A67926:4112
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.
Alesius after he had first done his duty unto the Lord Cromwell, and to the other Prelates of the Church, said in this wise.
Alesius after he had first done his duety vnto the Lord Cromwell, and to the other Prelates of the Church, sayde in this wise.
Right honourable & noble Lord, and you most reverend Fathers and Prelates of the Church,1 although I come unprepared unto this disputation yet trusting in the aid of Christ which promiseth to give both mouth and wisdom unto us when we be required of our faith, I will utter my sentence and judgement of this disputation. And I think that my Lord Archbishop hath given you a profitable exhortation, that ye should first agree of the signification of a Sacrament, whether ye will call a sacrament, a ceremony institute of Christ in the gospel, to signify a special or a singular virtue of the gospel, and of godliness (as Paul nameth remission of sins to be) or whether ye mean,2 every ceremony generally, which may be a token or a signification of an holy thing, to be a sacrament. For after this latter signification, I will not stick to grant you that there be seven Sacraments and more too, if ye will. But yet Paul seemeth to describe a sacrament after the just signification, where as he saith: That Circumcision is a token & a seal of the righteousness of faith. This definition of one particular sacrament, must be understand to pertain unto all sacraments generally,3 for the Jews had but one Sacrament only, as all the sophistical writers do grant. And he described Baptism after the same manner, in the fifth to the Ephesians, whereas he saith. That Christ doth sanctify the Church (that is to say,4 all that be baptised through the bath of water in the word of life. For here also he addeth the word & promise of God unto the ceremony. And Christ also requireth faith, where he saith: Who so ever believeth, and is baptised, shall be saved.