A67922:1007
Acts and monuments of matters most special and memorable, happening in the Church. [vol.…Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol.…
Acts and monuments of matters most special and memorable, happening in the Church. [vol. 1] with an universal history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitive age to these latter times of ours, with the bloody times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions against the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperors, as now lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realm of England and Scotland. Newly revised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time again published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the help of Christ our Lord) John Fox, which desireth thee good reader to help him with thy prayer.Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.
London: printed by John Daye, 1583London: printed by Iohn Daye, 1583
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
These things being thus briefly recited touching such holy martyrs, as hitherto have suffered, now remaineth that we return again to the order of the Romaine Bishops such as followed next after Alexander, 1at whom we left, whose successor next was Xistus or Sixtus, the sixth Bishop counted after Peter, and governed that ministry the space of x years as Damascus & other do write. Urspergensis maketh mention but of ix. years. Platina recordeth that he died a Martyr, and was buried at Vatican. But Eusebius speaking of his decease, maketh no word mention of any Martyrdom. In the 2. tome of the Councils certain Epistles be attributed to him, whereof Eusebius Damasus, Hierome, and other old authors, as they make no relation, so seem they to have no intelligence nor knowledge of any such matter. In these counterfeit epistles, & in Platina appeareth ye Xistus was the first author of these ordinances.2 First that the holy mysteries and holy vessels should be touched, but only of persons holy and consecrated, especially of no woman, Item that the corporas cloth should be made of no other cloth, but of fine linen. Item that bishops such as were called up to the Apostolic sea, returning home again,3 should not be received at their return, unless they brought with them letters from the bishop of Rome, saluting the people. Item, at the celebration he ordained to be song this verse, Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Where moreover is to be noted, that the said Platina, in the life of this Xistus, doeth testify that Peter ministered the celebration of the communion only with the Lords prayer. These trifling ordinances of Xistus, who is so rude that seeth not or may not easily conjecture to be falsely fathered of Xistus, 4or of any father of that time, first by the uniform rudeness and stile of all those decretal letters, nothing savouring of that age, but rather of the later dunsticall times that followed. Also by the matter and argument in those letters contained, nothing agreeing with the state of those troublesome days. Neither again is it to be supposed that any such recourse of bishops was then to the Apostolical sea of Rome, that it was not lawful to return without their letters: