A67926:3050
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 is a manifest figure (as I said) of the Passion of our Saviour Christ. The altar that was consecrate and hallowed in this solemnity of the blood of the eternal. Testament, was that holy cross that Christ suffered on. Which as on this day, he did consecrate, hallow, dignify and dedicate, and did adorn and deck the same with the members of his most precious body, more gloriously then if it had been embroidered and insert with precious stones. For as gold which is the most precious metal, is made more precious when it is set with precious stones,1 and is dignified therewith, whether it be altar, Image, crown, ring or owch• so was the altar the holy Cross, beautified, dignified, adorned & made precious with the members of that most precious stone Christ, which is as Peter saith: Lapis vivus,2 ab hominibus reprobatus, a deo electus: probatus, angularis & praeciosus. This Christ is (he saith) the lively stone, which men did reprove, which God did elect for the approved stone, for a corner stone, for the chief stone in the building of his church, for the stone that joineth the walls of the Church together, for the stone whereupon the faith of Christ and his Church is builded. A precious stone, a stone of price, a stone of high value, far passing in the estimation of a good Christen man, all other precious stones in the world. This precious stone Christ, with the members of his most precious body, did deck, adorn, and made precious this altar of the Cross, when his body was by the •ewes, with violence,3 extremely strained upon the same, that all his bones (as testifieth the Prophet) mought be numbered. Upon this altar was the great Sacrifice of the world offered, Christ himself. He was the Sacrifice, & he was the Priest. He offered up himself to God his father,4 for the sin of man. Obtulit semetipsum immaculatum deo, ut sanctificaret iniquinatos, saith the Apostle. He offered himself a pure, clean, immaculate host to God, to redeem the world, to sanctify sinners, to justify man.
Here is a manifest figure (as I sayd) of the Passion of our Sauiour Christ. The aultar that was consecrate and halowed in this solemnity of the bloud of the eternall. Testament, was that holye crosse that Christ suffered on. Which as on this day, he did consecrate, hallow, dignifie and dedicate, and did adourne and decke the same with the members of his most precious body, more gloriously then if it had bene embrodered and insert with precious stones. For as golde which is the most precious metall, is made more precious when it is set with precious stones,