Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bring_v	good_a	work_n	2,437	5	5.8344	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01716	A dialogue concerning witches and witchcraftes In which is laide open how craftely the Diuell deceiueth not onely the witches but many other and so leadeth them awrie into many great errours. By George Giffard minister of Gods word in Maldon.	Gifford, George, d. 1620.	1593 (1593)	STC 11850; ESTC S105690	66,559	100

to hire them nor to send them to hurte eyther man or beaste but I seé mine owne follie and that onlie God giueth the power vnto the deuils to afflict and trie the godly and to vexe torment and plague the wicked and that they shall do this though all the witches in the world were hanged I know they neéde none to cherish them or to set them a worke Dan. But did you not feare if all suspected should be hanged then some guiltles persons might be put to death As you seé manie that haue bene executed as witches haue taken it vpon their death that they were innocent M. B. I will tel you my thought touching that point which was this The witches raise tempestes and hurte corne and fruites vpon the treés the witches bring the pestilence among men and murraine among cattell the witches send their spirits and make men lame kill their children and their cattell their spirits cannot bee taken heede of nor kept out with doores and wals as theéues and murtherers but come in when they bee sent and doe so many harmes for this cause I thought it a marueilous good worke to put all suspected to death though some of them were innocent that so sure worke might be made to haue not one left Dan. Did you not thinke it a fearfull thinge to shead innocent blood M. B. Yea but I thought it much better that some should be put to death wrongfully than to leaue any one witch which might kill and destroy many Dan. Then I perceiue that this was the reason which did perswade you that it was very good to put all to death that were suspected although it might fall out that some of them were innocent to auoyde greater inconuenience and that is if some few witches should escape which might plague and kill many Better a few should be put wrongfully to death then many should bee tormented and killed or lamed by the deuilles But are you still of that mind M. B. No verily For you haue put me in minde that the wicked spirits receiue their power to plague both mē and beasts only from God They seéke about they watch when and where hee will giue them leaue to touch where God will trie the faith and patience of the iust by him as he did in Iob he sendeth him if he will be sent by a witch it is but vnder a collour shee giueth him not the power hee would touch though she were not Where God will strike and plague the wicked by him he giueth him leaue it is not the anger of the witch that bringeth it but their owne wickednes whereby they haue prouoked God to displeasure and so giue this enemy power ouer them Dan. Then so long as these two thinges stand that God by Satan will afflict in some sort and trie his children as you alleage he did Iob and that he will vse him as his executioner to plague and torment the wicked as he sent an euill spirite to vexe king Saule so long the harmes done by wicked spirites shall not cease although all the witches and coniurers in the worlde were hanged vp Looke then to the causes if wee will remooue the effects As if thou feare God and Satan afflict thee stand fast in faith and patience and waite vpon God for thy deliuerance If thou endure temptation thou art blessed and shalt be crowned Iam. 1. ver 12. If thy sinnes haue prouoked God and the enemie doth touch thy body or thy goods fall downe and humble thy selfe with fasting and prayer intreat the Lord to turne away his displeasure looke not vpon the witch lay not the cause where it is not seéke not help at the hands of deuils be not a disciple of witches to commit thinges abhominable by polluting the name of God and honouring Satan nor thirst not after the blood which is innocent as it falleth out in many M. B. I doe assent vnto al this and surely it is a great fault to shead innocent blood Dan. We may learne in the holie scriptures that the sheading of innocent blood is a verie horrible thing in the eies of almightie God and a very grieuous thing it is to haue a land polluted with innocent blood and that is one special cause why Satan dealeth by witches for he laboureth to wrappe in many guiltlesse persons vpon suspitions he suggesteth by his helping witches that ther be many hurting witches in all townes and villages that so hee may set the multitude in a rage 〈…〉 to suspect vpon euery likelihood that he can deuise or make shewe of And thus whole Iuries must become guiltie of innocent hlood by condemning as guiltie and that vpon their solemne oath such as be suspected vpon vaine surmises and imaginations and illusions rising from blindnes and infidelitie and feare of Satan which is in the ignorant sort M. B. If you take it that this is one craft of Satan to bring manie to be guiltie of innocent blood and euen vpon their oathes which is horrible what wold you haue the iudges and Iuries to doe when any are arraigned of suspition to be witches Dan. What would I haue them doe I would wish them to bee most warie and circumspect that they bee not guilty of innocent blood And that is to condemne none but vpon sure ground and infallible proofe because presumptions shall not warrant or excuse them before God if guiltlesse blood be shead M. B. It falleth out sometimes when a theefe is arraigned or a murtherer that direct euidence faileth and yet such circumstances are brought as doe euen enforce the Iurie in their conscience to find them guiltie It seemeth that this holdeth chiefly about witches because their dealing is close and secrete and it is also thought that the deuill hath so great power ouer them that he will not suffer them to confesse Dan. You bring two reasons to prooue that in conuicting witches likelihoods and presumptions ought to be of force more than about theéues or murtherers The first because their dealing is secrete the other because the deuil will not let them confesse Indeéde men imagining that witches do worke strange mischiefes burne in desire to haue them hanged as hoping the● to be freé and then vpon such perswasions as you mention they suppose it is a very good worke to put to death all which are suspected But touching theeues and murtherers let men take heéde how they deale vpon presumptions vnles they be very strong for we seé that Iuries sometimes doe condemne such as be guiltlesse which is an hard thing especiallie being vpon their oath And in witches aboue all other the proofes had neéd to be strong because there is greater sleight of Satan to pursue the guiltles vnto death than in the other Here is speciall care and wisdome to be vsed And so likewise for their confessing Satan doth gaine more by their confession than by their deniall and therefore rather bewrayeth them himselfe and forceth them to confession oftener

proofe She denieth but the things which fall out doe manifest her to be naught Dan. You must shew the things and thereby it will appeare M. B. She fell out or els at the least seémed to be displeased with one and he had an hogge died suddainlie An other thought she was displeased with him and his horse fell sicke A third could not sit vpon his stoole at worke And within nine or ten yeares space diuers others One saw the deuill bigger than a cat with great eies An other was haunted with a spirite An other brewing the drinke would not worke in the fatte An other sawe a thing in her house as big as a lambe playing in the window Another in her grieuous torment saw the woman stand by her all the night whom she suspected to bewitch her and diuers such like which were too long to recken vp If she were not a witch how should all these fall out so fit Dan. I haue shewed already that where Satan hath a witch to deale by hee bringeth it about that in all such things as he hath power giuen him of God he will seéme to do nothing but requested and sent by the witch In those things which fall out in sicknesses lamenes death vpon naturall causes he worketh in such sort as that he maketh the witch beleéue she doeth them And this hee coueteth to haue breake forth by her confession Now where he hath no witch to deale by he gaineth exceedingly if hee can worke in the minds of any a strong suspition of any man or woman For if it be once begun hee pursueth it with all his power and cunning If one bee visited with grieuous torment of sicknes and be so ignorant and voide of the faith in Gods prouidence that he imagine the deuill doeth it at the sending by a witch the deuill will delude him and make him beleéue that the witch standeth by him The man or woman suspected cannot come there Who then worketh that illusion but Satan Another is affrayde of the deuill to be sent vnto him by that partie whome he suspecteth to be a witch and thus through want of faith in God giueth the deuill the more power ouer him either to hurt or to appeare vnto him For Satan haunteth all men continuallie seéking all occasions and neédeth not to be sent by man or woman They be exceéding blind which will reason thus an euill spirit came and appeared vnto me after I had angred such a woman therfore she sent him Satan if he haue power to doe harme or knowe where somewhat will follow is hee not cunning to make the party which shall receiue the harme to fall out with some that hee may suspect and so the harme may seém to come from that partie Againe in feare in the darke men take some litle cat or dog to be an vglie deuill As not long since a rugged water Spaniell hauing a chaine came to a mans doore that had a saut Bytch and some espied him in the darke and said it was a thing as big as a colt and had eyes as great as saucers Hereupon some came to charge him and did charge him in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost to tell what he was The dogge at the last told them for he spake in his language said bowgh and thereby they did know what he was If he do knowe where harmes do follow vpon naturall causes in men or beasts he laboureth either to make them offended and to fall out with the partie that is suspected or at the least to perswade thē of such displeasure conceiued that the harms may seéme to come from the same If he do torment indeéd hauing power to possesse the bodie he will not sticke to lie and to say such a woman sent him M. B. And doeth it not fall out sometimes that as he saith such a woman sent him so the woman vpon examination confesseth so much Dan. Yea but I speak where he hath no witch to deale by but pursueth the innocent with suspition vpon suspition that men may be guilty of innocent blood Hee telleth the trueth sometimes to the end hee may be credited when he doth lie For let no man be so simple as to thinke that he will euer tell trueth but for some wicked purpose M. B. Yet this of all the rest seémeth most strange vnto me how so many things should fall out as it seémeth after the displeasure of a suspected person and some of them such as apparantly are done by Satan as in drinke not working or in creame when butter will not come and yet the party suspected is not a witch Dan. Oh sir the sleights of Satan in compassing such matters be marueilous I knowe it is taken as they say to be dead sure that the party is a witch if sundry such shewes of matters do concurre But how easie a thing is it for crafty deuils to compasse such matters M. B. Then you doe not thinke that common fame is sufficient to warrant the conscience of the Iuror to condemne any Dan. Experience doeth teach howe heady much people are in iudging men or women to be witches vpon euerie surmise And the power imagined to bee in witches which breédeth a feare in many causeth them to bee credulous Many go so farre that if they can intice children to accuse their parents they thinke it a good worke M. B. You say the testimony of the deuill is not to beé taken although it be manifest that he doth many times tell the trueth because when he speaketh the trueth hee doeth it of a bad purpose And you hold it the testimony of the deuil not only which he speaketh when anie charge him but also which the cunning men women giue in as much as they can say nothing but vpon his word Moreouer vnles I mistake you the testimony of a witch in many things at her death is not as you say any other than the testimonie of the deuil because the deuill hath deceiued her and made her beleéue things which were nothing so Besides al this you wil haue likelihoods and suspitions to be of no waight nor common fame and opinion to mooue the conscience of a Iurie because Satan is exceéding subtill in all these Then how shall a Iurie finde a witch What proofes will you haue Dan. Men are vpon their oath to deale it doth touch life if they doe finde any guiltie of witchcraft This is a most waightie matter whereupon it followeth that there must be eyther due proofe by sufficient witnesses or els the confession of the witch For if the testimony be such as may be false as al that commeth from deuils is to be suspected or if it be but vpon rumors and likelihoods in which there may be exceéding sleights of Satan as for the most parte there be how can that Iury answere before God which vpon their oath are not sure but that so proceéding they may condemne