A67922:58
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.
furthermore how mightily almighty God hath stand against them, how their wars never prospered against the Turk, how the judgements of the godly learned from time to time have ever repugned against their errors▪ &c. of these and a thousand other mo, not one word hath been touched, but all kept as under Benedicite in Auricular confession.
furthermore how mightely almighty God hath stand agaynst them, how their warres neuer prospered agaynst the Turke, how the iudgementes of the godly learned frō time to time haue euer repugned agaynst theyr errours▪ &c. of these and a thousand other mo, not one word hath bene touched, but all kept as vnder Benedicite in Auriculer confession.
This partial dealing and corrupt handling of Histories, when I considered, I thought with my self nothing more lacking in the church, then a full & a complete history, which being faithfully collected out of all our Monastical writers & written Monuments, should contain neither every vain written fable for that would be to much, nor yet leave out any thing necessary, for that would be to little: but with a moderate discretion taking the best of every one, should both ease the labour of the reader from turning over such a number of writers: and also should open the plain truth of times lying long hid in obscure darkness of antiquity. Whereby all studious Readers, beholding as in a glass the state, course, and alteration of Religion, decay of doctrine, and the controversies of the church, might discern the better between antiquity and novelty. For if the things which be first (after the rule of Tertullian) are to be preferred before those that be latter, then is the reading of histories much necessary in the church, to know what went before, and what followed after. And therefore not without cause Historia, 1in old authors is called the witness of times, the light of verity, the life of memory, teacher of life, & shower of antiquity. &c. Without the knowledge whereof mans life is blind, and soon may fall into any kind of error, as by manifest experience we have to see, in these desolate latter times of the Church, when as the Bishops of Rome under colour of antiquity have turned truth into heresy and brought such new found devises of strange doctrine and Religion as in the former age of the church were never heard of before, and all through the ignorance of times, and for lack of true history.