A67927:919
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.
Now peradventure there be some that will marvel that Christ did not declare this commandment by some greater faults of Ire, then by these which seem but small faults, as to be angry and speak nothing of it, to declare it, and to call a man brainless, and to call his neighbour fool: truly these be smallest, and the lest faults that longeth to ire, or to killing in ire. Therefore beware how you offend in any kind of Ire, seeing that the smallest be damnable to offend in: see that you offend not in the greatest. For Christ thought, if he might bring you from the smallest manner of faults, and give you warning to avoid the least, he reckoned you would not offend in the greatest and worst, as to call your Neighbour thief, whoreson, whore, drab, and so forth, into more blasphemous names, which offences must needs have punishment in hell, considering how that Christ hath appointed these three small faults, to have three degrees of punishment in hell, as appeareth by these three terms, judgement, counsel, and hell fire: these three terms do signify nothing else but three divers punishments in hell, according to the offences, judgement is lesser in degree then counsel, therefore it signifieth a lesser pain in hell, and it is ordained for him that is angry in his mind with his neighbour, and doth not express his malice neither by word ne countenance: counsel is a less degree in hell, then hell fire, and is a more degree in hell then judgement: and it is ordained for him that calleth his neighbour brainless, or any such word, that declareth his Ire and malice: wherefore it is more pain then judgement, hell fire is more pain in hell, then counsel or judgement, and it is ordained for him that calleth his neighbour fool, by reason that in calling his neighbour fool, he declareth more his malice, in that it is an earnest word of Ire. Wherefore hell fire is appointed for it, that is, the most pain of the three punishments.
Now peraduenture there be some that wyll meruaile that Christ dyd not declare this commaundement by some greater faultes of Ire, then by these which seeme but smal faultes, as to bee angry and speake nothyng of it, to declare it, and to call a man braynelesse, and to call his neighbour foole: truely these be smallest, and the lest faults that longeth to ire, or to killyng in ire. Therfore beware how you offend in any kynd of Ire, seeyng that the smallest be damnable to offend in: see that you offend not in the greatest. For Christ thought, if he myght bryng you from the smallest maner of faultes, and geue you warnyng to auoid the least, he reckoned you would not offend in the greatest and worst, as to call your Neighbour thiefe, whoreson, whore, drab, and so forth, into more blasphemous names, which offences must needes haue punishment in hel, consideryng how that Christ hath appointed these three small faultes, to haue three degrees of punishment in hel, as appeareth by these three termes, iudgement, counsaile, and hell fire: these three termes doe signifie nothyng els but three diuers punishments in hell, accordyng to the offences, iudgement is lesser in degree then counsaile, therefore it signifieth a lesser payne in hell, and it is ordeined for him that is angry in his mynde with his neighbour, and doth not expresse hys malice neyther by worde ne countenance: counsaile is a lesse degree in hel, then hel fire, and is a more degree in hell then iudgement: and it is ordeyned for him that calleth hys neighbour braynelesse, or any such worde, that declareth his Ire and malice: wherefore it is more payne then iudgement, hel fire is more payne in hell, then counsaile or iudgement, and it is ordeined for hym that calleth hys neighbour foole, by reason that in callyng his neighbour foole, he declareth more hys malice, in that it is an earnest worde of Ire. Wherfore hell fire is appoynted for it, that is, the most payne of the three punishments.