A67926:5544
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 in the East, West, & South there have ben christians, which being content only with the gospel, have not regarded how Rome hath gone about of a particular church, to make her self an universal church, & accuseth other churches as schismatical when as she hath cut of her self from the universal Church, and striveth in vain to draw the whole universal church to her, being the mother and fountain of all schisms, and all by the means of this tyranny. Let no man therefore ever think that this true Catholic Church aforesaid,1 will believe or maintain those things which this detestable Bull here prattleth, when as neither that which is the very true Church of Rome, indeed doth her self so think, neither taketh that by and by to be Catholic, whatsoever is known to proceed from the Church of Rome. For as I said, there is no book which shall be called Catholic hereafter, as neither it hath been heretofore, besides only the holy scripture. For the church of Rome it may suffice to glory her self to be a little parcel or piece of the universal church, and so let her vex her self only with her own decrees. Neither let any man think this to be the Bull of the catholic church, but rather to proceed out of the Court of Rome. For such wisdom and religion may well beseem that seat of Satan, which seeketh to be counted for the whole universal Church, and obtrudeth her foolish and wicked Bulls most arrogantly and vainly to the whole world in the stead of sincere catholic doctrine.2 Whose pride and presumption hath grown so far, that she trusting upon her own power, without all learning and holiness of life, taketh upon her to prescribe laws to all men of all their doings and sayings,3 as though for dominion only and loftiness of spirit, she were to be counted the house and church of Christ, where as by this means Satan also the prince of the world, or the Turk might be counted the Church of Christ. Again, neither the Monarchies of the Gentiles can abide mighty Princes to reign over them without wisdom and goodness. Furthermore,4 in the Church the spiritual man only judgeth all things, & is judged of no man, and not the Pope alone or the Court of Rome, unless they be spiritual. But against all this their rash presumption, I boldly set the invincible Champion of the Church S. Paul, who