A67926:4002
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 although you for your part, lack neither learning nor judgement, yet some times we see it so happen, that wise men also be carried away by fair and colourable persuasions, from the verity. The saying of Simonides is praise worthy:1 Opinion (sayeth he) many times perverteth verity. And many times fall opinion hath outwardly a fairer show, then simple truth. And specially it so happeneth in cases of religion, where the devil transformeth himself into an Angel of light, setting forth with all colourable & goodly shows, false opinions. Howe fair seemeth the gloss of Samosatenus, upon the Gospel of S. John:2 In the beginning was the word. &c. and yet is it full of impiety, but I omit foreign▪ examples. In these articles of yours, how many things are craftily & deceitfully devised? Confession saith the article, is necessary, & ought to be retained.3 And why say they not plainly, that the rehearsing & numbering up of sins is necessary by Gods word? This the bishops knew well to be very false, & therefore in the article they placed their words generally, to blear the eyes of the simple people, that when they hear confession to be necessary, they should thereby think the enumeration of sins to be necessary by Gods word. The like legerdemain also they use in the article of private Masses, albeit the beginning the said article containeth a manifest untruth, where they say that it is necessary to retain private Masses. What man in all the primitive Church, more then 4. hundred years after the Apostles time, did ever so say or think, at what time there were no such private Masses used?4 But afterward in the process of the Article, follow other blind sophistications, to make the people believe that they should receive by them, divine consolations and benefits. And why do they not plainly declare what consolations and benefits those be?5 The Bishops here do name no application and merit, for they know that they can not be defended. Yet they dally with glossing words, whereby they may wind out and escape, if any should improve their application. And yet notwithstanding they would have this their application to be understanded and believed of the people. They would have this Idolatrous persuasion confirmed: to wit, that this sacrifice doth merit unto others, remission A poena & culpa: