A67926:5531
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.
Furthermore I hold, defend, and embrace with the full trust of my spirit, those articles in the said Bull condemned and excommunicate,1 and affirm that the same ought to be holden of all faithful christians, under pain of eternal malediction, and that they are to be counted for Antichrists, who so ever have consented to the said Bull, whom I also together with the spirit of all them which purely know, & do utterly shun them according to the precept of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. And let this stand for thy revocation, O Bulla verè Bullarum filia. i. O thou Bull which art the very daughter of all vain 2bubbles. This my confession and protestation made (for witness whereof I take all them that shall read these presents) before I proceed to defend & declare these foresaid Articles, I will first begin, with certain arguments for the confutation of the said Bull: whereof the first I will take of the blind ignorance of this blockish Antichrist.3 For the Apostle Peter so commandeth, that we should be ready to render a reason of that faith and hope which is in us. And the apostle Paul willeth a bishop to be mighty to exhort in sound doctrine & to refute the gainsayers. And these things be they, which now 3. years ago, I have desired & looked for out of Rome, or from them which take part with Rome.4 Which things also we do read to be observed most diligently amongst the ancient fathers, whensoever they condemned heresies. Neither do we read that the apostles did ever decree any thing in their Counsels, but they first alleged the holy Scripture. So I also when I waited that they would answer me with grapes, and to inform me with true testimonies of the scripture, behold they bring to me sower and wild grapes, condemning me with nothing else but bare words, whereas I have fortified my matter with plain scriptures. I say unto thee. O thou most unlearned Antichrist, hast thou joined such brain•ike rashness together with such barbarous ignorance, that thou wilt presume to think all men to be turned into stocks & blocks, and to think that thou with thy bare and naked words only canst triumph against the invincible force and power of Gods holy word? Hast thou learned this manner of condemning of the magistralities of Colen and Louvain. If this be the manner of the Church to damn errors, only to say. I like it not, I deny it, I will not: