N20568:11525
The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being Fox's Book of martyrs, revised and corrected, with additions and great improvements. : Containing an authentic account of the lives, persecutions and sufferings of the holy martyrs; and the many dreadful persecutions against the Church of Christ in all parts of the world, by pagans, Jews, Turks, papists, and others, from earliest ages of the church to the present period. ... The whole forming at once a general Christian martyrology, and a complete history of persecutions. / By the Rev. Mr. John Fox, M.A. late of Magdalen College, Oxford. ; Now revised, corrected and improved, with many additional articles, relating to the acts and monuments of the church. By Paul Wright, D.D. ; Embellished with forty elegant copper plate engravings. ; In two volumes. Vol. I[-II].The new and complete book of martyrs; or, An universal history of martyrdom: being Fox's Book of marytrs, revised and corrected, with additions and great improvements. : Containing an authentic account of the lives, persecutions and sufferings of the holy martyrs; and the many dreadful persecutions against the Church of Christ in all parts of the world, by pagans, Jews, Turks, papists, and others, from earliest ages of the church to the present period. ... The whole forming at once a general Christian martyrology, and a complete history of persecutions. / By the Rev. Mr. John Fox, M.A. late of Magdalen College, Oxford. ; Now revised, corrected and improved, with many additional articles, relating to the acts and monuments of the church. By Paul Wright, D.D. ; Embellished with forty elegant copper plate engravings. ; In two volumes. Vol. I[-II].
New-York: printed by William Durell, 1794
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
AS ye are called christians, and would be angry to be called Jews or Turks, so declare your christianity by following the steps of Christ, whose name ye bear; suffer with him and for his gospel's sake, rather than deny him or defile your faith and conscience with false worshipping of Romish religion.
TAKE up your cross (my hearts) now when it is offered you, and go up with Christ to Jerusalem amongst the bishops, priests, and rulers, if God call you thereto, and they will anon send you to Calvary: from whence (dying in the cause of the gospel, wherein our good preachers and brethren have given their lives) your souls (I warrant you) through Christ Jesus shall ascend to God that gave them, and that body shall come after at the last day, and so shall ye dwell with the Lord for ever in unspeakable joy and bliss. O blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousness' sake▪ Christ's people in this Jewish England now doth; for their's •s the kingdom of heaven. O my beloved▪ set your mind on this kingdom where Christ our head and king is; considering that as the brute beast looketh downwards with the face towards the earth; so man is made contrariwise with his face looking upwards towards the heavens, because his conversation should be in heaven and heavenly t•ings, and not upon the earth and earthly thing•, as St. Paul saith, Coloss. iii. Set your mind on things […] are above, where Christ is. And again he saith, Phil. iii. Our conversation is in heaven, fr•m whence we look for our Saviour, who will change our vile bodies, and make them like to his glorious body. O the glorious estate that we be called unto▪ The Lord preserve us harmless unto his eternal kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
TAKE up your cross (my hearts) now when it is offered you, and go up with Christ to Jerusalem amongst the bishops, priests, and rulers, if God call you thereto, and they will anon send you to Calvary: from whence (dying in the cause of the gospel, wherein our good preachers and brethren have given their lives) your souls (I warrant you) through Christ Jesus shall ascend to God that gave them, and that body shall come after at the last day, and so shall ye dwell with the Lord for ever in unspeakable joy and bliss. O blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousness' sake▪ Christ's people in this Jewish England now doth; for their's •s the kingdom of heaven. O my beloved▪ set your mind on this kingdom where Christ our head and king is; considering that as the brute beast looketh downwards with the face towards the earth; so man is made contrariwise with his face looking upwards towards the heavens, because his conversation should be in heaven and heavenly t•ings, and not upon the earth and earthly thing•, as St. Paul saith, Coloss. iii. Set your mind on things 〈…〉 are above, where Christ is. And again he saith, Phil. iii. Our conversation is in heaven, fr•m whence we look for our Saviour, who will change our vile bodies, and make them like to his glorious body. O the glorious estate that we be called unto▪ The Lord preserve us harmless unto his eternal kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
THE second thing that I note in the aforesaid words of Peter, is, that he calleth persecution no strange thing. And truth it is: for which of the prophets were not persecuted, with Christ and his apostles, and some of them in the end cruelly killed for the truth's sake? Cain killed Abel, Isaac was persecuted of Ishmael, Jacob was hated of Esau, Joseph was imprisoned and set in the stocks, the prophet Isaiah was cut in two with a saw, Jeremiah was stoned, Micah was buffeted and fed with bread and water, Elijah was sore persecuted, Eleazar, and the woman with her seven sons, were cruelly killed. What Christ and the apostles suffered i• well known. So that by many tribulations (as Paul saith, Acts xiv.) we must enter into the kingdom of heaven. All the holy prophets, Christ and his apostles, suffered such afflictions not for evil doing, but for preaching God's word, for rebuking the world of sin, and for their faith in Jesus Christ.
THE second thing that I note in the aforesaid words of Peter, is, that he calleth persecu•ion no strange thing. And truth it is: for which of the prophets were not persecuted, with Christ and his apostles, and some of them in the end cruelly killed for the truth's sake? Cain killed Abel, Isaac was persecuted of Ishmael, Jacob was hated of Esau, Joseph was imprisoned and set in the stocks, the prophet Isaiah was cut in two with a saw, Jeremiah was stoned, Micah was buffeted and fed with bread and water, Elias was sore persecuted, Eleazar, and the woman with her seven sons, were cruelly killed. What Christ and the apostles suffered i• well known. So that by many tribulations (as Paul saith, Acts xiv.) we must enter into the kingdom of heaven. All the holy prophets, Christ and his apostles, suffered such afflictions not for evil doing, but for preaching God's word, for rebuking the world of sin, and for their faith in Jesus Christ.
THIS is the ordinance of God (my friends), this is the high way to heaven, by corporal death to eternal life; as Christ saith, John v. He that heareth my words▪ and believeth in him that sent me, hath eternal life, and shall not come to judgment, but is escaped from death to life. Let us never fear death, which is killed by Christ, but believe in him, and live forever, as St. Paul saith, Rom. viii. There i• no […] to them that are in Christ Jesus, which […] not […] the flesh, but after the […] 1 Cor. xv. […] ⟨p. 139⟩thy ••ctory? Thanks be to God▪ who hath given us the victory through Jesus Christ.
THIS is the ordinance of God (my friends), this is the high way to heaven, by corporal death to eternal life; as Christ saith, John v. He that heareth my words▪ and believeth in him that sent me, hath eternal life, and shall not come to judgment, but is esc•ped from death to life. Let us never fear death, which is ki•led by Christ, but believe in him, and live forever, as St. Paul saith, Rom. viii. There i• no 〈…〉 to thm that are in Christ Jesus, which not the flesh, but after the
BESIDES this, ye have seen, and do daily see, the blood of your good preachers and brethren, which hath been shed in the gospel's cause in this sinful Sodom, this bloody Jerusalem, this unhappy city of London. Let not their blood be forgotten▪ nor the blood of your good bishop Ridley, who like a shepherd, to your comfort and example, hath given his life for his sheep. Good St. Paul saith, Heb. xiii. Remember them that have spoken to you the word of God, and look upon the end of their conversation, and follow their faith.
BESIDES this, ye have seen, and do daily see, the blood of your good pr•achers and brethren, which hath been shed in the gospel's cause in this sinful Sodom, this bloody Jerusalem, this unhappy city of London. Let not their blood be forgotten▪ nor the blood of your good bishop Ridley, who like a shepherd, to your comfort and •xample, hath given his life for his sheep. Good St. Paul saith, Heb. xiii. Remember them that have spoken to you the word of God, and look upon the end of their conversation, and follow their faith.
THE devil ever stirreth up false teachers, as he hath done now over all England, as Peter, Paul, and Jude prophesied it should be, to poison and kill our souls with the false doctrine. And where he faileth of his purpose that way, then moveth he his members to persecute the silly carcasses of the saints, because they will not deny nor dissemble their pure faith in our living Christ, and confess a dead breadly Christ, and honour the same as Christ God and man, contrary to God's commandment, Exod. xx.
THE devil ever stirreth up false teachers, as he hath done now over all England, as Peter, Paul, and Jude proph•sied it should be, to poison and kill our souls with the false doctrine. And where he faileth of his purpose that way, then moveth he his members to persecute the silly carcasses of the saints, because they will not deny nor dissemble their pure faith in our living Christ, and confess a dead breadly Christ, and honour the same as Christ God and man, contrary to God's commandment, Exod. xx.
THIS is the working of Satan, who knowing his own just damnation, would have all mankind to b• partakers with him of the same; such a mortal hatred beareth▪ he against God and his people. And therefore when this wicked tempter could not kill Christ, with subtle temptation to fall down and worship him, then he stirred up his servants the bishops and pharisees to kill his body, whereby notwithstanding the devil lost his title and interest which he had to m•n's s•ul, and man by his precious passion and death was ransomed from the devil, death, and hell, to immortality and li•e everlasting: and so when Satan thought to have won all in killing •f Christ▪ he lost all: and so shal• […] do in us, if we abide constant and strong in the faith of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ unto the end. God gr•nt it for his mercy's sake in Christ. Bl•ssed are all they that put their trust in him. Amen.
THIS is the working of Satan, who knowing his own just damnation, would have all mankind to b• partakers with him of the same; such a mortal hatred beareth▪ he against God and his p•ople. And therefore when this wicked tempter could not kill Christ, with subtle temptation to fall down and worship him, then he stirred up his servants the bishops and phar•sees to kill his body, whereby notwithstanding the devil lost his title and interest which he had to m•n's s•ul, and man by his precious passion and death was ransomed from the devil, death, and hell, to immortality and li•e everlasting: and so when Satan thought to have won all in ki•ling •f Christ he lost all: and so shal do in us, if we abide constnt and strong in the faith of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ unto the end. God grnt it for his mercy's sake in Christ. Blssed are all they that put their trust in him. Amen.
WHEREFORE (my hearty beloved brethren and sisters) be of good comfort through Jesus Christ, for he that is in us is stronger than he that is in the world. Therefore draw ye near to God, and he will draw near to you. Resist the devil, and he will (as St. James saith) flee from you. Beware of the leaven of the pharisees. Touch no• pitch lest ye be defiled therewith. Eat no swine's flesh for it is against the law; I mean, defile not yourself either inwardly or outwardly with this false and wicked religion of Antichrist: for it is nothing else but pitch and swine's flesh. Beware of the beast's mark, lest ye drink of the cup of God's wrath. If God hath given you knowledge and faith, dissemble not therewith. Deny not the known verity before men, lest Christ deny you before his Father. Come away from Babylon, as St. John biddeth, Rev. xviii. and touch no unclean thing, but separate yourselves from the company of the ungodly, as St. Paul commandeth you. Whatsoever ye have done amiss heretofore, now repent ye and amend: for with the Lord there is mercy and plenteous redemption.
WH•REFORE (my hearty beloved br•thren and sisters) be of good comfort through Jesus Christ, for he that is in us is stronger than he that is in the world. Therefore draw ye near to God, and he will draw near to you. Resist the devil, and he will (as St. James saith) flee from you. Beware of the leaven of the pharisees. Touch no• pitch lest ye be defiled therewith. Eat no swine's flesh for it is against the law; I mean, defile not yourself either inwardly or outwardly with this false and wicked religion of Antichrist: for it is nothing else but pitch and swine's flesh. Beware of the beast's mark, lest ye drink of the cup of God's wrath. If God hath given you knowledge and faith, dissemble not therewith. Deny not the known verity before men, lest Christ deny you before his Father. Come away from Babylon, as St. John biddeth, Rev. xviii. and touch no unclean thing, but separate yourselves from the company of the ungodly, as St. Paul commandeth you. Whatsoever ye have done amiss here•ofore, now repent ye and amend: for with the Lord there is mercy and plenteous redemption.
THE third thing and note which I gather out of the aforesaid words of Peter, is this, that he saith, Rejoice, because ye are partakers of Christ's passion Our sufferings (my well beloved) are Christ's sufferings, and that injury that is done to us for his sake, he reckoneth it to be done to himself, as he said unto St. Paul, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Therefore we ought to rejoice in our sufferings, as St. Paul writeth, which we suffer with Christ, one with another, as St. Peter said, and to fulfil that which is behind of the passions of Christ in our fl•sh; which Christ hath, by his passion, fully redeemed and saved us in his own person: howbeit, his elect must suffer with him and for him unto the world's […], that he may be glorified in them, and they thereby corrected and cleansed from sin in this world, and be made more meet temples for the Holy Ghost, and also obtain a great reward in heaven for their suffering for righteous•es•• sake, according to •is promise. And therefore I say (my brethren) rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice Let us rejoice in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the world is crucified to us and we to the world.
THE third thing and note which I gather out of the aforesaid words of Peter, is this, that he saith, Rejoice, because ye are partakers of Christ's passion Our sufferings (my well beloved) are Christ's •ufferings, and that injury that is done to us for his sake, he reckoneth it to be done to himself, as he said unto St. Paul, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Therefore we ought to rejoice in our sufferings, as St. Paul writeth, which we suffer with Christ, one with another, as St. Peter said, and to •ulfil that which is behind of the passions of Christ in our fl•sh; which Christ hath, by his passion, fully redeemed and saved us in his own person: howbeit, his elect must suffer with him and for him unto the world's 〈…〉, that he may be glorified in them, and they thereby corrected and cleansed from sin in this world, and be made more meet temples for the Holy Ghost, and also obtain a great reward in heaven for their suffering for righteous•es sake, according to is promise. And therefore I say (my bethren) rejoice in the Lord always, and agin I say, rejoice Let us rejoice in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the world is crucifid to us and we to the world.
AN• why should we so greatly rejoice in the cross of Christ, which we now suffer? Because (saith ⟨p. 140⟩St. Peter) when his glory appeareth, we may be merry and glad. And this is the fourth note that I gather out of his words above written. Wherein is set out the reward of suffering, not to be had in this wo•ld; but at his coming to judgment when we shall be raised again: and then shall they that have sown in tears reap in joy, as Christ saith, Blessed are they that weep here, for they shall laugh. Blessed are ye when men hate you, thrust you out of their company, railing on you, and abhorring your name as an evil thing for the Son of man's sake: rejoice ye in that day and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.
AN• why should we so greatly rejoice in the cross of Christ, which we now suffer? Because (saith ⟨p. 140⟩St. Peter) when his glory appeareth, we may be merry and glad. And this is the fourth note that I gather out of his words above written. Wherein is set out the reward of suffering, not to be had in this wo•ld; but at his coming to judgment when we shall be raised again: and then shall they that have sown in tears reap in joy, as Christ saith, Blessed are they that weep here, for they shall laugh. Blessed are ye when men hate you, thrust you out of their company, railing on you, and abho•ring your name as an evil thing for the Son of man's sake: rejoice ye in that day and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.
WHEREFORE (my dearly beloved) through the hope of this heavenly joy and reward, which he that cannot lie hath promised (which joy is so great that no ear hath heard, no eye hath seen, no• the heart can think, where we shall dwell for ever in the heavenly city, the celestial Jerusalem, in the presence of God the Father, and Jesus Christ our Mediator, as Paul saith, and in the company of innumerable angels, and with the spirits and souls of all just men), rejoice and be glad: and seeing ye be called to so great a glory, see that you make your election and vocation sure by good works, and especially by suffering adversity for the gospel's sake: for it is given us of God, saith St. Paul, not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for his sake. Continue in prayer, and pray for me, that I may end my course with joy. Have brotherly love amongst yourselves, which is a token that ye be Christs disciples. Edify and comfort one another in the word of the Lord, and the God of p••ce and love be with you always, Amen. For your liberality and kindness showed upon the prisoners and afflicted people of God in this time of persecution, the Lord will reward you when he cometh to reward every man according to his deeds, and will not leave a cup of cold water bestowed upon his faithful people unreward•d. God make you rich in all grace, that ye always having sufficient, may be rich unto all manner of good works.
WHEREFORE (my dearly beloved) through the hope of this heavenly joy and reward, which he that cannot lie hath promised (which joy is so great that no ear hath heard, no eye hath seen, no• the heart can think, where we shall dwell for ever in the heavenly city, the celestial Jerusalem, in the presence of God the Father, and Jesus Christ our Mediator, as Paul sai•h, and in the company of innumerable angels, and with the spirits and souls of all just men), rejoice and be glad: and seeing ye be called to so great a glory, see that you make your election and vocation sure by good works, and especially by suffering adversity for the gospel's sake: for it is given us of God, saith St. Paul, not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for his sake. Continue in prayer, and pray for me, that I may end my course with joy. Have brotherly love amongst yourselves, which is a token that ye be Christ•s disciples. Edify and comfort one another in the word of the Lord, and the God of pce and love be with you always, Amen. For your liberality and kindness shewed upon the prisoners and afflicted people of God in this time of persecution, the Lord will reward you when he cometh to reward every man according to his deeds, and will not leave a cup of cold water bestowed upon his faithful people unrewardd. God make you rich in all grace, that ye always having sufficient, may be rich unto all manner of good works.
THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with you always. Amen.
Your brother now in bonds for the gospel, THOMAS WHITTLE.
THE same faith for which Abraham was accounted just, and Mary blessed, whereby also just men live, the Lord God our loving Father increase and establish in you and me, to the obtaining of eternal life in our alone and sweet Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.
I cannot worthily and sufficiently praise God (my heartily beloved brother) for the consolation and joy that I have received by reason of your loving letters, repenting me much that I being so long so near you, did not endeavour to stir up familiarity and communication between us by writing, to mutual consolation in Christ. For what is there upon earth wherein to rejoice (where all things are transitory and vain, yea man himself respecting this life) but as David saith, Psal. xvi. The saints that dwell upon the earth, and such as excel in virtue? But here now I consider, that if the fellowship, love, and joy of faithful men and children of God being as we now be, in double bondage, the body within clay walls, and the soul within these frail earthly bodies, be so great and comfortable; how unspeakable will these joys be, when we shall be delivered from all corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God? where we shall be present together continually in our glorified bodies, beholding the face of our heavenly Father (whom now we see but in the glass of faith) with his dear Son Christ our Redeemer and brother, and the blessed company of angels, and all the faithful saved souls.
