N20568:5051
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.
13. THEY know that St. Chrysostom affirmeth it to be an heresy to say, that a bishop may not have a wife.
14. THEY know that St. Ambrose says, Integrity will have no commandment, but counsel only to be given touching the observing of virginity.
15. THEY know that before the time of pope Hildebrand, that is, during the time of 1000 years after Christ, marriage was never restrained, by any forcible necessity of vow, from men of the church.
16. THEY know that St. Paul calleth it the doctrine of devils, to forbid meats and marriage, which God hath left free, with thanksgiving, for necessity of man and woman.
WHEN Dr. Taylor had with great spirit and courage answered for himself, and rebuked his adversaries for breaking their oath made before to king Henry, and to king Edward his son, and for betraying the realm into the power of the Roman bishop; they perceiving, that in no case he could be drawn to their wills and purpose, that is, to turn with them from Christ to Antichrist, committed him thereupon to prison again, where he remained till the end of January.
IN January, 1555, the Rev. Dr. Taylor, Mr. Bradford, and Mr. Saunders, were again called to appear before the bishop of Winchester, […] bishop• of Norwich, London, Salisbury, and Durham, and there were again charged with her• sy and schism, and therefore a determinate answer was required, whether they would submit themselves to the Roman bishop, and abjure their errors, or else they would according to their laws proceed to their condemnation.
IN January, 1555, the Rev. Dr. Taylor, Mr. Bradford, and Mr. Saunders, were again called to appear before the bishop of Winchester, 〈…〉 bishop• of Norwich, London, Salisbury, and Durham, and there were again charged with her• sy and schism, and therefore a determinate answer was required, whether they would submit themselves to the Roman bishop, and abjure their errors, or else they would according to their laws proceed to their condemnation.
WHEN Dr. Taylor, Mr. Bradford, and Mr. Saunders, heard this, they answered boldly, that they would not depart from the truth which they had preached in king Edward's days, neither would they submit themselves to the Romish Antichrist; but they thanked God for so great mercy, that he would call them to be worthy to suffer for his word and truth.
WHEN the bishops saw them so bold, and immovably fixed in the truth, they read the sentence of death upon them, which when they heard, they most joyfully gave God thanks, and said unto the bishops: "We doubt not but God the righteous judge will require our blood at your hands; and the proudest of you all shall repent this receiving again of Antichrist, and your tyranny that you now show against the flock of Christ.
WHEN the bishops saw them so bold, and immoveably fixed in the truth, they read the sentence of death upon them, which when they heard, they most joyfully gave God thanks, and said unto the bishops: "We doubt not but God the righteous judge will require our blood at your hands; and the proudest of you all shall repent this receiving again of Antichrist, and your tyranny that you now shew against the flock of Christ.
DR. TAYLOR being condemned, was committed to the Clink, and the keepers were charged to keep him straitly: for you have now another manner of charge, said the lord chancellor, than you had before; therefore look you, take heed to it.
WHEN the keeper brought him towards the prison, the people flocked about to gaze upon him; unto whom he said, God be praised, good people, I am come away from them undefiled, and will confirm the truth with my blood. He was confined in the Clink till it was toward night, and then he was removed into the Poultry Compter.
WHEN Dr. Taylor had lain in the Compter a week or thereabouts, on the fourth of February, 1555, Edward Bonner, bishop of London, with others, came to degrade him, bringing with them such ornaments as do appertain to their massing-mummery. Now being come, he called for the said Dr. Taylor to be brought unto him; the bishop being then in the chamber where the keeper of the Compter and his wife lay. So Dr. Taylor was brought down from the chamber above that, to the said Bonner. And at his coming the bishop said, Doctor, I wish you would remember yourself, and turn to your mother holy church, so may you do well enough, and I will sue for your pardon. Whereunto Dr. Taylor answered, I wish you and your fellows would turn to Christ. As for me, I will not turn to Antichrist. Well, said the bishop, I am come to degrade you: wherefore put on these vestures. No, said Dr. Taylor, I will not. Wilt thou not, said the bishop? I shall make thee ere I go. Said Dr. Taylor, you shall not, by the grace of God. Then he charged him upon his obedience to do it, but he would not.
SO he ordered another to put them upon his back, and being thoroughly furnished therewith, he set his hands to his side, walking up and down, and said; How say you, my lord, am not I • goodly fool? How say you, my masters? If I were in Cheapside, should I not have boys to laugh at these apish toys, and trumpery? So the bishop scraped his fingers, thumbs, and the crown of his head, with the rest of such like childish observances.
AT last, when he would have given Dr Taylor a stroke on the breast with his crosier-staff, the bishop's chaplain said, My lord, strike him not, for he will certainly strike again. Yes, by St. Peter will I, said Dr. Taylor. The cause is Christ's, and I were no good christian, if I would not fight in my master's quarrel. So the bishop laid his curse upon him, but struck him not. Then said Dr. Taylor. Though you do curse me, yet God doth bless […]: I have the witness of my conscience, that you have done me wrong and violence, and yet I pray God, if it be his will, forgive you. But from the tyranny of the bishop of Rome, and his detestable enormities, good Lord deliver us. And •n his going up to his chamber, he still said, God deliver me from you, God deliver me from you. And when he came up, he told Mr. Bradford (for they both lay in one chamber) that he had made the bishop of London afraid; for, saith he, laughingly, his chaplain gave him counsel not to strike me with his crosier-staff, for that I would strike again; and, by my troth, said he, rubbing his hands, I made him believe I would so indeed.
AT last, when he would have given Dr Taylor a stroke on the breast with his crosier-staff, the bishop's chaplain said, My lord, strike him not, for he will certainly strike again. Yes, by St. Peter will I, said Dr. Taylor. The cause is Christ's, and I were no good christian, if I would not fight in my master's quarrel. So the bishop laid his curse upon him, but struck him not. Then said Dr. T•ylor. Though you do curse me, yet God doth bless 〈…〉: I have the witness of my conscience, that you have done me wrong and violence, and yet I pray God, if it be his will, forgive you. But from the tyranny of the bishop of Rome, and his detestable enormities, good Lord deliver us. And •n his g•ing up to his chamber, he sti•l said, God deliver me from you, God deliver me from you. And when he came up, he told Mr. Bradford (for they both lay in one chamber) that he had made the bishop of London afraid; for, saith he, laughingly, his chaplain gave him counsel not to strike me with his crosier-staff, for that I would strike again; and, by my troth, said he, rubbing his hands, I made him believe I would so indeed.
THE night after he was degraded, his wife and his son Thomas resorted unto him, and were by the gentleness of the keepers permitted to sup with him. For this difference was ever found between the keepers of the bishop's prison, and the keepers of the king's prisons; that the bishops' keepers were ever cruel, blasphemous, and tyrannous like their masters; but the keepers of the king's prisons showed, for the most part, as much favour as they possibly might.
THE night after he was degraded, his wife and his son Thomas resorted unto him, and were by the gentleness of the keepers permitted to sup with him. For this difference was ever found between the keepers of the bishop's prison, and the keepers of the king's prisons; that the bishops' keepers were ever cruel, blasphemous, and tyrannous like their masters; but the keepers of the king's prisons shewed, for the most part, as much favour as they possibly might.
WHEN Dr. Taylor's wife, his son, and John Hull his servant, came to sup with him, at their coming, they kneeled down and prayed, saying the litany.
