A67922:825
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.
Moreover, in much like sort and condition, if leisure of time, or haste of matter, would suffer me a little to digress unto more lower times, and to come more near home, the like examples I could also infer of this our country of England, concerning the terrible plagues of God against the churlish and unthankful refusing or abusing the benefit of his truth. First, we read how that God stirred up Gildas to preach to the old Britons,1 and to exhort them unto repentance and amendment of life, and afore to warn them of plagues to come, if they repented not. What availed it? Gildas was laughed to scorn and taken for a false prophet, and a malicious preacher. the Britons with lusty courages, whorish faces, and unrepentant hearts, went forth to sin, and to offend the Lord their God. What followed? God sent in their enemies on every side, & destroyed them, and gave the land to other nations. Not many years past, God seeing idolatry, superstition, hypocrisy, and wicked living used in this Realm, raised up that godly learned man John Wycliffe, to preach unto our fathers repentance, and to exhort them to amend their lives, to forsake their Papistry & Idolatry,2 their hypocrisy, superstition, and to walk in the fear of God. His exhortations were not regarded. He with his Sermons was despised. His books and he himself after his death were burnt, what followed? they slue their right king, and set up three wrong kings on a row, under whom all the noble blood was slain up, & half the commons thereto, what in France, & with their own sword in fighting among themselves for the crown, and the Cities and towns decayed, and the land brought half to a wilderness, in respect of that it was before. O extreme plagues of Gods vengeance. Since that time even of late years, God once again having pity of this realm of England, raised up his prophets, namely, William Tyndale, Thomas Bilney, John Frith, Doctor Barnes, Jerome Garret, Anthony Person, with divers other, which both with their writings and sermons earnestly laboured to call us unto repentance, that by this means the fierce wrath of God might be turned away from us. But how were they entreated? how were their painful labours regarded? they themselves were condemned and burnt as heretics, and their books condemned and burnt as heretical.
Moreouer, in much like sort and condition, if leisure of tyme, or haste of matter, would suffer me a little to digresse vnto more lower tymes, and to come more nere home, the like examples I could also inferre of this our countrey of England, concerning the terrible plagues of God against the churlish and vnthankfull refusing or abusing the benefite of his truth. First, we read how that God stirred vp Gildas to preach to the old Britains,