A TRUE RELATION OF THOSE SAD AND LAMENTABLE Accidents, which happened in and about the Parish Church of Withycombe in the Dartmoores, in Devonshire, on Sunday the 21. of October last, 1638.  PSAL. 46. 8. 
Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth.  ANCHORA SPEI  printer's device of George Miller (1601-46) depicting an anchor held by a pair of hands from the clouds 
LONDON, Printed by G. M. for R: Harford, and are to be sold at his shop in Queenes-head-alley in Pater-noster-row at the guilt Bible, 1638.   

A TRUE RELATION OF those most strange and lamentable Accidents, happening in the Parish Church of Withycombe in Devonshire on Sunday the 21. of October. 1638.  

Christian Readers,  
GOD'S visible judgements, and terrible remonstrances (which every morning are brought to light) coming unto our knowledge, should be our observation and admonition, that thereby the inhabitants of the earth may learn Righteousness, 
Eph. 3. 5.  for to let them pass by us (as water runs by our doors) unobserved; argues too much regardlessness of GOD in the way of his judgements: 
Isa. 26. 9, 11.  not to suffer them to sink into our affections, and to prove as so many terrible warning pieces, which are shot off from a watch Tower, to give notice of an enemy's approach, to awaken and affright us; are but a means to harden our hearts against the Lord, and to awaken his justice to punish us yet more: But to hear and fear and to 
Paena paucorum terror omnium.  do wickedly no more; to search our hearts and amend our ways is the best use that can be made of any of GOD'S remarkable terrors manifested among us. When GOD is angry with us, it ought to be our wisdom to meet him, and make peace with him: And where we see legible Characters of his power and wrath; to learn to spell out his meaning touching ourselves; to leave off all busy, malicious, causeless, and unchristianly censuring of others, and to turn in upon ourselves, remembering, Vel paenitendum, vel pereundum, Except we repent, 
Luk. 13. 5.  we shall likewise perish. Certain it is that we do in vain expect immunity from GOD'S judgements by slighting, or contemning them, or increasing in our sinnings against him. If Pharaoh by the terror of thundering and lightning was so affrighted that he saith to Moses, Entreat the Lord (for it is enough) that there be no more 
Exo 9 28.  mighty thunderings and Hail. And if Caligula, out of the fear of thunder, would run under his bed to hide himself: How much more should we Christians learn to fear and tremble before the most mighty GOD, whose voice only can shake the mountains and rend the rocks, and divide the flames of 
Psal. 29.  fire; rends Churches, amazeth, and strikes dead at his pleasure the sons of men? as the Prophet David saith, He doth whatsoever he pleaseth in Heaven and Earth, He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth, and maketh lightnings for the rain, and bringeth the wind out of the treasures of the earth, so unsearchable is his Wisdom, and his ways past finding out. I say, this should awe and humble our hearts before the LORD, rising up unto more perfection in godliness, doing unto our GOD, more and better service than ever hitherto we have done, reverencing and sanctifying his dreadful Name in our hearts: especially when his judgements break in upon men, even in his own house, mingling their blood with their sacrifices, and that in a most terrible manner smiting, and wounding, and killing, as in this ensuing Relation may appear: which for the suddenness and strangeness, and in a manner miraculous, considering the circumstances thereof, I believe few Ages can parallel, or produce the like. The Lord teach thee to profit thereby, that it may be as a Sermon preached to thee from Heaven by the Lord himself.   

Upon Sunday the 21. of October last, In the Parish Church of Withycombe in the Dartmoores in Devonshire, there fell in time of Divine Service a strange darkness, increasing more and more, so that the people there assembled could not see to read in any book, and suddenly in a fearful and lamentable manner, a mighty thundering was heard, the rattling whereof did answer much like unto the sound and report of many great Cannons, and terrible strange lightning therewith, greatly amazing those that heard and saw it, the darkness increasing yet more, till they could not (in the interim) see one another; the extraordinary lightning came into the Church so flaming, that the whole Church was presently filled with fire and smoke, the smell whereof was very loathsome, much like unto the sent of brimstone, some said they saw at first a great fiery ball come in at the window and pass through the Church, which so affrighted the whole Congregation that the most part of them fell down into their seats, and some upon their knees, some on their faces, and some one upon another, with a great cry of burning and scalding, they all giving up themselves for dead, supposing the last judgement day was come, and that they had been in the very flames of Hell.  
The Minister of the Parish, Master George Lyde, being in the Pulpit or seat where prayers are read, however he might be much astonished hereat, yet through GOD'S mercy had no other harm at all in his body, but to his much grief and amazement heard, and afterward beheld the lamentable accidents; and although himself was not touched, yet the lightning seized upon his poor Wife, fired her ruff and linen next to her body, and her ; to the burning of many parts of her body in a very pitiful manner. And one Mistress Ditford sitting in the pew with the Ministers wife, was also much scalded, but the maid and child sitting at the pew door had no harm. Beside, another woman adventuring to run out of the Church, had her  set on fire, and was not only strangely burnt and scorched, but had her flesh torn about her back almost to the very bones. Another woman had her flesh so torn and her body so grievously burnt, that she died the same night.  
Also one Master Hill a Gentleman of good account in the Parish, sitting in his seat by the Chancel, had his head suddenly smitten against the wall, through the violence whereof he died that night, no other hurt being found about his body; but his son sitting in the same seat had no harm. There was also one man more, at the same instant, of whom it is particularly related, who was Warriner unto Sir Richard Reynolds, his head was cloven, his skull rend into three pieces, and his brains thrown upon the ground whole, and the hair of his head, through the violence of the blow at first given him, did stick fast unto the pillar or wall of the Church, and in the place a deep bruise into the wall as if it were shot against with a Cannon bullet.  
Some other persons were then blasted and burnt, and so grievously scalded and wounded, that since that time they have died thereof; and many other not like to recover, notwithstanding all the means that can be procured to help them. Some had their  burnt and their bodies had no hurt, and some on the contrary, had their bodies burnt, and their  not touched, and some their stockings and legs burnt and scalded, and their outward buskings not one thread singed. But it pleased GOD yet in the midst of judgement to remember mercy, sparing some and not destroying all, yet very many were sorely scalded in diverse parts of their bodies, and as all this hurt was done upon the bodies of men and women, so the hurt also that was then done unto the Church was remarkable.  
There were some Seats in the Body of the Church turned upside down, and yet they which sat in them had little or no hurt; also a Boy sitting on a seat had his hat on, and near the one halfe thereof was cut off, and he had no hurt, And one man going out at the Chancel door, his Dog running out before him, was whirled about towards the door and fell down stark dead: at the sight whereof his Master stepped back within the door, and GOD preserved him alive. Also the Church itself was much torn and defaced by the thunder and lightning; and thereby also a beam was burst in the midst, and fell down between the Minister and Clarke and hurt neither; and a weighty great stone, near the Foundation of the Church is torn out and remooved, and the steeple itself is much rend, and there where the Church was most rend, there was least hurt done to the people, and not any one was hurt either with the wood or stone, but a maid of Manaton, which came thither that afternoon to see some friends, whom Master Frynd the Coroner by circumstances, supposed she was killed with a stone, considering of her mortal wound, and a great stone lying by her. There were also stones thrown from the Tower and carried about a great distance from the Church, as thick as if a hundred men had been there throwing, and a number of them of such weight and bigness, that a very strong man could hardly lift them. Also one Pinnacle of the Tower was torn down and broke through into the Church.  
Moreover the Pillar against which the Pulpit standeth, being but newly whited, is now by this means turned black and sulphry. Furthermore, one man that stood in the Chancel, with his face toward the Bellfrey, observed as it were the rising of dust or lime, in the lower end of the Church, which suddenly (as with a puff of wind) was whirled up and cast into his eyes, so that he could not see in twelve hours after; but now his sight is restored, and he hath no other hurt. The terrible lightning being past, all the people being in a wonderful maze, so that they spoke not one word, by and by one Master Ralph Rouse, Vintner in the Town, stood up, saying these words, Neighbours, in the name of God shall we venture out of the Church, to which M. Lyde answering, said, it is best to make an end of prayers, for it were better to die here then in another place, but they looking about them, and seeing the Church so terribly rend and torn over their heads, durst not proceed in their public devotions, but went forth of the Church.  
And as all this was done within the Church, and unto the Church; so there were other accidents without the Church; of which I will give you a touch. There was a Bowling-alley near unto the Churchyard, which was turned up into pits and heaps, in manner almost as if it had been ploughed. At the same time also at Brixston near Plymmouth, there fell such store of Hail, and such Hailstones, that for quantity they were judged to be as big as ordinary Turkey's eggs; some of them were of five, some of six, and others of seven ounces weight.  
We are also certainly informed that at the same time, as near as it can be guessed, there fell out the like accident unto the Church at Norton in Somersetshire, but as yet we hear of no persons hurt therein: Also it is related by a Gentleman who traveled in those parts at that time, he being since come to London, that where he was the lightning was so terrible, fiery and flaming, that they thought their houses at every flash were set on fire, in somuch that their horses in the stable were so affrighted that they could not rule them.  
All which most sad and lamentable Spectacles were done (as it were) in a moment of time.  
This is the Sum of those dismal accidents and terrible examples happening in the place aforesaid, as it hath been carefully extracted out of the letters of Ministers and other men of quality and good account and credit living not only in the Parish of Withicombe, but in the adjoining Parishes and places, and by those that had the full relation from Master Lyde his own mouth. And the main drift in the publication of this great ludgement, is for thy humiliation and edification, not only to acquaint thee with the great and mighty works of God's Power and justice, who in a moment can do mighty things to us, & arm the creatures against us at his own pleasure, but also to move pity and compassion in us towards our Brethren who were patients therein. Which relation you can difficultly read without sighs, nor understand without tears. I know it is the fashion of too too many to question and talk, and make things of this nature, but a nine days wonder: But let us not deceive ourselves any longer, but consider, we have been lookers on a great while, and others have been made our examples, and felt the smart at home and abroad, whilst we have gone free; but we know not how soon our turns and changes may come; these accidents might as well have happened to us as them; the LORD therefore in much mercy fit us both for the worst of times and the best of Ends. I end all with that prayer in our Litany, commending thee and this to the blessing of the Almighty.  From lightning and tempest, from Plague, Pestilence and Famine, from Battle and murder, and from sudden death. Good LORD deliver us.  
FINIS.   

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THO: WYKES. R. P. Ep. Lond. Cap. Domest.