Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	bring_v	life_n	spirit_n	4,163	5	4.8586	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

shut your eares against the worde of Exhortation you cannot haue any hope of saluation for the booke of God is full of iudgements against wilfull sinners and mercie is to them that repent turne Therefore I beseech you vse no delay deferre no time but presently bee acquainted with the Scriptures for they will leade you to eternall life make hast euen before your hands part with this paper to search therein that so you may truly vnderstand the wretched estate condition of those who following the lusts of there eyes wallow in all sensualitie and so heape vp vengance against the day of wrath euen heauie Iudgments no lesse then condemnation both of soule and body As Salomon saith Reioyce O young man in thy youth let thy hart cheare thee in the daies of thy youth and walke in the waies of thy hart and in the sight of thine eyes but knowe that for all things God will bring thee to Iudgement Remember he spared not the Angells when they sinned but cast them downe into hell nor of the old world but eight onely escaped the rest were drowned in their sinnes because they would not be warned Baltasar sayth Daniell expounding the fearefull vision of the hands writing when hee was banqueting with his Concubines thou art wayed in the Ballance and are found light These and many more are written for our admonition vppon whom the ends of the world are come search for them and I pray God you may be warned by them and that you may seeke the Lord now while hee may bee found and call vppon him while he is neere Behold now the day of saluation euen now when he in mercy offereth himselfe vnto vs by preaching of his word receiue not these graces in vaine but redeeme your time and runne vnto the house of God and there in the great congregation power foorth your plaint with obedience heare the word of God and indeuour to practise what you heare in your conuersation for the doores onely shall bee iustified at the last day the word must iudge vs in this life it worketh effect for which it was sent it either conuerts or hardens it is the sauour of life vnto life or of death vnto death it is offered to all to those that imbrace it it brings life to those that will not be reformed by it it brings death to those that loue and desire it it is the quicking spirit to those that refuse it it is the killing Letter it is no speciall argument of God his fauour vnto any vnlesse they feele the power thereof working reformation in them then it is the power of his spirit the pledge of his blessing Ignoraunce must not excuse you for the Prophet saith my people languish for want of knowledge and knowledge without practise leaues al men without excuse for hee that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many strips therefore make more conscience of the word of God then you haue done and loue his Messengers the Preachers that brings that glad tidings for to loue them is to loue Christ and to hate them is to hate Christ as our Sauiour saith he that dispiseth you dispiseth me and it is hard to kick against the prick And loue the children of God that professe Christ Iesus for hereby shall men knowne that you are my Disciples if you loue one another saith our Sauiour And for the Saboth day bee yee assured that the Lord of heauen hath not in vaine chosen it to himselfe commaunding vs to Sanctifie it vnto his holy name no no if euer we desire to be pe●takers of the spirituall Saboth in heauen whereof ours on earth is but a tipe and a figure then must we striue to keepe the same Saboth on earth as much as in vs lyes which the Saints keepe in heauen they are at rest from those labours that mortality is subiect vnto and vncessantly sing prayses vnto the Lamb so should we rest that day from the labours of our calling and spend the whole day in hearing of the word preached praysing the Lord publickly in the great congregation priuatly at home with our families preferring such other holy exercises as may tend to the glory of God the comfort of our soules the good of others which we are bound to performe so straightly as that we may not that day be alowed to speake such words as concerne of vocations And how soeuer it please the world to thinke of the great God of heauen and of the sanctifying of the Saboths yet be you assured he is a iealious God and will visite sinners and one seede of his word shall not be lost but he will be glorified by it either in the saluation of those who in a good conscience willingly indeuour to sanctifie them or in the condemnation of those who wilfully oppose themselues against his blessed ordinaunce to prophane them which is one of the crying sinnes of this land wherewith the whole Kingdome is infected and if there were not some fewe to stand in the gap for whose sake the Lord doth speare the rest it had not beene possible we should so long haue escaped his heauy iudgements O deere husband the Lord hath long since taken his sword in his hand to execute his vengance against all disobedient wretched who turne the Saboth of the Lord into a day of wantonnes liberty and licentiousnes and although in his great mercy he doth yet forbeare to proceede to iudgement as it were in great mercy waiting our repentance yet there wil suddainely come a day of reckoning all together and the wicked make the patience of our God an occasion to commit sinne and prophanes yet let them knowe the Lord will take vengance of his aduersaries and reserue wrath for his enemies and though hee be slowe to anger yet is he great in power and will not surely cleare the wicked though he deferre the Sessions yet they will come and though he haue Leaden feete yet hath he Iron hands though the fier light not vppon Sodome all the euening yet it came Doe not therefore prouoke the Lord any longer by your prophanes for he is strong readie to punnish and hath promised that the person that dispiseth his word shall be cut of Did hee not commaunde a man to be stoned to death for gathering a fewe sticks on the Saboth day and is hee not still the same God yes certaine his arme is not shortned if we wilfully persist in our disobedience Sixe market dayes hee hath giuen vs to prouide vs necessaries for our bodies and but one hath hee chosen for himselfe to be a day of holines which is the market day for the soule wherein wee should prouide vs of comforts for the whole weeke The excellencie and woorth of this day is vnspeakable to those that sanctifie it It is the badge and liuerie whereby they are knowne to bee the seruaunts of God to those that prophane it in spending the day in

they wone this silly soule to their will and hauing so done the sayd Bownds insatiable desire could not bee so satisfied but perswaded her of himselfe and also by the sayd Isabell Hall to yeelde her consent by some meanes to murder her sayd husband the which she was though drawne to the other yet very vnwilling to agrée vnto that But by many and often assaults and incouragements their perswasions did worke with her and tooke effect the which being obtained then were they as busie as before deuising which way to set their deuillish and most hellish practises aworke preferring many deuises for the accomplishment thereof And shee often times entring into consideration with her selfe what a damnable part it was first to abuse her husbands bed and then in seeking to depriue him of his life was greatly tormented in her conscience and diuers times earnestlie intreated them to surcease in this practise laying before them the great and heauie punishments prouided for such offenders both in this world and in the world to come but their harts being so deeply possest by that filthy enimy to all goodnes that there was nothing to them more odious then such perswasions still perseuered in there former wicked inuensions and drew her to associate them in this villany laying many plots for the performing of it amongst which Isabell Hall as she was verie expert in such like actions beeing an ancient motherly woman and to all mens iudgements in her outward habite was farre from harboring such a thought yet as I was about to say she aduised Bownd to giue to a brother of hers namely George Fernley fiue pounds she would perswade him that he should vse some meanes to murder Caldwell the which Bownd agreed vnto being that to him all her motions were medicines and for that her house was the place that Bownd and Elizabeth Caldwell did resort for there meeting place and he hauing an intent to further this matter caused this Fernley to be sent for and conferred with him and hee being a man slenderly furnished with meanes agreed to this there motion affirming that he would delay no time till hee had effected their desire though in my conscience hee pretended nothing lesse but onely to sooth them with faire words for lucre of the money made a showe to Bownd as if he were verie dilligent about the execution thereof but still was preuented in so much that Bownd entered into a great rage with the poore fellow and swore most terribly if hee did not dispatch his busines withall expedition he would lay him by the heeles for his fiue pounds Notwithstanding hee made delaies so many that the old for I meane Halls wife deuised with her selfe of another course willed Bownd to buy some Ratsbane and she would minister it in Oaten-cakes for that she knewe Caldwell much affected them and they being made his wife should giue them vnto him and so procure his speedy dispatch Which deuise he verie willingly consented vnto and vsed no delay in the matter but presently repared to a towne in Cheshiere called Knutsforth there bought the poyson and brought it to Elizabeth Caldwell and wished her to send it to Isabell Hall with all speede wherevppon she receiued it and instantly vppon the receite thereof Halls wife sent her maide to Elizabeth and willed her to send the spice she spoke to her for so the maide innocently went as her dame commanded her and receiued the poyson and brought it to the sayd Isabell Hall her dame who presently did take it and minister it as I sayd before in oaten-cakes the which being done she sent them to Elizabeth Caldwell where she and her husband did soiourne wherevppon being in the euening she layd them in her chamber windowe In the morning next ensuing Caldwell as his accustomed manner was rose verie earlie and his wife still keeping her bed he spied the cakes lie in the windowe and demaunded of her if he might take any of them she answered yea all if he would and therevpon he tooke some three or foure of them and went into the house and called for some butter to eate them with the which was brought him But let me tell you by the way so soone as he was departed the chamber with the cakes feare draue such a terror to her hart as she lay in bed as she euen trembled with remorse of conscience yet wanted she power to call to him to refraine them insomuch as he himselfe did not onely eate of them but the most part of the folkes in the house children and all yet God bestowed his blessing so bountifully on them as they were all preserued from daunger sauing one little girle which could not so wel disgest them which was a neighbours child of sixt or seauen yeares old and comming in by chance for fier to the which maister Caldwell gaue a peece of acake and she eate it and by reason she had beene long before visited with sicknes shee went home and died presently while the rest by way of vomit were saued But that which maistar Caldwell did vomit vp againe two doggs and a cat did eate and they died presently also Whether vppon the force of that poyson or no the childe died I cannot say but well I knowe they were all three brought within the compasse of murder for the death of it and were all executed at Chester for the same fact as you shall heareafter vnderstand Upon the death of this child Elizabeth Caldwell was apprehended and brought before three Iustices of the peace namely Sir Iohn Sauage Sir Thomas Aston and maister Brooke of Norton where before them she truly confessed all their practises and proceedings from the beginning euen till that day Upon which confession Bownd and Isabell Hall were apprehended and brought before the same Iustices and examined as touching the murder and they very stoutly denied all afferming that they were not guiltie to any such action although her confession in her Examination did manifest against them beeing layd to their charge all which would not mooue them to acknowledge their fault the deuill hauing so great a commaund ouer them Notwithstanding they were all committed to the Castell of Chester there to remaine with out Baill or Maineprise till they should be deliuered by due course of Lawe according to the tenure of warrants directed in such a case So the Assise approching within few dayes after theyr commitment their causes and tryall for that time was reiourned till the next great Assises holden there And whether it was by speciall meanes of Bownd made to the Iudge or for that Elizabeth Caldwell was with childe I cannot truly say but there they continued from that time beeing a senight after Easter till Michelmas following during which time they were not admitted one to speake to another And for Elizabeth Caldwell from her first entrance into prison till the time of her death there was neuer heard by any so much as an idle word

abhominable saying that if there were fortie and two children deuoured for mocking the Prophet Eliza what then shall befall of them that doe blaspheme the name of the great God of heauen prophane his holy Saboth speake euill of his word and abuse his faithfull Ministers Therefore she desired all to turne from their sinnes and to turne to the Lord by true and vnfained repentance praysing very earnestly for her husbands conuersion and that her two children might haue the feare of God before their eyes and that the glory of God might appeare in the conuersion of prisoners though it were with the losse of her owne life so infinite was her zeale Then shee prayed the Lord that hee would pardon all her grieuous and heynous sinnes in the bloodshed of Christ Iesus beséeching him to clense her from her secret sinnes praying that she might be a Doore-keeper in the house of God and receiue the meanest place of glory Then said shee that if the great and tall Ceaders of the Church of God haue fallen as Dauid Salomon and Manasses how then coulde shee stand béeing but a bramble and weake wretched woman Therefore shee exhorted euery one to depend onely vpon the Lord and not to stand vpon theyr owne strength as shee had doone And greatly then desiring all the people to pray vnto GOD for her shee called for her Prayer booke reading and praying zealouslie and deuotly to Almighty GOD with her eyes lift vp towards heauen which doone shee requested that they would sing a Psalme reading it her selfe singing with a good spirit that afterwards she vttered that shee felt the mercies of GOD and her soule was much comforted and hoped that in the blood of Christ Iesus her sinnes were pardoned and saide shee coulde not amend that which was past but was most hartily sorrowfull for her former sinnes saying that if shee shoulde liue yet many yeeres her desire would be in seruing the Lord therefore she desired him vpon the knees of her hart that hee would respect the will for the déede and accept her poore desires saying O suffer me yet once to recouer my strength before I goe hence and be séene no more Praying likewise for all those that ministred comforts vnto her in her misery and distresses that the Lord would blesse them and continue them faithfull vnto the end Then forgiuing and asking forgiuenes of all making her selfe ready saying her bodily death did not dismay her concluding with these her last words Lord Iesus receiue my spirit and so she left this miserable world and dyed the true seruaunt of Iesus Christ the xviij day of Iune 1603. ¶ Nowe yet againe remember our old beldame aforenamed that vncharitable creature Isabell Hall widdow béeing the onely instrument of this timelesse action who standing on the Ladder and ready to suffer for her fact did notwithstanding very stoutly denie euery thing that had beene doone in theyr late procéedings nay and abiurd it had not Elizabeth Caldwell with affirmation of all inserted her confession in that behalfe Who with an easie repentance to the worlds eye ended her life Whereby may be séene how strong the deuill in some actions is that shée by whose instigation all was doone both in the adulterie and murder would so impudently deny euery particuler notwithstanding the triall of the cause both manifested by Iudge and Iurie But thus we sée the boldnes of sinne and the coldnesse of the truth till God in mercie makes plaine the truth of the one and the wonder of the other All which tending to the example of others may moue vs to liuely repentance which not doone saluation cannot come but truly effected bréedes both the comfort of the soule and body To which comfort God in mercy bring vs for his sonne Iesus Christ his sake FINIS To the right honourable and his singuler good Lady the Lady Mary Chandois R. A. wisheth health and euerlasting happinesse MY honourable and very good Lady considering my dutie to your kind Ladiship remembring the vertues of your prepared minde I could doe no lesse but dedicate this strange worke to your view being both matter of moment and truth And to the whole world it may seeme strange that a Gentlewoman so vvell brought vp in Gods feare so well married so vertuous euer so suddainly wrought to this act of murder that when your Ladiship doth read aswell the Letter as the Booke of her owne indighting you will the more wonder that her vertues coulde so aptly tast the follies of vice and villanie But so it was and for the better proofe that it was so I haue placed my kinsmans name to it who was present at all her troubles at her comming to prison her beeing in prison and her going out of prison to execution That those Gentlemen to whom he dedicates his worke witnessed may also be pertakers in that kind for the proofe thereof that your Ladiship the world so satisfied may admire the deede and hold it as strange as it is true We haue many giddie pated Poets that coulde haue published this Report with more eloquence but truth in plaine attire is the easier knowne let fixion maske in Kendall greene It is my qualitie to adde to the truth truth and not leasings to lyes Your good Honor knowes Pincks poore hart who in all my seruices to your Late deceased kind Lord neuer sauoured of flatterie or fixion and therefore am now the bolder to present to your vertues the view of this late truth desiring you to so thinke of it that you may be an honourable mourner at these obsequies and you shall no more doe then manie more haue doone So with my tendered dutie my true ensuing storie and my euer wishing well I do humbly commit your Ladiship to the prison of heauen wherein is perfect freedome Your Ladiships euer in duty and seruice Robert Armin.