Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	great_a	soul_n	2,575	5	4.9117	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95890	A looking-glasse for malignants: or, Gods hand against God-haters. Containing a most terrible yet true relation of the many most fearefull personall examples (in these present times, since the yeere, 1640.) of Gods most evident and immediate wrath against our malevolent malignants. Together with a caveat for cowards and unworthy (either timorous or treacherous) newters. Collected for Gods honour, and the ungodlies horrour, by John Vicars. Imprimatur hic liber. Iohn White.	Vicars, John, 1579 or 80-1652.	1643 (1643)	Wing V317; Thomason E33_18; ESTC R19020	39,491	44

themselves at that time they brought him home with them with no little adoe by the way who being thus brought home continued so distracted and besotted in his senses that he neither regarded what any said or did to him and wholly neglected his calling as being unfit to doe ought therein and shortly after hee fell sicke for a season and still continued so distracted that at last it was held fit to have him away to Bedlem yet for some credit sake his friends so prevailed that he was not put into the common condition of the Madmen there but was kept private in the house of one that endeavours the cure of such persons and there he was continued but could not be cured of this his miserable and distracted estate And was not here a most evident and remarkable hand of God upon them all three to the terrour one would thinke of all such desperate and incorrigible Malignants All which relation I have received from such honest and credible testimony of the truth thereof even of such as knew the three parties very well as is without all just exception therein And thus now I have as I suppose sufficienly made good my word and performed my promise in the two former parts of this my Looking-glasse namely in most clearly representing and setting forth to the eyes and understanding of every one of any one that is compos mentis and is not starke mad with malice and mischief both Gods hand most eminently against our Anti-Parliament arians or Malignants and also Gods evident heavy hand upon those our Malignants persons even immediately in the very acting of their malignancy Enough one would thinke to fright and terrifie them from such impious and audacious flouting ●ff●onting and maligning of Gods honest and harmlesse servants were not their Consciences cauterized with the hot iron of gracelesse impenetrable obstinacy and their hearts more hardned against pure and innocent Truth and Holinesse than the impenetrable Tortice shell and they thereby even given over by God to a reprobate sense to their irrecoverable ruine and perdition But now to goe on to my Third promised part or representation in this our Looking-glasse 3. A Caveat for Cowards and Neutrall-Deserters of the Parliaments Cause namely the Caveat for Cowards and faint-hearted Neutrall-Deserters of the Parliaments cause and therein I say most clearly Gods cause As also hereby to speake to all unsetled and unresolved weake Christians whom in this case we must pitty pardon and pray for as being our selves subject to like failings and errours should not grace prevent and support us to shew them the great danger and hard hazards they put themselves on both in soule and body too in so unworthily fearing or refusing to owne Gods Cause A briefe premised Preamble to the subsequent examples of this Caveat though not out of treachery yet if it be but of base timidity or feare God herein shewing his wrath and indignation and causing his jealousie to breake out against these also letting them see how dangerous it is to jest or dally with such sharp edg'd tooles as these to the undoing of their soules and bodies too I say if in his owne free grace and meere mercy he did not in the midst of justice remember to intermix mercy and to looke backe as it were on their sinking soules as he did on Peter in such a case if at least they belong to Christ as Peter did teaching them thereby to know the price of denying their Master or his Cause before men if not I say prevented by true and timely repentance All which I shall make most evident and cleare by these foure or five Examples all of them fallen out lately in these our probationall times which by Gods providence have come to my hands and knowledge and which for the glory of God and honour of our most precious Parliaments Cause I could not conceale but set forth most faithfully as I have received them from most indubitable and unquestionable Testimonies of the truth of them all even I say by those who were both Eye and Ear-witnesses of the truth of them And here now in the first place I might instance in a learned and reverend Minister of Lincolnshire 1. A Doctor in Divinity of Lincolnshire fell mad upon the taking of the Oxonian Protestation against the Parliament a Doctor in Divinity who being taken by the Kings Cormorants and carried prisoner to Newarke and there enforced to take the Oxonian Protestation or Covenant against the Parliament which it seemes out of servile feare and unworthy pusillanimity he did immediately after it out or remorse of Conscience fell mad and fearfully distracted in his senses and so continued for almost the space of halfe a yeere this being done by him about the midst of the last Summer 1643. but being since at liberty among his Parliamentary friends is in good measure recovered and a hearty Penitent for it But it being desired his name should bee concealed I cease to say any more therein save onely this That I have this briefe relation from such unquestionable and credible testimony as most strongly confirmes the truth thereof unto me And might we not here now thinke this one single example sufficient to deter our cowardly Newters from so vicious and pernicious prejudicating and deserting the Parliaments pious proceedings Yes certainly had they but any small sparkes of ingenuity left alive in them but since I know that they yea and Gods owne people too must have line upon line as the Prophet sayes and example upon example and all too too little till Gods Spirit of Grace awakens their dead and drousie Consciences I shall now give them another Example which comes more close unto them and most worthy their deep and serious observation and consideration which briefly is this Upon the second day of May 1643. one Thomas Bretton a young man 2. One Thomas Bretton a most bitter and active Malignant against the Parliament remarkably converted on his death-bed and most bitter and active Malignant against the Parliament late servant to Alderman Cullum in Gracious street in London falling very sick which indeed shortly after proved a sicknesse unto death desired most earnestly to speake with a reverend and religious Minister of the City whom he had formerly heard preach and could not be quiet till he was sent for The Minister being sent unto and intreated to come unto him accordingly very willingly came of whom so soone as the sicke party saw him he most heartily desired his pardon and forgivenesse The Minister answered That he knew not any thing wherein the sick party had injured or offended him But Bretton replied That he had done him wrong in jeering and scoffing at him though he knew not of it and told him the particulars thereof Whereupon this pious Minister told him He freely forgave him Then he desired the Minister to pray with him which he also did for the space of about halfe an

this our present purpose and worthy our most sad and serious commemoration namely that among the many slaine and dead bodies on the Kings side 7. Gods most remarkable hand upon Serjeant-major generall Smith slaine in the fight at Causam bridge at the siege of Redding very many of them being prime Commanders and Officers in Armes as was clearely discerned by their brave cloathes pure fine Holland-shirts and faire skins being stript naked at the end of the fight there was found the body of Serjeant-major Smith Generall of the Kings Army a most wicked and desperate Cormorant who being a very fat and corpulent fellow was found with his belly ript up and his Greace taken away out of his body which very thing as I had it by most credible and that not single information this wicked Smith had about a twelve-moneth before or not so much threatned to act upon the Round-heads at Okenham where some of the Kings forces were then quartered but driven out by the Parliaments forces where and at which time of his enforced departure thence he was heard in a furious threatning manner to say Well farewell Round-heads for this time but I will returne againe amongst you and then I will rip up your fat panches and make medicines of your Greace or words to this effect A most remarkable patterne of the Lords justice on him in so punctually repaying him Adonibezech-like in his owne coyne And in the stripping of him as was credibly reported they found a Crucifix about him and other markes of the Romish beast a fit Champion among the rest to fight for the maintenance of the Protestant Religion 8. Gods wrathfull hand on divers young Gentlemen in a Tavern abusing the City Trainedbands as they marched on in the street In the yeere also 1642. there hapned another very fearefull example of Gods revengefull hand upon these most ungodly and gracelesse abusers and tongue-persecutors of Gods people which was thus Divers roystering and swaggering yong Gallants being drinking in the Miter-Taverne in Fleet-street London it so fell out that in the time of their swaggering swearing and carowsing in the said Taverne the Trained-bands of the City passing by one of these roaring gallants cast out something most unseemely out of the Chamber-window among the said souldiers using also some very abusive language against them whereupon one of them having more Gentility and ingenuity of spirit than the rest reproved them that did it whereupon they furiously asked him if he were a Round-head and presently drew their Swords one upon an other and this Gentleman being suddenly made at by one of them puts by his thrust got within him and stab'd him with a Stilletto the other two also comming on him he likewise wounded them both of which three wounded two of them immediately died and the recovery of the third was very questionable and dangerous Which done this Gentleman made a way downe the staires with his Sword in one hand and the Stillet to in the other and running downe Ram-alley got to the water and so escaped away This I had from unquestionable information the very morning it was done I my selfe going into Fleet-street betimes that morning on some businesse of mine owne where and when I heard it exactly and fully telated to me About the 20 of Iune also 1643 One Mrs Haughton wife to Mr. Wil. 9. A monstrous and prodigious child borne in Lancashire of most malignant parents and the most fearfull and remarkable circumstances in and about it to the terrour of malignants Haughton of Prickmarsh within the parish of Kirkham in Leyfield in Lancashire was delivered of a child still-borne which had no head yet two eares two eyes and a mouth in the brest of it and the hands turning backwards to the elbowes with a cleft down the backe so as it was not discernable whether it were male or female After this child had beene buried two or three daies the Midwife teporting its monstrous and prodigious shape not being credited it was thereupon taken out of the grave and reviewed and was apparently found to be as is already described as was reported to be only a bundle of clouts was taken up with it which it seems was known the parents had in proportion of a head caused to be fitted unto it Now that which is very remarkable herein is this That the parents of this monster were even as their owne parents also and predecessours were notorious profest Papists impudently abusive towards Protestants cursing and calling them familiarly by the name of Round-heads 〈◊〉 that which is yet more memorable herein and most remarkably worthy our serious consideration and most clearely demonstrates that foresaid prodigious birth to be a direct judgement of the Lord for desperate malignancy against the Lords choice ones is this that the Grandmother of that monster was she whom pious Mr Prynne to her indeleble and perpetuall infamy hath already set forth in print in his famous History of that pair-royall of heroicke sufferers Dr. Bastwicke Mr. Burton and Mr. Prynne who out of an inveterate malignity against and in divellish derifion of those three foresaid Worthies called three Cats which she had at that time by the names of those three precious Christians and cut off the eares of those her three Cats both in desperate disdaine as it should seem of their glorious sufferings and thereby also in seeming jollity to act again that more than Turkish Tragedy And was not here a most notable and cleare evidence of Gods undoubted indignation against such intolerably impious and impudent malignants as these the Lord thus manifesting that sooner or later he will meet with their insolent and most audacious impieties In November also 1643. a malignant Souldier being intended for service of the Parliament was hanged at Cambridge for running from his Colours which came thus to passe He with others also in the same condemnation being apprehended for the cause aforesaid and by Martiall-law to cast Dice for their lives 10. A malignant Souldier hanged at Cambridge for running from his Colours this fellow comming to the Dice when he threw them out cryed at the cast Now for God and the King and God receive my soule Whereupon it so fell out that he casting the least chance of the Dice must suffer death and so was accordingly executed at the same time Now that which was very remarkable in Gods hand thus on this fellow besides the voluntary discovery of his Cavalierian-heart● in those words Now for God and the King which is the Cavallers common signall word was this that when he was first prest for a Souldier he was heard often to say He would be hang'd before he would fight for the Parliament Even just like Sir Iervase ●ll●wales once Lieutenant of the Tower of London in King Iames his daies who was hanged on T●●er-hill for being accessary to the poysoning of Sir Thomas Overbury then his prisoner in the ●ower about

front or forlorne hope of the rabble of wicked ones that shall be shut out of the New-Jerusalem shall have their part in the like which burnes with fire and brimstone Take heed therefore my brethren as the Authour to the Hebrews adviseth lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe Heb. 10. 38. in departing from the living God Luke 9. 62. For certainely saies the spirit of truth in the same Epistle If any man draw backe or has as Christ himselfe testifies put his hand to the Plough of Gods worke and cause and lookes backe is unfit for Heaven nay more Gods soule will take no pleasure in such an one Besides remember this seriously I pray thee that a Newter or Key-cold fellow in Gods cause is a most despicable creature despised both of God and the Devill The miserable condition of Cowards and Newters described being apt to be false and faithlesse to them both and so good for the use of neither of them as not caring whether Gods or the Devils cause faile or prevaile sinke or swim what cares he so he may sit stil and enjoy his base peace and pelfe onely it may be he will give them some seeming good wishes at most and best O let such as these timely take heed by these examples that God meet them not sorely and surely too at last and if thy Neutrality be from wilfull and wicked principles then feare indeed and tremble at thy estate by those examples of Gods hand upon those mischievous and malevolent malignants by death and destruction even in the very acting of their evils If out of meere slavish feare and unworthy cowardise yet feare also by those other examples considering what terrible straits and soule-pinching perplexities it may bring thee unto at the best and presume not though they happily repented and were saved for repentance is a Flower that growes not naturally in our Gardens but is the onely gift of God and he gives it graciously when and to whom he will Therefore I say presume not but feare and whiles thou hast yet space labour for grace even immoveable faithfulnesse courage and perseverance remembring ever who it was that said even truth it selfe He that denies me or is ashamed of me before men I will deny him and be ashamed of him before my Father which is in Heaven And thus I have done with these But now in the last place I desire also to speake a word or two unto our most unhappy miserable and marble-hearted malignants whom from my soule I pity and pray for as my brethren in the flesh implacable and inveterate haters of Holinesse and of a pure Reformation who would faine under a beggarly pretext of a lazy licentious Peace forsooth still be more and more setled on the Lees of their old infant halfe Reformation comfortable then I confesse in blessed Queen Elizabeths daies if we reflect on the wofull Marian daies before even meere formall Protestantisme at large which in effect is but down-right Atheisme or at best a back doore to Papistry as we have used the matter for so many yeeres past The upholding and maintaining whereof I take for granted to be the ground of the great quarrell betweene them and Gods people now adaies What will ye then or what can ye say for your selves poore mole-ey'd and miserable men after the serious fight and rumination on all these forelaid remarkable evidences and most luculent and conspicuous demonstrations of Gods immediate hand both against and upon you and after all these notable Convictions and Confessions of the horrible and God-hated evill of your cause and cases what I say will you now answer for your selves why you may not most properly and pertinently be called and counted wilfull and obstinate fighters against God and his just cause See then I beseech you but if you will not timely see you shall as I said before see at last and be ashamed and smart too and be timely and wisely perswaded as the truth is that though you will not acknowledge it you your malignant workes plainely shew it and especially the Spirit of God the onely true searcher and discoverer of the hearts and reines of all hath most clearely declared to us in the second Psalme both your worke and your wages your wicked cause and your wretched cases viz. That all the banding and binding of the heads and hearts together of Gebal Ammon and Amaleck c. of sottish formall Protestants What King our formall Protestants choose and refuse Prelates and Papists with all that Iesuiticall rabble is mainely and onely this We will not have this man King Iesus but the tyrannicall and diabolicall usurpers base lusts soul-slaying corruptions sinne and Satan to reigne over us and therefore let us say they breake his bands in sunder that is let us violate and vitiate his holy and wholsome Lawes and Commandements let us east away his cords from us that is let us contemne and despise his soul-saving counsels free grace and love and all his heart-establishing precious promises but all this while they blindly and blockishly forget or will not see and perceive as the same Spirit and fountaine of Truth tels them that the Lord now resolves to set his onely begotten Sonne Christ Iesus as Lord and King to ●u●e and raigne over the tops of all the Mountaines of the earth upon Sion his most holy Hill and that he therefore even the Lord the great Iehovah sits in Heaven sees and smiles at and laughs to scorne all their combinations and accursed confederacies all their freting and fuming beating and breaking of their braines and hearts too When Malignants cause shal overcome and telling them to their teeth and shewing them maugre their brazen browes that all the while they doe but imagine a vaine thing which they never can they never shall bring to passe For of this let them be most sure that till they can make it appeare or probable that Satan is stronger and wiser than the Almighty that Antichrist is able to overcome the Lord Christ to whom the Father hath committed all power in Heaven and Earth I shall never believe that they or their cause shall prevaile For I say God hath put into Christs hands an Iron Mace not onely to bruise but to breake in pieces like so many pot-sheards their earthen and stony hearts though ever so seemingly stout and stubborne as partly and pretty-well one would thinke I have here in these forecited examples made most plaine and conspicuous but especially as the Lord God himselfe in all ages and times hath made most manifest to the whole World even from the beginning of it to our present times Psal 76. 10. nay not onely so but that the Lord hath most admirably made and that with a witnesse too the wrath of man to turne to his own high glory and praise yea and so restrained and constrained the remainder thereof to keepe within limits and