A67927:5399
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.
For as much as divers devilish and slanderous persons, having not only invented, bruited, and set forth divers false rumours, tales, and seditious slanders against us, but also have sown divers heresies, and heretical opinions,1 and set forth divers seditious books within this our Realm of England, meaning thereby to stir up division, strife, contention, & sedition, not only amongst our loving subjects, but also betwixt us & our said subjects, with divers others outrageous misdemeanours, enormities, contempts, and offences, daily committed and done, to the disquieting of us and our people, we minding the due punishment of such offenders, & the repressing of such like offences, enormities, and misbehaviours from henceforth, having special trust and confidence in your fidelities, wisdoms, and discretions, have authorised appointed & assigned you to be our Commissioners, and by these presents do give full power & authority unto you, and three of you, to enquire as well by the oaths of twelve good and lawful men, as by witnesses and all other means & politic ways you can devise, of all & singular heretical opinions, Lollardies, heretical & seditious books concealments, contempts, conspiracies, and all false rumours, tales, seditious and slanderous words or sayings, raised, published, bruited, invented, or set forth against us,2 or either of us or against the quiet governance & rule of our peoples, & subjects, by books, lies, tales, or otherwise, in any Coū tie, Key, bowing, or other place or places, within this our realm of England or else where, in any place or places beyond the Seas, & of the bringing in, utterers, buyers, sellers, readers, keepers, or conueyers of any such letter, books, rumour, and tale, and of all and every their coadjutors, coū sellers, comforters, procurers, abettors, and maintainers, giving unto you and three of you, full power & authority by virtue hereof, to search out and take into your hands & possessions, all manner of heretical and seditious books, letters & writings, wheresoever they or any of them shall be found, as well in Printers houses and shops, as elsewhere, willing you and every of you to search for the same in all ⟨p. 1971⟩places,3 according to your discretions.