A67927:794
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.
I grant the former part of your argument, and to the second part I say,1 that although it contain many true things, as of the corrupt state in the times of the Prophets, of Christ, and the Apostles, and of the temple being haunted of Christ and his Apostles, yet notwithstanding the second part of your argument is not sufficiently proved: For ye ought to have proved, that either the prophets, either Christ or his Apostles did in the temple communicate with the people in any kind of worshipping which is forbidden by the law of God, or repugnant to word of God. But that can no where be showed. And as for the Church I am not angry with it, and I never refused to go to it, and to pray with the people, to hear the word of God, and to do all other things what soever may agree with the word of God. S. Augustine speaking of the ceremonies of the Jews (I suppose in the Epistle ad Januarium) although he grant they grievously oppressed that people,2 both for the number, and bondage of the same yet he calleth them burdens of the law, which were delivered unto them in the word of God, not presumptions of men, which notwithstanding if they were not contrary to gods word, might alter a sort be borne withal. But now, seeing they are contrary to those things which are in the word of God written, whether they ought to be borne of any Christian or no, let him judge which is spiritual, which feareth God more than man, and loveth everlasting life, more then this short and transitory life. To that which was said that my fact lacketh example of the godly fathers that have gone before,3 the contrary is most evident in the history of Toby. Of whom it is said, that when all other went to the golden calves, which Jeroboam the king of Israel had made, he himself alone fled all their companions,4 and got him to Jerusalem, unto the temple of the Lord, and there worshipped the Lord God of Israel. Did not the man of God threaten grievous plagues both unto the Priests of Bethel and to the altar which Jeroboam had there made after his own fantasy? Which plagues king Josiah the true Minister of God did execute at the time appointed.5