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	way_n	2,901	5	4.3688	3	true

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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

way of the great men of the Army with a base abhorrid resolution of being one that intended to murder the King to the proof whereof they would never suffer the Asperser to be brought though solicited thereunto by a Petition from divers well-affected persons but insteed thereof for that perfideous service they advanced him to the government of Tinmouth Castle above his brother Robert where retaining the leven of his Apostacy which the Gen. Officers had laid in him he ussered the deserved reward of a perfidious traytor And though the General Officers enclined him to this revolt themselves as well by their example as by countenancing him in the beginning hereof and though for the same he incurred the extreme displeasure of his Father and Kindred yet are both his Father and Kindred by the Officers themselves and their Associates aspersed with the fact as if tainted with guilt and contammination thereof Thus did they kill two birds with one stone framing a Name for them which of all others is most distastefull to the People and was therefore most likely to beget a beleef of the pretended assassination Where by the way we desire it may be observed that notwithstanding the word Leveller was framed and cast upon all those in the Army or elsewhere who are against any kind of Tyranny whether in King Parliament Army Councel of State c. And though it was not so much as beleeved to concern those upon whom they cast it the inventers having often professed as much yet have they both themselves and by their Instruments industriously propagated the same and insinuated both this and other slanders of us into the hearts of all the easy and credulous people they could meet withall But to returne The King thus removed they judge themselves at good leisure to deal with the Agreers for the People and so suddainly violent they became in that work that at the first Randezvous neer Ware they shot a Souldier to death for pursuing the ends of the Engagement at New-market and for insisting upon the Agreement for the People unworthily abused Major Skott a Member of this House sent him up a prisoner and accused him and Col. Rains borough for appearing in behalf of the Agreement and there withall sent Col. Ayres Major Cobbet Capt. Bray and many others after them prisoners to Windsor where as Parties Judges and Juries the Officers did what they would against them sentencing some to deata others to disgracefull punishments restraining and releasing at pleasure and with as much Arbirrarinesse as ever was in the world and could not be diswaded though Mr Saltmarsh and others bore full restimony against the cruelty and injustice thereof Hereupon at the House they procured at once the imprisonment of five cordial Citizens for justifying the Agreement of the People and requiring Justice for the blood of the Souldier that was shot at Ware disfranchized them and under the notion of London Agents forbad their meetings And when now they thought they had moulded and qualified the Army to their own bent and had gratified their complying Officers with the cruelty upon the Levellers for so they have stiled all who have manifested any sence of Common Right and had found that they could be nothing so great rich and potent upon a close with the King and that it would be impossible for them to hold either Officer or Souldier firm to them in case of such composure Hereupon uterly to frustrate his hopes that way they prevail with the House to Vote no more Addresses and so vanisht away all their glorious flattery of the King and his Party and their notorious dissimulation appeared abusing thereby the Faith of the Army and making it cleer to all discerning men that such as could so break with one sort of men will make no Conscience of keeping faith with any Their next work was to new-mould the City and make it theirs for which purpose they brought some Regiments of Horse and Foot to White Hall and the Muse to the extreme discontent of the City and provoke them further by keeping their Lord Mayor and some of their Aldermen in the Tower without admitting them to a Legal Tryal though upon Petitions and earnest Desires at last they were referred to be tryed by the Lords contrary to the known Law of the Land but their jurisdiction being disclaimed after a while they were released without any Tryal at all their end being accomplisht which was the terror of the City and changing the Magistrates thereof so as should best serve their designes About this time also they began to exercise their Marshal power over persons not of the Army and did sentence Mr William Thomson to death at White Hall And then also they began to new moddel the Army and for that end though the new raised Regiment for the Tower was thought no burthen yet upon pretence of easing the charge of the Common wealth the Life-Guard must be disbanded because consisting of discerning men faithfull to their Country and former promises and many others of like principles were pickt out of every Regiment the designe being by weeding the choisest and best resolved men to make the Army wholy mercenary slavish and the Executioners of a few mens lusts and lawlesse Pleasures All which those good men perceiving and resolving thereupon not to be disbanded according to the Agreement at New market till the ends therein expressed were fully gained they were enforced there nto by Tyrannicall sentences of Imprsonment and Death though the Officers themselves had formerly refused to disband upon command of Parliament upon the same grounds and strength of the same engagement By all which 't is evident that acording to the maxime of Polititions they judge themselves loose where other men are bound and that all Obligations are to them Transitory and Ceremoniall and that indeed every thing is good and just only as it is conducting to their corrupt and ambitious Interests And thus the most hopefull opportunity that ever England had for recovery of our Freedom was spent and consumed in such their uncertaine staggeringmotions and Arbitrary irrationa●l Proceedings whereby all partyes became extreamly exasperated as people that had been meerly mock'd and cheated by fair promises and under the most religious pretences c. Hereby the Army that but few momenths before had been the joy and hope of all sorts of Rationall People was made a by-word a hissing and a reproach to the whole Nation insomuch that those in hope of their large good Promises and protest in their Declarations who thought nothing too precious for them now grudged them bread and were ready to stone them in all places where they came Trade fled Poverty increased and dicontents abounded till at length broke out such a flane as no time had ever seen before and no doubt was the proper issue of such horrid delusions ministring such matter for a generall Rising and Revels as all former Policies could never attain to and

Army those who had usurped the Authority of the House and Voted a new warre were neverthelesse permitted to sit and Vote there and that contrary to the importunate desires of the Agitators and the Remonstrance of the Army and then one of the first fruits of this their conjunction was the passing of an Ordinance for Tythes upon trebble dammages which the corrupt Clergy had presented in the absence of the Speaker to Pelhams Parliament and the burning of Mr Biddles Book by the Common Hangman and imprisoning his person and that notwithstanding their glorious March through London the prerogative Prisoners in the Tower New-gate and else where were utterly neglected and the Councel of those friends sleighted who had been instrumental even to the losse of some and the hazard of all their lives to make an easie and unbloudy passage for the Army into Southwark and the City Vpon observation of these and abundant more particulars which we could enumerate we concluded that the Councels of the Army were not steered as at their first engagement by the select persons chosen thereunto nor for the ends in that engagement expressed but by some other powerfull and over-ruling influences that intended other matters then were pretended a dthat laboured by all possible means to convert the honest endeavours of good men in the Army and else-where and the happy success God had blessed them withall to the advantage of their Lusts Pride and Domination And as time came on it more and more appeared that they intended meerly the establishment of themselves in power and greatnesse without any regard at all to the peformance of their promises and engagements or any respect to the faith and credit of the Army or to the peace and prosperity of the Common wealth and that they walked by no rules or principles either of honesty or conscience but as meer pollititians were governed altogether by accasion and as they saw a possibility of making progress to their designs which course of theirs they ever termed a waiting upon providence that with colour of Religion they might deceive the more securely Now that this may appear no slander we entreat that without partiality their after proceedings may be throughly scan'd as first at Kingston it was proposed by the Agitators friends of London Southwark and the places adjacent that the Tower City and Borough might be secured by the well-affected Inhabitants and not by Souldiers that so trade and traffique might be preserved which otherwise would be driven away as it soon after proved And that it was hoped they intended not to secure any place by Souldiers when the wel-affected Inhabitants were able to secure it Which advise proceeded as well from ourrespects to the City and neighbour places as upon fears of what we know to be the practise of other Tyrants and therefore doubted would be exercised by those namely the garisoning great Towns thereby to keep the people as well in poverty as in continual aw and subjection Which advise though assented unto by the Agitators was yet rejected by the grand Officers and a new Regiment raised to the further charge of the Common-wealth the Proposers themselves being dismissed with reproches and the Agitators thrust out and not permitted to observe how they were dealt withal At which time also it s very remarkable with how much height of State they observed the King at Hampton Court visiting him themselves and permiting thousands of people dayly to visit him to kiss his hand and to be healed by him whereby his party in the City and every where were exceedingly animated his Agents being as familiar at the head-quarters as at the Court. Then on a sudden when the House complyed not with their purposes in all hast it was to be purged and thereupon they publish a large Remonstrance Aug. 18. stuffed with publike reasons to shew the justness and necessity thereof but the House again complying through the sight of their Remonstrance though no whit changed in respect of its corruption they finding if it were purged it would not be for their design they make nothing of their former resolution but continue it in its corrupt condition and sit with them themselves Then they fall to work again about the King and send the propositions of New-castle to him which they knew and were agreed he should not sign in the mean time they so wrought the King by deep promises and hopes of restauration as that 〈◊〉 inclined much to countenance the Army gave out words in t●eir favour and in his answer to the House prefer●d their Prop●sals before the Parliaments Propositions in lieu thereof the great ones of the Army themselves endeavoured the revival of a Tre●●y and some of them in the House were very violent against 〈…〉 no more Address and expressed it wa● the sen●e of the 〈…〉 further Address should be made and that except they 〈…〉 Addresses of another nature to the King they could not promise them the assistance of the Army and according they take pains to work every man at the head-quarters upon which petitions were attempted in the Army in favour of a Treaty and some conscientious but weak people were drawn to second their design with a Petition for a Personal Treaty which they had ready at the House dore These strange and mysterious proceedings occasion'd a new face of things in the Army many of the Officers being much distasted thereat whole Regiments chusing new Agents to look after the publike as fearing things were runing head-long into a most dangerous condition The far greater number of the Officers would not by any means indure to hear of the Armies complaince with the King and the Agents finding all former engagements promises and declarations broken and utterly neglected and the Common wealth in danger of utter dissolution produce an Agreement of the People upon grounds of Common Right for uniting of all unprejudiced people therein the great Officers very much oppose it a while as having set up another Interest but seing the same take with the Army profess though at present their judgements could not so far close with it as to act for it yet they would never oppose it Hereupon the whole frame of the design alters and the matters in projection with them were how to dis-ingage themselves and be rid of the King and how likewise to discountenance and keep under the discerning party in the Army In order to the first they cast about how to get the King into the Isle of Wight where they might both easier keep others from him and the more entirely possess him themselves and that he might with willingness be hurried thither they work upon his fear suggesting to him that there was an intention in some violent persons to murder him and perswade him to leave that in a letter as the cause of his remove To make which the more credible they wrought L. Col. Hen. Lilburn to asperse his brother John who then stood in the