Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	witness_v	word_n	yield_v	13	3	6.1937	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61639	Naphtali, or, The wrestlings of the Church of Scotland for the kingdom of Christ contained in a true and short deduction thereof, from the beginning of the reformation of religion, until the year 1667 : together with the last speeches and testimonies of some who have died for the truth since the year 1660 : whereunto are also subjoyned, a relation of the sufferings and death of Mr. Hew McKail ...	Stewart, James, Sir, 1635-1713.; Stirling, James, 1631-1672?	1667 (1667)	Wing S5683; ESTC R3435	226,444	388

Adversary to reproach and blaspheme and did withall not a litle obscure and darken the beauty of severall former Actings about His blessed and glorious Work of Reformation happily begun and far advanced in these Lands wherein He was graciously pleased to Employ and by Employing to Honour me to be an Instrument though the least and unworthiest of many whereof I am not ashamed this day but account it my Glory how ever that Work be now cried down opposed laid in the dust and trod upon And my turning aside to comply with these men was the more aggravated in my person that I had so frequently and seriously made profession of my Aversness from and Abhorrence of that way and had shown much Dissatisfaction with these that had not gone so great a length for which as I seek God's mercy in Christ Jesus so I desire that all the Lord's People from my example may be more stirred up to watch and pray that they enter not into temptation 2. I do not deny on the other hand but must Testify in the second place to the Glory of His Free-grace that the Lord my God hath often shewed and engraven upon my Conscience the Testimony of His Reconciling and Reconciled Mercy through the Merits of Jesus Christ pardoning all my iniquities and assuring me that He would deliver me also by the graces of His Holy Spirit from the spait tyranny and dominion thereof And hath often drawn out my spirit to the exercise of Repentance and Faith and after engraven upon my heart in legible characters His merciful pardon and gracious begun cure thereof to be perfected thereafter to the Glory of His Name the Salvation of my Soul and Edification of His Church 3. I am pressed in conscience to leave here at my death my true honest Testimony in the sight of God and Man to and for the Nationall Covenant the Solemn League Covenant the Solemn Acknowledgement of our Sins Engagement to our duties to all the grounds Causes of Fasts and humiliations of the Lords displeasure contending with the Land And to the several Testimonies given to His Interests by Generall Assemblies Commissioners of the Kirk Presbyteries and by other honest and faithful Ministers and Professors 4. I am pressed also to encourage His Doing Suffering Witnessing People and Sympathizing ones with these that suffer that they would continue in the duties of Mourning Praying Witnessing and Symparthizing with these that suffer and humbly to assure them in the Name of the Lord our God the God of His own Word and Work of His own Cause Covenant and People that He will be Seen Found and Felt in His own gracious Way and Time by His own Means Instruments for His own Glory Honor to return to His own Truths and Interests and Servants and revive His Name His Covenant His Word His Work His Sanctuary and His Saints in these Nations even in the three Covenanted Nations which were by so Solemn Bonds Covenants Subscriptions and Oaths given away and devoted unto Himself 5. I exhort all these that have been or are Enemies or unfreinds to the Lord's Name Covenant or Cause Word Work or People in Britain and Ireland to Repent and Amend before these sad judgements that are posting fast come upon them for their sinning so highly against the Lord because of any temptation of the Time on the right or left hand by Baits or Straits whatsoever and that after so many Professions and Engagements to the contrary 6. I dare not conceal from yow that are Friendly to all the Lord's Interests that the Lord to the commendation of His Grace be it humbly spoken hath severall times in the exercise of my Repentance and Faith during my trouble and after groans and tears upon these three notable chapters to wit the 9 of Ezra the 9 of Nehemiah and the 9 of Daniel with other such sutable Scriptures and in the very nick of fervent and humble Supplication to Him for the Reviving again of His Name Cause Covenant Word and Work of Reformation in these Covenanted Nations and particularly in poor Scotland which first solemnly engaged to Him to the good Example and Encouragement of His People in the other two Nations to do the same also That the Lord I say hath several times given to me good ground of hope and lively expectations of His Mercifull Gracious Powerful and Wonderful Renewing and Reviving again of His fore-mentioned great Interests in these Covenanted Nations And that in such a Way by such Means and Instruments with such Antecedents Concurrents Consequents and Effects as shall wonderfully rejoyce His Mourning Friends and astonish His Contradicting and counter-acting Enemies 7. I do earnestly recommend my poor Wife and Children and 〈◊〉 posterity to the choicest Blessings of God an●●o the Prayers and Favour of all the Lord's Children an● Servants in their earnest dealing with God and Men ●n their behalf That they may not be ruined for ●y Cause but for the Lord my God's sake they 〈◊〉 be favoured assisted supplyed and comforted 〈◊〉 so may be fitted by the Lord for His Fellowship and Service whom God Himself hath moved me often in their own Presence and. with their own Consent to dedicate devote and resign alike and as well as I devote and resign my own Soul and Body to Him for all Time and Eternity 8. I beg the Lord to open the eyes of all the Instruments of my Trouble that are not deadly Irreconcileable Enemies to Himself and His People that they may see the wrong done by them to His Interests and People and to Me and Mine and may repent thereof and return to the Lord and may more cordially own and adhere to all His Interests in time coming The good Lord give unto them Repentance Remission and Amendement and that is the worst wish I wish them and the best wish I can wish unto them 9. I do earnestly beg the fervent prayers of all His Praying People Servants and Instruments whether absent or present wherever they be in behalf of His Name Cause and Covenant Work and People and in behalf of my Wife Children and their Posterity And that the Lord would glorify Himself edify His Church encourage His Saints further His Work accomplish His good Word by all His Doings and Dealings in Substance and Circumstance toward all His own 10. Whereas I have heard that some of my unfreinds have slandered and defamed my Name as if I had been accessary to his late Majestie 's death and to the making of the Change of the Government thereupon the great God of Heaven be witness and Judge between Me and my Accusers in this for I am free as I shall now answer before his Tribunal from any Accession by Counsel or Contrivance or any other way to his late Majestie 's death or to their making that change of Government And I pray the Lord to preserve our present King his Majesty and to pour out His best blessings

and Prelacy and all that was done or ensued in the sincere and upright prosecution thereof was and is the Work of God which though Men fight against yet shall they never be able to prevail And as this is our Faith so it is our Hope to all that wait for the Salvation of God that Our God will surely appear for his own Glory and vindicate his Cause and persecuted People and render vengeance to his Adversaries even the vengeance of his Holy Temple and broken Covenent O be not then moved with our Sufferings with are but Light and Momentany for they Work for us a far more execeding and Eternal weight of Glory and for you also a strong Confirmation and abounding Consolation against the like trial that possibly may befal you O then save your selves from this Wicked and Apostat Generation and be ye stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the Work and Cause of the Lord Waiting for the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ which in his Times he shall shew who only hath Immortality dwelling in the Light which no man can approach whom no man hath seen or can see to whom be honour and Power everlasting AMEN The Testimony of CAPT. ANDREW ARNOT one of the former ten who died Decem. 7. DEar Friends and Spectators I am brought by the good providence of God to this publick place of execution which is no dishonour for points of Treason as is alleadged but God knoweth who knoweth the secrets of hearts whether in Rebellion or not I cam forth He is my witness wil be my Judge And whoever they be that any way have been instrumentall or incensed against me to procure this Sentence against me God forgive them I forgive them I am not now purposed to disput the matter of my being in company with these worthy Christians who are now defeat and broken their blood shed and they despitfully mocked by many I acknowledge and declare that I was with them As to the cause of my being with them whither in Rebellion or not God knoweth and all Israel shall know And for me I say the Cause is the Lords who made the Heaven and the Earth though now it be hated And I desire to bear witness with the rest of the worthy witnesses who are gone before and are now staged to that glorious Work of Reformation in Britain and Ireland and to Gospel-Ordinances in their Purity as they have been taught and administrated these 30 Years last by past And I adhere to the Presbyterial way of Doctrin Worship Discipline and Government by General Assemblies Synods Presbyteries and Sessions according to the Patern of the holy Scriptures Jesus Christ himself being the head Corner-stone the Confession of faith Cathechismes Shorter and Larger Directory for Worship National Covenant Solemne League Covenant every Paper tending to the good of the true Religion And this I think fit to Testify Declare under my hand not knowing if I shall have any Liberty to speak intend God willing to Seal with my Blood shortly I confess that unexpectedly I am come to this place though some times I have had some small thoughts of it And I do account my self highly honoured to be reckoned amongst the witnesses of Jesus Christ to suffer for his Name Truth and Cause and this day I esteem it my Glory Garland Crown royall dignity to fill up a part of His sufferings And now I take my leave of you all my dear and worthy Friends and acquaintances The Blessings of the Eternall God be multiplied upon yow and your seed and upon all the suffering Friends of Christ this day upon my dear and loving Wife who hath been a faithful sympathizer with me and upon my dear Children The work of God is now at under but Christ shall carry the Day Blessed is he that believeth and seeth not for there shall be a performance Now the Eternall God who brought again the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead the great sheepherd of the flock strengthen and establish you and all the Lord's people So pray ye and so prayeth your Friend ANDREW ARNOT The Testimony of JOHN SHIELDS Yeoman one of the former ten who died at Edinburgh the 7 day of Decemb. 1666. I Am a man unlearned and not accustomed to speak in publick yet being now called to witness and suffer for the Lord in publick I cannot be altogether silent of that which Religion and Reason hath taught me anent the cause of my suffering I bless the Lord I suffer not as an evil doer especially not for any Rebellion against his Majesties lawful Authority I attest him who is the searcher of hearts that was never my intention in the least and it is as litle the nature and intention of what I have done But for renewing of the Covenant with the Lord and following the ends thereof as to the suppressing of abjured Prelats and Intruders upon the Lords flock and the restoring of the Government of the House of God by Presbyteries as He himself hath appointed in his Word with a faithful Godly Called and Sent Ministery And together with pure Ordinances the Power of Godliness For this I am condemned and to suffer this day This I acknowledged freely before our Judges This I still acknowledg and am persuaded that herein I witness a faithful Confession This Cause and Covenant I commend to all the Lord's People It is not free for you to forsake if You are inviolably ingaged in it It is not safe to desert it because of the Curse of the perjurer and false swearer There is unspeakable blessedness in the pursuance of it whereof I can bear witness to the Lord by my rich Experience since we began to Do and Suffer at this time for him Whereupon I cheerfully lay doun my Life for this his Cause He it is who Justifieth it what man or Authority under heaven can condemn it Arise O Lord let not man prevaill against Thee plead and Iudg this Cause which is thine own for thine own names sake The Testimony of another of the former ten Persons left subscribed with a Friend I designed no Rebellion against lawful Authority but the suppressing of Prelacy and of Profanity and advancing of Holiness in Gods World In a Word I adhere to all the Articles of the good Covenant and did intend the restoring of our good and Soul-refreshing Ministers and the casting out of the dumb greedy Dogs that cannot bark In this Cause I was a free Voluntier pressed by none thinking it my duty to appear for helping the Lord against the Mighty This I testify under my hand from the Tolbooth of Edinburgh the 6 of December 1666. The Testimony of M R ALEXANDER ROBERTSON Preacher of the Gospel and Probationer for the Ministry who died at Edinburgh Decemb. 14. 1666. FEaring that after the example of others I should not be permitted to speak openly to the People I thought fit beside my adherence to what my brethren who have

this Poor Church and Nation O! that all men would yet at length after all the evils and warnings which God hath sent amongst us seriously consider their wayes take unto themselves shame and give unto God the Glory before the decree bring forth our utter destruction and desolation Who knoweth but the Lord would repent Himself for His servants when He seeth our power is gone and return on high for His own Glory and the Congregation of the poor that compass Him about and render vengeance unto all his adversaries 3. That neither failing nor backsliding of many of the faithful nor the wicked Hypocrisy and Dissimulation practized on the other hand in the carrying on and concluding of these Treaties whereby the King was brought under the bond of the Holy Covenant doth lessen or annul His Obligation thereto far less the Security which the People especially such who know not these depths of Sathan did obtain thereby for their warrant and confirmation Surely the greatest Aggravation of Perjury cannot annul the Sacred Obligation of an Oath nor an intended Falshood loose the bond of Truth nor will vile Dissimulation and the most fearful mocking of God and the whole World deliver from His Holy Justice and Jealousy who is a terrible and swift witness against and avenger of all such abominations Did the wicked dissimulation and rebellious heart of the Children of Israel wherewith they entered in Covenant with the Lord Deu. 29.10 to 28. liberate them from the sin of Apostacy and all these fearful plagues threatened against it Did not that Dissimulate promise and engagement of the remnant of the Jewes made to Ieremiah chap. 42.20 rather hasten and aggravat the punishment of their disobedience v. 21 and 22 All who love Truth or fear an Oath do no doubt abhor such wickedness But the main objection is that all these condescensions were extorted by Force and Fear which doth excuse the Dissimulation and annul the Oath We shall not here insist to clear and refute this cavillation which others have so fully answered For as to the position that neither force nor fear do cause to cease the obligation of an Oath in a matter meerly Indifferent much less Holy Righteous and true as the matter of the Covenant is all yeeld But that neither Force Fear nor any other indirect way can be alleadged for the annulling of these engagements both the preceeding Treaties the just and necessary Reasons and all other cicumstances do most evidently confirm So that the whole World may justly wonder that these men who both in profession and practice do plainly evidence their profane Indifferency and regardless violation of all Oaths wherein Interest doth not concurre should by the manifest Patronizing of all Perfidy whereof no instance can be adduced in the breach of any treaty wherein the stronger weaker did ever compose any matter of Right which is not more justifyable the shamefull disgracing of the King himself whom neither Conscience Honor Honesty nor the example of his Father could teach the constancy of the most mean and abject of his Subjects should plead pretend to rational pretext for the present Apostacy and not rather content themselves to say with the King in one of his Declarations emitted shortly after his return to England that it is well known by what abusive meanes His Majesty was adduced to make and publish that Declaration at Dumfermling without any more special condescendence which is impossible But oh that the World did also know and consider all the re-iterated Oaths and Subscriptions High and Solemn Attestations Free and unrequired Professions Fearfull Execrations made before God Angels and Men both in Publick upon the Throne under the Crown in plain Parliament and also in Private Conferences which many yet alive can sufficiently attest by which this poor Church and Nation was insnared and precipitated into all the Sin and Misery that since the Year 1650. unto this day hath afflicted us However the Lord who seeth and heareth doth also consider to require it and the violence done to Himself in many of his suffering members who partly even in the conscience of the very things which they that are mostly therein concerned do mockat dare not prostitute their Consciences in an ambulatory Complyance with the wicked Apostacy in these times 4. We cannot but observe that after the prevailing and during the time of the English usurpation these only for the most part remained mindful of and faithful to the King who were faithful and stedfast in the Covenant when as these who formerly did and at present do pretend so highly for the King in prejudice both of Jesus Christ and the Holy Covenant did in their slavish complyance abandon all Alleagance and Honesty to complement the then Powers for the promoving of their own selfish designes which is the only bond of all their Engagements and rule and aim of all their Actions And though many of them do now pretend to have been sufferers yet it is well known that if they had had the half of these temptations which the Faithful upon the account of their alleageance did constantly resist the Kings Interest for their part had been for ever forgotten as it was by many of them openly renounced and abjured And that the main reason of their then seeming and pretended Loyalty was the improbability of credit with and acceptance from the Usurpers because of their known Naughtiness Having thus declared the Lords great Work and Glorious Presence amongst us in all these Mercies and Judgements which he shewed upon us and these strange Vicissitudes Alternations sometimes of His Grace Power engageing us with heart hand unto Himself sometimes of our own hearts Wickedness and Unstedfastness again causing us to apostatize and backslide from His Holy Command and Covenant which daring the space of an hundred years from the Year 1560 have in the Holy and Wise Providence of God passed over us that by all these great Temptations which our eyes have seen and the Signs and wonders which he hath wrought we might know that the Lord is our God and Jesus Christ our King and that by all these things He only went about to establish us for a peculiar People unto Himself in the Glorious Light of His Truth and Beauty of His Holiness far exalted above many other Nations We are now come to the Year 1660 wherein though the Lord was pleased according to His Glorious Soveraignity by His own immediate hand to break the yoke of our Oppressors restore our Covenanted King Lawes and Liberties and to make all Factions Parties and Interests not only to cede unto but unanimously to conspire for this Blessed Restitution yet how evidently hath it since appeared that the Lord had not given unto us an heart to perceave eyes to see nor ears to hear unto that very day We need not here resume the King 's most Solemn and Indissoluble Engagements which we have so lately mentioned nor add that

is not for evill doing that I now suffer although I be charged with Rebellion against the Kings Authority yet 1 declare before God and you all that in all this matter I never intended to wrong his Majestie 's just Power and greatness but for conscience sake did respect Authority as the Ordinance of God appointed for the punishment of evill doers and that I wish his Ma all welfare both in this life and the world to come and that it may be his happiness to consider his Obligations to God and Perform the same that so it may be well with him and his Posterity to many generations and I pray God make him a friend to His Cause and the truly Godly who own the same though falsly called Phanaticks or turbulent persons I declare I have such persuasion of the Interest of Religion Reformed and sworn unto in the Covenant that I dare venture not only to lay down my own life but if every hair of my head were a man they should all be put to venture for this cause I would not have the world to stumble at the Cause because of my death after this manner for I rejoyce greatly in it and I desire every good Christian as they tender their own souls that they would grip fast lay hold on and cleave to Jesus Christ and His way My coming out at this time I say was not against his Majesty but for the Covenant which is now troden under foot my intention was for the Cause of Christ I take God to witness it was nothing else I came out for and for that I am free to lay down my life I bless God I am much encouraged in this and not at all afraid to die for so good and clear a Cause and I hope He will bring me thorow all my difficulties in this dark shadow of death I hope I have the peace of a good conscience and have had some glimpses from Jesus Christ of His countenance and reconciled Face since I came into this prison for which I desire to bless His Name with all my soul heart and spirit And I rejoyce that He hes made use of me to suffer for His Cause And I think it too litle not only to lay down my body but if it were possible even my very soul at the stake for that Cause and for Jesus Christ my good and kind Master who hath loved me and given Himself for me I give the Lord thanks that I had some of His Presence since I came into this condition and again I say I am much encouraged and not afraid to die and bless Him that I die not as a murtherer or evill door or Rebel to Authority but for such a cause as this O that it were the happiness of my Nation of England once to subiect themselves unto the sweet yoke of Christs Reformed Government under which this Nation of Scotland hath enjoyed so much of the Power and life of the Gospel by a faithful Ministry according to the Covenant sworn by them both And now my dear Friends in Christ and fellow-Covenanters though I be a stranger in this Land being an English-man but trifted by providence in the prosecution of my calling to have my residence for a time here in Scotland which I look upon as a singulare evidence of God's special love to me though I be a stranger I say to many of you yet I must be bold as a dying friend to beseech you by the mercy of God and by your appearance before Jesus Christ when we shall have to do with none but Him as our Judge that ye be faithfull and stedfast in the Cause of God and Covenant which ye have sworn with hands lifted up to the most high God which no Power on earth can loose you from and that ye keep you from snares unto the contrary and not suffer your selves to fall into a detestable Neutrality and Indifferency in that Cause of God And especially that ye keep your selves free of any Engagements by word or write that may wrong your Oath of the Covenant I commit my Wife and Children to His care who careth for them that put their trust in Him before the Sons of men not doubting but they shall be eyed with goodwil and favor by the Godly after I am gone And now I render up my Spirit to Him who gave it me and for whose sake I now lay down my life To this God my Covenanted God be glory blessing and praise for now and ever Amen That this is my mind and Testimony which I leave behind me I witness by my ordinary subscription R. SHIELDS The Testimony of HUMPREY COLHOUNE At his Death in Edinburgh Decemb 22. 1666. Dear Friends and Spectators I am come here this Day to this Place to die this Death for crimes for which I thank God my Conscience doth not condemn me My crime as is alleaged is for Disloyalty against the King's Majesty Yet I thank God that my appearing lately with the Lord's People was from my sense of my obligation in the Covenant and the sense of the wrongs done in the Land and the crying oppressions committed therein This was the end of my appearing for the Lord against His enemies to bear witness against the same The which obligation of the Oath of God I judge that none on earth can loose the Conscience from I bless the Lord again and again I die for this Oath and Covenant And I thank God also that I have by the great mercy of the Almighty God in Christ Jesus obtained mercy and forgiveness for all my transgressions both against the first and second Table of the Law And that through that Ocean of grace which is in the Lord Jesus Christ I believe that I am justified and sanctified and believe now to be glorified with Him by that blessed blood of His which hath purchased this Salvation to me through faith in the same made application of according to the good Covenant of grace He hath performed this out of his vvonderfull and incomparable free-grace And this is my joy and exceeding great rejoycing and consolation and all my salvation for vvhich I am Grace's debtor throughout all Eternity I die vvith this my Testimony my adherence to the National Covenant to the Solemn League and Covenant to the Work of Reformation a great length carried on and now overthrown most sinfully by ungodly Men vvho have established their Apostacy by Law which no just Power on earth could ever do Also I adhere to the Presbyterial Government the Confession of Faith Cathechisms Larger and Shorter And to the Solemn Acknovvledgement of the Church of Scotland And Publick Testimonies thereof against the sins of the time This day I rejoyce that He hath counted me vvorthy to lay dovvn my life for Him as one that beareth vvitness against the breach of all the Sacred Oaths and Ties that were established in this Land yea by the just Laws both of God and Man which never could