A67922:2530
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.
In England were seen in the firmament two suns,1 or as it is in Chronica Chronicorum, in Italy appeared three suns by the space of iii. hours in the West, and the year following, appeared iii. moons, whereof the middle moon had a red cross overthwart the face. Whereby was tokened (by the judgement of some) the great schism, that after fell among the Cardinals for the election of the Bishop of Rome:2 or else rather the business between Fridericus the Emperor and the Popes, whereof partly now incidentally occasion giveth us to discourse. After that I have first written of Gerhardus and Dulcinus Navarensis, who in their time according to their gift, did earnestly labour & preach against the church of Rome, defending and maintaining, that prayer was not more holy in one place then in an other, that the Pope was Antichrist, that the Clergy & prelates of Rome were reject, and the very whore of Babylon prefigured in the Apocalypse, &c. Peradventure these had received some light of knowledge of the Waldenses. Who at length with a great number of their followers were oppressed and slain by the Pope. And although some inconvenient points of doctrine and dishonesty in their assemblies be against them alleged of some,3 yet these times of ours do teach us sufficiently, what credit is to be given to such popish slanders, forged rather upon hatred of true religion, then upon any judgement of truth. Illyricus in his book De testibus referreth the time of these two, to the year of our Lord, 1280. but as I find in the story of Robert Guisburn: these ii. about the year of our Lord, 1158. brought 30. with them into England,4 who by the king and the Prelates, were all burnt in the forehead, and so driven out of the Realm, and after (as Illyricus writeth) were slain by the Pope.
In England were seene in the firmament two sunnes,1 or as it is in Chronica Chronicorum, in Italy appeared thre sunnes by the space of iii. houres in the West, and the yere following, appeared iii. moones, wherof the middle moone had a red crosse ouertwart the face. Whereby was tokened (by the iudgement of some) the great schisme, that after fell among the Cardinals for the election of the Bishop of Rome: