A67926:3619
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.
And Christ meant not the death which none can escape, but that everlasting death which some of that folk deserved for their unbelief. Moses and Aaron, and many other of that people which pleased God, did eat that heavenly bread: and they died not y• everlasting death, though they died the common death. They saw that the heavenly meat was visible and corruptible, & they ghostly understood by that visible thing, and ghostly received it. The Saviour sayeth:1 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood▪ hath everlasting life. And he bad them not eat that body wherewith he was enclosed, nor to drink that blood which he shed for us:* but he meant with those words that holy housell, which ghostly is his body and his blood, and he that tasteth it with believing heart, hath that eternal life. In the old law faithful men offered to God divers Sacrifices, that had *foresignification of Christs body, which for our sins he himself to his heavenly father hath since *offered to sacrifice. Certainly this housell which we do now hallow at Gods alter, is a *remembrance of Christs body which he offered for us: and of his blood which he shed for us: So he himself commanded: Do this in my remembrance. Once suffered Christ by him self, but yet nevertheless his suffering is daily renewed at this supper, through mystery of the holy housell. Therefore we ought to consider diligently: how that this holy housell is both Christs body, and the body of all *faithful men, after ghostly mystery. As wise Augustine sayeth of it: If ye will understand of Christs body, here the Apostle Paul thus speaking. Ye truly be Christs body and his members. Now is your mystery set on Gods table, and ye receive your mystery, which mystery ye your selves be. Be that which ye see on the altar, and receive that which ye your selves be. Again the Apostle Paul sayeth by it: We many be one bread, and one body. Understand now and rejoice, many be one bread, and one body in Christ. He is our head, and we be his limbs: and the bread is not of one corn, but of many: nor the wine of one grape, but of many. So also we all should have one unity in our Lord, as it is written of the faithful army, how that they were in so great an unity, as though all of them were one soul, and one heart.