FOr the sinnes of men, the Lord hath sent sundry and grieuous plagues vpon the earth, some general, and some particuler, some in mercy to correct, and some in his iust wrath to confound the wicked of the world, and to worke amendment in the rest: for albeit the Lorde be mercifull, long suffering, and of great patientie, yet is he iust and righ­teous altogether, and at the length through too much prouo­cation sendeth vengeance from heauen for the punishment of sinne and wickednesse, as diuers examples of holy scripture doe testify. And such is the great goodnesse of our God, that before he plague any nation, citie, or countrie, he first sendeth warning thereof diuers and sundry wayes. Before the olde world was drowned Noe preached repentance vnto the people, foretelling that for their great sinnes the whole world should be ouerwhelmed: but they regarding not his wordes, nor fearing their vtter destruction, continued their lewde life, euen to the very day that Noe entered into the Arke, and so perished in the floud. Pharao the mightie King of Egypt holding the children of Israel in captiuitie, was by Moyses often warned to let them goe, before the tenne grieuous plagues was inflicted vpon him and his whole lande, not­withstanding, in the hardnesse of his hart, he with all his hoast perished in the redde sea. The great Citie Nineuy was by the Prophet Ionas foretolde that within forty dayes it should be destroyed, but the people repenting was spared. A­braham and Lotte among the Sodomites often declared how hote the wrath of God hung ouer them, for their filthy and abhominable sinne, but they despising their preaching, continued in all corruption, till fire and brimstone fell from [Page 4]heauen, and vtterly consumed them. These examples are left writen for our instruction, vpon whom the endes of the world are come, which are sufficient to forwarne vs of the like punishment: but the Lord knowing our wickednesse, will he (thinke you) spare vs more then he spared them? or is he not as iust now, and his power as great as then it was? yes no doubt, for if he spared not the true Oliue, much lesse will he spare the wilde Oliue: for what priuiledge or prerogatiue haue we to sinne more then the Iewes had, for whom the Lord wrought so many wonders.

O England, high time it is to looke about thée, and to shake off thy manifold sinnes: too long hast thou slept in se­curitie, and blindly passed ouer not onely thy neighbours mi­series, but also the louing and gentle corrections which thy mercifull God hath visited thée withall, alluring thée by all meanes possible vnto repentance and consideration of thy soule offences: but neither the mouing of hilles out of their places, the Commets in the skye, earthquakes, dearth and famine, plague and pestilence, monstrous birthes, fearefull thunderclaps, raging windes, straunge sicknesse and diseases, sodaine death of magistrates, nor any thing els can procure thée to prostrat thy selfe before the mightie God which hath béene so mercifull and giuen thée so large a time of repen­tance, yet once againe the Lorde doth knocke at thy Dore, and biddeth thée at the last, while it is called to day, not onely to marke and behold with thy outwarde eye, the hailestones of vnaccustomed bignesse, which hath beaten to the ground and cleane spoiled the corne and fruite in the parish of Stock­bery in Kent, but also to print the remembraunce thereof in thy hart, and bitterly lament the cause thereof, and with an vnfained soule aske mercy of him for thy sinnes, lest a worse thing happen vnto thée: for as easie had it béene for the migh­tie God to haue with the same haile spoiled the corne in all the land, as to haue smitten so small a plotte, and as iustly might he haue done the same, but he whose propertie is euer to haue mercy, hath onely sent vs a taste of his heauie dis­pleasure, that by harty sorrow we might reforme our liues [Page 5]and so preuent the insuing plagues.

Vpon Fryday the nintenth of Iune last past, 1590. betwéene thrée and foure of the clocke in the after noone, there beganne a mightie tempest of haile, in the parish of Stockbery in Kent, so grieuous and terrible to behold, that the people were not onely amazed thereat, but also were striken into such a feare therewith that they knew not which way to turne them: the stones were so great, and fell with such a mightie force, in so much that the Church and all the houses which had windowes on the South side, had all the same windowes broken downe with the haile, as well the lead as the glasse, and nothing left standing but the bar [...] frame, but most lamentable to report, all such men as had ei­ther corne on the ground, or fruite on their trées, had it quite beaten downe to the earth, and the fruite beaten off with the leaues and sprigs most pitifull to behold: and although the tempest lasted not long, yet for the time it was most terrible and great hurt was done thereby: Maister Potman hath lost by the same tempest to the vallue of an hundred pound in corne. Goodman Allin hath lost fiftie and sixe Acres of wheat, no man will giue twentie shillinges for it all, in so much that it is faine to be mowne vp with sithes to make fodder there­of. Iohn Séede hath lost twelue Acres of wheate, all which is good for nothing. Goodman Edwardes hath lost all the corne he hath. William Lot of Cowsted hath also lost to the vallue of twentie poundes in wheat, pease, and tares: like­wise diuers others haue sustained great losse both of corne and fruite, as maister Hakes, goodman Kerbye, goodman Plat, Ieremy, Taylor, Bartelmew, and diuers other. To conclude, all the Wheate, Rye, Pease, Tares, Barley, Hempe, Fruite, Cheries with the leaues and braunches was with this mightie halle smitten and brused that it is vnprofitble for any thing, and (which is most straunge) we doe not heare of any harme done in any place els. Maister Edwardes garden consisting altogether of fruite, is worse by twentie pounde then it was: Maister Knights Gar­den is cleane spoiled to his great losse and hinderaunce,

And here is to be noted the great prouidence of God to­ward his seruants, a certaine maide dwelling with the same master knight, hauing been abroad the same instant to fetch in a company of young géese or goslinges, had her armes smitten with the hayle in such sort that the bloud gushed out at diuers places, and yet it pleased God that none of them should light eyther vpon her head or face, wherby she might be eyther brayned or disfigured the hailestones being some foure inches and a halfe about, and fiue inches of assise, good measure, neither do I heare that any man, woman, childe, or any other liuing beast was hurt therewith, the Lorde be thanked therefore. And God so preserued the poore parish of Hartlen being within lesse then a mile of Stockburie, that it receiued no harme at all, his name be blessed therefore. The persons here that sustayned this losse, I haue by name set downe, to the end that all those that knowe the men or their dwelling place, may inquire whether this report be true or no, and for the better satisfying of the courteous rea­der. But if any should estéeme hereof as a matter of chance or fortune, or as a thing done by naturall course of the pla­nets, that it should fall in that place, and worke such harme there aboue all other places, I would wish such men to con­sider & search in the booke of God, if thereby he can confirme his opinion, but if a sparrowe cannot light vpon the ground without Gods permission and prouidence, as our Sauiour affirmeth, how then can so great a punishment light in so small a compasse without his speciall direction, is there any euill (sayth the Lord) done in the Citie, which I doe not (yet is not the Lord author of that euill) your destruction is of your selues, O ye house of Israell, but grace and mercie commeth from me (sayth the Lord.) No, the diuell himselfe could not touch, neither the goods, nor the bodie of iust Iob, before the Lord had giuen him leaue, therefore we must of force confesse that this was a punishment for sinne. Our ingratitude against God, our malice and enuie one towards an other, our crueltie and oppression, fraud and deceipt, hath deserued farre worse plagues then this, for there is no truth [Page 7]nor feare of God in the land, no loue, pittie, nor mercie one toward an other. For why? the foole hath sayd in his hart there is no God, they are all gone out of the way they are altogether become abhominable, there is none that doeth good no not one. Therefore let vs not excuse our selues and thinke these men are greater sinners then we, because they haue tasted of more punishment then we, but except we re­pent a greater plague is prepared for vs, which GOD for Christes sake turne away, and so direct our hearts & minds, that we may alwayes doe those thinges which are most a­gréeable to thy blessed will, that both our life and death may be to the glorie of thy holy name. And hereby are we taught to knowe, that nothing on earth is parmanent or lasting, but that we are as stewards of the Lorde to render account for that which is committed into our handes, therefore as well aduersitie, as prosperitie is to be taken thankefully, in vaine therefore do men promise vnto themselues that which they know not how long they shall enioy, in consideration whereof, Saint Paule doth admonish, that if riches doe a­bound we should not set our hearts thereon, but vse them to the glory of him that gaue them, and not to be like vnto him that built his barnes bigger, and saide vnto himselfe, soule take thy rest and case, for thou art stord for many yéeres, but answere was by and by made, Thou foole this night shal thy soule be taken from thée, and then whose shal all these things be. Let no man therefore bragge of that he hath, as too ma­ny in these dayes doo, saying this is my owne, and that is my possession to dispose at my pleasure, and who shall let me to doo with mine owne as it séemeth good in my eyes, but the Apostle sayth, vnthankefull man, what hast thou, which thou hast not receiued, if then thou didst receiue it, why dost thou boast as if thou hadst not receaued it. In déede thou doest labour and till the earth, thou sowest séede and takest paines, but except the Lord blesse thy labour, all is lost, and yet herein thou doest but thy duetie, for the Lord hath com­manded that with the sweate of thy face thou shouldest get thy bread. Therefore thy paine of it selfe deserueth no be­nefite [Page 8]at all, but it is the Lordes goodnesse to send a blessing to thy labour, for which he requesteth nothing but a thank­full heart. Neither let them grudge that haue tasted of this fatherly correction, for whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and scourgeth euerie sonne that he receiueth, therefore they may rather say with the Prophet Dauid, it was good for me that the Lord did chasten me, for in my prosperitie I sayd, I can neuer be remooued: and with Iob conferre, the Lorde doth giue, and the Lorde doth take away, as it pleaseth the Lord so commeth things to passe, blessed be the name of the Lord. Moreouer, hereby is their faith tryed, and their pa­tient heart made knowen among Christians, saying with the iust man shall I receiue good thinges at the hande of my God, and not be content to receiue some bad thinges also? Heauinesse may endure for a night, but ioy commeth in the morning: let them consider that he which cast them downe can rayse them vp, for the Lorde doth neuer fayle those that put their trust in him, Those which are neighbours to these men, and all that shall heare of this calamitie, call vnto your minde, that if the Lord should deale in iustice, you had deser­ued as much as they, neither doe we knowe howe soone the Lord will visite vs, knowing that both our goods and liues doo rest at his pleasure, to spare, or to spoyle, as séemeth good in his sight, reioyce therefore at no mans fall, least a greater destruction come vppon thy selfe, but rather as the Apostle sayth, reioyce with them that reioyce, & mourne with them that mourne, be like affected one toward an other, knowing we haue one God to our Father, one Christ to our Redée­mer, and one holy-Ghost to our Sanctifier, therfore as mē­bers of one bodie, let vs beare one anothers sorrowe, & séeke to succor one an other with all gladnesse of hart, because we know not howe soone we may haue neede our selues: and withall let all men, women, and children pray vnto God, and with earnest & hūble harts desire him to turne those plagues from vs which our wickednes haue most iustly deserued and be more thankefull henceforth for the blessings which so long he hath bestowed vpon vs which the Lord grant for Christs sake, Amen,