A67922:114
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.
Thirdly, where the said beast had power to make 42. months and to fight against the Saints, and to overcome them, &c. thereby most manifestly is declared the Empire of Rome, with the heathen persecuting Emperors, which had power given the space of so many months, (that is, from Tiberius to Licinius. 294. years) to persecute Christs Church as in the Table of the primitive Church hereafter following is discoursed more at large.
Thirdly, where the sayd beast had power to make 42. monthes and to fight against the Saintes, and to ouercome them, &c. therby most manifestly is declared the Empyre of Rome, with the heathen persecuting Emperours, whiche had power geuē the space of so many monthes, (that is, from Tiberius to Licinius. 294. yeares) to persecute Christs Church as in the Table of the primitiue Church hereafter following is discoursed more at large.
Fourthly, where the prophet speaketh of the one of the heads of the beast to be wounded to the death, & the wound afterward to be cured again, by that ye have to understand the decay and subversion of the City of Rome & of Italy, which being one of the heads of the Roman Monarchy, was subdued by the Goats, Vandals, & Lombards, and the City of Rome, thrice sacked and taken between the reign of Honorius Emperor of Rome, and the time of Justinian Emperor of Constantinople, & so remained this head of Rome wounded a long time under the dominion of the Lombards, till at length this wound was cured again, as the sequel of this prophecy declareth: For so it followeth in the foresaid chap. of the Revelation: And after this I saw (saith he) an other beast rising out of the land, having two horns like the lamb, and spake like the Dragon. Who practi•ed all the power of the first beast before his face, and caused all the inhabitants of the earth to worship the first beast whose head was wounded and cured again &c. And to him it was given to give life to the Image of the beast, and to make it speak: and also to make all them that will not worship the image of the beast, to be slain, and caused all from the most to the least, both rich and poor, free men and bondmen, to take the mark of the beast in their right hand and in their foreheads, so that none should buy and sell unless he had the beasts mark about him &c.