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	part_n	place_n	1,723	5	4.4749	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10802	A treatise of witchcraft VVherein sundry propositions are laid downe, plainely discouering the wickednesse of that damnable art, with diuerse other speciall points annexed, not impertinent to the same, such as ought diligently of euery Christian to be considered. With a true narration of the witchcrafts which Mary Smith, wife of Henry Smith glouer, did practise: of her contract vocally made between the Deuill and her, in solemne termes, by whose meanes she hurt sundry persons whom she enuied: which is confirmed by her owne confession, and also from the publique records of the examination of diuerse vpon their oathes: and lastly, of her death and execution, for the same; which was on the twelfth day of Ianuarie last past. By Alexander Roberts B.D. and preacher of Gods Word at Kings-Linne in Norffolke.	Roberts, Alexander, d. 1620.	1616 (1616)	STC 21075; ESTC S115983	56,918	90

learned Diuines obserued to bee confined within the compasse of twenty yeares and then afterward by degrees the one waxed cold and the other dissolute which being so it is not to be maruelled though the Diuell now begin to shew himselfe in these his instruments as heretofore though he cannot in the same measure in respect of those sparkes of light which yet shine amongst vs. But of this so much now because I shall haue afterward occasion further to enlarge this poynt Againe the policie of all States haue prouided for the rooting out of these poysonfull Weedes and cutting of these rotten and infected members and therefore infallibly prouing their existence and being for all penall lawes looke to matters of fact and are made to punish for the present and preuent in future some wicked actions already committed And therefore Solon the Athenian making statutes for the setling of that Common-wealth when a defect was found that he omitted to prouide a cautelous restraint and appoint answerable punishmēt for such who had killed their parents answered He neuer suspected there were or would be any such Wherefore to confirme the position set downe God doth notthreaten to cast away his people for murther incest tyranny c. But Sorcery Leuit. 20. 6. And Samuel willing to shew Saul the grieuousnesse of his disobedience compareth it to witch-craft 1. Sam. 15. 23. The Holy Ghost also manifesting how highly God was displeased with Manasses maketh this the reason because hee gaue himselfe to Witch-craft and to Charming and to Sorcery and vsed them who had familiar spirits and did much euill in the sight of the Lord to anger him 2. Chro. 33. 6. And for this offence were the ten tribes of Israell led into captiuitie 2. King 17. 17. The twelue Tables of the Romans the ancientest law they haue by a solemne Embassage sent for that purpose obtained from Athens accounted as a Library of knowledge do both make mention of such malefactors decree a penaltie to be inflicted vpon them Constantius and Constanti●… thinke them worthy of some vnusuall death as enemies of mankinde strangers from nature and Iulius Paulus distinguishing the punishment according to the different qualitie of the offenders pronounceth out of the then receiued opinions that the better sort found guilty were to dye not determining the manner those of meaner condition either to bee crucified or deuoured of wilde beasts Our ancient Saxon Kings before the Conquest haue in their municipall Lawes apparantly demonstrated what they conceiued of these so dangerous and diuellish persons Alucidus keepeth the expresse words of God Foeminas sagas ne sinito viuere Suffer not women Witches to liue Gunthrunus and Canutus will haue them being once apprehended that the rest of the people might bee pure and vndefiled sent into banishment or if they abide in the kingdome continuing their lewd practises executed according to desert So Athelstane if they be conuicted to haue killed any c. And how the present estate standeth affected toward them the sundry strict statutes in this case prouided may giue any not wedded to his owne stubbornenesse sufficient and full satisfaction Wherefore not to erect a Tabernacle and dwell longer in perswading an vndeniable truth that there bee Sorcerers and Witches I leaue these Hellish Infidels and proceede The second Proposition THe second Proposition Who those be and of what quality that are thus ensnared of the Diuell and vndermined by his fraudes For resolution whereof this may suffice Those who either maliciously reiect the Gospell offered vnto them or receiuing and vnderstanding the same do but coldly respect and carelesly taste it without making any due estimation or hauing any reuerent regard therof In both which is a manifest and open contempt of God For as he purposing to honour the first comming of his Sonne into the World cloathed in the cloud of our flesh which he assumed then suffered many to be really possessed of Diuels to bee lunatique deafe dumbe blinde c. whom he might deliuer from these torments and so make apparant his glory and shew by these his miracles wrought that hee was the promised Messias Esay 35. 5. 6. And therfore Christ referreth those Disciples whom Iohn sent vnto him doubting in respect of that base forme which he tooke and demanding whether it was he that should come or another to be looked for vnto his Doctrine and Workes and by them to bee instructed whereof they were then both hearers and beholders Math. 11. 3. 4. 5. So now comming in the dew of his grace and hauing restored the light of the Gospell and bestowed that vpon mankinde as an especiall and vnvaluable blessing in his iustice giueth ouer the despisers thereof vnto the power of Sathan whereby both others who contemne the same might by their dreadfull example bee terrified and the faithfull stirred vp to a respectiue thankfulnesse for so great a mercy vouchsafed vnto them and acknowledge their happinesse in being made partakers thereof and by especiall fauour deliuered out of the tyranny of the Diuell For this is one of the fearefull iudgements of God and hidden from vs as all area great depth Psal. 36. 6. that those who receiued not the truth that they might be saued should haue strong delusions sent vnto them and bee giuen ouer to belieue Sathan and his lying signes and false wonders 2. Thess. 2. 10. And thus consenting vnto sinne and his suggestions they are depriued of the helpe and assistance of God and so disabled to resist all violent rushing temptations for one offence not being truely repented of bringeth another and at last throweth head-long downe into hell and by this meanes man despising God his creator redeemer and obeying the Diuell a professed enemy and irreconciliable aduersary not easie to be confronted becommeth his seruant for of whomsoeuer any is ouercome euen of the same is hee brought into bondage 2. Pet. 2. 19. And the Apostle giueth as the reason why the heathen were so sottish Idolaters and defiled themselues with many detestable and loathsome sinnes because when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull therefore God gaue them ouer to a reprobate sence and vile affections to doe those things which were not conuenient full of all vnrighteousnesse Rom 1. 24. 25. 29 So these being enthralled and deuoting themselues to the Diuell by a mutuall league either expresse or secret he brandeth with his mark for his owne as in ancient time was an vse with Bondslaues and Captiues and these bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken aliue in his snare 2. Tim. 2. 26. and that in some part of the body least either suspected or perceiued by vs for hee is a cunning concealer as vnder the eye-lids or in the palat of the mouth or other secret places Wherefore some Iudges cause them once being called into question and accused to

extraordinarily moued and absolued the offender Or else when by their pleasantnesse with delight they slide into the hearts of men and rauish their affections and thus it was with Augustine as he acknowledgeth of himselfe that being at Milaine where he was baptized by S. Ambrose when he heard the harmony which was in singing of the Psalmes the words pierced his eares the truth melted his heart his passions were moued and showers of teares with delight fell from his eyes But these effects are wrought onely in such who vnderstand that which is spoken but neither of both these properties are to bee found in the Charmes of Wisards besides that they are conceiued and expressed in monstrous and vnknowne tearmes not intelligible and without signification and therefore the effects they produce being supernaturall must proceed from that secret compact at the least made with the Diuell Fourthly these charmes are meere mockeries and grosse abuses both of God and Men his creatures I will giue you a taste of one or two whereby you may iudge of the rest for they came all out of one shoppe and are fashioned in one forge and haue the same workman or Artificer An old woman crauing helpe for bleare eyes had deliuered a Billet of Paper to weare about her necke in which was written The Diuell pull out thine eyes and recouered Another tied a scroule to a sicke man full of strange Characters with which were intermingled a few names of Diuels as Lucifer Sathan Belzebub Oriens Behal Mammon Beuflar Narthin Oleasar c. and other of this sort but what manner of blessing this was and how likely to be medicinable a Christian truely instructed in Gods word knoweth and the Lord who is the father of mercies and God of all comfort preserue vs from such blasphemies which are the Diuels Sacrifices Fifthly the discreeter sort among the Heathen by that small glimpse of naturall reason which they had misliked of these things And therefore Cato among the rest of admonitions to the Bailiffe of his husbandry giueth this charge to aske no aduice of any Southsaier Diuiner Wisard or Natiuity Calculator And Columella vtterly forbiddeth all acquaintance with Witches wherby ignorant people are inforced to expence detestable Arts and mischieuous deeds Hippocrates doth almost like a Christian discourse of this poynt and condemne the whole practise of this Art as iniurious vnto God who onely purgeth sinnes and is our preseruer and for these fellowes who make profession of such wonder-working brandeth them for Impostors and deceiuers I conclude with that remarkeable saying of an ancient Diuine These vanities doe separate and with draw vs from God though they may seeme to haue something in them to allure and delight vs yet let no Christian entertaine them whose hope ought to be setled in God alone And if thou be in distresse or afflicted with sicknesse of body and feele no present release or comfort what then here is the tryall of thy patience haue not recourse to superstitious and vnlawfull helpers although they promise thee present remedy and when they fore-tell thee of things which doe truely according to the prediction so fall out beleeue them not follow the example of Christ who rebuked the Diuell though he called him as he was indeed the Son of God For vnder the vaile of truth he shadoweth falshood euen as if one should sweeten with honey or sugar the brimme of the Cup wherein he bringeth poyson But some will say they call vpon the name of the Lord of Sabbaoth Well but this title they giue not to God but to the Diuell therefore betake thou thy selfe to God alone craue health at his hand and follow the Apostles direction If any bee sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let him pray Iames 5. 14. The ninth Proposition and second Corrolary THere hath alwayes beene some wanton or peruerse wits who only to make triall of their skill would take in hand to defend absurd positions and commend both such things and persons which were infamous and contemptible as Phauorinus writ the praise of the Quartane Ague one of the gout blindnesse and deafnesse Lucian of a flye Erasmus of folly Synesius of baldnesse Glaucus in Plato of iniustice And among the exercises of the ancient Orators wee finde those who strained all their vnderstanding to blaze the honour of that witlesse and deformed Coward Thersites And this they haue performed with great Art and eloquence onely to shew their faculty but neuer in good earnest took such a matter in hand And therefore more deeply is hee to b●… censured who hath made himselfe an aduocate to plead the cause of Witches and defend thē as innocent And because this is a dangerous example and doth draw those who are euill affected to offend hoping for patronage of their impiety I adde for conclusion this last proposition Wisards Witches and the whole rabble of Sorcerers no kinde excepted are iustly liable to extreame punishment The arguments alleaged for proofe hereof are many I will make choyce of a few with reference to such authors in whose writings more may bee found and those which are most demonstratiue First God himselfe hath enacted that poenall statute Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to liue Exod. 22 18. and nameth here a woman practising this damnable Art for two reasons First they are more inclinable hereunto then man Secondly that though their fault may seeme as being the weaker excuseable and is in this respect extenuated by some yet is not therefore to bee spared whether of that sort which they call good or bad for so are they distinguished there be some who neuer brought harme vpon any in body goods or minde The cause of this so sharpe a doome is their compacting with the Diuell openly or secretly whereby they couenant to vse his helpe in fulfilling their desires and by this meanes make themselues guilty of horrible impiety for in this they renounce the Lord who hath created them make no account of his fauour and protection cut themselues off from the couenant made with him in baptisme from the communion of Saints the true fellowship and seruice of God and on the contrary yeeld themselues by this confederacy to Sathan as their God and therefore nothing more frequent and vsuall in their mouthes then my God will do this and that for me him they continually feare and honour And thus do at the last become professed enemies both to God and Man You may adde to this forther law that which is Leuit. 19. 26 cap. 6. You shall vse no inchantment the soule that turneth after such as haue familiar spirits and are Wisards to goe a whooring after them I will set my face against that soule and will cut him off from among his people c. Againe Deut. 18. 10. There shall not bee found