N20568:14755
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.
I know, said she, that Abraham's will before God was allowed for the deed, in that he would have done it, if the angel of the Lord had not stayed him: but I (said she) am unhappy, the Lord thinketh me not worthy of this dignity, and therefore Abraham's case and mine is not alike.
WHY then, said her friend, would you not willingly have gone with your company, if God should so have suffered it?
YES, said she, that I would with all my heart, and because I did not, it is now my chief and greatest grief.
THEN, said her friend, my dear sister, I pray thee consider Abraham and thyself well, and thou shalt see thou dost nothing differ with him in will at all.
ALAS, said she, there is a far greater matter in ⟨p. 492⟩Abraham than in me; for Abraham was tried with the offering of his own child, but so am not I; and therefore our cases are not alike.
GOOD sister, said her friend, weigh the matter but indifferently. Abraham, I grant, would have offered his son: and have not you done the like in your little sucking babe? But consider further than this, my good sister (said he), where Abraham was commanded but to offer his son, you are heavy and grieved because you offer not yourself, which goeth somewhat more near you than Abraham's obedience did; and therefore before God, assuredly, is no less accepted and allowed in his holy presence; which further the preparing of your shroud also doth argue full well, &c. After which talk between them she began a little to stay herself, and gave her whole exercise to reading and prayer, wherein she found a great deal of comfort.
DURING the time that these aforesaid good women were prisoners, one in the castle, and the other in Mote-Hall, God by a secret means called the said Margaret Thurston unto his truth again; who having her eves opened by the working of his Spirit, did greatly sorrow and lament her backsliding before, and promised faithfully to the Lord in hope of his mercies, never more while she lived to do like again, but that she would constantly stand to the confession of the same, against all the adversaries of the cross of Christ. After which promise made, came in a short time a writ from London for the burning of them, which was accordingly executed the 17th day of September, in the year aforesaid.
DURING the time that these aforesaid good women were prisoners, one in the castle, and the other in Mote-Hall, God by a secret means called the said Margaret Thurston unto his truth again; who having her eves opned by the working of his Spirit, did greatly sorrow and lament her backsliding before, and promised faithfully to the Lord in hope of his mercies, never more while she lived to do like again, but that she would constantly stand to the confession of the same, against all the adversaries of the cross of Christ. After which promise made, came in a short time a writ from London for the burning of them, which was accordingly executed the 17th day of September, in the year aforesaid.
NOW when these aforesaid women were brought to the place at Colchester, where they should suffer, they fell down upon their knees, and made their humble prayers to God, which being done, they rose and went to the stake joyfully, and were immediately chained thereto, and after the fire had encompassed them about, they with great joy and glorious triumph gave up their souls, spirits, and lives, into the hands of the Lord, under whose government and protection, for Christ's sake, we beseech him to grant us his holy defence and help for evermore, Amen.
NOW when these aforesaid women were brought to the place at Colchester, where they should suffer, they fell down upon their knees, and made their humble prayers to God, which being done, they rose and went to the stake joyfully, and were immediately chained thereto, and after the fire had incompassed them about, they with great joy and glorious triumph gave up their souls, spirits, and lives, into the hands of the Lord, under whose government and protection, for Christ's sake, we beseech him to grant us his holy defence and help for evermore, Amen.
IN the Story before, something was mentioned of a certain shoemaker suffering at Northampton, being un-named; yet, because we understand by a letter sent from the said parties, that he suffered in this year, 1557, and in the month of September, we therefore thought to place him there. His na•• was John Kurd, a shoemaker, late of the parish of Syrsam, in Northamptonshire, who was imprisoned in Northampton castle for denying the popish tra• substantiation, for which cause William […], bachelor of law, and chancellor unto the Bishop of Peterborough, and now archdeacon of Northampton, did pronounce sentence of death against […] said Kurd, in the church of All-Saints, in Northampton. in August 1557, and in September following, at the commandment of sir Thomas Tr•• am, sheriff then of the shire, he was led by his o••• cers without the North-gate of Northampton, […] in the stone pits was burned. A popish priest […] by, whose name was John Rote, vicar of […] Giles's in Northampton, did declare unto him, that if he would recant, he was authorised to give him his pardon. His answer was, that he had his pardon by Jesus Christ, &c.
IN the Story before, something was mentioned of a certain shoemaker suffering at Northampton, being un-named; yet, because we understand by a letter sent from the said parties, that he suffered in this year, 1557, and in the month of Septemeber, we therefore thought to place him there. His na•• was John Kurde, a shoemaker, late of the parish of Syrsam, in Northamptonshire, who was imprisoned in Northampton castle for denying the popish tra• substantiation, for which cause William 〈…〉, bachelor of law, and chancellor unto the Bishop of Peterborough, and now archdeacon of Northampton, did pronounce sentence of death against 〈…〉 said Kurde, in the church of All-Saints, in Northampton. in August 1557, and in September following, at the commandment of sir Thomas Tr•• am, sheriff then of the shire, he was led by his o••• cers without the North-gate of Northampton, 〈…〉 in the stone pits was burned. A popish priest by, whose name was John Rote, vicar of Giles's in Northampton, did declare unto him, that if he would recant, he was authorised to give him his pardon. His answer was, that he had his pardon by Jesus Christ, &c.
IN the month of September this present year, or (as some report) in the year past, suffered the blessed martyr, John Noyes, whose Story here followeth.
FIRST, Mr. Thomas Lovel, being then chief constable of Hoxton Hundred, in the county aforesaid, and one John Jacob, and William Stannard, then being under-constables of the aforesaid town of Laxfield, and Welfren Dowsing, and Nicholas Stanard, of the same town, being then accounted ⟨p. 493⟩faithful and catholic christians, though undoubtedly they proved most cruel hinderers of the true profession of Christ and his gospel, with others, were commanded to be that present day before the justices, whose names were Mr. Thurston, sir John Tyrrel, and Mr. Kene, and sir John Silliard being high sheriff.
THESE sitting at Hoxton, in the county of Suffolk aforesaid, and there the said townsmen aforesaid, having commandment of the said justices to enquire in their town if there were any that would neglect to come to their service and mass, further to examine the cause why they would not come, and thereupon to bring the true certificate to the said justices within fourteen days then next ensuing; they then coming homeward, being full of hatred against the truth, and desirous to get promotion, without any such commandment of the justices (as far as we can learn), took counsel one with another how to attach the said John Noyes without any more delay.
THESE sitting at Hoxton, in the county of Suffolk aforesaid, and there the said townsmen aforesaid, having commandment of the said justices to enquire in their town if there were any that would n•glect to come to their service and mass, further to examine the cause why they would not come, and thereupon to bring the true certificate to the said justices within fourteen days then next ensuing; they then coming homeward, being full of hatred against the truth, and desirous to get promotion, without any such commandment of the justices (as far as we can learn), took counsel one with another how to attach the said John Noyes without any more delay.
THIS devilish enterprise agreed upon, chiefly through the counsel of Mr. Thomas Lovel, Wolfren Dowsing, and Nicholas Stannard, aforesaid, with expedition his house was beset on both sides. This done, they found the said John Noyes in the back side of the said house, going out; and Nicholas Stannard called the said John, and said, Whither goest thou? and he said, To see some of my neighbours. And the said Nicholas Stannard said, Your master hath deceived you; you must go with us now. But the said John Noyes answered, No, but take you heed your master deceive not you. And so they took him and carried him to the justices the next day. After his appearance and sundry causes alleged, the justices and sheriff together cast him into Eye-dungeon, and there he lay a certain time; and then was carried from thence to Norwich, and so came before the bishop, where were ministered unto him these positions following:
THIS devilish enterprise agreed upon, chiefly through the counsel of Mr. Thomas Lovel, Wolfren Dowsing, and Nicholas Stannard, aforesaid, with expedition his house was beset on both sides. This done, they found the said John Noyes in the back side of the said house, going out; and Nicholas Stannard called the said John, and said, Whither goest thou? and he said, To see some of my neighbours. And the said Nicholas Stannard said, Your master hath deceived you; you must go with us now. But the said John Noyes answered, No, but take you heed your master deceive not you. And so they took him and carried him to the justices the next day. After his appearence and sundry causes alledged, the justices and sheriff together cast him into Eye-dungeon, and there he lay a certain time; and then was carried from thence to Norwich, and so came before the bishop, where were ministered unto him these positions following:
FIRST, Whether he believed that the ceremonies used in the church were good and godly, to stir up men's minds to devotion.
