A straunge and terrible wunder wrought very late in the the parish church of Bongay, a tovvn of no great distance from the citie of Norwich, namely the fourth of this August, in ye yeere of our Lord 1577 in a great tempest of violent raine, lightning, and thunder, the like wherof hath been seldome seene. With the appeerance of an horrible shaped thing, sensibly perceiued of the the people then and there assembled. Drawen into a plain method according to the written copye. by Abraham Fleming.

¶ The reporte of a straunge and wonderful Spectacle.

SUnday, béeing the fou∣rth of this August, in y^e yéer of our Lord 1577. to the amasing and sin∣gular astonishment of the present beholders, and absent hearers, at a certein towne called Bongay, not past tenne miles distant from the Citie of Norwiche, there fell from heauen an excéeding great and terrible tempest; sodein and violent, betwéen nine of the clock in the morning and tenne of the day aforsaid.

This tempest took beginning with a rain, which fel with a wonderful force and with no lesse violence then abun∣dance, which made the storme so much the more extream and terrible.

This tempest was not simply of rain, but also of lightning and thunder, the flashing of the one wherof was so rare, and vehement, and the roaring noise of the other so forceable and violent, that it made not onely people per∣plexed in minde and at their wits end,

but ministred such straunge and vnac∣customed cause of feare to be cōceiued, that dumb creatures with y^e horrour of that which fortuned, were exceedingly disquieted, and senselesse things void of all life and féeling, shook and trembled.

There were assembled at the same season, to hear diuine seruice and com∣mon prayer, according to order, in the parish church of the said towne of Bon∣gay, the people therabouts inhabiting, who were witnesses of the straunge∣nes, the rarenesse and sodenesse of the storm, consisting of raine violently fall∣ing, fearful flashes of lightning, and ter∣rible cracks of thūder, which came with such vnwonted force and power, that to the perceiuing of the people, at the time and in the place aboue named, assembled, the Church did as it were quake and staggar, which struck into the harts of those that were present, such a sore and sodain feare, that they were in a manner robbed of their right wits.

Immediatly héerupō, there appéered in a moste horrible similitude and like∣nesse to the congregation then & there

present, a dog as they might discerne it, of a black colour: at the sight wherof, togither with the fearful flashes of fire which then were séene, moued such admiration in the mindes of the assem∣blie, that they thought doomes day was already come.

This black dog, or the diuel in such a likenesse (God hée knoweth al who wor¦keth all) runing all along down the bo∣dy of the Church with great swiftnesse, and incredible haste, among the people, in a visible fourm and shape, passed be∣twéen two persons, as they were knée∣ling vppon their knées, and occupied in prayer as it séemed, wrung the necks of them bothe at one instant clene back∣ward, in somuch that euen at a momēt where they kneeled, they strāgely dyed.

This is a wōderful example of God{is} wrath, no dout to terifie vs, that we might feare him for his iustice, or pul∣ing back our footsteps from the pathes of sinne, to loue him for his mercy.

To our matter again. There was at y^e same time another wonder wrought: for the same black dog, stil continuing and remaining in one and the self same

shape, passing by an other man of the congregation in the Church, gaue him such a gripe on the back, that therwith∣all he was presently drawen togither and shrunk vp, as it were a péece of le∣ther scorched in a hot fire: or as the mo∣uth of a purse or bag, drawen togither with a string. The man, albeit hée was in so straunge a taking, dyed not, but as it is thought is yet aliue: whiche thing is meruelous in the eyes of men, and offereth muche matter of amasing the minde.

Moreouer, and beside this, the Clark of the said Church béeing occupied in cleansing of the gutter of the Church, with a violent clap of thunder was smitten downe, and beside his fall had no further harme: vnto whom béeing all amased this straunge shape, wherof we haue before spoken, appeared, how∣beit he escaped without daunger: which might paraduenture séem to sound a∣gainst trueth, and to be a thing incredi∣ble: but, let vs leaue thus or thus to iudge, and cry out with the Prophet.

O Domine! &c. O Lord, how won∣derful art thou in thy woorks!

At the time that these things in this or∣der happened, the Rector, or Curate of the Church, béeing partaker of the peo∣ples perplexitie, séeing what was séen, and done, comforted the people, and ex∣horted them to prayer, whose counsell, in such extreme distresse they folowed, and prayed to God as they were assem∣led togither.

Now for the verifying of this report, (which to sōe wil seem absurd, although the sensiblenesse of the thing it self con∣firmeth it to be a trueth) as testimonies and witnesses of the force which rested in this strange shaped thing, there are remaining in the stones of the Church, and likewise in the Church dore which are meruelously rēten & torne, y^e marks as it were of his clawes or talans. Be∣side, that all the wires, the whéeles, and other things belonging to the Clock, were wrung in sunder, and broken in peces.

And (which I should haue tolde you in the begining of this report, if I had regarded the obseruing of order) at the time that this tempest lasted, and while these stormes endured, y^e whole Church

was so darkned, yea with such a palpa∣ble darknesse, that one persone could not perceiue another, neither yet might dis∣cern any light at all, though it were les∣er thē the least, but onely when y^e great flashing of fire and lightning appéered.

These things are not lightly with si∣lence to be ouer passed, but precisely and throughly to be considered.

On the self same day, in like maner, into the parish church of another town called Blibery, not aboue seuē miles di∣stant from Bongay aboue said, the like thing entred, in the same shape and si∣militude, where placing him self vppon a maine balke or beam, wheron some∣time y^e Rood did stand, sodainly he gaue a swinge downe through y^e Church, and there also, as before, slew two men and a lad, and burned the hand of another person that was there among the rest of the company, of whom diuers were bla∣sted.

This mischief thus wrought, he flew with wonderful force to no litle feare of the assembly, out of the Church in a hi∣deous and hellish likenes.

These things are reported to be true,

yea, by the mouthes of them that were eye witnesses of the same, and therfore dare with so much the more boldenesse verifie what soeuer is reported.

Let vs pray vnto GOD, as it is the dutie of Christians, to woork all things to the best, to turne our flintie harts into fleshie hartes, that we may féele the fire of Gods mercy, and flée from the scourge of his iustice.

A necessary Prayer.

O GOD which hast promised to be a shi∣eld to such as flee to thee for succoure in their necessities, & w^t thy wings to ouer shadow thē that they feele not the scorching heat of afflictions & miseries: we beseech thee, that although we, through the infinite and vnmeasurable sinnes whiche we commit, prouoke thee to smite vs with the Iron rod of thy wrath and iudgement: yet that it would please thee to re∣member that we are but fraile flesh, subiect to sinne, and to too prone to offend: that it would please thee to cast thy gratious countenance vppon vs, and to stretch out thy siluered scepter of peace vnto vs, that beeing re¦stored

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into thy fauoure, from which our offēces haue separa∣ted vs, we may shrowd our sel∣ues vnder the shield of thy safe∣garde agaist all māner of anoy¦ances whatsoeuer, through Ch¦rist Jesus our onely sauior & re∣deemer, in whose name, as hee hath taught vs, we say and pray. Ab omni malo libera nos Do∣mine: Deliuer vs from all euil, good Lord. Amen.

Tibi laus honor & gloria, in aeuum.

Amen.