A67926:3749
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.
Episcopus aut Presbyter uxorem propriam nequaquam sub obtentu religionis abijciat, si verò reiecerit, excommunicetur:1 & si perseveraverit, deijciatur. Sanctus quoque Augustinus, sanctae discretionis non inscius: Nullum, inquit, tam grave facinus est, quin admittendum sit, ut devitetur peius. Legimus praeterea in secundo Tripartitae Ecclesiasticae libro historiae, quòd cum Synodus Nicaena haec eadem vellet sancire decreta,2 ut videlicet Episcopi, Praesbyteri, Diaconi, post consecrationem à proprijs uxoribus vel omninò abstinerent, vel gradum deponerent: surgens in medio Paphnutius, (ex illis Martyribus quos Maximus Imperator, oculis eorum dextris evulsis, & sinistris suris incisis, damnavit) contradixit, honorabiles confessus nuptias, ac castitatem esse dicens connubium cum propria uxore: persuasitque Concilio ne talem ponerent legem: gravem asserens esse causam, quae aut ipsis, aut eorum coniugibus occasio fornicationis existeret. Et haec quidem Paphnutius, licet nuptiarum expers, exposuit: Synodusque eius sententiam laudavit, & nihil ex hac parte sancivit, sed hoc in uniuscuisque voluntate, non in necessitate dimisit. Sunt verò aliqui, qui sanctum Gregorium suae sectae sumunt adiutorem: quorum quidem temeritatem rideo, ignorantiam doleo. Ignorant enim, quòd periculosum huius haeresis decretum à S. Gregorio factum, condigno poenitentiae fructu postmodum ab eodem sit purgatum. Quippè cùm die quadam in vivarium suum propter pisces misisset, & allata inde plus quam sex milia infantum capita videret, intima mox ductus poenitentia ingemuit,3 & factum à se de abstinentia decretū, tantae caedis causam confessus, condigno illud, ut dixi, poenitentiae fructu purgavit: suoque decreto prorsus damnato, Apostolicum illud laudavit confilium: Melius est nubere quàm uri: addens ex sua parte: Melius est nubere, quàm mortis occasionem praebere. Hunc forsitan rei eventum si illi mecum legissent,4 non tam temerè, credo, judicarent, Dominicum saltem timentes praeceptum: Nolite judicare, ut non judicemini. Inde Paulus dicit: Tu quis es, qui judicas alienum seruum? suo Domino stat, aut cadit. Stabit autem: potens est enim Dominus statuere illum.5