A67922:1697
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.
¶By this monkish letter above prefixed,1 void of all Scripture, of all probation & truth of history, thou mayest note gentle Reader: how this vain tradition of shaven crowns hath come up, & upon how light and trifling occasion: which in very deed was none other but the dreaming phantasies of Monks of that time, falsely grounding upon the example of Peter: when by no old monument of any ancient record they can ever prove, either Peter or Simon Magus to have been shaven. Moreover in the said letter also is to be noted, how the Scottish Clergy at that season, did wear no such Priestly crowns, as our English Churchmen then did.
¶By this monkish letter aboue prefixed,1 voide of all Scripture, of all probation & truth of history, thou maiest note gentle Reader: howe this vaine tradition of shauen crownes hath come vp, & vpon how light and trifling occasion: which in very deede was none other but the dreaming phantasies of Monkes of that time, falsely grounding vpon the example of Peter: when by no olde monument of any aūtient record they can euer proue, either Peter or Symon Magus to haue bene shauen. Moreouer in the said leter also is to be noted, how the Scottish Clergy at that season, did weare no such Priestly crownes, as our English Churchmen then did.
- 1A note to admonish the reader.
But to cut of this matter of shaving,1 more worthy to be laughed at than to be storied, let us now again return where as we left at king Ive, of whom W. Malmesbury, and Fabian in his chronicle do record that when the foresaid Ive had ruled the west saxons by the term of 37. years, by the importunate persuasion, and subtle policy of his wife Ethelburga, was allured to go to Rome, & there to be made a Monk. Which Ethelburga, after she had a long time laboured