Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	effect_n	good_a	reason_n	2,537	5	5.2979	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66756	An improvement of imprisonment, disgrace, poverty, into real freedom, honest reputation, perdurable riches evidenced in a few crums & scraps lately found in a prisoners-basket at Newgate, and saved together, by a visitant of oppressed prisoners, for the refreshing of himself and those who are either in a worse prison or (who loathing the dainties of the flesh) hunger and thrist after righteousness / by George Wither.	Wither, George, 1588-1667.	1661 (1661)	Wing W3163; ESTC R14994	55,794	128

not how May honestly be prov'd but this I know The House of Commons may much honour get By well approving that which I have writ Considering I therein have appeal'd To GOD and men if it be not conceal'd From open view and mulcts upon me laid For mentioning in private what was said In publick by the People who thereby And therein are concern'd as much as I Because my purpose in that Poem tends To common good without sinister ends And if we to our selves may not relate Our thoughts in words and them Communicate To Peers intrusted by the Supream Power For Preservarion of their peace and our We are in danger shortly to become The veriest slaves throughout all Christendom But as I said in that which was surpriz'd The Prudent Commons will be so advis'd When they with seriousness have that perused Whereby they are suppos'd by me abused That finding none reproved save onely those Who them in their debatings did oppose And that they likewise after next October Who were half mad in June wise and grown sober Will mend their former manners and become As helpful as they have been troublesome Both Parties then will peradventure be Thenceforth as fully reconcil'd to me As I to all men am and what was not Ill-meant shall be well taken or forgot If it be so It will a Symptome prove Of an abatement if not of remove Of some oppressions to prepare the way For what 's reserv'd untill another day But to what end is this Apologie Not meerly from this place wherein I lie To free my Person or from that which may To me befall upon my Tryal-day No those effects must from an abler spirit Proceed All I can say or do or merit To add a contribution thereunto So little will to such a purpose do That rather provoke more my Foes I shall And deeper into their displeasure fall For 't is not pleading in the fittest Season A Righteous Cause with Arguments Reason Nor is it our well-doing or our saying The Truth nor Preaching nor unto them Praying Nor our long-suff'rings nor when past they are Good services to them how great so e're That so much moves as Flattery making Friends Large Gifts and serving of their present ends I therefore have but an occasion took Thereby to mention somewhat yet unspoke A Nobler Cause concerning then mine own And whereon Words will better be bestown Wholly to GOD committing the success Make that the chief aim of what I express For hearing what is done by common Fame And partly knowing that oblig'd I am Not by my Nat'ral faculties alone On me conferred for that end or none But also by my Christianity And not a little by a Moral-Tie To speak and write and do the best I may To bring them who are out into their way And I le express what e're to that effect I do believe may tend without respect To Persons of a high or low degree Or any Powers on Earth who e're they be Councills and Parliaments and Soveraign Kings I do acknowledge to be Sacred things Whose Reputation whilst at least they are In being ought with conscientious care To be preserv'd because on them depends That which to publick woe or welfare tends Yet He from whom all Powers their Being had And they for whose sakes onely they were made Ought so to be preferr'd that nought be wav'd Whereby their dues and honours may be sav'd We have oft seen and felt in our own times That they of such Confusions and such Crimes Hath been the cause at least in letting in Much more destructive Plagues then all the Sin Of Privare Persons and that which we know Was heretofore may be hereafter so Yea may and will in every Age grow worse Unless there be provision of some course To regulate them and a free consession To Persons qualified with discretion To mind them of their duties who have dar'd When they to Publick places were prefer'd Imploy those Priviledges as their own Which were for Publick services bestown And often do abuse them to the wrong Of them to whom of right they do belong 'T is now high time that Earthly Kings Judges Should wiser grow and use their Peiviledges To better purposes then heretofore For his great Kingdom now is at the door Which will destroy those Empires that begun In NIMROD and through various forms did run Until the Tyrannies beginning than Shall have an end in that Misterious-man Who by the Dragon Scarlet-Whore and BEAST Though mystically truly is exprest Then shall those Tyrannies and Usurpations Whereby he long time hath opprest the Nations And therewith every Branch that sprung therefrom Unto an everlasting Ruine come Though some of them are seemingly Besainted And with fair shewes of Holiness Bepainted For I believe although it doth appear To few men yet Divine Records declare Aswell the Term of NIMROD'S Emperies As of Mysterious Babels Tyrannies Whose time Six hundred sixty six is known To number out and which must be ov'rthrown With that from whence it sprung when ripe 't is grown That to be All in all GOD may be known grown And as I've oft inferr'd they who belong To that new Empire which will then grow strong Shall now way need their Persons to ingage By violent Actings but to bear the rage Of their opposers with a patient heart For suff'ring onely will be their chief part And he who in the Assyrian hoast did smite Fourscore five thousand Persons in one night Shall by the Pow'r and vertue of his Word Perform that work without their hand or sword The CUP of Fornication so bewitches With love of Pleasures Honours and of Riches The great men of the Earth that they think none Are sober men unless they dote upon Those Vanities and prosecute those Ends To which their Policy and Power tends Until they grow as mad or drunk as they And then perhaps for wise men pass they may As David sayes They will not Understand They will not heed what GOD hath now in hand But obstinately still adhere to those Who tempt them on unto their ov'rthrowes Till Ruine comes For they are not aware How cheated by those Mountebanks they are Nor how those Parasites increase their store Ev'n to excess by making of them poor Nor heed they how these cause them to destroy Those men by whom they safety might enjoy With Love and Honour if they did not lend Their Ears to those who no Good-men befren'd They shut their Eyes and therefore cannot see Into what dangers they approaching be And those as much they hate who cross their will To save them as if they did come to kill That which they call the Reason of the State Too far insisted on is often that Which proves the bane of Kingdoms yet still Either false Prophets Priests or their self-will Therewith besots them though they have bin told What thereon hath ensu'd in times of old When Princes GOD's directions had despis'd And acted

do no harm to me Though that which is without me wrong'd hath been And may be still all shall be safe within So long as GOD assisteth me by whom I with this confidence am arm'd become And peradventure they who think to spoil This confidence may give themselves the foile Their scandal in the first place I le assay To wipe off who suppose my losses may Provoke me or that my oppressions had Prevail'd to make me grow a little mad But they mistaken are in that surmise For to the world-ward I am so wise To be by them distempred in a mood Like those who trust in Riches more than GOD And by what I am like to undergoe It will be proved whether it be so I am not so in love as men conceive With that whereof the World can me bereave As to ingage for such poor Interests My quiet in this life by those contests Which I adventure on if I saw nought That much more worth such hazards I had thought And this mind if my Actions did not shew In former times those will that shall ensue When more undoubtedly those things appear Which of my Writings the chief motives were And will shew whether I did ought intend To drive on an ignoble or self-end It may he known by what was heretofore Divulg'd that nothing now befalls me more Then I expected That I did foresee What lately seiz'd on other men and me That having been here in the Worlds great School So long a time I was not so much Fool As not to know how Friends and means to make In seasonable time to save my stake And mend my Game if I unto that end Had play'd it which most other men intend Or if I thought those men who look on me With most contempt were better then they be I knew as well as any how to Fawn And flatter what to give and what to Pawn For my advantage if I could have thought That worth my seeking for which most men sought But though I find it an imperfect Light Whereby at first I walk'd it gave me sight Of much more then the World believ'd I saw And kept me of mine own heart so in awe That notwithstanding I did for a season Oft stagger to and fro 'twixt Faith and Reason And stumbled otherwhile into those things Which Ruine unless Grace prevention brings I in the main pursu'd a Good Design Not I confess by any power of mine And by some Symptoms at the last perceiv'd That till of my Estate I was bereav'd My work would neither well be carryed on When that time came wherein it should be done Nor take so good effect as it would then Upon my Self or upon other men For which cause when I saw it must be so Without reluctancy I let all go And without nourishing a secret spleen Against their persons who my foes have been This future things much better will display Then all which at this present I can say As also that they who from me of late Have torn unmercifully my Estate By far worse motives thereunto were led Then those which me inclin'd to what I did Loss to prevent or to regain what 's lost I did adventure no more pains or cost Then Reason warranted and obligations Which bound me to have care of my Relations Or might then by pursuing of that course Assure me how much better'd or grown worse Men by those Judgements and those Mercies were Which GOD had variously dispensed here And having thereby learned what GOd meant I with my losses was as well content As is a Christian when by Turks pursu'd Who overpower him by their multitude He wracks his Vessell on a friendly shore Where he hath Life and Freedom though no more Why should I angry be to see that gone Which if I had not lost had me undone Which also will undo them who now have it And if good heed he take not him that gave it Or which will be restor'd again to me If for GOD's Glory and my good it be Why should I be displeas'd to be bereft Of that whose loss hath an assurance left Of better things Of that which whilst possest Increast my troubles and disturb'd my rest Of that which I must shortly leave though mine And know not when the same I must resign Whether it to their Weal or Woe shall tend To whom when I am dead it will descend These things considered all wise men know That nor these nor my former Musings flow From discontentments or from wrath that springs From loss of inconsiderable things And Wisemens good esteems if keep I may A rush I care not what fools think or say On whom the less impression it will make The more I rationally write or speak But that whereby most blame to me may come And which will probably be charged home Is an Impeachment for a hainous thing That some are pleas'd to call a Lybelling Against the COMMONS which if proved true I le ask no favour For I think none due And if it be an unjust imputation I for my sufferings claim a Reparation Expecting which ought not to be refus'd That what is call'd a Lybel be produc'd To open view and sight of ev'ry one Who may concerned be in what is done And that none may usurp a Priviledge Thereon to passe a Sentence as my Judge Who shall not read or hear the same throughout For Solomon hath freed it so from doubt That to averr I shall not be a fear'd He that doth Censure what he never heard Deserveth shame And I shall rather laugh And Jeer thereat then either grieve or chafe Because at worst I then a Doome shall have Much like as if a Fool had call'd me Knave If left to Publick view my Poem be And finisht as intended was by me No worse construction thereof can be made Then this that I have call'd a Spade a Spade And means devis'd whereby men may appear Unto themselves what others know they are By fained speakers I have onely said What was to me by Common-fame convey'd And murmur'd in most places to worse ends Then that wheteto my harmless Poem tends And if I may presume the Truth to tell I am rewarded ill for doing well For thereby I not onely turn'd aside That general reproach which was apply'd To all the House of Commons and alone To them confin'd it who brought blame thereon But likewise without personally blaming Or marking any forth to their defaming Have sought to bring it to their Cognisance Who might thereby the Publick weal advance And who if it prov'd worthy Approbation Might useful make it for the Reformation Of that which else will have a Cousequence More hurtful then my Innocent-Offence For though by publication I had done What might have seem'd a fault and now is none The Generality but little more Had thereby known then what most knew before When to worse ends and more apparant wrongs 'T was tost upon the Rackets of mens Tongues

that which their own hearts devis'd Although they by experiments had seen What of their Policies the fruits have been These were of old examples Saul thereby Deprived was of Life and Soveraignty King Solomon by something like that Knack To please his Wives in honour suff'red Wrack So Jeroboam though GOD promis'd him And to his seed a lasting Diadem By that State-policy whereby he sought To keep the Throne the loss thereof was wrought Jehu regardless of GOD's promises The same course following had the like success High places Altars Groves and Priests of Baal Were chief occasions of King Ahabs fall The bringing of the Gods of Edom home In hope that they a strengthning might become Unto his Kingdom was the overthrow Of Amaziah and of many moe State-Policy made Judah's King contemn The Prophets Counsel when Jerusalem Was first destroyed and the Jews inslaved Who might then from that Bondage have been saved And they who truly sought their preservation Reputed were as now Foes to their Nation Disloyal to their King seiz'd as supitious And punished as Factious or Seditious State-Policy caus'd breaking of that Oath For which GOD was with Zedekiah wroth And punished in such a Signal wise That he lost both his Kingdom and his Eyes And Politick enlarging of Possessions Or Power by loading Nations with Oppressions To further State-Designs until it wracks Their Loyalties and then their patience cracks Hath been and will be in all times and Nations The cause of Wars Rebellions desolations And changing Governments But now ere long When human Policy hath made most strong The MISTRIS of Terrestrial Potentates By Counsel Strength and by Confederates Combin'd as they intend and when their might Hath raised Expectation to the height Then She and They shall be unto each other A mutual Plague and be destroy'd together With ev'ry Person Family and Nation Which is a Member of that Corporation And then those PEDLERS who are now so jolly Shall packing up the Tokens of their folly Run to seek out where they their heads may hide From that whereby they shall be terrifi'd Let him that hath an ear to hear this hear it Let proud men tremble Let the mighty fear it And let the Meek rejoyce For GOD will turn Their Sorrows into Gladness who now Mourn It is not only now of much behoof But necessary too that sharp Reproof Advice and Admonition should be given To all Estates and Princes under Heaven Yea and particularly be apply'd By some and in some cases when aside They from the way of safety stray so far That to apparant danger nigh they are How ere they take it or what ever shall Thereby to their Premomters befall Because by States if wickedly inclin'd The greatest Plagues do fall upon mankind This made Elia's to become so bold When Ahab of his wickedness he told Unto his face and when to like intent A Writing he to King Jehoram sent This to reprove King Asa without dread The SEER Hanani encouraged This made the Prophet Samuel so to School King Saul that in effect he call'd him Fool And John the Baptist speak as plainly too Of Herod as now they term'd Quakers do To some with us This also did induce King David who observed the abuse Of Courts and Councils to cry out on them To this effect how long will ye condemn The poor and Innocent how long oppress The man afflicted and the Fatherless How long will ye unrighteously neglect The cause that 's just for personal respect Do Justice and vouchsafe compassion more Hereafter then ye have done heretofore For if it be not to you be it known You walk in darkness you have overthrown The worlds Foundations wilfully inforce All things to move out of their proper course And that though GOD himself hath call'd you Gods A difference making with no little odds Twixt you and common men yet die you shall Like them yea die such Death's as did befall To wicked Princes who unto their place Went down with greatest horror and disgrace Although such rough Reprooss on silken Ears Grate harshly and are thought by Flatterers To sound like Blasphemy This in old times The Language was in which great Princes crimes Rebuked were This was the usual mode Till slavish men fear'd mortals more then GOD. Thus David spake unto the Congregations Of mighty men Thus through all Generations To them should Truth be told as need requir'd By those who to that purpose are inspir'd Republicks Kings and Councils Objects are Of such Reproofs and so reproved were And how inrag'd soever they are grown GOD will be King his pleasure hee 'l make known By whom soever he pleases that their crimes May now as well as in preceding times Reproved be For States and private men Are every whit as guilty now as then The same at this time or the like Omissions The like Exorbitances and Oppressions In this our Generation may be found And more and more are likely to abound If not prevented for the things we should We neither do nor suffer those who would And if we can but force men to professe As we do though against their Consciences We think we have secur'd them to our side Whereas when such mens Truths come to be try'd Who are for fear or for advantage won To act what is against their Conscience done They being both to GOD and Men unjust In them there 's of all other the least trust For how long or to whom or unto what Will they be true who Conscience violate Doubtless without a speedy Reformation It wholly will corrupt this Generation Fit us for nothing but for what is Evil And to be serviceable to the Devil As therefore 't is unfit that ev'ry one Should States reprove 't is as unfit that none Perform that Work and brutish to conceive That GOD the Worlds last and worst Age should leave Without Premonitors or that the dayes Most wicked grown requir'd not stranger wayes Of Admonition then have been in use When of GOD's Grace there was much less abuse For Providence that nothing doth omit Which either Work or Season may befit Although but little heed thereof be took Hath lately to this Generation spoke By many Prodigies Each Element Hath very plainly Preached GOD's intent Yea many Dispensations which to us Seem to be wicked or ridiculous Have somewhat in them which relates unto That which we have done or else ought to do Or have Omitted or else to be Signs Of that whereto this later Age declines And that such things as those in these last Ages Should be we have Authentical Presages But Visions Revelations Prophesies Or such like now the common-voice decries As at an end which I confesse is true As they concern revealing Doctrines new To saving Faith relating yet of that Which may concern the Temporarie State Of CHRIST'S Church Militant or his Elect In Actings or in Suff'rings to direct Or of unfolding Prophesies to them Which were seal'd up till an appointed time