A67927:1209
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 master Ridley,1 you shall not only not do injury to the Crown, and be prejudicial to their majesties honour, in acknowledging with all Christendom the Popes holiness to be supreme head of Christs Church here militant in earth, but do a thing most delectable in their sight, and most desired of their highness. Thus if you will do, revoking together all your errors, acknowledging with the residue of the realm, the common and the public fault, you shall do that all men most heartily desire: you shall bring quietness to your conscience, and health to your soul: then shall we with great joy, by the authority committed to us from the Cardinals grace, receive you into the church again, acknowledging you to be no longer a rotten, but a lively member of the same, but if you shall still be singular, if you shall still and obstinately persevere in your errors, stubbornly maintaining your former heresies, then we must against our will, according to our commission, separate you from us, and cut you of from the church least the rottenness of one part in process of time, putrefy and corrupt the whole body,2 then must we confess and publish you to be none of ours: then must we yield you up to the temporal judges, of whom except it otherwise please the king and Queens highness, you must receive punishment by the laws of this Realm, due for heretics. Wherefore master Ridley, consider your state, remember your former degrees, spare your body, especially consider your soul, which Christ so dearly bought with his precious blood, do not you rashly cast away that which was precious in Gods sight, enforce not us to do all that we may do, which is only to publish you to be none of us, to cut you of from the Church for we do not, nor can not condemn you to dye (as most untruly hath been reported of us) but that is the temporal Judges *office, we only declare you to be none of the Church, and then must you, according to the tenor of them, and pleasure ⟨p. 1760⟩of the Rulers, abide their determination, so that we, after that we have given you up to the temporal Rulers, have no further to do with you. But I trust Master Ridley, we shall not have occasion to do that we may.4