A67922:1417
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.
Of the lamentable story or rather Tragedy of Marcus Arethusius, their Bishop, thus writeth the said Sozomenus, and also Theodoretus in his third book, in these words as follow.
Of the lamentable story or rather Tragedy of Marcus Arethusius, their Byshop, thus writeth the said Sozomenus, and also Theodoretus in his third booke, in these words as followe.
This Tragedy (saith he) of Marcus Arethusius, 1doth require the eloquence and worthiness of Aeschylus, and Sophocles, which may, as the matter deserveth, set forth, and beautify his great afflictions. This man at the commandment of Constantinus, pulled down a certain temple dedicated to Idols, and in the stead thereof built up a church where the Christians might congregate. The Arthusians remembering the little good will that Julianus bare unto him ⟨p. 100⟩accused him as a traitor and enemy to him. At the first, according as the scripture teacheth he prepared him self to flee. But when he perceived that there were certain of his kinsmen or friends apprehended in his steed,2 returning again of his own accord he offered himself to those that thirsted for his blood. whom when they had gotten as men neither pitying his old age & worn years, nor abashed at his virtuous conversation, being a man so adorned both with doctrine & manners, first stripped him naked, & pitifully beat him, then within a while after, they cast him into a foul filthy sink, & from thence being brought, they caused boys to thrust him in with sharpened sticks, made for the nonce to provoke his pain the more.3 Lastly, they put him into a basket, and being anointed with honey, & broth, they hung him abroad in the heat of the sun as meat for wasps and flies to feed upon. And all this extremity they showed unto him, for that they would enforce him to do one of these things (that is either to build up-again the temple, which he had destroyed, or else to give so much money as should pay for the building of the same: