N20568:4501
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.
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.
Luke's Gospel, and there you shall see how the shepherds that watched upon their sheep all night, as soon as they heard that Christ was born at Bethlehem, by and by went to see him. They did not reason nor deba••: with themselves, who should keep the wolf from the sheep in the mean time, but did as they were commanded, and committed their sheep unto him, whose pleasure they obeyed. So let us do now we are called, commit all other things to him that calleth us. He will take heed that all things shall be well. He will help the husband, he will comfort the wife, he will guide the servants, he will keep the house, he will preserve the goods; yea, rather than it should be undone, he will wash the dishes, and rock the cradle. Cast therefore all your care upon God, for he careth for you. BESIDES this, you may perceive by your imprisonment, that your adversaries' weapons against you are nothing but flesh, blood, and tyranny. For if they were able, they would maintain their wicked religion by God's word: but for lack of that, they would violently compel us, as they cannot by holy scripture persuade, because the holy word of God, and all Christ's doings, are contrary unto them. I pray you, pray for me, and I will pray for you. And although we be asunder after the world, yet in Christ (I trust) for ever joining in the spirit, and so shall meet in the palace of the heavenly joys, after this short and transitory life is ended. God's peace be with you. Amen. JANUARY 14th, 1555.
Luke's Gospel, and there you shall see how the shepherds that watched upon their sheep all night, as soon as they heard that Christ was born at Bethlem, by and by went to see him. They did not reason nor deba••: with themselves, who should keep the wolf from the sheep in the mean time, but did as they were commanded, and committed their sheep unto him, whose pleasure they obeyed. So let us do now we are called, commit all other things to him that calleth us. He will take heed that all things shall be well. He will help the husband, he will comfort the wife, he will guide the servants, he will keep the house, he will preserve the goods; yea, rather than it should be undone, he will wash the dishes, and rock the cradle. Cast therefore all your care upon God, for he careth for you. BESIDES this, you may perceive by your imprisonment, that your adversaries' weapons against you are nothing but flesh, blood, and tyranny. For if they were able, they would maintain their wicked religion by God's word: but for lack of that, they would violently compel us, as they cannot by holy scripture persuade, because the holy word of God, and all Christ's doings, are contrary unto them. I pray you, pray for me, and I will pray for you. And although we be asunder after the world, yet in Christ (I trust) for ever joining in the spirit, and so shall meet in the palace of the heavenly joys, after this short and transitory life is ended. God's peace be with you. Amen. JANUARY 14th, 1555.
UPON Friday, January 18th, all the council went to the Tower, and set at liberty most part of the prisoners, among whom were the late duke of Northumberland's sons, Ambrose, Robert, and Henry, sir Andrew Dudley, sir John Rogers, sir James Crofts, sir Nicholas Throgmorton, sir Nicholas Arnal, sir George Harper, sir Edward Warner, sir William Sentlow, sir Gawen Carew, Mr. Gibbs, Cuthbert Vaughan, with many others.
UPON Friday, January 18th, all the council went to the Tower, and set at liberty most part of the prisoners, among whom were the late duke of Northumberland's sons, Ambrose, Robert, and Henry, sir Andrew Dudley, sir John Rogers, sir James Crofts, sir Nicholas Throgmorton, sir Nicholas Arnal, sir George Harper, sir Edward Warner, sir William Sentlow, sir Gawen Carew, Mr. Gibbes, Cuthbert Vaughan, with many others.
TUESDAY, 22d, all the preachers, who were in prison, were called before the bishop of Winchester, lord chancellor, and certain others, at the bishop's house, in St. Mary Every's. From whence (after communication, being asked whether they would convert, and enjoy the queen's pardon, or else stand to that they had taught; they all answered they would stand to that they had taught) they were committed to straighter prison than before, with charge that none should speak with them: of whom, one James George, the same time, died in prison, being there in bonds for religion and righteousness' sake; who therefore being exempted burial in the popish church-yard, was buried in the fields.
TUESDAY, 22d, all the preachers, who were in prison, were called before the bishop of Winchester, lord chancellor, and certain others, at the bishop's house, in St. Mary Overy's. From whence (after communication, being asked whether they would convert, and enjoy the queen's pardon, or else stand to that they had taught; they all answered they would stand to that they had taught) they were committed to straighter prison than before, with charge that none should speak with them: of whom, one James George, the same time, died in prison, being there in bonds for religion and righteousness' sake; who therefore being exempted burial in the popish church-yard, was buried in the fields.
WEDNESDAY, 23d, all the bishops, with the rest of the convocation-house, were before the cardinal at Lambeth, where he desired them to repair every man where his cure and charge lay, exhorting them to treat their flock with all mildness, and to endeavour to win the people rather by gentleness, than by extremity and rigour, and so let them depart.
WEDNESDAY, 23d, all the bishops, with the rest of the convocation-house, were before the cardinal at Lambath, where he desired them to repair every man where his cure and charge lay, exhorting them to treat their flock with all mildness, and to endeavour to win the people rather by gentleness, than by extremity and rigour, and so let them depart.
FRIDAY, 25th, being the day of conversion of St. Paul, there was a general and solemn procession through London, to give God thanks for their conversion to the catholic church: wherein (to set out their glorious pomp) there were fourscore and ten crosses, one hundred and sixty priests and clerks, who had every one of them copes upon their backs, singing loudly. There followed also, for the better estimation of the fight, eight bishops; and last of all came Bonner, bishop of London, carrying the popish pyx under a canopy.
THERE were also present the mayor, and aldermen, and all the livery of every occupation. Moreover the king also himself, and the cardinal, came to St. Paul's church the same day. From whence after mass they returned to Westminster again. As the king was entering the church, at the steps going up to the choir, all the gentlemen that of late were set at liberty out of the Tower, kneeled before the king, and offered him themselves and their services.
AFTER the procession, there was also commandment given to make bonfires at night. Whereupon did rise among the people a doubtful talk why all this was done: some saying it was, that the queen; being with child, might have a safe delivery▪ others thought, that it was for joy that the realm was joined again to the see of Rome.
MONDAY, 28th, the bishop of Winchester, and the other bishops, had commission from the cardinal to sit upon, and order, according to the laws, all such preachers and heretics (as they termed them) as were in prison: and according to this commission, the same day the bishop of Winchester, and the other bishops, with certain of the council, sat in St. Mary Every's church, and called before them bishop Hooper, Mr. Rogers, and Mr. Cardmaker, who were brought thither by the sheriffs▪ from whence, after communication, they were committed to prison till the next day, but Cardmaker submitted himself.
MONDAY, 28th, the bishop of Winchester, and the other bishops, had commission from the cardinal to sit upon, and order, according to the laws, all such preachers and heretics (as they termed them) as were in prison: and according to this commission, the same day the bishop of Winchester, and the other bishops, with certain of the council, sat in St. Mary Overy's church, and called before them bishop Hooper, Mr. Rogers, and Mr. Cardmaker, who were brought thither by the sheriffs▪ from whence, after communication, they were committed to prison till the next day, but Cardmaker submitted himself.
