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	know_v	matter_n	2,542	5	5.1820	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20917	A true discourse of the practises of Elizabeth Caldwell, Ma: Ieffrey Bownd, Isabell Hall widdow, and George Fernely, on the parson of Ma: Thomas Caldwell, in the county of Chester, to haue murdered and poysoned him, with diuers others Together with her manner of godly life during her imprisonment, her arrainement and execution, with Isabell Hall widdow; as also a briefe relation of Ma: Ieffrey Bownd, who was the assise before prest to death. Lastly, a most excellent exhortorie letter, written by her own selfe out of the prison to her husband, to cause him to fall into consideration of his sinnes, &c. Seruing like wise for the vse of euery good Christian. Beeing executed the 18. of Iune. 1603. VVritten by one then present as witnes, their owne country-man, Gilbert Dugdale.	Dugdale, Gilbert.; Armin, Robert, fl. 1610.	1604 (1604)	STC 7293; ESTC S110927	16,795	32

worldly pleasures drunkennes filthinesse it is the certaine badge and liuerie whereby they are knowne to be the seruants of the deuill according to the sayings of the Apostle knowe you not vnto whomsoeuer ye giue your selues as seruants to obey his seruants yee are to whom yea obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnes If my people will sanctifie my Saboth saith the Lord it shall be a signe betweene me and them that they may knowe that I ame the Lord there God and blessed are they who haue the Lord for their God So that to those that prophane the Saboth the Lord is not their God but the deuill and cursed are the people that are in such a case therefore deere husband deferre no time put not of from day to day to turne vnto the Lord nether be you deceiued for God is not mocked the longer you runne on the more you set on the score and such as you sowe such shall you reape for the Lord hath sayd He that heareth my words and doth blesse himselfe in hart saying I shall haue peace although I walke according to the stubbernes of my hart thus adding drunkennes to thirst the Lord will not bee mercifull vnto him but the wrath of the Lord his iealosie shall smooke against that man and euery curse that is written in this booke shall light vppon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen but vnto them that repent the Lord hath sayd when the wicked turneth away from his wickednes that he hath committed and doth that which is lawfull and right hee shall saue his soule aliue You see the iudgements of God are begunne alreadie in your house happie shall you be if you make a holy vse of them otherwise heauior may be expected especially if you persist In his mercy he hath spared you and doth yet waite for your repentance doe not you abuse his patience any longer lest thereby you prouoke him to proceede to execution against you but imbrace his mercy which is yet a offered vnto you for which that you may so do I shall not cease to pray whilst I liue to him who onely is able to effect it euen the Lord of heauen who send vs ioyfull meetting at the day of our Resurrection Your poore wife Elizabeth Caldwell The words of Elizabeth Caldwell at the time of her death FIrst she desired that the Lord would giue a blessing vnto the speeches that she deliuered y t they might tend to the conuerting of many of the hearers and also she sayd that the word of God did not giue her any priuiledge and authority to sinne but that it was her owne filthy flesh the illutions of the deuill and those hellish instruments which he set on worke yet notwithstanding she euer had a detestation to those sinnes that she liued in but she affirmed that she wanted grace to auoyd them therefore as she had giuen a great scandall to the word of God by professing and not practising the same euen so she desired the great mercy of God to forgiue her that sinne acknowledging that she stoode to presumptiously vpon her owne conceite and grew too proud vowing and swearing that she would neuer doe such and such things but suddainly fell into the like againe Therfore she gaue Saint Paules admonition vnto euery one Let him that thinketh he stands take heede of a present fall likewise she exhorted all to the dilligent obseruation of the Saboth day saying that one of her chiefe and capitall sinnes was the neglect thereof and although the world did recon and esteeme it a small matter yet she knewe it to be one of her greatest sinnes wishing all people in the feare of God to make a reuerent account of the Lords glorious Saboth she complained much of adultery and said it was that filthy sinne which was the cause of her death and was perswaded in her conscience that her afflictions was rather for that then any murder shee euer committed notwithstanding shee yeelded her selfe culpable in concealing of it manifesting that in regard of her sinnes and iniquities she deserued a thousand deaths praying most earnestly vnto God that her selfe might be a warning and example vnto all there present wishing them most earnestly to serue the Lord of what degree soeuer they were if they were neuer so poore but were forst to craue there liuing from doore to doore which done then were they happy creatures Then againe she admonished all to keepe the Saboth to goe to the church and heare the word of God preached for that was the only truth and able to saue their soules But as touching Papistrie she euer hated it knowing it contrary and flatly opposite against the truth of the great God of heauen and his holy word praying for the confution and desolution of the great whore of Babilon but most deuoutly and sencerely praying for the currant passage of the Gospell of Christ Iesus throughout the whole world to the conuerting of thousands desiring that the very stones of the streete might set foorth the glory of God and withall most religiously she prayed for the Kings most excellent Maiestie and sayd she might call him her King while shee liued that his sacred royall Person might be a bright shining lampe of Gods glory in the aduancement of the Gospell of Christ and the ouerthrowe of poperie superstition in these his Kingdomes and dominions Then made knowne that she could teach as the Preachers for they taught as they found it in the word and she was able to speake from a feeling hart very confidently affirming that her sinnes were the greatest reason of the dulnes and hardnes of her hart and the seperation of Gods mercies from her and therefore she carefully aduised all to beware of sinne because it was hateful and odious in the sight of God and all reasonable creatures Concerning repentance shee spake thus that it was not in the power of man to repent when hee list but the only gift of God protesting before the Lord of heauen and earth that during the time of her imprisonment being a full yeare and a quarter she had sought the Lord with many bitter teares with broken and contrite hart to see if his Maiestie would be intreated and yet she found not such assurance as she desired but auouched what she did was done in simplicity of hart whatsoeuer the world did other was censure Moreouer saying that in the mercies and merites of Christ Iesus shee hoped her sinnes were pardoned and sayd I belieue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe Also she sayd that in the time of her imprisonment the Lord had beene very gracious and mercifull vnto her for many the faithfull ministers and deere seruants of Iesus Christ had recourse vnto her by whose meanes she had recouered great comfoorth praysing the Lord for the same yet notwithstanding the world most iniuriously did deride scofe and mock them which was most wicked and

to procéede out of her mouth neither did shée omit any time during her imprisonment in seruing of GOD and séeking pardon for her sinnes with great zeale and industrie continually meditating on the Bible excluding her selfe from all companie sauing such as might yéelde her spirituall comforts as learned Diuines and such the faithfull seruaunts of God There was many of all sorts resorted to sée her as no fewer some daies then thrée hundred persons and such as she thought were viciously giuen shee gaue them good admonitions wishing that her fall might be an example vnto them Thus the deceitfull deuill who hath sometime permission from GOD to attempt the very righteous as lob was now an instrument to her sorrow but her feeling faith the more increased and no doubt ●o her comfort though in our eyes terrible for indéede so it ought béeing sent from God as an example to thousands For where so many liue one or two pickt out by the hand of God must serue as an example to the rest to kéepe thousands in feare of Gods wrath and the worlds terror But sée her constancie All the time of her imprisonment she vsed all possible meanes both of herselfe and by those good members that did visit her to conuert all the rest of the prisoners which good worke begunne in her did take good effect for she sent some dayes a dozen Letters to seuerall Preachers to be resolued as touching her fayth and the want of a sound resolution that GOD had parsoned her offences Where the Lady Mary Cholmsly of Cholmsly amongst others together with the comfortable reliefe of one Maister Iohn Battie no doubt both Gods Children so relieued as want neuer grieued her conscience but that shee continued in zeale without griefe of the worldes offences both in soule and body nay not onely her but also to the rest of the prisoners For note that death neuer feared or daunted her but onely fearing shée was not fully purged from her sinnes till at the end as by her words at her execution appeareth This foresaide Maister Battie well deserues a due remembrance for his clemencie and charitie shewed to that distressed and deceased poore soule by whose good meanes which in méere compassion by him extended did not onely receiue comforts for her bodily reléefe but also great satisfaction for her soule hee oft imployed such industry to the Learned both to repare vnto her themselues as likewise daily in sending vnto her good and learned instructions Surely he deserues to be registred in the harts of all well disposed persons and his demerits no doubt will finde restitution at the handes of him who is the Pay-Maister for all such charitable deserts It is also to be noted that after these thrée aforenamed persons had remained in prison all the whole Summer at Michelmas then ensuing the Assises were holden and Elizabeth Caldwell had her triall where shee openly before the Iudges and the rest of the Worshipfull Audience acknowledged her offence for the which shee first demaunded pardon at the hands of God then of her husband lastly of all the world and desiring as it was euer her prayer that she might be as a Looking-glasse to all that eyther did sée or heare of her fall that by her they might sée into theyr owne frailines and the infirmities which are subiect to the flesh And hauing as I said acknowledged her guiltines was condemned And by reason shee was not then deliuered of child still repriued and at y e same Assise Bownd was indited and whether by euill counsell giuen him or for his owne obstinacie I cannot truly report but he would not answer to the Articles obieced against him nor refer his cause to GOD and the Country but stoode mute though the Iudges very earnestly mooued him to put his cause to triall all which would not perswade him and therefore according to the Law he was adiudged to be prest receiuing his iudgement on the Saturday to be executed on Munday following And for Isabell Hall her matter that Assise was not called in question which yéelded her such incouragement that shee was altogether regardlesse of the good of her soule But Bownd euer before he perceiued how hee should spéede pleaded to euery one whom he had any communion with of his innocencie till he saw no hope of life then hée before two or thrée Preachers and others did manifest the whole truth and affirmed that flesh and blood was not able to endure the often assaults that Elizabeth Caldwell had of him and Isabell Hall and vppon the Munday about nine of the clocke was prest where to euery mans iudgement there present hee made a very penitent end béeing hartily sorrowfull for his offences and very deuoutly craued pardon of GOD and all the world and so died I trust the true seruaunt of Iesus Christ. Then that night next after his death Elizabeth Caldwell was deliuered of a boy which child is yet as I take it still liuing with another boy she had before her impresonment the which are at the keeping of Caldwell their father and as it was generally reported hee made sute to the Iudge to procure a warrant to haue his wife executed within a certaine time after her deliuerie but how true it was that he made such meanes I cannot truly affirme but sure I am a warrant was granted and sent the keeper for to haue her executed within 13 daies or thereabouts after she was deliuered the which was conuented by reason the Cunstable of the castle did mistake the deliuerie of the warrant to the Sheriffe till the date was out Though she a senight before the time had prepared her selfe only to receiue the mercy of God and terror of death yet it pleased God otherwise a while to prolong her daies which time giuen her she did not vainely spend but imploy her vttermost indeuors to obtaine mercie and forgiuenes in such rare sort as if I should discribe the perticulers thereof it would not only be endlesse and tedious but I doubt to the hearers and readers it would be though incredable for in her might be seene the true image of a penitent sinner as the like hath not often in these daies beene seene God showing his glory so aboundantlie working her penitency as to me and many more was most admirable For if she espied in any one of what calling or degree soeuer that they wilfully or carelesly abused Gods holy ordinaunces shee would reproue them for it and curtiously intreate them to amend such and such abuses though some disdained she should seeme so to doe in regard of her owne former offence though indeede none might better doe it then shee hauing smarted euen at her soule for her sinnes This is the frailnes of our flesh we only disdaine not our afflicted bretheren but also there good admonitions God of his mercy I beseech him giue vs grace that we may sée into our fickle estates and receiue willingly any reprofe that may tend