A67926:3752
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.
Significatum est autem nobis de quibusdā eorum, quod tanta apud se intumescant elation, ut gregem Domini,1 pro quo boni pastores animas non dubitant ponere, isti verberibus etiam absque ratione praesumant laniare. Quorum sententiam S. Gregorius nimium deplorans ait: Quid fiet de ovibus, quando pastores lupi fiunt? Sed quis vincitur, nisi qui saevit? quis verò persecutorē judicabit, nisi qui dorsū suū ad flagella patienter ministravit?2 Operae praecium est autē, ut audiatur, quo fructu tantū Ecclesiae Dei inducabant scandalū, tantū cleris despectum, & ab ipsis Episcopis, & ab eorum infidelibus patiatur. Nec enim eos infideles dicere dubitaverim, de quibus Paulus Apostolus dicit ad Timotheum: Quia in novissimis temporibus discedent quidam a fide, attendentes spiritibus erroris,3 & doctrinis daemoniorum, in hypocrisy loquentium mendacium, & cauteriatam habentium conscientiam, prohibentium nubere. Hic est autem, si diligenter inspiciatur, totius eorum manipulus zizaniae, totius eventus insaniae,4 ut dumb clerici licita unius mulieris consortia, Pharisaico devicti (quod absit) furore, relinquere cogantur, fornicators & adultery & aliarum pravitatum turpissimi ministri cum ipsis efficiantur. Qui hanc in Ecclesia Dei haeresim, sicut caeci duces caecorū machinantur, ut videlicet illud impleatur quod Psalmista eis, ut pote doctoribus erroris, taliter imprecatur: Obscurentur oculi eorum ne videant. &c. Quia ergo nemo, ô Apostolice, ignorat,5 quòd situ per tui decreti sententiam, tantam futuram esse pestilentiam solitae discretionis claritate perspexisses, nunquam quorumlibet tam pravis suggestionibus consensisses: debitae tibi subiectionis fidelitate consulimus, ut vel nunc ad tanti scandali ab Ecclesia Dei pro pulsionē evigiles: & qua nosti discretionis disciplina, Pharisaicā ab ovili Dei extirpes doctrinā, ne scilicet unica Sunamitis, adulterinis diutius usa maritis, gentem sanctam, regale sacerdotium, per irrecuperabile à sponso Christo videlicet, avellat divortium: dumb nemo sine castimonia, non tantum in virginali flore, sed etiam in coniugali habita conjunction, visurus sit Dominum nostrum: qui cum Deo patre & Spiritu sancto vivit & regnat per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.