A67922:1066
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 sixth Persecution.
*The sixt Persecution.
1After the death of Alexander the Emperor, who with his mother Mammea (as is said) was murdered in Germany followed Maximinus, chosen by the will of the soldiers, rather then by the authority of the Senate, about the year of our Lord, 237. who for the hatred he had to the house of Alexander (as Eusebius recordeth) raised up the vi. persecution against the Christians:2 especially against the teachers and leaders of the Church, thinking thereby the sooner to vanquish the rest, if the captains of them were removed out of the way. Whereby I suppose rather the Martyrdom of Urbanus the bishop, and of the rest above specified,3 to have happened under the tyranny of this Maximinus then under Alexander. In the time of this persecution, Origene wrote his book De Martyrio: which book if it were extant would give us some knowledge, I doubt not, of such as in this persecution did suffer, which now lye in silence unknown. And no doubt but a great number they were, & moe should have been, had not the provident mercy of God shortened his days, & bridled his tyranny, for he reigned but three years. After whom succeeded Gordianus an 240. a man no less studious for the utility of the common wealth,4 as mild and gentle to the christians. This Gordian after he had governed with much peace and tranquility the Monarchy of Rome the space of vj.