A67922:2147
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.
There be dice, there is dancing, and singing, there is watching to midnight, with crying and shouting. Thus the goods of kings, the alms of princes, yea (and that more is) the price of that precious blood is not esteemed. Have our fathers then spent their treasures for this purpose▪ Hath the kings coffers decayed by taking away many revenues, for this cause? Hath the kings liberality given lands and possessions to Christs Churches for this intent, that Clerks harlots should be decked with the same? that riotous feasts might be dressed? that hounds and hawks and such other toys might be gotten? The soldiers cry out of these things, the people grudge minstrels sing and dance, and yet ye regard it not, ye spare it, ye dissemble it. Where is the sword of Levi, and the zeal of Simeon, which killed the Sichemites, and the Circumcised, which bare the figure of them that defile Christs Church,1 with filthy deeds, because they abused Jacobs daughter as a harlot? Where is Moses spirit which spared not his own kinsfolk that worshipped the head of the Calf? ⟨p. 170⟩Where is Phinehas the priests dagger, which pacified Gods anger by his holy zeal,2 when he killed him that played the harlot with the Midianite? Where is Peters spirit, by whose power covetousness is destroyed, & simonical heresy is condemned? Be earnest ye Priests, be earnest, to follow the ways of the Lord, & the righteousness of our God. It is time to do against them that have broken the law of God.3 I have Constantine's sword, and ye have Peters sword in your hands, let us join right hands, let us couple sword to sword, that the lepers may be cast out of the temples, that the holy place of the Lord may be purged, and the sons of Levy may minister in the temple, who said to his father and mother I know you not, and to his brothers I know not you. Go to diligently I pray you, least we repent to have done that, that we have done, & to have given that, that we give. If we shall see that to be spent not in Gods service, but on the riotousness of wicked men, through vile and corrupt liberty of life for lack of chastisement: let the relics of holy saints which they despise, and the holy altars, before which they play the mad men, move you. Let the great devotion of our ancestors move you, whose alms the madness of the Clerks doeth abuse.