A67927:1396
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.
Ye know that be my Countrymen dwelling upon the borders,1 where (alas) the true man suffereth oftentimes much wrong at the thieves hand, i• it chance a man to be slain of a thief (as it oft chanceth there) which went out with his neighbour to help him to rescue his goods again, that the more cruelly he be slain, and the more steadfastly he stuck by his neighbour in the fight against the face of the thief, the more favour and friendship shall all his posterity have for the slain mans sake, of all them that be true, as long as the memory of his fact, and his posterity doth endure: Even so, ye that be my kinsfolk and countrymen, know ye (how so ever the blind, ignorant, & wicked world hereafter shall raise upon my death, which thing they cannot do worse then their fathers did, of the death of Christ our Saviour, of his holy Prophets, Apostles & Martyrs:) know ye (I say) that both before God & all them that be godly, and that truly kn•w, & follow the laws of God, ye have, and shall have by gods grace ever cause to rejoice, & to thank God highly, and to think good of it, and in God to rejoice of me your flesh & blood, whom God of his gracious goodness, hath vouchsafed to associate unto the blessed company of his holy Martyrs in heaven, and I doubt not in the infinite goodness of my Lord God, nor in the faithful fellowship of his elect & chosen people, but at both their hands in my cause, ye shall rather find the more favour and grace: For the Lord sayeth, that he will be both to them and theirs that love him, the more loving again in a thousand generations: the Lord is so full of mercy to them (I say) and theirs which do love him in deed. And Christ saith again,2 that no man can show more love, then to give his life for his friend.
Ye know that be my Countreymen dwelling vppon the borders,1 where (alas) the true man suffereth oftentymes muche wrong at the thieues hande, i• it chaunce a man to be slayne of a thiefe (as it oft chanceth there) which went out with his neighbour to helpe him to rescue hys goods agayne, that the more cruelly he bee slayne, and the more stedfastly he stucke by his neighbour in the fight agaynst the face of the thiefe, the more fauour and frendship shall all his posteritie haue for the slayne mans sake, of all them that be true, as long as the memory of his fact, and his posteritie doth endure: Euen so, ye that be my kinsefolke and countreymen, know ye (how so euer the blynd, ignorant, & wicked world hereafter shall rayse vppon my death, which thyng they cānot do worse then their fathers did, of the death of Christ our Sauiour, of his holye Prophets, Apostles & Martyrs:) know ye (I say) yt both before God & all them that be godly, and that truly knw, & follow the lawes of God, ye haue, and shall haue by gods grace euer cause to reioyce, & to thanke God highly, and to thinke good of it, and in God to reioyce of me your fleshe & bloud, whom God of his gracious goodnes, hath vouchsafed to associate vnto the blessed cōpany of his holy Martyrs in heauen, and I doubt not in the infinite goodnes of my Lord God, nor in the faithful fellowship of his elect & chosen people, but at both their hands in my cause, ye shall rather finde the more fauour and grace: For the Lord saieth, that he will be both to them and theyrs that loue him, the more louyng agayne in a thousand generations: the Lord is so full of mercy to them (I say) and theirs which doe loue hym in deed. And Christ saith againe,