A67926:1087
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.
Secondly he bewailed the great cruelty, & gross blindness of his countrymen, desiring God to open their eyes and ears, to see & understand the word of their salvation. Thirdly he promised shortly to come to them at Antwerp, to confer with them touching the grace of God, which he had received. Fourthly declareth to them his purpose in going also to Spain, intending there likewise to impart to his parents, and other friends at Burges, the wholesome Doctrine, which the Lord hath bestowed upon him. Beside this he addressed other letters also to charles the Emperor,1 opening to him the calamities and miserable state of Christs Church, desiring him to tender the quietness thereof, especially that he would reform the miserable corruption of the Church of Spain. &c. Over and besides all this, he wrote there a Catechism, & divers other treatises in the spanish tongue. And all this he did in one months space, In the mean time the Spanish Merchants of Antwerp, understanding by his letters, both his change of religion, & also his purpose of coming to Antwerp, sent him letters again, pretending outwardly a fair countenance of much good will, but secretly practising his destruction. For at the day appointed of his coming, certain Friars were set ready to receive him,2 which took him coming down from his horse, rifled his books, had him into a merchants house near hand, where they examined him: with whom he again disputed mightily, and when they found him not agreeing to their faith they bound him hand and foot, crying out upon him, and calling him Lutheran, & burnt his books before his face, threatening to burn himself also. At this disputation within the house, divers Spaniards were present, which made the Friars more bold. Being demanded to show,3 of what faith and religion he was: my faith (said he) is to confess and preach Christ Jesus only and him crucified, which is the true faith of the universal Church of Christ through the whole world. But this faith and doctrine you have corrupted, taking an other abominable kind of life, and by your impiety have brought the most part of the world, into blindness most miserable: and to explain his faith to them more expressly, he recited all the Articles of the Creed.
Secondly he bewayled the great cruelty, & grosse blindnes of his countrymen, desiring God to open theyr eyes and eares, to see & vnderstand the word of their saluation. Thirdly he promised shortly to come to thē at Antwerp, to confer with them touching the grace of God, which he had receiued. Fourthly declareth to them his purpose in going also to Spaine, intēding there likewise to impart to his parentes, and other frēds at Burges, the wholesom Doctrine, which the Lord hath bestowed vpon him. Beside this he addressed other letters also to charles the Emperor,