A67927:5111
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.
In the mean season while they lay thus enclosed in several prisons, the husband and the wife, the Bishop beginneth to practise not with the woman first, as the serpent did with Eve, but with the man, craftily deceiving his simplicity, with fair glossing words, falsely persuading him that his wife had recanted, and asking him, wherefore he should more stand in his own conceit, then she being as well learned as he, and so subtly drew out a form of recantation, wherewith he deceived the simple soul. Whereunto after that he had once granted that he would consent, although he had not yet recanted, they suffered him to to go to his wife, where she lay in the common Jail.
In the meane season while they lay thus inclosed in seuerall prisons, the husband and the wife, the Bishop beginneth to practise not with the woman first, as the serpent did with Eue, but with the man, craftily deceiuing his simplicitie, with fayre glosing wordes, falsely perswading him that his wife had recanted, and asking him, wherfore he should more stande in his owne conceate, then shee being as well learned as he, and so subtilly drew out a form of recantation, wherewith hee deceiued the simple soule. Whereunto after yt he had once graunted that hee would consent, although hee had not yet recanted, they suffered hym to to go to his wife, where shee laye in the common Iayle.
Then they with melting hearts opening their minds one to an other, when he saw his wife not released, & perceiving that he had not done well, he declared unto her the whole matter, how falsely he was circumvented by the subtle flatterings of the Bishop, bearing him in hand that certainly she had recanted: and thus deceiving me (said he) brought this unto me,1 and so plucked out of his bosom the copy of the recantation, whereunto he had granted his promise. At the sight whereof the wife hearing what her husband had done, her hart clave a sunder, saying: Alack, thus long have we continued one, and hath Satan so prevailed, to cause you to break your first vow made to Christ in Baptism? And so departed the said W. and Joan his wife, with what hearts the Lord knoweth. Then began he not a little to bewail his promise made to the Bishop, and to make his prayer to almighty God, desiring him that he might not live so long as to call evil good, and good evil: or light darkness, or darkness light, and so departed he home toward his house: where by the way homeward (as it is affirmed) he took his death and shortly after departed according to his prayer, after he had endured in prison xii. weeks.