Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	council_n	parliament_n	privy_a	2,717	5	9.7040	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44364	The spirit of the martyrs revived in a brief compendious collection of the most remarkable passages and living testimonies of the true church, seed of God, and faithful martyrs in all ages: contained in several ecclesiastical histories & chronological accounts of the succession of the true church from the creation, the times of the fathers, patriarchs, prophets, Christ and the Apostles.	Hookes, Ellis, d. 1681.	1664 (1664)	Wing H2663A; ESTC R224173	399,190	375

Rich and the Bishop of London used all their power by flattering words to perswade her from God but they prevailed not with her one Nicholas Shaxton counselled her to recant as he had done she told him it had been good for him he had never been born then Rich sent her to the Tower to be racked where first he and one of the Councel examined her telling of her that the King was informed that if she would she could name a great number of her Sect she answered that the King was as well deceived in that as he was in other Matters The manner of her Racking was thus she was first lead down into a Dungeon where the Lievtenant of the Tower commanded the Goaler to pinch her with the Rack which being done so much as he thought sufficient he went about to take her down but Wristley the Chancellor not contented that she was loosed so soon confessing nothing but lay still and did not cry commanded the Lievtenant to strain her on the Rack again which because he denyed to do tendering the weakness of the Woman the Chancellor threatened him he would signifie his disobedience to the King Then Rich and the Chanceller took pains to Rack her themselves till she was near dead first asking her whether she was with Child to whom she answered you ●hall not need to spare for that but do your wills upon me and so quietly and patiently praying unto the Lord she abode their Tyranny till her Bones and Joynts were almost pluckt assunder after she was loosed from the Rack she swooned but they recovered her again and she was carried away in a Chair to a house and laid in a bed with weary and painful Bones the Chancellor sent her word that if she would leave her Opinion she should want for nothing if she would not she should be forthwith sent to Newgate and so be burned she sent him word again that she would rather die then break her Faith The Prayer of Anne Askew before her Death O Lord I have more Enemies now then there be Hairs on my Head yet Lord let them never overcome me with vain words but fight thou Lord in my stead for on thee cast I my Care with all the spite they can imagine they fall upon me which am thy poor Creature yet Lord let me not set by them which are against me for in thee is my whole delight and Lord I heartily desire of thee that thou wilt of thy most merciful Goodness forgive them that Violence which they do and have done unto me open also thou their blind Hearts that they may hereafter do that thing in thy Sight which is only acceptable before thee and to set forth thy Truth aright without all vain Fantasie of sinful men So be it O Lord so be it The day of her Execution being appointed she was brought into Smithfield in a Chair because she could not go on her feet by means of her great Torments when she was brought to the stake she was tied by the middle with a Chain that held up her Body and so encompassed with the Flames of Fire as a blessed Sacrifice unto God she resigned up her life in the Year 1546. leaving behind her a singular example of Christian-Constancy for all men to follow there was at the same time three others burnt with her in Smithfield After the death of this Woman the Ponish Clergy consulted together how they might further proceed to keep the Truth under and down and to that end obtained another Proclamation in the Kings name for the abolishing the Scriptures in English and all other English Books which might give any light to the People which made sore work and caused Persecution for a time but it was not long that it continued by reason of the Kings death which was shortly after But before there be a full Conclusion of the Transactions in this Kings reign its necessary a short Account be given of the rise and fall of Thom is Cromwel of whom mention is made before especially seeing he was a man so Zealous for Reformation of both Church and Common-wealth He was born at Putney his Father being a Smith as is before related in his youthful dayes it is said he had little regard to God and Religion but travelled beyond Seas and for a time was there a Souldier at length getting the New Testament in English by often reading in it he began to be touched and something opened in his understanding and coming into England again Cardinal Woolsey entertained him in his service where after some yoars remaining he was preferred to be Solicitor to the Cardinal After the fall of Cardinal Woolsey he was by the Master of the Roles preferred to the King who had then to do against the Pope as a fit person to be imployed by him and being brought to the King at his Garden in Westminster where he possessed the King that his Authority was abused by the Clergy and by being sworn to the Pope they had run themselves into a Premunire and that now the King had an Opertunity to inrich himself To this the King gave ear and liked well his advice and admited him into his service and sent him to the Convocation-house amongst the Bishops where he made a Speech to this effect that in asmuch as they had sworn to the Pope contrary to their Fealty due to the King they had forfeited all their Goods Chattels Lands Possessions to the King c. This amazed the Bishops at first but after a little pause they began to shrink and before they could be quit of the Premunire by Act of Parliament it cost them to the King no less then One hundred eighteen thousand eight hundred and forty pounds After this Cromwel grew greatly in favour with the King and was made one of his Privy Council and Master of the Rolls and afterwards Knight of the Garter and Earl of Essex and now being come into such Authority and seeing the Superstition Blindness Hypocrisie and Idolatry of the Monks and Fryars and Papists whose filthy stink did breath up a most pestiferous fume as Matthew Paris said in the like case of Rome Wherefore Cromwel like a Champion was raised up to root them up which while the King favoured him he prosecuted with effect as before is related but when the Popish Bishops saw the Popes power abolished out of England they never gave over using all their uttmost Endeavours and Politick Contrivances till they had laid a Plaister to his Wounded Head It would be too long to recite what benefit this Cromwel by his Prudence and Zeal wrought in a little time for the publick good what good Orders he established what Wickedness and Vices he suppressed what Corruptions he reformed what Abuses he brought to light and Popish Idolatry and Images he suppressed One called The Rood of Grace wherein a man stood inclosed with a hundred Wyres within the Rood to make the Image goggle its Eyes