A67926:3472
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.
Henry the eight by the grace of God, King of England and France, &c. saluteth the Emperor, Christian princes, and all true Christen men, desiring peace and concord amongst them.
Henry the eight by the grace of God, King of Englande and Fraunce, &c. saluteth the Emperour, Christian princes, and all true Christen men, desiring peace and concord amongst them.
Whereas not long sithens, a book came forth in our and all our Counsels names,1 which contained many causes why we refused the Council, then by the Bishop of Romes usurped power first indicted at Mantua,2 to be kept the xxiij. day of May, after prorogued to November, no place appointed where it should be kept, and whereas the same book doth sufficiently prove, that our cause could take no hurt,3 neither with any thing done or decreed in such a company of addict men to one sect, nor in any other Council called by his usurped power: we think it nothing necessary so oft to make new protestations,4 as the Bishop of Rome and his Courts by subtlety and craft, do invent ways to mock the world, by new pretensed general Councils. Yet notwithstanding, because that some things have now occurred, either upon occasion given us by change of the place, or else through other considerations, which now being known to the world, may do much good, we thought we should do but even as that love enforceth us, which we owe unto Christs faith and religion, to add this Epistle. And yet we protest,5 that we neither put forth that book, neither yet we would this Epistle to be set afore it, that thereby we should seem less to desire a general Council, then any other Prince or Potentate, but rather to be more desirous of it, so it were free for all parts, and universal. And further, we desire all good Princes, Potentates, and people, to esteem and think that no Prince would more willingly be present at such a Council then we: such a one we mean, as we speak of in our protestation made concerning the Council of Mantua.