lished by the command of his brother and

as we have seen, professed himself a protestant: but at the time of his death he took off the mask, and openly appeared to be what he really was. In the paper, entitled, "A brief account of particulars occurring at the happy death of our late Sovereign Lord, King Charles II. in regard to religion; faithfully related by his then assistant, Mr. Jo. Huddleston;" printed in the second volume of the State Tracts of this reign; we read, That "he [Huddleston] being called into the kings bed-chamber, the king declared, that he desired to die in the faith and communion of the holy Roman catholic church: that he was most heartily sorry for all the sins of his past life; and, particularly, for that he had deferred his reconciliation so long: that through the merits of Christ's passion, he hoped for salvation: that he was in charity with all the world: that with all his heart he pardon'd his enemies; and desired pardon of all those whom he had any wise of fended and that if it pleased God to spare him longer life, he would amend it; detesting all sin. I then advertiz'd his majesty," says the writer, " of the benefit and necessity of the Sacrament of Penance; which advertizement the king most willingly embracing, made an exact confession of his whole life, with exceeding compunction and tenderness of heart: which ended, I desired him in farther sign of repentance and true sorrow for his sins, to say, with me, a little short act of contrition. This he pronounced with a clear and audible voice: which done, and his sacramental penance admitted, I gave him absolution. After some time thus spent, I asked his majesty, if he did not also desire to have the other sacraments of the holy church administered unto him? He reply'd, By all means: I de

successor, and attested by him to be found

sire to be a partaker of all the helps and succours ne-, cessary and expedient for a catholic christian in my condition. I added, And doth not your majesty also desire to receive the pretious body and blood of our dear Saviour, Jesus Christ, in the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist? his answer was this: If I am worthy, pray fail not to let me have it. I then told him, it would be brought to him very speedily, and desired his majesty, that in the interim he would give me leave to proceed to the sacrament of Extream Unction; he reply'd, With all my heart. I then anoyled him; which as soon as performed, I was called to the door, whither the blessed sacrament was now brought and delivered to me. Then returning to the king, I entreated his majesty, that he would prepare and dispose himself to receive. At which the king, raising up himself, said, Let me meet my heavenly Lord in a better posture than in my bed. But I humbly begg'd his majesty to repose himself. God Almighty, who saw his heart, would accept of his good intention. The king then having recited the forementioned act of contrition with me, he receiv'd the most holy sacrament for his viaticum "." &c. &c.

a

This account is confirmed by a letter from J. Aprice, Romish priest, to Mr. William Lynwood, in Deane, Northamptonshire, dated, Feb. 16, 1685" That God," says he, "who preserved our late king, of blessed memory, by so many wonderful miracles, all his lifetime, did also at his death call him to his mercy, by making him to be reconciled to his holy church; which he did in this manner: The day he fell ill, which was

* State Tracts, vol. II. p. 28.

in Charles's strong box, and in his closet,

the Monday, he was no sooner recovered of his fit, but his trusty loving brother, our now most gracious sovereign, fearing a relapse, put him in mind of his soul; which advice he immediately embraced, and desired no time might be lost in the execution of it. Where upon Mr. Huddleston was commanded to attend incessantly thereabouts. But the great affairs of the nation coming perpetually before them, time could not possibly be found till Thursday. But the king, finding his natural strength decay, commanded, of his own accord, all to retire out of the room; telling them that he had something to communicate to his brother. Then Mr. Huddleston being brought in, that great work was done, and with that exactness, that there was nothing omitted either necessary or decent; and, as Mr. Huddleston himself has told me, by a particular instance of God's grace, the king was as ready and apt in making his confession, and all other things, as if he had been brought up a catholick all his life-time: and from that moment till eight of the clock the next day, at which time his speech left him, he was heard to say little but begging Almighty God's pardon for all offences, and the like: so that we may joyfully say, God have mercy of his soul, and make him eternally participant of his kingdom of heaven 2.”—There, probably, was no occasion for God's grace to make "the king ready and apt in making his confession, and all other things." Use and custom had rendered them habitual; and the ease he had found in them, amidst all his crimes, rendered him, we may well suppose, desirous, at this time, of performing them; that he might have the mighty

*See Appendix.

and written in his own hand. These,

comfort of sacerdotal prayers and absolution, and, thereby a right to the kingdom of heaven.-O Superstition! thou subduer of the old, and young; of the ignorant, and men of understanding; how great is thy power, how amazing thy empire, over the minds of men! Who could have thought that a prince, so abandoned as Charles; so sensible, and penetrating; so ca pable of seeing the ridicule of nonsense and absurdity, and exposing them to standers-by: who could think that this man, who had consented to law which incapacitated all persons, who should affirm that he was a papist, from bearing office; and had even permitted persons to be punished very severely, for professing that mode of belief: who, I say, could think that this very man should be under its influence; and imagine, the wise and good God would be moved by tricks and fooleries, to forgive such as never strived to resemble him! But he loved not truth, or virtue. By vice, his understanding was darkened: and he had long lost the only sure guard against delusion, honesty and integrity.

Copies of two letters, found in the king's strong box, written in his own hand.] The first paper:

"The discourse we had the other day, I hoped, satisfred you, in the main, that Christ can have but one church here upon earth; and I believe, that it is as visible as that the scripture is in print, that none can be that church, but that which is called the Roman catholick church. I think you need not trouble yourself with entering into that ocean of particular disputes, when the main, and, in truth, the only question is, where that church is which we profess to believe in the

a Stat. 13 Car. II. c. 1.

as they may be a curiosity to many of my

two creeds? We declare there, to believe one catholic and apostolical church; and it is not left to every phantastical mans head to believe as he pleases, but to the church, to whom Christ hath left the power upon earth to govern us in matters of faith, who made these creeds for our directions. It were a very irrational thing to make laws for a country, and leave it to the inhabitants to be the interpreters and judges of those laws: for then every man will be his own judge, and, by consequence, no such thing as either right or wrong. Can we therefore suppose, that God Almighty would leave us at those uncertainties, as to give us a rule to go by, and leave every man to be his own judge? I do ask any ingenuous man, whether it be not the same thing to follow our own phancy, or to interpret the scripture by it? I would have any man shew me, where the power of deciding matters of faith is given to every particular man. Christ left his power to his church, even to forgive sins in heaven; and left his spirit with them, which they exercised after his resurrection: first, by his apostles, in these creeds; and, many years after, by the council of Nice, where that creed was made that is called by that name; and by the power which they had received from Christ, they were the judges even of the scripture itself many years after the apostles, which books were canonical and which were not. And if they had this power then, I desire to know, how they came to lose it, and by what authority men separate themselves from that church? The only pretence I ever heard of was, because the church had failed in wresting and interpreting the scripture contrary to the true sense and meaning of it, and that they have imposed articles of faith upon us which are not to be