A67927:852
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 have need of patience, that after the have done the will of God, ye may receive the promises. For yet a very little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry, and the just shall live by faith: but if any withdraw him self▪ 1my soul shall have no pleasure in him (saith the Lord.) But we are not they which do withdraw our selves unto damnation, 2but believe unto the salvation of the soul. Let us not suffer these words of Christ to fall out of our hearts by any manner of terrors or threatenings of the world. Fear not them which kill the body: the rest ye know. For I write not unto you, as to men which are ignorant of the truth, but which know the truth, and to this end only, that we agreeing together in one faith, may take comfort one of an other, and be the more confirmed and strengthened thereby. We never had a better or more just cause either to contemn our life or shed our blood:3 we can not take in hand the defence of a more certain, clear, and manifest truth. For it is not any ceremony for the which we contend, but it toucheth the very substance of our whole Religion, yea, even Christ him self. Shall we,4 either can we receive and acknowledge any other Christ in stead of him, who is alone the everlasting Son of the everlasting Father, and is the brightness of the glory, and lively image of the substance of the Father, in whom only dwelleth corporally the fullness of the Godhead, who is the only way, the truth and the life? Let such wickedness (my brethren) let such horrible wickedness be far from us. For although there be that are called Gods, whether in heaven either in earth, as there be many Gods and many Lords, yet unto us there is but one God, which is the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him: but every man hath not knowledge. This is life eternal (saith S. John) that they know thee to be the only true God, 5and whom thou haste ⟨p. 1727⟩