A67927:1164
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.
Wherefore they be sore drowned in worldly wisdom that think it against their worship to knowledge their ignorance: whom I pray to God that your grace may es•ye, and take heed of their worldly wisdom, which is foolishness before God, that you may do that that God commandeth, and not that seemeth good in your own sight without the word of God, that your grace may be found acceptable in his sight and one of the members of his church and according to the office that he hath called your Grace unto, you may be found a faithful minister of his gifts, and not a defender of his faith, for he will not have it defended by man or mans power, but by his words only, by the which he hath evermore defended it, and that by a way far above mans power or reason, as all the stories of the Bible maketh mention.
Wherefore they be sore drowned in worldly wisedome that thinke it agaynst theyr worship to knowledge theyr ignoraunce: whom I pray to God that your grace may es•ye, and take heede of theyr worldly wisedome, whiche is foolishnes before God, that you may do that that God cō maundeth, and not that seemeth good in your owne sighte without the word of God, that your grace may be founde acceptable in his sight and one of the mēbers of his church and according to the office that he hath called your Grace vnto, you may be found a faythfull minister of his giftes, and not a defender of his fayth, for hee will not haue it defended by man or mans power, but by his wordes onely, by the whiche he hath euermore defended it, and that by a way farre aboue mans power or reason, as all the stories of the Bible maketh mention.
1Wherefore gracious king remember your self, have pity upon your soul, and think that the day is even at hand when you shall give accounts of your office and of the blood that hath been shed with your sword. In the which day that your grace may stand steadfastly and be not ashamed, but to be clear and ready in your reckoning & to have (as they say) your Quites est, sealed with the blood of our Saviour Christ which only serveth at that day,