A67926:2027
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.
Quod cum ab eo latinius redditum accepi, latinitate potius quàm verbo Dei (quod tunc quidnam esset prorsus nesciebam) allectus, emebam, providentia (sine dubio) divina, ut nunc interpretor. Incidi prima (ut memini) lectione,1 in hanc (o mihi suavissimam Pauli sententiam) 1. ad Timo. 1. Certus sermo & dignus quem modis omnibus amplectamur, quòd Christus Jesus venit in mundum ut peccatores saluos faceret, quorum primus sum ego. Haec una sententia, Deo intus in corde meo (quod tunc fieri ignorabam) docente sic exhileravit pectus meum, prius peccatorum conscientia saucium ac pene desperabundum, ut mox visus sum mihi, nescio quantam intus tranquillitatem sentire, adeò quòd exultaverunt ossa humiliata.2 Postea Scriptura coepit mihi dulcior esse melle ac favo: in qua paulatim didici omnes meos conatus, omnia jeiunia, omnes vigilias, omnes missarum & indulgentiarum redemptiones, quae sine fiducia in Jesum (qui solus saluum facit populum suum a peccatis suis) fierent: didici inquam, haec omnia nihil aliud fuisse, quàm (quod ait Augustinus) celerem cursum extra viam: quàm perizomata illa ficulnea, quibus Adam & Eva verenda olim sua frustrà tegere conati sunt: nunquam prius tram quillati, quàm promissioni Dei de Serpentis capite, per mulieris semen Christum, conterendo, credidissent: Nec ego prius a peccatorum aculeis ac morsibus sanari potui, quàm à Deo doctus essem illam lectionem, de qua loquitur Christus, Johan. 3. Sicut Moyses exaltavit Serpentem in deserto, ita exaltari oportet filium hominis, ut omnis qui credit in illum, non pereat,3 sed habeat vitam eternam. Hanc tandem sublimem lectionem, quam nullus docere potest nisi Deus, qui hanc Petro revelavit, ubi pro modulo gratiae Dei mihi datae, gustare cepi, rogavi dominum ut augeret mihi fidem, ac tandem nihil magis optavi, quàm ut sic reddita mihi laeticia salutaris sui, spiritu me suo utcunque confirmaret, ut virtute nonnulla donatus ex alto, docerem iniquos vias eius, quae sunt misericordia & veritas, ut impij ad ipsum per me olim impium,4 conuerterentur. Quod dum pro virili conor apud R. D. Cardinalem, ac tuam Paternitatem, blasphematur in me (haec est unica mihi in his tribulationibus fiducia) Christus, quem pro virili doceo, factum nobis a Deo patre, sapientiam,