A67922:943
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 as soon as he had ended this word Amen, and finished his prayer, the tormentors began to kindle the fire, & as the flame flashed out vehemently: we to whom it was give to discern the same, saw a marvellous matter, which were also to this purpose preserved, that we might show the same to other.1 For the fire being made like to ar••fe or vault of a house, and after the manner of a shipman's ••yle, filled with wind, compassed about the body of the Martyr as with a certain wall, and he in the middle of the same, not as flesh, that burned, but as gold and silver whe• it is tried in the fire. And surely we smelt a savour so sweet as if Myrrh or some other precious balm had given a sent. At the last when those wicked persons saw ye his body could not be consumed by fire, they commanded one of the tormentors to come unto him, & thrust him through with his sword.2 Which being done, so great a quantity of blood ran out of his body that the fire was quenched therewith, & the whole multitude marvelled that there was so much diversity between the infidels and the elect, of whom this Policarpus was one, being a Disciple of the Apostles, and a prophetical instructor of our times, and Bishop of the Catholic Church of Smyrna, for what word soever he spake both it was and shall be accomplished. But the subtle and envious adversary, when he saw the worthiness of his martyrdom, & that his conversation even from his younger years could not be reproved, and that he was adorned with the crown of martyrdom, and had now obtained that incomparable benefit, gave in charge, that we should not take & divide his body. For fear least the remnants of the dead corps should be taken away, & so worshipped of the people. Whereupon divers whispered Niceta the father of Herod, and his brother Dalces in the ear, to admonish the Proconsul, that in no case he should deliver his body, least (saith he) they leave Christ & begin to worship him.3 And this spake they because the Jews had given them secret warning & provoked them thereunto, who also watched us that we should not take him out of the fire. not being ignorant how that we meant, at no time to forsake Christ, which gave his life for the salvation of the whole world, (as many I mean as are elected to salvation by him) neither yet that we could worship any other. For why?