N20568:4493
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.
AND we the English people with one agreeable consent do cry, Thou Mary art the glory of England, our joy, the honour of thy people, for that thou hast embraced chastity; thine heart is strengthened, for the hand of our Lord hath comforted thee, and therefore thou shalt be blessed for ever. But bow down, O most merciful Father, thine ear, and open thine eyes, and behold our affliction, and our humble confession. Thou knowest, Lord, that against Philip, not by human, but by thy ordinance our king, and against thy servant Mary, by thy providence our queen, the restorers and maintainers of thy testament of the faith, and most constant defenders of thy church; thou knowest, I say, that against these our two governors, the enemies of thy holy testament, and the church, thy […], be most rank rebels and spiteful murmurers, walking after their lusts, whose mouth speaketh words of pride, to the end they may set up the kingdom of heretics and s•b•smatics. By the power of their hands they would change thy promises, and destroy thine inheritance, and stop and shut up the mouths of them that praise thee, and extinguish the glory of thy catholic church and altar.
AND we the English people with one agreeable consent do cry, Thou Mary art the glory of England, our joy, the honour of thy people, for that thou hast embraced chastity; thine heart is strengthened, for the hand of our Lord hath comfo••ed thee, and therefore thou shalt be blessed for ever. But bow down, O most merciful Father, thine ear, and open thine eyes, and behold our affliction, and our humble confession. Thou knowest, Lord, that against Philip, not by human, but by thy ordinance our king, and against thy servant Mary, by thy providence our queen, the restorers and maintainers of thy testament of the faith, and most constant defenders of thy church; thou knowest, I say, that against these our two governors, the enemies of thy holy testament, and the church, thy 〈…〉, be most rank rebels and spiteful murmurers, walking after their lusts, whose mouth speaketh words of pride, to the end they may set up the kingdom of heretics and s•b•smatics. By the power of their hands they would change thy promises, and destroy thine inheritance, and stop and shut up the mouths of them that praise thee, and extinguish the glory of thy catholic church and altar.
IT is manifest and plain, how many contentions, how many conspiracies and seditions, how great wars, what tumults, how many, and how great troublesome vexations, how many heresies and schisms, (for these are the most ready devices, and evident tokens of heretics) for our sins do hang over us, if thy servant be taken from this life: for we acknowledge that our Lord is omnipotent, who hath pitched his dwelling-place in the midst of his people, to the intent to deliver us out of the hands of our enemies. Turn therefore thy countenance unto us; show unto us, O Lord, thy face. Punish us for our sins according to thy will and pleasure, only now deliver us. We bowing the knees of our heart, beseech thee, that thou wilt not reserve unto us punishment for ever, and we shall praise thee all the days of our life. Hear our cry, and the prayer of thy people, and open to them the treasure of thy mercy, thy gracious favour, the spring of lively water. Thou that hast begun, make in the hand of thy servant a perfect work. Suffer not, we pray thee, the faithless rebels to say of thy servant and her counsellors, that they have devised matters which they cannot perform. And grant unto thy servant an happy and an easy travail. For it is not impossible to thy power, nor indecent to thy justice, nor unwonted to thy mercy.
IT is manifest and plain, how many contentions, how many conspiracies and seditions, how great wars, what tumults, how many, and how great troublesome vexations, how many heresies and schisms, (for these are the most ready devices, and evident tokens of heretics) for our sins do hang over us, if thy servant be taken from this life: for we acknowledge that our Lord is omnipotent, who hath pitched his dwelling-place in the midst of his people, to the intent to deliver us out of the hands of our enemies. Turn therefore thy countenance unto us; shew unto us, O Lord, thy face. Punish us for our sins according to thy will and pleasure, only now deliver us. We bowing the knees of our heart, beseech thee, that thou wilt not reserve unto us punishment for ever, and we shall praise thee all the days of our life. Hear our cry, and the prayer of thy people, and open to them the treasure of thy mercy, thy gracious favour, the spring of lively water. Thou that hast begun, make in the hand of thy servant a perfect work. Suffer not, we pray thee, the faithless rebels to say of thy servant and her counsellors, that they have devised matters which they cannot perform. And grant unto thy servant an happy and an easy travail. For it is not impossible to thy power, nor indecent to thy justice, nor unwonted to thy mercy.
IT is well known unto us, how marvellously thou didst work in Sarah of the age of 90 years, and in Elizabeth the barren, and also far stricken in age: for thy council is not in the power of men. Thou Lord that art the searcher of hearts and thoughts, thou knowest that thy servant never lusted after man, never gave herself to wanton company, nor made herself partaker with them that walk in lightness: but she consented to take an husband with thy fear, and not with her lust. Thou knowest that thy servant took an husband not for carnal pleasure, but only for the desire and love of posterity, wherein thy name might be blessed for ever and ever. Give therefore unto thy servants, Philip our king, and Mary our queen, a male issue, which may sit in the seat of thy kingdom. Give unto our queen thy servant, a little infant, in fashion and body comely and beautiful, in pregnant wit, notable and excellent.
GRANT the same to be in obedience like Abraham, in hospitality like Lot, in chastity and brotherly love like Joseph, in meekness and mildness like Moses, in strength and valour like Sampson. Let him be found faithful as David after thy heart. Let him be wise among kings as the most wise Solomon. Let him be like Job, a simple and an upright man, fearing God, and eschewing evil. Let him finally be garnished with the comeliness of all virtuous conditions, and in the same let him wax old and live, that he may see his children's children to the third and fourth generation. And give unto our sovereign lord and lady, king Philip and queen Mary, thy blessings and long life upon earth; and grant that of them may come kings and ⟨p. 410⟩queens, which may steadfastly continue in faith, love, and holiness. And blessed be their seed of our God, that all nations may know, thou art only God in all the earth, which art blessed for ever and ever. Amen.
GRANT the same to be in obedience like Abraham, in hospitality like Lot, in chastity and brotherly love like Joseph, in meekness and mildness like Moses, in strength and valour like Sampson. Let him be found faithful as David after thy heart. Let him be wise among kings as the most wise Solomon. Let him be like Job, a simple and an upright man, fearing God, and eschewing evil. Let him finally be garnished wih the comeliness of all virtuous conditions, and in the same let him wax old and live, that he may see his children's children to the third and fourth generation. And give unto our sovereign lord and lady, king Philip and queen Mary, thy blessings and long life upon earth; and grant that of them may come kings and ⟨p. 410⟩queens, which may stedfastly continue in faith, love, and holiness. And blessed be their seed of our God, that all nations may know, thou art only God in all the earth, which art blessed for ever and ever. Amen.
O Almighty Father, who didst sanctify the blessed virgin and mother Mary in her conception, and in the birth of Christ our Saviour thine only Son; also by thine omnipotent power didst safely deliver the prophet Jonah out of the whale's belly: defend, O Lord, we beseech thee, thy servant Mary, our queen, with child conceived, and so visit her in and with the godly gift of health, that not only the child thy creature, within her contained, may joyfully come from her into this world, and receive the blessed sacraments of baptism and confirmation, enjoying therewith daily increase of all princely and gracious gifts both of body and soul; but that also she the mother, through thy special grace and mercy, may in time of her travail avoid all excessive grief and pain, and abide perfect and sure from all peril and danger of death, with long and prosperous life, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
TUESDAY, January 10th, nineteen members of the lower-house, with their speaker, came to White-hall to the king, and offered him the government of the realm, and of the issue, if the queen should fail, which was confirmed by act of parliament within ten days after.
WEDNESDAY, 26th, the parliament was dissolved. In this parliament the bishop of Rome was established, and all such laws as were made against him since the twentieth year of king Henry VIII. were repealed, and cardinal Poole, bishop Pates, Lilly, and others, were restored to their blood. Also an act was made, that whoever should speak any thing against the king or queen, or that might move any sedition or rebellion, at the first time to have one of his ears cut off, or to forfeit an hundred marks; and at the second time, to have both his ears cut off, or else to forfeit an hundred pounds: and whosoever should write, cypher, or print any of the premises, to have their right hand cut off.
LIKEWISE in this parliament three statutes were revived for trial of heresy: one made in the fifth year of Richard II. another in the second year of Henry IV. and the third in the second year of Henry V. Also the affair of Mr. Rose, and others that were with him, was communed of in this parliament, and upon that occasion an act was made, that certain evil prayers should be treason against the queen's highness. The prayers of these men were thus: "God turn the heart of queen Mary from idolatry, or else shorten her days."
AT the apprehending of Mr. Rose, and his companions, word was brought thereof to bishop Hooper, being then in the Fleet; whereupon the bishop sent a letter of consolation to the said prisoners: the copy whereof is as follows:
THE grace of God be with you, Amen. I perceive by your letter, how that upon New-year's-day at night, there were taken a godly number of christians, whilst they were praying. I do rejoice in that men can be so well occupied in this perilous time, and flee unto God for remedy by prayer, as well for their own lacks and necessities, as also charitably to pray for them that persecute them. So doth the word of God command all men to pray charitably for them that hate them, and not to revile any magistrate with words, or to mean him any evil by force or violence. They also may rejoice that in well-doing they were taken to the prison. Wherefore I have thought it good to send them this little writing of consolation; praying God to give them patience, charity, and constancy in the truth of his most holy word. Thus fare you well, and pray to God to send his true word into this realm again amongst us, which the ungodly bishops have now banished.
JANUARY 4th, 1555.
THE grace, favour, and consolation, and aid of the Holy Ghost, be with you now and ever. Amen. Dearly beloved in the Lord, ever since your imprisonment I have been marvellously moved with great affections and passions, as well of mirth and gladness, as of heaviness and sorrow. Of gladness in this, that I perceived how ye be bent and given to prayer and invocation of God's help in these dark and wicked proceedings of men against God's glory. I have been sorry to perceive the malice and wickedness of men to be so cruel, devilish, and tyrannical, to persecute the people of God for serving of God, saying and hearing of the holy Psalms, and the word of eternal life. These cruel doings do declare, that the popish church is ⟨p. 411⟩more bloody and tyrannical, than ever was the sword of the heathens and gentiles. WHEN I heard of your taking, and what you were doing, wherefore and by whom ye were taken, I remembered how the christians in the primitive church were used by the cruelty of unchristened heathens, in the time of Trajan the emperor, about seventy-seven years after Christ's ascension into heaven: and how the christians were persecuted very sore, as though they had been traitors and movers of sedition. Whereupon the gentile emperor Trajan required to know the true cause of christian men's trouble. A great learned man, called Pliny, wrote unto him, and said, "It was because the christians said certain Psalms before day unto one called Christ, whom they worshipped for God." When Trajan the emperor understood it was for nothing but for conscience and religion, he caused, by his commandments every where, that no man should be persecuted for serving of God. But the pope and his church hath cast you into prison, being taken even doing the work of God, and one of the most excellent works required of christian men; that is to wit, whilst ye were in prayer, and and not in such wicked and superstitious prayers as the papists use, but in the same prayer that Christ hath taught you to pray. And in his name only ye gave God thanks for that ye have received, and for his sake ye asked for such things as ye want. O glad may ye be, that ever ye were born, to be apprehended whilst ye were so virtuously occupied. Blessed be they that suffer for righteousness' sake.
For if God had suffered them that took your bodies, then to have taken your life also, now had you been following the Lamb in perpetual joys, away from the company and assembly of wicked men. But the Lord would not have you so suddenly so to depart, but reserveth you gloriously to speak and maintain his truth to the world. BE ye not careful what ye shall say, for God will go out and in with you, and will be present in your hearts, and in your mouths to speak his wisdom, although it seemeth foolishness to the world. He that hath begun this good work in you, continue you into the same unto the end; and pray unto him that ye may fear him only, that hath power to kill both body and soul, and to cast them into hell-fire. Be of good comfort. All the hairs of your head are numbered, and there is not one of them can perish, except your heavenly Father suffer it to perish. Now ye are in the field, and placed in the front of Christ's battle. Doubtless it is a singular favour of God, and a special love of him towards you, to give you this foreward and pre-eminence, a sign that he trusteth you before others of his people. Wherefore (dear brethren and sisters) continually fight this fight of the Lord. Your cause is most just and godly, ye stand for the true Christ (who is after the flesh in heaven) and for his true religion and honour, which is amply, fully, sufficiently, and abundantly contained in the Holy Testament, sealed with Christ's own blood. How much are ye bound to God, who puts you in trust with so holy and just a cause! REMEMBER what lookers-on you have to see and behold you in your sight, God and all his angels, who are ready always to take you up into heaven, if ye be slain in his fight. Also you have standing at your backs all the multitude of the faithful, who shall take courage, strength, and desire to follow such noble and valiant christians as you are. Be not afraid of your adversaries: for ne that is in you, is stronger than he that is in them; shrink not, although it be in pain to you; your pains are not now so great, as hereafter your joys shall be. Read the comfortable chapters of the Romans viii.x.xv. Hebrews xi.xii. And upon your knees thank God that ever ye were accounted worthy to suffer any thing for his name's sake. Read the second chapter of St.
