A67926:1179
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.
Then the Bishop of Aix and the other Bishops, began to rage, and gnashed their teeth against this poor prisoner. What need you (said they) any more examination? let him be sent straight unto the fire, without any more words. But the Judge Laberius and certain others were not of that mind, neither found they sufficient cause, why to put him to death, but went about to have him put unto his fine, and to make him confess & acknowledge the Bishop of Aix and other his companions, to be the true pastors of the Church. But the bookseller answered, that he could not do it with a good conscience, forsomuch as he did see before his eyes, that these Bishops maintained filthy books and abominable pictures, rejecting and refusing the holy books of God, and therefore he judged them rather to be the Priests of Bacchus and Venus, then the true pastors of the Church of Christ. Whereupon he was immediately condemned to be burned, and the sentence was executed the very same day:1 And for a sign or token of the cause of his condemnation, he carried two Bibles hanging about his neck, the one before, & the other behind him: but this pore man had also the word of God in his hart & in his mouth, and ceased not continually by the way, until that he came to the place of execution, to exhort and monish the people to read the holy Scriptures: in so much that divers were thereby moved to seek after the truth. The Prelates seeing a great dissension amongst the people of Avignon, and that many murmured and grudged against them for the death of this good man, and also for the dishonour which they had done unto the holy Testament of God, minding to put the people in a fear, they proceeded the next day to make a proclamation by the sound of a Trumpet,2 throughout the whole town and County of Venice, that all such as had any books in the French tongue entreating upon the holy Scriptures, should bring them forth, and deliver them into the hands of the Commissioners, appointed for that purpose: contrariwise, they which had any such books found about them, should be put to death.
Then the Bishop of Aix and the other Bishops, began to rage, and gnashed their teeth against this poore prisoner. What neede you (said they) any more examination? let him be sent straight vnto ye fire, without any more words. But the Iudge Laberius and certaine others were not of that mind, neither founde they sufficient cause, why to put him to death, but went about to haue him put vnto hys fine, and to make him confesse & acknowledge the Byshop of Aix and other his companions, to be the true pastors of the Church. But the bookeseller aunswered, that he could not do it with a good conscience, forsomuch as he did see before his eies, yt these Byshops mainteined filthy bookes and abhominable pictures, reiecting and refusing the holy bookes of God, and therefore he iudged them rather to be the Priests of Bacchus and Uenus, then the true pastors of the Church of Christ. Whereupon he was immediately condemned to be burned, and the sentence was executed ye very same day: