N20568:5107
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.
SIR John Shelton standing by, as Dr. Taylor was speaking, and saying the Psalm Miserere in English, struck him on the lips; You knave, said he, speak Latin, I will make thee. At last they kindled the fire; and Dr. Taylor, holding up both his hands, called upon God, and said, Merciful Father of heaven, for Jesus Christ my Saviour's sake, receive my soul into thy hands. So he stood still without either crying or moving, with his hands folded together, till Soyce with an halberd struck him on the head that his brains fell out, and the corps fell down into the fire.
THUS rendered this man of God his blessed soul into the hands of his merciful Father, and to his most dear Saviour Jesus Christ, whom he most entirely loved, faithfully and earnestly preached, obediently followed in living, and constantly glorified in death.
THUS rendered this man of God his blessed soul into the hands of his merciful Father, and to his most dear Saviour Jesus Christ, whom he most intirely loved, faithfully and earnestly preached, obediently followed in living, and constantly glorified in death.
THEY that were present and familiarly conversant with Dr. Taylor, reported of him, that they never did see in him any fear of death, but especially, and above all the rest who besides him suffered at the same time, always showed himself merry and cheerful in the time of his imprisonment, as well before his condemnation, as after: he kept one countenance and like behaviour. Whereunto he was the rather confirmed by the company and presence of Mr. John Bradford, who was in the same prison and chamber with him.
THEY that were present and familiarly conversant with Dr. Taylor, reported of him, that they never did see in him any fear of death, but especially, and above all the rest who besides him suffered at the same time, always shewed himself merry and chearful in the time of his imprisonment, as well before his condemnation, as after: he kept one countenance and like behaviour. Whereunto he was the rather confirmed by the company and presence of Mr. John Bradford, who was in the same prison and chamber with him.
THE morning when he was called up by the sheriff to go to his burning, being suddenly awaked out of his sound sleep, he sat up in his bed, and, putting on his shirt, had these words, speaking somewhat thick after his accustomed manner; Ah vile thieves, ah vile thieves, rob God of his honour? Afterwards being risen and tying his points, he cast his arms about a great beam which was in the chamber between Mr. Bradford's bed and his; and there hanging by the hands, said to Mr. Bradford, O Mr. Bradford, what a notable sway I should give if I were hanged! meaning for that he was a corpulent ⟨p. 488⟩and big man. These things I thought good here to note, to set forth and declare to those who shall read this history, what a notable and singular gift of spirit and courage God had given to this blessed martyr.
ABOUT the time Dr. Taylor was deprived of his benefice of Hadley, Sir Robert Bracher a pretended protestant in king Edward's days, and afterwards a deadly enemy to the same religion, was one of them that so unmercifully thrust Dr. Taylor's wife and children out of the doors, as she herself hath testified: and notwithstanding the same, since became a protestant again.
DEAR WIFE, I pray God to be ever with us, through Christ, our only Mediator, Amen.
I am glad that Hadley has skill in judging of such packing ware as was brought thither, the first of May last. The preacher, or rather packer, said, as I hear, that the scripture is full of dark sentences; but it is called of David a candle to our feet, and a light to our paths. Our Saviour calleth his word, the light which evil doers do flee from and hate, lest their deeds should be reproved thereby. St. Paul would have •s walk as children of light; and not, in any wise, to continue in ignorance or darkness.
NOW as to the packs of this preacher, I fear they were, as all other wares be, changed into stocks, even his very finest packing stuff against justification by faith only, and for the corporal presence of Christ's body, for praying for souls departed, and for auricular confession. Abraham's justification by faith, by grace, by promise, and not by works, is plainly set forth in the epistle to the Romans, chap. iv. and to the Galatian, chap. iii. and Abraham's works of obedience, in offering up his son so long after his justification, must needs be taken as a fruit of a good tree justifying before m•n, and not of justification before God; for then had man to glory in, then did Christ die in vain.
NOW as to the packs of this peacher, I fear they were, as all other wares be, changed into stocks, even his very finest packing stuff against justification by faith only, and for the corporal presence of Christ's body, for praying for souls departed, and for auricular confession. Abraham's justification by faith, by grace, by promise, and not by works, is plainly set forth in the epistle to the Romans, chap. iv. and to the Galatian, chap. iii. and Abraham's works of obedience, in offering up his son so long after his justification, must needs be taken as a fruit of a good tree justifying before m•n, and not of justification before God; for then had man to glory in, then did Christ die in vain.
AND whereas chap. vi. of St. John, was alleged to prove, that Christ did give his body corporally in his supper, even as he had promised in the same chapter, it is most untrue, for he only gave his body sacramentally, spiritually, and effectually in his supper to the faithful apostles, and corporally he gave it in a bloody sacrifice for the life of the world upon the cross once for all. There in his own person, in his own natural body, he bore all our sins. By whose stripes we are healed, as St. Peter showeth, 1 Peter ii, and Isa. liii. Indeed receiving Christ's sacrament accordingly as it was instituted, we receive Christ's body and Christ's blood, even as I said before th• apostles did.
AND whereas chap. vi. of St. John, was alledged to prove, that Christ did give his body corporally in his supper, even as he had promised in the same chapter, it is most untrue, for he only gave his body sacramentally, spiritually, and effectually in his supper to the faithful apostles, and corpo••lly he gave it in a bloody sacrifice for the life of the world upon the cross once for all. There in his own person, in his own natural body, he bore all our sins. By whose stripes we are healed, as St. Peter sheweth, 1 Peter ii, and Isa. liii. Indeed receiving Christ's sacrament accordingly as it was instituted, we receive Christ's body and Christ's blood, even as I said before th• •postles did.
BUT the popish mass is another matter. The mass, as it is now, is but one of Antichrist's youngest daughters, in which the devil is rather present and received, than our Saviour, the second person in the Trinity, God and Man. O Lord God, heavenly Father, for Christ's sake, we beseech thee to turn again England to the right way it was in, in king Edward's time.
BUT to return again to the packer, rather than preacher, he bringeth St. Chrysostom, where he maketh a comparison between Christ's flesh and Elijah's cloak cast down to Elisha, when Elijah was taken up in the fiery chariot; at length he saith, that Christ, ascending up to heaven, took his flesh with him, and also left his flesh behind him on earth.
BUT to return again to the packer, rather than preacher, he bringeth St. Chrysostom, where he maketh a comparison between Christ's flesh and Elias's cloak cast down to Elizeus, when Elias was taken up in the fiery chariot; at length he saith, that Christ, ascending up to heaven, took his flesh with him, and also left his flesh behind him on earth.
THE meaning is, he did ascend with his flesh, and left a memorial cloak of the same body and flesh, which he calleth his flesh, as he in the sacramental phrase calleth bread his body, because it representeth his body: and as in like manner of sacramental speech, a lamb was called the passover, the circumcision, God's covenant. He took up his flesh corporally, and left his flesh in mystery and sacrament spiritually. Or it may be said, that he left his flesh upon earth, that is, his mystical body, his faithful people; whom St. Paul calleth the members of his body, of his flesh, of his bones, Ephes. v. In the xlix. chapter of Genesis, there is no word of Christ's sacrament, but there is a prophesy of Christ's passion. And where he speaketh there of grapes and wine, it is what is spoken of Christ in another place, where he saith, "I alone did tread the wine-press," meaning thereby, that Christ alone suffered painful passion for the remission of sins, and for the consolation of his faithful soldiers.
IT is not true, as the packer said, that Christ's infinite power may make his body to be in a thousand places at once, as a loaf in a thousand bellies: for then may Christ divide the parts of his body, as a loaf is divided, and so consumed, and then might scripture be false, appointing Christ's body to be but in one place, Acts iii. Phil. iii. Heb. iii. The articles of our faith tell us sufficiently where Christ's body is. It was never in two places at once, neither ever shall be, neither ever can be corporally and naturally, neither ever was, is, can, o• shall be eaten so with any corporal mouths, as the Capernaites and the papists most erroneously and heretically do judge. If our Saviour Jesus Christ hath no other body natural than is made of the substance of bread, and is in a thousand places at once, as I have often said in Hadley, we are not yet redeemed, neither shall our ⟨p. 489⟩bodies rise again, and be made like unto his glorious body. We are sure that our Saviour Christ's body is made of none other substance than of his mother the blessed virgin Mary's substance. We are sure that he taketh not the nature of angels, much less of bread. He only taketh on him the seed of Abraham, Heb. ii. In all things like unto us, sin only excepted. And this is a comfortable doctrine to us christians, believing steadfastly, as the true catholic faith is, that Christ hath but two natures, perfect God, and perfect man. Upon this rock Christ's church is built, and the gates of hell shall never prevail against it, Matt. xvi.
IT is not true, as the packer said, that Christ's infinite power may make his body to be in a thousand places at once, as a loaf in a thousand bellies: for then may Christ divide the parts of his body, as a loaf is divided, and so consumed, and then might scripture be false, appoin•ing Christ's body to be but in one place,
I speak nothing now of auricular confession, and praying for souls departed, because I do not hear what authors the packer brought in for this purpose. Sure I am, that he can bring no authentical and canonical warrant for such his pack-ware. He may say what he will of Hebricians and Grecians, and the flesh under forms, and not above forms, or above the board. He may conjure and convey, pass and repass, even what he will in such clouds and mists. He reproved the scriptures as full of darkness, and yet is full of darkness himself. He did wittily, to bring proofs out of Jewry, Turkey, and other strange places, for his round white cake, for that such his pedlary pelf-pack is contrary to the plain simplicity of Christ's supper. He glanced at priests' marriage. He might against that have brought as ancient a doctor as any alleged out of Hebrew, for his mass and wafer cake, that is Dr. Devil. 1 Tim. 4.
I speak nothing now of auricular confession, and praying for souls departed, because I do not hear what authors the packer brought in for this purpose. Sure I am, that he can bring no authentical and canonical warrant for such his pack-ware. He may say what he will of Hebricians and Grecians, and the flesh under forms, and not above forms, or above the board. He may conjure and convey, pass and repass, even what he will in such clouds and mists. He reproved the scriptures as full of darkness, and yet is full of darkness himself. He did wittily, to bring proofs out of Jewry, Turkey, and other strange places, for his round white cake, for that such his pedlary pelf-pack is contrary to the plain simplicity of Christ's supper. He glanced at priests' marriage. He might against that have brought as ancient a doctor as any alledged out of Hebrew, for his mass and wafer cake, that is Dr. Devil. 1 Tim. 4.
I wonder that he did not confute and confound St. Paul for the sentences written above the altar, of which he made mention in the pulpit. For he and his fellows are so profound, so excellent, so glorious, and triumphant clerks, that they can easily prove a man an ass, and writers in the bible ignorant, simple, full of errors, full of heresies, and beggarly fools. Yet they will be called loving, faithful, and true christian people, defenders of the holy mother the church: but truly they take part with the prince of darkness, with Antichrist, with Jezebel, Apoc. ii. They will not be called Papists, Pharisees, Jews, Turks, Heretics, and so forth: but whatsoever they will be called, God's religion had never more evident adversaries, and that in all the chief points of it; no not then, when our Saviour Christ whipped such merchants out of the temple, calling them a company of thieves, Matt. xxi. God give them grace to repent. God be thanked that the nobility something of late hath spied and stopped their tyranny. O unhappy England! O more ungrateful people! sooner bewitched than the foolish Galatians. We have now no excuse.
I wonder that he did not confute and confound St. Paul for the sentences written above the altar, of which he made mention in the pulpit. For he and his fellows are so profound, so excellent, so glorious, and triumphant clerks, that they can easily prove a man an ass, and writers in the bible ignorant, simple, full of errors, full of heresies, and beggarly fools. Yet they will be called loving, faithful, and true christian people, defenders of the holy mother the church: but truly they take part with the prince of darkness, with Antichrist, with Jezebel, Apoc. ii. They will not be called Papists, Pharisees, Jews, Turks, Heretics, and so forth: but whatsoever they will be called, God's religion had never more evident adversaries, and that in all the chief points of it; no not then, when our Saviour Christ whipt such merchants out of the temple, calling them a company of thieves, Matt. xxi. God give them grace to repent. God be thanked that the nobility something of late hath spied and stopped their tyranny. O unhappy England! O more ungrateful people! sooner bewitched than the foolish Galatians. We have now no excuse.
