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	lord_n	word_n	2,981	5	3.8029	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90726	The confession of Thomas Pjts: vvho was executed in Smithfield, on Saterday last, being the 12. of October; for endeavoring to betray Rvssell-Hall to the enemy. VVhich confession he desired to be written from his own mouth, at the place of execution: that it might be a warning to prevent others for offending in the like manner. Published according to order.	Pitt, Francis, 1578 or 9-1644.	1644 (1644)	Wing P2300; Thomason E12_21; ESTC R4989	3,246	8

THE CONFESSION OF THOMAS PJTS VVho was Executed in Smithfield on Saterday last being the 12. of October for endeavouring to betray RVSSELL-HALL To the Enemy VVhich Confession he desired to be Written from his own Mouth at the place of Execution That it might be a warning to prevent others for offending in the like manner Published according to Order London Printed for John Raworth Octob. 14. 1644. The Confession of Thomas Pits Farmer in the County of Stafford A little before his Execution in Smithfield the 12. of October 1644. I desire that one would write down my Confession whereby others may take example GOOD PEOPLE I desire the Lord to blesse you all and I desire all your prayers to Heaven fo● me I desire to speak to you all in generall I am here justly brought to this place for mine offence by seeking to betray a Garrison under the Parliaments command In that Act I was made an Instrument betwixt two Commanders of which Treachery I was not ignorant And for that fact I confesse That I deserve this death and desire all Spectators to take notice of it I for my own part have been bred up under a powerfull Ministery and have had good education and have been a great Professor but the Lord knows my heart I have been a dissembling Hypocrit And now I here do heartily confesse the offence and the Lord blesse you all and give every one grace to take notice thereof and to be warned thereby And the Lord blesse this great City and the Lord blesse the Countrey likewise and the Lord make every man faithfull I have been a great Professor but I have not done my Masters will I have been a great sinner and I now call to minde a Text in the first of the Romans from the 27. verse to the end of 17 or 18 sins which I am gui●ty of all therefore I suffer justly I desire all men to take notice of my saying and I desire that if any Magistrates or Parliament men be here or if not those that have most relation to them would take notice of it 1. That great offenders may be brought to condign punishment as well as lesser For my part I desire to justifie that good Councell of War and the Lord blesse them for they have dealt justly with me and there be still many Achans in the Camp The Lord blesse the Parliament and keep them from Treachery and the Lord blesse the King and I desire every honest man to honour Him as He doth honour God I desire the Lord to bring Him home to His Parliament and to remove far from Him evill Councellours and the Lord blesse His Friends and Well-willers I am perswaded that the Kings heart is honest but onely misled and I hope he will return to His Parliament That though I am now a dying man yet you that hear me this day may enjoy a happy Peace And now you that hear me and are to celebrate a Sabboth to morrow I beseech you all to prepare your selves for it and labour to rise early to fit you for the Lords Work If any of you be to go to a Countrey Market though in the depth of Winter yet you will be up before day to go to it therefore I beseech you to make use of the time for the Market of your souls Labour to hearken to this Word of God and labour to carry it home with you and to practise it I have lived in a Countrey where few powerfull Ministers are and you that have slighted the Word of God formerly take heed of it I have been a great offender in this particular and I have played the Hypocrite exceedingly I have been very zealous outwardly and I have kept many Fast dayes very strictly both publike and private I have enjoyed the company of the best Ministers and I have associated my self with most religious people and yet have played the Hypocrite exceedingly The Lord forgive me and good people pray for me and now lift up all your hearts to God for me I have known much and done little I pray God give you all grace to labour to know much and to practise it Now concerning my being in Garrison in Russell-Hall in Staffordshire being urged by Master Smart Minister of Gods Word to deliver my opinion concerning them For their profession they do all professe God but I never heard nor saw so much swearing and drunkennesse and other prophanations as was in that place For the Martiall of that place he would swear and domineer and was so discontented as if he would cause the stones to flie out of the Walls Now the Lord amend that and other places under the Parliaments Command and good people pray for me and help me in remembring me to utter what I have to speak The Gentleman that imployed me about this Treachery was the Governour of Dudley Castle his name is Luson he is my Landlord and I hold a Farm of him for my life which this day I must surrender he sent to me to come to him and askt me what I did so often at Russell-Hall I told him I had severall occasions sometimes to receive money and sometimes to pay money he told me he desired me to do one message for him to the Governour that was to bay that Garrison of him and he would give him eleven hundred pounds for it I told him of it and he sent me with Letters back and so I carried messages from one to the other but Captain Tuckhill did not de●iver it up yet offered me if I could make the match he would give me one hundred pounds of it yet I never askt him for any money neither had any but one fourty shillings which he gave me without demand And I thank God that the d●livery up of that Castle is hid from my eyes Luson did give me no money but he promised to be as good to me as seven yeers Rent I desire you that write it to take notice thereof that it may be published that all the world may take warning of such false heartednesse I confesse my offence as great and far greater then others because that I have been a great Professour and have stood for this Cause now in hand and have alwayes held it to be just and right and all my Friends and Children have stood for this Cause and we do verily beleeve it to be the Cause of God but it is for my sins and the sins of other Hypocrites that Gods Cause hath been so much dishonoured and beaten down I desire you all that Religion may not be stained by my suffering nor good men slighted nor Gods Cause fair the worse for my Hypocrisie I never read but there was some wicked amongst the most godly There is some Chaff amongst the finish Wheat and one Judas amongst the twelve Apostles there was one in Gods Camp and therefore I beseech you all judge not ill of the Cause of Christ for my offence One thing I desire to speak again to you that are Magistrates and intimate with them I desire you to speak these last words of mine to them I mean to the Lord Mayor and this Honourable Councell of War and tell them that I beseech them That great offenders may be brought to tryall as well as lesser Now for you that are imployed in Gods Cause and are called forth to fight his battle go courageously and know that you are never without God for your Captain as you may read 2 Chron. 14.8 9 10 11. and Judges 5.23 For the Earl of Denbigh I hear is going out for Staffordshire the Lord blesse and prosper him I hear and hope he is an honest man I pray God increase it and blesse him I could wish he were now with his Forces there for that Countrey is in great want of them And I could wish that he would take with him some good and faithfull Ministers to plant in that barren Countrey And you Master Smart I beseech you be an Instrument of helping faithfull Ministers amongst your Countreymen And now good people I beseech you all pray for me and hear me once more I wish I could be heard of all ●●at are to enjoy a Sabbath the next day Labour to prepare your selves for Gods Service and to hearken diligently to Gods Word Labour to renue your Covenant that of late you have made with God Let these last words of a dying man prevail with you To stick close to God and his Cause I confesse I heard of the Covenant but I never took it you that have taken it be carefull to renew it and keep it And so the Lord blesse you all King Parliament Citie Countrey and all Now being desired by the Ministers that stood by that if he found any spirituall comfort before his last breath that he would give some token of it and immediately after his turning off the Ladder he lifted up his hands towards Heaven and gave three strokes upon his Breast which we take for a Testimony that his soul is now at rest in Heaven FINIS