A67922:6575
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.
A fruitful and Christian exhortation of the Bohemians to kings and princes, to stir them up to the zeal of the Gospel. 1The almighty God the father, by his well beloved son Jesus Christ, may in his holy spirit open the understanding both of you and of all Christians, & lighten your hearts with the light of his doctrine of righteousness, and may make you to continue therein, surely established to the end. This we desire of you for your salvation, all ye honourable, wise, & honest noble men, & all the Commonalty, ye rich and poor, hear and consider with diligent heed, the words of this present letter, which is sent unto you from the Country of the Bohemians. It is manifest and well known to you and many other cities,2 Kings, princes, and Lords, that now a certain number of years, there hath ben great discord betwixt us and you, and there have been some which have moved you by letters, and provoked you to make war against us, and to destroy us. And as well on your part as on ours: many men, as well noble as unnoble, have foolishly lost their lives. Yet never hitherto have ye in any part understood our faith by our own confession, neither whether we be able to prove the same out of the scriptures, yea or no: and yet in the mean time, kings, Princes, Lords, and Cities, have sustained great damage. And hereof we greatly marvel, that ye do so much trust and believe the pope and his priests, which give you drink full of poison, and such comfort as no man can understand,3 in that they say that they will give you forgiveness of all your sins, and great grace & pardon, to this end, that you should war upon us & destroy us: whereas their graces and pardons are none other then great lies, and a great seducing of the body and soul of all them that believe them: and put their trust in them. This we would prove unto them,4 & overcome them by the holy scripture, and we would suffer: that whosoever is desirous to hear the same, should hear it. For the Pope and all his priests, herein deal with you as the devil would have done with our Lord Jesus Christ. Of whom Luke writeth in his 4. chap. that be brought him upon an high hill, & showed unto him in the twinkling of an eye, all the kingdoms that are in the compass of the earth, & said unto him: I will give thee &c.