A67922:1979
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.
Some Grand•montenses, wearing a coat of mails upon their bare bodies, with a black cloak thereupon: Some Cistercians, who had white rochets on a black coat: Some Celestines, all in blew, both cloak, coal, and cap: Some Charter Monks, wearing haircloth next their bodies:1 Some Flagellants, going barefoot in long white linen shirts, with an open place in the back, where they beat themselves with scourges on the bare skin every day, before the peoples eyes, till the blood ran down: saying that it was revealed to them by an Angel, that in so scourging themselves, within 30. days and 12. hours, they should be made so pure from sin, as they were when they first received baptism: some starred Monks: Some Jesuits, with a white girdle & a russet coal. Briefly, who can reckon up the innumerable sects and disguised orders of their fraternities? Some holding of S. Benet, some of S. Hierome, Some of S. Basil, Some of S. Barnard: Some of S. Bridget: Some of S. Bruno: Some of S. Lewes: as though it were not enough for Christen men to hold of Christ only: so subject were they to servile rules, that no part of Christen liberty remained among them. So drowned and sunk in superstition: that not only they had lost Christs religion, but also almost the sense and nature of men. For where men naturally are and ought to be ruled by the discreet government of reason, in all outward doings, wherein no one rule can serve for all men:2 the circumstance of time, place, person, and business being so sundry and divers. Contrary, among these, not reason but only the knock of a bell, ruled all their doings: their rising, their sleeping, their praying, their eating, their coming in, their going out, their talking, their silence, & altogether like insensible people, either not having reason to rule themselves, or else as persons ungrateful to God, neither enjoining the benefit of reason created in them, nor yet using the grace of Christs liberty, whereunto he redeemed them.
Some Grand•montenses, wearing a coate of mailes vpon theyr bare bodyes, with a black cloake therevpon: Some Cistercianes, who had white rochets on a blacke coate: Some Celestines, all in blew, both cloake, coule, and cap: Some Charter Monkes, wearing hearecloth next their bodyes:1