A67922:1357
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.
Hast thou prepared a terrible rack (O cruel tyrant, O devouring Lion) for the Martyrs bed:1 the Lord shall make that bed soft and sweet unto him. Rackest thou his bones and joints all a sunder, His bones, his joints, his hairs are all numbered. Tormentest thou his flesh with mortal wounds: the Lord shall pour abundantly into all his sores of his oil of gladness. Thy scraping combs, thy sharp fleshookes, thine hot searing irons, thy parched salt, thy stinking prison, thy cutting shells, thy pinching stocks shall turn to this patient Martyr to the best. Altogether shall work contrary to thine expectation, great plenty of joy shall he reap into the barn of his soul, out of this mighty harvest of pains that thou hast brought him into. Yea thou shalt prove him Vincentius indeed: that is, a vanquisher, a triumpher, a conqueror subduing thy madness, by his meekness, thy tyranny by his patience, thy manifold means of tortures, by the manifold graces of God, wherewith he is plentifully enriched.
Hast thou prepared a terrible racke (O cruell tyraunt, O deuouring Lion) for the Martirs bed:1 the Lorde shall make that bed softe and sweete vnto him. Rackest thou his bones and ioyntes al a sunder, His bones, his ioints, his heares are al numbred. Tormentest thou his flesh with mortal wounds: the Lord shal poure abūdantly into al his sores of his oyle of gladnes. Thy scraping combes, thy sharpe fleshookes, thine whote searing yrons, thy parched salte, thy stincking prison, thy cutting shelles, thy pinching stockes shal turne to this patient Martyr to the best. Altogether shall worke contrary to thine expectation, great plenty of ioy shall hee reap into the barne of his soule, out of this mighty haruest of paines that thou hast brought him into. Yea thou shalte proue him Vincentius indede: that is, a vanquisher, a tryumpher, a conqueror subduing thy madnes, by his mekenes, thy tiranny by his pat•ence, thy manifold meanes of tortures, by the manifold graces of God, wherewith he is plentifully enriched.
- 1The comfort of the Lord upon his Saints.The comfort of the Lord vppon hys Sainctes.