A67926:2397
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.
I Doubt not dear brethren, but that it doth some deal vex you, to see the one part have all the words, & freely to speak what they list, and the other to be put to silence, and nor to be heard indifferently. But refer your matters to God, which shortly shall judge after an other fashion. In the mean time I have written unto you as briefly as I may, what articles were objected against me, and what were the principal points of my condemnation, that ye might understand the matter certainly.1 The whole matter of this my examination was comprehended in two special articles, that is to say, of Purgatory, and of the substance of the Sacrament. And first of all, as touching Purgatory, they enquired of me, whether I did believe there was any place to purge the spots and filth of the soul after this life. But I said that I thought there was no such place. For man (said I) doth consist, and is made only of two parts, that is to say, of the body and the soul, whereof the one is purged here in this world, by the cross of Christ, which he layeth upon every child that he receiveth: as affliction worldly oppression, persecution, imprisonment &c. and last of all the reward of sin, which is death, is laid upon us: but the soul is purged with the word of God, which we receive through faith, to the salvation both of body and soul. Now if ye can show me a third part of men beside the body & the soul, I will also grant unto you the 3. place, which you do call Purgatory. But ye can not do this, I must also of necessity deny unto you the Bishop of Romes Purgatory. Nevertheless I count neither part a necessary article of our faith, to be believed under pain of damnation, whether there be such a Purgatory or no. Secondly, they examined me touching the sacrament of the altar, whether it was the very body of Christ, or no. I answered, that I thought it was both Christs body & also our body,2 as Saint Paul teacheth us in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, and tenth Chapter. For in that it is made one bread of many corns, it is called our body, which being divers and many members, are associate and gathered together into one fellowship or body. Likewise of the wine which is gathered of many clusters of grapes, & is made into one liquor.
I Doubt not deare brethē, but that it doth some deale vexe you, to see the one part haue all the wordes, & freely to speake what they list, and the other to be put to silence, and nor to be hearde indifferently. But referre your matters to God, which shortly shal iudge after an other fashion. In the meane time I haue written vnto you as briefly as I maye, what articles were obiected agaynste me, and what were the principal points of my condemnation, that ye might vnderstand the matter certainely.