A67926:2005
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.
Brusierd. O most pernicious & perilous heresy of all that ever I heard. Thus you fleeing the smoke, fall into the •ire, & avoiding the danger of Scylla, you run upon Charybdis. O hart of man wrapped in palpable darkness. I wish M. Bilney, that you would but once search & set out the first origin of these rogation days: For so we read in the church story, that they were first ordained by pope Gregory, with fasting, prayers, & holy processions against the pestilence, by the infection of the air then reigning among the people. At what time the people then going in the procession, a certain Image like to our blessed Lady, painted with the hands of S. Luke the Evangelist, did go before them, about the which image, in the honour of the virgin, angels did sing this Anthem: Regina coeli laetare. &c. O Queen of heaven be glad. To the which Anthem the pope also adjoined this: Ora pro nobis dominū. &c. Pray to the Lord for us. Wherefore seeing the angels did worship the image of the glorious virgin Mary, in the honour of her: & seeing moreover the holy father pope Gregory, with all the clergy, did pray for corporal infirmity, it appeareth manifestly that we ought to worship the saints, & also to give honour in a manner to their Images: further also to pray to almighty God & all saints, for corporal infirmity, that we may be delivered from the same, so that they may say the like for us, which is said in the Gospel: Send them away, because they cry after us. And although there be infinite places inexpugnable to be alleged out of the holy scripture, wherewith we might easily resist this your error:1 yet standing herewith content, as sufficient at this present, we will proceed now to your second pestiferous error, wherein you, like an ingrate child go about to tear out the bowels of your mother. For in that you say & affirm blasphemously the bish. of Rome to be the very Antichrist,2 & that his privileges have no force against the gates of hell: in so saying, what do you but like a most unkind and unnatural child, spoil your loving mother of all her treasures, & wound her being spoiled, & being wounded, pluck out her bowels most miserably upon the earth. But forsomuch as there is nothing so absurd or so heretical but shall be received of some itching ears:
Brusierd. O moste pernicious & perilous heresy of all that euer I heard. Thus you fleeing the smoke, fal into the ire, & auoiding the daunger of Scylla, you run vpō Caribois. O hart of man wrapped in palpable darcknes. I wish M. Bilney, that you would but once search & set out the fyrste origine of these rogatiō dayes: For so we read in ye churche story, that they were first ordeyned by pope Gregory, with fasting, prayers, & holy processions agaynst the pestilēce, by the infection of the ayre thē raigning among the people. At what time ye people thē going in ye procession, a certeine Image like to our blessed Lady, painted wt the handes of S. Luke ye Euāgelist, did go before thē, about ye which image, in ye honor of the virgin, angels did sing this Antheme: Regina coeli laetare. &c. O Queene of heauen be glad. To the which Antheme the pope also adioyned this: Ora pro nobis dominū. &c. Pray to the Lord for vs. Wherefore seeing the angels did worship the image of the glorious virgin Mary, in the honor of her: & seing moreouer ye holy father pope Gregory, with al ye clergy, did pray for corporall infirmity, it appeareth manifestly that we ought to worship ye saints, & also to geue honor in a maner to theyr Images: further also to pray to almighty God & al saints, for corporal infirmity, that we may be deliuered from the same, so that they may say the like for vs, which is said in the Gospell: Sende them away, because they cry after vs. And although there be infinite places inexpugnable to be alleaged out of the holy scripture, wherwith we might easily resist this your error: