Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A87482
|
A strange and terrible sight forseene in this kingdome, and city of London: together with the countrimans antidote for its prevention.
|
J. J.
|
1643
(1643)
|
Wing J21; Thomason E67_2; ESTC R2158
|
6,820
|
9
|
their one we have the Seas to our selves and all the honest Christians with us and as for knaves and traytors going from us le ts never be sorry for much better is their roome then their company Seeing then we have a prize in our hands let 's make the best advantage of it whiles we may let us strive to act effectually study the best way and aske the wisest counsell what to doe in so weighty a businesse Take that course that the Heathens were wont to take when they went about any weighty businesse they still inquired at the Oracle even so doe you in this weighty businesse of Jesus Christ goe first to God in humiliation and prayer Nineveh when it heard that its destruction was neer tooke this course and prevailed with God so doe you get as they did a decree out that all may observe it petition for a weekly fast these ate extraordinary times the wicked they grow vvorse and vvorse and therefore let us be better and better begin with God and then strive to set your selves in order for order is the strength of an Army and of a City but disorder is the confusion of both take therefore away the causes of disorder Malignants are the onely cause of disorder in a City or Army strive therefore to find them out give them the Covenant if they refuse to enter into covenant with you let them not live in the City with you be they rich be they poore secure them and banish them never dispute this man is poore and that man hath children cast them our spare none unmercifull and bloody is that pitty that causeth the downfall of a City Endeavour to remove mutinous spirits and faint-hearted cowards from places of trust in the Army be he Colonell Major Captaine or any other Officer let no such person stay a day by your good will in or amongst your souldiers You will not imagine what a great advantage 't is to have all incouraging Officers in a Towne I know a little Towne in England which lies northward it was within this six weekes besieged by the Queenes Army consistinâ— of 6000. men there was not above 180. men in the Towne that were Musquâ—teeres yet these few fouhht with all that company from six of the clock in thâ— morning till six at night and then they scorned even when their muskets weâ—â— broke and the enemies entred to parle with them but fought with them all along the Towne and at last got into the Church and there they parled with the enemy and got quarter and those poore handfull of men being backed on by their Commanders through Gods providence killed foure of their Colonels fifteene or sixteene of their Captaines and two Regiments were brought so loe that they could scarce make 60. men apeece it was verily thought that there were 1500. killed and wounded by those nine score men whereof my selfe was one so that resolute men in the worke are very advantagious But on the contrary on coward who through the perterbations of his mind and quames of feare oppressing his heart making his eyes beleeve he sees a 1000. when he sees but a 100. making him thinke every bush is a man and every bullet that his enemy shoots goes through his heart this man is enough to put a hundred scruples of feares into stout mens hearts and so by consequenee to rout an Army or loose a Towne as we have too late experience of it Remove drunkards and swearers and scoffers at Religion for these men that will not keepe touch with with God be sure they will breake covenant with you if occasion be offered which is not unattempted till now When you have removed disorder set your selves in order get your selves every one of you into a posture for warre get every Company Captaines let every man list himselfe and get as good Armes as he can that so if an onset should be every man may doe something and fight in some order Looke to your workes some say that they are not of themselves as they should be get men of judgement to view them for your Workes are the strength of the City lose them and the City is lost let all the ditches without be levelled have an eye to the men you trust in the Forts see that they be religious and well grounded men I speake boldly and plainly after our Country manner because I know upon the safety of this City depends mediatly the safety of our lawes our liberties our lives our Religion our Parliament and our Synod You for most noble Citizens aâ— you tender these things so shew it in your zealous contending for these things Wives put on your husbands to love themselves you and their children and as they love you and would have you safe so let them use the meanes to keepe you safe to rise all in a body and to fight against those cursed men that intend nothing but our destruction up quickly and be doing for the Cause and the Lord of Heaven the moover of all hearts stirre you up to the worke and prosperâ— you in it that we may see a happy end of this unhappy warre and this shall not onely be the prayer but as hitherto it hath so alwayes it shall be the utmost indeavour of your poore Servant J. J. FINIS
never more liberty for Ministers to preach and people to heare then now never in a better way for Reformation then now But should these wicked creatures as most certainly they will try enter your City your glorious light would then be turned into hellish darknesse your Ministers that now to your comfort you can see in the Pulpits you will then to your sorrow see in the dungions instead of praying Ministers and preaching Ministers and watchfull Ministers you will have drunken Parsons and swearing Parsons and idle Parsons and popish Parsons and jeering Parsons against Jesus Christ O what swarmes of Euphrates vermine would be scravling and creeping in your streets instead of Sermons you will have railing against Reformation and against Parliamentall proceedings and private fast dayes you will heare Masse instead of Gods Word and Masse Priests instead of Ministers instead of singing Psalmes you will have singing of ballads and songs against the Protestants and poore praying Christians O the oathes and those horrid blasphemies that will then be belched forth continually Ah Christians you must bid farewell Bible when they come into your City you must never look to see English Bible more nor to read more of Gods Word you must bid farewell to all your godly company and all manner of godlinesse in profession never looke to meet more the Ordinances or to have your sinnes reproved but be sure you shall have your prayers jeered and your fasting jeered and your zeale scoffed at O Magistrates O Ministers O Ancient O Grave O Husbands O Wives O Parents O Children O Masters O Servants O all and every of you that make profession of Jesus Christ and have entred into Covenant to fight for him for Christs sake and his Cause sake ponder of these things and if the consideration of these things will not move you to shut up shops and come forth unto the helpe of the Lord against the mighty assure your selves your posterities will rue it and Mero's curse will assuredly fall upon your head But many I know will say all this that is spoken concerning the enemies cruelty is but imagined men are apt to speake the worst sure they will not be so cruell say some Give me leave to answer we usually say seeing is beleeving but he that writes these lines to you not onely saw but also felt their cruelty 〈◊〉 their heavy bloes and bloody hands I now doe beare their blood◠〈…〉 their bloody and inhumane dealing I saw them 〈…〉 mangle others Gentlemen of worth and quality and yet they promised both me and them faire quarter I felt their punishment in hunger and cold I felt their punishment in fetters too they bound my hands my necke and heeles together a punishment seldome heard of for poore prisoners especially for a Captaine yet this and more then this I underwent and more I saw them strip men aged and young they did the like to women maids servants and children I saw the honest people wanting cloathes the women weeping and making grievous moane to on another for want of bread to feed their children I saw them fire houses after that they had plundered them I saw the people goe with bleeding bodies and fainting hearts within them to see their houses fired to the ground their goods consumed and they their wives their children and Families having no place to put their head in O dolefull sights to see and malencholy tunes to heare I dare presume there is not a man in the City if he hath but the least sparke of good nature in him if he did but see the picture drawne of their ill demeanours but he would rather die then suffer them to enter the City I have not yet told you the worst I have not told you of ravishing women neither did I tell you of killing maids with that most filthy usage Staffordshire women can to their sorrow tell you thus we see what it is to deale with strangers we pull thereby strange punishments on our heads This rod was then north-wards since it hath beene south-wards and lately west-wards and whether it will rove we know not but should it get within your City you would I am confident be the miserablest people under the Sunne they doe professe themselves very mercifull in the midst of their cruelty all the cruelty they shew in the Country is but as a sparke to the fire or as a drop of the bucket in comparison of that rigour that they would shew to you They know that England had not beene able to hold up hand against them had not you put your hand to the worke They know 't was your money that maintained the warre against them they know that you were the first moover in the worke of Reformation they know that you opposed Bishops and Ceremonies they know 't was you that caused that grand Traytor to be beheaded and therefore you shall be sure to drinke deepest in the cup of their fury I beseech God you never see that day for 't will be such a time as he will thinke himselfe most happiest that can escape with his life is it not time then that you should bestirre you you see how many false friends you have how many ignoble spirits you have had all this while under the pretence of honest men and friends to the publique cause but now have slipt the coller you see how few cordiall friends you have and how the Kings Army or rather the Queenes Army grow more insolent every day and how they oppresse the Country and will you lye still Up up brave noble spirits and lye no longer like the Asse under the burthen of oppression You hitherto have beene active valiant and couragious men up therefore like your selves take sword in hand most gallantly Chronicle your names on earth in Heaven for ever for fighting valiantly for the Lord of hosts against his enemies aged and young masters and servants mistresses and maids it concernes you all that wish well to the Protestant Religion your King and Country one way or other either by purses or persons to helpe in this great work the vertuous maids and the young Gentlewomen of the City shew their brave spirits in helping forward of this worke Whose worthy praise none can expresse or write Though they should beat their braines both day and night But Tryton broach their names the western wayes And Fame divulge thou it to their high praise What is the matter noble Citizens that your hearts are downe doe you give the day for lost doe you thinke England is lost because Bristoll is lost Alas Bristoll is not all our strength nor all our forts nor all our garrisons we have the beter cause the greater side and the honester men the passage to Heaven is cleere for us so that we can goe thither and fetch what we want but 't is shut to them Our Parliament is standing our Forts are well managed we have a pound for their shilling twenty peeces of Ordnance for