A67922:1032
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.
Such men of doing and writing, God raiseth up from time to time, as pillars and stays for his poor Church, as he did this Tertullian in these dangerous days of persecution. For when the christians were vexed with wrongs,1 & falsely accused of the Gentiles, Tertullian taking their cause in hand, defendeth them against the persecutors, & against their slanderous accusations: First, that they never minded any stir or rebellion, either against the Empire or Emperors of Rome: forsomuch as the use of Christians was to pray for the state of their Emperors and governors. And where as they were accused falsely to be enemies to all mankind,2 how could that be (saith Tertullian to Scapula) seeing the proper office of the Christians is by their profession to pray for all men, to love their enemies, never requiting evil for evil, when as all other do love but only their friends, and scarcely them? As touching the horrible slander of murdering infants, how can that be true in the Christians (saith he)▪ whose order is to abstain from all blood, & strangled: in so much, that it is not lawful for them to touch the blood of any beast at their tables when they feed? From filthy copulation no sort more free then they: which are and ever hath ben the greatest observers of chastity, of whom, such as may, live in perpetual Virginity all their life, such as cannot, contract matrimony, for avoiding all whoredom and fornication. Neither can it be proved of the christians to worship the sun, which false surmise, Tertullian declareth to rise hereof,3 for that the manner of the Christians was to pray toward the East. Much less was there any of them so mad as to worship an Asses head whereof the occasion being taken only of the Jews, the slander thereof therefore he proveth to be falsely and wrongfully laid to the charge of the Christians.
Such men of doing and writing, God raiseth vp from tyme to tyme, as pillers and stayes for his poore Church, as he did this Tertullian in these dangerous dayes of persecution. For whē the christians were vexed with wrongs,1 & falsly accused of the Gentils, Tertullian taking their cause in hand, defendeth them against the persecutors, & against their slaunderous accusations: First, that they neuer minded any styre or rebellion, either against the Empire or Emperors of Rome: forsomuch as the vse of Christians was to pray for the state of their Emperours and gouernours. And where as they were accused falsly to bee enemies to all mankind,