Selected quad for the lemma: master_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
master_n	john_n	thomas_n	william_n	31,890	5	9.1985	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10802	A treatise of witchcraft VVherein sundry propositions are laid downe, plainely discouering the wickednesse of that damnable art, with diuerse other speciall points annexed, not impertinent to the same, such as ought diligently of euery Christian to be considered. With a true narration of the witchcrafts which Mary Smith, wife of Henry Smith glouer, did practise: of her contract vocally made between the Deuill and her, in solemne termes, by whose meanes she hurt sundry persons whom she enuied: which is confirmed by her owne confession, and also from the publique records of the examination of diuerse vpon their oathes: and lastly, of her death and execution, for the same; which was on the twelfth day of Ianuarie last past. By Alexander Roberts B.D. and preacher of Gods Word at Kings-Linne in Norffolke.	Roberts, Alexander, d. 1620.	1616 (1616)	STC 21075; ESTC S115983	56,918	90

from those sorts of people who are haue beene and shall be practitioners in that cursed and hellish Art And yet no more then she that Witch of whom in this relation we do speake hath of her owne accord and voluntarily acknowledged after conference had withme and sundry learned and reuerend Diuines who both prayed for her conuersion carefully instructed her in the way to saluation and hopefully rescued her from the Diuell to whom she was deuoted and by him seduced and regained her to God from whom she was departed by Apostac●…e And in this so Christian and holy action were the continuall paines of Maister Thomas Howes Thomas Hares Iohn Man William Leedes Robert Burward William Armitage And of these in the day of execution which she in no wise would condiscend vnto should be deferred though offered repriuall vpon hope that more might haue beene acknowledged being very distemperate neuerthelesse some accompanied her to the place and were both eye and care-witnesses of her behauiour there seeing and hearing how she did then particularly confesse her confederacy with the Diuell cursing banning and enuy towards her neighbours and hurts done to them expressing euery one by name so many as be in the following discourse nominated and how she craued mercy of God and pardon for her offences with other more specialties afterward expressed And thus I end taking my leaue and commending thee to the gracious guidance and preseruation of our good God in our blessed Sauiour Christ Iesus Thine euer in the Lord A. Ro●… A TREATISE OF THE CONFESSION AND EXECVTION OF MARY SMITH CONVICTED OF WITCHCRAFT and condemned for the same of her contract vocally in solemne tearmes made with the Diuell by whose meanes she hurt sundry persons whom she enured with some necessary Propositions added thereunto discouering the wickednesse of that damnable Art and diuers other speciall poynts not impertinent vnto the same such as ought diligently of euery Christian to bee considered THERE is some diuersitie of iudgement among the learned who should be the first Author and Inuenter of Magicall and curious Arts. The most generall occurrence of opinion is that they fetch their pedigree from the Persians who searching more deeply into the secrets of Nature then others and not contented to bound themselues within the limits thereof fell foule of the Diuell and were insuared in his nets And among these the publisher vnto the world was Zoroaster who so soone as he by birth entred the world contrary to the vsuall condition of other men laughed whereas the beginning of our life is a sob the end a sigh and this was ominous to himselfe no warrantise for the enioying of the pleasures of this life ouercome in battell by Ninus King of the Assirians and ending his dayes by the stroake of a thunder-bolt and could not though a famous Sorcerer either fore-see or preuent his owne destinie And because he writ many bookes of this damnable Art and left them to posterity may well be accounted a chiefe maister of the same But the Diuell must haue the precedencie whose schollers both he and the rest were who followed treading in his steps For he taught them South-saying Auguration Necromancie and the rest meere delusions aiming therein at no other marke then to with draw men from the true worshipping of God And all those pernitious practises are fast tied together by the tailes though their faces looke sundry wayes and therefore the Professors thereof are stiled by sundry names as Magitians Necromancers Inchanters Wisards Hagges Fortune-tellers Diuiners Witches Cunning Men and Women c. Whose Art is such a hidden mystery of wickednesse and so vnsearchable a depth of Sathan that neither the secrets of the one can be discouered nor the bottome of the other further sounded then either the practisers thereof themselues by their owne voluntary confessions made or procured by order of Iustice according to the manner of that Countrey where they be questioned haue acknowledged or is manifested by the sundry mischiefes done of them vnto others proued by impartiall testimonies vpon oath and by vehement presumptions confirmed or else communicated vnto vs in the learned Treatises and discourses of ancient and late Writers gathered from thé same grounds And although this Hellish Art be not now so frequent as heretofore since the Pagans haue beene conuerted vnto Christianity and the thick sogges of Popery ouer-mantling the bright shining beames of the Gospel of Iesus Christ who came to dissolue the workes of the Diuell 1. Ioh. 3. 8. and were by the sincere and powerfull preaching therof dispersed yet considering these bee the last times dayes euill dangerous fore-told that should come 2. Tim. 3. 1. in which iniquity must abound Mat. 24. 12. and as a raging deluge ouer-runne all so that Faith shall scarce be found vpon earth Luk. 18. 8. and the Diuell loosed from his thousand yeares imprisonment Reuel 20. 3. enraged with great wrath walketh about and seeketh whom he may deuoure 1. Pet. 5. 8. Because he knoweth hee hath but a short time Rev. 12. 12. Before I enter into the particularity of the narration intended it shall be materiall to set downe some generall propositions as a handfull of gleanings gathered in the plentifull haruest of such learned men who haue written of this argument whereby the erronious may be recalled the weake strengthened the ignorant informed and such as iudge aright already confirmed and among many other these as chiefe all which you shall see exemplified in the following Discourse The first Proposition IT is a Quaere though needlesse whether there be any Witches for they haue some Proctor●… who plead a nullitie in this case perswade themselues and would induce others to be of the same minde that there be no Witches at all but a sort of melancholique aged and ignorant Women deluded in their imagination and acknowledge such things to be effected by them which are vnpossible vnlikely and they neuer did and therefore Magistrates who inflict any punishment vpon them be vnmercifull and cruell Butchers Yet by the way and their good leaue who take vpon them this Apology all who are conuented vpon these vnlawfull action are not strucken in yeares but some euen in the flower of their youth be nuzled vp in the same and convicted to be practisers thereof neither be they ouerflowed with a blacke melancholique humor dazeling the phantasie but haue their vnderstandings cleere and wits as quicke as other Neither yet be they all women though for the most part that sexe be inclinable thereunto as shall afterward be shewed and the causes thereof but men also on whose behalfe no exception can be laid why any should demurre either of their offence or punishment for the same Wherefore for this point and confirmation of the affirmatiue wee haue sundry pregnant and euident proofes First testimonies Diuine and Humane Diuine of God himselfe in his word left for our instruction