A67922:1022
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.
The number of them that suffered in this persecution, by the report of the Ecclesiastical story was innumerable.1 Of whom the first was Leonides, the father of Origene, who was beheaded: with whom also Origene his son, being of the age then of xvij. years, should have suffered (such a fervent desire he had to be Martyred for Christ) had not his mother privily in the night season conveyed away his clothes & his shirt.2 Whereupon more for shame to be seen, then for fear to die, he was constrained to remain at home: and when he could do nothing else, yet he writing to his father a letter with these words: Cave tibi, ne quid propter nos aliud quam martyrij constanter faciendi propostum cogites, that is, Take heed to your self, that you turn not your thought and purpose for our sake,3 &c. Such a fervency had this Origene being yet young, to the doctrine of Christs faith, by the operation of Gods heavenly providence, and partly also by the diligent education of his Father, who brought him up from his youth most studiously in all good literature, but especially in the reading & exercise of holy scripture, wherein he had such inward & mystical speculation, that many times he would move questions to his father, of the meaning of this place, or that place in the scripture. Insomuch that his father divers times would uncover his breast being a sleep,4 & kiss it, giving thanks to God which had made him so happy a father of such a happy child. After the death of his father, and all his goods confiscated to the Emperor, he with his poor mother, and six brethren, being brought to such extreme poverty, did sustain both himself and them by teaching a school. Till at length being weary of that profession, he transferred his study only to the knowledge and seeking of divine Scripture, & such other learning conducible to the same. So much he profited both in the Hebrew and other tongues, that he conferred y• Hebrew text with the translation of the lxx. And moreover did confer and find out the other translations which we call the common translation of Aquila, of Symmachus, and Theodotion. Also he adjoined to these aforesaid other four translations, whereof more is in the story of Eusebius expressed.