A67922:633
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.
Ergo, the Bishop and head of that church is chief and head over all other bishops, & head of all other churches.
Ergo, the Bishop and head of that church is chiefe and head ouer all other bishops, & head of all other churches.
But this consequent is to be denied, for that the excellency of the church or place doth not always argue the excellency of the minister or bishop,1 nor yet necessarily doth cause the same. For in matters of the church which are spiritual, all preeminence standeth upon spiritual & inward gifts,2 (spiritualia enim spiritualibus comparantur) as faith, piety, learning and godly knowledge, zeal and fervency in the holy ghost, unity of doctrine, &c. which gifts many times may excel in a church, where the minister or bishop is inferior to bishops or ministers of other churches. As the most famous school in a realm hath not alway the most famous schoolmaster, neither doth make him thereby most excellent in learning above of all other: So if our adversaries do mean by this preeminence of the church of Rome, such inward gifts of doctrine, faith, unity and peace of religion: then say I, the excellency hereof doth not infer or argue the excellency of the Bishop. And thus concerning the principality of the Church of Rome, commended at that time of the Doctors, it may be true, & so well expounded one way. And thus do I grant the antecedent of this argument, and deny the consequent. But here will our adversaries peradventure reply again and say,3 that the principality of the church of Rome which is commended by the Doctors, is not meant here so much by inward gifts and induments belonging to a christian church, as by outward authority and domination over other churches, whereto is to be answered. First, what necessity is there, or where did our Papists learn, to bring into the spiritual church of Christ, this outward form of civil regiment and policy? that as the Romaine Emperors in time past governed over all the world,