A67922:940
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 the Proconsul thus being earnestly ⟨p. 43⟩in hand with him, said, take thine oath, and I will discharge thee, desye Christ, Policarpus answered: fourscore and six years have I been his servant,1 yet in all this time hath he not so much as once hurt me: how then may I speak evil of my king & sovereign Lord, which hath thus preserved me: Then the Proconsul again enforced him and said: Swear thou I advise thee by Caesars prosperity. Policarpus replieth, if thou require of me this fond word of vain boasting,2 teyning not to know (as thou sayest) who I am, I do thee to wit, that I am a Christian: And if thou desire to know the doctrine of Christianity, appoint a day, & thou shalt hear. Persuade the people to this said the Proconsul: Truly saith Policarpus, I have thought it my part, thus to say unto you, for so much as we are commanded to give unto the governors & powers ordained of God,3 the honour meet & due to them, and not hurtful unto us: but as for those I do judge them unworthy, to purge my self unto them. Hereupon the proconsul stood up, I have, saith he, wild beasts, to whom I will throw thee, unless thou take a better way: Whereunto Policarpus answered let them come: we have determined with our selves that we will not by repentance turn us from the better way, to the worse, but rather convenient it is, that a man turn from the things that be evil, to that which is good and just.4 Again saith the Proconsul, I will tame thee with fire, if that thou set not by the wild beasts, nor yet repent. Then said Policarpus you threaten me with fire which shall burn for the space of an hour, & shall be within a little while after put out & extinguished, but thou knowest not the fire of the judgement that is to come and of everlasting punishment, which is reserved for the wicked & ungodly. But why make you all these delays, give me what death soever ye lift. These & many other such like things being by him spoken, he was so replenished with joy, and boldness, and his countenance appeared so full of grace & favour, that not only he was not troubled with those things which y• Proconsul spake unto him, but contrarily the Proconsul himself began to be amazed and sent for the crier, which in the middle of the stage was commanded to cry 3.