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	sin_n	4,328	5	4.6860	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63496	A true copy of the petition of the centlewomen, [sic] and tradesmens-wives in and about the city of London Delivered, to the Honourable, the knights, citizens, and burgesses, of the House of Commons in Parliament, the 4th. of February, 1641. Together, with the reasons why their sex ought thus to petition, as well as the men; and the manner how both their petition and reasons was delivered. Likewise the answer which the honourable assembly sent to them by Mr. Pym, as they stood at the House-doore. Whereunto is added the prophesie of old Sybilla.	England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons.	1642 (1642)	Wing T2657A; ESTC R222532	4,024	11

A TRUE COPY OF THE PETITION OF THE CENTLEWOMEN and Tradesmens-Wives in and about the City of LONDON Delivered To the Honourable the KNIGHTS Citizens and Burgesses of the House of COMMONS in Parliament the 4th of February 1641. Together With the Reasons why their Sex ought thus to Petition as well as the Men and the manner how both their Petition and Reasons was delivered Likewise the Answer which the Honourable Assembly sent to them by Mr. Pym as they stood at the House-doore Whereunto is added the Prophesie of old Sybilla LONDON Printed for Iohn Bull dwelling in Grubstreet 1642. TO THE HONOVRABLE Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the House of COMMONS assembled in PARLIAMENT The most humble PETITION of the Gentlewomen Trades-mens-wives and many others of the Femall Sex all Inhabitants of the City of LONDON and the Suburbs thereof With lowest submission shewing THat we also with all thankfull humilty acknowledging the unwearied paines care and great charge besides hazatd of health and life which you the noble Worthies of this Honourable and Renowned Assembly have undergone for safetie both of Church and Common-wealth for a long time already past for which not only we your humble Petitioners and all well affected in this Kingdome but also all other good Christians are bound now and at all times to acknowledge yet notwithstanding that many worthy deeds have been done by you great danger and feare doe still attend us and will as long as Popish Lords and Superstitious Bishops are suffered to have their Voice in the House of Peeres and that accursed and abominable Idole of the Masse suffered in the Kingdome and that Arch-enemy of our Prosperity and Reformation lyeth in the Tower yet not receiving his deserved punishment All these under correction gives us great cause to suspect that God is angry with us and to be the chiefe causes why your Pious endeavours for a further Reformation proceedeth not with that successe as you desire is most earnestly praied for of all that wish well to true Religion and the flourishing both of King and Kingdome the insolencies of the Papists and their Abbettors raiseth a just feare and suspition of sowing sedition and breaking out into bloody persecution in this Kingdome as they have done in Ireland the thoughts of which sad and Barbarous events maketh our tender hearts to melt within us forcing us humbly to Petition to this Honourable Assembly to make safe provision for your selves and us before it be too late And whereas we whose hearts have joyned cheerefully with all those Petitions which have bin exhibited unto you in the behalfe of the purity of Religion and the liberty of our Husbands persons and estates recounting our selves to have an interest in the common priviledges with them doe with the same confidence assure our selves to finde the same gracious acceptance with you for easing of those greevances which in regard of our fraile condition do more neerely concerne us do deeply terrifie our soules our Domestical dangers with which this kingdom is so much distracted especially growing on us from those trecherous and wicked attempts already are such as we find our selves to have as deep a share as any other We cannot but tremble at the very thoughts of the horrid and hideous facts which modesty forbids us now to name occasioned by the bloody Wars in Germany his Majesties late Northern Army how often did it affright our hearts whilest their violence began to breake out so furiously upon the persons of those whose Husbands or Parents were not able to rescue we wish we had no cause to speak of those insolencies and savage vsage and unheard of rapes exercised upon our Sex in Jreland and have we not just cause to feare they will prove the forerunners of our r●ine except Almighty God by the wisdom care of this Parliament be pleased to succour us our Husbands and Children which are as deere and tender unto us as the lives and bloud of our hearts to see them murthered and mangled and cut in pieces before our eyes to see our Children dashed against the stones and the Mothers milk mingled with the Infants bloud running downe the streets to see our Houses on flaming fire over our heads Oh how dreadfull would this bee wee thought it misery enough though nothing to that wee have iust cause to feare but few yeares since for some of our Sex by uniust divisions from their bosom comforts to be rendred in a manner Widdowes and the children Fatherlesse Husbands were imprisoned from the Society of their Wives even against the Lawes of God and Nature and little Infants suffered in their Fathers banishments thousands of our deerest friends have bin compelled to fly from Episcopall persecutions into desert places amongst wilde Beasts there finding more favour then in their native soile and in the midst of all the sorrowes such hath the pitty of the Prelates beene that our cries could never enter into their eares or hearts nor yet through multitudes of obstructions could never have accesse or come nigh to those Royall mercies of our most gracious Soverrigne which wee confidently hope would have relieved us but after all these pressures ended we humbly signifie that our present feares are that unlesse the bloud-thirsty faction of the Papists and Prelates be hindred in their designes our selves here in England as well as they in Ireland shall bee exposed to that misery which is more intollerable then that which is already past as namely to the rage not of men alone but of Devils incarnate as we may so say besides the thraldome of our soules and consciences in matters concerning God which of all things are most deare unto us Now the remembrance of all these fearefull accidents aforementioned doe strongly move us from the example of the Woman of Tekoa to fall submissively at the feete of his Majesty our dread Soveraigne and cry Helpe O King helpe O yee the noble Worthies now sitting in Parliament And wee humbly beseech you that you will bee a meanes to his Majesty and the House of Peeres that they will bee pleased to take our heart breaking grievances into timely consideration and to adde strength and incouragement to your noble indeavours and further that you would move his Majesty with our humble requests that hee would bee graciously pleased according to the example of the good King Asa to purge both the Court and Kingdome of that great Idolatrous service of the Masse which is tollerated in the Queenes Court this sinne as wee conceive is able to draw downe a greater curse upon the whole Kingdome then all your noble and pious indeavours can prevent which was the cause that the good and pious King Asa would not suffer Idolatry in his owne Mother whose example if it shall please his Majesties gracious goodnesse to follow in putting downe Popery and Idolatry both in great and small in Court and in the Kingdome throughout to subdue the Papists and their abetters and

by taking away the power of the Prelates whose Government by long and wofull experience wee have found to bee against the liberty of our conscience and the freedome of the Gospell and the sincere profession and practise thereof then shall our feares bee removed and wee may expect that God will powre downe his blessings in aboundance both upon his Majesty and upon this Honourable Assembly and upon the whole Land For which your new Petitioners shall pray affectionately The Reasons follow IT may bee thought strange and unbeseeming our sex to shew our selves by way of Petition to this Honourable Assembly but the matter being rightly considered of the right and interest wee have in the Common and publique cause of the Church it will as wee conceive under correction bee found a duty commanded and required First Because Christ hath purchased us at as deare a rate as hee hath done men and therefore requireth the like obedience for the same mercy as of men Secondly Because in the free enjoyning of Christ in his owne Lawes and a flourishing estate of the Church and Common-wealth consisteth the happinesse of Women as well as Men. Thirdly Because Women are sharers in the Common calamities that accompany both Church and Common-wealth when oppression is exercised over the Church or Kingdome wherein they live and an unlimited power have beene given to Prelates to exercise authority over the Consciences of Women as well as Men witnesse Newgate Smithfield and other places of persecution wherein Women as well as Men have felt the smart of their fury Neither are wee left without example in Scripture for when the State of the Church in the time of King Abasuerus was by the bloudy enemies thereof sought to bee utterly destroyed wee find that Ester the Queene and her Maids fasted and prayed and that Ester petitioned to the King in the behalfe of the Church and though shee enterprised this duty with the hazard of her owne life being contrary to the Law to appeare before the King before she were sent for yet her love to the Church carried her thorow all difficulties to the performance of that duty On which grounds wee are imboldned to present out humble Petition unto this Honourable Assembly not weighing the reproaches which may and are by many cast upon us who not well weighing the premisses scoffe and deride our good intent Wee doe it not out of any selfe conceit or pride of heart as seeking to equall our selves with Men either in Authority or wisedome But according to our places to discharge that duty wee ow to God and the cause of the Church as farre as lieth in us following herein the example of the Men which have gone in this duty before us A Relation of the manner how it was delivered with their Answer sent by Mr. Pym. THe Petition with their Reasons was delivered the fourth of Feb. 1641. by Mistresse Anne Stagg a Gentlewoman and Brewers-wife and many others with her of like rank and quality which when they had delivered it after some time spent in reading of it the Honourable Assembly sent them an Answer by Master Pym which was performed in this manner Master Pym came to the Commons doore and called for the Women and spake unto them in these words Good Women your Petition and the Reasons have beene read in the House and is very thankefully accepted of and is come in a seasonable time You shall God willing receive from us all the satisfaction which wee can possibly give to your just and lawfull desires Wee intreat you to repaire to your Houses and turne your Petition which you have delivered here into Prayers at home for us for wee have beene are and shall bee to our utmost power ready to relieve you your Husbands and Children and to performe the trust committed unto us towards God our King and Countrey as becometh faithfull Christians and Loyall Subjects The Prophesie of old Sybilla Which secretly shee told Tom Milla. WHen Scotlands hundreth and ninth unconquered King The sixteen hundred thirty and ninth yeare Into his age of thirty nine shall Raigne Then shall the Papall overthrow appeare Which all the Arts of Europe shall admire For Scotland shall that blessed worke begin Then shall the Whore of Babell wee had here Bee banisht quite which Bishops did bring in Then then brave England which was led so blind By their perverse Episcopapall pride And Irelands shamelesse superstitious sinne Shall hee supprest who cruelly have cride So thatt hat sacred Prophetesse Sybilla Shall shortly come to passe shee tels Tom Milla And Tom tels mee and I must tel 't againe Through Scotland England Ireland France and Spaine FINIS