A67922:2353
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.
What (O unhappy man) what shall you answer to the judge,1 when he shall require an account of his servants whom he putteth in trust seeing you shall be set before him in the midst, and proved a picker of your masters treasure? Wherefore did you not fear the judgement & execution, when as the guiltiness of offence doth require condigne punishment? The Apostle through the holy Ghost did foresee that you and such heretics as you are should spring in the Church, which should call good evil, and evil good: and that should put darkness in place of light, and light in place of darkness, which also should take occasion by the sentences of truth to bring in error:2 When as he did set this before, there is no power but of God: to the intent that he might take away the conjecture of false understanding, for (sayeth he) those powers that be, are ordained of God. Give therefore an ordinary power, and we do not resist, yea we will forthwith do our homage. But I do marvel (if at the least there remain in you any one drop of blood) that you are not ashamed, to call the Lord Henry a king, or to allow him any ordinary place. Is this a seemly order think you to give place to wickedness, and to make a general confusion in mixing good and evil, Gods and mans devises together? Either do you think this good order,3 for man to sin against his own body, as (Oh shameful wickedness) to make his own wife a common harlot, a mischief not heard of at any time since the beginning of the world before now: or do you allow this for good order, when as the Lord saith, defend the widows, especially such as require equity of Justice, and then them to send away most filthily defiled? Mad Orestes doth protest him to be out of his wit that will say these things to be orderly or well done. Until this most miserable time, nature hath ever loved secrecy, but your king given up into a reprobate sense, hath uncovered the privities of nature, who hath not let to lay abroad all shamefastness: we will not speak of other things which cannot be numbered, that is to say, burning of Churches, robberies, firing of houses, manslaughters, murders & such like, the number whereof he knoweth and not we: for let us speak chiefly of those things which most grieve the Church of God. Hearken therefore to true & not feigned things.4