A67922:1427
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.
And so have ye the just years, days, times, & months of these foresaid persecutions under the beast, neither shorter nor longer, reckoning from the death of John Baptist under Herod the Roman king to the end of Maxentius, and of Licinius, ij. last great persecutors, the one in the West the other in the East, who were both vanquished by godly Constantinus. And so peace was given to the Church, albeit not in such ample wise, but that divers tumults and troubles afterward ensued, but they lasted not long: & the chief brunt, to speak of these Roman persecutions, which the holy ghost especially considered above all other, in this his Revelation thus ended, in the time of this Constantinus. Then was the great Dragon the devil, to wit, the fierce rage & power of his malicious persecuting, tied short for a thousand years after this, so that he could not prevail in any such sort, but that the power and glory of the gospel by little and little increasing and spreading with great joy and liberty, so prevailed that at length it got the upper hand, & replenished the whole earth,1 rightly verifying therein, the water of Ezekiel, which issuing out of the right side of the altar, the farther it ran, the deeper it grew, till at length it replenished the whole Ocean Sea, & healed all the fishes therein. No otherwise the course of the Gospel proceeding of small & hard beginnings kept still his stream, the more it was stopped, the swifter it ran: by blood it seeded, by death it quickened: by cutting it multiplied, through violence it sprung, till at last out of thraldom and oppression it burst forth into perfect liberty, & flourished in all prosperity, had it so been, that the christians wisely & moderately could have used this rest & liberty, & not abused the same, forgetting their former estate to their own pride, pomp & worldly ease, as it came afterward to pass, whereof more is to be seen & said (the Lord willing) in place & time convenient.
And so haue ye the iust yeares, dayes, times, & months of these foresaid persecutions vnder the beast, neither shorter nor longer, reckoning from the death of Iohn Baptist vnder Herode the Romain king to the ende of Maxentius, and of Licinius, ij. last great persecutors, the one in the West the other in the East, who were both vanquished by godly Constantinus. And so peace was geuen to the Church, albeit not in such ample wise, but that diuers tumultes and troubles afterward ensued, but they lasted not long: & the chief brunt, to speake of these Romain persecutions, which the holy ghost especially considered aboue all other, in this his Reuelatiō thus ended, in the time of this Constantinus. Then was the great Dragon the deuill, to witte, the fierce rage & power of his malicious persecuting, tied short for a thousand yeres after this, so that he could not preuaile in any such sort, but that the power and glory of the gospel by little and litle encreasing and spreading with great ioy and libertie, so preuailed that at length it got the vpperhand, & replenished the whole earth,