Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	good_a	great_a	people_n	3,792	5	4.4298	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88253	The second part of Englands new-chaines discovered: or a sad representation of the uncertain and dangerous condition of the Common-Wealth directed to the supreme authority of England, the representors of the people in Parliament assembled. By severall wel-affected persons inhabiting the city of London, Westminster, the borough of Southwark, Hamblets, and places adjacent, presenters and approvers of the late large petition of the eleventh of September. 1648. And as it is avowed by Lieutenant Colonel John Lilburn, Mr. Richard Overton, and Mr. Tho. Prince, upon perill of their lives; and for which they are now committed to the Tower as traytors.; Englands new chains discovered. Part 2	Lilburne, John, 1614?-1657.; Overton, Richard, fl. 1646.; Prince, Thomas.	1649 (1649)	Wing L2181; ESTC R232155	15,213	20

more threatning the ruine of the Nation then all the former forces and Stratagems of the Enemies and which is rightly to be imputed to the unjust partiall and persidsous dealings of these men But when they saw what a strange predicament they had brought themselves into and which thye would never beleeve till it was come upon them no more then now they will they had before manifested a greater Obstinacy then now they did a serious Repentance which yet as the sequell proves was but counierfeit though as God knoweth we were overjoyed to beleeve it reall Acknowledging with the greatest expressions of sorrow that they had walked by corrupt Pollitick Principles That they had been to blame in Actings against honest men That the name of Levelier Jesuite or the like reproaches should never be more heard amongst them that if ever the Nation be happy it must be by a conjunction in the Levellers Principles calling upon all to lay by all Discontents to forget and forgive and to unite all against the Common enemy and promising with greatest asseverations That if God upon our joynt endeavors should be pleased to deliver us out of this Sea of danger that they would never divide from just Principles nor in the least discouncenance honest men as they had done nor endeavor to set up a party but cast themselves upon an agreement of the People for the future settlement of the Peace of the Nation but how and what performance they have made that we shall intreat may be impartially observed in the ensuing story And for a full and timely proofe of their Relapse Discovery of their dissimilation No sooner had they through Gods blessing and the assistance of their reconciled friends finished their worke at Colechester but presently they call to question certaine Persons that had appeared at St. Athanes in behalf of Captaine Reynald chusing rather to forsake the Service then to be commanded by Captaines that had been violent against them that had drunke the Kings Health upon their knees and profest they could rather sight against the Levellers then Cavaliers and these according to their old wont they sentenc'd to Death and soon after releast them as finding or supposing this kinde of Discipline most effectuall to the breaking and debasing the spirits of the English And because Col. Rainsborough had ever opposed their unjust Proceedings they withdraw him from the Army by a plausible but onely a Tittular command at sea where by the straitness of his Commission he not having thereby the command of the Shippes or Officers he could neither restrain their Revolt nor preserve himself from being expussed at the Seamans pleasure out of that employment Then upon his return the ruling Officers finding him as inflexible to their ends as formerly they put him upon that dangerous and unhappy Service before Pomfre● notwithstanding a Commander had been appointed thereunto by the Committee of Yorke whether he went with much Reluctancy and discontent as wondering at the Cause of his being Design'd thither and expressing as much to his Friends his sad soul presaging the misfortune which after befell him But that which gives greatest cause of grief and suspect to his friends is that his Brother receives no furtherance but rather all discouragement that may be in searching after and prosecuting the causers of that so bloody and inhumane a Butchery In the North though during the Service and Necessities of the Army the Levellers as they are call'd were countenanc'd and taken into the Boosme who thereupon forgetting all former affronts and disrespects did liberally hazzard their lives without suspition of fraud and delusion Yet the Necessities being over and the enemies subdued they renew fresh disgraces and fall into a greater 〈◊〉 and contempt then ever First divers-Souldiers for Petitioning in the behalfe of Major Reynolds that he might serve in the room of Major Huntington were therefore rated and threatned to have their skilles cutt and some of them struck for so Petitioning Major Iohn Cobit who with the extreamest hazard had regain'd Tinmouth Castle where his Superiour Commander had through the dangers thereof refused was not withstanding rejected and a Member of Parliament taken from his duty there contrary to the self denying Ordinance made Governor thereof Major White who in all the desperate services in the North had performed the duty of Lieutinant Colonel and Major both in the Generalls Regiment yet because a constant man to his Promises and Principles was refused the Lieftenant Colonelship and a man of a more complying Spirit fetch'd from another Regiment to officiate therein And this was the usage not onely to these Gentlemen but to all others whether Officers or souldiers in North or South for their Counsells were one in both that did retaine a sense and Resolution to prosecute those good things intimated in their former Ingagements And as before upon their first great Successe against the City when now again it justly was expected they should have made use of so notable and unexpected Blessings to the benefit advantage of the Common-wealth as their late repentances promises and Pretences gave men cause to hope the event proved they intended another use thereof for having now subdued all their enemies they proceed with greater confidence to their former purposes of making themselves absolute masters over the Common-wealth wherein there yet appeared one main obstacle and that was an unanimous and universall Resolution in all Well-minded People especially in that numerous PEOPLE that concurred in the PETITION of the Eleventh of September to center in an Agreement of the People which if not evaded it would be impossible for them to goe through with their Worke Hereupon againe they cry out for Union and imploy their Agents to get meetings and Treaties with those that were most forward for an Agreement and contract with them to center in an Agreement and that the matter of the Petition of the Eleventh of September as was desired should be the substance of that Agreement there being no other way then by this yeelding in shew to amaze this busie watchfull Party and to keep them quiet whilst they went on with other pieces of their worke For what else hath all the time spent thereabouts produced but a meere amusing blinding and deluding all that cordially desired the same it being before they left it so obscur'd and perplext in the sense thereof so short of what was intended and so corrupted in many particulars that those most loath'd it that most desired it In the meane time whilst they had fixt good Mens eyes and thoughts upon that Worke they secretly and swiftly prosecute their other Designes as principall in their purposes wherein questionlesse they had not had the Assistance of good men but that it was verily beleeved in shew of driving on their owne Designe they were really and cordially producing a perfect and complete Agreement of the People as large both in grounds of ●●●●dome and redresse of grievances as

the petition of the Eleventh of September in the uttermost extent thereof did import Many of which Petitioners were not satisfyed but that such an Agreement of the People might then have been obtained without any of those extraordinary sudden and violent Courses lately taken neither in bringing the Army to the City breaking the House in pieces or removing the King by such an extra-juditiall Proceedings Court of Justice as had no place in the English Government and did really foresee there would be nothing but abuse in their pretence of an Agreement of the people and that their owne domination in and by a Counsel of State was the maine thing aimed at and intended The Removing the King the taking away the House of Lords the over-awing the House and reducing it to that passe that it is become but the Channell through which is conveyed all the Decrees and Determinations of a private Counsell of some few Officers the erecting of their Court of Iustice and their Counsell of State The voting of the People the supreame Power and this House the Supreame Authority all these Particulars though many of them in order to good ends have been desired by We●l-affected People are yet become as they have managed them of sole conducement to their ends and Intents either by removing such as stood in the way between them and the power wealth or command of the Common-wealth or by actually possessing and investing them in the same And though all this was foreseen by us yet so perswasive were their insinuations in the ears of many good and well-disposed People both Souldiers and others that they have been really carryed away with belief of them and reliance upon them and have thought they could not better imploy their time and abilities them in affording them all furtherance and assistance that might be So that their onely fears remain upon our Discoveries to prevent which they use means that either we might not have opportunity to lay open their Treacheries and Hypocrisies or not be beleeved if we did it In order to the first They strictly stop the Presse In order to the second They blast us with all the Scandalls false Reports their Witt or Malice could invent against us and so monstrously wicked have they been in this particular That they have pry'd into all our Actions made use of all our Acquaintances friendly Intimacies and in conclusion have onely produced such Scandalls as have been customarily used by former States-men and such when scan'd and examined containe both contrariety in themselves and have not the least ground of Truth as concerning us By these Arts are they new fastened in their Power till either by opposition from the enemy which they may well expect God will raise against them as the deserved Recompence of their vile Apostacy or by the weight and Violence of their many Injustices which in the wicked course they are in must every day be multiplyed till they be thrown down from their usurped greatnesse They have already lost the Affections of all People and are onely supported by their present strength but when once those good men that hold them up shall perceive how Instrument all they are made contrary to their intentions in advancing a few losty and imperious mens designes and how easy it is for them to convert their abilities power to better and more common ends exprest in their former engagements and which the complaints of the agrieved people and their owne understandings can furnish them withall they will then lament that they have so long been out of the way and set themselves with the utmost courage resolution to free their distressed Country from the fears and captivity it now groans under They may talk of freedom but what freedom indeed is there so long as they stop the Presse which is indeed and hath been so accounted in all free Nations the most essentiall part thereof imploying an Apostate Iudas for executioner therein who hath been twice burnt in the hand a wretched fellow that even the Bishops and Star-chamber would have sham'd to own What freedom is there left when honest worthy Souldiers are sentenc'd and enforc'd to ryde the horse with their faces reverst and their swords broken overtheir heads for but Petitioning and presenting a Letter in justification of their Liberty therein if this be not a new way of breaking the spirits of the English which Strafford and Canterbury never dreampt of we know no difference of things A taste also of Liberty of Conscience they have given us in the Case of a worthy Member of your House so as we may well judge what is like to follow if their Reigne continue And as for Peace whilst the supream Officers of the Army are supream in your House in the Councel of State and all in all in the generall Counsell of the Army when the murtiall power is indeed supream to the Civill Authority what Peace can be expected we professe we see no councells tending to it but hereof mighty and vast sums of money to be taxed upon the People per mensem as if warre were become the only trade or as if the people were bound to maintain Armyes whether they have trade or no yea whether they have bread or no. And as for the prosperity of the Nation what one thing hath been done that tendeth to it Nay hath apy thing been done since they were in power but what increaseth the rancor hatred and malice which our late unhappy differences have begotten amongst us as if they had placed their happiness and security in the totall devision of the People nothing being offered by them that hath any face of reconcitement in it nothing of cheerfulnesse or generall satisfaction the mother of trade plenty that might take away the private remembrances and destinctions of partyes nothing indeed but what tendeth to implacable bitternesse of spirit the mother of confusion penury and beggery Nay what sense of the heavy burden of the people have they manifested of late hath it not been by their procurement that the Judges their Creatures have a thousand a yeer allow'd to every one of them above the ordinary fees which were ever esteem'd a heavy oppression in themselves is there any abridgement of the Charge or length of time in triall of Causes are they touch'd with the general burden of Tithes that cankier of industry Tillage or with that of exize which out of the bowels of labourers poor people enriches the Userers other Catterpillars of the Comon-wealth or what have they done to free trade from the intolerable burden of Customs except the setting fresh hungry flies upon the old sores of the people what one matterial thing did they offer unto you in their late Petition which you gave them so many thanks for terming their Desires modest discreet when it 's evident by the contents they did it only to stop the mouthes of their Souldiers to amuze