A67922:1138
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.
Upon the occasion of these and such other,1 which were a great number, that fell and did renounce, as is aforesaid, in this persecution of Decius, rose up first the quarrel & heresy of Novatus, who in these days made a great disturbance in the church, holding this opinion, that they which once renounced the faith, and for fear of torments had offered incense to the idols, although they repented therefore, yet could not afterward be reconciled, nor admitted to the Church of Christ. This Novatus being first Priest under Cyprian at Carthage, afterward by stirring up discord and factions, began to disturb the Bishopric of Cyprian, to appoint there a Deacon called Felicissimus, against the bishops mind or knowledge, also to allure and separate certain of the brethren from the Bishop, all which Cyprian, Lib. 2. Epist. 8. doth well declare. After this the said Novatus going to Rome, kept there the like stir with Cornelius (as the same Cornelius in Eusebius, 2Lib. 6. cap. 43. doth testify) setting himself up as Bishop of Rome against Cornelius, which was the lawful Bishop of Rome before. The which to bring to pass, he used this practise: first he had allured to him to be his adherents, three or four of good men and holy confessors, which had suffered before great torments for their confession, whose names were Maximus, Urbanus, Sydonius, and Celerinus. After this he enticed three simple bishops about the coasts of Italy to repair ⟨p. 65⟩to Rome, under pretence to make an end of certain controversies then in hand. This done, he caused the same, whether by making them drunk, or by other crafty counsel, to lay their hands upon him, and to make him Bishop, & so did. Wherefore the one of those three Bishops hardly was received to the communion, by the great intercession of his people: the other two by discipline of the church, were displaced from their Bishoprics, & other possessed with their rooms.3 Thus then were there two Bishops together in one church of Rome, Novatus and Cornelius, which was unseemly, & contrary to the discipline of the Church. And hereupon riseth the true cause and meaning of S. Cyprian, writing in his Epistles so much of one Bishop, and of the unity to be kept in Ecclesiastical regiment, as appeareth, Lib. 4. Epist. 2. De simplicit. praelat. item. Lib. 3. Epist. 11. &c.