N20568:5143
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.
EDMUND, by the permission of God, bishop of London, unto all and singular the lay-people of his diocese, doth send greeting in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
WHEREAS this noble realm of England, dividing itself from the unity of the catholic church, and from the agreement in religion with all other christian realms, hath been, besides many other miseries and plagues, which God's indignation hath poured upon it, grievously also vexed, and sore infected with many and sundry sorts of sects of heretics, as Arians, Anabaptists, Libertines, Zwinglians, Lutherans, and many others, all which sects are most repugnant, and contrary one against another, and all against God's truth, and Christ's catholic faith; whereupon hath grown such ⟨p. 493⟩slander to the realm, such malice and disagreement among ourselves, the inhabitants thereof, such treasons, tumults, and insurrections against our prince, such blasphemy and dishonour unto God, as no man's tongue or pen is able to express: it hath pleased the goodness of God to cast his eye of mercy and clemency upon us, and to move the pope's holiness to send his most godly messenger, the most reverend father in God, the lord cardinal Poole, legate to bring us the glad tidings of peace and reconciliation, and to reduce and bring home unto the fold the lost sheep that were gone astray: whose message, as it hath been honourably received of the king and queen's majesties, even so the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons at the last parliament, have received it, revoking all laws which in the time of schism were promulgated against the authority of the pope's holiness, and restoring the same, and the church of Rome to all that power which they had in this realm before the said schism;
WHEREAS this noble realm of England, dividing itself from the unity of the catholic church, and from the agreement in religion with all other christian realms, hath been, besides many other miseries and plagues, which God's indignation hath poured upon it, grie•ously also vexed, and sore infected with many and sundry sorts of sects of heretics, as Arians, Anabaptists, Libertines, Zuinglians, Lutherans, and many others, all which sects are most repugnant, and contrary one against another, and all against God's truth, and Christ's catholic faith; whereupon hath grown such ⟨p. 493⟩slander to the realm, such malice and disagreement among ourselves, the inhabitants thereof, such treasons, tumults, and insurrections against our prince, such blasphemy and dishonour unto God, as no man's tongue or pen is able to express: it hath pleased the goodness of God to cast his eye of mercy and clemency upon us, and to move the pope's holiness to send his most godly messenger, the most reverend father in God, the lord cardinal Poole, legate to bring us the glad tidings of peace and reconciliation, and to reduce and bring home unto the fold the lost sheep that were gone astray: whose message, as it hath been honourably received of the king and queen's majesties, even so the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons at the last parliament, have received it, revoking all laws which in the time of schism were promulgated against the authority of the pope's holiness, and restoring the same, and the church of Rome to all that power which they had in this realm before the said schism;
which reconciliation was also most gladly and joyfully embraced, as well of all the clergy and convocation of the province of Canterbury, as also of many other persons, and being so great and necessary to be extended to every person of the realm, it hath pleased the said lord legate's grace to give and impart unto me the said bishop of London, for my said diocese, and to all such as I shall appoint in that behalf, power and authority to absolve and reconcile all and every person thereof, as well of the clergy and laity, and as well men as women, who will renounce their errors, and, being penitent, will humbly require to be restored to the unity of the catholic church, as by the letters of the said lord legate's grace sent unto me, and from me sent unto every of the archdeacons within my diocese, more at large may and doth appear. And forasmuch as in mine own person, as well for the multitude of people, as distance of places, I cannot minister this benefit unto every private person myself, and for that also the holy time of Lent is now at hand, in which every true christian man ought to come unto his own pastor and curate, to be of him confessed, and to receive at his hand wholesome council, penance, and absolution; these are therefore as well to give knowledge unto every one of you, as also to signify and declare, that for that purpose, I have by the said authority chosen, named, and deputed, and so by these presents do choose and depute all and singular pastors and curates, having cure of souls within my diocese, and being themselves reconciled herein, that they and every of them, by authority hereof, shall have full power and authority to absolve all such as be lay-persons of their parishes from heresy and schism, and from the censures of the church, into which they are fallen by occasion thereof also, and to reconcile to the church all such who shall declare themselves penitent, and desirous to enjoy the benefit of the said reconciliation.
which reconciliation was also most gladly and joyfully embraced, as well of all the clergy and convocation of the province of Canterbury, as also of many other persons, and being so great and necessary to be extended to every person of the realm, it hath pleased the said lord legate's grace to give and impart unto me the said bishop of London, for my said diocese, and to all such as I shall appoint in that behalf, power and authority to absolve and reconcile all and every person thereof, as well of the clergy and laity, and as well men as women, who will renounce their errors, and, being penitent, will humbly require to be restored to the unity of the catholic church, as by the letters of the said lord legate's grace sent unto me, and from me sent unto every of the archdeacons within my diocese, more at large may and doth appear. And forasmuch as in mine own person, as well for the multitude of people, as distance of places, I cannot minister this benefit unto every private person myself, and for that also the holy time of Lent is now at hand, in which every true christian man ought to come unto his own pastor and curate, to be of him confessed, and to receive at his hand wholesome council, penance, and absolution; these are therefore as well to give knowledge unto every one of you, as also to signify and declare, that for that purpose, I have by the said authority chosen, named, and deputed, and so by these presents do chuse and depute all and singular pastors and curates, having cure of souls within my diocese, and being themselves reconciled herein, that they and every of them, by authority hereof, shall have full power and authority to absolve all such as be lay-persons of their parishes from heresy and schism, and from the censures of the church, into which they are fallen by occasion thereof also, and to reconcile to the church all such who shall declare themselves penitent, and desirous to enjoy the benefit of the said reconciliation.
And whereas divers pastors and curates in sundry parishes peradventure be not able to satisfy the minds, and to app•ase the consciences of some of their parishioners in cases that shall trouble them, I have therefore given also authority to every archdeacon of my diocese with his archdeacon•y, to name and appoint certain of the best learned in every deanery of their archdeaconry, to supply that lack, so that every man so troubled may repair to any one of them within the said deanery, whom he shall like best, to be instructed and appeased in that behalf. And also I have appointed, that if this being done, there shall yet remain any scruple in the party's conscience, and himself not satisfied, then the said party shall repair unto one of my archdeacons or chaplains, unto whom his mind shall be most inclined, or else to repair unto mine own self, to be resolved in his said scruple or doubt, and to receive and take such order therein, as to one of the said archdeacons, or unto me, shall therein appear to be most expedient.
FURTHER certifying and declaring unto you, that I have given commandment herein to all my archdeacons, that they admonish and command every pastor and curate within their archdeaconries, that they, having knowledge hereof, do on the first holiday next then following, at the mass time, when the multitude of people is present, declare all these things unto the parishioners, and exhort them that they esteem this grace accordingly, and reconcile themselves to the church before the first Sunday after Easter next ensuing: which thing I also do command by the tenor hereof, with intimation that the said time being once past, and they not so reconciled, every one of them shall have process made against him, according to the canons, as the cause shall require: for which purpose the pastors and curates of every parish shall be commanded by the archdeacon, to certify to me in writing of every man and women's name that is not so reconciled.
FURTHER, herewith I do signify and declare unto you, that our holy father Pope Julius III. of that name, like a most tender and natural father, hearing of the return and recovery of his prodigal child, this realm of England, hath himself made much joy and gladness hereat, and also all other true christian realms have done the like. Exhorting you therefore in our Lord not to be unthankful yourselves, or negligent in this behalf, but diligently to seek for it, joyfully to embrace it, and fruitfully to use it, remembering withal the monition and charge which came from me the last year, concerning your coming to confession in Lent, and receiving the sacrament at Easter: which monition to all effects and purposes I have now here repeated and renewed, charging you, and also all your curates therewith. And because it is all our duties earnestly and devoutly to pray for the prosperous state of our sovereigns, the king and the queen of this realm, I do finally require and pray you, as heartily as I can, to pray for their majesties accordingly; and especially that it may please Almighty God, to send unto her grace a good time, and to make her a glad mother, which cannot be but unto us all great joy, much comfort, and inestimable profit. Given at London the 19th day of February, in the year of our Lord God, after the computation of the church of England, 1554, and of my translation the 16th.
OUR Lord Jesus Christ absolve you, and by the apostolic authority to me granted and committed, I absolve you from the sentences of excommunication, and from all other censures and pains, into which you are fallen by reason of heresy, or schism, or any other ways: and I restore you unto the unity of our holy mother the church, and the communion of all sacraments, dispensing with you for all manner of irregularity: and by the same authority I absolve you from all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
OUR Lord Jesus Christ absolve you, and by the apostolic authority to me granted and committed, I absolve you from the s•ntences of excommunication, and from all other censures and pains, into which you are fallen by reason of heresy, or schism, or any other ways: and I restore you unto the unity of our holy mother the church, and the communion of all sacraments, dispensing with you for all manner of irregularity: and by the same authority I absolve you from all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
IN the life of bishop Hooper, mention was made of judge Hales, of whom we shall more particularly speak in this place; beginning with the conference between the bishop of Winchester and him, declaring withal how false the excuse is of the papists, who so precisely by the law, defend themselves, and say that in all their doings they did nothing but by the law, to bear them out. Which if it be so, how did they to Anne Askew? What law had they, when they had condemned her, afterwards to rack her? By what law did they call up Mr. Hooper, and imprison him for the queen's debt, when the queen owed him fourscore pounds, and kept him a year and a half in prison, and gave him never a penny? By what law did Bishop Bonner condemn and burn Richard Mekins, a lad of 15 years, when the first jury had acquitted him, and he at the stake revoked all heresies, and praised the said Bonner to be a good man; and also having him in prison, would not suffer his father and mother to come to him, to comfort their own child? What law had they to put Mr. Rogers in prison, when he did neither preach nor read lectures after the time of the queen's prohibition, and when they had kept him in his own house half a year, being not deprived of his living, yet would not let him have a shilling of his own livings to relieve him, his wife, and eleven children? By what law was Thomas Tomkins's hand burnt, and afterwards his body consumed to ashes? What good law or honesty was there to burn three poor women at Guernsey, with the infant child falling out of the mother's womb, when they all before their death had recanted their words and opinions, and were never abjured before? So here likewise in this case, what order or right of laws did Stephen Gardiner follow in troubling and imprisoning judge Hales, when he had done nothing either against God's law or man's, in proceeding by order of law against certain presumptuous persons, who both before the law, and against the law then in force, took upon them to say their mass? The truth of all which fully appears in the following facts and records.
LORD CHAN. MR. Hales, you are to understand, that as the queen's highness hath heretofore conceived a good opinion of you, especially for that you stood both faithfully, and lawfully in her cause of just succession, refusing to set your hand to the book among others that were against her grace in that behalf; so now, through your own late deserts against some of her highness's proceedings, you stand not well in her grace's favour; and therefore before you take any oath, it will be necessary for you to clear yourself.
J. HALES. I pray you, my lord, for what cause.
L. CHAN. Information is given, that you have indicted several priests in Kent for saying mass.
J. HALES. My lord, it is not so, I indicted none; but certain indictments of the like nature were brought before me at the last assizes there held, and I gave order therein as the law required. For I have professed the law, against which, in cases of justice, I will never, God willing, proceed, nor in any wise dissemble, but with the same show forth my conscience; and if it were to do again, I would do no less than I did.
J. HALES. My lord, it is not so, I indicted none; but certain indictments of the like nature were brought before me at the last asszes there held, and I gave order therein as the law required. For I have professed the law, against which, in cases of justice, I will never, God willing, proceed, nor in any wise dissemble, but with the same shew forth my conscience; and if it were to do again, I would do no less than I did.
