A67927:1155
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 2] 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 2] 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.
Therefore, pleaseth it your good Grace, to return to this golden rule of our Master & Saviour Jesus Christ, which is this: by their fruits ye shall know them. For where you set persecution, there is the Gospel, and there is the trueth: and they that do persecute, be void and without all trueth: not caring for the clear light, which as our Saviour Jesus Christ saith in the third Chapter of Saint Johns Gospel) is come into the world, and which shall utter and show forth every mans works. 1And they, whose works be nought, dare not come to this light, but go about to stop it and hinder it, letting as much as they may, that the holy scripture should not be read in our mother tongue,2 saying that it would cause heresy and insurrection, and so they persuade, at the least way they would fain persuade your Grace to keep it back. But here mark their shameless boldness, which be not ashamed, contrary to Christs doctrine, to gather figs of Thorns, and grapes of bushes, and to call light darkness, and darkness light, sweet sower, and sower sweet, good evil, and evil good, and to say that that, which teacheth all obedience, should cause dissension and strife,3 but such is their belly wisdom: therewith they judge and measure every thing, to hold and keep still this wicked Mammon, the goods of this world, which is their GOD, and hath so blinded the eyes of their hearts, that they can not see the clear light of the Sacred Scripture, though they babble never so much of it.
Therefore, pleaseth it your good Grace, to returne to this golden rule of our Mayster & Sauiour Iesus Christ, which is this: by theyr fruites ye shall know them. For where you set persecution, there is the Gospell, and there is the trueth: and they that doe persecute, be voyde and wythout all trueth: not caryng for the cleare light, which as our Sauior Iesus Christ sayth in the third Chapter of Saynt Iohns Gospell) is come into the worlde, and which shall vtter and shewe forth euery mans workes. 1And they, whose workes be nought, dare not come to this light, but goe aboute to stop it and hinder it, letting as muche as they may, that the holy scripture should not be read in our mother toūg,