N20568:5363
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.
7. ITEM, The same bishop decreeing caveats to be made in benefices, thereby knowing the titles litigious, instituted and caused to be inducted without trial of any title or due order of law.
8. ITEM, He directed his mandates of induction unto private men, and not to the archdeacon nor his officials; contrary to the law and custom used in that behalf. Notwithstanding he hath been counselled to the contrary by learned men.
9. ITEM, Having no manner of knowledge nor practice in the law, he sitteth every day in harvest, and other times, upon causes, without the assistance of the learned in the law, having with him only an unlearned boy, who is no notary, to his scribe, neither observing the law, nor yet reasonable order: and therefore doth no good, but trifleth the time, as may appear by his acts, if he have them to show.
9. ITEM, Having no manner of knowledge nor practice in the law, he sitteth every day in harvest, and other times, upon causes, without the assistance of the learned in the law, having with him only an unlearned boy, who is no notary, to his scribe, neither observing the law, nor yet reasonable order: and therefore doth no good, but trifleth the time, as may appear by his acts, if he have them to shew.
10. ITEM, He and his officers, by his knowledge, used to dispense with marriages, to be solemnized without banns, contrary to the laws and ordinances in that behalf.
11. ITEM, Whereas one Thomas Prichard, a chaplain of his, solemnized matrimony in a private house without banns, and that between a priest and a sister of her's that was appointed to be married with the said priest that day; he also being a parson, and leaving his cure unserved that day being Sunday: and notwithstanding that one of the king's council in the marches of Wales informed the said bishop of the same misdemeanours, requiring due reformation thereof, he hath done nothing therein, but put the same chaplain in office, and made him commissary general since that time, bearing a special favour to the rest of the offenders.
11. ITEM, Whereas one Thomas Prichard, a chaplain of his, solemnized matrimony in a private house without banns, and that between a priest and a sister of her's that was appointed to be married with the said priest that day; he also being a parson, and leaving his cure unserved that day being Sunday: and notwithstanding that one of the king's council in the marches of Wales informed the said bishop of the same misdemeanors, requiring due reformation thereof, he hath done nothing therein, but put the same chaplain in office, and made him commissary general since that time, bearing a special favour to the rest of the offenders.
12. ITEM, Whereas one Meredith ap Thomas his household-servant, was accused by one Sage Hughes, to have been father of her child; the said bishop, without acquittal of his servant, caused him to sue the parents of the said Sage of infamy, first in his principal consistory, and from thence before a commissary of his, being his household chaplain, and at last took the matter before himself, railing against all his officers, because they proceeded not after his partial affection, and against the law, that honest ⟨p. 513⟩men of Carmarthen, where he sat upon the cause, judged him to be, or at the least to have been distracted of his wit; and by his partial handling, the cause remaineth unfinished, and the child without a father.
12. ITEM, Whereas one Meredith ap Thomas his houshold-servant, was accused by one Sage Hughes, to have been father of her child; the said bishop, without acquittal of his servant, caused him to sue the parents of the said Sage of infamy, first in his principal consistory, and from thence before a commissary of his, being his houshold chaplain, and at last took the matter before himself, railing against all his officers, because they proceeded not after his partial affection, and against the law, that honest ⟨p. 513⟩men of Caermarthen, where he sat upon the cause, judged him to be, or at the least to have been distracted of his wit; and by his partial handling, the cause remaineth unfinished, and the child without a father.
13. ITEM, Whereas one Jenkin Ph. accused William Chambers, a servant of the bishop's that found this William in an adulterous manner with his wife, by reason whereof the bishop expelled the wife out of his house, the said infamy not purged, the said parties have been both again in the bishop's house and service since that time, to the evil example of others.
14. ITEM, By his unlawful sequestration of the fruits of the benefices of Langattock and Lanvihangel, by the indiscreet handling of the same, there were raised the number of four hundred people or more, who made much disturbance, to the great danger of the inhabitants thereabout, had it not been pacified by the discreet means of sir John Vaughan, knight.
15. ITEM, By his unlawful collation of the prebend of Lanbister to one Stephen Green, a chaplain of his, by covenant and promise to maintain the suit, by whose crafty and indiscreet handling of the same, there was raised in the county of Radnor, the 19th day of August last past, about three or four hundred men to like danger, but that the matter was stayed by John Bradshaw, Rice ap Glin, and Stephen ap Rice, justices of the same county; who with great danger to themselves and their's, pacified the matter, committing an hundred of the offenders to ward.
16. ITEM, Such as he owes displeasures unto, he citeth from place to place, and day to day, only for their vexation, laying no matter against them; and being divers times required the copy of his proceedings against them, to the intent they might answer accordingly, and be at their lawful defence; he denied to all such persons the copies of his proceedings.
17. ITEM, He and his officers wink at the manifest and open crimes of his favourers and adherents, to the evil example of the whole diocese, and abuse the censure of excommunication and suspension, making it an instrument of revenge against such as they do not favour.
18. ITEM, Having received payment of the king's majesty's subsidy, due in Oct. the fourth year of his grace's reign, of the foresaid chanter of the cathedral church of St. David's, and Rowland Meyrike, two of the residentaries there, before Christmas last, he unjustly, of a premeditated mind and purpose, afterwards certified them for recusants, to their ruin, if they had not been admonished of his cruel purpose, and provided lawful defence for the same.
18. ITEM, Having received payment of the king's majesty's subsidy, due in Oct. the fourth year of his grace's reign, of the foresaid chaunter of the cathedral church of St. David's, and Rowland Meyrike, two of the residentaries there, before Christmas last, he unjustly, of a premeditated mind and purpose, afterwards certified them for recusants, to their ruin, if they had not been admonished of his cruel purpose, and provided lawful defence for the same.
19. ITEM, The said bishop celebrating matrimony in his own person, dispensed, contrary to the book of ordinance, with the parties married, for not receiving the holy communion; the parties both being young and lusty persons, having no reasonable cause wherefore they should abstain. At which celebration the bishop communicated not himself. And further the communion was celebrated by a chaplain of his, with superstitious blowings, kneelings, and knockings both by the chaplain that ministered, and by all the company, only one other priest communicating for the manner.
20. ITEM, Where the official of the archdeacon of Carmarthen, in his visitation within Carmarthen, found, contrary unto the said ordinance, an altar set up in the body of the church, for the celebration of the communion, and caused the said altar to be taken away, and a table to be set in the middle of the church; the bishop after the same commanded the vicar of Carmarthen to set the table without the chancel again for the ministration of the communion.
20. ITEM, Where the official of the archdeacon of Caermarthen, in his visitation within Caermarthen, found, contrary unto the said ordinance, an altar set up in the body of the church, for the celebration of the communion, and caused the said altar to be taken away, and a table to be set in the middle of the church; the bishop after the same commanded the vicar of Caermarthen to set the table without the chancel again for the ministration of the communion.
21. ITEM, He being often in Carmarthen, and other places in the chancel at the time of the holy communion, not only tarried there himself, neither communicating nor ministering bare-headed and uncovered, reverently kneeling; but also permitting the people there to continue, the chancel and choir full, kneeling and knocking their breasts. Which manner is yet used in all the diocese, without any reformation or gainsay of him or any his officers.
21. ITEM, He being often in Caermarthen, and other places in the chancel at the time of the holy communion, not only tarried there himself, neither communicating nor ministering bare-headed and uncovered, reverently kneeling; but also permitting the people there to continue, the chancel and choir full, kneeling and knocking their breasts. Which manner is yet used in all the diocese, without any reformation or gainsay of him or any his officers.
22. ITEM, Whereas superstitious praying upon ⟨p. 514⟩beads is not only ungodly, but reproved in the king's majesty's injunctions; the said bishop meeting many with beads in their hands never rebuked any of them.
