A67922:1974
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 yet the said Monks of the old time,1 though they were better then the other which followed them: yet all that notwithstanding, superstition with them and among them began then to creep into the church, through the crafty subtlety of Satan, and all for the ignorance of our free justification by faith in Jesus Christ. Examples do declare the vain and prodigious superstition of these Monastical sort of men, which examples do not lack: if […] rather did not lack to bring them in. But ij. or iij. shall suffice for many, which I purpose (the Lord willing) here to insert: to the intent the mind of the godly reader may the better consider and understand,2 how shortly after the time of Christ and his Apostles, the doctrine of christian justification began to be forgotten, true religion turned to superstition, & the price of Christs passion to be obscured through the vain opinion of mens merits,3 &c. A certain Abbot named Moses thus testifieth of himself in the Collations of Cassianus, that he so afflicted himself with much fasting and watching, that sometimes for ij. or iij. days together, ⟨p. 154⟩not only he felt no appetite to eat, but also had no remembrance of any meat at all, and by reason thereof was driven also from sleep. In so much, that he was caused to pray to God, but for a little refreshing of sleep to be given him some piece of the night. In the same author, mention is made of a certain old man an Hermite, who because he had conceived in himself such a purpose never to eat meat without he had some guest or stranger with him, sometime was constrained to abstain v. days together until Sunday, while he came to the Church and there brought some stranger or other home with him.
And yet the said Monkes of the old tyme,1 though they were better then the other which folowed them: yet al that notwithstanding, superstitiō with them and among them begā then to creepe into the church, through the crafty subtilty of Sachan, and all for the ignorance of our free iustification by faith in Iesus Christ. Examples do declare the vaine and prodigious superstitiō of these Monasticall sort of men, which examples do not lacke: if rather did not lacke to bring them in. But ij. or iij. shal suffice for many, which I purpose (the Lord willing) here to insert: to the intent the mind of the godly reader may the better consider and vnderstand,