God's terrible voice in the City

Thomas Vincent was a clergyman who had given a long and powerful sermon about the Great Plague and the Great Fire, which was printed in 1667. He, like many others at the time, believed the fire was a punishment from God for Londoners' sins. He lists 25 sins in detail, such as religious hypocrisy, lying, swearing (especially amongst young people), laziness (particularly of women), drunkenness, pride, gluttony, envy and lust. Coming so soon after the Great Plague of 1665 (which killed around 100,000 Londoners), the fire must have seemed a divine judgement. In his book, Vincent also includes a dramatic account of the fire, which captures the atmosphere and terror of the event as well as some fascinating details.