A67922:973
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.
But that blessed woman, fighting this worthy battle, became stronger & stronger, & as often as she spake these words) I am a Christian, neither have we committed any evil) it was to her a marvellous comfort and bolding to abide the torments. Sanctus also another of the Martyrs,1 who in the middest of his torments, enduring more pains, then the nature of a man might away with, also at what time the wicked supposed, to have heard him utter some blasphemous words, for the greatness & intolerableness of his torments & pains, that he was in, abode notwithstanding in such constancy of mind,2 that neither he told them his name, nor what countryman he was, nor in what City brought up, neither whether he was a free man or a servant, but unto every question that was asked him, he answered in the Latin tongue, I am a Christian, and this was all that he confessed both of his name, city, kindred, and all other things in the place of execution, neither yet could the Gentiles, get any more of him: whereupon both the Governor & tormentors, were the more vehemently bent against him. And when they had nothing to vex him with all, they clapped plates of Brass red hot, to the most tenderest parts of his body, wherewith his body indeed being scorched, yet he never shrank for the matter, but was bold and constant, in his confession,3 being strengthened and moistened with the fountain of lively water, flowing out of Christs side. Truly his body was a sufficient witness, what torments ⟨p. 47⟩he suffered for it was all drawn together and most pitifully wounded and scorched, so that it had therewith lost the proper shape of a man, in whose suffering Christ obtained inspeakeable glory, for that he overcame his adversary, and to the instruction of other declared, that nothing else is terrible, or ought to be feared where the love of God is, nor nothing grievous, wherein the glory of Christ is manifested. And when those wicked men, began after a certain time again to torment the Martyr, & hoped well to bring it to pass, that either they should overcome him in causing him to recant, by reiterating his torments, now when his body was so sore & swollen, that he might not suffer a man to touch him with his hand, or else that if he died under their hands,