A67922:2661
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.
Peter of a fisher was made a prince of the church: who for his blood being shed for the name of Christ, deserved to have in heaven a crown, and in earth name & renown: would to God we could do the like. We be the successors of Peter, and not of Kings and Emperors. And where ye seem to charge me (by insinuation) with the blot of ingratitude. This I answer: there is no offence capital or infamous, unless it proceed from the heart and intention. As if a man commit a murder unwillingly (although he be called a murderer) yet he is not thereby punishable: And so, although I owe my duty & service with reverence to my king: yet if I have forborne him as my Lord, if I have warned him, and talked with him fatherly and gently as with a son, and in talking with him could not be heard: If therefore (I say) being enforced thereunto, and against my will, do exercise upon him the censure of due severity: in so doing (I suppose) I make rather with him, then against him, and rather deserve at his hand thank for my correction, then note or suspicion of unkindness or punishment for the fact. Sometimes a man against his will receiveth a benefit: as when necessity causeth a man to be restrained from doing that which he ought not: he that doth so restrain him (though he stop him) doeth not hurt him, but rather profiteth him for his souls health.1 An other thing that defendeth us from ingratitude, is our father & patron Christ. Which, in that he is our father (to whom we as children owe obedience) then are we bound as children by necessity to obey his commandment, in warning the evil doer: in correcting the disobedient: and in bridling the obstinate: which if we do not, we run into danger to have his blood required at our hands. Ye set forth likewise and show, what loss we thereby may sustain of our temporalties. But ye speak no word of the loss of our souls. Moreover, as concerning the departure of the king from the homage of the Church of Rome (which in your letters ye seem to pretend, or rather threaten) God forbid I say, that the devotion or faith of our king should ever swerve away from the obedience and reverence of the church of Rome, for any temporal commodity or incommodity: which thing to do is very damnable in any private subject, much more in the prince which draweth many other with him:
Peter of a fisher was made a prince of the church: who for his bloud being shedde for the name of Christ, deserued to haue in heauen a crowne, and in earth name & renowne: would to God we could do the like. We be the successors of Peter, and not of Kings and Emperors. And where ye seeme to charge me (by insinuation) wyth the blot of ingratitude. This I answere: there is no offence capitall or infamous, vnlesse it proceede from the heart and intention. As if a man commit a murther vnwillingly (although he be called a murtherer) yet he is not thereby punishable: And so, although I owe my duetie & seruice with reuerence to my king: yet if I haue forborne him as my Lorde, if I haue warned him, and talked with him fatherly and gently as with a sonne, and in talking with him could not be heard: If therefore (I say) being enforced thereunto, and against my wil, doe exercise vpon him the censure of due seueritie: in so doing (I suppose) I make rather with him, then against him, and rather deserue at his hande thanke for my correction, then note or suspicion of vnkindnesse or punishment for the fact. Sometimes a man against his will receiueth a benefite: as when necessitie causeth a mā to be restrained from doing that which he ought not: he that doth so restrain him (though he stop him) doeth not hurt him, but rather profiteth him for hys soules health.