Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	accusation_n	accuse_v	accuser_n	114	3	10.1625	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A54403	Matchlesse crueltie declared at large in the ensuing history of the Waldenses apparently manifesting unto the world the horrible persecutions which they have suffered by the papists, for the space of four hundred and fifty years : wherein is related their original and beginning, their piety and purity in religion, both for doctrine and discipline : likewise hereunto is added an exact narrative of the late bloody and barbarous massacres, murders and other unheard of cruelties committed on many thousands of the Protestants dwelling in the valleys of Piedmont, &c. by the Duke of Savoy's forces, joyned with the French army and several bloody Irish regiments / published by command of His Highness the Lord Protector.; Histoire des Vaudois. English. 1655	Perrin, J. P. (Jean Paul); Stoppa, Giovanni Battista. Collection or narative sent to His Highness the Lord Protector ... concerning the bloody and barbarous massacres and other cruelties.	1655 (1655)	Wing P1592; ESTC R40064	291,424	521

A third Apologie for the said Churches against the Calumnies falsly imputed to them REceiving Information from a friend touching the Answer made at Turin I perceive those enemies of the truth the Vassals of the Court of Rome who contrived it with no Iesse Art then malice do follow their old course and after the example of him who is both a murtherer and a liar yea the Father of lies cover and so encrease their cruelty by false Calumniations For whereas they would not seem to be unjust in this banishment forced upon the Reformed Waldenses they endeavor to asperse them with fictious and Imaginary Crimes and yet dare not charge them expresly with any one Particular in writing for fear lest the Parties accused should disprove it which they know might easily be done For when the Protestants had made Answer to such Accusations as were brought against them by Gastald before the Duke's Deputy he ingenuously confessed those Crimes were objected against them without cause to wit those pious frauds or officious lyes spred abroad by the Monks and Priests to draw an Odium upon the Protestants Si accusasse sufficiat quis erit innocens If it be sufficient to accuse who then can be innocent If an accuser only in general termes say a man is wicked what Answer can be made in order to a Purgation The Protestants for their parts call God Angels and men to witnesse that they are most injuriously charged with those things Yea they humbly pray intreat and beseech they may be brought to a Trial that if any be found guilty he may be severely punished But here the Romish Clergy interpose endeavouring with their Scare-crow of Excommunication and threats of everlasting damnation so to terrifie their seduced people that no Papist dare give any Testimony though in things most evidently known to cleare the innocency of Protestants for fear lest he should be thought a favourer of Hereticks And hereupon those Monks and Priests the Contrivers of those Officious lies presuming upon their own power through the terror of Excommunication and knowing very well that no Papist will dare to give in any evidence for the refelling of their Impostures doe with a brow of brasse most audaciously devise and object whatever they please against the Reformed Professors But if the difference in Religion and consideration of parties were set aside and the whole cause brought to a hearing before impartial Judges without respect of persons and if witnesses might have liberty to give in their Testimony according to truth without fear of Excommunication all the Calumnies of the Adversaries against the Protestants would soon come to nothing They made no scruple to render them odious to the Prince by accusing them of Rebellion but the thing it selfe is clear enough to the contrary For those Protestants that were suddenly driven out of their ancient Inheritances lived some of them quiet and secure in their Cottages others wandring about in divers Countries being scattered farre distant from each other dwelt in many places but a few of them among great numbers of Papists minding nothing else but their Plough and tillage of the ground At that time they had no Meetings nor Commerce with one another Every one of them with his poor family rested in peace under his own Vine and his own fig-tree until they were driven out by Gastald the Dukes Commissioner without allowing them the benefit of any legal Protestation and Appeal What universal conspiracy then can be fastened upon all those men who were dispersed up and down 〈◊〉 Towns Villages and Fields That they lived in the seats of their Fathers and their ancient Possessions and that they had not attempted any alteration of affairs nor in any wise exceeded the Bounds and limits see and prefixed to their habitation they are able to prove by undoubted Arguments and infallible Witnesses from the very place it self We understand indeed by Letters onely of two Crimes objected against certain Protestants of which the one was a foolish childish exploit of certain Boies both Protestant and Popish at la Tour who upon occasion of a marriage between two persons of unequal years brought out an Asse belonging to the Bridegroom to mock the Bride and make mockery of the Weddings Whercupon the Monks took occasion to wrest the matter against the Protestants as intended by them to the disgrace and reproach of their Masse but upon a hearing of the businesse by the Prince's Commissioner before whom the Protestants made their defence he acquitted them as innocent in this Particular and proinised that in time to come no further mention should be made of it Neverthelesse the Monks are up with it ever and anon in other Places where the falshood of their Calumnies is not known The parents of those wanton Boies ought not to suffer for their childish doings much lesse ought that whole Church and the Protestants of other Chruches and if they deserve Banishment for this the same punishment ought also with as much reason to be inflicted upon those Papists whose children were in the same transgression The other crime objected is indeed more grievous but very wrongfully put upon the Protestants and that is the Murther of a certain Priest of Fenil whereas it is generally known to the meanest persons there that not a drop of that blood can be aspersed upon the Reformed Churches And if the Magistrate had thought any of the Protestants of Fenil in the least wise guilty of that bloodshed he would not I suppose have banished them with the rest but rather have cast them into prison that they might have been punished according to the heynousnesse of the fact● And therefore when all the Protestants of Fenil were promiscuously commanded by Gastald to depart and let go without taking notice of any man for so horrible a Crime he thereby gave sufficient testimony to the innocence of the Protestants in this matter And truly in the Decree of banishment he makes not the least mention of that herrid businesse but by declaring those persons should be exempted from banishment that would abjure the Reformed Religion he sufficiently sheweth that the turning them out of all in the midst of winter at three daies warning upon pain of death was resolved and executed to this end and purpose that the men being reduced to harship and misery might by this means be compelled to a renouncing of their Religion But put case that any man among the Protestants of Fenil had committed that wickednesse it cannot be concluded therefore that the rest of them in Fenill much lesse that those of the same Religion in Lucerne Lusernette Bobiane St. John la Tour Bricheras and St. Second ought in justice to be thrust out of their ancient possessions For the guilt of this murther though it had been committed by a Protestant it could by no means be imputed to these or to any of the inhabitants of other Towns and Corporations that are farre distant from them As by the