Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	king_n	see_v	4,869	5	3.5371	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66744	The British appeals, with Gods mercifull replies, on the behalfe of the Commonwealth of England Contained in a brief commemorative poem, composed for a memorial of some of those many signall mercies, lately vouchsafed to this rebublike; especially, for those deliverances upon the appeales of the Parliaments, and royall forces at Naseby; of the English and Sccottish armies neer Dunbar in Scotland, and for the late surrender of Edenburgh-Castle, &c. By Geo. Wither, Esquire.	Wither, George, 1588-1667.	1651 (1651)	Wing W3143; ESTC R222286	36,159	81

the Law By placing or displacing and thereby Had almost fixt a Legal Tyranny By maskings and loose Revellings at Court He closely wrought upon the yonger sort Of wanton Students and allur'd thereby The flower of all the yong Nobilitie And Gentry of his Kingdoms to encline To him in whatsoere he should design His Councel-Table was bespread with snares To catch and hamper those at unawares Who stood for Liberty his Courts were made Both Instrumental to the Bribing Trade And Bawdes to help advance unjust designes By false decrees wrong Judgments mulcts or Fines For Justice was afforded there to few Save such as to his Interests were true And most of those without attending long Had what they su'd for whether right or wrong His overgrown Prerogative Laid hold On our Proprieties and scarcely should Ere long a Natural-action to this nation Allow'd have been without a dispensation Or Fine First paid No not to eat or drink To go or come to speak or safely think Should we have been permitted had not God To his usurpings put a Period For many to Accompt not for deeds done Have called been or for bare-words alone But otherwhile to Question some were brought For those things also which to have in thought They were suspected yea such was the Rage Of Tyranny that Children under age For Childish words spoke without ill intent Were not alone to severe Chastisement Made Lyable but forc'd to suffer too That painful death which wilful Traytors do As by a cruel act of all abhor'd Appears at Sarum yet upon record No marvel then if neither Sope nor Fir● Nor Raking rotten Rags out of the M●●e Or Freedom in such poor and Trivial things As are Tobacco-Pipes and Fiddle-strings Could be allowed in this Common-weal Without a Fine or Patent under Seal His Peerage some excepted was indow'd With Priviledges but to make them Proud And fit them to oppress or to enslave The people unto him from whom they have Their empty Titles Upon some of these He did Confer the highest Offices By great sums purchased that so they mought By selling dear because they dearly bought Ingaged be to share in his oppressions And strengthen by in Justice their possessions To make them still have need of his protection And ●●eave to him through Fear if not Affection To this Intention they had also share In those Base Projects which injurious were To publike-right and they employ'd their power To begger to disgrace or quite devour All those who did not readily befriend His purpose or else freely give or Lend Or stand engag'd to Answer his desire In whatsoe're he pleased to require And he that sought a remedy by Law For these Intrusions did but onely draw More mischiefs on himself For 't was a flower Slipt from the Crown and by the Royal power Deriv'd that they should be secur'd by might From wrongs receiving and from doing right But God for this Injustice now hath broke That S●●pter From their heads their Crowns hath took And shall destroy all those who will not see That want of Justice and of Mercy be The Signal causes of those desolations That fa●● on private-Persons Kings or Nations And they who for Gods Justice upon these Together with the great deliverances Thereby vouchsafed cannot yet perceive Just causes of the Publike thanks we give Of their concernments take so little heed That to awaken them I will proceed The Tyrant had some other Instruments To further him in his unjust intents In order to our Bondage among whom None did more mischievous to us become Nor any for him play their Prizes better Then his proud Priests nor was he more a debter To any then to them and I dare say So dearly for it he to none did pay His Prelates and their Vnderlings he bought To serve his ends by giving what they sought And what he had in Guift or else perchance He might in Vain have piped them a dance Instead of Preaching Christ they Preach'd us down To Slavery and Idoliz'd the Crown Then to require what they had done for him He fool'd away three Royal-Crowns for them They seeming confident he should prevail Upon his Kingly Person did intail Divinity that arrogate he might His Vsurpations by a Sacred right He to retaliate what they bestow'd With Temporal possessions them endow'd And these by their false Doctrines did besot The Vulger so that in them it begot Idolatry and therein they hold on Their Dotage though their Deity is gone Yea though their Idol quite destroy'd they see And Dagon-like without a head to be To make his Clerick Engines serviceable Yet further he did strongly them enable With Pow'r Canonical which would have brought More mischiefs on us then most had in thought And such as might at length have entrance made For all that superstition would have had Althought 't was Cloked with a formal zeal Of Piety their purpose to conceal And when these preparations had unhallow'd Our Churches Popery would soon have follow'd The People should have been once more an Ass For Prelates to have ridden as it was Kings should have been but Blocks to help them on And Emperours their Stirrups wait upon But mark Gods Justice and retaliation To these for it is worth your observation The Prelates justly lost their tempralties For smooth ' ring Truth and Preaching vanities For seizing that which Legally is known The Peoples right the King hath lost his own And King and Prelates joyning both together In Tyranny have ruined each other Thus far you see Gods mercies and thereby May see his Justice too with half an eye And what must have succeeded ere this day If these had t●ved their wicked way And we are graceless if we praise not him By whom We had deliverance from them For by those Hydra's heads not yet bereft And by that Poyson which is in them left It is apparant We should scarfe have had A day of rest until our Graves were made On us by his Assistants he had brought Such Slavery that we had scarcely ought T●● call our own Or at the least left Free From those Intrusions which were like to be Yet worse it would have been as might appear Beyond dispute should I make mention here What I have known and seen in preparation To bring a further Bondage on this Nation Most are forgetful of what 's past and some By never heeding it are now become Unthankful Murmurers repining at Their present Contributions to the State Because the Payments yet impos'd are more By much as they conceive then heretofore Considering neither what necessities Now are nor from whose Faults they do arise There is indeed a very Large expence Occasioned to make our Just-defence Against the many practices of those Who settlement of Peace do still oppose And by long lasting Wars at Sea and Land In several Kingdoms thereby to withstand Our present enemies and to prevent Their future purposes vast sums are spent But this was by Constraint

here 〈◊〉 interest and made the same appear 〈◊〉 humble pleadings and by hearty cries 〈◊〉 God against our late Kings tyrannies 〈◊〉 saw no good success we brought our cause According to our ancient English Lawes Before him by appeals And by the sword 〈◊〉 last decision which those Lawes affoord 〈◊〉 the same to proof both parties being ●●ntented and in that appeal agreeing ●orthwith both Drums and Trumpets thereupon ●unded a Charge the battells join'd fell on 〈◊〉 God before whose throne our cause was tri'd 〈◊〉 victory gave sentence on our side This Judgement not by all approv'd at first ●●me traytors and some friends would have revers'd And fought to wave it as a doubtfull triall Although throughout the world without deniall And throughout all times even to this day 〈…〉 disputes decided are this way But to assure us that the sentence came From God he hath again confirm'd the same By seconding that act of providence And making us victorious ever since Thereto therefore adhering we have thrown With confidence the tyrant from his Throne Making him also pay the forfeiture Of life our present title to secure And therein not alone our Consciences Do warrant us and all those witnesses Of providence which have therein appear'd But to the world the same is likewise clear'd By all those pow'rfull Kings and neighbouring States● Who have observed how God vindicates Our cause and they have now pronounc'd us free As we of right and by Gods verdict be For their Ambassadours who now reside With us our liberty have justifi'd By their acknowledgements and witnesse bear Thereby to what Gods sentence did declare Yea by their free concession of the same They make themselves as liable to blame As we for if our Nation justly may Be counted Murtherers now so must they At least as accessaries to that deed By which we from our servitude were freed If Righteously our winnings we possesse They are partakers of our righteousnesse By those acknowledgements and God shall them Reward for their so justifying him If they by no sinister actings mar That blessing whereto way it may appear However we obliged are to praise Gods mercie that we see in our own daye● Such blossoms of the fruits which we expect That our endeavours have so good effect As that the pow'rfullst Princes of all those Whom we suspected Neuters if not foes Are so convinced as to mediate An amicable Juncture with our State In time sincerenesse or dissemblers are Which were an evidence of greater fear And basenesse then we either can detect Or shall without some future cause suspect Oh! what a blindnesse what a frowardnesse Doth some of our own Nation yet possess That other men can so farre off discern What God hath done for us and thereby learn Both to be wise in time and kisse the son Before his burning anger is begun And yet they still continue obstinate Grumble at providence bark at the State Like dogs against the moon and snarl at all Who will not as they do good things miscall It may be such as these when they shall see VVhat 's here expressed will be mad at me Menace defame and hate revile and curse Or peradventure mean me what is worse Yea some who wish me well may think I might Have wiser been than to provoke despight Or needlesly as they suppose engage Against the violence of brutish rage But I defie that wisdome which perswades A private heed which publick right invades 〈◊〉 never yet an ease or safety found 〈◊〉 ought which to my Conscience gave a wound Already too too many such now are VVho either seem ashamed or else fear ●o own Gods Mercies or the publick causes VVithout some reservations blinds or pauses ●o save that interest which to enjoy ●n●eas'●●bly themselves they may destroy By this self-love are miseries begun Within this channell hitherto they run By this we lose Gods love by this we make Our courage feeble and from other take● That confidence in us which might engage Their faithfullnesse and them to us oblige With willingnesse to help establish that Which for the Publick-weal is aimed at For my part I intend a resolution To further what we have in prosecution I see Gods mercies and I understand His purpose in the works he hath in hand And therefore whosoe're displeas'd shall grow Will publish forth what of his love I know It is my duty 't is my proper call If I have any in this world at all Yea born I was if born I were for ought To do the work which I to do have fought And if my Faculty such as it is Was given me for ought it was for this Which I am doing and I will employ it This way as long as I with health enjoy it What ever I have publickly profest Was really intended not in jest Neither for praise or profit or to please Except what frailty doth inject of these Nor out of contradiction unto those Who shall dislike it do I this compose And therefore neither carnall hopes or fear Shall make me my known duty to forbear For no respect to Parliament or King Or to my self have Im any thing Dissemblingly spoke hitherto my thought Although much mischief on me it hath brought And I hope never to be frighted from A 〈◊〉 expression whatsoever come But to declare the truth and speak my mind As often as I just occasion find ●n spight of all the spitefull world can do And all the rage of Powers Infernall too And whence springs this my confidence not from Those grounds whereby most men do now become Couragious in their actings nor from our Prevailings hitherto nor from that power We have acquir'd or those advantages Whereby we are made hopefull to possesse Our wished ends nor trust I to th' events Of our endeavours or our best intents For all these things although they promise fair May find a change and leave us in despair ●n this alone my boldnesse doth consist ● see Gods presence and his interest ●n all that 's done I have a glimmering too Of that which he designs e're long to do Though yet delay'd and therefore whatsoe're ●efalls me am resolv'd to persevere ●n driving on his work though I should see As great a change as may supposed be Yea should I perish in this Cause and knew When I were dying not one thereto true ● should even then believe that God alone Would finish that which he hath now begun And make his glorie be the better seen By those Obstructions which will intervene Thus having added somewhat to prevent The prejudice which threatens my intent And sum'd up also as my weaknesse could A part of that for which we render should Our thanks this day I pu●pose to compose Some formall Odes of thanfullnesse for those ●●o 〈◊〉 desirous be when they rejoyce To witnesse their intentions by the voice This prudent men thought very pertinent And an inseparable complement For such a duty though fanatick fools

And then I felt these Passions I confesse My joy was then as great my fear no lesse Though neither much appeared to the eye Or to the ear of any stander by It fareth now with me as on that morning Which first inform'd us of his safe returning For when the voice of his arrivall came The City Bon-fires blaz'd into a flame Which menaced the Clouds the Clouds powr'd down A floud as if the City they would drown The Common people were transported so As 't is their guise that wisemen could not know Whether they might be thought exceeding glad Or rather to be somewhat less than mad The Earth seem'd joyfull of his safe return The heav'ns for something hidden seem'd to mourn And as in those there then appear'd to be A diffring Passion so it was with me Though none more wish'd the Kings returning Though I was truly glad to see him come home And for this safe arivall shewed then My joy as much as other sober men Yet joy and sorrow strove in me together As if they labour'd to supplant each other And long time kept me in a doubtfull pause Of whether His Return would give most cause And by what hath succeeded it appears My joyes were far more causlesse than my fears The same distempers are this day in me Great are my joyes and hopes great also be My griefs and fears God render them successe And consequences of more happiness Then followed after that and take away Th' effects and causes of my fears this day God turn all to the best and give us grace To cleave to him what ever come to passe God give us Will those Achans to remove Which to the publick Peace destructive prove God grant my hopes hereafter may be truer The causes of my fear much lesse and fewer And that the Councells Charles did then neglect May be received now with more respect Left his example that should make us better May make us worse and our damnation greater For God will not be mockt nor will he spare For ever though a while he doth forbear Where greatest Mercie he vouchsafes to shew The greatest of his Judgements will ensue He that improves not ev'ry gift God gives According to the measure he receives Shall lose the Talent upon him bestown And into utter darknesse too be thrown Then much more they who shall Gods Grace requi● With willfull disobedience or despight And for that cause it hath been said the Lord Is mercifull and therefore should be fear'd This being true what Realms or Nations be Obliged more to fear him now than we If mercies be inducements to his fear As all men well informed know they are What people now inhabits on the earth That hath more cause of trembling in their mirth Or of more filial dread when they draw nigh The holy name of God to sanctifie For whom hath he so many wonders wrought Since out of Aegypt Jacobs God was brought As for this Isle if we reflect upon Those things aright which he for us for us hath don And who can blame me if I sing with fear This day when we consider what we are What God is what they seemed who have been Destroyed for our sakes what we have seen Done for us by what means at what a season In what great streights how farre beyond our reasons Or our deserts Deserts said I nay when We had deserved worse than other men What passed bondage we are freed from What likely slaveries for time to come And what a heap of blessings we have had ●howr'd down to make us in his favour glad Who can these things consider'd who I say Can blame me if I am afraid this day Amidst our Triumphs and aloud should cry On other men to fear as much as I For such a fear no portion doth destroy Of ought which is essentiall to our joy But helps to keep it from an overcasting By future clouds yea makes it everlasting Rather preventing harm than harm portending And from a dull security defending Already I discover that this fear Which at the first destructive did appear To my Design by making up a Medley Which on a day of joy lookt somewhat sadly Proves usefull to my purpose and makes way To render that which I intend to say Much more effectuall than it would have been Unlesse it had been thereby usher'd in To make impression of a joyfull fear In those who shall of Gods protections hear I feel my spirit on a sudden freed From all Distempers therefore I le proceed With what I purpos'd and enumerate Some of those Mercies which we celebrate Thi●d●y in hope to represent them so That out of them a filiall fear may flow So tempring ev'ry Reader that none shall Neither presume nor by despairing fall Yea so to set them forth I will assay That in Remembrance they continue may That I who write them and that they who read them May with more seriousnesse hereafter heed them More often meditate them to encrease Our Joy into a perfect thankfulnesse And that as in a glasse our eyes may see How worthlesse how unthankfull yet we be How these good things which God in mercy ga●● To save mens lives oft send them to their grave If not to Hell how likewise to improve Gods judgements and the Pledges of his love To our best benifits and how to raise Such Monuments and trophies to his praise As answer their intents who set aside This day to be in publick sanctifi'd Without those ends the formall observation Of one set-day is but a profanation Or meer hypocrisie It makes men think They offer incense when they offer stink It makes them dream that they have somthing give● To God when they have but affronted heaven It proves like that Peace-offering of the Whore Which made her sin more boldly than before And to return again to her offence With lesse reluctance and more impudence To fast a meal or twain and to put on A sadnesse for a day is cheaper done Than to deny our selves or to supresse Our Avarice or our ambitiousness To say the Lord be thanked or to sing A song of praises is an easier thing Than to expresse a hearty thankfulnesse By works of mercie and of righteousnes As giving to the poore or taking care Of those that under great oppressions are And 't is alas with us too frequent seen That some who formally dispos'd have been To outward duties acting joy and sorrow This day with seeming zeal come forth to morrow And prosecute their avarice their pride With whatsoe'r they seem'd to lay asid● The former day and entertain as bad If not worse spirits than before they had Pursuing wilfully Distructive wayes What e're the Preacher or the Charmer says He that could finde expedients to prevent These Prophanations Well his time had spent And thanks might merit for so having done Although he peradventure shall have none I therefore to that purpose will assay To set my Meditations for