Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	find_v	great_a	know_v	2,951	5	3.3432	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00562	Two godlie and fruitful treatises of the foule and grosse sinne of oppression. The one taken out of the exposition vppon the fift chapter of Nehemiah, written by that worthy bishop and faithfull pastor of the church of Durham, Master Iames Pilkinton. The other published of late by Robert Some Doctor of Diuinitie.	Pilkington, James, 1520-1576.; Some, Robert, 1542-1609.	1585 (1585)	STC 19929.5; ESTC S94728	18,655	46

see the thing to be true and not feigned some of our daughters are in bon dage to them alreadie It is a great griefe to parents to see their owne Children taken by straungers made slaues in their owne sight but it is a greater grief for fathers to be so cruellie delt with in their owne countrie at their friends hands and countrie-men that they shall be compelled willinglie though against their wills to sell their children for slaues or else die for hunger At straungers hands and speciallie if they be of another Religion no man looketh for anie fauour and if anie doe come it is more then looked for and so much the more welcome when it commeth but at a friend and countrie-mans hand where all courtesie is to be looked for and to finde none but all extremitie it is a griefe aboue all griefes and mans hart can neuer digest it It is against God against nature and common reason which teacheth all gentlenes to such nay it is worsse then beastlines for one beast will not deale so cruellie with another of his owne kinde and one theefe will not robbe another therefore to be spoiled and robbed by them of whom they should be defended releeued it is a griefe that passeth all sorowe But if these sorowes could haue an end or ther were anie hope to haue release of them in time we could take it the better haue some comfort but all hope is taken away for we haue no powre left we haue nothing to help our selues withall we haue wrastled as long as we might and made shift as long as it would be but now we are able to beare it no more we haue nothing left all is spent and gone and we cannot deuize where to get anie more our houses our lands and vineyeardes other men haue cruellie gotten from vs and vnmercifullie doe keepe them haue no regard to help vs in this our great and extreame necessitie We can doe nothing but cry out on heauē earth but they haue hardned their harts and stopt their eares that they will not heare nor pitie vs. Mercie is gone crueltie oppression and greedines cary thē away that both forget god them-selues This was the miserable state of that time a mā would haue thought that the miserie slauerie and bondage that they them-selues were in of late vnder heathen Princes in straunge countries and so late being restored through gods free and vndeserued goodnes to their owne countrie with libertie great gifts and liberalitie to build their temple citie should not haue bene so sone forgotten but as they th●● would haue bene glad of some releefe succour courtesie to be shewed vnto them at straungers hands so they should now shew the like vnto their breethren countrimen but such is the wickednes of mans hart that the more mercies we receiue at Gods hand the more vnthankefull we be and such is the malice of Sathan against God his Church and people that when the Lord of his owne free will and vndeserued goodnes bestoweth his mercie vpon his seruants the Deuill by his members and all deuises possible goeth about to ouerthrow and withdraw all sorts of men so much as in him is to a forgetfulnes of such mercifull goodnes bestowed vpon them and maketh them vnmercifull to their breethren which haue receiued so great mercie at the Lords hand Religion is the chiefest help that god hath giuen vs to knowe him by to bridle our ill affections and desires withall to make vs loue one another and set forth his glorie and yet if we looke into our selues in these daies we shal finde that there was neuer greater crueltie oppression of the poore Hypocrisie and dissembling in Gods cause and vnmercifulnes amongst men in this land then hath bene since the beginning of the reforming of Religion amongst vs yea and that is more wonderful of such as would pretend to be fauourers of Religion Hypocrites as they vse nothing well so they misuse Religion for a cloake to worke their owne will and pleasure by to the defacing of all good Religion Things be fresh in memorie and cannot be forgotten of them that will not willinglie be blind but they that list to reede may see in that worthie Father Master Latimer his Sermons manie such things opened that then were preached would to God they were now reformed or not fallen to worsse and more shameful dealings without hope of amendement As for begging or buiyng good things at the Kings hand then selling the woods surueying the land to the vttermost acre or roods of land inhaunsing of rents to the highest from twentie pounds to an hundreth racking the Tenants by intollerable fines and Incomes Sine fine euerie 5. or 7. yeare commonlie laying load on them to carie and recarie what soeuer is to be done paying neuer a pennie for their labour ride and runne when he is commaunded c. Then turne it into the Princes hand againe get as much and vse it as ill or worsse This practise hath bene so common and declared by diuers that few can be ignorant of it and manie crie out on it at this day but remediles Yet this is not the worst if there be anie broken title of the land that maie make question in the Law or if there be anie daunger of waters or extraordinarie charges reparations c. then it is meete for the Prince by exchaunge When it is rackt to the highest and a good thing gotten in steede of it yet that the Prince shall not be thought to haue an ill bargaine he will desire to be farmer of it him-selfe after the same rate to stop mens mouthes for a time As it is reason honorable and Godlie that the Prince should liberallie reward and encourage the good seruitor so is it reason againe that the Princes goodnesse nor the subiect be misused Master Latimer did freelie speake of these things not without blame as peraduenture this will be to but would to God this had bene vsed only in the princes state but he that wil looke and see shall finde the like to common in meane mens doings As for pulling downe of Townes turning tillage to pasture and turning out the tennants as Achab did to Naboth for his vineyeard that they maie haue elbowroume make them large demeans or set a shepheard and his dogg where so manie haue dwelt and that a poore man may not dwel so neere a man of worship these be so common among the meanest sort of Purchasers that men neede not to studie where to finde them Raising of Rents taking vnreasonable fines and gressans is thought no faulte it is so common but some are waxen so cunning that it is straunge to thinke of A land-lord is hungrie and needes must haue fines euen of the poorest sort and because he wil be thought to deale mercifullie this waie is deuised The poore man hath no money and yet he must pay his goods and speciallie his

for he heapeth vnto him-selfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God There were neuer any oppressours so many and mighty but at the length they were met with Gods iudgements haue feete of wooll but they haue armes of brasse It is long God begin but when he striketh he payeth home Esay chap. 30. ver 14. Wo vnto them that imagine iniquity worke wickednes vpon their beds Iere. 5. when the morning is light they practise it because their hand hath powre and they couet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away so they oppresse a man and his heritage therefore thus saith the Lord behold against the family haue I deuised a plague whereout ye shall not plucke your neckes Mich. 2. ver 1.2.3 God be mercifull vnto vs and make vs afraid of his iudgements 7. Oppressours haue no Religion in them GOd Looked for iudgement Esay 5.7 but behold oppression for righteousnes but behold a crying c. Iudgement righteousnes are the true fruits of Gods religion therefore oppression is no branch of Gods Religion and consequently the oppressour is voyd of all religion Doe not all the workers of iniquitie know that they eate vp my people as they eate bread they call not vppon the Lord Psal 14. ver 4. Opperssours call not vppon the Lord therefore they are void of religion for inuocation is a principall and necessarie fruit of religion If the oppressours say that they stretch out their hands and make manie prayers I graunt they doe so but Almightie God giueth them this answeare I will hide mine eyes from you I will not heare Esay 1.1 for your handes are full of blood I will be a swift witnesse against those that wrongfully keepe back the hirelings wages and vex the widow 〈◊〉 3.4 and fatherles and oppresse the stranger and feare not me saith the Lord of hosts c. They which oppresse others feare not God 〈◊〉 3.5 therfore they are voyd of Religion If they say they feare God they deserue no credite because their doings confute their speech A good tree bringeth forth good fruits and a iustifying faith appreereth by good workes The former gouernours did burthen the people 〈◊〉 5.15 but so did not I saith Nehemiah because of the feare of god If Nehemiah did neither oppresse nor deale hardly because he feared God it is manifest that oppressours feare not God and therefore are voyd of religion When he that is Iosias iudged the cause of the afflicted and the poore he prospered was not this because he knew me saith the Lord But thine eyes and thine heart he speaketh to Ioachim the King of Iuda are but onely for thy couetousnes and for to shed innocent blood and for oppression c. Iosias was a singuler defence to the oppressed because he did know and feare God Ioachim was a notable oppressour because he did neither know nor feare God that is to say because he was voyd of Gods religion This which I haue set downe against oppression may serue for oppressours to looke vpon to reforme themselues by If it worke their good it is happy for them If it doe not let them remember that dye they must and that after death they shall haue a fearefull iudgement The best aduise that I can giue to them which are oppressed is that they desire the magistrate to be their defence If by this ordinary meanes they cannot compasse their owne they must patiently beare iniuries and commit their cause to almighty God Psal 56. who hath their flittings in his register and their teares in his bottell and will be surely but yet iustly reuenged of their Oppressours Veritas dulcis est amara Quando dulcis est parcit quando amara curat Aug. Epist 211. ad Romulum