A67926:3620
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.
Christ hallowed on his table the mystery of our peace and of our unity. He which receiveth that mystery of unity, & keepeth not the bond of true peace, receiveth no mystery for himself, but a witness against himself. It is very good for Christen men, that they go often to housel, if they bring with them to the alter, ungiltines and innocency of hart: if they be not oppressed with sin. To an evil man it turneth to no good, but to destruction, if he receive unworthily that holy housell. Holy *books command that water be mingled to that wine which shall be for housell, because the water signifieth the people, & the *wine Christs blood, and therefore shall neither the one without the other be offered at the holy mass, that Christ may be with us, and we with Christ, the head with the limbs, and the limbs with the head. We would before have entreated of the Lamb which the old Israelites offered at their Easter time, but that we desired first to declare unto you of this mystery, and after how we should receive it. That signifying lamb was offered at the Easter, And the Apostle Paul sayeth in the Epistle of this present day, that Christ is our Easter who was offered for us, and on this day rose from death. The Israelites did eat the Lambs flesh as God commanded, with unleavened bread and wild lettuce: *so we should receive that holy housell of Christs body and blood without the leaven of sin, and iniquity. As leaven turneth the creatures from their nature: so doth sin also change the nature of man from innocency to uncleanness. The Apostle hath taught how we should feast, not in the leaven of the evilness, but in the sweet dough of purity and truth. The herb which they should eat with the unleavened bread is called lettuce, and is bitter in taste. So we should with bitterness of unfeigned repentance purify our mind,4 if we will eat Christs body. Those Israelites were not wont to eat raw flesh, and therefore God bad them to eat it neither raw nor sodden in water, but roasted with fire. He shall receive the body of God raw, that shall think without reason, that Christ was only manlike unto us, and was not God.
Christe hallowed on hys table the mysterie of oure peace and of our vnitie. He which receiueth that mysterie of vnitie, & keepeth not the bonde of true peace, receiueth no mysterie for himselfe, but a witnesse against himselfe. It is very good for Christen men, that they goe often to howsell, if they bring with them to the alter, vngiltines and innocēcy of hart: if they be not oppressed with sinne. To an euil man it turneth to no good, but to destruction, if hee receyue vnworthely that holy housell. Holy