Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
christian_n	church_n	true_a	visible_a	6,279	5	9.0945	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15319	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		1638 (1638)	STC 25608; ESTC S121345	4,665	17

A TRVE 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 workes of the Lord what desolations hee hath made in the earth ANCHORA SPEI 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 TRVE 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 GODS visible Iudgements and terrible remonstrances which every morning are brought to light comming unto our knowledge should bee our observation and admonition that thereby the inhabitants of the earth may learne Righteousnesse Eph. 3. 5. for to let them passe by us as water runnes by our doores unobserved argues too much regardlesnesse of GOD in the way of his Iudgements Isa 26. 9 11. not to suffer them to sinke into our affections and to proove as so many terrible warning pieces which are shot off from a watch Tower to give notice of an enemies approach to awaken and affright us are but a meanes to harden our hearts against the Lord and to awaken his Iustice to punish us yet more But to heare and feare and to Paena paucorū terror omnium doe wickedly no more to search our hearts and amend our waies is the best use that can bee made of any of GODS remarkable terrors manifested among us When GOD is angry with us it ought to be our wisedome to meete him and make peace with him And where wee see legible Characters of his power and wrath to learne to spell out his meaning touching our selves to leave off all busie malitious causlesse and unchristianly censuring of others and to turne in upon our selves remembring Vel paenitendum vel pereundum Except wee repent Luk. 13. 5. wee shall likewise perish Certaine it is that wee doe in vaine expect immunity from GODS Iudgements by sleighting or contemning them or increasing in our sinnings against him If Pharoah by the terrour of thundring and lightning was so affrighted that hee saith to Moses Intreat the Lord for it is enough that there bee no more Exo 9 28. mighty thundrings and Haile And if Caligula out of the feare of thunder would runne under his bed to hide himselfe How much more should we Christians learne to feare and tremble before the most mighty GOD whose voice only can shake the mountaines and rend the rocks and divide the flames of Psal 29. fire rends Churches amazeth and strikes dead at his pleasure the sonnes of men as the Prophet David saith Hee doth whatsoever hee pleaseth in Heaven and Earth Hee causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth and maketh lightnings for the raine and bringeth the winde out of the treasures of the earth so unsearchable is his Wisedome and his waies past finding out I say this should awe and humble our hearts before the LORD rising up unto more perfection in godlinesse doing unto our GOD more and better service then ever hitherto wee have done reverencing and sanctifying his dreadfull Name in our hearts especially when his Iudgements breake in upon men even in his owne house mingling their bloud with their sacrifices and that in a most terrible manner smiting and wounding and killing as in this ensuing Relation may appeare which for the suddennesse and strangenesse and in a manner miraculous considering the circumstances thereof I beleeve few Ages can paralell or produce the like The Lord teach thee to profit thereby that it may bee as a Sermon preached to thee from Heaven by the Lord himselfe VPon 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 darkenesse increasing more and more so that the people there assembled could not see to reade in any booke and suddenly in a fearefull and lamentable manner a mighty thundering was heard the ratling whereof did answer much like unto the sound and report of many great Cannons and terrible strange lightening therewith greatly amazing those that heard and saw it the darkenesse increasing yet more till they could not in the interim see one another the extraordinarie lightening 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 passe thorough the Church which so affrighted the whole Congregation that the most part of them fell downe into their seates 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 Iudgement day was come and that they had beene in the very flames of Hell The Minister of the Parish Master George Lyde being in the Pulpit or seate where prayers are read however hee might bee much astonished hereat yet through GODS mercy had no other harme at all in his body but to his much griefe and amazement heard and afterward beheld the lamentable accidents and although himselfe was not touched yet the lightening seized upon his poore Wife fired her ruffe and linnen next to her body and her cloathes to the burning of many parts of her body in a very pitifull manner And one Mistresse Ditford sitting in the pew with the Ministers wife was also much scalded but the maid and childe sitting at the pew dore had no harme Beside another woman adventuring to run out of the Church had her cloathes set on fire and was not only strangely burnt and scorched but had her flesh torne about her back almost to the very bones Another woeman had her flesh so torne 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 seate by the Chancell 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 sonne sitting in the same seate had no harme 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 rent into three peeces and his braines throwne upon the ground whole and the haire of his head through the violence of the blow at first given him did sticke fast unto the pillar or wall of the Church and in the place a deepe 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 therof