A67922:1266
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.
To conclude, how great the outrage of the persecution which reigned in Alexandria, was, and with how many & sundry kinds of new devised punishments the Martyrs were afflicted:1 Phileas, the bishop of the Thumitanes, a man singularly well learned, hath described in his epistle to the Thumitanes, the copy whereof Eusebius hath in his 8. book & x. chapter, out of the which we mean here briefly to recite somewhat. Because (saith he) every man might torment the holy Martyrs as they listed themselves, 2some beat them with cudgels, some with rods, some with whips, some with thongs, and some with cords, and this example of beating was in sundry wise executed, and with much cruelty. For some of them having their hands bound behind their backs, were lifted up upon timber logs, and with certain instruments their members & joints were stretched forth, whereon their whole bodies hanging, were subject to the will of the tormentors, who were commanded to afflict them with all manner of torments, and not on their sides only (like as homicides were) but upon their bellies, thighs, and legs, they scratched them with the talents and claws of wild beasts. Some other were seen to hang by one hand upon the engine, whereby they might feel the more grievous pulling out of the rest of their joints and members. Some other were such sort bound unto pillars with their faces turned to the wall, having no stay under their feet, and were violently weighed down with the poise of their bodies, that by reason of their straight binding, they being drawn out, might be more grievously tormented. And this suffered they not only during the time of their examination, and while the Sheriff had to do with them, but also the whole day long. And whilst the Judge went thus from one to another, he by his authority appointed certain officers to attend upon ⟨p. 80⟩those he left, and not to be let down until either through the intolerableness of the pain, or by the extremity of cold, they being near the point of death, should be let down: and so were they haled upon the ground. And further they were commanded that they should show not so much as one spark of mercy or compassion upon us, but so extremely and furiously did deal with us, as though our souls and bodies should have died together. 3