<Articles>The London Earthquake and Divine Punishment (Special Issue : DISASTERS in History and in our time)

On April 6, 1580 a great earthquake occurred at lat. 51.060°N. and long. 1.6000°E., which is located in the Strait of Dover where a number of powerful earthquakes struck This earthquake is quite famous and usually called the London Earthquake. Its intensity was estimated at a magnitude of 5.8 with a depth of 22km in the UK Historical Earthquake Database of the BGS. It shook the British Isles and the continental Europe. The definition of 'disaster' in the sixteenth century meant 'an unfavourable aspect of a star or planet' in English, not a calamity (OED). The meaning of calamity as disaster appeared in the later Elizabethan Age, but in this case it meant a misfortune associated with an ominous aspect of the stars. The earthquake in the sixteenth century was not a natural disaster, as one is understood today. It was one of the signs of God's wrath. Views of disaster regulate disaster prevention measures. An act of God is not an object of prevention. Just after the London Earthquake, Edmund Grindal, archbishop of Canterbury, directed his archdeacon William Redman and his Commissary Thomas Lawse that rectors, vicars and curates were to admonish parishioners to come to church to attend services, to save one meal or a part of it for poor relief, and to pray to God for mercy with their families at night. In June, the political authorities published an occasional prayer titled The order of Prayer, and other exercises, upon Wednesdayes and Frydayes, to auert and turne Gods wrath from us, threatned by the late terrible earthquake : to be used in all Parish Churches and housholdes throughout ye Realme, by order giuen from the Queenes Maiesties most honourable Priuie Counsel. This was the only relief measure for victims of the disaster observed at that time. Several writers, such as Thomas Churchyard, Thomas Twyne, Anthony Munday, Abraham Fleming, Arthur Golding, Raphael Holinshed, William Camden and John Strype, referred to the London Earthquake. They considered it a token of God's indignation and a punishment by God. William Fulke in his A Godly Gallerye with a most pleasaunt Prospect, into the Garden of natural contemplation, to behold the natural causes of all kynde of Meteors argued that the primary efficient cause was God. An earthquake was not a physical phenomenon, but a spiritual and religious one. It follows that more fatal misfortunes must happen unless people repent of their sins. And seismological theory, which originated with Aristotle, had to be harmonized with Christianity. While Fulke and Golding, who written an official report of the London Earthquake in his A Discourse upon the Earthquake, presented a systematic theory of earthquakes, they maintained that the London Earthquake had been a warning by God of forthcoming divine punishment. Golding, who had close relations to William Cecil, Secretary of State, argued that the lack of orderly discipline and catechism would send people back again to papistry or drive them to godless atheism Earthquakes, thunder, lightning, tempests, or the birth of deformed child were God's warnings. The theory of divine vengeance was considered a variety of rational thought. The slight damage of the London Earthquake could net be understood as divine punishment, but at best a warning from God. The problem with which they dealt involved the improvement in religious life rather than recovery from physical damages. They were interested in real repentance of human beings. Writers mentioned damages caused by this earthquake, but they had little concerned for restoration On the other hand, awareness of divine punishment received institutional support. Commination was included in the Book of Common Prayer. Edmund Grindal said that parsons should read the commination at least four times every year. Grindal had much interest in divine punishment for he remembered that Edward VI had died just after an earthquake at Croydon. And commination was also mentioned in many Visitation Articles. Most bishops t