A67926:2030
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.
My sheep are dispersed because they had no shepherd,* & are devoured of the beasts of the field, & strayed abroad: my flock hath erred and wandered in every mountain, and upon every high hill, *and is dispersed throughout all the earth, & there is no man which hath sought to gather them together: no, there was no man which once sought after them. But if any man would seek to reduce those which were gone astray into the fold of Christ, that is, the unity of faith: by and by, there rise up certain against him, which are named Pastors, but in deed are wolves, which seek no other thing of their flock, but the milk, wool, and fell, leaving both their own souls, and the souls of their flock, unto the devil. These men (I say) rise up like unto Demetrius, crying out, this heretic dissuadeth and seduceth much people every where,3 saying: that they are not gods, which are made with hands. These are they, these I say (most reverent father) are they, which under the pretence of persecuting heretics, follow their own licentious life: enemies unto the cross of Christ, which can suffer and bear any thing rather, than the sincere preaching of Christ crucified for our sins. These are they unto whom Christ threateneth eternal damnation, where he saith: Woe be unto you Scribes, Pharisees, & hypocrites, which shut up the kingdom of heaven before men, and you your selves enter not in, neither suffer those which would enter, to come in. These are they which have come in another way, to the charge of souls, as it appeareth. For if any man (saith Christ) come in by me, he shall be saved, and shall come in and go out, and find pasture. These men do not find pasture (for they never teach) & draw others after them, that they should not enter by Christ, which alone is the door, whereby we must come unto the father: but set before the people an other way, persuading them to come unto God through good works, oftentimes speaking nothing at all of Christ, thereby seeking rather their own gain and lucre: then the salvation of souls: in this point being worse than they which upon Christ being the foundation, do build wood, hey and straw. These men confess that they know Christ,4 but by their deeds they deny him. These are those Physicians, upon whom that woman which was 12.