A67926:3313
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.
This have I showed because it pitieth me to hear and see the contrary used in some of our nation,1 & such also as name themselves spiritual men, and should be head Ministers of the Church, who incontinent as any man cometh before them, anon they call for a book, and do mone him to swear, without any longer respite, yea & they will charge him by virtue of the contents in the Evangely, to make true relation of all that they shall demand him, he not knowing what they will demand, neither whether it be lawful to show them the truth of their demands or no? For such things there be that are not lawful to be showed. As if I were accused of fornication, & none could be found in me, or if they should require me to swear to bewray any other that I have known to offend in that vice,2 I suppose it were expedient to hold me still, & not to follow their will, for it should be contrary to charity, if I should so assent to bewray them, that I need not, and to whom perhaps, though I have known them to offend, yet trusting of their amendment, I have promised afore to keep their fault secret without any disclosing of the same. Yea, moreover, if such Judges sometime not knowing by any due proof that such as have to do afore them,3 are culpable will enforce them by an oath, to detect themselves in opening before them their harts: in this so doing, I can not see that men need to condescend in their requests. For it is in the law (but I wot not certainly the place) thus.4 Nemo tenetur prodere semetipsum, that is to say: No man is bound to bewray himself. Also in another place of the law it is written: Cogitationis poenam nemo patiatur: No man should suffer punishment of men for his thought. To this agreeth the common Proverb, that is thus: Cogitationes liberae sunt à vectigalibus. 5That is to say, thoughts be free and need to pay no toll. So that to conclude, I think it lawful, at the commandment of a Judge, to make an oath, to say the truth, specially if a Judge requireth an oath duly, and in lawful wise, or to make an oath in any other case convenient, and that also for purgation of infamy,