A67922:2701
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.
To recite in order all these prodigious revelations and fantastical miracles, falsely imagined and ascribed to this archbishop: were nothing else, but to write a legend of lies, & to occupy the people with tristes. Which, because it pertaineth rather so the idle profession of such dreaming monks and cloisterers, that have nothing else to maintain that religion withal: I will not take their profession out of their hands. Wherefore, to omit all such vain & lying apparitions and miracles, as how this angry saint (3. days after his death) appeared by vision at the altar in his pontificalibus, commanding the query not to sing,1 but to say this office of his mass: Exurge, quare obdormis Domine. &c. Which vision the author himself of the book doth say he did see. To omit also the blasphemous lye, how in other vision the said Archbishop should say: that his blood did cry out of the earth to God,2 more then the blood of just Abel. Item, in an other vision it was showed to a monk of Lewes, how S. Thomas had his place in heaven appointed with the Apostles: above Stephen, Laurence, Vincent, and all the other Martyrs.3 whereof of this cause is rendered, for that •. Stephen. Laurence, and such other, suffered only for their own cause. But this Th. suffered for the universal church. Item, how it was showed to a certain young man (Ormus by name) xij. years before the death of this Becket:4 that among the Apostles & martyrs in heaven, there was a vacant place left, for a certain priest, as he said of England: which was credibly supposed to be this Tho. Becket. Item, how a certain knights son being two days dead, was revived again so soon as he had the water of Canterbury put in his mouth, & had by his parents 4. pieces of silver bended, to be offered in Canterbury in the child's behalf. All these, I say, with such other like, to omit (the number whereof cometh to an infinite variety) only this one story or an other that followeth shall suffice to express the vanity and impudent forgery of all the rest.
To recite in order all these prodigious reuelatiōs and phātasticall miracles, falsely imagined and ascribed to this archbishop: were nothing els, but to write a legend of lies, & to occupy the people with tristes. Which, because it pertaineth rather so ye idle professiō of such dreaming monks and cloysterers, that haue nothing els to maintain that religion withal: I will not take their profession out of theyr hands. Wherfore, to omit all suche vayne & lying apparitions and miracles, as how this angry sainct (3. dayes after his death) appeared by vision at the altar in his pontificalibus, commaunding the quere not to sing,