A67926:1094
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.
yea, & though no word be spoken, yet if they bear any grudge or evil will against the party, incontinent they command ⟨p. 931⟩him to be taken, and put in an horrible prison,1 and then find out crimes against him at leisure, and in the mean time no man living so hardy once to open his mouth for him. If the Father speak one word for his child, he is also taken and cast into prison, as a favourer of heretics. Neither is it permitted to any person, to enter to the prisoner: but there he is alone, in such a place, where he cannot see so much as the ground, where he is, and is not suffered either to read or write, but there endureth in darkness palpable, in horrors infinite, in fear miserable, wrestling with the assaults of death. By this it may be esteemed, what trouble and sorrow, what pensive sighs & cogitations, they sustain which are not throughly instructed in holy doctrine.2 Add moreover to these distresses and horrors of the prison, the injuries, threats, whippings and scourgings, irons, tortures, and racks, which they endure. Sometimes also they are brought out, & showed forth in some higher place, to the people, as a spectacle, of rebuke and infamy. And thus are they detained there, some many years, and murdered by long torments, & whole days together, entreated much more cruelly (out of all comparison) then if they were in the hangman's hands to be slain at once. During all this time, what is done in the process, no person knoweth, but only the holy fathers and the tormentors, which are sworn to execute the torments. All is done in secret, & (as great mysteries) pass not the hands of those holy ones. And after all these torments so many years endured in the prison, if any man shall be saved, it must be by guessing: For all the proceedings of the Court of that execrable Inquisition is open to no man, but all is done in hugger mugger, & in close corners, by ambages, by covert ways, and secret counsels. The accuser secret, the crime secret, the witness secret: whatsoever is done, is secret, neither is the poor Prisoner ever advertised of any thing. If he can guess who accused him, whereof & wherefore, he may be pardoned peradventure of his life: but this is very seldom: and yet he shall not incontinent, be set at liberty, before he hath endured long time, infinite torments (and this is called their penitence) and so is he let go: