A DISCOURSE OF THE Several kinds and causes of Lightnings. Written by occasion of a fearful Lightning which on the 17. day of this instant November, Anno Domini 1606. did in a very short time burn up the spire steeple of Blechingley in Surrey, and in the same melt into infinite fragments a goodly Ring of Bells. BY SIMON HARWARD. Psal. 145. Vers. 17. The Lord is just in all his ways, and holy in all his works. THOU SHALT LABOUR FOR PEACE PLENTY LONDON Printed by john Windet, and are to be sold by jefferey Chorlton at his shop near the North door of Paul's. 1607. Honoratissimo Domino D. HOWARDO, Baroni de Effingham, illustrissimi Comitis Notingamiensis filio et heredi domino suo colendissimo omnia prospera & faelicia. * ⁎ * CVi potius munus (praeclare ac nobilis Heros) Hoc donare queam (sit licet exiguum) quam tibi cuius in auxilio Blechingleienses I am tristes totam spem posuere suam? Sperant permultos per te (domine inclite) amicos Tempore posse quidem se reperire brevi, Per quos campanae amissae sibi restituantur, Debito ut ad templum tempore conveniant, Concipiantque preces humiles ut Rex jacobus Vivat, sit sanus, floreat, & vigeat, Semper & Howardoes solito amplectatur amore, Sic villa haec saluam se fore non dubitat, Sic Christoque (vir ample) placebis, qui tibi donet Nestoreos, sanos, omni in honore, dies. Amplitudini tuae devotissimus, Simon Harward. The preface to the Christian Reader. IT is not without great cause pronounced by the wise man, Eccles. 9.1. that no man knoweth either love or hatred, which Saint Bernard doth expound to be meant of natural man, that man by nature doth not know whether he be in the love or in the hatred of god, but the spiritual man doth discern all things. But saint Hierom doth better interpret it to be spoken of things under the Sun, which words, are used by Solomon five several times in the self same chapter. By things then under the Sun, that is by the outward accidents of this life, no man can discern either love or hatred, because sorrows, sicknesses, losses and calamities, do befall to the godly as well as to the wicked, but the trial of ourselves doth consist in inward graces, to wit, with what faith in God, and what love toward God we endure the said afflictions, what good uses we make of them to ourselves, and how in the midst of them all we do possess our souls with patience. Sundry fearful punishments by lightnings have been inflicted in many corners of this land, in this clear light of the preaching of the gospel, partly upon Paul's in London, and partly on other places of this realm. And the like or far greater have been showed, heretofore in the time of Popery and blindness. The french chronicles do testify that in the year of our Lord 1534. (at which time France was overwhelmed with idolatry & superstition) the city of Claravalla being stricken with lightning about noon days did so fiercely burn, that in three hours space their town castles and churches were utterly consumed. We must needs acknowledge that our sins do deserve a far deeper punishment than did the offences of our forefathers. They were as servants sent out in the night time, and therefore if they miss their way, their faults cannot be so heavy as ours who are as servants sent out of the clear day light: where God giveth one talon, he expecteth the increase of one, but where he giveth ten talents; he doth justly demand the increase of ten. What uses we are to make of these judgements of God under the Sun, I have briefly according to the shortness of time set down in this small treatise, which here now I do commit to thy view, & both thee and it to the good blessing of the Almighty. From Bansted this twentieth of November An. Dom. 1606. Thine in the Lord, S.H. A DISCOURSE OF THE SEVERAL Kinds and Causes of lightnings. WHen the Lord Almighty, doth any where show extraordinary tokens of his judgements, it behoveth such as near dwellers to resort to the place, and not only to take view of the punishment, but also to lay it deeply to their hearts. For there are some punishments, which in Greek are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, punishments of vengeance, there are some which are termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, punishments of correction, and means to draw us to amendment of life, and some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, punishments of trial, to try our faith and patience. The consideration whereof moved me this present week to visit the town of Blechingley, being a town not only near unto me, but also having such inhabitants, as unto whom for many years, for sundry kindnesses I am much beholden, when I came, I found their case to be equal (if not worse) then the rumour or report, which was before published. I found that by the lightning (which came with the terrible thunder on Monday, being the 17. day of this instant November, about ten of the clock in the night) the Spire steeple of the said Bleachingley, having been lately new covered to the great charges of the parish in three hours space, was utterly consumed with fire. The steeple was but about twelve fathom high above the battlements of the square stone work: but it was a steeple spreading downward very large in circumference. The stone work which bore it (being also about twelve fathom high) is a long square of one & twenty feet one side, and eighteen feet the other side. It is thought by good workmen, that two hundred loads of timber will not suffice for the erecting of such a steeple, as that stone-worke did lately bear. I found also the bells (being before a sweet ring, and so large, that the Tenor weighed twenty hundred weight) partly melted into such fragments, as may perhaps be melted again, and partly burnt into such cinders, or intermingled with such huge heaps of cinders, as it will never hereafter serve to the former uses thereof. These grievous losses are by diverse sorts of people in sundry ways interpreted. Some do account of them as a particular judgement of God against the sins of the inhabitants of that town of Blechingley. But I am not of their opinion, partly, because, as I cannot excuse the inhabitants of the said town of sundry gross abuses, so am I fully persuaded, a number of towns near adjoining to them, are in the like iniquities, nothing inferior to them, and partly, because in the extremity of this fire upon the church, the town and townsmen were miraculously preserved. The church standeth in the East end of the town, and the wind (though it sometimes changed) yet it still kept near the west point, & drove the flame fronward from the houses: A thatched barn, and certain poor houses near adjoining to the Church, were so wonderfully preserved, that we must needs confess and acknowledge, that in the midst of judgement there shined mercy. Some do descant upon the day, because the Bells did thus perish in that seventeenth day of November, wherein for so many former happy years they had joyfully sounded for the reign of good Queen Elizabeth. But let such know, that there needeth no other Bell, but only a noble fame to sound out the virtues of such a learned and religious Queen: and that fame (maugre the despite of all adversaries) must and will ring out her praises, even unto the ends of the world. If the Bells had been cast in our late Queen's reign, than might the Papists pick occasion to take some colour of advantage. They might say, that the Bells were never christened and hallowed, as by their laws they should have been, and that therefore the lightning prevailed against them. But the Bells were all ancient Bells, the eldest man in the parish cannot remember the casting of any of them, the third bell only excepted. All the rest, as they were framed in time of Popery, so (no doubt) they had the blessing and baptizing at that time used, and were hallowed by that prayer in the Mass book. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus tu hoc tintinnabulum coelesti benedictione perfunde, Benedictio Campana. ut ante sonitum eius longius effugentur ignita iacula inimici, percussio fulminum, impetus lapidum, laesio tempestatum. Almighty everlasting God, besprinkle this bell with thy heavenly blessing, that at the sound thereof, the fiery darts of the enemy, the striking of lightnings, the stroke of thunderbolts, and hurts of tempests may far be put to flight. The cause indeed why the lightning at this time did prevail both against bells and steeple, was because it was the good pleasure of God, thus to show his omnipotent power to stir up as well the inhabitants of the said town, as us all, to fear him, & to give us some taste of his judgements, to summon us all to true repentance. The Philosophers Aristole, Pliny, Seneca, and others, do point out many natural causes of lightnings, but when they consider the wonderful effects thereof, they are compelled to acknowledge a divine power, far above the reach of all human reason. Seneca lib. 2. Natur. quaest. As Seneca saith, Mira sunt fulminis si intueri velis opera, nec quicquam dubii relinquentia, quin divina insit illis & occulta potentia. The operations of lightnings (if you behold them) are wonderful, and do leave no doubt, but that there is in them a divine and secret power. Pontanus in meteorolog. Pontanus maketh three especial kinds of lightnings. Scinditque uritque & longo serat aera hiatu. One is a renting lightning, another a burning, and the third doth cut through the air with a long dispersing. The lightning which is scattered more generally through the air, is of less and weaker force, but that which is gathered into a lesser compass, is of greater strength, and according to the several effects hath sundry divers names given unto it. One is called fulmen scindens a cutting or renting lightning, because by the abundance of spirits and dryness it is so swift in operation, that it renteth before it can inflame: of that the phophet David speaketh when, he saith The voice of the Lord breaketh the Cedar trees, Psal. 29.3. yea the Lord breaketh the Cedars of Libanus. another lightning is called penetrans, a piercing lightning, because by the purity of the flame, it pierceth through such outward parts as have powers of passage, & worketh his forces inwardly▪ of that Pontanus speaketh Pontanus. lib. meteor. cap.▪ 16 hominemque bovemque, exanimat nulla ut maneant vestigia mortis. Of man and beast it kills both kind, And leaves no print of death behind. It pierceth through the outward pores of the body and slayeth the vital parts within. So it killeth the child in the mother's womb, leaving the mother safe: and it melteth the silver in the purse, the purse sustaining no damage. This penetrant lightning is of such force, that it pierceth oftentimes bodies which can hardly be accounted transpirable, as when it corrupteth wine and bear, be the vessels never so strongly made, or be the orifices thereof never so strongly stopped Pontan. ibid. There is also a lightning infuscans, which maketh black, but by reason of the subtility and thinness it flieth away before it can burn, of that Pontanus speaketh. Non faciem non ora hominum non corpora noris. The body from the foot to face, With blackness it doth quite disgrace. another lightning is termed urens, a burning lightning, It hath much earthly matter, it breaking through the clouds doth fall down, and doth burn, melt or spoil, those bodies upon which it descendeth. Some lightnings are prodigious, so surpassing the reason of man, that no natural cause can be rendered thereof: as Eutropius showeth a history of a maid of Rome, who travailing to Apulis, was killed with lightning (no haim outwardly appearing in her body) and at the same instant her garments were also shaken off without any rent, and her horse also killed, and his bridle and girths shaken off without any breach. Of such lightnings Pontanus writeth. Pontanus lib. meteorolog. Nunc ipsis etiam in stabulis (mirabile dictu, Quadripedem exoluit, pedibus quoque ferrea demit Vincula & intacto terram quatit ungula cornu, Illaesus sonipes alta ad praecepia mandit. Oft from the horse (O wonder great) it shaketh of the iron lock, The stead still at the cratch doth eat, and nothing harmed by the knock. That lightning should shake iron fetters from the the feet of horses, and nothing hurt the hoof, this doth Pontan. call a miraculous lightning. The causes of the grievous harms which are often caused by lightnings, are of three sorts, the first judicial, the second instructtive: and the third fatidical. The judicial cause is, when the Lord doth by it execute vengeance upon some notable offenders, as upon blasphemers, upon sorcerers, upon ambitious men, bloodsuckers, Sabellinus & Paulus Diaconus. drunkards, adulterers, and such like, Olympius an Arriau Bishop when being at Carthage, he blasphemed the blessed Trinity, he had by the judgement of God his body suddenly burnt with lightning. So Sabellinus showeth a history of one Prester the son of Hippomanes, who blaspheming God was stricken with a thunderbolt and perished. The thunderbolt cometh of the viscous & sulphurous matter of the lightning: for as the Gunner's wildfires do flame in the water, so lightnings (being much of the same nature) have been often seen to burn Fishers nets even under the water. And as meal and water kneaded together and baked, do grow into a hardness, so the dry and viscous exhalation is by force of the heat in thunder hardened into a stone. Zonarus tom. 2 Annalium. Another sin, which God doth punish with lightnings is Magic and Sorcery. As Zonaras writeth, that Anastasius the Emperor in the year of Christ 499. being addicted to Magic and the Manichean heresy, did persecute such Christians as reproved his sins and wickedness. But at the last, lightning came fearfully about his house called Tholotum, he crept from chamber to chamber to seek where he might be safest: but nothing would prevail. The flashes in the end overtook him, and he perished miserably. 2. Reg. cap. 1. vers. 10. So in the second Book of the Kings, fire came down from heaven upon the two captains of Ahazia king of Israel, and upon both their bands of man, and destroyed them, because their Lord the King had highly displeased God, when in the time of his sickness he sent his servants to consult with Beelzebub the god of Ackron. Another sin plagued usually by lightnings, Dionys. Halyc. lib. 1. Antiq. is Pride and Ambition. Dionysius Halicarnassaeus showeth, that Alladius an ancient king of the Latins (who reigned before Romulus) was so proud and ambitious, that he counterfeited thunderings and lightnings about his palace, because he would be esteemed as a god amongst his people. But at the last, his Palace was set on fire with lightning from heaven, and in the same he fearfully perished. So Diodorus Siculus writeth of a king of Clide, Diodor. Sic. li. 4▪ who caused himself to be drawn up and down in a Chariot, wherein were devices of Torches and squibbes counterfeiting thunders and lightnings, that so he might be deemed a god amongst his subjects: but in the height of his ambition he was stricken with a thunderbolt from heaven, and came to a most wretched end. This then is one cause why lightnings do commonly strike the highest places, according to that of Horace, Feriuntque summos fulmina montes. Lightnings strike commonly the hills that are most high. Not only because the highest places are most subject to the injuries of the clouds, seeing every agent doth work most strongly upon his nearest matter (as the Philosophers give the reason) and because evil spirits dwelling in the air, Eph. 6.12. do most seek to annoy Temples and Churches, which commonly are the highest edifices, Garcaeus lib. de Meteorolog. (as some Divines do give the cause) but also because by that example, God doth warn mankind, not to seek to extol itself by haughtiness of mind. And this was seen by the Poet Ovid: Vive tibi, quantumque potes praelustria vita, Saewm praelustri fulmen ab arce venit. Live to thyself, and too much height avoid, High towers are by lightnings most annoide. another sin plagued with lightning is cruelty, and bloodshed, that so judgement may be without mercy to them that show no mercy. Hatto the Bishop of Mentz when in the year of Christ 918, jam. 2. by the instigation of Conrade the Emperor: he endeavoured to murder Henry Duke of Saxony, was suddenly slain with a stroke of lightning. For this cause is the Lord in the Scripture, so often called the Lord of hosts, that is the Lord of Armies: Malac. 1. jerem. 5. because all things in heaven and earth, are a part of his Army to plague the wicked, and to fight for the godly. In the heavens he hath fire, to power down upon Sodom and Gomorrah: he hath in the air, thunderings, lightnings and blazing stars to terrify the hearts of the wicked: he hath the earth to swallow up Core, Dathan and Abiram: the sea to drown Pharaoh and his Army: Dogs to lick up jezabels' blood, bears to devour them that mocked Elizeus: the canker-worm and Caterpillar to destroy the fruits of the ungodly, yea there is no Creature so vile and base, but it is a part of the host of God to punish and destroy, even the mightiest in the world. Herod and Antiochus were two monstrous tyrants, yet was one of them destroyed with louse, and the other with worms. Lightning hath but a poor and base beginning of exhalations, drawn up from the earth, yet by the power of God, being inflamed & gathering force in the air, it is enabled to confound whatsoever doth exalt itself against God his divine Majesty. another sin which God doth punish with fire from Heaven, is drunkenness and whoredom, as Ezechiel cap. 16. doth show of the destruction of Sodom, that it was for their fullness of bread, that is excess of meats and drinks, according to the Hebrew Phrase, and for their committing abomination, that is, for their filthy and damnable lusts. Concerning these things, I take not upon me to judge of the inhabitants of the town lately punished: But I pray God, that every one may now so judge himself, that he be no hereafter further judged of the Lord. The second cause of the harms done by lightnings, is for instructions sake, that others may learn to take heed and to fear God, and in this respect God doth sometimes punish his dearest servants. In the year of our Saviour, 1551. an honest Citizen of Creutzburge, Garcaeus lib. de meteorolog. standing by his table, and a dog laying by his feet, were both of them suddenly slain by a lightning: yet a young child which stood hard by his Father, was preserved safe. job his flock of seven thousand sheep & his servants, job. 1.16. were suddenly destroyed with fire from heaven, not so much for the sins of job and his family, as to try the faith of job, and to make him a schoolmaster of Patience to all posterity. So it falleth out in all other kinds of punishments: Luk. 13.1. Do you think (saith our Saviour Christ) that those Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices, were greater sinners than all other Galileans? I tell yond nay, but except ye amend your lives ye shall likewise perish: or think ye that those eighteen upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell; were sinners above all them which dwell in jerusalem? I tell you nay, but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. joh. 9.3. The blind man in the ninth of Saint john was borne blind? neither for his own sins, nor for his parents sins, but that the power of God might be showed forth upon him. There is none so desperate, but will he, nill he, shall by thunderings and lightnigns receive admonition, if not to instruct him to amendment of life, yet at the least wise to condemn him in his own guilty conscience: we read of Caligula the Emperor, that in fearful thundering●s he would creep under beds and into the-strongest corners of his house, Whereof came this, butthat he understood there, by that there was a God in heaven, whose voice he did then hear, and who in the end would assuredly be revenged of his ambitious, cruel, and filthy life. The third chief cause of fearful lightnings is called fatidical, or prognostical, Garcaeus in Meteorol when God doth by them forewarn us of greater calamities to fall afterward upon us, unless we amend our wicked and sinful life. In the year of our Lord God. 653. at Frisazium a town of Saxony a great number both of houses and people were destroyed with lightning, but there followed afterward a grievous plague grassant over the whole Country. So in the year 653. in the time of Constance the Emperor a fearful fire fell from heaven, but shortly after for the space of three months together their followed a most grievous pestilence upon all the places adjoining. So in the year 1062. in the month of February there fell terrible lightnings upon the City of Constance, but presently upon it an infectious plague did wonderfully waste that City. God of his infinite mercy grant us such true repentance for our sins and such unfeigned conversion from our ungodly behaviour, that these his judgements thus threatened upon us may favourably be turned aside. And the Lord grant that in all his judgements powered out upon our neighbours we may rather in godly wisdom make good uses of them to ourselves, and in charity seek to relieve such as be in distressen, then either by pride to insult upon their losses, or by shutting up our bowels of compassion to augment their griefs and miseries. Sundry are the remedies which are described by sundry writers against the dangers of lightnings, some of them are philosophical, Garc. in Meet. as when they appoint that in thunders and lightnings men should either shoot up ordinance into to the air, or ring bells that by the stirring of the air the clouds may be the sooner dispersed ●nd driven away, For as a stone cast into the water doth make first one circle and that circle maketh a greater until the greatest of all do touch the bank or side, even so (say they) the tossing of the air by Guns or bells doth affect the air next to it and that air again the air next to it until at last it come to the clouds by which the thunderings and lightnings are made. And this they make also to be the cause why (although the lightning and thunder are in time both together) yet the lightning cometh sooner to our eyes, than the thunder to our ears. For the line to our sight is a right line, but the line of sounds beating the air is circular, or gyrical, gyrical as I have showed by the aforesaid example of the stone cast into the water. So when we see a man hewing wood a far off, the sight of the stroke cometh to our sight before sound of the noise (which beateth the air circularely) can come to our hearing. Others appoint mere Magical, that is wicked and ungodly remedies, to wit to hang about the neck or body enchanted herbs, stones or jewels. Such devices savouring of sorceries can in no wise be agreeable to true Christianity. Some have taught that bay trees & the skins of seacalues are remedies against the dangers of lightnings. Whereupon Suetonius affirmeth, that Tiberius Cesar would crown himself with bay bows, & cover his tents with the skins of sea calves. Vt a fulmine tutus esset, that he might be safe from lightnings. The only true remedy is first by true faith, Psal. 92. v. 1, et 5. to put our full trust in God. For (as the prophet David saith) If we abide under shadow of the Almighty, we shall not be afraid of any fears of the night, nor of the arrow that flieth by day: and secondly, by hearty repentance to remove the causes of Gods heavy judgements, Isay. 59.1. Psal. 112. v. 1.4. & 6. & 7. and to forsake all such sins as do make a division betwixt God and us. The Prophet David pronounceth of him that delighteth in God's commandments, and is merciful and leudeth and will guide his words with discretion that he shall not be afraid of any evil tidings he shall surely never be removed but the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance. These graces he grant to us that died for us even jesus Christ the righteous, to whom with the father and the holy ghost as well for judgements as for mercy, be all honour, glory, praise, majesty, and thanksgiving now and for ever, Amen. An addition of the Author showing the opinions of Philosophers and Astronomers touching thunderings and Lightnings. THe general natural cause which the Phlosophers do give of Thunders and Lightnings is this. First a viscous vapour joined with a hot exhalation is lifted up to the highest part of the middle region of the air, by virtue of the Planets: then the watery vapour by the coldness both of place and of matter, is thickened into a cloud, and the exhalation (which was drawn up with it) is shut within the cloud, and driven into straits. This hot exhalation flying the touching of the cold cloud, doth fly into the depth of the cloud that doth compass it about, and courseth up and down in the cloud, seeking some passage out, which when it cannot find, it maketh a way by force, and being kindled, by the violent motion it breaketh through the cloud. If the sides of the hollow cloud be thick, and the exhalation dry and copious, then there is made both thunder and lightning: but if the cloud be thin, and the exhalation also rare and thin, then there is lightning without thunder. The thunder than cometh, when the fiery spirits and exhalations being (as it were) shut up in prison, do by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wrestle with the congealed vapours which have imprisoned them. The like we see in all moist bodies which have a hot spirit so included, that it cannot get out, the Chestnut in roasting amongst cinders giveth a crack, a bladder filled with air, being violently broken maketh a noise. When green wood is burned, the spirits burst out with some little crack: but gunpowder issuing out of ordinance maketh afar greater sound. The clouds then which do far exceed the greatness of mountains must needs give out a more forcible roaring. Especially seeing that in them there is added a more principal operation of the handy work of God, whereupon thunder in the Scriptures is called the thunder of God, Psal. 77.17. The voice of thy thunder was heard round about. And Psal. 104.7. at the voice of thy thunder they are afraid. So Psal. 18.13. The Lord thundered out of heaven, and the most highest gave out his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. So job. 38.25. Who doth divide the spouts for the rain, or the way for the lightnings of the thunder? as if he should say: none can do it but God alone. The Poet saw somewhat by natural reason, when he said, Siquoties peccant homines sua fulmina mittat jupiter exiguo tempore inermis erit. If God should with his lightning fight As oft as men offend, In little space of time he might His weapons wholly spend. The Astrologers as in other points they vary, so in their predictions, by thunderings and lightnings they do greatly disagree. Beda. Beda saith Tonitrua in Novembri sterilitatem im minere ex alto quasi tuba praecinunt. Thunders in November do as with a trumpet sound out from heaven to us a dearth and scarcity, and if they happen on monday, then turmas coniugum morituras & fruges passuras that companies of married folks shall die, corn & fruit suffer harm Hermes. But Hermes is of a contrary mind: He saith tonnitrua Novembris frumenti largum proventum & hominum hilaritatem promittunt. The thunders of November do promise great store of corn, and joy and gladness amongst men. This lightning on mondy the 17. of November did not only this harm in Surry, but also it afflicted Sussex and divers other places. It was very strange that at the same time when it fired Bleachingley steeple it entered also so into the house of one Stephen Lugsford of Buckstead in Sussex almost twenty miles from Bleachingley and melting the lead of his glass windows did with great violence break through and rend in sunder a strong brick chimney: the man is of honest report and zealous in religion, we must not therefore judge of men by those outward accidents, but commit all judgement to God to whom it doth belong. If lightnings have any predictions, they have as well good as bad. The mother of Hierom Fracastorius (who afterward became a famous scholar) carrying the said Hierom (when he was a young infant) in her arms was stricken with lightning and slain, whereas notwithstanding the young child was unhurt and untouched, and preserved (as the sequel showed) for the greater good of the common wealth. Psal. 77. vers. 13. Who is so great a God as our God? thou art the God that dost wonders, thou hast declared thy power among the people. FINIS. ERRATA. Fol. 3. Apulia. Sabellicus. Fol. 4 for ●lid. Ibid. Salmoneus.