A67922:629
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.
Now followeth the second untruth to be touched in the ⟨p. 21⟩same argument, which is, that because Peter was the head of the church:1 so therefore the Pope must also be the head of the church, and was, albeit he was not called universal bishop a long time. But this we do deny, yea the matter denieth it self, by their own position, for being granted by them, that the title of universal bishop was not received at Rome, but refused to the time of Gregory: then m•st it necessarily be granted, that the Bishops of Rome before S Gregory, had not the charge of the whole church, neither could be admitted by that reason to be heads of the church. For so much as there can be no head, but which is universal to the whole body, neither can any have charge of the whole, but he must needs be universal to all and singular parts of that, whereof he hath the charge. As in sciences, whosoever hath knowledge & cunning in all the seven liberal sciences, & all the parts thereof pertaining to liberal knowledge, is said to be an universal learned man: so in office, to whomsoever the public charge of all Churches doth appertain, how is he not to be called bishop universal?2 Now if before S. Gregory's time the name of universal bishop, was repealed in Rome: how then can the name be refused, & the definition of the name be admitted? Or else let our adversaries tell us how they define an universal Bishop, seeing this word bishop is properly the name of office whereto is annexed charge. Wherefore, if a Bishop be he which hath the charge of all souls in his Diocese committed to him, & must render account for them all: then whose charge extendeth to all & singular churches, & must render account for every christian soul within the whole world, to him can not be denied the name of an universal bishop, having the office of an universal bishop. Or if he be not an universal bishop, he cannot then have the charge of the whole that is, of all and singular churches of Christ. For such is the rule of true definition.3 Cui conuenit definitio, conuenit & definitum, & contra. Cui adimitur definitio, eidem & definitum adimitur. Although this word universal, in the Greek writers, signifieth that, which we in our vulgar English tongue call catholic: