A67922:660
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.
And if our adversaries would needs provoke us to the numbering of testimonies, & dividing the house (speaking of the writers and Counsels of the Primitive age) for these aforesaid testimonies alleged on their side, I could on the contrary part recite out of the witness of Doctors, out of the examples of Councils, & practises of Emperors, no less then 60. voices, much more repugnant against their assertion, then there is for the Pope. The tractation whereof for this present I do refer, either to them that have more leisure at this time to discourse them, or else omit it to an other time, if the good pleasure of the Lord shall be, to grant me further leisure in an other Book to entreat thereof at large, in such order, as (if the Lord so grant) shall appear sufficient matter, to prove by the Doctors, general Councils, examples and histories of time, that the Bishops of Rome during the first 500. years after Christ, although for the greatness of the Empire, were somewhat more magnified then the other, and therefore were sought of many, and were flattered of some, and they themselves divers, did set forth themselves more then they should: yet by the common consent of churches, were stopped of their purpose, so that by the consension of the most part, within the compass of that age the Bishops of Rome had not this regal state of title, jurisdiction, and fullness of power, which now they usurp, but were taken as Archbishops, of equal honour, of equal merit with other Archbishops & rulers of the church. And if any preferment was given unto them some thing above the rest, yet neither was it so given of all, nor of the most part:1 secondly, neither was it so given of them for any such necessity of Gods word, aut jure aliquo divino, as which did so bind them thereunto, nor yet so much for the respect of Peter, & his succession: as for certain other causes and respects, as may be gathered to the number of 13.
And if our aduersaries would needs prouoke vs to the numbring of testimonies, & deuiding the house (speaking of the writers and Counsels of the Primitiue age) for these aforesaid testimonies alleaged on their side, I could on the contrary part recite out of the witnesse of Doctours, out of the examples of Councels, & practises of Emperors, no lesse then 60. voices, much more repugnant against their assertion, then there is for the Pope. The tractation wherof for this present I do refer, either to them that haue more laisure at this time to discourse them, or els omit it to an other time, if the good pleasure of the Lord shall be, to graunt me further laisure in an other Booke to intreat thereof at large, in such order, as (if the Lord so graunt) shal appeare sufficient matter, to proue by the Doctors, general Councels, examples and histories of time, that the Bishops of Rome during the first 500. yeres after Christ, although for the greatnes of the Empire, were somewhat more magnified then the other, and therfore were sought of many, and were flattred of some, and they themselues diuers, did set forth themselues more then they should: yet by the commō consent of churches, were stopped of their purpose, so that by the consension of the most part, within the compasse of that age the Bishops of Rome had not this regall state of title, iurisdiction, and fulnes of power, which now they vsurpe, but were taken as Archbishops, of equal honour, of equal merite with other Archbishops & rulers of ye church. And if any preferment was giuen vnto them some thing aboue the rest, yet neither was it so giuen of all, nor of the most part: