A67926:168
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.
But he was an heretic, saith Cope. By the same reason that Cope taketh him for an heretic, I take him the more to be accepted for a martyr. For by that way, which they call heresy, the living God is served, by no way better. And if he were an heretic, why then did they not proceed against him as an heretic while he was alive? when they had him at Fulham before them, if they had ben sure to entrap him in that snare, why did they not take their advantage,1 when they might with least jeopardy? why did they not proceed and condemn him for an heretic? why made they such haste to prevent his death before? why did they not tarry the sentence of the law, having the law in their own hands? But belike they perceived that he could not be proved an heretic while he lived: and therefore thought it best to make him away privily, and to stop the Premunire, and afterward to stop the pursuit of his death, by making him an heretic: And therefore were articles devised by the Chancellor (as is proved by witness of Charles Joseph and other pag. 785.) against him, and he condemned for an heretic,2 and all his favourers also, who so ever durst stir to take his part, and so thereupon was committed to the secular power, and burned. Wherein they did him double wrong, first in that they burned him for an heretic, having before submitted himself to their favourable correction, as it appeareth yet in the Bishops Registers by his own hand, as it is there pretē dead: which was against their own laws. Again, if he had not submitted himself at that time, yet did they him wrong to burn him, before they knew and heard him speak (as Tyndale saith) whether he would recant or no. And yet admit that he was condemned and burned for an heretic,3 yet to be killed and burned of them, for an heretic, that taketh not from him the name of a martyr, but rather giveth him to be a double martyr. But Cope yet proceeding in his hot collar against Rich. Hun, after he hath made him first no martyr, and then an heretic, thirdly he now maketh him also a murderer of himself, and sayeth, that no other man was any part of his death,4 but only his own hands, and that either for indignation and anger, or for desperation, or for some cause, he knoweth not what.