Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	king_n	lord_n	sovereign_a	3,764	5	9.0976	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43096	A narrative, being a true relation of what discourse passed between Dr. Hawkins and Edward Fitz-Harys, Esq., late prisoner in the tower with the manner of taking his confession.	Hawkins, Francis, 1628-1681.	1681 (1681)	Wing H1173; ESTC R569	13,856	13

which I did and to move Mr. Secretary that the place of Execution might be appointed somwhere near the Tower for he was loath to be put into the hands of the Sheriffs and said he feared they would endeavour to make him unsay all that he had said to me but he would never do it yet he did not care he said to be tempted to it by them Upon Wednesday June 29 he desired me to let him write a Letter to his Wife which he would leave with me seeing he did not expect to see her any more so I furnished him with a Sheet of Paper and he writ a long Letter of Directions to his Wife how he would have her dispose of her Self and her Children The Letter begins thus My Dear having no hopes to see you which you may be sure makes my condition distracted enough I submit to God's will he knows what is best and so forth About the middle of the Letter he writes I though you might have obtained that my Body might not have been broken but now I have no hopes thereof And in a Post-Script he tells her that the Doctor meaning my self and Walmesley one of his Warders were to go with him to Execution and he desires her not to let his Poor Dear Mother know that he came to such an infamous end and he beg's his Fathers and his Mothers Blessing This Letter I desired Mrs. Fitz-Harys that I might keep it to compare hands with his Confession if there should be occasion Upon the same day June 29 and not before he writ his last Confession in the Form and Words in which it is Published and that is the true whole and only Confession written with own hand that he left with me at his Death When he had writ it I found he had omitted several things which he had before declared unto me I would not prompt him nor would I ask him to alter or put in a word into the whole Confession he would often say to me his Confession would Injure his Poor Wife and Children her allowance he faid would be withdrawn and she would lose those who were now her best Friends The same day in the Evening he sent for me almost as soon as I was gone from him and when I came to him his business was to tell me he heard there was a new Prisoner come into the Tower whose name was Rouse he said he did not know the man but his Wife had sometimes spoke of him that she had received Money of him both for her own and for Heyns's use Upon Thursday June 30 I was with him most part of the day which 〈…〉 Prayers and discourse concerning another and an Eternal State 〈…〉 his Wife and his Maid came to him from Hampton-Court 〈…〉 ●●m now unsuccessful they had been in all their endeavours to save 〈◊〉 Life the ill news made him weep at the first hearing but he soon clear'd up again and said God's will be done July 1. The day of hid Execution I was with him early and we went to Prayers and he Prayed earnestly and wept extreamly and earnestly desired me to give him the Absolution of the Church of England which I did and afterwards we talked together of the manner of his Death I encouraged him to go to his Execution both like a Man and a good Christian Between the hours of Seven and Eight in the Morning I proposed to him the Signing his Confession and said Mr. Fitz-Harys we are about to call in Witnesses to your Confession before we do it I do charge you as you must suddenly answer it to God That you tell me whether the matters in your Confession be true or whether you have invented them with a design to save your Life if they be things which you have thought of meerly to save your life instead of calling in Witnesses to the truth of your Confession I desire they may be called in to hear you Retract it and do you declare before them that what you have said to me and with which I have acquainted the King were things invented to save your Life but if they be true then let the Witnesses hear you own the truth of them He was a little concern'd that I should question the truth of what he had declared and said sure you do not take me for so great a Villain that I would tell lies just as I am going out of the world I must confess Nature doth incline me to wish I might have lived yet whether I were to live or dye it is all one my Confession is true in the words of a dying Man and this I protest in the presence of Almighty God falling upon his Knees Then I call'd in the Three Witnesses which Attest his Confession and he protested and declared before them That he had made his Confession freely without any promise made or hopes given him to save his life he also Signed his Confession and delivered it to me as his Act in the presence of the said Witnesses as appears by their Oath since made before the Lieutenant of the Tower MEmorandum That the Eleventh day of July in the Three and Thirtieth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King Charles the Second c. Annoque Domini 1681. James Walmesley and Edward Pattle two of the Yeomen Warders of His Majesties Tower of London and Mary the Wife of the said James Walmesley came before me Thomas Cheek Esq Lieutenant of the said Tower of London and one of His Majesties Justices of the Peace of the County of Middlesex and made voluntary Oath as followeth viz. That Edward Fitz-Harys Esq late Prisoner in the said Tower on Friday the first of July instant between the hours of seven and eight in the Morning did in the presence of these Deponents make this Protestation following I Edward Fitz-Harys do Declare and Protest unto James Walmesley Edward Pattle and Mrs. Mary that I have made this my Confession holding it in his hand unto Dr. Hawkins freely and of my own voluntary accord without any Promise made or hopes given me by him from the King of saving my Life by this Confession And then be Signed his Confession and delivered it to the said Dr. Hawkins as his own Act. And more say not Tho. Cheek Memorandum That the Day and Year first above written the said James Walmesley Edward Pattle and Mary Walmesley took the aforesaid Oath in the Presence of us Tho. Hawley Ob. Reynolds When he had made this Declaration and signed his Confession before these Witnesses he call'd for a glass of Wine and drank one glass to me and to the Witnesses and said I thank you for all your kindness I have nothing more to do but do die About half an hour after came his Wife and his Maid and he told them he had signed his Confession and that I would give them a Copy of it if they desired it His wife answered My Dear what shouldest thou trouble thy self about

a good measure satisfied he might Lawfully take them for he had had the Opinion of some Learned men about them and particulary of an acquaintance of his a Doctor of Sorbon and Canon of St. Bennets in Paris who told him the Oath of Supremacy might Lawfully be taken by all the Catholique Subjects of the King of England it was no more than what the Catholique Church of England had done before they were forbidden by the Pope's Order which Order being but a private Order of the Popes and not of a general Council was not according to the Canon and therefore of no force Why did you not said I take the Oaths seeing you was so well satisfied about them He replyed it was the Test that went more against him than the Oaths beside I was advised said he by a Person of Quality not to take the Oaths and he gave me this Reason for his Advice That so long as I was not obliged to the King by Oath I might Act against him with the more freedom That said I was a special Friend to the Government But you say it was the Test went against you He said he would not be compelled by an Act of Parliament to declare his Opinion of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ Points in Religion he said were not to be determined in Parliament My Answer to this was That when the Bishops and those of the Clergy of the Convocation commanded by the King 's Writ have met and consulted and are agreed in a point in Religion it is afterwards brought into Parliament to receive a Civil Sanction If I could said he be satisfied about the Real Presence I could come up to all things else in the Church of England as for the word Transubstantiation I do confess I never understood it Sir said I this is not a time for you to puzzle your self about difficulties in Religion your business is Repentance yet for your better satisfaction I will turn you to a short Answer in our Church Catechism Where the Question being asked What is the inward part or thing signified by the outward Elements Answer is made The Body and Blood of Christ which is verily and indeed taken and received by the Faithful Endeavour to understand these words in their proper sense and you need trouble your self no further As you cannot without offering violence to both your Reason and your Senses believe the Elements upon the words of Consecration to be turned into the Natural Body and Blood of Christ So not to believe Christ to be present in that Sacrament in a more especial manner than many do that talk of Symbols and Figures naked Elements is a mean Opinion and unworthy the greatest Mystery in the Christian Religion The Body and Blood of Christ is verily and indeed taken and received by the Faithful You and I will not dispute the manner of it at this time I enquire no further said he I will receive the Sacrament of you before I dye and the Lord fit me for it Amen said I and since you have made this Resolution of your own accord you must give me leave to mind you of it He said there was nothing hindred him from receiving but the disturbance he was in for the absence of his Wife and Friends he could give no directions concerning his poor Wife and Children and until he had seen his Wife and disposed the Affairs of his Family and thereby settled his mind he durst not receive I told him he must not discompose himself the seeing his Wife was not his great concern he must prepare to dye and if he were not fit to receive the Sacrament he was not fit to dye Wherefore said I you must needs lay aside all thoughts of this World and prepare for another you must examine your self and set your sins in order and lament the Follies of your past Life the work you have to do is great and your time is but short and you stand upon the very brinks of Eternity and if you neglect or be not sincere and hearty in what you do now you are lost and undone for ever Here Mr. Fitz-Harys began to be very much moved and fell a weeping and said he would deal ingenuously with me he thanked me for my admonitions and falling upon his knees begged of me to hear him for he was resolved he said to give the world satisfaction I lifted him up and desired him to keep his Chair Sir said he you are a stranger to me and to my knowledge I never saw you before in all my life yet the good opinion I have of you that you deal faithfully by me shall oblige me to say that to you which I have refused to say to others I will declare to you all that I know of Publick matters Mr. Fitz-Harys said I I have no orders to hear you in those matters I come to you as a Divine as a guide to your Soul to help your Devotions and to compleat your Repentance I am not a fit person to whom you should declare your self in things of State you have had some of the greatest Ministers of State with you who came to you on purpose to have you declare your mind they were the fittest persons to whom you should have done it they could have served you I cannot I can give you no hopes of life whatever you declare Let me desire you to send for them again I will go to them from you and acquaint them that you desire they would come to you once more and you will speak your mind No said he they are great men and I care not to speak before them beside what I shall declare is for the discharging of my Conscience and not out of hopes to save my life by it I do not believe the King will pardon me and those assurances that have been given me from others have made me obstinate I have been made believe all along that I should be brought off but I see now it is too late that I have been deluded and to declare to the Kings Ministers would be to no purpose I shall not save my life by it yet if you will hear me I will declare the truth and you may acquaint the King with it for they are things of consequence and such as concern the good of the King and Kingdom Well said I if you are resolved to declare I am obliged to hear you and if they be things of moment I can do no less than let the King or some Lords of the Privy Council know what you declare but as for any hopes to save your life I can give you none It is towards evening and I have neither Pen nor Ink nor Paper I will take my leave of you for tonight and will be with you God willing again in the Morning A good night to you and I pray God be your comfort Saturday June the 18th about Ten a clock in the Morning I went up to Mr.