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	think_v	time_n	3,167	5	3.3852	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80490	The copy of a letter sent out of Wiltshire, to a gentleman in London; wherein is laid open the dangerous designes of the clergy, in reference to the approaching Parliament. By a true friend to the publique interest, and to all peaceable men.	True friend to the publique interest, and to all peaceable men.	1654 (1654)	Wing C6155; Thomason E809_18; ESTC R207575	3,496	8

THE COPY Of a LETTER Sent out of Wiltshire to a Gentleman in London wherein is laid open the dangerous Designes of the CLERGY In reference to the approaching PARLIAMENT By a true Friend to the Publique Interest and to all Peaceable Men. LONDON Printed for Livewell Chapman at the Crowne in Popes-head-Alley 1654. The Copy of a Letter sent out of Wiltshire to a Gentleman in London Wherein is laid open the dangerous Designes of the CLERGY in reference to the approaching Parliament WORTHY SIR YOU will expect that I should give you a true accompt of passages relating to the choosing of Members to sit in Parliament for this County of Wilts The truth is the matter was most confusedly and unworthily carried without any order or discretion As for the Clergie they exceedingly bestirred themselves making their party as strong as ever they could that so they might promote and carry on their Scottish Interest The Ringleaders of this faction were Dr. Chambers Mr. Byfield Strickland these with the rest of their Brethren of the Association and 't is more then probable that the same designe is carried on by the Clergy in other Counties gathered together a great number of people taught them their lesson before hand to cry up only those ten men named in their List and to brand others as namely Lievt Gen. Ludlow Col. Eyre c. who were nominated by approved faithfull men in the County with the names of Anabaptists Levellers to render them odious to the generality of the injudicious people by these false and malitious imputations Thus honest Publique spirited men are most unworthily dealt withall and trampled upon by a Time serving Generation Sir I am very confident that some hundreds gave their Voyces who were either Cavileers or else of inconsiderable Estates not worth 100. l. and therefore uncapable of choosing by the Modell of the Established Government It was agreed on at length that the severall Lists should be called one by one and so put to the Yea's and Noe's without naming any other in competition with the former But this order was violated by the Clergies party by which means through the instigation of this Scottish faction Lievt Gen. Ludlow was put by to the great disparagement of this Country where he hath been more serviceable to the true interest of the State then all the men that are chosen put them all together and the Parsons too nay they were so far from giving their Voyces for this faithfull valiant self-denying man that the leading man among them their chief Counsellour whom I shall forbear to name refused to appeare for the Lievt Gen. intimating that he was not fit to sit in the next Parl. Ye are so considerate Sir I doubt it not as to observe that there is a designe generally carried on by the Clergie of this Nation to bring us againe into Egyptian bondage to keep up and maintain the oppression of Tithes and to set up themselves and their Classicall Diana by Civill Sanction in order whereunto they have endeavoured to procure a considerable number of Members that may Vote in the next Parl. for an Assembly or Convention of Ministers to make Cannons for inthralling the consciences of good men where Adoniram may be one of the Scribes who indeed was an exceeding busie man and acted like a Pharisee at the Election his carriage not becoming a Minister of Christ But why should we wonder at him and others their busie intermedling and more then ordinary diligence and activity alas poor men they are afraid they shall loose their fat Parsonages worth 3 or 400. l. per ann a peece These Politique State Parsons neglected the Preaching of their Lecture at Sarum that they might bawle and cry with open mouth No Ludlow no Ludlow till they were even hoarse again they chose rather to spend their breath in decrying honest men then in preaching the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Nor is it sufficient for these men that they have present encouragement equall with or above other men more deserving unles they may also impose upon domineer over their brethren they will not be contented I doe plainly see they will rather joyn with the vilest men then with such as crosse their carnall interest and dissent from them though never so godly What shall I say of the impudency of these men one Stone a Factor for them and Vassall to them went up and down at the Election like a madd man crying out Now friends appear for the Church of God or never poore man can he put no difference between appearing for the lusts of men and the Church of Christ between the Classicall Vsurpations of the self-seeking Parsons and the truth and Gospel of Christ Sir By this dayes work ye may judge of the issue and fruit of the Ministers Association in this County which may rather be called a subtill Combination then a Christian spirituall Communion as they manage it you will hear of the like proceedings in other Counties especially where this Association is carried on the same being devised as a shelter upon a politique accompt against an approaching storme The Lord direct his Highnesse in this Juncture of Affaires and make him truly sensible of the dangerous plots of these men that would thus rigidly impose upon their Brethren There will be I am confident a necessity of taking a strict review of these Elections having been carried on in such a turbulent confused manner by the violent motions of the corrupt Clergy all joyning together to uphold their Diana But as it was with the Prelates in entring their Protestation in the former Parliament they prepared a Rodd to whipp themselves with and digged a pit wherein they themselves did fall so will these men doe that which they have designed for upholding their corrupt Interest will be the ruine thereof His Highnesse and his Army cannot but call to mind the late broyles both in this Nation and Scotland caused by this sort of men who will not cease plotting and combining till they imbroyle the Nations againe in blood if the Lord in mercy prevent not Sir I had the sight of a Letter writ by one Burgess a Parson of the Confedracy sent to one of his Brethren in this County his words are as followeth Sir I hope you will be active to ingage all that ever you can to appear with us for such men as will be valiant for the truth and be ready to meet Dr. Chambers Mr. Byfield Strickland Ince c. And that we may not be divided there shall then be a List of the ten to be chosen given to every one that appeareth for the best interest Let us not be accessary to our owne ruine and give occasion to the succeeding Generation to curse us by not putting forth our interest to the utmost for choosing right men If we remember the last men that met at Westminst what they were Voting for and withall how the Monster of their malice was even brought to the birth it will make us actiue for a better Choyce Besides what this Parson writ in his Letter he told the party before one Mr. Dyer that there was a Commission coming out for ejecting Ministers and that he would be in danger of being outed his Living that should not appear with the Ministers at the Election Thus you see Sir they make lies their refuge and have recourse to Carnall weapons the Instruments of a foolish Shepheard as his Highnesse expresseth it in one of his Letters to the Clergy of Scotland Well though these rigid foolish men will not see the hand of God which is gone out against them but goe on in their vain wayes of opposition notwithstanding they have been so often disappointed yet the work of the Lord shall prosper and God will ere long separate his faithfull Ministers and Servants from this corrupt selfe seeking Generation of men who will not cease from busie intermeddling in state matters and raising Factions till the Maintenance for the Ministry be brought into one Treasury and equally divided In Holland you know where the Magistrate takes a stricter course the Ministers dare not busie themselves thus in State affaires God forgive these men for they cause the Ministry of Christ to be evil spoken of and to stink in the nostrills of people who doe but deride them as a company of vain busibodys Sir It cannot but grieve and afflict the Spirits of honest men to see a company of time-serving Cavaleers and corrupt Parsons carry on things as they do without controll and in the mean while such men as are most faithfull to the Publique Interest for which so much Blood hath been spilt and Treasure spent such as have been valiant in the field and ventured their lives in the high places for the liberties of the people such as have all along in the greatest Revolutions and dangers when this Generation of men durst not show their faces unles it was at Oxon where some of them sate and acted appeared in their purses and persons for the true interest of the Nation such as have poured out floods of Tears and Prayers for the cause of Christ that these honest men should be thus slighted undermined scorned discountenanced and a company of unworthy Time-serving men preferred and advanced such as never did the State any faithful service such as doe unworthily vain-gloriously in them own persons hunt after worldly honour and popular applause and doe even hate and abhor the poor despised Saints Certainly though good men should be silent sit still yet the Lord himself will shortly avenge the cause of his people bring deliverance in a way which we think not of which wil make the ears of some to tingle and their hearts to ake we have yet the Christian weapons of Faith Hope Patience Prayers and tears remaining with us which will in due time prevaile against this corrupt party and the lesse there is of man the more will God be seen Let us sit still and see the Salvation of the Lord. July 13. 1654. FINIS