A67922:1289
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 governors therefore of every province, supposing this to be the determinate pleasure (and not feigned) of the Emperor,1 did first advertise thereof, the rustical & Pagan multitude: After that they released and set at liberty all such prisoners as were condemned to the metal mines, & to perpetual imprisonment for their faith, thinking thereby (where in deed they were deceived) that the doing thereof would well please the Emperor. This therefore seemed to them as unlooked for, and as light to travellers in a dark night.2 They gather themselves together in every City, they call their Synods and counsels, & much marvel at the sodden change and alteration. The Infidels themselves extol the only and true God of the christians. The Christians receive again all their former liberty, and such as fell away before in the time of persecution, repent themselves and after penance done, they returned again to the congregation. Now the Christians rejoiced in every City, praying God with hymns and Psalms.3 Eusebius ibidem. This was a marvellous sudden alteration of the Church, from a most unhappy state into a better, but scarce suffered Maximinus the Tyrant the same vj. months unviolated to continue. For whatsoever seemed to make for the subversion of the same peace (yet scarcely hatched) that did he only meditate. And first of all he took from the Christians all liberty and leave for them to assemble and congregate in churchyards under a certain colour. After that he sent certain Miscreants unto the Athenians, to solicit them against the Christians, and to provoke them to ask of him as a recompense and great reward, that he would not suffer any Christian to inhabit in their country: and amongest them was one Theotechnus, a most wicked miscreant, an enchanter, and a most deadly enemy against the Christians. He first made the way whereby the Christians were put out of credit, and accused to the Emperor, to which fraud also he erected a certain Idol of Jupiter to be worshipped of the enchanters and conjurers,4 and mingled the same worship with ceremonies, full of deceivable witchcraft. Lastly, he caused the same Idol to give this sound out of his ⟨p. 83⟩