A67922:1970
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.
After the kings mind was thus persuaded and incited by these bishops to advance Monkery, then Oswaldus bishop of Worcester, & also made Archbishop of York, after the decease of Oskitellus, 1sui […] compos effectus (as Hoveden writeth) having his sea in the cathedral Church there of S. Peter, began first with fair persuasions to assay the minds of the Canons and priests, whether they could be content to change their profession, and to be made monks, or no: which when he saw it would not take effect, he practised this policy with them. Near to the said Church of S. Peter, within the churchyard he erected an other Church of our Lady, which when he had replenished with Monks, there he continually frequented, there he kept, there he sat, and was ever there conversant.2 By reason whereof, the other church was left naked and desolate, and all the people gathered there where the bishop was.3 The priests seeing themselves so to be left and neglected both of the Bishop and of the people, to whom nothing remained but shame and contempt, were driven of shame either to relinquish the house (such as would not enter the Monkish profession) or else to become monks, such as had nothing else to stay upon. After the like superstition (although not after the same subtlety) did Ethelwold also drive out the Canons and priests from the new Monastery in Winchester, afterward called Hida,4 and placed his monks. So in Oxford and in Mildune, with divers other places moe: the secular Priests with their wives were expelled to give place to Monks. The cause whereof is thus pretended in certain story writers, whom I see also Fabian to follow, for that the priests and Clerks were thought slack and negligent in their Church service, and set in Vicars in their stead, while they lived in pleasure, and misspent the patrimony of the Church after their own lust. Then king Edgar gave to the Vicars the same land which before belonged to the Prebendaries, who also not long after showed themselves as negligent as the other.5 Wherefore king Edgar (as mine authors write) by the consent of Pope