A67927:615
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.
Have no fellowship with them therefore my dear wife, nor with their doctrine and traditions, lest you be partaker of their sins, for whom is reserved a heavy damnation, without speedy repentance. Beware of such as shall advertise you something to bear with the world as they do, for a season. There is no dallying with gods matters: It is a fearful thing (as S. Paul saith) to fall into the hands of God. Remember the prophet Elijah,1 Why halt you on both sides? Remember what Christ saith: He that putteth his hands to the plough, and looketh back, is not worthy of me. 2And seeing God hath hitherto allowed you as a good soldier in the forward, play not the coward,3 neither draw back to the rereward. S. John numbereth among them that shall dwell in the fiery lake, such as be fearful in Gods cause. Set before your eyes always the examples of such as have behaved themselves boldly in gods cause, as Steven, Peter, Paul, Daniel, the three children, the widows sons, and in your days, Anne Askew, Laurence Saunders, John Bradford, with many other faithful witnesses of Christ. Be not afraid in nothing (saith Saint Paul) of the adversaries of Christs doctrine, 4the which is to them the cause of perdition, but to you of everlasting salvation. Christ commandeth the same, saying: Fear them not. Let us not follow the example of him which asked time first to take leave of his friends. If we so do, we shall find few of them that will encourage us to go forward in our business, please it God never so much. We read not that James and John, Andrew and Simon, when they were called, put of the time till they had known their fathers and friends pleasure. But the Scripture saith, They forsook all, 5and by and by followed Christ. Christ likened the kingdom of God to a precious pearl, the which whosoever findeth, selleth all that he hath for to buy it. Yea, whosoever hath but a little taste or glimmering how precious a treasure the kingdom of heaven is, will gladly forgo both life & goods for the obtaining of it. But the most part now a days be like to ⟨p. 1711⟩