, less hypocrisy, less malice, less covetousness, less wickedness in their life than we?  
Compare the great zeal of our predecessors, with the cold devotion that we have in these days; and we shall be ashamed of ourselves. The good deeds which were done by them, were done simply, either for the love they bore to God, or (as they took it) for the honour of his service and religion, or of a compassion to their poor brethren, or for the safety of their own souls, or of a zeal they bore to their parents departed, or for a benefit to the Common wealth, or to ease the burden of their successors, or for the furtherance of Schools and learning, or for some such other, either good or well-meaning intent. But on the other side, what little good soever we do, we do it, neither of alone towards GOD, nor of a charitable mind towards our neighbour, nor of any remorse of conscience in ourselves, nor yet of any affection towards our native country; but all that the most of us do, we do it either for vain glory, or for pleasing of other men's humours, or to be seen and praised of men, or to avoid the clamour of the world, or by compulsion and commandment, or for fear of shame and punishment, or by importunate suit that is made, or because we know not else what to do with that we have. Wherefore, the former with their blind zeal and supposed good intent, shall rise up in the day of judgement and condemn us for the fruitless ostentation and boasting of our faith. If the men of Niniveh which repented at the preaching of jonas, and the Queen of the South, that came so far to hear the wisdom of Solomon, shall rise in judgement against the jews, that would not believe and amend, for all that could be said unto them by Christ and the Prophets. What shall so many Prophets and Preachers of God do against us in that day, who daily & hourly and continually rebuke us for our sins, and stir us up by all means to amendment of our lives, showing us that the day of the Lord is at hand.  
O jesus, why should we now be further from the obeying of thee, than when we were further from thee? Shall the brightness of thy presence, and the light of thy blessed word which lighteneth every man that cometh into the world, and whose property is to give light and salvation to all them that will receive the same, shall it shine (I say) upon such stony and gravely hearts, as have no power to bring forth true repentance, nor any fruits of a godly life? And shall the Devil so prevail against them, for whom thou hast shed thy most precious blood, that suddenly (upon the revealing of Antichrist, and sending of new Ambassadors from thee, to put things in order against thy coming) he shall turn the hearts of all men from all goodness and virtue, to vice and cruelty; altar the natures of things from better to worse; bring in Schism, Atheism, Treason, and all ungodliness into the world, and make iniquity flow beyond measure over all the banks of the earth? Howbeit, Lord if this be thy will, and that by no other means thy holy word should be verified, namely, that wickedness should so mightily abound before thy coming: If thy promise should on this wise be fulfilled: If thy chosen must on this manner be tried; and that this should be one of the last tokens of thy coming; we accept all these things as Oracles sent before, and we assuredly look for thine own self in person to follow.  
Wherefore ye my brethren of the Church of England, for whose cause specially I have written this second warning, or sound of the last Trumpet, bear in mind all these things that I have declared unto you: Examine your own consciences, whether ye have not tasted of the blessings of GOD, in measure more abundantly, in favour more apparently, in mercy more infinitely, and in signs and tokens more wonderfully, than any nation in the world. Again, consider with yourselves, how all these graces and mercies have been requited of you. Whether there be any nation of the world more unthankful for God's benefits, more forgetful of his promises, more disobedient to his commandments, more negligent in their callings, more factious in practices, more contentious in Religion, more inclined to Treason, more uncharitable in action, more cold in devotion, more rash in enterprises, more restless in vanities, more greedy in getting, more careless in spending, more slow to virtue and more forward to vice: And finally, more desperate to all kind of mischief, then commonly the people of this kingdom are. Wherefore, if the mercies of God did not daily salve the deadly wounds and diseases of our soul, we should long before this time have come to a fearful and horrible end. But that the Lord doth yet spare you, impute it not to your own desert, but to his great mercy. That ye perish & consume not in his wrath, it is of his mercy: That ye live unplagued of your enemies, is of his mercy: That ye lose not his Gospel and true Religion, is of his mercy: That we see our Elizabeth reign in holiness, health, and prosperity, is long of his mercy: And yet for all this do we reject his goodness, discredit his promises, dishonour his services, disallow his tokens, continue in sins, divide the Church with Schisms, and slander the truth of the Gospel by our ungodliness: yet for all this do ye cry, Peace, Peace, and think that all shall go aswell with you at the last, as it did at the first: And consider not the merciful patience and long suffering of the Lord, & how he calleth you to repentance. For ye shall all die with everlasting destruction, unless ye speedily show forth the fruits of repentance. And the patiented forbearing of temporal punishment of your bodies in this life, doth breed the greater weight of perpetual shame and damnation both of body and soul in the life to come.  
far more easy should it be for us, if our sins had not deserved greater punishment, that it would please the Lord fatherly to correct us while we are here, either with public wars, plagues and famines; or else with private sickness, penury, imprisonment, and with loss of goods and possessions: if he would feed us with the bread of tears, and with the water of affliction; if he would exercise us with all kind of misery, and so purge and try us as it were by fire; yea, if he would humble us as he did Nabucadonosor, and make us to eat grass with the beasts of the field, and to water us with the dew of heaven, till our hearts were wholly turned unto him again: rather than do fill us so abundantly with all manner of temporal blessings: With health in our bodies, plenty in our coffers, joy in our families, favour with our Princes; to have praise with private persons, and to have authority in kingdoms: but therewith to be deprived of the grace and mercy of God, of Christ's promised salvation, and in steed of the pleasures of this life, to receive pains intolerable both of body and soul in the life to come.  
Wherefore o my brethren remember what ye are, where ye are, and whether ye go. Ye are of those, for whom the world was made; For whom the remnant was saved in Noah's flood; For whom God hath showed a thousand miracles in Egypt, in the red Sea, and in the wilderness; For whom Christ lived so many years in this wretched world; and for whom he suffered so shameful death upon the Cross: Ye are the seed of Abraham, and generation of the blessed: Ye are of the Church, and members of Christ's body: Ye are the vessels of the holy Ghost, if ye live holily and unblamably: And ye are of them, to whom the promise of everlasting life was made.  
Remember also, that ye are in this transitory world, a place so lately made, & which shall so shortly perish; wherein there is nothing but lusts of the fresh, lusts of the eyes, and pride of life. Remember that a thousand years with the Lord are but as one day, and that all your whole life is not one hour of such a day. Remember that ye are in a place full of miseries, cares, and troubles, among a crooked and perverse generation, among a people that have sold themselves to commit wickedness, and that with all greedy desire: That a man's days pass away like a shadow, and his years like vanity, That though he be the mightiest Prince & Monarch of the world, yet when age & infirmities creep upon him, he desireth to be loosed from the burden of this flesh.  
Again remember the place whereunto ye shall tend: For ye are here but pilgrims and strangers for a little season; And as many of you as are Christ's, must home to your own Country of Heaven; A place of liberty, a place of felicity, a place of everlasting pleasure; Where time shall be no more time; where night and darkness shall be banished; where ye shall neither hunger nor thirst; where ye shall neither lust nor desire; where it is unpossible ye should die any more; where the Lord himself shall be your food and portion, and the light of your countenance; where the measure of your joys shall be full, and where ye shall live in pleasure and felicity for evermore.  
But on the other side, as many of you as are called Christians, and are not of the flock of Christ, as many as refuse this salvation offered you, in not believing as you ought, and living as you should, As many of you as trust not wholly to be saved by the merit of Christ jesus, but justify yourselves by your own works: Nay, all you that boast of your faith in Christ, and yet mortify not your carnal members, nor walk in the steps of his commandments: As many as make Christ jesus but a stranger to you, and seek for other Mediators than his own self: As many as frame unto the Church a monstruous head upon the earth, besides our own merciful head Christ jesus in heaven: As many as will make the decrees of man's corrupt judgement, equal with the most holy and sacred word of GOD: As many as refuse to lay hold on Christ by faith, and run for help unto Images and dumb Idols: As many as frustrate the benefits of Christ's death, by redeeming their sins with money and pardons: As many as think to obtain their requests by a set number of verbal prayers, without any earnest meditation of the merit and promise of Christ: As many as profane that glorious body of Christ jesus, 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 truth, and yet will cleave to the apish toys and foolish superstitions of Antichrist. Finally, as many as walk after their own ways, and not as the Lord himself hath commanded in his holy word: All these must likewise home to their country; a place of torment, a place of eternal trouble, a cruel and terrible habitation, continually to be vexed with burning fire and most intolerable heat, mingled nevertheless with palpable darkness; not for a time and season, but perpetually and for ever there to remain, under the dominion of Lucifer and his Angels, whose works they followed, and whose commandments they obeyed.  
Wherefore, if there yet remain in you any spark of godliness, any love of Religion, any duty towards God, any hope of the resurrection to come, any desire of salvation, any fear of damnation: if all faith, all conscience, all goodness, and all religion be not quite extinguished; revive your minds, lift up your hearts, ascend unto Christ by faith; Set your affection upon things above, and not upon things beneath; Cast away all vain and idle cogitations, reform your lives, forsake your sins, return no more to your filthy pleasures, give over your superfluous vanities, cleanse yourselves from all ungodliness: & as you have hitherto given over your members to serve uncleanness, so make them now to be servants unto righteousness. Crucify the old man in you, that the body of sin may be utterly destroyed.  
Come out from Babylon, and be no more partaker of her wickedness, touch no more uncleanness, and the Lord will receive you. Every one of you abound in charity one towards another, even as Christ hath loved you and hath given himself for you. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, which is shapen in holiness and righteousness. Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith: and know for certainty that Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates. Cleanse your hearts from all filthiness and sin, and go forth to meet with the Bridegroom. So shall all your former sins be wiped out of his remembrance. Ye shallbe his people, and he will be your God. He will separate you from the wicked, and set you on his right hand. He will protect you in this life from all your enemies, and in the life to come, will give you a kingdom of everlasting happiness: Come therefore Lord jesus, Come quickly, for the salvation of thy chosen, and gladness of thy people.   
FINIS.