A67926:4069
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.
Now somewhat would be said likewise of the noble ⟨p. 1180⟩Acts, the memorable examples, and worthy virtues not drowned by ease of honour in him, but increased rather, & quickened by advancement of authority & place, to work more abundantly in the common wealth. Among yt which his worthy acts and other manifold virtues, in this one chiefly above all other riseth his commendation,1 for his singular zeal and laborious travail bestowed in restoring the true Church of Christ, and subverting the Synagogue of Antichrist, the Abbeys, I mean, and religious houses of Friars and Monks. For so it pleased almighty God by the means of the said Lord Cromwell, to induce the King to suppress first the Chantries, then the Friars houses and small Monasteries, till at length all the Abbeys in England both great and less, were utterly overthrown and plucked up by the roots. The which act and enterprise of him, as it may give a president of singular zeal to all Realms christened, which no Prince yet to this day scarce dare follow: so to this Realm of England it wrought such benefit & commodity, as the fruit thereof yet remaineth, and will remain still in the Realm of England, though we seem little to feel it. Rudely and simply I speak what I suppose, without prejudice of other which can infer any better reason. In the mean time my reason is this: that if God had not raised up this Cromwell as he did, to be the instrument of rooting out of the Abbeys and Cells of strange religion,2 what other men see, I know not: for my part I never yet saw in this Realm any such Cromwell since Cromwels time, whose hart and courage might not sooner have been subverted with the money and bribes of Abbots, then he to have subverted any Abbey in all England.
Now somewhat would be sayd likewise of the noble ⟨p. 1180⟩Actes, the memorable examples, and worthy vertues not drowned by ease of honour in him, but encreased rather, & quickened by aduauncemēt of authority & place, to work more abundantly in the common wealth. Among yt which his woorthy actes and other manyfolde vertues, in thys one chiefely aboue all other riseth his commendation,