A67926:2401
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.
Here peradventure many would marvel, that for so much as the matter touching the substance of the Sacrament,1 being separate from the articles of faith, and binding no man of necessity either unto salvation or damnation, whether he believe it or not, but rather may be left indifferently unto all men, freely to judge either on the one part or on the other, according to his own mind, so that neither part do contemn or despise the other, but that all love and charity be still holden and kept in this dissension of opinions: what then the cause is, why I would therefore so willingly suffer death. The cause why I dye is this, for that I can not agree with the divines & other head Prelates, that it should be necessarily determined to be an article of faith, and that we should believe under pain of damnation, the substance of the bread and wine to be changed into the body and blood of our saviour Jesus Christ, the form and shape only not being changed. Which thing if it were most true (as they shall never be able to prove it by any authority of the Scripture or Doctors) yet shall they not so bring to pass, that that doctrine, were it never so true, should be holden for a necessary article of faith. For there are many things both in the Scriptures and other places, which we are not bound of necessity to believe as an article of faith. So it is true, that I was a prisoner and in bonds when I wrote these things, and yet for all that I will not hold it as an article of faith, *but that you may without danger or damnation, either believe it, or think the contrary. But as touching the cause why I cannot affirm the doctrine of Transubstantiation, divers reasons do lead me thereunto. First, for that I do plainly see it to be false and vain, and not to be grounded upon any reason, either of the Scriptures,3 or of approved Doctors. Secondly, for that by my example I would not be an author unto Christians to admit any thing as a matter of faith, more then the necessary points of there Creed, wherein the whole sum of our salvation doth consist, specially such things,4 the belief whereof have no certain argument of authority or reason. I added moreover, that their Church (as they call it) hath no such power and authority, that it either ought or may bind us under the peril of our souls, to the believing of any such articles.