A67926:1055
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. 2, part 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. 2, part 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
No title page in the transcription: set from the catalogue record.
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 third that wrote against them, was Cenalis,1 bishop of Auranches, which debated the same matter, but with less vehemency then the other, defending impudently, that their assembles were to maintain whoredom, complaining of the Judges, because they were no sharper with them, saying that their softness was the cause why the number of them so much increased. Among other points of his book, this one thing he disputeth marvellous pleasantly, touching the signs & marks of the true Church: first presupposing this one thing which is true,2 that the true Church hath his signs, by the which it may be known from the false church: and thereupon (making no mention at all, either of preaching or ministration of sacraments) thus he inferreth, that their church which was the catholic church, had belles, by the which their assembles be ordinarily called together: & the other church, which is of the Lutherans, hath claps of harquebuses & pistolets for signs, whereby they (as it is commonly bruited) are wont to congregate together. Upon this supposal, as upon a sure foundation, he grounding his matter, vaunted & triumphed as one having gotten a great conquest, and made a long Antithesis, or comparison, by the which he would prove that bells were the marks of the true church. The belles (said he) do sound,3 the harquebuses do crack or thunder. The belles do give a sweet tune and melodious, the signs of the Lutherans make a foul noise and terrible. The belles do open heaven, the other do open hell. Bells chase away clouds and thunder,4 the other gender clouds and counterfeit thunder: with many other properties moe, which he brought out, to prove that the Church of Rome is the true Church, because it hath those belles. Mark, good Reader, the profound reasons and arguments which these great doctors had, either to defend their own church, or to impugn the Apologies of the Christians. Briefly, to finish the residue of this story: as the faithful Christians were thus occupied in writing their Apologies, and in comforting their brethren in prison with their letters, the adversaries again with their faction were not idle, but sought all means possible to hasten forward the execution, giving diligent attendance about the prison and other open places, to satisfy their uncharitable desire with the death of them, whose religion they hated. Finally, the 17.