A67926:5543
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.
For where Augustine would have said, that he would not believe the Gospel, except he had ben moved by the authority of the church, now cometh in this goodly Bull, and maketh this Catholic church to be a few reverent Cardinals his brethren, & priors of regular orders, Masters of Divinity and doctors of the law, out of whose counsel the said Bull boasteth her self to be borne and brought forth, a blessed babe (forsooth) of such an universal Church, O happy travel (no doubt) of this Catholic church, never seen nor heard of before,1 and such as Augustine the valiant impugner of sects, if he did see, would not doubt to call it the Synagogue of the devil. See therefore the madness of their Papists. The universal Church is a •ewe Cardinals, Priors and Doctors, scarcely perhaps 20. persons in all, when also it is possible enough that never one of them all is the member of one chapel or altar. And whereas the Church is the communion of Saints, as we say in the Creed, out of this communion of saints, that is, out of this universal church, all they then must needs be excluded, whosoever be not in the non ber of these 20. persons:2 and so whatsoever these holy men do think or judge, by and by the universal Church must needs hold and believe the same, albeit they be liars, heretics, and Antichrists, thinking and judging nothing but that which is abominable. Would there ever any man think such doltishness and madness to be in Rome? Is there any brain in these mens heads think ye, or hart in their bodies?3 Austen speaketh of the church dispersed through the whole world, confessing the gospel with one consent. Neither would God that any book else should be received with such consent of the whole world as the holy scripture (as the said Augustine in his confessions affirmeth) least by the receiving of other books,4 schisms might take occasion to rise, according as the wicked Sea of Rome hath long sought by her decrees, & hath, for a great part, brought the same to pass already. But yet the universal Church did never agree thereto.
For where Augustine would haue sayd, that he would not beleue the Gospel, except he had ben moued by the authority of the church, now commeth in this goodly Bull, and maketh this Catholicke church to be a few reuerent Cardinals his brethren, & priours of regular orders, Masters of Diuinitie and doctors of the law, out of whose counsell the sayd Bull boasteth her selfe to be borne and brought forth, a blessed babe (forsooth) of such an vniuersall Church, O happy trauell (no dout) of this Catholike church, neuer seene nor heard of before,