A67922:816
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.
The like example of Gods wrathful punishment is to be noted no less in the Romans also themselves.1 For when Tiberius Caesar, having received by letters from Pontius Pilate, of the doings of christ, of his miracles. Resurrection, and ascension into heaven, & how he was received as God of many, was himself also moved with belief of the same, and did confer thereof with the whole Senate of Rome, to have Christ adored as god: but they not agreeing thereunto refused him, because that contrary to the law of the Romans, he was consecrated, (said they) for God, before the Senate of Rome had so decreed & approved him.2 &c. Tertul. Apol. cap. 5. Thus the vain Senate following rather the law of man, then of God, & which were contented with the Emperor to reign over them, were not con tented with the meek king of glory the Son of God to be their king. And therefore after much like sort to the Jews were scourged and entrapped for their unjust refusing, by the same way which they themselves did prefer. For as they preferred the Emperor, and rejected Christ, so the just permission of God, did stir up their own Emperors against them in such sort, that both the Senators themselves were almost all devoured, & the whole City most horrible afflicted the space almost of 300. years together. For first the same Tiberius, which for a great part of his reign was a moderate and a tolerable Prince, afterward was to them a sharp and heavy tyrant, who neither favoured his own mother, nor spared his own nenewes, nor the Princes of the City, such as were his own counsellors, of whom to the number of xx, he left not past two or three alive,3 & so cruel was he to the City, that as the story recordeth: Nullus a paena hominum cessabat dies, ne religiosus quidem ac sacer. Suet. reporteth him to be so stern of nature and tyrannical, that in time of his reign, very many were accused and condemned with their wives & children, Maids also first deflowered, then put to death. In one day he recordeth .xx. persons to be drawn to the place of execution. By whom also, through the just punishment of God Pilate under whom Christ was crucified, was apprehended and accused at Rome, deposed, then banished to the town of Lyonce, and at length did slay himself. Neither did Herod and Caiaphas long escape,4