A67922:1242
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 x. Persecution.
BY reason whereof (the wrath of God being kindled against his church) ensued the tenth and last persecution against the christians,1 so horrible and grievous, that maketh the pen almost to tremble to writ upon it, so tedious that never was any persecution before or since comparable to it for the time it continued, lasting the space of ten years together. This persecution although it passed through the hands of divers tyrants and workers moe then one or two, yet principally it beareth the name of Diocletian who was Emperor as is above noted,2 next after Carus & Numerianus. This Diocletian ever having an ambitious mind, aspired greatly to be Emperor. To whom Druas his Concubine said,3 that first he should kill a wild Boor before he should be Emperor. He taking effect at these words, used much with hands to kill wild Boors: but seeing no success to come thereof, used this proverb: Ego Apros occido, alius pulpamento fruitur, that is, I kill the Boors, but other do eat the flesh. At length the said Diocletian being nominate to be Emperor,4 and seeing Aper (who had killed Numerianus the Emperor) standing thereby sware, to the soldiers that Numerianus, was wrongfully killed, and forthwith running upon Aper with his sword,5 slew him. Vopisc. After this he being stablished in the Empire, and seeing on every side divers and sundry commotions rising up against him, which he was not well able himself to sustain, in the first beginning of his reign he chooseth for his Colleague Maximianus surnamed Herculius,